Can't. Wait. Til Summer. (Hibiscus Tunic).

All in a summer's work!  It's not like I was working on one project, exclusively, this summer, but somewhere along the way this Hibiscus Tunic completely took over my life.  It was my first major endeavor in the workings of thread, rather than yarn.  Remember those hard little skeins of thread that you found at Granny's or Aunty's house when you were a child?  Sometimes there would be a section  of a doily or some such tiny-ness that would inspire to crochet or craft, but within minutes it was obvious that the fine craft of lacework is definitely a thing of the past.  So when I decided to delve into this little gem I knew I was in for trouble, although the fact that it was advertised in Interweave Crochet, one of my favorite magazines, encouraged me to soldier forth.

And so I plugged….and plodded.

Crucial moment: Must. Unravel.

 Somewhere on the front I hadn't quite memorized or figured out, exactly, what the pattern was.  There's a rather simple logic to the thing, but while reading the crochet pattern, it's easy to bulldoze through the directions without seeing the simple repetition.  My flowers looked a bit askew, but when I realized what I was missing it was time to rip rip rip (this was mid-July).

The thing went all the way to Maine with us.  On this glorious day, I found myself on a beach, staring at lovely mountainsides, terrific vistas, our travel companions frolicking in the water.   Summer joy, itself.

 It really wasn't until the hint of Fall was in the air that I began to scurry through this little ditty.   A mere few days after the Equinox, intermittently working on this beach-wear along with snuggly afghans (temps beginning to drop), I finally picked up the hook and managed to finish the beast during daughter's Belt Promotion Ceremony (always multitask).  A quick seam or two, block this baby, and bAM!  It's a new frock, ready for wear, a bit this season, and a whole lot in coming summers.

Can't. 

Wait. 

'Til Summer.