Deck the Halls

Last week I truly believed my next project would be Eamon's gift or a hat. I was wrong. I did finish the multi-colored shawl I was knitting, but I found a totally different new project. While browsing my fellow Yarn Alongers' blogs, I noticed a holiday wreath that I had to have. The kiddos and I set off for the local craft store for some bulky yarn that would be easy on the budget. After much debate on the color of the wreath we settled upon a light blue with a sparkly thread running through it. This was not my first choice. or even my second. I had visions of a brown wreath or even a white one. Aine apparently had visions of a dark purple one with sparkles while Eamon thought red and green stripes would be best. With these conflicting ideals in our heads, the light blue yarn was a fantastic compromise!

I began knitting the wreath on Friday at the park. It sped along very quickly. My dad offered to check on pipe lagging while he was at the hardware store. We tested my work against the pip lagging and found it a bit wonky. The form was a bit unstable and would bend inward at times. I decided to try to find a better wreath form and put the knitting aside for a bit. I tried the big box craft store again with no luck. Then it struck me. Here in the land of sunshine we have something akin to pipe lagging in most homes. At least most homes with a pool or one nearby. I realized my solution was the ubiquitous "pool noodle." It worked perfectly! With a wreath form found, I returned to my knitting.

As I switched cable direction at the midway point, I noticed one side of my long cable was missing. I had twisted it to the back. Ooops! I had a decision. After all the work to get a form, could I live with a mal-cabled wreath? Nope. So I ripped it all out and started again. I am now about 6-8" from the end, and I will be so relieved when this project is done. I am hoping today I will finish, and the kiddos and I will make pom-poms for it. It will then be hung proudly as it is a really nice pattern.

My book group selected a book for our next meeting, so I have been busy with that. It is I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg. The person selecting the book this month chose it because the author also wrote Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. So far, it is about a woman whose life has not been quite how she hoped. Although she is beautiful and appears to have it all, she is unhappy and is planning her exit from life. It has been a quick read thus far, and I feel a twist coming. I am also reading my pile of non-fiction from last week. So many good books, so little time.

On my children's reading table, we also have a pile. We finished our read aloud along book, Comet in Moominland. The kiddos enjoyed it. We found a few videos on youtube that we watched after the book. I think it helped solidify some of the characters for them. The next book on our list is The Prince and the Pauper. It was a tough beginning as we all adjusted to the vernacular or the times. Aine is quite enjoying the story, and we like that Twain wrote it for his children.

Do you have any knitting projects to lure me away from what I should be doing? I seem to have a case of "oooo, shiny!" lately. Or perhaps a book to add to our list. Do share!