Knitting Knee-Highs by Barb Brown A BookSneeze review

Knitting Knee-Highs (Sock Styles from Classic to Contemporary) is a colorful softback book of knitting patterns for knee-high socks, but that's not all. Each project contains additional patterns so that one can adapt the knee-high version to knit conventional length socks, or anklets or even legwarmers. The introduction to this attractive volume reassures knitters that socks are no more complicated than other projects like sweaters, for instance, and that not much more knitting is required of knee socks than of conventional length socks.

I'm an intermediate knitter, and I believe I'm going to enjoy Knitting Knee-Highs for a long time to come. I chose a simple pattern for my first foray into this delightful book and chose the Stalking Stockings beginning on page 102 as my first project. The directions were clear, and although I am new to reading diagrammed, chart patterns, I found the instructions to be easy to follow. The instructions are in a nice, large font and I didn't need to consult my knitting guru neighbor at all! (She often has to help me with interpretting patterns.)Best of all, I have a beautiful pair of knee-socks to keep or give as a gift!

I would not hesitate to purchase Knitting Knee-Highs by Barb Brown as a gift for anyone who has some knitting experience, and I feel sure that I will knit many of the twenty-one patterns offered, whether as knee-highs or as variations. I would definitely recommend this book to others!

I review for BookSneeze. The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through BookSneeze®. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Life

It has been a difficult few months. Unbloggable things in my life have made the past weeks most challenging. My faith has been tried, by sanity tested, my strength called upon on what felt like a minute-to-minute basis. I think we have a shred of hope these days. It's been a fierce storm and I feel battered. I do see tiny glimmers of light, though, and this song feels like a whispered refrain:

My life goes on in endless song:
Above earth's lamentation,
I catch the sweet, tho' far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul--
How can I keep from singing?
What tho' my joys and comfort die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What tho' the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?
I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smooths,
Since first I learned to love it.
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am his--
How can I keep from singing?

National Poetry Month- Day One

In a Country Once Forested

The young woodland remembers
the old, a dreamer dreaming

of an old holy book,
an old set of instructions,

and the soil under the grass
is dreaming of a young forest,

and under the pavement the soil
is dreaming of grass.

Wendell Berry


Young forest photo from here.

Friday Five Quick Picks

At the RevGalBlogPals site, Kathryn writes:
"We're in the midst of 'it' and I'm hoping that it is not just me who is starting to get a bit overwhelmed. So for today I am asking for five quick picks of things that are good in your life. And as a bonus, 1 pick for a thing you could do without.
If you want to describe them? Great.
If not? That's fine too."

It's not just you, Kathryn. It's the ironic Lenten dash.

Five things that are good in my life include: my sweet puppy, Lucy; signs of spring in the yard (daffodils, crocuses);a good hair cut; great books I'm reading (see yesterday's post; a fairly short to-do list for today.
One thing I could do without? Insomnia.



Spring flowers image from here.

Thursday Thoughts

I am reading Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project and am gleaning much from it. Her project (to learn as much as she can about happiness and become happier herself) resulted in a book, a blog and a website,all chock- full of helpful things to think about each day. I've taken a number of her insights to heart, including "dressing the part". Today I'm more dressed up than I would be on a typical weekday, but it's improved my outlook. I've asked for help, which was a difficult thing to do, but most beneficial, and I've gone out looking for small things that light up my day. Today seeing spring green shoots in the gardens at home and at church have been great delights. Spring is springing up, and it's just March 31.

It's Wednesday

I'm trying so hard to get back to blogging.
I'm writing at 750words.com, which feels like a good practice, but I just haven't gotten back into the habit of posting something here every day.
In an effort to say something, today I am grateful for...

*sunshine, which makes my morning walk much more pleasant
*a great wedding over the weekend. Perfect, in fact.
*Lucy, home from the kennel. I love her so much.
*2.5 pounds lost last week. I'll take it!
*some stability at home. That's good.
*terrific books I'm reading (The Sabbath World and The Happiness Project)
*time away.


That's good for now....

All in a week

It's been a full week, since I tossed out my resolve to return to blogging.

FBC's last chorus concert tour of her college career was this week, and DH and I hopped in the car and drove to Louisville to hear the concert that was held in this congregation's beautiful sanctuary. It was a splendid concert and it has been so much fun to hear them sing over the past three years.

SBC did not attend because he was singing in his high school solo and ensemble contest. We are blessed to have friends who did not mind transporting him to and from and to school and feeding him and having him stay the night. It was well worth the nervousness of leaving him, because he advanced to the vocal runoff yesterday, and he invited me to come and hear him sing in it, which was a very great treat. He is poised in ways that FBC was not at the same age. He did so very well with his solo and with the junior madrigal group with which he sings.

Today we learned that he advanced to the final, the reward of which is a master class with this person. 146 students participated and ten individuals and two ensembles advanced to the master class. (Note: SBC thought he didn't do very well in the vocal runoff. Both his solo and his work with junior mads advanced him to the master class.)

I would not, for one instant, want my children to be so self-assured as to be cocky, but I do wish for them that they could enjoy their craft and not be so hard on themselves.

In the trivial (but not to me) department: I had foot surgery in November that was supposed to be a walk in the park but turned out to be more involved. When I was preparing for the surgery in November, I hoped that I would be able to wear cute shoes one day. This week, I turned a corner, and was able to find cute shoes that are very comfortable and will work for work and weddings (of which I have quite a few this spring and summer). It is such a joy!

Those are the highlights. In the past few months it has been so difficult to find anything of good report, which is more about my challenge of voicing my gratitude and finding the good than it is about my life. I pray this is improving.