I may have fallen down in a yarn store...

Today my mother and I went to Stitches 'n Stuff--sometimes known as "The realm of perpetual bliss and serenity" or "the place where I tend to spend too much money."

You see, twice a year everything in the store goes on sale for 20% off, so I decided to get a few more things before I head back to the yarn storeless Zambian bush. I found some yarn for a pair of twins who will be arriving around the new year...

Some yarn for a wedding shawl,

And some sock yarn that I couldn't resist!

Tomorrow I head out to St. Louis; I'll have two days there to check out some free attractions and some local Starbucks. I guess I should go pack for that...

Tennessee

Yesterday at a little after 10 we arrived back from Tennessee. It was so nice to have time to visit with my grandparents, talk over some of the issues I'm facing, visit 6 thrift stores, and enjoy a few treats. I went to all those thrift stores to try and save some money on cloths; Africa is VERY hard on cloths, and I wanted to stock up so to speak. I found 9 nice tops to add to the shopping I've already done, but sadly I didn't find any skirts that fit the bill. I think I'm going to have to do some sewing... Another highlight of the trip was visiting Mary and Jordan and their kitties at their apartment. We had supper with them last week, and breakfast with them yesterday. I love how their place reflects both of them, and of course getting to stop and play with kittens is a really great thing to do! Here are a few pictures; most of them are on my other blog, but I'm posting them anyway!

On Saturday my mom and I indulged in these cute sand bucket sundays at the lake. My only complaint was that it was almost too cool to enjoy ice cream properly!

Though small, Lake Tansi is a lovely place to visit. The water was nice and warm, and though the lake was shallow it was lovely to be in the water again. I had to laugh when I remembered that time my uncles tried to teach me to water ski there...it didn't go so well!

My grandparents deck was a great place to visit with Mary and Jordan when they came and spent the day with us on Friday, and I got a lot of amusement from watching the golfers come up to and leave the 8th hole. I would like to play golf one day just to say I did--but I'm pretty sure I won't be good at it!

Grandma decided that she wanted to make fruit cake while some fresh young muscle was around to stir it for her, so on Saturday afternoon I mixed the goodness up, Grandpa licked all the bowls, beaters and spatulas we used, and these beautiful cakes came out of the oven. There may have been some fruitcake testing going on that evening...

One thing that I will always associate with my most ladylike of grandmothers, are hydrangeas. They are the theme of her kitchen and dining room, the colors she often wears, and just a great symbol for my lovely southern grandma. They had some lovely ones outside their house, so I took a picture.

These next few days will be crazy as I try to get things sorted, planned, and in motion before heading up to St. Louis this Thursday. I'll be gone most of August, so timing is going to be everything. I'm excited about all this travel, but sort of wish I had a Tardis right now...

Parting shot:

Tennessee is beautiful and makes me reconsider my thoughts on summer

Here in the lovely state of Tennessee, I am rejecting the gentle summer weather and knitting with a fiercely fall colored yarn. While summer in Texas is best compared to a blast furnace, summer in Tennessee is warm days with cool nights. Summer in Tennessee is the sort of place where lace shawls are in the picture for the evenings, and where fireflies dance at night. A part of me is sorry that I am not using something like the lovely yarn I scored at the yarn store today-

all blue and green and cool and summer. Yet, I have learned to enjoy seasons when and where I can, so my lovely spill of colors continues to amuse and delight me. While it looks rather strange now, this will become a scarf/shawlette made of wedges. I can't wait to come up with something suitable to wear it with!

In other news, I bought myself a 'Southern Lady Wallet' at the cool lunch room/store full of booths with way to many cool things in them place we went yesterday. I love the hot pink at the edges, and the way so much fits in such a slim space. Yes, I am a southern lady deep in my heart! Now I just need to find the right kind of purse...

Crafty update before I skip town

I've been on a finishing spree these last few days. This is rather rare for me, and I'm enjoying the rush of 'finishitis' while it lasts! As I'm about to embark on four weeks of being mostly away, travel knitting has been on my mind. I think I'll take a shawl and a cowl, and if I end up buying something in Tennessee to take up north, so be it! So, the parade of finished items.

First of all, this is a top that is supposed to be made with TOTALLY different yarn, but I had four ball of "I-had-a-crazy-moment-when-I-was-younger-and-bought-ladder-yarn-totally-forgetting-how-much-I-hate-knitting-it", and I wanted to get rid of some of it, so I set off on this mad-cap adaption, and am more than half pleased with the results.

Another project of mine was making my mother a pair of socks with this beautiful yarn. I will be making my own pair some day soon...

I finished four dishcloths for my sister as well (thought I didn't take any picture of them as they are 'vanilla' corner to corner, and I did another beaded bag.

As I hadn't downloaded pictures for awhile, here are a few events I actually chronicled!

Jasper and I after watching Monster's University together.

Jasper launching some rockets with our Voyager nerd friend Mr. Lee

A sign at the Jefferson museum that never ceases to make me smile!

This statue is in the lovely walled courtyard of Excelsior House, also in Jefferson.

The fountain in said courtyard-if I ever get rich, I'm going to make a place like this!

Tomorrow I head out to Tennessee to visit my grandparents, and then I'm home for a few days next week before heading out again. I am so thankful for my Kindle right now!

Another movie review, and some knitting FO

This Friday I took Jasper to see Monster's University, so I thought I'd post a few brief points.

* Nathan Fillion as a frat boy was too funny!

* I liked that the message that you don't have to be popular, cool, or the usual definition of talented in order to be awesome. Mike, while not scary, brings out the best in Sully. Together, they are a team that accomplishes more than they ever could alone.

* The whole concept of door design was pretty funny, and the short at the beginning of the movie was really cute!

So, here is my updated summer movie ranking:

1. Star Trek Into Darkness

2. Iron Man 3 and Now You See Me

3. Man of Steel

4. Monster's University

A parade of finished knitting projects!

A cardigan out of the delightfully drapey but very splitty Lion Brand Microspun. Love the color!

The cowl is finished and blocked (despite the challenges in blocking a loop)--huzzah! Next time though, no nupps.

I made another little bag, but forgot to transfer the picture. Instead, here is my reward for surviving contract week with my dad--delicious yarn!

Now I'm starting to plan my trip knitting and reading...serious stuff man!

"You might have the impression that a Fantasy, oh, 'it's a lot of impossible things that happen and it doesn't really mean anything.' I don't feel that way about it. From my point of view, Fantasy is simply a form, a way of trying to express things about real people in the real world. So Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality: it's a way of understanding it." -Lloyd Alexander

If only more Christians could understand this and what a powerful tool it is. Yes, like all good things the evil one uses this for his own means, but why can't we claim the imagination for God?

Tribbles!

Now I kind of want to try and knit a tribble... Oh look! There is a free pattern for tribbles! Oh dear, I might need to find some fun fur in an appropriate color...

Yes, I'm an Unglued Fire Tiger!

I don’t often take the time out to officially review a book, but this is one that I thought was worth it.

This last week has been very emotionally charged for me, and while there were other *girl* factors involved in the reality that tears were never far away, pain, stress, and frustration left me feeling like I was about to come well and truly unglued. Reading this book about dealing with our emotions for God’s glory rather than in our own selfish way was such a good thing for me to hear at that point. Having to honestly sit down and think about how I react to different people and situations was a very good exercise for me. I also love the concept of ‘imperfect progress’—not that it’s okay to not progress, but that progress is a slow processes in which we become more like the Lord Jesus. May I continue to walk in the light of His ways, and deal with my all-to-often surging emotions in ways that bring honor and glory to my Savior.

On an unrelated note, we randomly got on the subject of the Chinese zodiac tonight, and it turns out that I am not just a tiger (which I knew), but I am a FIRE Tiger! Rawr!

Movie!

My mom and I went to a movie that I've been wanting to see for awhile--ever since my brother recommended it to me in fact. Now You See Me is a magician heist movie--one that is intense because you are always asking yourself what is really going on in the face of the glitz and stage presence you are seeing on screen. I have to admit, I didn't see the ending coming, but I sure enjoyed the ride. I think I'd have to watch it a few more times before I got it all sorted out in my head though. I'm trying to decide where to put it in the ranking of my summer movie going spree... I think I'm going to have to call a tie...

1. Star Trek Into Darkness

2. Iron Man 3 and Now You See Me

3. Man of Steel

Now that they are safely on their way to a dear friends house, here are the socks I was working on while flying to the States and in the weeks shortly thereafter. This yarn has just a little bit more yellow in it than I like, but the it fits the name "Brazil" quite well. I've been using this to make up a couple of those little beaded bagletts as well. I definitely like the i-cord finishing rather than crochet.

I'm working on a pair of toe-up socks in a beautiful colorway for my mom right now, and plan to bock out my cowl this weekend (now that I have some time). The sock yarn I'm using has a little bit of mohair in it, which is rather disconcerting when you live in a house with three cats. I keep thinking I'm catching more cat hair than normal... I'm trying to keep from accumulating too much of a 'home stash,' so I might need to pull that ladder yarn out of the eave-space and play with it. If only sock yarn grew on trees...

Independence Day

Breathes there the man with soul so dead Who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land! Whose heart hath ne’er within him burned, As home his footsteps he hath turned From wandering on a foreign strand! If such there breathe, go, mark him well; For him no minstrel raptures swell; High though his titles, proud his name, Boundless his wealth as wish can claim Despite those titles, power, and pelf, The wretch, concentrated all in self, Living, shall forfeit fair renown, And, doubly dying, shall go down To the vile dust from whence he sprung, Unwept, unhonored, and unsung.

Excerpt from “The Lay of the Last Minstrel” By Sir Walter Scott

I lettered this for my friend Hannah's birthday, but I thought I'd share it today as it is fitting. I memorized this poem back in high school, but the words have stuck with me all these years. I say this poem to myself when I return to the US after being abroad, and I say it to myself when the anti-patriotism of my co-workers annoys me. While there are many things about my country that grieve me and make me wish I could transfer my citizenship to Mars or Middle Earth, I am an American, and our country has some great things in its past. May God bless America, and may He save us from ourselves and our sinful choices.