Tag Archives: afghan

WIP Wednesday: Something Old, Something New, Something Fruity, Something Blue

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Howdy! I’m a bit late to the link-up at Small Things. I was waiting on the mail (and my tablet to charge). This hasn’t been the most productive crafting week, but there’s good reason which I’ll talk about tomorrow.

I’m also late on promoting two important days this week, World AIDS Day on Monday (something dear to my heart) and Giving Tuesday yesterday. I’m trying not to kick myself for not using this platform more wisely in those regards. But then, giving and AIDS awareness shouldn’t be confined to one day a year, anyway. Neither should giving thanks. 🙂

And now, on to my post.

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The Hook

(Something Old)

I’m up to 26 squares on my afghan. That’s over a quarter of the number that I need for my bed. This is going to be a really long haul!

The Book

I just started reading a brand new book. And by “brand new,” I really mean brand new. Hot off the presses! A friend of my dear friend Laural just released her book on Monday. Her name is R.L. Haas, and the book is Portals of Water and Wine. So far, I’m only in the first chapter, but I’m loving it! (And, yes, I’m reading it on my tablet.)

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I also settled on which book I’m going to read for Advent. As I mentioned last week, I’m participating in an online Advent retreat led by my friend ,Tara. I’ve decided to give the retreat my main focus, and to read God With Us as a supplement. It arrived in the mail today. I got the sequel, God For Us, to use this past Lent and figured God With Us would be similar. It is, and I’m so pleased. Each week features a different author. The daily readings are augmented with beautiful artwork. There are also sections highlighting the various feast days throughout the season. I will read it as I have time, but I’ll be giving myself grace if I don’t read it every day since it isn’t my main focus.

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The “something blue?” Alton Brown’s book I’m Just Here For The Food. Alton is going to help me make my first stock from my first turkey. More on that tomorrow. 😉

And yes, that is a Dalek and TARDIS marking my place. I’m such a geek!

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The Needles

Something Fruity.

I’m still working on that same apple hat from last week. I told you there was little crafting time this week. Normally, a little hat like that would be long done.

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I believe that concludes my post for this week.

Have a beautiful Wednesday evening.

~Janet

WIP Wednesday: It’s Hip To Be Square

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Come on. I know you’re singing it.  😉

I had technical difficulties trying to post on Wednesday last week. Did anyone else? My posting template page would not load at all. I think, perhaps, it was God’s way of telling me to get to bed. Anyway… It seems to be working fine this week, so onto the post and the link-up at Small Things.

 

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The Hook

I’m still hooking away at my afghan. In fact, I’ve got a square mostly done in the tote at my feet as I type this. The good thing is that I’m not bored of them yet. I still get a little thrill as they grow and as I see the colors work together. This is a good thing since I still have such a long way to go.

The Book

I sort of picked up Divergent again. By that I mean that I’m carrying it with me to work. It’s long overdue at the library, and with Advent beginning soon, I may just return it and pick the series up after the new year.

For Advent, I signed up for an online Advent retreat with my friend, Tara, a Spiritual Director. I’ve been meaning to highlight her ministry, Anam Cara, for a while. Please do check out her website. I think she may have spots left if you are interested in journeying with her through the upcoming Advent season.

In addition to the retreat, I’m considering a couple books to read on my own. My parents gave me Ann Voskamp’s book, The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas, for my birthday. I kinda had forgotten that I had it when I ordered two books off my Amazon wish list on Monday. God With Us was recommended by Tara a couple of years ago, but has been out of stock every time I try to order it for Advent (usually because I’ve waited until the last moment). Silence And Other Surprising Invitations of Advent was another book recomended by Tara and the one she was reading for Advent last year. It looks good, but the subject is a very tender subject for me. It felt too raw last year. So, it will be one of those three, I think. God With Us won’t be here until next Tuesday, though.

The Needles

It’s hard to tell from the picture, but I have a baby hat on the needles. It’s a copy of the finished one next to it. I used this pattern for a rolled brim hat for the hat, another for the leaf, and just did a short i-cord for the stem.

I’ve also made some progress on my Hogwarts Express shawl. I just finished the garter section and worked the row of increases. Now it’s on to the cables and beads. Eep!

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WIP Wednesday: A Pinwheel and A Confession

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Alas! ‘Tis Wednesday! The day set aside for Works In Progress to be revealed to the masses. The day designated for linking up with fellow crafters at yonder site known as “Small Things.” The day for reckoning just what I have and have not accomplished over the past seven days.

The Hook

Umm…

Not much progress on the Magnum Opus this week. I’ve been focused elsewhere. Loving Threads (my church knitting/crocheting/quilting group) is this Saturday, so I’m planning on bringing my afghan to work on. I’ll try to get some pictures this meeting and tell you a bit about our little group.

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The Book

Ha!

Book? Book? I know not this word.

In all seriousness, any reading I’ve done this week has really been in blogs. I’ve been catching up on the blogs in my blog roll, which I just remembered I need to actually create here.

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I’ve pretty much given up on reading Bonhoeffer. I’m just finding that I’m not all that interested right now. I think I liked the idea of reading it along with the book club, but, in reality, it started feeling more like an assignment than a choice. Weird, I know. I was like that in school, too. If it was my idea, I was all over it. But, if it was an assignment, it was drudgery. I’m sure this book will tickle my fancy at some point. Right now, I’m trying not to let these little feelings of guilt settle in for not reading it. I’ve been talking about not reading it for a month!

The Needles

Now here is where my focus has been!

I’ve been working on the Pinwheel Blanket that I mentioned last week, and I’m very nearly done. I worked the blanket until there were 30 stitches in each wedge section, and now I’m knitting a seed stitch ruffle as the edging. The ruffle is created by knitting into the front and back of every stitch, thus doubling the number of stitches. So, what was once a 300 stitch edge is now a 600 stitch edge! I had to switch to my 60 inch cable to accommodate all those stitches, and it feels like it takes an eon to knit a round.  I know the end result will be great, though, so it’s certainly worth it! I should be done by the weekend. I’m trying to beat Little One’s arrival.

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To give myself a bit of a break, and my thumb a rest from purling, I knitted up a quick little hat for Little One and started another. I don’t think I mentioned it in the last post, but Little One’s gender isn’t known, thus the “neutral” colors. I think the little red hat is rather Christmas-y, don’t you?

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I also got a few more rounds done on the sock in my purse while visiting my parents this past weekend.

I think that concludes my progress report for this week. What are you reading or working on? Join the Yarn Along, or tell me in the comments. I’d love to know!

Have a great Wednesday!

~Janet