Hard Re-Set - Yarn Along

June had me drifting around a bit, where my only hard and fast goal was to walk 190 miles, which I accomplished. I am so grateful that the Yarn Along is on the 1st this month. (Check out the link!) It really allowed me to reflect on what I wanted and needed to do next. It was an all-day process that encompassed a few other topics besides reading and knitting, but I think this next month will be fun and productive.

So for reading I decided to mix a little pleasure (orchard planning) with a lot of business (teaching orchestra at a new school). We refurbished our outdoor seating earlier this summer, and I just parked those books out there on the coffee table in anticipation of some major porch sitting as it gets too hot to work in the garden the next week.

For knitting, it's time to stop dilly-dallying. I'm picking up my Amiga and my Storytime Scholar sweaters for some finishing this time. They both need those long collar-button band combos where I dread picking up the correct amount of stitches and then knitting for a long time. There are also so many funny sweaters where I placed the buttonholes in the wrong place, so we're looking at some possible re-knits and/or fantastic button placements.

For my own accountability, I will also be setting up some early winter gardening projects, exploring a few local hiking spots that have been on my list, and getting back to practicing viola. I hope my screen time goes down, with the exception of some additional blogging.

Happy Summer!

Bugs and Books: September Yarn-Along

And hello! I am again several days late for the Yarn-Along. Alas, 2019 seems to proceed by leaving me in its wake! Niece #4 celebrated 7 years on the planet on August 26, and I had this little gift up my sleeve:

I found the book at a Lavender Farm in Accident, MD, near Deep Creek Lake, where we annually vacation as an extended family. It takes place near Deep Creek Lake and at the lavender farm. One of the owners is the co-author and signed the book especially for my niece!

I couldn't resist knitting a little bug to go with the book using the pattern, Wee Phil. My notes are on Ravelry here. Besides reading this little picture book, I have been working my way through a number of audio books, focusing on the works of Malcolm Gladwell and Brene Brown. I also caught up with Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg in his "Shortest Way Home" autobiography. As a fellow Indiana resident, I was interested in his viewpoint and experiences. I found the chapter about how he thinks about making governing decisions as a mayor particularly fascinating. Whether or not you agree with his politics, it was an enlightening book that rehashes a lot of Indiana history between 2004 and present.

Enjoy the other knitting and reading treats at Ginny's blog this month. Always a good time! See again soon, I hope!

Nice Rug!

It's Yarn Along day at Ginny's blog, so I decided to keep my monthly streak of posts going. Do go see what all the other crafty people are making (and reading) this month by clicking here.

After finishing my baby watermelon dress last month, I also just finished an ultra chunky rug out of our homegrown Suri alpaca rug yarn. My cat immediately found it, and he looks very possessive here. My Ravelry notes are here.

These rugs are soooo comfy to stand on while brushing teeth or perhaps cooking in the kitchen. I made my husband one last year, and it is holding up well and is a treat for weary feet at the end of a day.

I'm not sure what to work on next... I have a few knitting projects that are in the "deep winter" category and need finishing. I might be ready to do a lighter cardigan, like Amiga, though. My reading at this point in the year is strictly in the musical score department. My school is doing "The Little Mermaid" in May and I get to conduct the pit orchestra this year! Woohoo! So much work, but so much fun!

In other news, some early Spring flowers are starting to pop up in the yard. I'm not sure we're finished with snow and cold, but it sure is delightful to spot bright colors amidst all the grey and brown again!

Have a wonderful month, and see you all next time!

No Reveal - Yarn Along

It's been a while since I participated in a yarn along. I'm not quite ready to do my holiday reveal, since a few gifts are still in progress and others haven't been received yet, so we'll look around at a few other things in the works.

First, we have my mindless project, the Done by Monday afghan that has been so soothing to work on. One more set of skeins to go and it should be ready!

And I'm working on some hand warmers (pattern: Gimme Some Love Fingerless Mitts) and reading All the Light We Cannot See. It's a great book for people with tiny attention spans. Each chapter is 2-3 pages long, but it is a page turner because each new chapter is about the other story line. So you can't stop. 

It's also new score study time! I ordered it yesterday and it arrived this afternoon. I'll admit that I already numbered all the measures! And listenend to the piece about 20 times. I might be excited!

Find other yarn along and book posts here and enjoy!

http://www.gsheller.com/2015/12/yarn-along-260.html