~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~ Ginny at small things

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Wow … this has been a hectic month, and we’re only on the 10th! So, you’ll notice that I am still working on the two projects I mentioned last week … the Blue Ridge Mountains shawl and the Autumn Cozy in Cashmere. You see, we have been busy doing other things than knitting (can you believe it????).

First, I had another weekend of working both days: one at the shop and one at the Montpelier Fall Fiber Festival. Granted, that is knitting, but not for my designs. When I’m at the shop, I’m working on shop models of other designs; while I’m at the FFF, I’ve got practice knitting with me so that I can demo to willing attendees just how to make something beautiful from two sticks and a string.

Second, dh had a birthday on Monday as well as having the day off … so we all played hooky and went pumpkin-patching and collecting his car from its checkup at the Toyotoa dealer in Culpeper and cooking fall-ish foods and reveling in his being another year older. It was all cut short with the clock telling us it was time to head to rehearsal for My Fair Lady — where I usually get some knitting done … but since we’re a week from Opening Night, much more stage-managing was occuring than knitting!

But I’m not complaining: we’re having wonderful autumnal weather … we’re all fairly healthy … and I am prepping for a weekend cashmere-knitting workshop that I’ll lead this next weekend. A few days away at Jane’s farm will be just what I need to then head into tech-week and Opening night!

On the reading table … we finished The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (finally!) … and the end left us all flat. I had them write a critique of the book for their writing assignment; while they still all liked the book, they felt cheated by the end (which stunk of … “to be continued”). Off to the Library today to find a wonderfully exciting new read-aloud. I have a few books I’m delving into: Kindle Fire Geekery by Guy Hart-Davis, has FIFTY cool ways to make my Kindle Fire really work for me … loading music I “can’t” play on the Fire, bringing important files with me wherever I go, and other zippy projects. Kaffe Fassett’s autobiography Dreaming in Color, gives a fascinating glimpse into this amazing expat designer who is famous in knitting and quilting circles for his breaking of the color “rules” — the photos alone are well-worth the book’s price! Finally, I’m getting ready to start a study of the Year of Faith (called for by Pope Benedict XVI) with the kids; Fr. Mitch Pacwa’s book, The Year of Faith: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics, will walk us thru the Catechism and its link to Scripture for the next six months. Very excited to start this tomorrow, the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II!

So, what’s on your needles and reading table? Won’t you come play with us at Ginny’s …