That is Amira's cropped hoodie with a finished headband I made from a practice tube during the circular sock knitting machine retreat (I have another to be finished off, and it will take all of five minutes, but I have so much else to do in the interim that it's waiting in my knitting bag) and some yarn for swatching up there. The jacket looks like it's almost finished, doesn't it? Except the number of stitches for the hood is too small, and so I have to rip back both fronts to change the neck decreases and try to make the numbers work. I'm changing the gauge as well as size, so it's taking a little experimentation. In my opinion, this is the difference between good knitters and beginners: Good knitters are not afraid to rip their projects back and make it the way they actually want it. So, anyway, I actually finished the swatch for a proposal, but really didn't like the colors together, though it seemed like they should be lovely, and frogged it. The only reason I kept knitting was so I could see how the stitch patterns worked in concert and get a photograph of that for my own use. I didn't want to redo the swatch in the same way if I didn't like the stitches as well as the color combination. This is the new set of colors, which is remarkably similar, but different enough that I think it will appear more harmonious.


Pure Merino Worsted in Weathered Frame and Masala.
Not only did I get the lovely September yarn club shipment from Paradise last week, but this week I received two sweater quantities of yarn from the Magnolia Society. I did end up signing up for the new yarn club for the fall, and I will be cancelling the Paradise club membership. Besides that, I got my ipsy Glam Bag since my last post, and my next Stitch Fix box should be here tomorrow or the day after that. It's been a great week for mail and UPS deliveries here. And that's just for me! Alexander received his fancy pants, engraved, brand new iPod for use at school (And home. Also, can you believe that my baby boy is taking college classes? Just the first day of being in class, and he became a responsible adult: He called me while I was at ballet with Amira and asked if he should start dinner for everyone so it would be ready when we got back!).


©Geneve Hoffman Photography.
Also, in case you missed it, Saint Catherine of Alexandria was published a couple weeks ago and is available in the book and on Ravelry. And here's the weekly reminder to like Arabian Knits Designs on Facebook, if you haven't already. That's where I put updates and testing opportunities and other design news. Your liking it gets me more visibility with folks who may not know about my patterns. Thank you!

I finally started reading Everywhere Present: Christianity in a One-Storey Universe. I bought it a year or so ago, and it isn't long or hard to read, it's just been sitting amid my other stacks of books until fairly recently. It is a great read, and I wish I'd started it earlier. The text is accessible even to kids, and I've been reading it aloud to them as we discuss what is being said. This is definitely written from an Orthodox/Sacramental perspective, but there is a lot in it that all of Christianity really needs to think about and wrestle with, in my opinion.

We're still reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 25th Anniversary Edition to our kids and loving the humor and fun. Last night, I explained what a petit four was to them, how it was a small cake and the name implied that since it was so small, it was made in a tiny oven (four is the French word for oven). The description in the book was of a giant petit four.



Also posting to Keep Calm and Craft On, and Yarn Fanatic Party.

So, I didn't actually intend to permanently combine my yarn along posts with my menu plans. We still haven't quite recovered from our whirlwind trip and abrupt slam into full time daily life. Alexander began his college program this week, we have school work, ballet began before we left, we have our first week of co-op this week, and we have some dear friends who are moving this week and the last two weeks have been full of events and parties to send them off and give our kids a few more chances to see them before they won't see them for a long while. Pennsylvania is a long way away, and it is unlikely that there will be frequent visits. I've tried to emphasize how blessed we are to not only have phone and mail, but the internet and FaceTime and so on, to help us keep in contact. It's still been a pretty sad week here. Most of our kids said their goodbyes on Monday, after a final sleepover here with their friends, but Alexander is going with Rich to help pack their moving van on Saturday, and will have to say his goodbyes then. We also have a dance on Saturday, and I am doing the morning devotions for our co-op, so I have a little extra to prepare each week. It's all good things, but busy things, too. Not to mention proposal deadlines.

Our garden hasn't quite given up the ghost, so we're still getting squash and tomatoes and chard and such. It's slowing down, though, and our plan is to use our pig, Sir Francis Bacon, to help plow under the remaining plant material after we go through and harvest the last of it. He will turn over the ground, and the plan is to put grass clippings and straw and wood chips over the whole thing and put the garden to bed for the year after that.

Below, I include our daily Bible readings which we use to read through the entire Bible each year. We read through all of the Old Testament and New Testament, reading the Psalms and Proverbs twice. Remember that the Psalms are according to eastern numbering in our daily Bible reading, also I Kings is the original designation, it is I Samuel in western Bibles (II Kings is II Samuel in the west, III Kings is I Kings, and IV Kings is II Kings, I Ezra is also called I Esdras in other translations, II Ezra is often translated as Ezra or II Esdras).

• Sunday Job 41-42, Psalms 45, Proverbs 9:12–15, I Corinthians 2
  Breakfast: Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon on Toast, Bananas, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Tortilla Chips with Bean Dip and Salsa, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Grilled Yellow Squash, Potato Salad, Grilled Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, and Steaks, Blackberry Sorbet Bars, Dark Chocolate Pudding
• Monday - Feast of Saint Matthew the Apostle Ecclesiastes 1-2, Psalms 46, Proverbs 9:16–20, I Corinthians 3
  Breakfast: Leftover Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Toast, Sliced Pears, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers Soup, Bread
• Tuesday Ecclesiastes 3:1-5:6, Psalms 47, Proverbs 9:21–25, I Corinthians 4
  Breakfast: Garlic Cheese Toast, Bananas, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Homemade Hamburger Helper with Green Beans and Elbow Macaroni, Sliced Cucumbers
• Wednesday Ecclesiastes 5:7-7:29, Psalms 48:1–10, Proverbs 10:1–6, I Corinthians 5
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Tomatoes, Sliced Cucumbers, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Potato, Zucchini and Chard Frittata, Tomato-Cucumber Salad, Italian Bread
• Thursday Ecclesiastes 8:1-10:10, Psalms 48:11–21, Proverbs 10:7–11, I Corinthians 6
  Breakfast: Pear Banana Bread with Cream Cheese, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Papas con Chorizo, Marinated Cucumber and Onions
• Friday Ecclesiastes 10:11-12:14, Psalms 49:1–15, Proverbs 10:12–16, I Corinthians 7:1–24
  Breakfast: Toaster Waffles, Milk & Coffee
  Dinner: Cream of Poblano Soup, Fried Tortilla Strips, Cucumber-Tomato Salad
• Saturday Song of Solomon 1-2, Psalms 49:16–23, Proverbs 10:17–22, I Corinthians 7:25–40
  Breakfast: Saint Phanourios Cake, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pasta with Bolognese, Salad, Garlic Bread

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up.

Labels: Books, Church Year, Design, Family, FOs, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Homesteading, Knitting, Menu Plans, Stitch Fix, Tales from the Kitchen, Yarn, Yarn Along