4th of July

"This is a day of memory -
'Tis Freedom's Jubilee!"

Babette for Marley

Marley chose the Babette Blanket by Kathy Merrick for me to make for her. Like the Lizard Ridge Afghan by Laura Aylor that I made for Jacy, or the Mitered Squares Blanket by Ann and Kay of Mason Dixon Knitting that I'm knitting for Joan, this blanket is made of individual squares seamed together. So it will be another portable project - at least until the very end.

I do plan to used worsted weight wool yarn rather than the superfine superwash yarn recommended in the pattern.

Got to hurry up now and finish the Mitered Squares blanket!

Because the Time Is Near

Last month I read Because the Time Is Near by John MacArthur. It's been quite a while since I've read anything by John MacArthur, but this explanation or commentary on the book of Revelation was just as good, if not better, than any of the other books of his that I've read.

I've read several commentaries on Revelation, but I think I liked this one the best. MacArthur goes through Revelation verse by verse using the rest of scripture to comment and expound and explain this book. I thought that he was pretty careful not to impose his own interpretations on passages, but to allow scripture to interpret scripture. It's not a hard book to read and understand, and even made a good read-aloud. (I started out by reading it to Steve as he grilled our dinner, then continued for a bit longer.) Steve and I both agreed that this is a book we will keep for our personal library.

Friends at the lake

I have been trying to take Sam, Joshua, and Quintin to the lake as often as possible. Joshua and Quintin live next door to us and they play with Sam every day. Last summer we brought them to the lake with us a few times and they loved it, but they didn't know how to swim. This summer we're trying to teach them to swim - at least a little bit. They like being in the water and play well together.

Yesterday they got out with David and he taught them to kick and float. My job was to sit on the beach and watch, shout encouragement, and knit. It was a great day!

New yarn

Yesterday afternoon I went to the only local yarn store and went a little crazy buying yarn for the NEXT blanket. I already bought a pattern for a blanket for Marley and I'm looking forward to crocheting it.

The yarn store is closing soon because the owner is moving to another state. She gave me a 20% discount, so I threw in a few skeins of sock yarn, too.

I have to knit six more mitered squares, then I can start sewing them together. The border should not take much time to knit, and then I can start a new project! (Or finish a few old ones... .)

Only ten more to go

Now I have seventy mitered squares completed and I fervently hope I can finish the last ten this week. Joan has decided that I can use leftover yarn for the four edges - each edge to be a different color.

The temperature high is supposed to be only 89F and the humidity is very low, so knitting with wool should be fun today!

Hair cut

It's been scorchingly hot for the past two weeks. I have no idea if or when the heat will lessen, so yesterday I went to the Kut 'n' Kurl and asked Shannon to cut my hair as short as she could and to remember that I am a lazy woman who will not style her own hair.

This is what I got and I'm much cooler now. Now I'm ready to head to the lake for some knitting and reading while the kids swim.

Sixty mitered squares

Only 20 more squares to go! I think I have enough yarn in the various colors to get 20 more color combinations. Unless Joan wants a striped border for the edges, I'll have to buy one more - maybe two more - skeins in one color.

I'm so glad to be nearing the finish. It's very hot today (98F/37C) with a heat index of 110F/43C. If I can find a cool corner this evening I hope to knit at least two more squares. Unfortunately, the heat is such that even while sitting in the shade on the beach at the lake wool just clings to the needles - and to the knitter. Until this heat breaks (and I pray that it does soon!) I think I'll have to return to knitting cotton dishcloths.