FFF - Winnnings - Cable Stitch - Canned Air!

http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/2011/04/first-fifth-forever-letter-writing.html

I know that today is not the 5th, but I was actually on the road coming home from a trip to the Northeast, to visit two of our daughters and their families, on the 5th.  I am just now getting myself back to some semblance of normalcy.  I did not keep a list of people I sent cards, notes, and letters to last month, but I did send lots.  I had lunch with 7 of my friends with whom I used to teach.  I sent them all notes telling them how much I enjoyed seeing them.  I have sent a couple of sympathy cards, get well cards, and thinking of you cards.  I sent cards to a couple of ladies who are in a nursing home.  I really do enjoy sending cards, notes, and letters.  I love receiving them, too, don't you?  I just saw a couple (he used to be the preacher at our church years and years ago).  They and my mother corresponded for over 30 years.  They never failed to send cards for New Years, Valentine's, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Birthdays, and maybe even other times, to each other.  My mother saved every card they ever sent her.  They had a running joke going about the preacher and his family being the X Family!!

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I am a WINNER!!!

 I won this adorable romper from Alida at I Make Stuff.   I feel very privileged to have won this cute, cute, cute little outfit.  It should just fit our Lil'E.  I just put it in the mail to her today!!!  When she outgrows it, Lil'B can wear it! 

This awesome hair decoration is from Bugaboo Mini Mr. and Me.  I decided to leave it with my three oldest granddaughters, Miss K, Miss J, and Miss R when I was visiting them last week.  The three of them can share it!  If you go to her blog, you will see that I have won another giveaway from her.  This time I've won a yarn wreath.  I can't wait to get it!!!!

And the third giveaway I've won recently is from Jerre at Fabric Artist.   This journal cover would be perfect for the little boys in my life, Big Little Man and Little Little Man.   Even though they are both too young for writing in a journal, Big Little Man could draw pictures in this for now.  When he gets a little bigger, we'll get him a new tablet to insert into the cover.  He will love it!

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I've been challenging myself to learn at least one new skill each month.  One thing I was determined to learn to do was the cable stitch in knitting.  I have learned how to do it.  This is my first attempt.  It looks nothing like the picture on the pattern.  I think I know what I've done wrong.  I've played with some scrap yarn.  This is to be a sweater vest for Big Little Man.  When I make LLM's I will try to do it correctly.  I kind of like how this looks, though, so I'm leaving it the way it is.  It's hard to see in this photo, partly because of this yarn with the various colors in it.  

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I took my sewing machine to be serviced while we were gone.  I went to pick it up yesterday.  The gentleman who serviced it thought that I had used canned air to clean it.  But, I never have.  I've thought about it, but I just never got around to buying any.  His wife said that I must use my machine next to a return vent, then.  I don't.  He said that the lint, etc... was packed, packed, packed in there and that if he hadn't cleaned it out, the motor would have burned up.  I usually take it every year to be serviced, but I never made it to the shop last year.  He said that's probably why it was so packed.  He said he could tell I use it LOTS! 
He and his wife did tell me NEVER EVER to use CANNED AIR on my machine, so I thought I'd pass that tip along!