Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Words and Wool

Now that my magic cake shawl is finished I've turned back to a long-term project of mine: a Japanese-type flower granny square that I'm hoping to make into a blanket for my bedroom. The colors will be just perfect! I've made more progress in the last week than I've made in a year on it so I have hopes that I can finish this before spring!


 We had our monthly meeting of my Girls' Knitting Club here on Monday (12 girls and 5 moms sitting in a circle to share their current projects and lives!!). One of the other leaders brought her current crochet project -- a blanket made of these flowers! How fun is that?! Definitely tempted to try one of my own! Maybe a pillow size would be a better idea for me!


And the same friend made these adorable gingerbread men for her relatives using an old wool coat of her mother's that I helped her felt. The ornaments came out so nicely! And won't they be special because of the connection with their aunt, grandma, etc.


As for reading, I really have far too many books started! But, I guess that's because there are so many good things out there to read!


Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Classic Children's Tales by Marta McDowell is a brand new book that is so, so good!!!! If you like Beatrix Potter, or gardening, or painting, or England, or all of those, you will really enjoy this book. It's full of photos of Beatrix's gardens, sketches and paintings Beatrix did of various flora and fauna, and lots of information on what Beatrix planted. The book has both a biography section centered around gardens as well as a seasonal section focused on what would be happening in Beatrix's gardens throughout the year. This will be on my list to own!


Holy Is the Day: Living in the Gift of the Present by Carolyn Weber is the most recent book she's written following Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir. Carolyn's writing is easy to read, thoughtful, and easy to identify with. She chronicles the ups and downs of daily life, parenting, working, dealing with the past, and the theological lessons she learns along the way.


  The Iron Peacock by Mary Stetson Clarke was an excellent juvenile historical fiction that the children and I recently finished. The writing gripped us and we were always eager for the next chapter. The book is set in the 1650's in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and shows what it was like for an indentured servant to live in a community whose life centered around the Iron Works.

And now I think I'll take a moment to do some more reading before I head off for dinner prep!

For more ideas of books and knitting, visit Ginny's Yarn a Long.

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7 comments:

elizabeth said...

lovely! knitting is so nice; as is crochet of course... :)

so glad you have read Elizabeth Goudge btw, she is WONDERFUL!! :)

have a blessed day!

Pom Pom said...

I like the blanket you are making for your bed, Heather!

Unknown said...

lovely pictures. Especially like the progress you have made on your blanket. I love a good granny square. :)

Mary said...

Granny blankets are the best!! I also love those little gingerbread men ornaments!

Anonymous said...

Love the flowers!!! Thank you for the book list, I will head out this weekend and look for the Beatrix Potter book...she was simply amazing.
blessings, jill

Anonymous said...

I always enjoy your book recommendations, Heather, thank you. And what a beautiful blanket that is going to be! I wish I could join your knitting circle...

Home Meadows said...

Your crochet project looks really pretty. I found your blog through Ginny's yarn along. Looking forward to following your posts. Heather