greetingarts

advanced reader copy

Have you (or your child) read the Mysterious Benedict Society books (Amazon link to an amazing price for all three!)?  I read and enjoyed the first two books with Rebecca, and she read the last one on her own.

Last week, I brought home a surprise from work for Rebecca.  One of the benefits of working in the book industry is that I have access to advance reading copies, books the publishers send out to generate buzz and interest months before the book is actually published.  Sometimes they even have typos, or incomplete illustrations.

But do you see that?  Rebecca is thrilled to be reading something four months before anyone else will even have access to it.  She even showed her teacher.  And now I'm definitely the coolest mom ever.  In Rebecca's book, at least.

no more SSS

Single Sock Syndrome.  Most sock knitters I know have been afflicted with this at some point or another.  You make one sock, and then... you're over it.  You're either tired of the pattern, or you've forgotten to write down how many rows it took to get the leg up to 6 inches, so... you're left with a single sock, to lose in a drawer somewhere, totally useless.  But you spent a lot of time on that sock, and the yarn was really great and now you have another ball leftover.  What are you going to do with that one?  So it all just sits there, wasted.

 
Well, I don't think that's going to happen to me any more.  I've had this book for a long time, and finally was able to give it a try when Jessie asked me to make her a pair of green socks (she wants me to put eyes and smiley faces on them, too, but we'll have to see about that...).  It worked great!  I used size #1 Options Harmony Wood fixed circular needles from KnitPicks in the 40" length, and loved every minute of my knitting.  And when I was done, I was truly *done.*  With both socks.  At the same time.  And Jessie could wear them right away, and they fit great!  And with the second book, Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks, you've got every single pattern contingency covered.  Amazon even offers the book on Kindle!  No more excuses for SSS, unless you're knitting for a one-legged person, in which case, I meant no offense.

at the close

Two weeks ago, Rebecca finished the last page of the Harry Potter series, and I had to make something to mark the occasion.  I used this free pattern and scrap yarn, holding a glittery chain yarn (no ball band) together with a Berroco Smart Cotton (in Butterscotch) for the body of the snitch, and just white Sugar 'n Cream for the wings. 

It was a joint effort, with me reading at least a chapter out loud every night, and Rebecca reading for hours on end at every spare moment.  She absolutely devoured the huge volumes, and now, understandably, feels a little bereft.  Suggestions for a new reading obsession are welcome!

awesome winner

And the winner is...

Comment number 5!  Jamielynn, please email me (link in the upper right underneath the Search box) with your mailing address and you'll be receiving An Awesome Book of Thanks from Dallas Clayton.

Thanks for playing, sorry if you didn't win this time.  I'm going to be doing more giveaways in the very near future, so there will be more chances for fun stuff.  But right now I have to get over this nasty cold that three out of four members of the family are suffering from...

Hope Rebecca manages to stay germ free, though I don't know how she will with all the coughs and misery flying around this place!

awesome book of thanks

Right before the holidays hit, Dallas Clayton sent me an advance copy of his latest book, An Awesome Book of Thanks, to review and comment on.

 
The kids and I already have and enjoy Dallas' other Awesome book, so it was no big surprise to discover the treasure awaiting us in this new one.

 
The illustrations are done in Dallas' signature style, brilliantly colorful, fun, and creative. 

 
I especially love the way he uses both pages in one spread, not worrying about the page split.  It makes his message bigger, stronger, louder (in a good way).  But the illustrations are just half of the book, the poetry is very meaningful and great for night time read-alouds.  It reminds us to be thankful for everything around us, the living and non-living, the good and the bad.

 
What better way is there to end your day than thinking about all that you're thankful for?

I'm thankful that Dallas gave me the chance to read and share his book with all of you, and guess what?  He also offered to do a giveaway for one of my readers.  One of you will get your own copy of An Awesome Book of Thanks.  A comment will be chosen from those left on this post, and if you click "Follow" (there in the top left sidebar), you can leave an extra one for a second entry.  I'll pick the lucky person next Friday, January 14th. 

Good luck, but even if you don't win, please be sure to get your hands on this book and read it at least once.  It really is a gem.

what a haul - maybe - for you and me

What would I get if I had $500 to spend at Chronicle Books?

 

1.  Cake Pops by Bakerella.

 

2.  Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts!  Wooly Embroidery: Crewel Work, Stump Work, Canvas Work, and More!

3.  Create your Own Planet! Doodle and Draw by Todd Parr

 

4.  Around the World with Mouk by Marc Boutavant

5.  Alphabeasties Amazing Activities by Sharon Werner

6. Whip Up Mini Quilts by Kathreen Ricketson

 

 

 

 

 

7.  Ivy and Bean's Secret Treasure Box by Annie Barrows

8.  Ivy and Bean Boxed Set 2 by Annie Barrows

9.  Ivy and Bean: What's the Big Idea? by Annie Barrows

 

10. Moleskine Memo Pockets (at least five of them - in different colors!)

11. Sublime Stitching by Jenny Hart

12.  Embroidered Effects by Jenny Hart

13. Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts!  Fuzzy Felted Friends! by Saori Yamazaki

14. Kyuuto!  Japanese Crafts!  Amigurumi!

15.  Girl's World by Jennifer Paganelli

16.  Cath Kidston Masking Tape

17.  My Listography by Lisa Nola (2 of them, one for each daughter)

18.  Listography Journal by Lisa Nola

19. Spot 7 Christmas

20.  Party in a Cup by Julia Myall

21.  Artful Accessories by Jo Packham

22.  Daily Doodle 2011 by Taro Gomi

23.  Ants in Your Pants by Yukiko Kido

24.  Artful Jewelry by Jo Packham

Wouldn't all of that be just so much fun?  Chronicle Books will be choosing one blogger and one commenter on that blog to win their Haul-idays wish list.  So if you and I have similar taste in books, leave a comment here on this post and we might both be winners!

Updated on 12/15/2010 to add:  Oh well, they chose their winner and it wasn't us!  Too bad!  It was fun daydreaming, though...

first day for both

It's the start of a new era. 

 
My two kiddos both started school today.  New principal, new rules, no dawdling to take photos, no walking the girls into their classrooms.  I was okay with it, and it probably made it easier on them and me, but I was a little upset at not being able to catch a meaningful photo.

 
I sent the kids off with the traditional first-day-of-school mascots, knitted pencils this time, tucked into their backpacks so they'd know I was thinking of them all day long.  The moment I laid eyes on them in Anna's  Knitting Mochimochi, I knew I was going to make the mini pencils for the girls' first day.  So fast and easy, and *adorable*!  If you remember, I made Rebecca a crocheted one for the first day of first grade, and was already thinking of doing a knitted version this year.  But now I didn't have to do any of the brainwork.  I used fingering or sport weight stash scrap yarn (pink and yellow- cotton, beige and grey - wool, double strand of embroidery floss - black) and #2 double pointed needles.  Took less than an hour or so each, I'd say.  I wasn't crazy about the way I embroidered the eyes, so I glued on little 5mm half-ball eyes that I had in my stash.  A review of the book should be up on A Crafter's Library within a week.

 
And four teachers got faux apples to celebrate the first day with the students.  I saw the directions here and knew they would make quick, easy, and inexpensive treats.  I didn't spend a fortune on Jelly Bellys though, I got some red candy-coated peanuts (I think they call them Boston Baked Beans?!) in bulk at a grocery store, and it was less than a quarter of the price I would have paid for the Jelly Bellys.  I put the candy in snack-sized baggies, folded the baggie in half and turned it upside down (so the zip part is hidden on the bottom).  I cut up some green bendy straws for the stem, inserted them in the middle (where the fold is) and tied a green ribbon bow. 

I hope it will be a good year.  Nothing like 101 degree weather (and tomorrow is supposed to be 104!) to say "Welcome back to school!"

missed my calling

In June, after the kids got out of school and before our annual passes were blocked out for the summer, we spent a lot of time at the Happiest Place on Earth, and California Adventure, the smaller park located across from the main one.  One of my favorite things to do there is to attend Animation Academy and learn how to draw a Disney character while sitting in their comfortable, air-conditioned, art studio theatre.

The kids like it too, of course, but I could sit there in the studio all. day. long.  The Imagineer demonstrates how to draw a different character every half hour, and you get paper, clipboard and a pencil without eraser, then sketch along with him.  We've done Mickey, Daisy, Tigger and Pooh.  Three in one day, because I kept wanting to go back. 

Can you guess which Mickey was drawn by which family member?

There's also a book that has the same steps the Imagineers use to show the audience how to draw (over there in my left sidebar under "playing").  We checked it out from the library and are having fun with it at home, too.

So did you guess which one is mine?  Do you think I missed my calling?  I think my husband did, for sure! 

a crafter's library

Today marks the beginning of the end of my 30's.  I think I'm pretty ok with it, but to take the focus off the past and onto the future, I'm starting a new project (like I don't have enough to keep me busy, but... whatever).

Finally, the blog I've been developing in my mind for over a year, documenting all the craft books and magazines I own and the projects I've created from them.  It's called A Crafter's Library, and is still an evolving blog.  I'm not exactly sure how I'll proceed, and am open to any and all suggestions.  I definitely took some cues from Crafting Japanese, but for now I'm just linking to my own projects that I've made and have written a few lines about each book.  Sort of mini-reviews, I guess.  In the future, I might link to other crafters' projects, but right now I think that's a lot more work than I'm ready to tackle!

Anyway, please go take a look, and if you like it you can sign up to follow or subscribe over in the right sidebar, towards the top.  Thanks, see you over there, and feel free to spread the word!

applique adoration

I'm obsessed.  I can't stop thinking about this quilt.   I mean, I love all of Kellie's designs, but... gosh!  I need to make that quilt (the monsters one, too, and then the worry dolls, and the alphabet and...).  My nephew needs one, and my girls are totally into the Punch Buggy game, so they want one, too!

Anyway, I'm making a plea to anyone who has a copy of this issue (the Red Issue, June 2010, Australian Homespun 11.6) and would be willing to part with it (yeah, I know, crazy, right?), or anyone who can purchase it for me, would you like to trade for it?  If you don't know how to knit or crochet, I can make something for you, or we can trade for fabric, or for other magazines that are more readily available in the US, whatever.  Please let me know, you can email me with the link up there in the top right sidebar (right under the Search Box).  Thank you, I've got my fingers crossed!