Knitting and crocheting Group

Several of us have been talking about starting a knitting and crocheting group. We would meet on Saturday afternoon, probably one Saturday a month. Right now we are looking for a location that is centrally located. It would be open to anyone who is interested in knitting and crocheting--even those who just want to sit and talk about knitting or crocheting. It is still in the discussion stage, nothing more will happen until after the first of the year but I think it is exciting.

I tried one of my old and favorite fudge recipes tonight and it was really a flop!!! For some reason, I doubled the amount of butter I was supposed to use so I have this greasy, chocolaty goop in the pan. Oh well, back to the basics. Next time I'll be more careful with my measuring. At least I know where I went wrong...

The bazaars were very informative. The variety of items and prices was amazing.

More Morris books

I have been reading the House of Windsor series by Gilbert Morris and really enjoy it. I finished book four "The Gentle Rebel" and liked it although it's a little hard to believe that a girl could have passed as a man for that long. Although the same premise was in "Ahab's Wife". I guess they didn't develop hips and breasts as early as some of us. Anyway it is a very good book.

I am also reading Marian Coel's "Drowning Man" and really like it. She has a very good mystery series that takes place on the Arapahoe Indian Reservation.

My knitting is coming along. When I am working on a large item like this afghan, it seems that every evening runs into the previous one, I know that I am accomplishing a lot and eventually it will be finished but only after a long, long time!! Maybe I'll work on my socks for awhile tonight to break the monotony.

Lots of bazaars are on this weekend. I think I'm going to several to price the knitted items.

Knitting Magazines

I love knitting magazines and I think I have every knitting magazine I ever bought. For years I subscribed to Vogue Knitting but then became so busy with classes, working and everything else that I couldn't justify it. I still buy it occasionally, however now that I'm in an apartment storage has become an issue. Often I would buy an issue and find that every pattern in it was just what I was looking for. I have an old Vogue magazine that's at least 12 years old that has a great tree sweater pattern in it and also a nice sock pattern that I still use.

I also like Knitter's Magazine and have found their patterns are exquisite. I knitted the Scoopit sweater in the Spring 2005 issue in a pale raspberry. It turned out so nice that I made it for my daughter in a chocolate brown.

I copy the original pattern from the magazine so that I can fold it up and put it in my knitting bag; it protects the original and the magazine lasts longer.

If you find a pattern that fits and is easy to make, keep it for all eternity. Styles may change but the basic fit doesn't and some of your basic classic patterns will always be popular.

Too many knitting projects

I have been sorting through some of my in progress knitting projects and began working on a couple. One is a pair of lacy socks that take a lot of attention and the other one is an afghan pattern that I've made before so I have an easy project when the socks become too complicated and I want a break.

I am determined to finish all of the projects but some sooner than others! One of the projects that took precedence was the prayer shawls as I wanted to have several for a backlog. Also, I was trying to get some items ready for the Christmas bazaar however we aren't going to have a table until next year which was very disappointing. Hopefully, by next year I will have a nice little inventory--if I don't start too many fun projects.

One of the drawbacks of having several knitting projects in progress is remembering where I left off in the pattern and also the intricate details of each pattern. Using a Post-it for a line marker on a chart helps me keep my place and I write notes about the size on it.

Books, books and...

I have been reading the Gilbert Morris series; "The House of Winslow" books 1 and 2 (Yes even during the move when I didn't have time to blog). I love this series and plan to read all of them--there are approximately 30 in the series. Gilbert Morris is a historian and did not have his first book published until he was 57! Now he is a very prolific author with several series to his credit.

His books are very factually correct. The first one "The Honorable Imposter" is about the Mayflower and the pilgrims coming to America. The main character is fictional but several of the other characters are real. The second book is several different events in England and American history rather than just one main one.

I also read Lynn Austin's "The Daughters of Eve" and really enjoyed it and "Oceans Apart" by Karen Kingsbury. "Oceans Apart" was the story of a man's sin finding him out and how he and his family became stronger and learned the true meaning of love. It was very insightful.

I also finished the Beverly Lewis saga "Annie's People" which was good but would have been better if it had been two books instead of three. I felt she was setting up the next book in the ending of the previous so there was no clear delineation but that's just my personal view. Others told me they loved all three books.

Life goes on

Finally I am back. The move is over albeit there are still boxes to be unpacked in every room. It seems that moving always results in at least one or more loss and right now I can't find my cell phone charger. However, it could be worse--last week the cell phone itself was lost.

I have finished three of the prayer shawls I was working on. Pictures will be later as I'm having trouble posting them. All three were very easy, although the bluegreen was very time consuming as it is a tighter weave and about 5' by 3'. Tonight I will take them to the Craft ministry.

One of the results of the move is that I want to get rid of a lot. I went through all my yarn last night and I am simply tired of packing the same old boxes of the same old yarn. I think the Salvation Army would be a good place for a lot of it.

I moved from an upstairs apartment 1-bedroom apartment to the 2-bedroom right below it. One of the reasons I moved is the stairs are so steep, also, my parking space for the downstairs apartment is right outside my front door!! Life doesn't get much better than that.

Moving

The move is now in full force. I will be in my new apartment on Saturday. I have hired two men with a truck and the next door neighbor. Hopefully, it will go as smoothly as possible.

In each room I have set up an "open me first" box. My knitting is in the living room box and I just pray it doesn't get lost or buried in transit. My latest prayer shawl is working up nicely but is by far the slowest one yet. The pattern is easy but it is 3' wide by 6' long so is taking awhile.

I have been reading "Eve's Daughters" by Lynn Austen and really love this book. This is the first one of hers that I have read but it won't be the last. Her characters are so believable, she touches on WWI and WWII without losing the story line.