Words and Wool

Most of my wool work has been with felted wool this week as I work on fall flowers.....

But, I have spent some time whittling away at my hand washing pile and it included three beautiful needlepoints I found at the GW outlet this summer. Two are destined to become cushions for my bedroom since they will be the perfect colors!

Last week I got to my local yarn store and finally spent my birthday gift card on this skein of Madelinetosh in "Rain Water". It's a beautiful gray with lovely blue bits throughout and I think it will make such a nice shawl for fall, winter, and even spring! My thought at this point is to use this pattern.

How about a reality check on my reading pile? This is one area where I choose not to have much self-control. Yes, all those books are partially started.

Maybe I should be completely honest, this is the real pile. :)

 But it is so much fun!!! So here are a few books to report about:



Autumn: From the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch has just been republished! It's on my list to acquire at some point. :) But I've just ordered the first edition from the library and am looking forward to perusing it. I'm sure it will provide lots of inspiration for fall which appears to be just around the corner.

The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful by Myquillyn Smith was SO very good. It's also on my list to acquire and I thought about buying the digital version (which is under $3 right now) but I think I'll hold out for a real copy at some point. These kinds of books you just need to hold in your hands. I think what I appreciated most about this book was Smith's whole philosophy about what a home should be -- a place of rest and refreshment for your family and a welcoming space for other people. She also talked a lot about contentment and perspective, pertinent topics to connect to decorating.

Mary Ann & Miss Mozart (The Historical House) by Ann Turnbull was read with the children this past month. I had hoped it would involve the Mozarts more as we were studying W.A. Mozart. However, the Mozarts were only mentioned in passing two or three times. Nevertheless, the children enjoyed this adventure of a young girl who loves music and goes away to boarding school in London.

The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball is a book I ate up as fast as I could. Kimball is a gifted writer and she made the tale of how she met her husband, fell in love, and started up a CSA farm read like a novel. Since I love food, and was born in the heart of Vermont farming country, many aspects of this book appealed to me.

That's it for this week! For more ideas on knitting and reading, visit Ginny's Yarn a Long.

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