Words and Wool

I finished my "Just One of Those Things" shawl and got it blocked last week. I was very happy with how it turned out and that it was easy enough to knit and I did not tire of it. The wool has baby alpaca in it so it is soft enough to wear near my face.

Here is what it looks like all spread out:

While still on spring break I laid out my granny flower square blanket and am working on joining it together. I'm using something akin to the method advocated by Attic24 and I love how it is looking.

Here is my work basket:

Have you seen these adorable Easter bunnies that go on top of Cadbury Creme Eggs? Oh my, too cute!!!! The author of the pattern also has a crochet version.....

As for books,


The Hole in Our Holiness (Paperback Edition): Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness by Kevin DeYoung is an excellent, easily read book on sanctification. In our day, the doctrines of justification and sanctification are too easily muddied and blended. This book helps to get the facts about our "union" and "communion" with Christ straight and it challenges us that we are called to this pursuit of communion with Christ (holiness) -- to live out in our lives the life that has already been made alive for us in Christ. And, the good thing is, this book is not about do's and don'ts' particularly, although it is challenging. At its heart, this book is about "not so much seeking after a thing" as it is about "seeking after a person" -- that is, Christ. DeYoung states that holiness/communion with Christ comes by very ordinary measures: prayer, reading of Scripture, fellowship with God's people, and partaking in the Lord's Supper. His challenge is to avail ourselves diligently of these means and thereby grow in our experience of the precious communion/fellowship there is with our personal savior, Jesus Christ.


Fierce Women: The Power of a Soft Warrior (True Woman) by Kimberly Wagner is an excellent book for women on marriage. Wagner's thesis is that women have a fierceness in our soul that can be used for great good in our marriages, or can become a great enemy of that very relationship. I found the book very convicting -- how easy it is to slide into behavior that seems so normal but is so wrong and undermining of the bond between a husband and wife. I also appreciated the fact that Wagner recognizes that some women are in very, very difficult relationships and she provides some counsel, ideas, and ways that these women can seek help, urging women not to stay in dangerous situations.


Stillmeadow Calendar: A Country Woman's Journal by Gladys Taber. LOVED this book that describes life in rural Connecticut over the 12 months of the year. Taber is now a beloved author of mine. I think I'm going to start collecting her books as I find them.

Pastors in the Classics: Timeless Lessons on Life and Ministry fromWorld Literature by Ryken, Ryken, and Wilson. I picked this up for Michael's birthday, mostly because I wanted to read this book! :) The book examines various classical works of literature and the part a minister plays in that story, extracting out application for the modern day minister. The book looks at length at works such as The Canterbury Tales, The Scarlet Letter, The Warden, Murder in the Cathedral, Witch Wood, and many others. It also has brief descriptions of about thirty more books and stories. Of course now I want to read all the books mentioned in the book as well as the book itself!



The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel by Rachel Joyce is a novel a friend just sent me in the mail and now I can't put it down. Harold receives a letter from an old colleague who is dying of cancer. He goes out the door to post a letter to her and just keeps walking, suddenly getting the idea that if he walks to the other end of England where she is in hospice she might hang on until he gets there. It's a clever idea and well-written so that I keep reaching for this book whenever possible. Haven't found out the end of the story yet....

For more ideas on knitting and reading, visit Ginny's Yarn a Long.

Please note: this post contains affiliate links.