My husband got the boot!

A post-op walking boot, that is.

Well, actually, it's a big clunky sandal.  But it will do the job of protecting his foot very nicely for a few weeks.  

This morning at 6:00 a.m. we made our way to the surgery center where the husband had surgery to clean up some arthritis and bone chips that had made walking very difficult.  It was a fairly standard and uncomplicated surgery from what we understand, and if this is a success he plans to have the other foot done, too.  And then we have high hopes that come late fall he'll be walking normally again. 

To pass the time during the pre-surgery waiting and then his surgery I took along a simple crochet project (of course).  I've been wanting to try spiral crochet, and this seemed as good a time as any.  

Last night I found this (very well written) pattern for a crocheted spiral dishcloth and I was able to crochet almost a whole cloth this morning.  Well, hey, lookie there.  It's another dishcloth from Neatly Tangled - the same crocheter who created the hyperbolic dishcloth pattern I wrote about yesterday.  Cool beans! 

I like it.  I like it a lot.  

When I first started reading the instructions, I thought it was going to be kind of complicated and fiddly.  But once I got going, it was really pretty simple.  You do have to keep track of where you are and what color you're supposed to be using so you'll need at least one stitch marker, but this isn't hard.  At one point I thought I messed up, but I continued on like I knew what I was doing and it worked out.   We'll see when I do another one (and I will be doing another one) if the error was mine or if the pattern got confused about what color I was on.  ;^)

I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but I'm thinking that this might be my favorite dishcloth now.  I know.  I know!  Just yesterday I was in love with the hyperbolic dishcloth. What can I say.  I'm fickle.  Or easily tickled.  I'm a sucker for a fun dishcloth, for sure.

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The book next on the docket is The Communion of Saints by Philip Graham Ryken.   I'm not very far into it, but the forward convinced me to give it a go.  The first line is:  "Americans have started bowling alone."   And then goes on to expound on how independent and autonomous we have become as individuals in this culture, and in our churches.  I get it.  I feel the draw toward autonomy.  I think I've always felt it.  I tend to think it's my introvert nature that draws me there, but something tells me that's not the whole truth.  And the draw is not wholly right.  

The Christian life cannot be lived fully autonomously, but having recently been thrust into the reality of needing to find a church home - our wonderful little fellowship had to give up our building and our pastor retired over a year ago - and... well... we've been a bit disconnected ever since.  We're in a sweet church right now, but the seeds of autonomy have been sown and it turns out it's grown weedy in here.  I think I'm ready to uproot it.  But I'd be lying if I didn't admit it's a little scary.  Or intimidating.  Or maybe it's just work.  And I've grown lazy and more than a wee bit selfish.  I'm hoping for some insight and inspiration from this book.  I'll give a report when I've gotten deeper in.  It looks promising.

To see what other yarn-lovers are making and reading, check out Ginny's Yarn Along at Small Things.