Daily Archives: June 30, 2015

Summer Reading

I’m sure y’all remember the Summer Reading Program at your public library? Kids compete to see who can read the most books during the month of June. It can get pretty heated*.

Princesses like to read too. (Sorry, QUEENS. That's Elsa's dress.)

Cynthia Rylant is the hands down favorite author. We’ve got a whole shelf just for her.

Ellie set herself a goal of 100 books and completed it in a week and a half. So we did some math, factored in camps and trips, and she set a new goal of 300 books by the end of the program.

Tent is from Ikea. You can fit a lot of books in a tent.

The tent is from Ikea. You can fit a lot of books in a tent.

She read 345 (partially because I numbered an entire page wrong and she had more on the list than she thought she did).

Ellie not only won her category (2nd grade girls) but she also won the medal for Top Overall Reader by about twice as many as the next highest reader!

It's fancy and ENGRAVED! oooOOOooo

It’s fancy and ENGRAVED! oooOOOooo

The best part (for me) is that she didn’t spend a whole lot more time reading than she usually does, she just chose “short books” instead of her typical chapter books. Ellie says she is glad to be back to reading for fun and that she has retired from “Competitive Reading.” Other competitions would be OK.

*More about competitive academics another time.

Travel Time

Last week was an out of town week. Ellie and I visited my parents and sister in Peachtree City. I made a Hippo.

Shadyside Farm Studio's angora/wool. I've got a stockpile of it.

Shadyside Farm Studio’s angora/wool. I’ve got a dwindling stockpile of it.

Then we came home, I washed a bunch of clothes, re-packed, and we went to spend the night at Mary Esther. I finished that Elephant.

Nature's Choice cotton.

Nature’s Choice organic cotton.

And knit a longer tail for the Ginger Cat.

This Cat came back. That's never happened with a Cat before.

This Cat came back. That’s never happened with a Cat before.

So this Cat came back because he was too small for his intended purpose. I suspected that would happen – but what I did not suspect was that the customer would want me to make a bigger version. With this same yarn. So I’m doubling the hand spun from France (be still my frugal heart) and using US8s and (according to the math) he’ll come out with a 20″ middle. It’s going to be exciting.

When Mega Cat is finished, I have had an epiphany and am ready to start a new pattern. I am very excited! It’s way more fun to start a new project than go back and problem solve for the one that’s making you crazy…