Yarn Along

Today I’m back with my friends doing the “Yarn Along.”  A blog party, for those who don’t know, is where you get together at one blog and read other people’s post on one topic.  It’s like a lot of voices that you get to listen to in any order you like.  This particular party is hosted over at Ginny’s beautiful blog.  The topic, like always, is what we are knitting and reading.

Forgive the picture.  I was playing around with my 50mm lens and it doesn’t have auto focus and I’m still getting the hang of it.

I’ve been all over the place, knitting-wise.  I’m not showing all the projects on needles at my house right now, simply the ones that are getting all the attention and love at the moment.  I have a Clara cowl, which is the second of 2 ordered by a sweet, sweet person in my life.  Then I’ve got this wool diaper cover that I’ve been playing around with.  The design is still under wraps, so I’ll just give a peek.

Then I’ve got the Knit Picks sample sweater that has a complete body, and just waiting on some sleeves.  Thank you to so many of you who gave me suggestions on colors to pick.  I ended up going with one of our suggestions to stick with the heathers and I’m so very pleased with that decision.  When I think of how much I love how it’s turning out I get a little giddy.

As far as reading goes, I was debating what should make it to the picture.  I’ve been going through some knitting reference books.  I picked up The Scarlett Letter from Goodwill the other day, and plan to re-read that classic.  I haven’t started it yet, though.  I couldn’t even throw in a good homeschool book because I didn’t do much school with the kids last week.

However, the only thing I’ve found time for lately is the oddest thing.  I played the violin when I was little, though I didn’t read music well.  I learned by the Suzuki method, which is mostly playing by ear.  I also took about 9 months of piano lessons when I was a few years older, and learned some music there.  As Silje is taking lessons for her 2nd year, I’ve been dabbling on my own again.

I was telling my mom that my goal was to be able to sit down at the piano and play any hymn in a hymnal.  So I figured the best way to do that was to get a hymnal and start plunking away.  I got this one at a garage sale a few weeks ago for a quarter.  There’s a church’s name embossed on it, so I’m having a crisis on whether I should attempt to return it there or not.

Anyway, as I’ve been working my way through a few songs, I’ve come across an old favorite.  I can’t play it well at all because it’s in a difficult key, so when I reach the point (about a measure in) where I can’t play it anymore, I just start singing it without the piano because it’s one of my favorites.  Silje likes to sing with me, though she doesn’t know this one yet.  She just sits on the couch when I get to this song and listens, and when I’m done, she always thinks it’s strange that I’m crying…over a song.

I thought I’d copy the lyrics for some who may appreciate it as well.

The Love of God

verse 1:
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can every tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Chorus:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall for everymore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Verse 2:
When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,

God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race–
The saints’ and angels’ song

Verse 3:
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

I don’t get to play the piano often.  I sneak in 10 minutes one day, another 10 minutes a few days later.  It’s been like that for a few weeks.  I’m thinking by the time I have grandchildren, I may be able to play for them.  I’ll confess, though, sometimes I’m not even at the piano with this book.  These songs are beautiful to just read.