Hello again.

I love reading Ginny's blog, small things, and I've always wanted to participate in her weekly Yarn Along, since two of my favorite things to do are read and knit.  So while I haven't mustered up the courage to link to Ginny's blog, I'm going to write up my Yarn Along post in hopes that this will become a weekly habit.  

I am currently between books (though I just picked up Jennifer Haigh's Faith from the library this morning and can't wait to start it), so I took a photo of two books I finished recently.  First, I loved Rachel Simon's Riding the Bus with My Sister, so when I saw she had a new book out, I decided to give it a shot.  I'm so glad I did.  The Story of Beautiful Girl was a gorgeous story of how love can grow in the most difficult conditions.  I'm not sure why I added Revolver to my to-read list, but it was definitely worth reading.  This suspenseful novel reads like a one act play, and the end was satisfying.

As for my knitting, I have several projects on the needles, but I am focusing on finishing up my Shaelyn.  My last few projects have been baby gifts, so I've been working with a lot of cotton and acrylic yarns, which can be hard on my hands, so this Malabrigo Sock yarn is like heaven.  Since I am using fingering weight yarn, I am doing an extra repeat of the pattern.  I can already tell this shawl will be one of my favorites.  The lace is simple, but interesting, and the stockinette is so soothing.

A Thank You Gift

Over Labor Day weekend, we celebrated Grizzle's first birthday at my parents' house.  Family and friends came and swam, ate, and sang "Happy Birthday."  Now, anyone who has been to my parents' house before a party knows how crazed my mom gets trying to prepare food, clean, and make sure everything is in order.  She runs around yelling and ordering people to do things hours before it needs to be done, and she always prepares too much food and worries about every crevice of her home being clean enough.  However, all this craziness leads to a very successful party.  But this party was different, due to her friend, Joan, being there to help her.  Joan arrived a few days before the party to help my mom prepare the food and set everything up, and the difference in my mom's demeanor was huge.  Everyone couldn't believe how calm my mom was the morning of the party.  She was like a different woman, and it was all due to her friend being there to help.  Now, my mom's friends and other family members always offer to help clean up during and after the party, and they tend to make a big production of it, but Joan was like the stealth helper, always being one step ahead of my mom in terms of what she needed to have done.  Joan took pictures, set up decorations, made sure enough food was out, and chatted with guests, all without saying a word to my mom. 

A thank you card didn't seem like enough, so I decided to knit her a felted bowl since she admired the one I made for my mom. 

I also added some knitted acorn ornaments, and I love how they turned out. 

I hope Joan likes it.  Thank you, Joan, for showing me what true friendship looks like.

I'm torn

Since I've become so obsessed with my knitting, my reading has fallen to the wayside a bit.  Right now, I'm torn between reading one of these awesome books that just came in from the library:

And knitting this vest for my little guy:

I'm loving how this is turning out.  I'll be knitting one for each of my boys to wear to two fall weddings we are attending.  I'm hoping to get a good picture of them wearing these for a Christmas card.

There just aren't enough hours in the day.

Why does life go by so fast...

...when days just creep along?  That's one of my favorite lyrics ever from a song called Bend the Light by Fighting Gravity.  So true.  Tonight, we went to the Parent Orientation meeting at my son's preschool, which he starts next week.  How is it possible that my baby is starting school?  I know he will love it and do well, but I am so nervous.  I just want everyone to see how wonderful he is in every way...sigh.  Being a parent can be so hard. 

Since I'm still obsessed with this Pumpkin Loaf yarn, I made myself a little iPhone cozy.  I get so annoyed when my phone constantly falls out of the little pocket in my purse and falls into the vast depths of the main part of my bag, so this cozy should help it fit into that pocket a little better.  :)

Isn't it cute?  Man, I just love the colors.  I want to eat it up.

I'm in love...

...with Saffron Dyeworks yarn, that is.

I'm not quite sure how I discovered Saffron Dyeworks, but I had the link to their website in my favorites for a while, and since they are located in eastern Pennsylvania, I thought I'd give their yarns a try.  Boy, am I glad I did.  Each skein is so artfully dyed that the depth of color is amazing.  I actually gasped when I unwrapped the yarn in my first order.  Tonight, I finished my Thermis, and I am so pleased with how it turned out. 

The details are on my Ravelry page.

I just started listening to the audiobook of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon.  Not sure if I will last the entire 45 hours (!), but that book is just too big to lug around!  Plus, I love hearing the actual pronunciations for the names and places in the book.  I also stopped in at the library this morning after getting a filling (who goes to the dentist at 8am on a Saturday?!?), and picked up Faithful Place by Tana French.  I'm looking forward to this one, because I enjoyed her first two mysteries.  I read a few pages from the sample I downloaded from iBooks, and it has a promising beginning. 

Fresh Start

Since I can't remember my log-in information for my old blog, I suppose it's about time to start a new one.  :)  I hope to use this space to share my knitting, reading, card making, and any other random ideas that come to mind.  Although my husband and brother-in-law have given me grief for my blog name, I like it, because it can be applied to both knitting and reading, my two favorite things to do. 

My header photo features my Thermis, which I am knitting out of Saffron Dyeworks Buddha yarn in the Pumpkin Loaf colorway.  I am in love with the colors in this yarn.  They are just stunning.