Page After Page

Review: Pictures of You

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:27:00 +0000

Book: Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt
Finished: February 2012
Pages: 336
Challenges: Outdo Yourself, A-Z 2012, Mount TBR, 2012 TBR Pile

From Amazon:
In Leavitt’s (Girls in Trouble, 2005) compelling new novel, a car crash provides the catalyst for an examination of how well we know the people we love. April and Isabelle, both fleeing their marriages, collide on a foggy, deserted stretch of road. Only Isabelle survives, and though blameless, she is haunted by guilt. In search of healing, she finds herself drawn to Charlie and Sam, April’s grief-stricken husband and son. Complicated relationships develop, and Leavitt thoughtfully handles friendship and romance in scenes of emotional resonance. She understands the ache of loss, the elusiveness of forgiveness, and the triteness of words like “closure.” An expert storyteller, Leavitt alternates perspective among her three leading characters, providing insight into the thoughts, secrets, and dreams that they withhold from each other

From Me:
Sadly, after slogging my way through the last half of this book, I must say that I am not a big fan of it. Leavitt's writing style is perfectly fine--it is the story itself that I just did not connect with. The first half of the book was very engaging and I found it hard to put the book down, but then there was a point where the story just began to sound incredible. Really? Could you fall in love with a woman (or man) who, although totally an accident, killed your spouse, after only 5 months? I really don't think so. The storyline kind of meandered around towards the end, and I found myself wondering what the purpose was of several of the chapters. She did go a great job giving us a view into a grieving child's world, and that storyline did help to give some of the other stuff some credibility. Then there was the ending--I really am not sure how I feel about it--on one hand I am glad that it was all "happily ever aftery" but on the other hand it was a bit vague and open ended which I am not always a fan of. This book received a lot of mixed reviews, so if you are so inclined, you should give the book a shot--maybe part of my problem was the mood I was in while reading it? Who knows?

Year of Projects: granddaughter edition

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:26:00 +0000

Whew! A whirlwind weekend here at my household. My daughter and her family arrived Thursday night and we have been busy, busy ever since. Because I am spending every available minute with my little granddaughters, there has not been much knitting happening. For some reason, I have had much more fun reading endless picture books, snuggling, feeding and kissing on my two little lovelies! ;)

I did have a better week this time around compared to the one featured in last week's update. There has been no frogging and I was able to cast on my new Short and Sweet mitts and finish a dishcloth

Next week will find me working on these mitts and casting on a new dishcloth-not sure which one yet, but I do hope to use a bright cheery color as our weather forecast for the week is one of gloomy gray and rain. I am thinking a nice yellow yarn would be nice to work with.

And because I am a Mimi who is so in love with her little Grandys, I am compelled to post these photos--My two sweet red heads, Adelaide, age 2 and Amelia, age 9 months.

Until next time...
*smiles*

Dishcloth Challenge 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:15:00 +0000

Hooray!
Another dishcloth is finished. I can't believe I finished one this week, what with all the sewing I have been doing for my Grandy Girls who are due to arrive any minute, to spend the weekend with us!
But finish I did--and the finished product is a nice one. The pattern was easy and quick to memorize .
My only frustration is trying to photograph this color in the evening after work. Red is never easy, and this was no exception. The red is really a deeper burgundy then what it turned out to look like here.

The Pattern: Elvish Leaves
Yarn: Lion Brand cotton
Needles: Size 7

More knitted dishcloths can be found at Ruth's and Keri's blogs too,

yArN aLoNg

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:22:00 +0000

Today I am joining Ginny at Small Things for Yarn Along where you take a picture of what you are reading and knitting...then share

This is quick and short as it is 1:45 AM and I should have been in bed hours ago! Too much to do and so little time. On top of knitting this week, I am also sewing some Valentine treasures for my Grandys who are coming for a visit this weekend. I am beyond excited to see them!

Here you can see that I have finally settled on another pattern for fingerless gloves and made some nice headway on them when started at my after work knitting group tonight. I am using the Short and Sweet pattern--found here.

My reading selection is on my Kindle and is called Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt. I started this book a while ago, and even though I am enjoying it, I seem to find it easy to push it aside. But not this time, by gum! I am going to finish!

Year of Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:31:00 +0000

A blech week for me--sadly.
I am having a hard time settling into a real project right now, and my needles are pretty empty. I did finish my Winter Buzz mitts---I still need to take a photo--but they are the bright spot in my knitting world as I love them! I was able to wear them at my desk at work, where I was able to type in them while they kept my hands warm! I am most proud of the fact that I ended up with no laddering in my joins. Laddering is something I absolutely cannot abide in my projects!

My biggest sadness is that I frogged these mitts:

Someone recently wrote of a project they needed to frog, and in her post she talked about the yarn screaming at her-and not in a good way!
Well, I could ignore the screaming at my house no longer last night. This was the second pattern I had tried with this yarn and it too, just wasn't going to work . The lace pattern didn't work with the colorway and they weren't really a good fit for my hand. I finally faced the fact if I so dreaded picking them up to work on them, I really would never get around to the second hand. So, it is all wound up in a little ball, just waiting for the perfect pattern. I will not give up searching!

Meanwhile, I purchased some beautiful Cascade Heritage sock yarn, for a pair of socks I have never decided to start. I am looking at making a pair of mitts out of it instead and have narrowed it down to a couple of patterns:

KnitPicks Semplice

Short and Sweet Fingerless Gloves

I have not started my grandy's sweater/vest that I shared a couple of weeks ago. If I don't get busy it will be spring soon and too warm for her to wear it--maybe next week I will start?

I am also becoming quite intrigued with the idea of knitting a cowl--I am not a big fan of wearing scarves, but I am thinking a cowl would be just the ticket while sitting at the chilly front desk at work! So, that being said, I have been browsing all over Ravelry looking for the perfect pattern. I want to use the beautiful Madeline Tosh yarn I won during Kepanie's give away--

Rose:

Often, I take this yarn out, and just look at it--waiting for the perfect pattern to be found. Don't you think it will make a beautiful cowl? Thanks again, Kepanie!

Of course, I am working on a lovely dishcloth which I will share on Thursday!

Off to visit the rest of my inspirational fiber friends---
*smiles*

Dishcloth

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:56:00 +0000

TA DA!
Dishcloth #3 for 2012
This was a classic little pattern called Ballband.

The colors in this photo are a bit crud because I am taking them at midnight before heading to bed. The real color can be found here....
This knit up nice and thick and kind of squishy-it should be great hearty scrubber!
Other Super Scrubber's challenge member's can be found here on Ravelry

The pattern can be found in many places on the web, and I think there are several variations to be found also. My yarn is a 100% cotton Sugar and Cream, which is found all over the place around here, most commonly though in craft or fabric stores rather than the high end local yarn shops.

Speaking of yarn shops, I just heard yesterday that one of our local shops is closing its doors for good on February 10th! Just like that. She had been in business for 5.5 years and with this terrible economy she just couldn't hang on any longer. I do have to say that her help was not always the friendliest nor helpful, and her hours were no good for anyone who had to work during the day so this does not come as a total surprise, but it leaves a hole in fiber community and I am sad. My little town has lost so many small businesses in the last 3 years-it seems every time I turn around another door has been closed permanently.....

Sigh....

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:19:00 +0000

Well, here we are again....another Sunday afternoon! This past week has been a whirlwind--adjusting back to normal after our unexpected week off the week before due to wintry weather. Sadly, work and the demands of daily life seemed to overwhelm me and I had little left over for blogging or even knitting! So, not a lot of new stuff to report. I felt like I lost a little of my knitting mojo--

First off, after trying (and frogging) a couple different patterns for mitts with the yarn won from Keri, I finally settled on Pixie Warmers.

As you can see, my progress is not all that impressive. The pattern is lovely and well written, I think it is just a matter of lack of concentration on my part that has hindered my progress. I really could use these at work to keep my hands warm, and even that has not spurred me on!

Luckily, this is my off week for dishcloths, (1 every 2 weeks) as I would not even have a finished one of these to show! I do have the beginning of one going, and the pattern (to be revealed on Thursday) is a delightful and classic! Lily's Sugar and Cream yarn is my "go to" yarn for dishcloths.

I only need to finish the thumb on my mystery Winter Buzz mitts to have them completed, but I am being a big chicken about tackling this last step. Picking up stitches is a very new skill for me, and I use the word "skill" loosely here as I am really not all that successful in making it look good when I do. Her directions call for using dpn's, and because even the thought of dpns freak me out, I don't happen to own any! So, I need to figure out how to follow her directions using magic loop instead. I have not found the energy nor courage to start.

I also need to get cracking on a charity knit I agreed to do. It will be my first every knit blanket--luckily it isa baby blanket as I get bored easily. The pattern I chose is lovely and I think will be interesting enough to keep me going! I have a beautiful dark blue yarn, fit for a boy!

That my friends is all I have this week. Now I look forward to visiting my fiber friends and finding some inspiration in your updates!
*smiles*

Entwined

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:22:00 +0000

Book: Entwined by Heather Dixon
Finished: January 2012
Pages: 480
Challenges: The Telling Tales, A-Z 2012, Out Do Yourself

From Amazon:

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

From Me:

I found this book when I was looking for choices to read for the Telling Tales Challenge. I really like reading retold fairy tales, although it is not the genre I would choose for the majority of my reading time. But at times, I just feel like a good fairy tale, and this retelling of the twelve dancing princesses hit the spot during this long wintry January!
It has all the things I would expect:

Beautiful princesses
A powerful and staunch King
Magic-lots!
Heroes
Villain--- a very, very very creepy villain at that
Love
Bravery
Mystery and long held family secrets
A plot that carried me to another world
A satisfying ending

Altogether, a light but captivating read---one that was deliciously read curled up under a down comforter!

Year of Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 07:16:00 +0000

Happy Sunday to all!
I am happy to say that life is slowly returning to normal after our traumatic weather week, documented here! I actually was able to get my car out of the driveway today and was able to get out--after being housebound since last Monday! Oh the freedom!
Now, I am all tucked back in my house and listening to a Frank Sinatra cd. I love those old standard classics. :)

On to the knitting news--

I got my semi-mystery KAL mitts all caught up and am awaiting the final clue, due out next Thursday which will close up the thumb gusset.

I am so pleased with this project and can't wait to wear them. The pattern will be free for a while on her website, so you all should go take a look.

I think I am still on a mitts roll, because I plan to cast on another pair--this time using a ball of yarn I won, way back last Fall from Keri and using this pattern.........called Pixie Warmers

I also have the yarn and needles to start this project...

.....if not this week, then real soon! It will be for my little 2 year old Grandy, Adelaide. I think she will be adorable in it.

And to top it off, I think I will be starting this dishcloth---the Ballband Dishcloth. I think I will do it with some variegated blue Sugar and Cream. I have had this pattern on my list to do ever since I joined Ravlery, two and a half years ago. :)

That is all from me--I hope this next week finds you all healthy, warm and full of knitting/crocheting joy.
*smiles*

Ice, Ice, Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:33:00 +0000

It has been a bit of a traumatic weather week up here in Seattle-and just for the record, regardless of what some idiotic reporter from the LA Times has to say, Seattlelites are not wimps. This has been a dangerous storm.

We had off and on snow showers Sunday through Tuesday night, which is when the big snow finally hit. We received 7 inches of snow in about 8 hours. Then, 12 hours later the freezing rain/sleet arrived and were treated to an ice storm, the likes of which we have not ever seen. Trees and branches were falling right and left throughout the neighborhoods, each one sounding like a gunshot. While other trees tried like crazy to hang on to their branches.

We have a beautiful 30 foot ornamental plum tree in our front yard which I love. Aside from the great shade it provides the front of our house (including our bedroom) in the summer--I have very fond memories of purchasing that tree, the first such purchase for our new house. All four kids were still little people and we had a fun crazy time planting it.

Today--it did not fair well as it became encased in a layer of ice which probably has reached 3/4 of an inch thick. There are at least 3 major cracks in the upper trunk and we are not sure it will survive or even what shape it will be in when all the ice melts. I am just sick over this and so sad.

9:00 AM

12:00 PM ( starting to bend over)

3:00 PM ( topmost branches are touching the ground)

8:00 PM (emergency pruning when my husband arrived home from work)

Other Photos:

Dishcloth Challenge 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:28:00 +0000

I am joining Ruth, in her dishcloth challenge this year. My aim is to get 1 done every 2 weeks--but since I have been snowed in, and now iced in, I finished one this week, after finishing one just last weekend.

Today's cloth is in honor of the winter weather which has kept me housebound all week. First we got 6 inches of snow and now we have a 3/4 of an inch coating of ice over everything. I decided to knit up Snowflake by Moniboo Designs yesterday. I used a blue Sugar and Cream cotton, with size 7 needles. While I am not usually a fan of picture cloths, this one just seemed appropriate!

In this picture you can see the freezing rain that is hitting the window, the pussywillow tree in the window, encased in ice, and in the far left side you can see branches from my ornamental plum tree bent down to the ground. I so want it to stop raining and the temps to warm up! They were hoping we would be above freezing y 2:00 PM, it is 1:45 and I just checked. We are only up to 30! I think the storm warning is about to be extended!
Go visit Ruth to see her beautiful cloth for the week---truly a work of art!

yArN aLoNg: sNoW

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Today I am joining Ginny at Small Things for Yarn Along where you take a picture of what you are reading and knitting...then share.

The biggest news in my little corner of the world is sNoW!

Little old Seattle does not get big winter snow storms every year, but today, we did! My suburb has received close to 5 inches of snow in the past 6 hours and it is oh-so-beautiful.

Now, marching on to the yarn and books!

I am reading 2 books right now, and am not really far into either of them yet. That being said, I so far like them. The first one is called Entwined by Heather Dixon and it is on my Kindle. Retold fairy tales hit the reading spot sometimes, and this is one of those times--it is the retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
The second book is Fancy Strut by Lee Smith. I have loved everything I have ever read by Ms. Smith and this is no exception. Her books have such a warmth and depth of character development in which I so easily lose myself. (click the book titles to see more information on them)

On my needles are my mystery KAL, Winter Buzz Mittens. Mine will be fingerless, and this Thursday the last clue is being given out. After 3 years of knitting, I think I can finally say that I feel fairly comfortable using the magic loop method. The only thing I really need to get down is how to unknit with this method when a mistake is made. I am using Cascade 22o worsted weight yarn and I cannot say enough about how wonderful this yarn is to work with!

Today I will be working on a dishcloth, and a charity blanket I will be giving to a pediatric interim care facility which cares for drug affected newborns.

Until later--one last snow shot for you--

Kindle Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:07:00 +0000

Hello from chilly Seattle.
Today was a snow day, and tomorrow very likely will be also! I have done a ton of knitting, and browsing around Amazon, Netgalley, and Books on the Knob looking for reduced and free books for my Kindle. Because goodness knows, I need more books! Maybe because my actual physical book shelves are full to overflowing, I feel the need to fill up my wonderful reading device too?
Does anyone else have this issue?

Some of my more recent acquisitions include:

Three Girls and Baby by Rachel Schurig
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell
Take a Chance on Me by Jill Mansell
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell
Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell
Pie Town by Lynne Hinton
Whistlin' Dixie In a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton
Margaret Thatcher, A Life by The Editors of New Word City

Some of the above were free, some were 99 cents, some were $1.99, and a few were a little more than that.

Now I am finding that I really need to organize things better with more specific "Collection Folders" and need to have a better plan. Some of these and others I have are for challenges, some are Christmas, some are biographies and memoirs.

How do those of you with E-readers organize your books?

Year of Projects: snowy edition

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:34:00 +0000

Happy Monday, fiber and bookish friends!
It is a cold and snowy day here in the greater Seattle area, and I must say, the snow is beautiful.

We don't get snow every year, receiving just a little bit in 2010, and none in 2011. So, the snow falling down right now is happy news for some and a headache for others. We don't have terrific snow removal in our cities, and the whole Seattle area is built on hills--lots and lots of hills--so you can imagine the headache for some. We have a huge storm being tracked to arrive tomorrow night into Wednesday, and if it develops I am pretty sure there will be a snow day from work! Perfect for snuggling in and having a day devoted to knitting and reading.

I have been working furiously on my mystery KAL from KnitPurlHunter.com, and I must say I am loving this mitten pattern very much.

I will be making mine fingerless, so after the last clue comes out this Thursday, it won't be long before I have them finished. I feel so much more confident with magic looping, especially after completing the Grandy's mitts which I shared last week--no real problems yet, but this Thursday's clue will involve taking the thumb gusset stitches off the holder and fixing that up a bit-this holds the potential for being problematic for me, but we shall see! I am using a Cascade worsted weight yarn, called Midnight.

I also finished my first dishcloth of the year!

In case you missed it, I am joining Ruth from Ruth's Little Leprechauns in a little dishcloth challenge. She is aiming for a dishcloth every week while I am aiming for one every 2 weeks. This dishcloth is called the Double Bump cloth and while it was extremely easy, produces a striking finished project. I am planning on starting my new one today, and will share it on Thursday.

That is all the knitting news from chilly and white Seattle....until later....
*smiles*

sAtUrDaY sNaPsHoT

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:10:00 +0000

I love this little red head so
Christmas joy in a 2 year old's eyes

The Bungalow

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:50:00 +0000

Book: The Bungalow by Sarah Jio
Finished: January, 2012
Pages: 320
Challenges: What's in a Name 5, Out Do Yourself, A-Z 2012,

From Amazon:

In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.

A timeless story of enduring passion, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years.

From Me:

Sarah Jio is my kind of author.
I sang her praises last year when I read her first novel, Violets of March, and I tip my hat to her again today after finishing The Bungalow.
What I found between the pages of her latest offering are exactly what I was expecting from her:

Great character development
Historical setting, richly described so you feel you are there living it
Lives that intersect
Two story lines--one present, one in the past
Passion and love, but none of that steamy stuff that ruins a book for me
Mystery, intrigue, plot twists
Relationships gone bad
People doing the right thing
Sadness, happiness, bitter sweetness, joy
and in the end...a resolution that leaves me feeling glad I took the time to read the book

This was great book to curl up with on the couch, under a blanket, on a gray, chilly January day. As I read the last 75 pages today, my world, full of stress and cares, and a raging case of pink eye, all but disappeared from my mind. I was instead transported to Bora Bora, and France and New York, and ultimately back to my beloved Seattle.
If you need to escape, even for just a little while, might I suggest taking a little peek into The Bungalow?

Year of Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:19:00 +0000

Happy Sunday!
Another week has flown by and I have been a busy little knitter. I have committed the month to getting some mitts done, and my first ones are completed. I worked hard on them, and even though there are tons of mistakes in each one, I feel like I really learned from the mistakes. By the end of the 4th little mitt, I felt like I finally "got' knitting in the round with magic loop.

These darling little things are the tiniest items I have every knit before. The purple ones are for 8 month old Amelia, and the gray pair are for 2 year old Adelaide. I hope these keep their little hands toasty while keeping those busy little fingers free to be busy!

Now, I need to get busy and cast on my mystery mittens--this KAL is always open to new people who want to join. I need to put in a little plug in praise Michelle (who designs the KAL's) as she has the best/ most clear technique videos I have ever seen. You should check out her list of available tutorials for the next time you are looking for knitting advice when it is midnight and too late to call your friend for help!

Ruth, from Ruth's Little Leprechauns has challenged herself to knit a dishcloth a week--and I hope she doesn't mind, but I think I am going to join her-except mine will be probably 1 every 2 weeks due to time constraints. I would love to see a little pile of dishcloths sitting in a basket waiting for me to use or to be given away as a gift.

Here is my first one of the year--it is called the Double Bump Dishcloth. I am using a Sugar & Cream stripe for this one.

I am hoping to knit up the DW Darrell Waltrip Dishcloth next.

One of the perks of knitting for me, are the specialty tools which are sometimes needed. My favorite being stitch markers. I needed a little brightness in my dark dreary January, so I ordered this set of stitch markers and it was like getting a bright, cheery, little garden when I opened them.
Aren't they delightful? I can't wait to use them!

Another piece of excitement is that I won a give-away from Knitspiring this week! I will be getting a Knitscene magazine, a skein of Madelinetosh yarn and an adorable little knitting thank-you note. In fact, I think it is so cute I may never send it, but frame it instead! Thanks again Kepanie.

That is all the knitting news for today--I hope to get around to all the other YOP blogs for a visit this evening.

*smiles*

sAtUrDaY sNaPsHoT: big news

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:04:00 +0000

They are engaged!
July 28th, 2012 is the date.
My son Andrew, and his fiancee Alyse

yArN aLoNg

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:58:00 +0000

Ginny from Small Things, hosts a weekly event called Yarn Along. Here she encourages us to share what we are knitting and what we are reading all together in a tidy little post.

Lots and lots of knitting this week--on the needles are 2 little projects. The multicolored yarn is my first dishcloth of the year--my goal being to knit 1 every 1-2 weeks so I can have a little stash of them on hand for myself, or for little last minute gifts~ This pattern is called Double Bump and can be found on ravelry, here.

The little tiny bit of gray is the beginning of Lyddie's little fingerless mitts. I have started these over about 5 times, but I think I am on a roll now. Knitting with Magic Loop has always been challenging for me. I am hoping to get a couple pairs of these done for my NaKniMitMo mitten challenge for January!

I am reading The Bungalow--written by a local author and one that I am quite engrossed in. Check out the raves for it on Amazon!

A-Z 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Edited 1/4/12: Great news!
Someone is actually hosting an A-Z Challenge, so I don't have to do it on my own! :)
Kristen from Strawberry Splash Reviews is hosting-and I am scooting over there right now to sign up.

~*~*~~*~*~***~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~
Because I have not seen the A-Z Challenge being offered again this year, I am challenging myself. This has always been one of my favorite challenges, and one I have been participating in for several years.

I will be reading Titles only--

A.
B. (the) Bungalow
C.
D.
E. Entwined
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.
O.
P. Pictures of You
Q.
R.
S.
T.
U.
V.
W.
X.
Y.
Z.

National Mitten Knitting!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:05:00 +0000

Yes!
Even knitters have a NaNoWriMo (novel writing) month like the writers.

Only ours is called NaKniMitMo--(must be a Ravelry member to see link) and it involves knitting mittens during this typically coldest month of the year.
Mittens are easy.
Mittens are fun.
Mittens take very little yarn.
Mittens are very useful.
Mitten patterns in the free category abound!

I already planning on knitting fingerles mitts (it doesn't get that cold in Seattle) this month--2 pairs for myself, and 1 pair each for the GrandGirls. You can see my plan in this post....

If you are so inclined, come join us! :)

Today--

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:57:00 +0000

(photo by Frank Meadow Sutcliffe)

Christmas is put away-down to the last gift and stocking stuffer.
Laundry for the week is busy churning away in the machines.
Work starts back tomorrow, after 7 whole business days off.
Now, I am sitting here listening to the rain on the skylights, contemplating my yarn and trying to decide which to use to make my GrandGirls their little fingerless mitts.

For the first time in months, there is nothing on my needles!~ Everything is completed, and the lovingly stitched gifts have been give to their recipients. The last one being the hat for my son--I just plain ran out of time before Christmas, but finally finished it last night at 1:00 AM and promptly bestowed it upon him! (Lucky he is 26 years old and did not mind waiting!)
I plan to start a mystery mitt KAL which starts this Thursday, and this pair will be for me! I have purchased a Cascade Yarn, midnight, 220 worsted wool--isn't it pretty?

Cascade Yarns is a local company with a great variety of yarns to choose from. It always makes me feel good when I purchase one of theirs.

I am also mulling around the idea of doing some dishcloth knitting every week or two. I love the idea of having my own stack of new dishcloths at my disposal. and having a stack on hand to give as gifts. Anyone else doing that? There are so many patterns that I find it kind of exciting to get going on it!

In the book department I am reading The Bungalow, a very cozy read-and I better get crackin' on it if I am really serious about improving my reading totals for 2012!

Year of Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:53:00 +0000

I am back!!! Happy New Year!
I have not posted a real Projects post since the first part of November and I have missed it and all of you dear readers.

I am so excited to say that I have finished 14 projects since July from my list! I have to admit that my original list has been altered a bit, but for everything taken off, something new was added. It was a bit of an ambitious list to start with, given my low years of experience and not so quick knitting speed. I will be adding a couple of things for the Grandys, but also probably taking a couple of things off too.

Today, I am finally showing off my Shaelyn Shawl which I finished back in November but had never gotten around to blocking. I LOVE it! Next week I will be blocking my Triplicity Shawl and hope to show you in my next update post.

I am also showing off the little Boheme vest (with modifications) which I made for 8 month old Amelia. She will look so sweet in it.

I am planning to start some of these little mitts for my Grandys, starting these mitts for myself, and I will be starting the Mitts/Mitten KAL, designed by Michelle at Knit Purl Hunter and sponsored by Skacel, the US distributor of Addi needles. It will be a busy Mitt month for me I think!

Again, Happy New Years to you. My wish is that 2012 brings you all nothing but good things!
*smiles*

As the year winds down....

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:35:00 +0000

Christmas is over and the New Year will begin in just a matter of a couple of days.

People are beginning to de-decorate their homes, (me included), and settle in for the long winter still to come. Taking the Christmas decs down is always bittersweet--the house feels so bare and less cozy, yet it feels more organized. Speaking of organization, I have been doing a fair amount of that also--cleaned out the pantry, organized yarn, cleaned off book shelves (which resulted in a bag of books for the donation station), cleaned off and reorganized my kitchen counters and picked up our bedroom. Tomorrow, I hope to finish some thank-you note writing and some small sewing projects--bless Pinterest for all the new fun ideas I have found. :)

I decided as I packed away my holiday decor, that I would leave a few things out--just to maintain a bit of that wintertime cozy---

This little counter used to hold the mail and all kind of paper junk. No one liked how it looked, so we figured out a new mail storage spot and I added this little bit of cozy to my kitchen!

My husband suggested we leave this twinkle light swag up for the winter, which makes me all kinds of happy, because twinkle lights make me smile!

Even though I had to clean all the cedar boughs off my shelves and mantle--I decided to keep a few in water on the shelf--it just feels a bit like the holidays with out all the holidayish stuff!
Are you leaving stuff out too?

Many bookie bloggers are doing their end of the year stats posts, and normally I do one too. But not this year. My completed reading for 2011 was a bit paltry compared to other years and really I am alright with that. The thing which demanded equal time from my pool of free time, was knitting. I learned a lot of new techniques, met lots of new people, and finished many projects.

I will tell you my favorite reads of 2012--there were several and they are listed in no particular order:

The Tower, The Zoo and the Tortoise
The Weird Sisters
Minding Frankie
The Violets of March
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
A Lesson in Secrets (Maisie Dobbs)
Prayers For Sale

My page total was somewhere around the 8,500 mark--which sounds like a very pathetic amount compared to so many others--but it is what it is and hopefully next year will be a bit more productive!

And my completed challenges for 2012? Not so great either. I got so far behind that I kind of quit keeping track-but I did post the other day several for 2012 that looked do-able for me. I was really hoping Becky from Becky's Book Reviews was going to host the A-Z challenge, but I have seen no mention of it. I might just challenge myself to do it on my own as it is always kind of fun to make the books fit!

Are you tallying up stats? Are you surprised by your totals?
Happy New Year and happy reading!

The Telling Tales

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Hosted by Bex over at An Armchair By The Sea.

I am in for the Level 1 and plan to read Twisted Fairytales – retellings or modern interpretations of fairytales or myths. For inspiration, look here.

Some books I would like to read:

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George(on my Kindle)
The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
Except the Queen by Jane Yolen
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale
Goose Girl by Shannon Hale ( on my Kindle)
The Book of a Thousand Day by Shannon Hale
Godmother: the secret Cinderella story by Carolyn Turgeon (I own)
Entwined by Heather Dixon (Kindle)

The Telling Tales Reading Challenge 2012

Rules:

· Challenge runs from January 1^st 2012 to December 31^st 2012. You may sign up to participate at any point between these dates.

· Any genre counts as long as it is related to fairytale, folklore, or mythology in some way. If you’re not sure if it counts – as long as you can make a case for why it should, then it does!

· You can re-read books for this challenge as long as the reviews you link are written during 2012, and the challenge can also overlap other challenges.

· Whatever you read must either be a version of a fairytale or myth, or contain fairytale or mythological characters, settings, or sequence of events.

· Every month there will be update posts either here or on my sister’s blog. Please link up your reviews for that month on this post.

That’s it!

Now, the important bit.

The Categories

These are the levels:

Level 1: Read 5 books

Level 2: Read 10 books

Level 3: Read 15 books

Level 4: Read 20 books

Level 5: Read 25 books

You can sign up for any level, and choose to read either purely the categories listed below, or to participate in the Mix n Match category, or the Adaptation Amalgamation category, or all of them if you're that brave!
Mix n Match – Exactly what it says. Sign up for a level and pick that number of books from any or all of the other categories.