Seven Quick Takes

Would you like to read more quick takes? Go visit Jen.

~1~

I think we've been outside for the last 4 days straight. It's group class week in the studio (aka a very light schedule) and the weather is gorgeous so we took a fall break of sorts. Pinecones, acorns and a collection of leaves have all made their way inside.

~2~

My mom asked last week if I had already made or bought her Christmas gift. When I told her no she pulled out a bag with 6 skeins of Claudia Handpaint yarn, a pattern and even the needles! She has requested a prayer shawl.

So... I told her I'm already a little concerned about my Christmas crafting list, but she says she'll be very understanding if I'm not quite done by Christmas. I cast on last night- how could I say no to such yummy yarn and an adjustable deadline?

~3~

Speaking of Christmas crafting, I actually looked at my list again the other day and I've already had to revise. After looking through some "back issues" of Knitty I'm making Kernel for my mother-in-law instead of Summit. It's much more her style. I'm using the same yarn I'd planned for Summit, but the lace will suit her much better. The hat for my brother-in-law is going to become one of those "if I can squeeze out a hat in the 3 days before Christmas" kind of things because I just can't bring myself to leave something off of my kids' lists.The 4 total sewing projects are going to take me 1 total day- it's the knitting that has to get a move on! I've given myself a deadline of Sunday to finish mittens and then Monday is the first day of hardcore Christmas knitting.

~4~

Yesterday I told Ender that I was planning to work on their pajama pants. Last year I made the boys each several pair with very deep hems to be let out this fall. I asked if he wanted to learn to use the seam ripper and he declined. I was *really* surprised because he's been dying to get his hands on that seam ripper for a really long time! I asked why and he said,

"I'm really more of a crafter."

Upon further discussion, I found out that he didn't want to be involved in taking something part, just in putting it together.

~5~

Thank you so much for your kind words earlier this week. These last few months of change have been some of the easiest and some of the hardest as we step forward in faith and try to live differently than we have lived in years past. I feel like I'm kind of waiting for everything to fall apart, but at the same time I'm feeling pulled together- not because of any special thing I've managed or designed, but completely by God's grace, particularly in this last week. He is so very faithful.

~6~

I picked up the newest Rick Riordan novel at the library this week: The Lost Hero. The writing is so much better this time around and it's been a fast little read so far for being 550ish pages long. I've been really floundering in my fiction reading lately- nothing is really holding my attention lately and I've been a little frustrated by lack of adult fiction to read. I found my way back to YA last week and I brought home the next few Lemony Snicket (since they're so quick and do get better as they go) and I also grabbed a few Mark Twain Award nominees that I'd never heard of before. Hopefully something in that stack turns out to be interesting. Suggestions?

~7~

We're off this afternoon on a little trip to visit my brother and sister-in-law for the weekend, so we gathered up a few audio books. We finished reading Wizard of Oz earlier in the week and we're ready now for Peter Pan!