Bookmarks

{Robert Beatty, author of Serafina and the Black Cloak}

This past weekend, the Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors arrived downtown. The weather appeared threatening, but ultimately held off for the day. Paul, Finn, and I went down there for a few hours to buy a few books, participate in some children's activities, support Finn's teacher (who illustrated a book that was in one of the exhibition tents), and listen to a couple of author lectures. I was able to get a few books as Christmas presents, and Finn had a fantastic time visiting the children's activities and winning a free book. He was also thrilled to see his teacher, buy the book she illustrated, and have it signed by both her and the author. What a great connection for him to have as a kid. We are so fortunate to live in an area that hosts such an amazing event each year!

movie and mittens

One of my homeschooling goals is that Elizabeth finish her work in roughly 4 days each week which will enable us to reserve one day per week for field trips or other enrichment. In our first week of homeschooling, Elizabeth finished her week’s work by noon on Thursday. When I asked about her thoughts for Friday, she responded that she’d like to watch Boy in the Striped Pajamas since she’d recently finished the book.

When I read Boy in the Striped Pajamas over the summer, I wasn’t overly impressed. The notion that a boy in the midst of Hitler youth would be that naïve and innocent in his surroundings didn’t ring true for me. In addition, the use of Out-With (a combination of English words) as a pronunciation substitution for Auchwitz (a German name) drove me to distraction. I finished the book, gave it 2 stars on Goodreads, placed my copy in the Little Free Library outside, then moved on to greener pastures. I don’t think I even mentioned it to my kids.

Elizabeth discovered it in the LFL, and I found her reading it one afternoon. She seemed engrossed so I didn’t share my opinion. Of course, she became enraptured with it, finished it, and placed it on her “permanent collection” bookshelf. She wasn’t thrilled with the vagueness of the ending, but she found the child’s perspective of the Holocaust intriguing. She also recognized Bruno’s natural love and friendship toward others, regardless of heritage, as endearing. I think despite her fondness for Bruno, she appreciated the karmic payback received by his father.

Isn’t it fascinating how an adult reader and a child reader can see such different sides of the same book?

As for the movie, I found it more tolerable, without the insufferable “Out-With” references, and the mother’s and grandmother’s disapproval translating into Bruno’s naivety seemed more believable. Rarely do I appreciate a movie more than a book, but this was one of those cases.

As for the mittens, they don’t particularly tie into this post except that I finished them while we watched Boy in the Striped Pajamas today. I’m more than ready for cooler weather to allow me to test them. The pattern is Detour Mittens, available for free on Ravelry. I knit them in City Tweed, Tahitian Pearl. At first I wasn’t sure about the pointy tips on the mittens, but the elvish look has rather grown on me. I might be in love with these tweedy mitts!

Yarn Along

After a fairly significant break in knitting, for me anyway, I started a new project last week, socks for Finn. I'm using leftover yarn from other projects, which necessitated mixing colors. Finn requested that I make the sock's colors reverse images of each other. The pattern is Easy Toddler Socks, which I've made many times in the past. I'm using the same number of stitches as in the pattern but using sport weight yarn and size 3 needles so that they'll better fit a 7 year old.

As for reading, I'm just starting first book in the The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series. I'm reading it for a children's lit online book club. Philip read it while we were in Costa Rica and loved it. Although I'm only a couple of chapters into it, I must say that it's proved very entertaining thus far.

Yarn Along

For this week's Yarn Along, I have a new book that I just started reading aloud to the kids, Flora & Ulysses. We're enjoying it, so 3 nights in we're already more than 1/3 of the way through the book. I'm still intrigued that it won the Newbery Medal this year though. Thus far, it seems a little sillier than Newbery's usual fare. More of an older-kid version of Mercy Watson than Kate DiCamillo's other more serious novels. I'll reserve my final judgment until we finish though.

On the knitting front, I've been working on some new dishcloths. I've made several dishcloth patterns in the past, but this one is new to me. I needed a change. The Double Bump Dishcloth pattern is easy to remember, but has enough visual interest and knitting interest to keep the utilitarian knitting from becoming boring. And it moves quickly. A perfect dishcloth pattern, in my opinion!

Yarn Along

I haven't participated in Yarn Along for a couple of weeks largely because I haven't done much knitting. Easter is coming soon though, and I found these cute little bunny cubes that are a fairly quick knit (made with scraps, no less!) to add to the kids' Easter baskets. I haven't gotten quite as far as I hoped this week, but I'm sure I can finish the last couple before Easter.

I also just started reading Empty Mansions, which has been on my library list for quite some time. I was fascinated with the story of Huguette Clark when it hit the news a few years ago. Thus far, the book is quite interesting with history of her family and many details of happenings in the world at that time.

The lone finished bunny cube! He needs to start multiplying soon!

a Little Free Library

Back in the fall, I heard about a Kickstarter campaign launched by a local woman hoping to put a couple of Little Free Libraries in our area. The campaign took on a life of its own as the goal was surpassed and totaled more than $10k in only 2 weeks. The woman who launched the campaign decided to build as many as she could, more than 20 at last count, and put them all over our region of NC.

Almost as soon as I heard about the project, I sent a message to the Little Free Libraries NC (a page started to keep folks informed on the progress of the campaign) group on Facebook asking how I could help. I volunteered to help paint, along with my kids, or host a Little Free Library.

Paulie, Elizabeth, and Finn painted our Little Free Library when it arrived this past weekend. They decided on solid backgrounds with dripping-paint stripes for the design. And once the post hole was ready, she was set into place.

The Little Free Libraries NC group received more than just monetary donations, but many book donations as well, and this weekend, when our Little Free Library was installed, it also came stocked with the generosity of our local community.

This project thrilled our kids. In addition to helping get the Library into place, they have been constantly checking to see if any books have been claimed or returned, checking for leakage after our rains yesterday (none was detected), and thinking about which of their own beloved books they'd like to share with the community.

If you are interested in learning more about the Little Free Library project, you can find information at LittleFreeLibary.org. They have instructions for building your own Library, a map for locating a library near you, and other ways to support the Little Free Library program. The map takes time to update, which means it might be a few months before our Little Free Library sees much traffic other than our own little neighborhood (or before local folks can find the 9 that have been added to our area just this month). I can't wait to see how this project unfolds for us over the coming years, and I'm elated that we are able to be a part of this movement of sharing some of our favorite stories with the community around us.

remembering

Yesterday, in the middle of yet another icy day where the roads were too treacherous to have school, as I wandered up the stairs to read aloud to the children while they folded the ever-present mountain of laundry, I heard Paulie say, "Hey, I remember this book. Are we going to read this again?"

"Actually, I'm reading it to Finn right now. We're about 3 chapters into it."

He smiles fondly, "I really liked that book." Then he places the book back onto the rail at the top of the stairs, the often storage place of books in the process of being read, and skips down the hall to the mountain of laundry.

Such a simple exchange, yet it caught my attention, and I reflected on it several times over the course of the afternoon. These teens, with their intermittent snarky attitudes and desire for greater independence, are still the small children that used to sit by my side after I wearily put a baby to bed and took a few minutes to read to them before the end of another long day. They probably won't remember many of the scores of books we read together during the paths of their childhoods, but the glint of fond memory that occasionally rises to the surface makes me pause in gratitude for the spark that might have been lit during those formative, if exhausting, years.

Yarn Along, and other crafting

I have to admit that the late-winter, post-Christmas/birthday knitting blues have hit. Knitting and I have largely taken a breather from each other for the last week or two. I do have a pair of scrappy socks on the needles for Finn. He loves his "crazy socks". A stitch here or there is really the only attention they've been getting though. We just started Little Town on the Prairie during our family reading time. The kids seem happy to be back in Laura's world. And it's comforting to read this well-worn copy that sat on the bookshelves of my childhood.

I have taken to the sewing machine for a few minutes this week. Actually, the bulk of the time in this project was with the scissors. This scrappy pillow to match our Cherry Christmas quilt whipped out in about an hour once all the cutting was complete. This pillow has been on my mind since I finished the matching quilt last summer. Unfortunately, I never seem to have time for Christmas crafting during the months of November or December because I'm so busy with present crafting!

With that same thought in mind, I also picked up my embroidery again this week and made a few stitches on these little ornaments. It might end up being the front of another throw pillow. I'm not sure yet.

raising a reader of classics

I've heard many people in the blogiverse mention this in passing, and now apparently, my time has come as well. Teenagers don't fancy being featured on their parents blogs! Imagine that! Actually, mine don't complain too much about my photographing family events or activities, but they do not want to be the sole subject of any photograph. I've yet to be asked not to talk about them in this forum, and I typically don't delve much into their privacy anyway. So instead of cute photos of teens reading fabulous books, you get a stack of books on a desk, or a bed, since you wouldn't want to see the death stare of one of my adorable teens NOT reading a book because they're busy glaring at me.

Back to the topic at hand! I'm not going to pretend to have all the answers on the topic of raising a reader of classics. I do, however, want to share a few observations I've made in the last few months. (years?)

I did not grow up reading very many classics. For a few reasons. I did read the Little House books, Pilgrim's Progress, and a few of The Chronicles of Narnia. Those are really the only classics I remember having any exposure to as a child or teen. I switched schools just before 11th grade, and suddenly, I was reading The Scarlet Letter, Our Town, A Tale of Two Cities, and Shakespeare. I was intrigued by a little, frustrated by much, and bored by some of what I read. As I grew older and started reading more complex books on my own, I recognized that I missed some of the crucial reading-growth links between light childhood reading and those classics of my later high school years.

As I had my own kids, I, of course, surrounded them with books when they were little, some quality, some just fun, but beginning when they could sit with me for 10 minutes or so without having to look at pictures, I would read aloud to them from chapter books, often from chapter books that were just a tiny bit above what they could easily grasp. Of course, as you read aloud to multiple kids, what might be spot on or a tiny bit above what the oldest can grasp is leaps and bounds above what the younger children can grasp, but as a pattern of listening developed for them, their ability to process, at least most of what they heard, increased exponentially. I often had 2-3 different books going, depending on who was listening. And by now, many, if not all, of our kids have heard everything from Just So Stories and Swiss Family Robinson to Anne of Green Gables and Little Women to The Call of the Wild and A Christmas Carol. This in addition to the plethora of new release books we read, as well as whatever they are reading at school, which is also progressing as they move through the grades.

In the last 2 years, each of the oldest 3 kids have read The Hobbit on their own, which, of course sparked an interest in The Lord of the Rings. Philip is only 11 so he hasn't started them yet, but Paulie read all of The Lord of the Rings series over last summer as well as The Silmarillion and several of the history of Middle Earth books. He then wanted to move on to Beowulf. For Christmas we bought him a copy of the Seamus Heaney bilingual edition as well as a graphic novel version to read along at the same time. (I'm a firm believer that a good graphic novel version of a classic can spark a level of earlier understanding that might be otherwise difficult to attain.) Elizabeth also received a graphic novel version of Homer's Odyssey for Christmas, which she devoured in only a few days, and then passed on to Paulie to read. Elizabeth also received a graphic novel copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream, with the original text of the play, for her birthday. She's still working on A Midsummer Night's Dream, but she has mentioned to me a few times already how helpful the graphic novel is at understanding exactly what's happening when the language is unclear for her.

Just last weekend, I took Paulie with me to our local used bookstore to turn in some books for credit. While the shop worked on our books, he looked for the next Ranger's Apprentice book, a series with which he's currently obsessed. When he didn't have any luck, he came to me with used copies of both Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, and queried, "I've been meaning to read these so can I get them instead?" (My mind screamed Hooray! but teenagers typically don't appreciate that.) "Of course," I replied.

Yarn Along

For Yarn Along this week, I'm working on a pair of cabled fingerless mitts. The Vancouver Fog mitts have been on my list for a while, and I finally ordered this superwash wool in Allspice to start making them. I'm almost finished with the first mitt. I like the long cuff because I have several very warm sweaters that are only 3/4 length. I hope these mitts will become a staple with those to keep my hands and forearms warm when I'm out in the elements.

I also started reading My Side of the Mountain to the kids. I knew with their love of camping that they would find this book completely fascinating. So far we have not been disappointed!

Yarn Along

I'm finally joining in for Yarn Along again. I'll show the last of the Project Redecoration photos tomorrow. (Here are the other 2 rooms if you are interested in seeing them.)

This week, I'm working on finishing an Aviatrix hat for a sweet little baby boy of a friend. I've also been reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette? on the recommendation of Dawn of Postcards from Seattle. I like her description of quirky for this book. I'm only about a third through it so far, but it's a fun read. I have a resolution, of sorts, this year to read more adult fiction. If you have a recommendation, I'd love to hear it

I also just finished the Log Cabin socks that I started just before Christmas. (I've never started anything for myself BEFORE Christmas was over.) The pattern is from Handknit Holidays, and they are nice thick, cozy socks. Perfect for this Polar Vortex we're experiencing. ;)

Yarn Along

For this week's Yarn Along, I just completed both a book and a knitting project. The knitting is the Star Crossed Cable Beret, which I've knitted twice in the last week. (It's the hat I decided to knit for Elizabeth with the blue yarn from last week's Yarn Along.) I enjoyed knitting it so much, that I decided to use some extra Blue Sky Alpaca suri merino, leftover from my vest, to make another one for a friend. This yarn is soft and scrumptious. I love knitting with it!

I also just finished A Long Walk to Water, which I read about on a teen book list sometime in the last few months. It's a short read, around 100 pages, but quite intense and full of action. I thought I might read it aloud to the kids, but it's really a middle school read. I don't think my younger 2 would handle the intensity and sadness quite yet. I still highly recommend it for middle school and older though.

Yarn Along

For Yarn Along this week, I'm not actually in progress on any knits. (Shocking, I know.) I do have this skein of Malabrigo that I will hopefully wind into a ball today because I have one Christmas hat (for Elizabeth) left to knit. On December 1, I started reading Letters From Father Christmas aloud to the kids, per Paulie's request. He's been on a Tolkien kick since the summer. We are thoroughly enjoying the letters and illustrations so far. The kids were amazed the first time Father Christmas mentioned all of the European countries he was visiting. "What about America?!" they chorused.

Over the last 2 weeks, I've mostly worked on knitting these Christmas ornaments.  Each year we give the kids a new ornament. This year I hemmed and hawed over what I wanted to give them. Usually they get a handmade or locally made ornament. 

I decided this year to use the pattern from Handknit Holidays and made sweater balls out of leftover yarn from hats I've made them in the past. I also made 9 from a skein of Järbo Raggi Multi yarn. I kept a few and have already gifted several of them. They make such festive little ornaments. Hooray for another quick knit!

Yarn Along

For this week's Yarn Along, I have gotten a little further along on Hermione's Everyday Socks I started a few weeks ago. The majority my crafting time recently has been at the sewing machine. I'm just happy to be this far along with the socks right now!

I've also been spending a few minutes each day looking at Everything Christmas. Although I try to keep most things Christmas out of the house until after Thanksgiving, I do find myself thinking and planning our Advent activities and celebrations during this time. (After all, it would be too late to wait until Dec 1 for that!)

Along the same lines, I've been using the rare few minutes I find myself idle to knit a few of these Christmas trees. I hope to have a small pine forest by the holidays!

Yarn Along

For this week's Yarn Along, I started a new knitting project and started (and finished) a new book. The knitting project is another Christmas (or birthday, I haven't decided) knit for Elizabeth. The pattern is Hermione's Everyday Socks in Knit Picks Felici in High Tide, which I bought on the cheap when it was discontinued. Both the pattern and colorway are perfect for Elizabeth. 

Finn and I just started reading the first Bobbsey Twins book this weekend. A beloved series from my childhood, he's actually heard it before, but at just under 2, he didn't really remember. He enjoyed the book so much that even though we were slated to start another book after the Bobbsey Twins book, he wants to read another book in this series before we move on. I still have hope that one of my kids might enjoy this series as much as I did!

I finished both of the projects I was working on last week.  Finn was eager to model Paulie's Viking hat for me. The horns are a little wonky, probably due to the thick and thin yarn I used, because I was too cheap to buy an entire skein for the 30 yards I needed for this project, and I just used what I had on hand. I doubt Paulie will notice though.

"Hey mom, take a photo of me wearing this hat with my Legos in the background!"

"Hey! I want to model the hat too!"

(That's kind of how photo shoots go around here!)

Yarn Along

I just started a couple of new knitting projects after a week of almost no knitting at all. (eek!) Paulie requested a knitted viking helmet for Christmas, and lo and behold, there's a free one on Ravelry. I've only had a couple of hours to knit on it so far, but with bulky yarn and size 10 needles, it is moving along quickly. I anticipate having it finished by next Yarn Along (maybe).

I also just received this vintage copy of The Folk of the Faraway Tree in the mail a couple of days ago, and the kids are beside themselves with excitement in anticipation of starting it. (What is it about this crazy imaginative series by Enid Blyton that they love so much anyway?!)

I'm still plugging along on Finn's socks. I guess I should get busy though as the Halloween Fairy will be coming in just a week!

I also cast on this Lotus Hat for a benefit for a very sweet old friend, and young mother of 3 smalls, who is currently battling breast cancer. I finished it quickly as it has to be delivered later today. I hope it will help her in her brave battle in some small way. I think it will certainly bring cheer to whoever decides to purchase it.

Yarn Along

For Yarn Along this week, I have 2 works-in-progress. A pair of socks for Finn, using the Easy Toddler Socks pattern, one I have used several times. He still fits in the toddler socks if I use sport weight, which makes the socks nice and thick, and if I adjust the length to match his foot. I can't believe how long this pair is! My littlest baby has such big feet now!

I'm nearly finished with the Tuscan Leaves Neckwarmer. I just need to finish the ribbing on the edge then add buttons. And block, to get rid of the curling on the edge. I really love this pattern. So elegant, yet practical. The lighting was wonky so early this morning. The color is Currant and really looks more burgandy than the pinkish red shown here. Very autumnal, I think.

As for the book I'm reading, I recently began reading Pie to the kids in the evenings. We've made 2 of the pies from the book now. (Recipes are included at the beginning of each chapter.) The most recent one, last evening, was the chocolate cream pie. The read is fun, set in the 1940s and largely a mystery, but the pie recipes take the cake...so to speak.

Yarn Along...and a Seal Island vest

For Yarn Along this week, I started a new knitting project. For myself. In late September. (As if I don't have a million knitting/sewing projects on my list to finish before birthdays and Christmas over the next 3 months.) I've had this Suri Alpaca yarn in Earth from Blue Sky Alpaca just sitting in my stash since January waiting for the perfect project. The Claymore Vest is the project I finally decided on, a vest that could go casual or a little more smart depending on how it's paired. I really want to finish it quickly and hopefully get some use out of it this fall.

I also just started reading Average is Over by Tyler Cowen. Paul bought it for me recently. It's a relatively depressing read, but I think the author's perspective on the state and direction of the American workforce is worth considering.

I also finally finished Finn's Christmas vest. The Seal Island vest is one of my favorite knits that I've worked on recently.  

The cables were fun without requiring a pattern at all times.

The vest required blocking to flatten the ribbing in the back and make the front panels line up correctly before the cute little sassafras toggle buttons, which I found on etsy, and loops could be added. The blocking, of course, took forever, which is why it took me so long to post final photos. I love it though and I really hope he'll wear it some this winter and spring. The size is plenty big to last him for at least a couple of years.

I also just recently started a pair of thick orange socks for Finn, probably as a Halloween fairy gift. He loves his handmade cozy socks!