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Yarn-along: bead-knitting, what to read and getting outside!
~ 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
On my needles this week? Lots and lots of bead-knitting in anticipation of designing a unique beaded item for the knitting retreat in November — Getting Cozy with Cashmere out at Jane’s farm in Barboursville, VA. I was actually able to finish and post 5 patterns this week: Leaves ‘n’ Pearls necklace, Simply Elegant necklace, and shown above: Ocean Waves choker, Crowns ‘n’ Petticoats necklace, and Cabled Cuff beaded bracelet. right now, I’m finishing up on a pure cashmere/beaded scarf (that’s it in the charcoal grey above). It is such fun knitting with beads … who knew?
On my reading table: we finished Mistress Masham’s Repose last week and then tried reading Sword in the Stone, also by T.H. White. After two days of read-aloud … the unanimous vote was to bring Sword back to the library and try something else. So, I have been poring over What to Read When by Pam Allyn, a great overview of what books to read to children. The problem with lots of these books is that they sort of stop at a 8-10 year old reading interest level and this is a great shame … read-alouds are so beneficial to ALL ages and shouldn’t be stopped once children are reading independently! Allyn’s book is good but I was only able to cull a handful of titles to try next with my crew. If you have any suggestions of books-on-books that might help our search, PLEASE let me know!
Also on my reading table is a fabulous book I stumbled upon: The Green Hour: a daily dose of nature for happier, healthier, smarter kids by Todd Christopher! This book has great suggestions for getting kids outside at any time of year, in any type of weather, in any type of area … all to teach them a bit of science, a bit of creativity, a bit of fun. This is a great book that I predict will be quite dog-eared by the end of this school year …
As far as my own personal reading: I just finished a sweet, chick-lit book titled Saving Grace that I thoroughly enjoyed (review here). I also have, as mentioned in last week’s yarn-along, Catholic Sexual Ethics, to read and have dabbled in it but really do need to finish it! On the Kindle, I have a couple of books waiting in the wings including Joyce Swann’s homeschooling journey Looking Backward (ht: Kim Fry) and on my reading table, and Lela Nargi’s Knitting Around the World (I LOVE knitting history and actually any crafting history… maybe I could write a history curriculum with traditional crafts as the “hook” or theme ….)
So come play with us … what’s on your needles and your reading table(s)?
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