Surprise, surprise, Nejat's blanket is still not finished! Her second birthday present is rapidly turning into her third Christmas present. I tend to be a process knitter/crocheter at the beginning of a project. There are new skills to practice or learn, or something fun to work on and enjoy. By the end, though, I am a product knitter. I want this thing finished. And I am so there with this blanket. Nejat loves it, and will love it, and I'm sure I'll be happy with it when it is complete, but I am starting to get irritated with it. Why isn't it complete?! It's only two more rounds and the finishing.

I have made the finishing touches on Saint Nicholas, however. I'm putting out the call for knitters to do a quick preview knit now (not a test, it shouldn't need much, if any, editing at that point) so I can see how people like the design and to have some extra project pages besides my own ready to link up when I release the pattern in November. The picture above shows the prototype, the actual stocking is much larger, it is about 18 inches in circumference and longer, I just made that smaller mock up as a sample for a design proposal. If you are interested, please e-mail me, contact me via Arabian Knits Designs on Facebook, or @arabianknits on Instagram, on my Ravelry group or leave a comment here with your e-mail address. This is a quick stocking, knit in a worsted weight (and only one to knit!), that can easily be finished by the middle of November, however even if you don't finish, but post a couple pictures of your progress, I would be grateful. The tech edited pattern ought to be back to me next week or so, after which I will be able to send the PDF to those interested in a sneak peek at the design.

On the reading front, I finished An Everlasting Meal. LOVED IT! and highly recommend it to all who enjoy food, eating, and cooking. Even if you don't, it might help you capture that love, or at least give you some tools to use with what you have at home to make good, simple meals.

I have come back to Circus Mirandus, which is a fun, light read, and I am enjoying it. I have tried, numerous times, to get into The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, but it is just poorly written. I know it's popular right now, but I think that's just because someone Christian/moral has written it. It's not absurdist and funny, it's just ridiculous and trying too hard, in my (evidently minority) opinion. Rich tried to read it, too, and when I picked it up again, he said he couldn't get past the first couple chapters. We had been thinking of reading it to the kids as a fun evening read, but it's just not good enough to slog through it. We get that it was being silly on purpose, but it was too self-conscious and on purpose, and just too foolish, more so than it was funny.



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

Labels: Books, Crochet, Design, Family, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Knitting, Yarn Along