My Revolution Mission Three

I didn't complete Mission Two...yet. It wasn't possible for me to do the mission the way was expected (once again I am hindered by small town locales) but I have a PLAN for executing the mission on Friday when I spend the afternoon with BFF1. If we succeed then I will be updating with a blog on Friday or Saturday, depending on what the mission for Friday is.

Today's mission was titled "Read-A-Thon," which is of course, right up my alley. However, the fates have been aligned against me today. I took the book* to work, but then I ate lunch with BFF2 and Mr. Math. While I was eating Auntie P wandered over from the high school (which is attached to the middle school where I work) in search of a Coca-Cola. These events led to more conversation and laughing than actual reading. Not that I'm complaining, ultimately life is to be lived, and too frequently I hide in a book instead of interacting with other humans.

After work-time-reading was a bust I planned to come home and read for awhile before I started doing paperwork. As usual, the best laid plans. Since Friday we have been having issues with our wood stove (our primary heat source) and it has been funneling smoke into our house instead of through the pipe and chimney like it is supposed to do. My uncle came over and he and I fiddled with the pipe and discovered that it had mysteriously worked loose, which was the source of the smoke. By this point my allergies were completely haywire, to the point that I was considering taking actual allergy medicine** to deal with the symptoms. I decided not to risk full on medication but did use some prescription eye drops to help my eyes, which were affected the most. After several hours I noticed that I was still miserable and that there was still smoke in the house. I got my Daddy and he checked the pipe only to discover that in the process of reconnecting the pipe we had managed to dislodge soot, which fell down and blocked the pipe. We got that fixed about 30 minutes ago and I settled down with my book to read again.

I only made it through the first chapter. I enjoy SRB and I'm sure I'll love the book, but today was not the day to read. I have no attention span and I don't feel particularly well since the Smoke Monster incident! I'm going to continue reading the book and hopefully I won't be hindered quite so spectacularly in the future!




*I decided to read The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan because it has been on my TBR shelf (AND in my work bag) for such a long time but I have never read it.
**I can't actually TAKE allergy meds because I have crazy extreme reactions to them and I usually just pass out and am completely unable to function after a dose. I know, SUPER helpful on the pain and agony relief front.

A Post About YARN

It's that time of year again where it is cool in the evenings and there are new TV shows to watch. And also when I can crochet without any major issues from the heat. I went to Michael's this past weekend to get yarn to finish up a blanket I'm making for a lady I go to church with and I also picked up a book so I can start branching out as far as projects are concerned. I usually stay in my "safe zone," focusing on my AMAZING ability to crochet a scarf in no time and making these super easy granny square blankets. While I absolutely adore my "Hodgepodge Blankets," I really do want to challenge myself more. The book I got has a pretty easy sweater pattern and I'm really nervous excited to try it.

While I was there I also bought BEAUTIFUL yarn. I have no idea what I'm going to make with this, but I'm going to have to find a pattern and make SOMETHING, just to see how it is going to work up. I would love to make a throw out of it, but it is pretty lightweight and I'm not sure how the gauge will work, especially since my stitches are so tight. Anyway, you all should expect more frequent yarn posts, now that I'll have my hands on more projects.

I've also finished several books from my Y'all Fest reading list! I've actually read more books this month than I did last month. So many of these Y'all Fest books are fantastic, and I really wish I could manage to write a review that said something intelligent about how amazing these books aren't, but so far I haven't been able to. I'll just say you should all read The Name of the Star, Paranormalcy, and The Vespertine. They were wonderful books, and all are very different from the others, even though they all have elements of the supernatural.

New Project

Something I haven't really talked about on here very much is my penchant for crocheting. Yarn work is really in right now! I knit some too, but not as much. I generally have a difficult time completing projects and knitting just takes WAY too long. So, I currently am working on a baby blanket for Baby Neville and a blanket that I gave my mother for Christmas last year. Yes, I did in fact give her an unfinished blanket, which remains unfinished almost a year later. With two projects underway and my annual winter scarf looming on the horizon, I did the thing any sane human would do...started a new project.






While putting two new bookshelves in my room and sorting through all my books (more on that later) I found THIS giant bunch of yarn. The giant bag o' yarn reminded me that I have REALLY wanted to make a "hodgepodge blanket" for myself. Quick fact...in the almost ten years since I started crocheting I have only ever made myself scarves. All of my other projects have been given away. There have even been times I have given someone a project that I originally intended to keep for myself. Not that I mind that, homemade projects are fabulous and they mean a lot to the person who receives them...at least they mean a lot to the people who have received them from me. But at some point there has to be something you do for yourself. And this messed up hodgepodge blanket is going to be mine!

Since there hasn't been a lot of reading going on recently I thought I would update with something else! My new blanket. I think that on each Monday I am going to update with this blanket. And if I haven't worked on it because I have been working on other stuff, then I may post pictures of THOSE projects as well! So here is Picture Number One!

This was taken with my phone in low light, so the color isn't great. The idea is to expand on a simple "granny square" and keep going until you have a blanket the size you want. I am using up all of my scrap yarn, with no real color pattern or concerns. I'm just working yarn into a pattern. That is my aim, and you can all see the progress as I go along. Next week I'll get my actual camera out and take a GOOD picture for your enjoyment!