Kindle Reading

I recently had an argument with a 14 yr-old at middle school youth group (helping out this year, probably in charge next) about the pros and cons of a Kindle e-reader.

First, I'll confess that I don't actually have just an e-reader. I bought a Fire 2 years ago to save myself the agony of not having printed patterns for all of my crochet projects. Definitely saving on paper in that department. However, our local library system also uses the Overdrive app, compatible with Android devices. So, I have access to a huge library of resources, without ever leaving my home. It has saved me numerous library fines, and lots of stress.

This student at youth group, however, was trying to convince me that printed books are better. Hilarity ensued as we went back and forth on the benefits of printed books vs the benefits of e-readers. I tried to convince her that having a digital book can be convenient if you are going out of town and want to bring 5 books with you-- instead of five printed books, all you need is one e-reader. She would not budge. "The smell of books..."

I have to say, I don't disagree. The first thing my husband and I unpacked in our house 2 years ago was our vast collection of books. In fact, a huge selling point for us was the built-in bookshelves in our basement. When in college, I sought out first editions of the Harry Potter series. We own several copies of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Our "nerd alert" shelf 

However, I am a full time, working adult, who also happens to be a wife and mother. Library visits don't happen very often (yet). My personal library is not always what interests me. Some days, I need a new work of fiction that I can read in a few nights and feel pleasant about afterward. My Kindle, and the library's online/digital presence, has helped me read again.

I'm pretty sure I read one new book my first year of marriage. Coming from a woman who read new books every week, this was a huge change. As I continue to deal with anxiety and depression, I've realized that new knowledge is key to help me distract myself. Since the beginning of this school year, I have read at least 7 new books, which is roughly one a month.

My Kindle, with my most recent crochet project hiding behind

You won't find me arguing the allure of a printed book. This past October, I bought 2 new theological books to read, devouring one almost immediately. Old books are one of the things I hate to purge (although cleaning is necessary) and I love used book sales. But sometimes, a busy life needs convenience, and Kindle gives that to me.

WIP Wednesday

I hope everyone's been enjoying the cold weather!! It was zero degrees yesterday when I got up for school, and it barely got warmer than that.

My students are taking exams all week, so my teaching is minimal, and I've had a little bit of spare time to crochet. I started a Juliana again, this time with the proper yarn. It is definitely turning out better this time, and I love the colors. I'm using Knit Picks Palette in Mulberry and Chroma in Gossip. I doubt I will use all the yarn up, so I'm planning what to make next. I really love this Chroma colorway, and I'm sad that it was discontinued. You can't tell from the photo, because I hadn't gotten far when this photo was taken, but the pink in this colorway is AMAZING!

When I need something a bit more brainless, I go back to working on infinity scarves. I'm in the middle of my fifth this month. Making infinity scarves is an ongoing project, and I really hope to finish up many more between now and graduation.

My fiance was over this past weekend, and brought a book with him-- he thinks I have time to read. Oddly enough, he's right, as I've been able to read nearly 3 chapters of Service, by Marcus Luttrell. Luttrell is a Navy SEAL who lost his team and wrote about it in his first book, Lone Survivor. This second book is much more palatable for me- one, because my fiance is no longer deployed, and two, because I'm not walking into the book knowing that everyone dies. E keeps bringing around these military books for me to read, to help me understand what he went through. It's eye-opening and sometimes scary, but we really do need to face what our military personnel go through to defend our freedoms.

Linking up with Tami for WIPW and Ginny for Yarn-Along.

Sitting gets Boring

Sunday Instagram:

Using the super bulky lion brand homespun thick n quick, I have progressed way further than this pic shows. Of course, it having been taken on Sunday has something to do with it. I also finished my book. My little pumpkin went through what felt like a growth spurt Sunday and Monday- he was nursing like crazy all day Monday- so I had plenty of book time. My crocheting progressed as well. I'm working a giant granny with modified corners as a way to work through some of my Homespun stash. The yarn was purchased on clearance for craft show purposes, but I'm at a point where I want it used up more than I want to make more craft show stuff. The FO will likely become a Christmas gift for one of the sets of parents. 

My shawl has made progress as well. I have about ten more rows before the border. 

Since finishing The Beekeeper's Apprentice on Monday, I have been reading bits of different things. Nothing's really sticking, but I'm hoping to find something else soon. 

I'm getting a bit of 'cabin fever', being inside with a baby all day. We've been running errands and taking walks to ward off feelings of depression. 

Stop by Ginny's for more Wednesday yarn goodness!

Keeping Busy

Oh how the summer starts to seem shorter in July. I suppose our move at the end of June didn't help with that much. But there is still sunshine and peace to enjoy, if I take the time to find it. 

New book this week!

So far, I've been finding a decent amount of time for my crocheting, which has taken several different forms. In trying to minimize my stash, I have pulled out a ball of cotton yarn after finishing big projects. In as little time as possible, I try to finish as many dishcloths as possible. Above is my 4th with this bright yellow yarn. I'm participating in a Rav group's "Epic Summer Stashdown" and find that just getting one ball of yarn out of the closet is really helpful for me. 

However, I'm not entirely ignoring other projects. I've been working on a baby sweater as a test pattern, and finally sat down again to put more time into it. It is quite a quick pattern, when I am actually paying attention and working on it. It helps that I am working on it in worsted weight wool, but still a straightforward pattern. 

Baby Sweater in wool

For comparison purposes (and because I wanted to make two baby sweaters), I started a second sweater in DK yarn. This second sweater is in CotLin, which my last project (Hexy shawl) was made out of. I really enjoyed working with it, and wanted more. 

Dim kitchen does not like color

From my first photo, you can tell I've jumped on the bandwagon and started reading Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler. I absolutely love this book and cannot recommend it enough!! It's honest and insightful and so much fun to read! I really have not been able to put it down, which is a joy for me, especially after trying several books that I just didn't like.

Hopefully I will have more progress on my CotLin sweater next week-- lots of car-riding in my future :)

Check out Tami & Ginny

Is this nesting?

Pulling things out of hibernation and finishing them is extremely rewarding. Over the past week, I have totally frogged a project and am on the verge of finishing another.

The overcast skies and dimly lit kitchen do not help my poor photography skills.

I have a feeling that this might be the extent of my pre-baby "nesting" that seems to happen to many people. I'm at 33 weeks, and living in a new apartment means there are lots of messes. Focusing on the crafting messes seems to work better for me, because I have control over those. 

So over the past week, I finally frogged my Stephanie's Wrap, which has been "in progress" for at least a year, if not longer. I love the simplicity of the stitches and the pop of fun with the striping, but I think I picked the wrong colors. Somewhere in my future is the time and motivation to make another one, but not today. 

My other "out of hibernation" project is a shallow triangular shawl. The end results are not my favorite, but I couldn't bear to frog another project and I really want to experiment more with the design. For me, the hardest part is deciding on a border. 

Actually, the really hard part for me is not crocheting and trying to get everything else settled. A few women from my church came over yesterday and helped with that- I have a clean bathroom now, which is wonderful! 

Reading a new book, but haven't gotten far enough to form an opinion. It's a WWII era historical fiction/romance. I do want to finish a few fun books this summer, and seeing as it's halfway over, I'm trying to get a good start with this one. (I'm dreading going back to the textbooks).

Joining Tami & Ginny today!

Summer Progress

With the school year finally over (I finalized my high school grades yesterday), I'm finding that I need to occupy myself in brain stretching ways. In order to avoid a huge pile of WIPs (which I nearly have already), I have been making a point to have near exclusivity with projects, particularly ones that have been in progress for quite a while.

Pulled out of hibernation

My second True Love, which was started back in February for the Ravellenic Games, is my current out-of-hibernation WIP. Habing only started back in February, the hibernation isn't as long as some of my other projects. I'm using 2 different colors of Knit Picks Palette, Mulberry and Fairytale, plus a coordinating shade of Classic Elite Alpaca Sox. My sister will again make fun of my constant use of pinks and purples, but they really are my favorite colors. My husband's family vacation starts at the end of July, so I'm hoping to have a couple of new shawls for the chilly nights on the lake. This may be one of them :)

lots of blues


My other out-of-hibernation project has been the "Wedding Ripple". Originally started about 3 months before my wedding last year, my husband thinks I should finish it up for the baby. I'm stubbornly refusing, saying that this is "our" blanket, and I need to finish it for us. It is nearly queen sized, so will fit on our current bed-- a bit too big for baby. On a whim, I purchased 2 more skeins of yarn for it the other week, and am hoping that all the yarn I have will make it to the end. Of the colors you can see above, the dark blue and the medium green are the easiest to find in craft stores and what I have the most of. After the blue light-to-dark repeat, I'm adding a row or two of beige, followed by a green dark-to-light repeat. There will be reassessment at that point, to see what yarn I have left and if it's big enough.

For both of these projects, I've been watching TV on DVD for a few hours at a time. I'm re-watching Joss Whedon's Firefly, which, if you haven't seen it, you totally should. On a whim, I also picked up the first season of Call the Midwife at my library last week. It took me two days to watch all of it, and I'm hooked. I now have the second season, and will probably get quite a bit more crocheted while watching that.

Books and more books

The major brain stretching of the first few weeks after school's done can be found in this giant stack of books. It's quite a stack of subjects, from faith to history to birthing. The two that you can't see the spine are Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way and The Fellowship of the Ring on audiobook. I've been reading quite closely the Bradley book, as I have absolutely no clue what to expect when it comes to the birth of my child. It's interesting and educational, and has given me a bit more knowledge, even if it hasn't quite made me totally confident in myself. Of course, of all my books, the other ones I am really into right now are personal copies. So while there's no rush to finish those, I'm still reading them before the stack of library books. Oops.

FABRIC PAINT

My last crafting project for the week is fabric painting some t-shirts for the summer camp I'm working at later this summer. I think the fabric painting is my favorite part :)

Check out Tami's & Ginny's 

Socks and Needles and Birthdays

This week, I actually have more of a variety, as I am trying new things to make the best use of my stash. Confession: I love sock yarns. They come in such a wide range of colors, are nearly always machine wash and dry, and the skeins come in a size perfect for a quick project. Problem: I don't knit socks. I mainly crochet shawls and scarves, with a tiny bit of knitting thrown into the mix. So this new project is a bit out of my zone of comfort. I've started the Sock Yarn Blankie. So far, I'm going no where near the speed that the designer, Shelly Kang, says she went (20- 30 minutes per square), but I'm finding a small, extremely portable project something I need right now. And there is the more instant gratification part of the project too. I can knit one small square and still feel mostly accomplished.  

My selection of sock yarns at 6 am.

I'm not neglecting the crocheting front in any way, I'm just at the awkward, non-portable point of my current hooking project. My sister's birthday gift needs to be finished before the weekend, and I'm hoping to finish tonight after I get out of work. I'm really loving the Stroll for this project- extremely squishable! (See also-- I'm using sock yarn for crocheting. Again!) And the color really fits the name of the shawl- Shallow Waters. This really is one of my favorite shawl patterns- a soothing repetitive pattern, with excitement at the end with the border. My sister is more petite than I am, so I'm thinking only one or two more rows before moving on to the border. She will definitely wear this as a scarf too, so I dont need to worry about making it bigger for shawl purposes. 

A nearly completed gift

My younger sister's birthday is tomorrow, but due to drive time, work, appointments, and Holy Week services, I am not going to see her until Easter Sunday. Even though I hope to finish tonight, I do have a bit more wiggle room with this project. 

I'm still reading the Scott Hahn book from last week, as it is written to be read in bite-sized chunks. There is still the hope that I can find a good novel to read, but it would probably be better if I wait until summer.

On the moving front, my husband installed the new gas stove this weekend, so we are nearly at the point where the new apartment is livable. Also, all the old, junky, left-behind furniture has been removed, so we can really start to move in as we want to. The next few months will definitely be a time of slowly transferring the winter clothes, the unused books, and similar things out of our old apartment and into the new one. I will be grateful to be out of the old one, especially since we have a deadline (the lease expiring) for this move. Any later moves will be as gradual as the first-- slowly moving things to a new place (hopefully, God-willing, a new home) from the current place. 

Yarn-Along

WIP Wednesday

Exploring Wednesday

A Shawl, A Book, and a Scarf.

I'm exploring a number of things this week. First, I'm adventuring into new book territory- theology!! The book is Signs of Life, by Scott Hahn. Before my marriage, I read a book by Kimberly Hahn, which I really enjoyed, so I'm hoping her husband is as skillful a writer as she is. Even though I'm nearly done with my stint as a religion teacher, I'm hoping that this book will give me some insight into the material I'm teaching, just on the off chance I teach it again. 

My second adventure this week is another self-designed pattern. I couldn't find was I was looking for in a rectangular stole pattern, especially something crocheted, so I am totally winging it. The heart motif is from a scarf I made for my sister a month or two back. During the crocheting of that scarf, I toyed with the thought of adjusting it, but felt that adjusting in the middle of a piece would look funny. So here's the start of the results. The yarn is Knit Picks Gossamer Lace, in colorway Sunrise. It is a discontinued line, but I find it very similar to Shadow Lace, except in the coloring. As I watch it develop, I've been brainstorming ways to make the FO more versatile, and I think this may be an experimental FO dye-job. I really love the colors, but the blue seems to pop out too much for my tastes. However, I am open to opinions and suggestions. :-)

Third in my adventuring is a previously used pattern with a new type of yarn. Shallow Waters, by Anastacia Zittel, is perhaps my most worn scarf/shawlette. When I first crocheted it, I used Shadow Lace in colorway Summer Blooms. My subsequent attempts have been in Felici, but the striping always seems to turn out funny. This attempt is in Stroll Fingering, colorway Blue Topaz. The plan is to have it done before next week, as it is meant to be a birthday gift for my sister. However, because I know myself really well, I did buy a back-up gift, just in case.  

I'm still contemplating baby items to make, though I do have a few on my list. Large (or what seems like large to me) quantities of Bare Wool of the Andes in Worsted and Bulky weights seem to be hiding out in my stash. Those skeins might get some experimental color so I can get started on a few of my projects. If only there was such a thing as a weekend for teachers...

WIP Wednesday

Yarn-Along

WIP Wendesday: End of March

Despite my inconsistency in posting, my reading has been steady, but really slow. The same can be said of my knitting and crocheting. Life has just been happening. Spring Break is next week for me, though, so I hope to get a few life updates posted, as well as yarn & books :)

The book came recommended to me, and seeing as I really enjoyed my last recommended read (My Sisters the Saint) I thought I'd give it a try. Not much to report on it today, as I've barely made it past the first 50 pages. I can say that it is a riveting story of a small town preacher trying to save the desolate street gangs of New York City. Originally, I thought it was a more recent occurrence, but this was written in the early 60s, about the 50s. It talks a lot about relying on God, no matter the circumstances, which is really hitting home with me. 

My crochet project is a chunky scarf. I bought this yarn from a co-worker, who got a great deal on it, but it wasn't what she thought it was-- super bulky single ply wool. Naturgarn is definitely interesting to work with, and not my first choice of fiber, ply, etc, but I hate passing up a good deal. So bulky scarves! They would've been perfect for this past winter, but I figured it doesn't hurt to plan ahead for next. The pattern is my own, double crochet, with some crossed stitches thrown in. As you can see, I just started, so nothing much to look at. 

In regards to the weather--- I'm ready for it to stop. It feels like this winter has been perpetually cold, and I've had a near constant chill. The weekend promises 50 or 60 degree weather, and I'm really hoping I can get out and enjoy some of it. 

WIP Wednesday

Yarn Along

Making Progress

Here I am, on 'it's too cold for the kids to go to school' day 4. Some might consider it lucky. Though it feels like it's been going on forever, my schools were the only ones to close today. There was still quite a list. I have to imagine I'm not the only person bored out of my brain. Reading, crocheting, cooking, cleaning- such hard work.

But in all honesty, I was ready to go to work this morning. Maybe tomorrow I'll get lucky. 

My biggest projects are still floating around the 'I'm not motivated enough' stage. So I've moved to smaller stuff. I'm planning on participating in the Ravellenic Games, so everything I'm working on now needs to be finished by the weekend. The moss green is another infinity scarf- of which I have many, but always like more. The debate is still going on- do I keep it for me, or add it to the craft show stash. (Sometimes I don't like including my craft show items, since I make them often, but I also like honesty, and this is a true bit of my life.) 

The brighter bit is the start of a songbird shawlette- a pattern I won a year or so ago. The yarn still isn't sure what it wants to be, but I do like the pattern, a simple 2 row repeat. 

I especially like the bits of green color that pop out. The yarn is one of my hand-dyes, so it's possible that it will see the dye pot again. 

My book jumped out to me at the library. I saw it on the end of a shelf, and I thought it might be a good read. Haven't gotten past the firs few pages, so the verdict is still in the air. 

It's Wednesday!!! Check Tamis and Ginny's for more yarny goodness!

In a rare quiet moment....

I rarely have time for crafting, since school has gotten really busy. But here's a new color infinity scarf!!! Hopefully, I'll have more to share, as the weeks might slow down a bit more soon.

True Blue

This is the third shawl I've posted about in at least as many weeks: MAD Cap Designs, True Love. I like that it is shallower and longer than the previous MAD Cap I made. It helps that I really like the color blue, too. I seriously recommend any patterns by this designer- she makes an effort to make purchasing a pattern worthwhile. There are stitch counts and clear charts and se has a fun Ravelry group too!

I've also advanced since my last post, and am reading it starts with food. Very interesting so far. Behind the scenes at the museum wasn't really working for me, so that's been returned already. I'm hoping to find some new historical fiction...

Linking with WIP Wednesday & Yarn Along!!

Thieftaker

Thieftaker
by D. B. Jackson

A trip through pre- Revolution Boston, infused with magic, a hint of romance, and a mystery.

This is the world that D. B. Jackson skillfully weaves, creating an intriguing historical fiction novel that I couldn't put down. It's been a while since I've been so absorbed in a book, and I loved the experience. 

The characters, a mix of fiction and non fiction, were decently rounded out, a variety of types and social classes. Each contributed to the story in their own way, some not revealing their part until the very end.

The main character, Ethan Kaille, is a conjurer (aka witch) and a "thieftaker"(hired by wealthier people to recover their stolen goods). Both of his "professions" make it hard for him to keep his head down, especially in a place as volatile as pre- Revolution Boston. I'll be the first to admit that I don't really know much about the city of Boston. But I do know a fair bit about the Revolutionary War, and the events leading up to it. Jackson throws in enough historical information to make the story plausible, but the story isnt really about the history. The history, particularly the riots that could've (and did) take place all around the 13 colonies in regards to the Stamp Act and other "unfair" taxes, feeds into the story but does not consume it.

Jackson writes an interesting novel, and blends the history with the fantasy well.

I'd recommend this as a engaging book (Though I will add that I dislike people who write novels hoping to score big writing a whole series)
(And obviously, I dont really write book reviews, I just like sharing about good books I've read)

I feel like a High Schooler Again

All last week I observed a teacher in a nearby high school as part of my student teaching experience. I will be spending the next 13 weeks in this same classroom and at some point will be teaching the students like they are my own. However, these first few weeks lead up to the end of the first semester in my host school, and the students are preparing for final exams. So there is not a lot for me to do besides grading the odd stack of papers.

Blog-hopping a few weeks ago, I came across someone who was reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, the debut novel of British author Rachel Joyce. Just last week I came across another recommendation for it, and since I had it on reserve at the library, I figured I should give it a go.

I started reading it on Thursday or Friday morning.

Problem #1: I brought it to school with me.
Problem #2: Four of the five classes were working on review stuff-- nothing for me to do.

So basically, I spent a good portion of the day on Friday with my nose buried in a book. I left school on Friday feeling slightly guilty, but it's not like I didn't do something I was supposed to be doing. It was just a dull day at the high school. But I felt like I was about 16 again, reading a book under the desk because I was done with my work, but still didnt want the teacher to know that I was doing "outside work" in his class.

However, this is the mark of a really good book in my mind. I wanted to find out what happened to Harold, and why Queenie Hennessy was so important to him. But, as a plus, it wasn't an inappropriate novel. It was a very clean read. One of my favorite parts of the book was following Harold's journey along the map provided in the front of the book.

I would definitely recommend it.

Wednesday!

Wednesdays are fabulous days, especially when my semester is OVER!! It's been a really stressful semester, but it's over and I get to spend next semester with a variety of high-school students, teaching them about my favorite subjects: Government and History!!! All while planning a wedding and looking for a house and a job in a different city. Yay me!

In Progress

But for now, I'm in a Christmas gift-making frenzy, hoping to finish orders for a few close friends (who ordered ages ago and deserve to have their stuff finished) and FINALLY spending time with some books.

One done, 2 to go!

Even though I swore off infinity scarves, I actually am supposed to be making some for people. So, I have more Lion Brand Homespun in my bag for my 5 hour shift at work. It's okay though, because I like the mindlessness of making them.

For my reading, our priest recommended I look for something to read and reflect on as I prepare for marriage. So off to the bookstore I went yesterday, and found Chosen and Cherished: Biblical Wisdom for your Marriage, by Kimberly Hahn, which reflects on Proverbs 31. It looks really good, and since Fr. Dan told me not to look for stuff about being a mother, and go more towards reading about being a wife, I thought this would be a good fit. Though I am totally open to other suggestions, if people have them.

Excited to be reading new things!

My other 2 reads are also non-fiction: In the Garden of Beasts (about the US Ambassador in Germany pre WWII) and Six Armies In Normandy.  As you can tell, I'm on a WWII kick. I'd welcome some historical fiction, but 1) I haven't actively searched, and 2) I don't have that much free time.

I'm hoping to have a few more interesting crochet projects soon, so stay tuned for those!!

Linking up with Tami and Ginny today!

Reading Weather

With the fall setting in properly, it's time to get snuggly with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book. Most of the time, I skip out on the tea, as I read right before bed (in bed).

I can see 4 blankets from this angle.

For my classes, I have 2 textbooks that I'm reading, plus Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin, and parts of the Bible. I just started Bloodlands this week, and there's far more to it than one would expect. There is some talk of the Holocaust, but also a lot on Stalin's Five-Year Plan (which led to mass starvation) and the Gulags. Very heavy, statistically, as well as just depressing. There was so much death.

On a more entertaining note, I've been able to start Dragons of Winter, by James Owen. I've read all the other books in this series: Chronicles of the Imaginiaruim Geographica. I can only imagine the work that goes into writing a book  like this one, and he's written 6 or 7. I'm also reading the Tightwad Gazette, which is ridculously outdated, but still funny and mostly educational. I don't live on my own yet, but I have a feeling I will put many of the ideas in this book to good use when I finally do.

No Longer Overwhelmed!

Last Wednesday, I posted a huge list of the things I was working on. On Friday, I shared a finished project.

On Monday night, I finished another project that I will share on Friday. I started a few more projects, but I feel less overwhelmed than I did last week.

I've nearly finished the stockinette section on my Oaklet shawl, and I am in love with the yarn I am using- Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino sock. It is absolutely amazing. It was gifted to me in a swap, and I was intending it for a Summer Flies but I thought the color might be too busy. And then I remembered that Ginny made the Oaklet a while back, and I had browsed the FOs and loved how it looked in a variegated yarn. I really hope to finish it in the next week or so, because the weather here is perfect for a cozy shawl.

The Orchid House, by Lucinda Riley, was an amazing book. It was on my stack last week, and after abandoning my non-fiction book, I picked it up. I believe I mentioned that I had started it a month or so ago, but had to return it to the library. There was no such problem this time. I had a bit of a free weekend, so I mostly read this book. I loved the multiple layers to it, and I was fascinated by the history of Thailand and WWII that was injected into the storyline.

That's all for me today! Be sure to stop by on Friday to see what I finished!!
Check out Tami's and Ginny's for more WIPs this week!

Moving On

This is definitely a post about books. And school.

I was really excited to start reading Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: the Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle, and as soon as I checked it out from the library, I started reading it. It is a good book, but I did not finish it. I am obliged to read multiple non-fiction books this semester, and I really couldn't continue to make myself read another non-fiction book. Well, it's more of I was not going to enjoy finishing that book, so I returned it, and I will try to remember to come back another time.

I need escape reading right now. I'm going back to The Orchid House, which I started reading a number of weeks ago at the recommendation of a blogger who linked up with Ginny's Yarn-Along. It's listed as a German and UK bestseller, and what I read before I had to return it to the library was good. Luckily, I was able to get it again, even though there was a waiting list at the library. I like the idea of books spanning several different time periods, and this one has at least 2.

School is overwhelming in an underwhelming fashion. If that makes any sense. I am only into the 4th or 5th week of the semester, and I am just blah. My classes are necessary, not fun. And I'm just upset about still being in school. I should be graduating in December, and not in May. My schedule is really full, and I have less time to work, and have over 14 hours of 'dead time' (no classes) while on campus. All in all, very frustrating. But, I'll be done in December, student teach in January, and graduate in May. The end is in sight- now more than ever. Will I be ready to move on to a new stage in my life? I hope so

Reading!

Despite the semester now being in full swing, I managed to get in some pleasure reading this past weekend.

Bones are Forever, by Kathy Reichs, is the lastest of her Temperance Brennan novels (and the basis for the Fox TV show Bones) and only took me 2 days to read. Granted, it was all I did for 2 days, but I got it from the library and knew that there are many other people waiting to read it. I really like both the Temperance Brennan in the novels and the one on the TV show (Bones is one of the few shows that I will allow to semi-dictate my evening engagements), but I really like the idea of the novel Tempe better. The novel Tempe is a forensic anthropologist that alternates between her home base in Charlotte, NC and Canada, mainly Quebec. Bones are Forever is a book that spans across Canada, introducing mining issues and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  This really was an investigation of murder that I did not expect. There are times when a book totally follows everything one expects, but Kathy Reichs has a way of creating unexpected plot twists and connections that ought not to be connections.

Mainly, I would call this a fluff read. I just wanted a novel that I didn't need to analyze or summarize in a 3 page paper. I'm a history bluff, so some of what Reichs injects into her novels, such as the establishment of the RCMP, is totally fascinating to me.

I'm still reading a mixture of pleasure and school work. I'm reaching the halfway point in Lady Almina, which I am really enjoying, especially when I find little things that link the real-life residents of Highclere Castle to the fiction residents of Downton Abbey. Even though this is a biography, I find that it reads like fiction because it's hard to imagine the upper class lifestyle that people like Lady Almina had.
For school, I'm finishing up Nietzsche, finally, and halfway through The Slave Ship. The second one is for a history class, which I am really enjoying because we are analyzing the text as a class. I like being able to bounce ideas off my classmates, especially when they have a differing perspective. It really opens my eyes to different ways of thinking.

I don't really have any projects to share today, as it's mostly craft show stuff that I haven't had a chance to photgraph. I am making things, just nothing spectacularly out of the ordinary.

Linking with Ginny for the Yarn-Along!

Nothing too Big

This week's WIP Wednesday/Yarn-Along is an attempt to keep busy without starting any huge projects before the Ravellenic Games. I am participating at part of Team CSW, and even though I originally planned on simply being a cheerleader, I felt that I could join in and make projects that will be part of my Holiday Stashdown. I leave on Saturday for summer camp, so I have Friday and the few days when I get back to complete my 2 projects. Hopefully I can do it.

Since last week, I've been working feverishly to finish several of my larger projects, and I'm nearly there. In the in-between, I've been trying to stick to smaller projects, like afghan squares and dishcloths.
3 more squares for my Autumnal afghan (which brings the total to 9 out of 30) and 3 dishcloths.

Forest Chains Re-do, Sundial, Home on the Range

The first 9 squares!

I did crack a little bit, as I was "out" of afghan block patterns, waiting for this week's BAWL pattern to come out, and with a random ball of hot pink and yellow wool, I started a ripple scarf. I finished it yesterday, but more about it on Friday.

It's more psychedelic in person!

I had the brilliant idea to actually work on something that is a slow WIP, so yesterday during my millionth viewing of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I pulled out my Citron and knit a row or two. I feel like if my progress is slow, at least it can be steady --so I'm hoping to pull out my two long-term knitting projects and work on a few rows every week.

I solar-dyed some yarn over the last 2 days, and I'm really pleased with my results so far. I'm going to try some more today-- hopefully it goes as well as this first time.

Yarn cooking on the back porch!

I'm still trying to finish the Merchant of Vengeance, and have read quite a bit at work. I've got a few more books waiting-- still need to find a new audio book, as I'm nearly finished with HP4.

I'm linking up with Tami and Ginny today-- so head over to both blogs and check out cooler stuff!!