Stash Blanket Bright

 Whenever I want a knitting break, I crochet a few of these blocks with stash yarn from my granddaughter's "rainbow blanket". I haven't crocheted random blocks in a very long time, so these are fun to do!

These will definitely be blocked before joining the strips. I like the look of this motif which is here: "Scraps 'n Lace"

I am listening to Watergate A Novel by Thomas Mallon on my iPod. You can hear a sample. 



Dolled Up For Murder

How to participate: Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments. Include the title and the author so we know what you're reading. Then, if you would like, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and let us know if you liked or did not like the sentence. The link-up will be at A Few More Pages every Friday and will be open for the entire week.

From Dolled Up For Murder by Deb Baker: "Head buried under a mound of pillows, Gretchen Birch struggled to ignore the phone's incessant ringing. She had stopped answering the phone at midnight, and it had rung every hour on the hour since."  --- page 1

My first impression was curiosity as to why she wouldn't answer the phone. Secondly, I wondered if people actually put piles of pillows over their heads in such a circumstance. ;)  And, who is calling? It must be urgent!

This is a good story about missing doll collectors (see previous post).

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Rules:*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url at http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/

It's that simple.

From Dolled Up For Murder by Deb Baker:

"Nina teetered on the edge of hysteria. She stomped back and forth on the Mexican tile that bordered Caroline's swimming pool and had come precariously close to tipping into it on her last turn."

I wonder: Does Mexican tile border the edge of hysteria too?  ;)

I like dolls!!

 Dolled Up For Murder by Deb Baker is a well written cozy mystery set near Phoenix, AZ. Aside from a very interesting plot line, the setting draws my interest since we spend time each March in the Scottsdale area. I am just beginning this book and enjoy it tremendously...which brings me to my dolls...

This "Raggedy Old Doll" is weighted so she can stand and smile cheerfully.

A classic Raggedy Ann is at the left along side some raggedy interpretations and a doll from Guatemala.

 And an Amish couple... the little lady is hand-made.

This little cutie was hand-made by a friend of my mother.

 The baby on the left is from Madame Alexander with a Cabbage Patch doll on the lower bunk. 

Let's open the door for a better view.

Terrie Lee was my favorite-favorite doll when I was a child, so I have two of them here. The fabric of Mrs. Obama's inaugural gown is so light and soft and elegant!

 Another happy Raggedy Ann along with some smaller dolls. The pouting boy in the brown overalls is a favorite with his sad, little face. The 50's twins have been well-loved since I received them from my grandparents when I was a child.

Except for the Elway Beanie Baby marking his retirement from playing for the Broncos,

this shelf holds mementos of some of my travels. The matryoshka dolls from Russia are souvenirs from our Alaskan cruise. Pinocchio came home with me from Italy and the Inuit Mother and baby are from our Alaskan travels.

This doll spoke to me, saying that her name is Mary Jane, a fitting name for a child who appears to be dressed for a Spring time Sunday at church in the '50s.  She is an Effanbee doll from my mother's doll collection and so precious to me.

You can understand why I am enjoying a cozy mystery about doll collectors, can't you?

Chemo Cap for a Dear Lady

What are you reading? What are you knitting?

Join in at Yarn Along and let us all know!

My friend Lois had begun chemo for lymphoma. What better way to pray for her than to knit and pray a chemo cap? This is the first time I've used this pattern with its simple yet striking stitches. It's a two-row repeat, quick and easy. I used "I Love This Yarn" from stash and size 8 and 10 needles. The pattern is at http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/kpatt20.htm

I've just begun reading The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer and hope the characterizations move away from being cartoonish. Here's hoping the story of moving millions into the wrong pockets will soon pull me into the action. We'll see.

                                                                  Click above to see more!!

Teaser Tuesday ~ The Millionaires

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read.
Open to a random page.
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
Avoid spoilers.
Include the title & author.

p. 8: "And like most banks, we require a minimum deposit. The difference is, our minimum is two million dollars. And that's just to open your account."

: : : : :

Meanwhile, sweet Lailah is waiting for a game of fetch with her fave octopus toy.  :)

What are you reading today?

The Paris Wife ~ A Novel

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of an insecure woman, Hadley Richardson,who marries an egomaniacal author, Ernest Hemingway. This is a novel based on facts of their sordid lives among their companions in 1920s Europe and the consequences of their immoral choices.

If you've read biographies and other material about Hemingway as well as his writing, be advised that there is no new material here. The beauty of the story is the evocative writing that places the reader in the scene moving along with the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel.

This book is a page-turner that kept me awake way too late because I simply could not put it down.

View all my reviews

Saturday Snapshot ~ A Muddy View

Click the camera to see more Saturday snapshots and add yours!

 

The Mud-Colored Scene

on our property along the South Platte River

has been brightened today with sparkling white snow.

A beautiful improvement!

Finished Baby Blanket & Book Beginnings

How to participate: Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments. Include the title and the author so we know what you're reading. Then, if you would like, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and let us know if you liked or did not like the sentence. The link-up will be at A Few More Pages every Friday and will be open for the entire week.

 The Paris Wife by Paula McClain
"The very first thing he does is fix me with those wonderfully brown eyes and say, 'It's possible I'm too drunk to judge, but you might have something there.'
  It's October 1920 and jazz is everywhere. I don't know any jazz, so I'm playing Rachmaninoff."

Thus begins the story of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley. In those beginning sentences, author Paula McClain amazingly captures an essence of each of them. The pages turn easily as I enjoy this novel about the people and times.

 The Granny style baby blanket is finished.

Beginning with the center motif, I modified the pattern and continued it to the desired size.

 Plymouth Encore is such a fabulous yarn! I've used it for so many projects, decided to try another, then returned to it. It makes a lovely, soft, warm blanket.

 Since I was working from stash, I began with the pink/cream/yellow for the main body and a cream color for the lacy dividers. I switched to plain cream when I had used all of the colored yarn. It looks so natural to fade to the lighter color. I'm so pleased with that coloration. The scalloped border is a pretty edging from Nicky Epstein's book, Crocheting On The Edge.

 Now the blanket is tied with a polka-dotted bow, wrapped in tissue, and on its way across the country to a precious grand-niece. I hope she feels the love and is blessed by the prayers that these stitches carry.

What are you working on?

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