A bit of this and that

The blanket for my wee niece is finished. I could not be happier with it. I will be bundling it up today with a cute pair of booties to mail, and then I can share it with you. I hope it is well received. Of course, my baby brother will tease me and tell me some major merchandiser sells blankets, but my dear sister in law will be kind.

After casting off the blanket, I let out a sigh of relief and then readied myself for something new. Does the end of a project sometimes drag on and on for you? I find myself dreaming about the next new thing at times.  The edging for the blanket was one of those never ending projects. No matter how many times I measured it still came up short. With it finished I excitedly cast on for a stripe study shawl. I am sure you have seen the designer as another of her patterns, the Color Affection shawl, is all the knitting rage. I am using a bit of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light. It is my first time knitting with it, and I like the result. I have six stripes done thus far. It is an addicting little pattern.

In addition to my knitting, I also have the crochet hook to occupy my hands. I finished the assignment for the first week and have three granny blocks to prove it. I am beyond tickled as my crochet skills are limited thus far to hats, flowers and ruffles for baby shorties. With such confidence, I even added a bit of crochet striping to the blanket edging. This week, Blair of Wise Craft, has asked for 10-14 small grannies. Those will be done today or tomorrow. The kiddos love picking out the mishmash of colors. I am loving the idea of a blanket done in small steps. I doubt I would ever knit a grand blanket without the challenge of small assignments and the knowledge that a group is working toward the same goal. (If you are a veteran or new crocheter, I suggest following along. She posts a lot of help. And there is even a revelry project for it).

As I mentioned in my weekend recount, while finishing the baby blanket, I listened to the end of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I really enjoyed the audio version as each character in the novel had his or her own voice for the narration. The book is setup as a series of letters between several individuals. I enjoyed hearing the story told from these different perspectives. I also finished Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep, and Enough Wool to Save the Planet. It was worth the thirty cent overdue fine to finish it. I enjoyed the author's tales of life on their farm as well as her transitions through life. It was a good read and went rather quickly.

With those two books complete, I began a new audiobook, Death Comes to Pemberley. Someone in the Ginny's Yarn Along mentioned this book, so I queued it. I am not very far into it, but enjoy it thus far. It is a continuation of Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. For a printed book, my library hold on The Art of Fielding came up. I eagerly began it once the final page of Sheepish was turned. I am still in the setup of the novel exploring the characters and setting the stage. It is a quick read and enjoyable thus far.

With all that, what are you working on this week? Leave me a comment so I can take a look and get new ideas for patterns and books to read.