Lots of Knitting Catch-Up

Despite what you haven’t seen on this blog, I have been knitting here behind the scenes.  I started another pair of the Francie socks, that is such a fun pattern.  I picked it out for a pair of socks for my Mother-in-law for Christmas.  I’ve never made her anything, and it was about time!  I picked out this pretty blue wool, and started with a different pattern that was promising to be fast and simple, but it looked so boring as I got an inch or two in, that I went back to the Francie pattern because it was so much fun.

However, this was around the time that I found out about this pregnancy, and for some reason, I was misreading the pattern that I had just finished knitting a few weeks earlier when I made a pair for myself, and made mistake after mistake.  This first sock was knit 3 times.  Then it was put on hold because I couldn’t remember her exact shoe size.  I sent Knut over to pry around her closet and find out for me.  He was going over there anyway to see if they still had some more kid sized cross country skis in storage left over from when he was a kid.

So he came back, and I was nearing the toe, and he said “Well, I didn’t get to her closet, but I saw her ski boots.  She wears a size 39 ski boot.”

I glared at him and said, “That doesn’t help me at all.”

So I had to do a bit of extra internet research but I think I got it.  At this point, I had the 1st sock done, though no ends woven in, by Christmas Eve when we were exchanging gifts.  Sigh.

So it’s awhile after Christmas, and I’m just getting to the second sock.

I was distracted a bit for the sweetest of reasons.  One of my best friends has been on bed rest for a very complicated pregnancy these last few months.  It was nearing her early-induction time, and she asked me if I would make her soon-to-be-preemie a little hat.  They were hoping he’d make it to 5 lbs.  (He ended up being born even earlier than expected about a pound lighter than that, but he seems to be doing very well now already!)

Anyway, she sent me a picture she liked, and I happened to have some scraps in colors that were very close.  It didn’t take long, and was such a fun little thing to knit up.  I used some Quince and Co. Chickadee scraps from various past projects.

It’s much cuter on him, I promise.  He just got home from the NICU this week, which is exciting.

I am reading a book this month that is so good, but actually isn’t up for sale yet.  (I’m pretty sure that doesn’t happen very often to me!)  It is released early February.  I’m just reading an ebook of it but here is a picture of the beautiful cover:

The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming reminds me a lot of my favorite book that was given to me years ago by Edith Shaeffer, The Hidden Art of Homemaking.  I’ve worn that copy out.  But Sally’s book is unique because she wrote it with her daughter, Sarah, who lends a unique perspective.  I have always loved reading Sally’s heart, and that is no different in this book.  I heard Sarah speak at a conference a couple of years back and she blew me away with her amazing talk on the importance of stories in the spiritual life of a child.  Sarah continues to study at Oxford, and I have to admit, her chapters bring me to tears.

My 11 year old daughter, Silje, is a major fan of Sarah Clarkson, and rarely goes to the library without her book, Read for the Heart, as it is one of my daughter’s favorite book lists.  She’s been checking out books based off that list for a few months, and is determined to read through the whole list.

Anyway, the book that I’m reading right now (The Life-Giving Home) goes through various rhythms and traditions in the home on a month by month basis, starting with January, of course.  I love that the point of the whole book isn’t to keep a perfect home in perfect order, to breathe grace and beauty into every moment of the day no matter how small.  The purpose of it all is not the perfection but the relationship.  It’s the inspiration of young children.

I know, I know I’ve said before that a book was my favorite by Sally, but this one paired with her daughter is my new favorite by a long ways.  It is just so beautiful.