Tying Myself Up In Useful Knots

I signed up again for a Fly Tying class.   I realize that crafts bring me the same sort of benefit as meditation.   I focus on what I am doing and get lost in it, which lets the worries and stresses fall to the wayside for a few minutes.    I had hoped that Fly Tying would be a way to meet other people who want to fish, or at least who know where I could go to fish.   But instead, I create my own little cocoon there and, although I can hear the others chattering away, I am busy just tying.   Oh well.    As Popeye used to say, I am what I am.     So last night I missed out on the fishing tips, but I tied 10 egg sucking leeches.   My instructor likes them leggy, and he held mine up as examples of a well done pattern.    What could be better?

I tried this week to read a crochet pattern on my own, for the first time.    I have a lot to learn!   Another class might be in order.   I was going for a toddler size, but if I am lucky, the finished product might fit my granddaughter's 18" doll.    Honestly, it might even be too small for that.    Here it is modeled by Sweet Pea, the adorable dolly I won from Emily at The Nest last year:

Even though the hat obviously didn't turn out as I had hoped, I was ridiculously pleased with it -- a sign, no doubt, of how low my standards are.   Because see, it isn't the hat is was supposed to be, but it IS hat-shaped, and cute as a bug's ear, so I am happy with it as a first attempt.   So happy, in fact, that I treated myself to a Sausage McMuffin with Egg today, after a meeting at work that I had dreaded and survived.   I know, I know.   The stuff is poison.   But I had a coupon.