Rallying Around

I won't be posting anything new for a few days; it is my dad's last few days on earth. We are rallying around are expectant that he will ushered into heaven.

Family and Friends and Hope

Special chocolate for dad at his birthday party last week:

Although this blog is about books and knitting, sometimes the biggest things are so big that they are not to be shared lightly in such a venue as this, so I don't write of them often. However, I am finding the lovely prayers and encouragements from both friends and family to be such a help, that I believe this is the time:
As some of you may know, my father is near the end of his life. He had a brain tumor 25 years ago, and although he survived the surgery, he was very different after the tumor was removed. It has been many good years since we were all given this second time around with him. He has deteriorated mightily from the after-affects of his tumor, and it has taken a long, long time to get to this point. Fifteen years, really, of significant impairment.
He's been bid-ridden for a year. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for, certain of what we do not see." This is what we all cling to, in certain hopefulness. In the meantime, his suffering is painful. Thank you for your prayers.

Some pictures have been waiting to be seen, so here they are:

This is some gorgeous brown Koigu, to be socks soon.
My baby girl turned 6 yesterday. This is 6 roses her father gave her. Beautiful.Cartwheels over a happy baby. Young life.Life does begin and it does end. Let us be joyful in it.

Half-Complete Seduction Socks

The first sock is finished and displayed it just like in the pattern picture, with the obvious loss of the matching sock.

I still really like the Panda Cotton, and am surprised and joyful to find that it really only took one skein of it for a whole, not short, sock.

I love the elastic in the yarn and the feel of the yarn and way the sock fits and feels. I love the pattern for this sock, too. It was fun to knit. Will the second one finsih by the end of the month for my socktopia project? I think so.

On a more personal note, things continue to struggle on in this land: My dad is still in hospice care. My mom has taken a leave of absence from work, and so... we wait and we love.

GREAT Yarns

First, LOOK at that yarn. I sigh whenever I look at it. I know, it sounds silly to like this stuff so much and I realize it IS just some yarn, but ooooh, you should see it. It's Koigu KPPPM, my first. I think it is #502.

This love affair began with a yarn crawl, my first ever in Los Angeles. We hit Wild Fiber and A Mano Yarns and they had so many things.

This is yarn for the Tahoe cardigan at Knitty. Cathay in blue and Koigu to match for edging. And bleow is more #88 Silk Garden for the Lady Eleanor, which is progressing nicely.


then we have some Blue Moon "Socks that Rock" sock yarn. The picture doesn't do it justice. The greens are neutral, yes, but more colorful. and the browns, peaches yarn next to it is the Koigu from the top picture.



Some shopping trip, huh? More tomorrow.

Easter Hoodie

The Hoodie (formerly known as "The Huge-ness") was finished in the afternoon on Easter! It was worn by the oldest of our precious ones and worn with joy.


It was even worn with concentration (see the Soduko?):

And new books:

This is the ebay find that you told me so much about everybody. Hillyer's geography book, ready for much enjoyment. I perused the first 3 chapters and loved it. Thank you for giving me the heads-up!

Below is one of my recent reads and...what was the big deal? I thought it would be more of a "classic" or even a great mystery, but I found it a little dull and not terribly well written. Did I miss something? Maybe I should have read it in order (this being well into the S Holmes series). Any feedback?

WIPs, frogging, casting on and off

Can you see log cabin blanket I started a few months ago? The poor thing has been sitting there waiting for me to frog it. This is what can happen if you don't plan well. I didn't get enough variety of yarn before I started. It was going to look too much like alternate stripes. Yuk. The reason that I am showing it now is because I wanted a record. I did love it.
I'll start again soon. I bought more colors.
The LYS started carrying Lorna's Laces last month. This is what is awaiting me. Yum. Tomorrow I will show the results of a sale at that store. I knocked 'em dead and I took no prisoners!

I have cast on the Lady Eleanor Stole again. I have gotten a little farther than the picture shows. I can't wait to wrap myself in it. I just wish Noro didn't have so many little peices of hay and junk in its yarn!

This is my new sock. It's for the same daughter that gets the "Huge-ness". Hopefully this one will fit the intended recipient. Considering my personality bent, maybe not. I can always take heart that it will fit someone. Right?

This sounds suspiciously like a knitting personality described by SPMcF in the new book:
Well, I am casting off for now.

The Huge-ness

This is it. In all of its huge glory.





Knit for my petite 9y/o.




What do you think?



She looks content, does she? No?!1?




















Here it who it really fits...

Critters and Creation

This is my niece Ariella. She is in first grade and she knitted these little critters in her first grade classroom. Aren't they the cutest things! She really made them herself! I especially like the pink kitty. The blue one is a bunny

On another subject entirely, having three daughters and one son in under six years can sometimes be a bit of a difficulty. For instance those toddler years seemed never to end, airfare for the six of us can be prohibitive and sometimes it is hard to give them work different enough to avoid those comparisons.
As they have grown and the eldest is now reached 11 illustious years, I have noticed the list of positive things growing. Now I always loved the way the play together, a result of their close interests and ages. I have also enjoyed schooling them together in certain subjects the last couple of years (What fun for all of us to get on the same page). Now I have found another HUGE benefit. Let me explain:

I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of person. This works fairly well in several aspects of my life; cooking, gardening, schooling (yes, really) and even knitting. The only problem is that when accidents happen, they are usually terminal.
Three weeks ago, I cast on for a children's tunic for my 9 y/o girl. She was fairly enthusiastic, but as I knit a little bit, her enthusiasm grew. She noticed an aspect of the yarn she'd never noticed before it was knit up. It looked like Easter to her! She was eager for me to finish it and so I knitted on. Over the weekend, I went to a lovely Christian camp for their Firefighter's Weekend. She tried it on before we left and it was perfect. I knitted on the way to the camp and during the long meetings. I brought it back with the body completely finished. I was so happy for her. It should really be finished by this coming weekend for Easter if I can just finish the arms and the hood. She might not be dressed up for Easter in a dress, but she'd be happy.
Then she tried it on. Oh, no. It was huge. Really.
We tried thinking of several ways to combat its huge-ness. If I frog it, it won't work for Easter. If I continue...well, as my husband said, "It'll be fine. You can wear it for a least two more years." That's what did it for me. Terminal.
So, then I got thinking. I have another daughter. She is older. Come over here, honey, try this on. Ohhhhh. Perfect. It's for YOU. I just didn't know it. As my eldest grinned, my Easter-deprived daughter shrugged it off and said that maybe now she could pick the yarn for the replacement herself.

This is the camp, just a little pic of it.
God Is. That's the sign in the lower left corner. Can you see it? Well, it is there. And it is true!

It was great to be in the woods. Creation.

Lastly, my father is terminally ill. He is nearing the end. I am eager to watch him be ushed into His presence. Relief.