wEeKeNdInG

Fall colors....lots and lots of Fall colors!
Pumpkin--31 pounds--and carved by Sam
Cleaning master bedroom closet--re-organizing my clothes
Knitting --lots and lots of knitting (baby shower gift for party on Wednesday)
Wind
Missing my daughter and Grandys
Sneaking in some Christmas music (in the car)
Blessed worship service
Chili all ready to go into the slow cooker in the morning
Cozy times at home

I saw this weekend feature over on Cloudberry's blog and over at Amanda's

Year of Projects : Week 17

I am back! I have not officially updated my knitting progress for a couple of weeks. Man this time of year can get busy. I also was not too motivated to update, because I had nothing new to show you! Lots of projects going and very few finished objects. I did manage to finish one that I spotlighted on Friday!

So the following are my unfinished objects which are residing on needles!

My most recently started (today!) project is this Easy Peasy baby hat. I need to have this done by Wednesday, which is when the co-worker it is for will be showered at work. I will be knitting like crazy tomorrow.


Then, last week, I was feeling a bit "shawled" out, so I began a Boheme for my little Grandy, Amelia. My friend gave me this beautiful yarn, but there is only one skein of it. I decided I needed to get crackin' on using it while the baby is small and whatever I make will only take 1 skein. I think I might be pushing it yardage wise here...yikes! I have a fear of running out of yarn!



Then there is my KAL. This Triplicity Shawl is gorgeous, but I am feeling a bit bogged down on the last 15 rows. The bind off is a picot which I already know and love, so I think that part will be quick. I learned so many new stitch techniques, and Michele's videos are the best on the web! You should take a look at her site.



And last of all, there is my Shaelyn Shawl. I am **so** close to finishing this, but have had more urgent things to knit, so this project has been a bit neglected.

So, there you have it! No Halloween knitting for me-and no Christmas knitting started! I sure hope I have some finished items to show off next week. I have never had so many projects going at one time before. :)

Until then..
Happy Creating......

Look! A Finished Object!

It seems I have had nothing but unfinished objects for weeks on end--2 shawls on needles, a little baby vest for Amelia, and a newborn beanie for a coworker's shower (which needs to be done by next Wednesday)--but I did finally manage to complete something.

A second pumpkin hat for the month!



You might remember this little hat, which I was so proud of finishing before the month of October even began--and Adelaide looked adorable in it. Well, that little hat disappeared somewhere between the pumpkin patch and the car, a couple of weeks ago. My daughter didn't want to tell me because she felt so bad, but she did tell my husband. Then they left for a 3 week missionary training/conference in Colorado Springs and after they flew out was when my husband spilled the beans to me. I quickly searched for a different pattern and whipped up another one and mailed it to them. It arrived on Wednesday, the day of the big Colorado snow storm! You can read my pattern notes and adaptations here on my Ravelry page ( I have it set so that even non-Ravelers can view it)--this photo above is not the best-it looks a bit lopsided but I was in a hurry to pop it into the mail!

You can view other great finished objects by visiting Tami, here.
Happy Friday!!!

A Lesson in Secrets

Book: A Lesson in Secrets: (Maisie Dobbs #7) by Jacqueline Winspear
Finished: October 2011
Pages: 336

I fell in love with Maisie way back when book #1 was released in 2003. She is so snart and independent, down to earth and thorough. I became very vested in her life--her disappointments, sadness, loves, and triumphs. I can tell that Ms. Winspear pays meticulous attention to historical facts, which I just seem to eat up. I don't enjoy all kinds historical fiction, but I do enjoy this genre when it revolves around WWII and now even WWI.

From Amazon:

Maisie Dobbs' first assignment for the British Secret Service takes her undercover to Cambridge as a professor—and leads to the investigation of a web of activities being conducted by the emerging Nazi Party.

In the summer of 1932, Maisie Dobbs' career takes an exciting new turn when she accepts an undercover assignment directed by Scotland Yard's Special Branch and the Secret Service. Posing as a junior lecturer, she is sent to a private college in Cambridge to monitor any activities "not in the interests of His Majesty's government."

Maisie must overcome a reluctant Secret Service, discover shameful hidden truths about Britain's conduct during the Great War, and face off against the rising powers of the "Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei"—the Nazi Party—in Britain. As the storm clouds of World War II gather on the horizon, this pivotal chapter in the life of Maisie Dobbs foreshadows new challenges and powerful enemies facing the psychologist and investigator.

Honestly, if you enjoy historical fiction and you like mysteries, you should give Maisie a try. You may find the first book a little slow going, but it lays important ground work for the rest of the series and I did not find the jumping from present to past as tiresome as some readers seem to have.
This was for sure a great read for the 24 hour read-a-thon--very high interest!

Wordless Wednesday

Fallen To The Curb

yArN aLoNg

Ginny from Small Things, hosts a weekly event called Yarn Along. Here she encourages us to share what we are knitting and what we are reading all together in a tidy little post.

....Well--here we see that I have not made much progress on the book from last week---but in my defense I will say that I took part in the 24 hour read-a-thon this weekend and I did read quite a bit-13 hours--it was -just in other books! I just about read the complete new installment in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. This one is called A Lesson in Secrets, and I loved it, just like I have loved all the rest of the series. This book takes us up to pre-WWII Britain, around the year of 1932. I love the historical facts that support the story she tells. If you have not tried a Maisie book, you must! I will warn that the first book is a bit slower than the rest of the series, and a lot of back story is give which results in the need to jump back in forth in time quite a bit--

.....As you can also see with the knitting that I am still working on the blue mystery shawl and this week we are going to be giving the bind off clue. Since this is the 3rd shawl in 3 months--(notice my beautiful maroon, green, purple and brown shawl is not in the photo--um yeah, no progress made means it doesn't get a photo-op!) , I have begun a little impulse item which is pictured above. It is going to be this adorable little sweater/vest for my Grandygirl, Amelia. For my non-ravelry friends, here is a link to one I made a couple of years ago for Adelaide---This latest one I am making will be heavily modified and will not include the lace pattern throughout the body.

So you? What are you reading? And what are you creating?

**Smiles*

Weekending

Stormy, rainy weather
24 hour read-a-thon with Sam: lots and lots of reading!
Eggnog for my coffee: The first of the season
First stocking- stuffers purchased
Chinese take out for dinner
College son's visit home for a day: his first since leaving in September!
Hugs for mom, wrestling for the brothers
Sunday knitting

I saw this weekend feature over on Cloudberry's blog and over at Amanda's

The Day After: Last Stats and End of Event Survey

We made it 21 hours!!! I truly didn't think I would make it that long while reading earlier in the day!

(Sam in the early evening--around hour 10)

What I'm reading now: I fell asleep reading Maise Dobbs
How many pages read total: 483 (won't win any prizes with that paltry total!)

Number of books read since you started: 1 3/4
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 2
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 13.5 hours

Mini-challenges completed:
1. Intro Meme 2. Character Pictures 3. State Settings 4. Sharing Books 5. Book Trailer 6. Mid Event Meme 7.Friendship 8. Feed Me Seymour

I really wanted to participate in the pet love mini-challenge, but my wonderful husband was sleeping in the den, (so Sam and I could hang out in our master bedroom), and the desk top computer where I know how to do photo stuff is in that room. So, I am going to share a couple of pics I took of our two pets yesterday, Molly dog and Dodger cat!

The Weather: drizzly and blustery

What we are listening to: smooth jazz cd mix

What have eaten: popcorn and we shared a dark chocolate/ orange bar

Distractions: sleepiness, dry eyes. I will definitely drink more water next time and take a nap in the afternoon rather than at 9:00 PM!

The Time Is: We crashed at 2:00 AM

Prizes you’ve won: None! This is the first time in 6 read-a-thons where I did not win anything.

End of Event Survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour 16 was the horrific for me--that was around 9:00 PM. I took a nap and thought I might need to pack it in then and there. We actually rallied around midnight for a bit, which was hour 19.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I have turned to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series --lots of fun and easy. Young Adult choices would be good too--maybe in the fantasy genre.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
You guys did great! It appeared to be a well oiled machine. :) The only thing I wish is that we can maybe see the mini-challenge list ahead of time. I can't do them all but would love to be able to plan my day a bit more while balancing reading time vs. computer time. Those that want to be surprised would not need to look at the list! :)

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
I love the read-a-thon home page-so nice to have all the information in one place. One day I might be able to handle twitter, as I am guessing there was a lot of social stuff happening throughout the day using that media.


5. How many books did you read?
Me: 1 and 3/4 of of another one. I completed Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2, and almost finished Maisie Dobbs: A Lesson in Secretes.
Sam: He finished The Return of the King by Tolkien, a book he was already reading for school. He then got about 1/2 through Brisingr, a re-read for him.

6. Which book did you enjoy most? I am loving my Maisie Dobbs.


8. Which did you enjoy least? I loved them both.

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? We are highly likely! Plans permitting of course. :) We have been able to participate in the last 6, so I think our track record is looking good! Thank you everyone who had a part in making this event happen! See you in 6 months!

Update #3: Hour: 20

OH my goodness I am tired. My eyes are shot and after this update I will be going in to wash my face and take my inhaler and brush my teeth--hopefully that will wake me up a bit. I am thinking of bringing a cold washcloth into the bedroom with me so I can startle myself awake! Sam just took a cold shower and says he feels better. We are giving it our all!

Happy reading to those still awake--and much thanks to my cheerleaders!

What I'm reading now: Maisie Dobbs-A Lesson in Secrets

How many pages read since last update: 43 in that particular book Plus 217 pages in Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2
How many pages read total: 428
Number of books read since you started: 1 (Diary of a Wimpy Kid and 1/2 of Maisie Dobbs)
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 3.5 Hours
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 11.5 hours

Mini-challenges completed:

1. Intro Meme 2. Character Pictures 3. State Settings 4. Sharing Books 5. Book Trailer 6. Mid Event Meme 7.Friendship 8. Feed Me Seymour


What Sam is reading: Brisingr by Paolini (book #4 in series is due out in 2 weeks--this is a re-read for him)

Books Sam has finished: Sam finished the last 120 pages of Tolkein's Return of the King
How Many Pages Sam has read total: 482
Time Sam has spent reading: 10.5 hours

The Weather: Fallish aka: Seattle rain and wind

What we are listening to: a Jazz mix cd

What have eaten: chips and dip, Sam drank a Monster energy drink, I am on my second diet Pepsi

Distractions: Tiredness

The Time Is: 12:30 AM

Prizes you’ve won: Zero

Update #2:: Hour 14

What I'm reading now: Still working through Maisie Dobbs--about 1/2 way through, but am going to take a break with Wimpy Kid...

How many pages read since last update: 118--I am so slow today
How many pages read total: 168
Number of books read since you started: still working on #1
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 6 hours
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 8

Mini-challenges completed:

1. Intro Meme 2. Character Pictures 3. State Settings 4. Sharing Books 5. Book Trailer 6. Mid Event Meme 7.Friendship 8. Feed Me Seymour

The Weather: rainy and windy--lights have blinked a few times...Yikes!

What we are listening to: Nora Jones Pandora station

What have eaten: Chinese take out, starburst candy, coffee with egg nog, water

Distractions: People in my family, the blog,

The Time Is: 7:30 PM--it is dark outside and I have lit my tealites

Prizes you’ve won: None

Hour 12 : Mid Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now?-
I am still reading A Lesson in Secrets (Maisie Dobbs)

2. How many books have you read so far?
Still working on #1

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
I think I may take a break after dinner and read Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2- or a collection of knititng essays

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Nope--having older kids is divine!

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
I have been interrupted by tiredness, blogging, a phone call from daughter and talking with my boys, 1 of which is home from college for the day, and the husband!

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
How tired I am this time around!

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
9. Are you getting tired yet?
Yes!

Note: Huge rain downpour right now---so stormy nasty out--maybe time to light some little candles? :)

Mini Challenge

A new mini-challenge! Share a favorite book trailer with Nat over at Quirky Girls Read

Here is my favorite book trailer--it is actually for a book I devoured during the read-a-thon last April!

Mini Challenge

Midnight Book Girl is hosting the book sentence challenge--have to use at least 3 book, and cannot add words not found in any of the titles! Here is mine:

Godmother, Thanks For The Memories Left In The Memory Place

I have always like this challenge and hope to visit other people who play along

Update #1: Hour 2

Well, we are both up and reading, but I need to go jump into the shower and get ready to take Sam to his Sax lesson in an hour. I must say it is a perfect day for read-a-thon here--dark, gloomy, rainy and windy!

What I'm reading now: A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueling Winspear

How many pages read since last update: 50
How many pages read total: 50
Number of books read since you started: 0

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 2 hours
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 2 hours

Mini-challenges completed: 1. Intro Meme 2. Character Pictures 3. State Settings 4. Sharing Books

What Sam is reading: The Return of the King
Books Sam has finished: 0
How Many Pages Sam has read total: 100
Time Sam has spent reading: 2 hours

The Weather: Rainy and windy

What we are listening to: Pandora: Darren Motamedy station

What have eaten: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 cinnamon roll, a few little pieces of licorice and candy corn. Two cups of coffee, but alas, I just remembered I bought decaf, thus no buzz!

Distractions: Sleepiness

The Time Is: 10:00 AM

Prizes you’ve won: None

See you all in a couple of hours!

Mini -Challenge #1: Character Picutres

Well, since I am coming to the party really late and I just got up and it is only 7:30 AM, this is the best I could do--I just started a Maisie Dobbs book, and I mean, just started it. It takes place in London and in my mind, London is always rainy and foggy and damp-much like here in Seattle--especially today.

This picture I took looking out my front door, about 5 minutes ago-in it you can see the leaves are wet, the pavement is wet and you can even see rain coming down. Yes, it is raining in Seattle today. Thanks Alyse for the fun!

Off to pop some cinnamon rolls into the oven, and snuggle back with my book!

Intro Meme

Good Morning!

Where are you reading from today?
My cozy little house in a suburb of Seattle


3 facts about me …
1. Knitting is my other passion
2. My big 5.0. birthday is coming up real soon!
3. My favorite color to wear is red.


How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
10 books plus choices on my Kindle


Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
To have fun, fun, fun


If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
If a book isn't doing it for you then don't be afraid to put it down and read something else. Having some YA or lighter type books is very helpful for those later hours.