Knitting schmitting....

No Knitting to show on a knitting blog!? These ARE crazy days.

Well, I haven't picked up my needles in about a week I guess. I finished the baby items and ran out of steam. Not even a pair of socks in progress which is totally different for me. I've usually got something in progress in one bag or another, but I suppose everyone needs a break now and then.

I have been reading a lot lately. That's been sucking up my usual knitting time like crazy so it's been harder to miss it. I'm reading Monica Ferris's needlework mystery series.

Right now I'm on this one:

I'm enjoying this series because unlike Maggie Sefton's knitting mystery series (which I enjoy too BTW), I have a harder time figuring out who the villian is. I usually finish one book a night because I don't have the patience to wait and see if I'm right or wrong! They're like a good movie, I just HAVE to know who did the deed! I also slipped The Heretic's Daughter in as well (another good read). Thank goodness for the library because I seriously have been a reading machine lately. This series also includes a lot of needlework talk and that's something I've always been interested in learning as well some day. I never realized it's so diverse and that there are so many different techniques. It sounds like an expensive hobby as well, I better use up more yarn before I contemplate going down that path.

Reading's sort of been my escape lately. What do you do to escape?

I was feeling a little down in the dumps with everything that's going on in this crazy world. We've had our share of not so great things happening lately as well. Then there was a shooting recently at a mall here that we frequent often, so my mind was buzzing with worry about too many things. I had to just stop and chill out I guess. I did manage to get out for a walk on Saturday and that felt really good. You can't stop living, and worrying won't change anything. I guess I was just parked in a bad zone there for a bit.

My youngest has been having headaches and feeling sort of icked out off and on so now the worry transfers to her and she's way more important than anything else. I need to get her in to the doctor to see if she has a sinus thing going on, or maybe bad allergies or something. We're going to see how she's feeling in the morning and I may take her in. She's a stinker sometimes, but she's still my baby! Funny how these little people can make you focus.

I guess I better get back to my book now! I'm going to force myself to stop about half way this time so I can hopefully get some sleep for a change. Just like in knitting with my "one more row" habit, I'm always saying "one more chapter"....gets me into trouble every time.

Knitting will resume soon because I have my Knit Nite with the girls on the 28th which I'm looking forward to attending with project in tow. I have no idea what it'll be!!??

But I'll be there!

What's up?

I wish I had a fun answer to that question!
Since I'm about ready to be put out to pasture (same old pain, I know, I'm so tired of myself !) I haven't been knitting on much of anything lately. Well, ONE sock, but that seems to be turning out kind of "icky" so I'm not going to be braggin' on it anytime soon. The pooling is turning me "off" (and I refuse to start over-just too tired!) so I may just knit the socks up and over-dye them a darker blue. We'll see, and I'll show pics when I decide.

I did finally get this in the mail last week:



My new Ott Light from Joann's. It's taken some getting used to, but to read or knit by it really helps. It's not as pretty as some of the other (much more expensive) ones they have, but I'm "Mrs. Frugal To The Max" at times, especially if I'm not sure I'm going to like something beforehand. I miss a more "sunny" glow (this is super-WHITE) but it works well for it's purpose (to help these OLD eyeballs!)

I've been reading up a storm since my pain level has been on the high scale again. In the past few weeks I've read:

by Mary Kruger:
Dyed in the Wool
Knit Fast, Dye Young

by Maggie Sefton:
Dying to Sell (not a knitting mystery)
Knit One, Kill Two
Needled to Death
A Deadly Yarn
A Killer Stitch
Dyer Consequences

Fleece Navidad is coming out September 30th so I sure hope my library gets that one in as well.

I've already read all of Debbie Macomber's Blossom knitting series, The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood, The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (both terribly depressing in my view). I never even bothered with "Knitting: A Novel" by Anne Bartlett because it outright tells you it's about grief, and I don't do so good with that. I want to feel good by a read, not worse off than when I began. I guess I'm overly sensitive about that subject, it deeply affects me and stirs up too much pain.

I'm now reading Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum (will be done today, most I can finish in a day) and I have the three Chicks With Sticks books (It's a Purl Thing, Knit Two Together, and Knitwise) waiting in the wings for their turn. They're geared toward girls my daughter's age (tweens) but us old fogey's seem to really enjoy them as well!

I have to admit, these are all fast, easy reads but very enjoyable for people who love knitting and like me can't get enough of it. I usually figure out who the "murderer" is (in the mystery series') by the middle of the book, but a couple of times I've been wrong!! LOL! I just grab what's available at my local libraries and that's what I read. Checking out Amazon today though, I see a few more I may have to try to find....

Outside of Knitting, I also just read "Mistress of The Sun" by Sandra Gulland. It had me crying by the end, but in a good way I guess. Sad, but good. That's different than overwhelming grief. Next up is "The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent. Looks like a good one! It takes place during the Salem Witch Trials. So much to read, so little time....if I could only enjoy audio books I could knit at the same time, but getting lost in my own imagination with the printed word is what I REALLY enjoy most of all.

I better get back to my books!! I miss them already!

UPDATE: Thank You Girls for all of your prayers!! Grandpa Ken was released from the Hospital today and is feeling stronger bit by bit!! God is Good.