Happy Tuesday!

Book Reviews:
Knit One, Felt Too - This is a great beginner's book for felting projects. The introduction to felting has a lot of good information and there is a nice range of projects to work on. I, for one, loved the lunch bag carryall and the draft blocker. But other than that none of the projects really called out to me. I'm glad I got it through ILL for the technique information at the front, but it'll probably not be going on any wishlist of mine.

Christmas Stockings 18 Holiday Treasures to Knit - This one has some great stockings in it and some very specialized stockings in it. If you want to knit a stocking for your dog, this is the book to have. I liked the idea of the 'artist's stocking' but would have really preferred a 'knitter's stocking' instead - which could probably be easily done with some mild alterations to the pattern, but I didn't necessarily like the idea *enough* to do them myself. The Austrian Alpine Treasure stocking is gorgeous (but I fear trying to find the specific yarn for it since substitutions aren't suggested) and there were several others I loved. This is another book I'm glad I got through ILL. If I ever decide to start knitting up stockings this'll be the place I look (and probably request it again) but I'm not planning to get it just yet.

The Shop on Blossom Street - I hate to say it, but I was rather 'meh' about this book. I suppose it is in part because I've been in a cozy mystery mood lately and this isn't a cozy mystery. It isn't even a mystery. But is has knitting. It ended up being a bit too much of the romancy-chick lit kind of book for me. But if anyone enjoys that kinda book, then I say go for it. I have the sequel from ILL, but I think it might end up going back as well.

Other stuff:
The first of the babies has arrived! My oldest cousin was induced on Friday and, though I didn't learn the news until Saturday evening, managed to spend the weekend knitting my fingers off. The baby kimono just need to be put together (after it finished blocking) and the baby hat (a little Ann Norling Strawberry hat) is finished as well. I would like to put everything in the mail tomorrow on my way out of town, so the hope is to try to sew up the kimono tonight. I was hoping to get a pair of booties out of the same yarn as the kimono as well, but we'll have to see. I'll have plenty of time for knitting over the holiday as well, what with the big trip even further up north.

I also finished one more Christmas present (at least the knitting on said present), which is also blocking (with two other versions of said thing - one for me and another present) with the baby kimono. I'm hoping that I'll get Mom's gift finished while we're in the Big City Even Further Up North, and I'm going to start on another just like it - either for myself or for a Christmas gift. On the other hand, I also have a cone of absolutely gorgeous bottle green Jaeger Zephyr that I'm tempted to start knitting some lace with. I even have a pattern in mind - just need to print it off. And it is an 'Intermediate' pattern, which is probably what I need considering that other than the swatch for my 'Lucky' cardigan (which has slowly started growing into a scarf - the swatch not the cardigan) I haven't knit lace in almost 10 years.