All of my knitting this weekend was unknitting. After getting almost to the top on Brume, while waiting at the Passport Office, I realized that I still wasn't satisfied with my decreases, and decided to do them yet a different way. I picked up Mariam to continue working on that design, so I could have it ready for the tech editor next month. Nope. I realized that if I did the stitch pattern a different way that it would look better and more the way I wanted it. If I think of it as a swatch rather than the first 10% of a shawl, it's much easier to cope with the realization that I am ripping it back to the first row. Likewise, on Sunday, I pulled the stitches off the needle for Winter Wonderland, and ripped all the way back to increase the depth of the ribbing at the neck.

I received some exciting news on Friday. A magazine in the UK has accepted a design submission from me and will publish it in their magazine in November. Since they are mailing yarn out soon, I thought I'd see if they could mail it to me in Paris, which would get it to me sooner and cost them less than shipping to the US. I have another design that should be published with an online magazine in November, plus one more self-published design that month and a shawl that I hope to have out in August. There are two designs I wanted to submit for an online publication for August, and either September or October, but those are not as far along as the others. That puts me at six definite designs for the year, and two that might be released this year. Not to mention the work I'm doing for next year. I was hoping to have nine designs published this year, but if I can even get one of the maybes completed, I can be happy with seven.

Thank you to those of you who prayed, too. We have learned to always go in person for my passport, as when they have a face in front of them, they seem more likely to help. Glory to God in all His Saints, we were so blessed to have a lady helping me who also grew up in the same town I did and, in fact, graduated from high school from the same school I did 12 years after I did (Rich thought she was a teenage intern, and couldn't figure out how she had a job in a federal office). Many dear friends filled out affidavits to help establish the one name that they didn't think was documented enough, and one came in person to sign in front of them and vouch for me. We began a discussion of how we met, which led the lady at the counter to ask about where we grew up and I think that really gave her some sympathy for my cause. I brought my high school diploma, simply to show that the use of the name in question was already established by the time I was in high school Anyway, besides being much more helpful, she also pushed to have the passport produced that day so I could go home with it, which was another blessing. So, I do get to go to Paris with Rich, after all, and I'm already packing my outfits, my knitting, and my books. Rich has had me reading French Ravelry groups, and wants me to listen to French podcasts to brush up on my French, and I'm packing my French English dictionary with us, along with a copy of a guide to Paris knitting/stitching shops, Theology of the Body in Simple Language and One Flesh: Salvation through Marriage in the Orthodox Church which Rich and I have been reading together. We are also bringing Primal Loss: The Now-Adult Children of Divorce Speak, which I ordered from the author, and just received my signed copy. I just started reading a little into it. It is so powerful, and I can relate to so much in the stories of the contributors. Even if you came from an intact home and are not divorced yourself, I would recommend it. It breaks the gag order on children of divorce that is ever present to protect the feelings of the divorcing parents and prop up the divorce culture.

The kids and I are still reading The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic and I read about three more words in Messenger of Truth. Aside from that, it has been my prayer book and daily readings.

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