Lovely Lacey Leaf Scarf is done and it's fabulous.

Pattern: Lovely Leaf Lace Scarf by Joelle Hoverson

Yarn: Bamboo Ewe by Stitch Nation in Lipstick (3 Skeins)

Needles: 9 US

Mods: Pattern calls for 6 repeats of the lace leaf but I only did 5. Other then that no-mods.

I've already worn it a couple of times to work and gotten tons of compliments on it. It looks great with my black pea coat and it looks great with just a tee-shirt and jeans. Love this.

Book #12 of the 50 Book Challenge...

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

From the Book:

When unattended environmental and economic crises lead to social chaos, not even gated communities are safe. In a night of fire and death Lauren Olamina, a minister's young daughter, loses her family and home and ventures out into the unprotected American landscape. But what begins as a flight for survival soon leads to something much more: a startling vision of human destiny... and the birth of a new faith.

I have this one 3 out of 5 stars. I liked it but I didn't love it. This book stops right when you're ready to find out if they're going to survive or not. Good set up for the 2nd book. I'm sure at some point I will be requesting the second one from the library.

Book #11 in the 50 Book Challenge...

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

From the book:

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

4 stars out of 5 on this one and only because it was a bit slow starting off for me. The book really picked up around page 100 and took off from there. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series, The Dead Tossed Waves.

I finished knitting and seaming up the panels for the Lacey Leaf Satchel. Hubbs helped me cut out the plastic inner pieces of the bag and I seamed them up. I ordered the handles last week and I'm pretty sure they are on the slow boat from China.

Side View

End View

I also finished knitting my Lovely Leaf Lace Scarf. Let me tell you that Kitchener stitching the 61 stitches on each piece together. It was a chore but it's done and blocking. This yarn is so soft, I can't wait to wear this scarf.

Book #10 in the 50 Book Challenge...

Getting Out of Jersey by Matthew Paul Eshem was a 4 star book. I thought it was going to be a 5 star but there were a few things in the book that bothered me and made it seem like the author didn't do enough research. One of those things was the size of the sewer pipe...he described it as being big enough to drive a mini bike through. According to Hubbs who works for the city, sewer pipes are only that big in huge cities. Most of the time it's and 8" pipe.

One of the other things the author said was that they walked "hand and hand." I don't know if things are different else where but where I grew up it's walking "hand in hand." That one thing really threw me off when I was reading the book.

Otherwise, I did enjoy the book enough to give it 4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads.com. According to GoodReads this is volume one. I think I'll check to see if my library has volume two. I'd be interested to see what happens next.

As it turns out, yet again I bought too much yarn. I bought 6 skeins of Bamboo Ewe for my Lacy Leaf Satchel and I only used 4. It blocked out to the right size so I'm not sure why that's happening.

Since I had 2 skeins left over and this yarn is so soft and easy to work with (if a bit splitty when used with my Harmony Wood needles - very sharp points), I started looking for a project to use the remaining 2 skeins. I came across Lovely Leaf Lace Scarf by Joelle Hoverson of The Purl Bee.

by purlsoho Flickr

I don't know if it's the color of the sample scarf that she did or just the design or a combo of both, but I love this scarf and I hate knitting scarves. The patten calls for 6 repeats of the leaf pattern at the end of the scarf but I only did 5. After the leaf pattern part of the scarf and the concentration that it required for me, I am really enjoying the stockinette stitch at the back. This scarf is made in two pieces and then grafted together at the back.

I did have to purchase 1 additional skein of yarn as the two that I had weren't going to be quiet enough. The pattern calls for 600 yards and with the 2 skeins that I had it was only 354 yards. With that extra skein I have 531 yards, so it might be a bit shorter then the original scarf but it will be close enough to keep my neck warm. I'm really looking forward to finishing this so I can wear it with my black peacoat.

Not a book review but have you seen the Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast cookbook? Oh my gosh, what a great cookbook. I got a copy for Christmas from the in-laws and it has been a really great cook book. I have cooked almost every single night since I got this. They aren't kidding when they say it's fast. I don't think anything I've cooked anything that took more then an hour and everything has been delicious.