Standards

I can tell when the school year winds down, because my brain turns to mush--too much use I guess.  An over taxed brain at the end of the day results in an under taxing reading appetite. I read all three of the Friday Night Knitting Club books, one right after another during the closing weeks of school.  Who knew Knit Lit comprises its own genre? 

I own a whole shelf of knitting books, collected over years of knitting.  Like the CD's played repeatedly, and the cookbooks containing splattered pages, there are a few knitting books, with post-it notes marking more than one pattern--a small selection of books read page-by-page, taking in the narratives as well as the patterns.  I used two of them these past several weeks.

Mason Dixon Knitting is a charming, as well as, practical book. The delightful thing about it is the number of patterns that call for dishcloth yarn, the cheap cotton yarn easily purchased at Walmart.  I have made bibs, burp cloths, dishcloths, a rag rug, and my latest obsession, this "Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono." It is...heartbreakingly cute.

The other book, the one currently sitting on my knitting sofa, is the newest book added to my collection and the second in a two-book series by Joelle Hoverson--More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.  I really enjoyed and used heavily her first book (Last Minute Knitted Gifts) and didn't hesitate to order the second book when it was published last year. In addition to a variety of patterns (included in sections titled by number of hours calculation for completion), Hoverson writes about the use of color, practical and lovely ideas for wrapping knitted gifts, while also indexing practical basic knitting knowledge.  I have made numerous "Linen Stitch Bookmarks" and one set of "Baby Socks." I am in the process of making the "Easy Baby Cardigan."

Having some oldies but goodies, the simple basics, those things tried and true, or whatever we call the touchstones we return to over and over again, grounds us.  Gives us something we can count on. And that is comforting when life gets too hectic or our brains turn to mush.