Free Gift!

I forgot to mention that we will be giving a 30-piece pack of variety-sized needles with each order! Later, we hope to have random drawings for some really neat free gifts.

Last year I read "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett and loved every page of it. I just started the sequel "World Without End" and am loving it too! Everyone told me that the sequel wasn't as good as the first book, but I am loving it.

Whitethorn Woods

I have been reading "Whitethorn Woods" by Maeve Binchy. I love her books--they are about everyday life and people from all walks of life. This book is set in a small town on the coast of Ireland. All the people are either from there or have family who imigrated from the area. Her characters are very believable and sometimes I feel I might meet them on the street or sit next to them in church.

Socks

I have become obsessed with knitting socks. It all started when a friend asked for help with the pair she was knitting in the second week of January. I went home, dug out some yarn I had ordered and started a pair that night. Since then, I have knitted five pairs. This is a lot of heavy duty knitting. I will post pictures later in the week as I need new batteries for my camera. I have enough yarn for two more pair before I have to go shopping.

I also knitted a cardigan sweater. It is a Coats and Clark pattern called "Country Swing, City Swing" and was featured in the April 2009 issue of Knit 'n Style. I used Cascade 220 Chocolate Tweed and am really pleased with it.

I read "A Dangerous Lady" by Jane Stanton Hitchcock and really liked it. It is a murder mystery but has several unexpected twists and turns. Also read "Past Perfect" by Susan Isaacs and thought it was wonderful too.

Obviously, it's been a long, cold winter here!

Book reviews

Last summer not long after I started this blog, I discovered that I could go on Amazon.com and do book reviews. It has been a lot of fun and I now have several reviews posted. To read my reviews or post reviews yourself, go in on the title of a book such as "Debbie Bliss Cotton Knits for all seasons". Below the title will be the customer reviews link. Open the customer reviews and there you are! Right now, I'm doing a review on "Every Fixed Star" but haven't finished it yet so it's not posted. Also, at the review itself, there is a button to read all the reviews that person has posted.

More books

I also want to read "Eden's Outcasts" by John Matteson. This is the story of Louisa May Alcott and her father. He was a social misfit, ahead of his time in some ways and sometimes just unwilling to conform. Almost all of her life, money was very scarce for Louisa May Alcott and her family. Mr. Alcott tried several careers but didn't seem to stick to any for long. After reading the reviews, I am anxious to read the book.

Another book that sounds very good is The High Road to China" by Kate Teltscher. This book takes place in the 1800s and is the story of the opening of China and Tibet. It is basically a travel book and I love travel books.