Lilly's Wedding Quilt - Kelly Long

Summary from Good Reads: Local Amish schoolteacher Lilly Lapp is tired of weddings, afraid of horses, and immersed in caring for her depressed mother. But when Jacob Wyse, a handsome horse breeder from her small community rescues her from a dangerous accident, Lilly discovers a renewed interest in life and the possibility of love.

Yet Jacob has lost the one true love of his life to another man and doesn't care to expose himself to the vulnerabilities of loving again.

God works to bring this unlikely pair into a sweet romance to produce a pattern of faith, which leads to the creation and comfort of Lilly's Wedding Quilt.

Lilly and Jacob announce their engagement as a reason to avoid getting into trouble for being alone  and barging into Sarah's wedding.  Lilly has had her eye on Jacob but Jacob has only had eyes for Sarah.  As they follow through and get married, Lilly faces several challenges with the most important one being earning the love of her husband.  As the story progresses, they learn more about each other and their marriage becomes a true marriage.

I found this book to be a great continuation of the Patch of Heaven series by Kelly Long.  After Jacob's heart was broken in the first book, Sarah's Garden, it was definitely his time for true love!  After Lilly's father passing, her mother falls into depression and Lilly lives with her to take care of her in her time of need.  Lilly is also the local school teacher who is going to finish her term as teacher until the next school year after she is married.  So with a lot on her plate, teacher, caregiver and new fraa (wife) I can only imagine how she holds it together every day.  It was nice to see how the story wrapped up.  It leaves you with wanting more from the third book in this series, Threads of Grace, which focuses on the relationship between Seth and Grace.

All Washed Up Dishcloths

I made these two dishcloths this past weekend while camping with our snowmobile group up in Templeton, MA.

This pattern was so easy to memorize.  I have so much of this yarn in various colors that I thought I would make some more dishcloths for my kitchen!  I really needed some new ones so why buy them when I could knit them?!

Supplies:
Pattern: All Washed Up
Yarn: Lily's Sugar N' Cream #19218 - Sunkissed
Needles: US 7 on 24" Cables

Working Monster Chunks

My hubby can be odd at times! LOL! When I made my first monster chunk, he told me they were gay. After making a few more, he requested one for work so he could toss it at his two co-workers. So I defended them and told him that I had to make 3, one for each of them as well! Here they are:

Aren't they so cute??!!  I hope they both gang up on him and have a great monster war some day soon!

Supplies:
Pattern: Monster Chunks by Rebecca Danger
Yarn: Lily's Sugar N' Cream #19739 - Over the Rainbow, #01742 - Hot Blue, #01740 - Hot Pink, #01699 - Tangerine, #00158 - Pastel Deilights and #19218 - Sunkissed
Needles: US 6 on 40" Cables
Accessories: Black Safety Eyes - 6 mm, White Embroidery Floss

Happy Birthday Tara!

Here is the birthday card to go along with Tony the Birthday Monster:

I am hoping that she enjoys her birthday!  Things have been really crazy for us at work with year end and all so I am hoping to make this day a little more fun for her!  I am also making her an ice cream sandwich cake with a layer of Cool Whip and rainbow sprinkles to help celebrate.  She loves ice cream so I bet this will make today special for her!  Thanks Dia for the cake idea (I know you are reading this! LOL!)

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Green Thumb
Paper: PTI White, GP White, SU Green Galore, SU Pixie Pink
Ink: SU Really Rust, SU Glorious Green, SU Green Galore, Archival Jet Black
Accessories: SU Slot Punch, Unknown Ribbon from Stash

Yarn Tree

I was biking along the bike path in Northampton, MA on Sunday with my hubby and came across this:

If you look closely on the left above my head, you can see that even Underdog had a role in this:

Here's a picture of the tag on the tree explaining it:

Isn't this is neatest thing you've ever seen??!!  Only in Northampton, home of WEBS!!!

Dad's Birthday Card

Here is the card that I made for my Dad for his birthday:

For his birthday this year, I got him a car charger for his Amazon kindle.  My father has been addicted to his kindle since he got it last year for his 60th birthday.  When our area was hit by the tornado last month and we had no power for several days, I found out that my Dad was going crazy.  When I asked him how much he read since we could do nothing else, he said none because his battery died and could not charge it.  So I fixed this problem so it would never happen again!

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink - All Booked Up
Paper: PTI White, GP White, PTI Enchanted Evening, PTI Dark Chocolate
Ink: PTI Dark Chocolate, PTI Enchanted Evening
Accessories: PTI Mat Stack #3 Die, Cuttlebug

Divine by Karen Kingsbury

Comments from Good Reads: As a spokeswoman on behalf of abused and battered women, Mary Madison seems to have no equal. Affluent and respected, she moves with ease in the corridors of power. Beneath her dignified reserve, though, lurks a secret that threatens her image and her peace. Only one great, redeeming love can save her.

Mary Madison is a strong woman who has been through so much in her life.  After discovering her love for Jesus, her goal in life was to help battered women change their lives.  She did this by taking someone, like Emma, under her wing and explaining the story of her life.  Mary's difficult life began at age 5 with a mother who was a prostitute, drug user and homeless while trying to raise a daughter.  The things that she went through were unspeakable.  Every time she got a "break" problems would arise and be worse than before.

Emma is an abused woman with two young girls.  She took off on her boyfriend Charlie and found the help of a local shelter in Washington, DC where she met Mary Madison.  As Mary begins to tell Emma her life story, Mary has Emma promise that she will stay at the shelter until she finishes her story.  As the story of Mary's life unfolds, Emma starts to see similarities in her life and situation.  God had a plan for Mary and it was to help other women life herself and Emma find Jesus and turn their lives around.

I found this book to be gripping.  As Mary's life story unfolds, you can't help but get drawn in to see what happens next or how it turns out.  I've always wondered how people who have been through such traumatic situations survive emotionally and can continue on.  Once Mary discovered her faith, everything became manageable since Jesus was by her side to help her through it.

This is the first book that I have read by Karen Kingsbury and I really enjoyed it.  I read this book a my choice for my neighborhood book club.  It was a kindle freebie a few months back and since we are trying to read mostly Christian fiction, I thought it would be a good time to try it!

Although religion is prevelent through the story, it was not preachy by any means.  If anything, I found it to be thought provoking.  It made me think about the unconditional love that Jesus has for each of us and how important we are to Him.  It also made me realize that God has a plan for us and that everything happens, good or bad, as part of that plan to make us stronger people.

Tony the Birthday Monster

I made Tony for my co-worker, Tara's, birthday.  Here he is:

Since he is a toy box monster and loves to play with toys, here he is with his favorite toy at my house, Xbox 360.

This is the first full sized monster I have made. He was easier to make than I expected!  I cannot wait to make more of his friends!

Supplies:
Pattern: Tony the Toy Box Monster by Rebecca Danger from The Big Book of Knitted Monsters
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice #173 - Dusty Green
Needles: US 6 on 47" Cables
Accessories: 12mm Black Safety Eyes, Embroidery Floss - Black & White

Monster Chunk #2

Here is the second monster chunk I made:

He is going to my co-worker Debbie for her birthday.  Now that I brought these into work, I am getting tons of requests to make them!  Hmmm, an opportunity to make some craft money!  Yipppee!

Supplies:
Pattern: Monster Chunks by Rebecca Danger from her blog (Free Pattern!)
Yarn: Lily's Sugar N' Cream #18010 - Yellow & #01740 Hot Pink, Red Heart - White (for mouth)
Needles: US 5 on 47" Cables
Accessories: 9mm Black Safety Eyes

Top-Down Sample Socks - The Match!

Here are the matches to the Sample Socks posted HERE:

Here are the two completed pairs for Miss Teagan!

After completing two pairs of top-down socks, I must say that both ways are just as easy.  I'm glad that I learned both ways so I can make any sock pattern now! :)  Now I am ready to make a top-down pair for myself.

Supplies:
Pattern: Sample Socks from 2-At-A-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice #146 - Purple and #101 - Pink
Needles: US 4 on 47" Cables

Abigail's New Hope (Wayne County #1) by Mary Ellis

Summary from Good Reads: As an Amish midwife, Abigail Graber loves bringing babies into the world. But when a difficult delivery takes a devastating turn, Abigail is faced with some of the hardest choices she has ever had to make. Despite all her efforts, the young mother dies'but the baby is saved.

A heartless judge confines Abigail to the county jail as the investigation begins, and the possibility of prison and separation from her husband, Daniel, and young children looms. Abigail's younger sister, Catherine, comes to care for the home and kinner while Daniel works in the barn and fields. Catherine makes a difference in all their lives, but in return her life is completely changed. She meets Daniel's cousin Isaiah, and an unexpected birth of another sort takes place in Wayne County.

A deeply moving look at some of life's most tender and rewarding moments from beloved author Mary Ellis.

Abigail is a midwife in Wayne County.  One night she gets a phone call that will change her life.  She did everything she could to save Ruth Fischer but to no avail.  Nathan Fischer is now left to raise little Abraham on his own without a mother for his son.  But the local sherriff believed that Abby was responsible and ends up in jail for several months.

During her time in jail, Abby's sister Catherine moves in to help Daniel with the children and the household chores.  Although Catherine is not Abby, after some time, the family adjusts to living with her including Daniel's cousin who lives in a cabin in the woods.  Cat, as Isaiah calls her, yearns to help him since he is secluded from the Amish community because he deaf and never learned to read, write or talk.  They build a unique friendship that helps both of the become stronger people in the long run.

This is the first book that I read from Mary Ellis and I really enjoyed it!  She is a wonderful writer who develops her characters thoroughly.  They are all easy to love!  I will be reading more from her in the future including the next book in this series, A Marriage for Meghan, which is coming out later this year.

My First Monster

Okay, I finished one of my two pairs of socks so I thought I would take a break and make my first monster!  Here it is:

Here he is getting some sun while sitting on a rock in our front yard on Sunday afternoon!

He is also getting along well with the animals in my house.  He is taking a break with Simba on the front deck!

I'm so glad that I finally got to make a monster!  I have been wanting to since I bought the book last month.  It took great restraint to not make one until now.  There will be many more of these in the future!!!

Supplies:
Pattern: Monster Chunks by Rebecca Danger (Ravelry Free Pattern)
Yarn: Lily's Sugar N' Cream #01740 - Hot Pink & #19739 - Over the Rainbow
Needles: US 5 on 40" Cables
Accessories: 6 mm Black Safey Eyes, White Embroidery Floss

Paprika Socks #2

I finally completed my second pair of paprika socks!

I made these a little bit shorter.  I did 6 more rows of knit stitches after finishing the heel before I added the 2x2 ribbing.

Supplies:
Pattern:  Beginner Toe Up Socks for Magic Loop by Liat Gat from KNITFreedom
Yarn: Premier Yarns Serenity Sock Weight #1389246 - Paprika
Needles: US 2 (2.75mm) with 47" Cables

Candle in the Darkness - Lynn Austin

Summary from Good Reads: Book 1 in the Refiner’s Fire series. The daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family from Richmond, Virginia, Caroline Fletcher is raised in a culture that believes slavery is God-ordained and biblically acceptable. But upon awakening to the cruelty and injustice it encompasses, Caroline’s eyes are opened for the first time to the men and women who have cared tirelessly for her. Her journey of maturity and faith will draw her into the abolitionist movement, where she is confronted with the risks and sacrifices her beliefs entail.

Caroline Fletcher and her family have always had slaves.  When her mother passes away and her father sends her to live with some relatives in Philadephia for a couple of years, she learns abolition.  She became very involved with abolitionists and when she returned to Richmond, it was hard to discuss her beliefs with anyone from the South.  Then after meeting her fiance, Robert, he goes to war as a Confederate to defend the abolition.  He is at war for four long years.  Caroline has to learn to live in constant worry about Robert while battling her personal feelings.

I read this book after reading Fire By Night.  Although I read them out of order, all three books could easily be read separately.  I thought Caroline was a very strong woman.  She stood by her beliefs amongst a community that did not agree with her.  Her family's slaves were more than slaves to her, they were her family with feelings too.  When times got rough during the war, Caroline had her slaves to protect her and help her through a difficult time.  I enjoyed reading this book and learning more about the War and life during those times.

Chemo Cap #4

Here is another Chemo Cap using striped yarn:

I started this on Friday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend.  I wanted a project that I could easily knit without referring to a pattern while hanging out at camp.  Then I finished it last Thursday when I was home with no power after the tornados.

Supplies:
Pattern: Knit One Chemo Cap
Yarn: Lily's Sugar N' Cream Stripes - #21143 Ocean Tides
Needles: US 9 with 40" Cables