Lenten Yarn Along

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here. I would love for you to join me over at Ginny's every Wednesday to share a single photo of what you are knitting (or crocheting) and reading too! Share your photo on your blog, on Instagram (#yarnalong), or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

Have you seen the Panama Hat video/pattern? It's super-cute! One of my friends begged me for one, so I got to work with some white Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino that I had on hand. I've never used it before, but it's gorgeous and perfect for a child's knit. Feels wonderful, knits beautifully (or crochets, as the case may be!), and I'm sure it won't be scratchy at all. You know how kids hate scratchy stuff!

I found some free flower patterns at All-free Crochet to add to it in her favorite colors of pink and purple.

Unfortunately, the hat-recipient is a little punkin, even though she's 6 (?), so it was too big and I had to make another, slightly smaller. The extra one is in the shop over at Rosy Knits for someone who needs an Easter Bonnet!

The book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, was a gift from my husband when I suddenly felt the need to give up Facebook at the start of Lent. I haven't gotten far because I have a stack of other books to amuse myself with, but I expect it will be very interesting, and, perhaps, just slightly depressing. It was first published in 1985, with this 20th Anniversary edition released in 2005, and if we were amusing ourselves to death 30 years ago, the problem is infinitely greater now with the advent of home computers, laptops, smartphones, unlimited streaming data plans, and more. Have you read it?

This little punkin belongs to a friend. Teeny-tiny at just a few pounds, I was compelled to whip up a crocheted sweater to help her stay warm! "Mom" hadn't been able to find one small enough. No, that's not it in the photo, that is her leash harness.

It's Really Fall! Yarn Along

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here. I would love for you to join me over at Ginny's every Wednesday to share a single photo of what you are knitting (or crocheting) and reading too! Share your photo on your blog, on Instagram (#yarnalong), or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

~~~ The epic, two, solid weeks of rain have ended. The sun is out, and the temps are seasonal---cold overnight and warming to around 60 during the day.  Thanks be to God!

I did finish an awesome book that I'm happy to tell you about, instead of simply the occasional update that I read for 5 minutes every night! Excited?

I finished The Boys in the Boat about the 8-man crew team from the University of Washington that made it to the 1936 Olympic Games which were held in Hitler's sanitized Nazi Germany. They are considered to be the greatest 8-man crew in history.

While the story focuses on one particular rower, Joe Rantz,  his poverty, virtual abandonment by his father, who struggles to not only survive, but also put himself through college, there is plenty of background on the other team members, the coach, and the craftsman who built their shells. All of the boys who were finally selected to be part of this crew---a match made in heaven, you might say---had something in common which forged an incredible bond. That bond made history. The story culminates with the dramatic final race in Berlin. I wish I'd seen it! In fact, there are videos on YouTube of the race, along with re-enactments after the race. If you admire grit and determination, you will like this!

For fun, and as a little change of pace, I crocheted up this infinity cowl. It is chunky and cozy! It's in the shop.

Finished Objects

A friend requested some fingerless mitts that she could wear at the office. She wanted them "thumb-less" also, so that she could push them up, off her hands and not have a thumb poking out, or just take them off altogether. The brown pair is elbow length, as requested, and the purply-blue pair is not quite that long, simply because I thought she might like another option.

70% acrylic for washability---which I think one would want at the office, and 30% wool for warmth.

Goodnight Moon Blanket

Sitting at the school table yesterday I finally added stars to my Goodnight Moon book-blanket. It's going in the shop today! I hope it soon finds a friend to snuggle with.

It's a sweet, little blanket that's cozy and soft, and it's just the right size for a little person to carry around with a book, begging someone to read to him one more time. :-)

Mystery Knit

What is this? It looks like a monster! 

If you guessed Dog Sweater, you're right! Mullet Ski Mask would be...incorrect...and weird. ;-)

My sister asked me to make it for her little pup who can't keep warm in the snow and cold. He's also an odd size, so the extra small sweaters she has bought don't fit. I did my best to go by her measurements and basic patterns I found online. I also cut a couple out of sweater sleeves. (They were cashmere which had been washed and dried, so they won't shrink anymore. FYI cashmere doesn't felt in the wash.)

Anyway, into the mail they went....

They fit! Almost. The back is a little long, so she has to fold it under (or cut it off the sweater sleeves). We will have to figure out exactly where to measure to get the correct length. But he is adorable, isn't he?

Do you think I ought to put dog sweaters in Rosy Knits as a custom item? 

Yarn Along

Gone with the Wind continues to be my "yarn" of choice. I had thought I would read it faster, but I find myself slowing down to savor the story. I'm getting reacquainted with characters that were left out of the move, like Scarlett's little son Wade who suffers the terrors of war and Yankees and his mother!

I have two projects to show you this week. This chunky, mulberry cowl which I may keep for myself or put it in the shop. I just love this color!

The Cat in the Hat book-blankey is for the Nest Egg Knits shop. I've been working on this one after dinner while we do our Advent readings and talk. It's so chunky and cozy! I can't think of anything sweeter than cuddling up with a little person, this blanket, and a book. Yum.

I'm joining Ginny and friends at Small Things. Go see what everyone else is knitting and reading!

Tuesday in the Life

Up at 6:15-ish to visit with the hubby while he shaves, then downstairs by 6:30 to make sure Meg is up, Pip is still sick, and check the mail. You know, I really hate writing down for the world that, other than my morning offering immediately on waking, I'm not starting my day curled up in prayer and spiritual reading. See what changed on FB and email before a quick shower and taking Meg to school.

At school, I go in to drink my coffee and chat with other moms until traffic dies down. It's dangerous and stressful to try to make a left turn out of the school in the morning, so a little coffee-klatch is awesome. Get home around 9:00 to check on Pip who is alive and talking! Yay! He's feeling well enough to be downstairs and watch all three two episodes of The Lord of the Rings today. lol.

I make myself a decent breakfast and some toast for him, then settle in at the computer to write yesterday's blog post (and start today's), catch up on email, read a few blogs, and do some necessary Sacrament of Confirmation paperwork for Pip.

Hot chocolate/mocha, and sit down to knit for a few minutes before I feel compelled to clean up the house!

Hmmm, not sure I ever really felt compelled to clean up the house yesterday! I knitted (watched a video on YouTube and learned how to double-knit so both sides look like knit) and watched LOTR for about an hour until it was time to pick up Meg from school.

I've been listening to Year of Wonders on CD in the car. I've been enjoying it, and I'm near the end, so I sat in the car for a few minutes after I got home, to see if I could finish it. But no. Would you believe the only CD player in the house these days is in Meg's room?

On the schedule after school was more LOTR, ;-), and tagging and boxing my first Etsy sale. That involved rubber stamps, inks, trial and error, etc. Then a little more knitting before starting dinner which was spatchcocked chicken, roasted butternut squash, and salad. That was about an hour of prep!

More playing with yarn....I've decided I need to keep a notebook where I write down the yarns used and the design for the things I make and sell, like the book blankies (because I might want to repeat it sometime). 

Dinner was late because DH was late, and then I helped with the kitchen, started the crockpot going for chicken broth, and sat down with hot chocolate to knit and read GWTW until prayers.

I'm really, really going to try to take pictures for you today! :-)

A Day in the Life

Do you want to know what a week in my life is like these days? It's not filled with quite as much mayhem as in the past, but it's still pretty busy. I rarely sit and do nothing, although I do spend a little too much time engaged with my phone when I do sit. I'm trying to curb that habit. I'd really rather read or knit, or both, and the iphone is a black hole!

Monday is a home day for our 2 hybrid home-schoolers. Katie was home Sunday, stayed over- night and had to leave at 10 a.m., so after checking email, FB, and blogs, I woke Meg and Pip around 7 or 7:30. Pip's response was, "I have a sore throat." He rolled over and stayed in bed. Meg got up. I gathered their laundry, sorted it, and started a load before I went down to the basement to alter Katie's chorus dress and re-hem and repair a thrift store skirt she got. I listened to "The Catholics Next Door" podcast and talked to a couple of people who called me early in the morning while I sewed.

Meg was up doing school when I came back up; Pip was on the sofa with a fever. I changed out the laundry and started another load; Katie left, and I sent Pip to bed so he could get better rest and we would get less exposure to the plague. My frantic fingers were itchy, so I brought up a bin of yarn to see what I could make with it (as if I didn't already have at least 4 projects going!). I sat at the table and knitted up this cowl while Meg worked.

I checked mail and FB while walking the dog, and I declared it a gorgeous day when I got back! Look at the vivid blue sky behind her! Meg modeled the cowl for me for Rosy Knits.

Afterwards, Meg decided we needed burgers for dinner and that required buns from the store. So, I checked on Pip and gave him whatever he needed, and Meg and I walked the mile to the store and back again. (She hates exercise, but she likes little adventures!) Not one to let grass grow under my feet, I added the cowl to the Etsy shop while we walked! After that, I promise I put the phone away and we enjoyed our walk!

More laundry after the walk, and a little rest. Pip was still sleeping. I can't even remember what I was wrapped up in after the walk---probably trying to figure out what to knit next---and doing some work on the computer, like editing the school newsletter. Meg was a sweetheart and folded the 3 loads of laundry. I think I knitted the rest of the afternoon until it was time to cook dinner because I was feeling kind of blah myself.

After dinner there were some newsletter fires to put out, and emails to return, FB to check, knitting to do, until bedtime. I should have taken pictures, but I hadn't planned on doing this. The family room and kitchen looked a disaster with yarn, laundry, and books everywhere!

Stay tuned for tomorrow, a school day! Aren't you excited? :-)

Yarn Along Rambles and Book Blankeys

::Weekly Rambles::

I'm combining my Rambles with the Yarn Along this week since I have so much to share, and yarns of all sorts are always favorite topics!

What’s really on my mind and heart?

So many things! Sometimes I feel like a hobbit who feels things deeply and is afraid to speak of them for fear of saying too little or the wrong thing. 

What am I thankful for?

Mid-term elections.

What’s going on in school?

Meg is sleeping and Pip is hard at work. No big projects this week, but we are skipping today's farm field trip to make up for a big, school-interrupting Costco shopping trip and a movie at the new, spectacular Avalon, where they've been showing $2 movies for a week.  Meg wants to live there, and I can't say I blame her!

What’s cooking?

Something with the chicken breasts that are thawing in the fridge. Got any suggestions???

What’s on the needles?

I did NOT have to rip out my shawl on Sunday. Since I totally dreaded untangling the 3 different colors, I ignored it in favor of something else, and it turns out that I only made one small mistake---instead of the big one that would have ruined it---and I was able to fudge that one and move on. I'm going to finish that one in a day or two and then start on some socks for my son.

And that's just the "personal" knitting. I've also been working on #bookblankeys a lot. I finished the Very Hungry Caterpillar and the Rainbow Fish, and I'm working hard on a Lorax blankey. They will be in the shop (see below!) very soon.

Fishy has a face, now. I love the texture in his body!

He looks happy! His body is a very touchable alpaca blend. Yum!

What’s special about this week?

Nest Egg Knits Etsy shop is now online! This is the brainchild of my good friend, Kathleen, who came up with the #bookblankey concept: a cozy blankey to go with your favorite (or your child's favorite) storybook. In the next couple of days we'll get a bunch more blankets in the shop. These are so much fun to knit and crochet. We have both fallen in love with the Tunisian crochet, and I think it makes a great fabric for these blankets. You can see that in this Cat in the Hat blanket in the shop:

Won't you stop in for a visit and favorite our shop so you can see what we post next? Like Kath's totally adorable Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom blanket! Which book would you like to see turned into a blanket?

You can also follow @NestEggKnits on Twitter and Instagram!

What am I reading?

Upstairs on the nightstand (are a lot of books, especially in my Kindle!), I'm actually reading the third Kristin Lavransdatter book---The Cross. I'm having trouble putting it down, but I try to force myself when dh turns out the light! I'm also insane and checked out Gone with the Wind and Scarlett yesterday from from the library. I haven't read GWTW in many years, and after watching the movie a couple of weeks ago, I really want to revisit it AND read Scarlett to get her and Rhett back together again!! (Spoiler there, sorry.)

What am I praying about?

I am praying with and for everyone who is struggling to find a diagnosis for their illness/ailments. I'm praying for peace, trust in God, and the doctors who treat them. There are several, specific people on my heart, and I hope you'll pray with me. God knows who needs the prayers!

What projects are happening at home?

I'm not really doing any projects, other than knitting and crocheting, but I am trying to figure out how to keep this large house clean with a large percentage of my workforce missing! Yes, I know they're not here to make messes, but the bugs and spiders and dust still accumulate!

Starting to think about Christmas gifts---what to make, what to buy. Don't tell me you're on top of it or already done!

Etsy Update

I found a little time this morning to update my social media icons over there -----> (top of the right sidebar), and I added my Etsy shop.

Be sure to stop by, if you haven't. Christmas is coming! There are only 10 9 shopping weekends until Christmas! Have you started shopping? Now is a good time.

xo

Yarn Along & Exciting News!

Short post today since I've spent all afternoon working on a project----My ETSY shop! I'm squealing just a little. ;-) It took me a little while to figure out something as simple as putting commas between tags, or I would have posted this sooner.  Sheesh.

Anyway, I'm so excited about how it looks right now! Go look!  I'll wait. :-) What do you think? I don't know why I've waited so long to do this. Help a fellow knitter out, and favorite the shop for me. That would be awesome. Even better, buy something. ;-) Even though I know you can probably make it yourself since you're a knitter and stopped by from Ginny's. :-)

More smiles. Are you sick of me yet?

Anyway, again, that cowl up there is my most recent project that I made up myself. :-) I love it. I call it The Sweetheart Cowl, and I almost hate to sell it. I have some more yarn, I might make another.

No photo of the book, but I'm on book 3 of Kristin Lavransdatter: The Cross. I do love these books. Have you read them yet?

I've got to run. Stop by and see my Rosy Knits. Pretty please. xo

~~~

Oh, and stop by Ginny's, if you haven't, and visit the other knitters and crocheters.