Here’s a picture of some new books I got this week. Why do they keep putting out new books? Don’t they realize I’m just about out of room for new books? Someone really knows that I’m a collector of books!
I LOVE the one titled “MaryJane’s Stitching Room” by MaryJane Butters. It’s full of “….nostalgic patterns with simple step-by-step instructions for projects to wear, for gifts, or to bring down-home charm to any room of the home–all with her unmistakable farmgirl flair.” It has a Tatted Button Necklace that I’m just going to HAVE to make! It has a lot of other ideas and patterns for “..a treasure trove of projects”. I can’t wait to start on some of them. If you have a chance to get this book, you won’t be sorry!
The “Knitting The Easy Way” book is a good book for beginning knitters. It has a lot of good items for anyone who knits, but the first 28 pages are full of instuctions, diagrams, and info on getting started on knitting. After I copy a few of the patterns, I think I’m going to gift this book to someone I know that hasn’t been knitting too long.
Speaking of easy patterns, I’ve been making some really simple dishraggs from cotton yarn from some of the patterns in this book. 
I can make one in a matter of a couple of hours. I’m using up some more of the BIG bag of my cotton yarn stash that I have and, at the same time, spending some quiet time in front of the tv being productive. I like doing that. I hate wasting time!
These other books I bought to read. I started out strong at the beginning of the year to read more, but somehow, I’ve slacked up a lot. (Gee, I wonder why!) I keep buying books to read, but the pile to read is getting higher than the pile that’s been read! I read one of Debbie Macomber’s books and liked it so much that I’ve bought more of hers. She incorporates knitting into some of her books, so why is that appealing to me? (Grin) The other one is a mystery, and I love mysteries, especially when they revolve around knitting!
From the shop out back, I finally finished a project that I was painting for a friend at work. She wanted a snowman and a gingerbread man in the same picture.I found this pattern in a book by Sue Jernigan called “Holiday Heartwarmers”. I had a terrible time with it and had to re-paint it several times before I finally was happy with it. I painted it on a small blackboard and trimmed the gingerbread man with little peppermint candy buttons. The buttons are separate little wooden knobs. It doesn’t look too bad and I think she’ll like it. She knows I’m not a professional! lol
I also got a lot of my projects varnished that I’ve had sitting around since before Christmas. I like to wait until I have a lot to varnish, then do it all at one sitting. By doing it that way, the first projects I varnish get dried enough to put a second coat on by the time I get around to getting the first coats on all of them. Then I can just keep going and not have to “wait” for them to dry.
That’s all for this time. Have a great week, and keep those needles clicking or the paint flying!
