Amanda Quick writes novels set in the past. Jayne Ann Krantz writes in contemporary times and Jayne Castle's novels take place in the future. She usually writes in series (often trilogies) with one book by each author making up the group. Confusing right? The thing that makes it all okay for me is that I enjoy her books. Not so much things in the future, but the others always seem to work, so I'm willing to accept her multiple personalities. Her formula is pretty consistent - murder/mystery, a love story, and paranormal energy / psychic talents. This book is no exception.
The Crystal Gardens is the first book in the Ladies of Lantern Street series. (I expect that there will be three, but I'm not sure and I couldn't find any info from the usual sources). Set in a time that is unidentified, but clearly the past, in Little Dixby which is "far from the streets of London", we are introduced to Novelist and Professional Companion Evangeline Ames. Ms. Ames has taken refuge in a rented cottage to mend and restore her well being following an attempt on her life. Lucas Sebastian is the new owner of Crystal Gardens, and Ms. Ames' landlord. The Gardens, which he inherited from his recently departed uncle, possess mystical powers and energy that draw the two toward it (and each other) while terrifying the townspeople. Following a second attack Ms. Ames takes shelter in the Garden. Together she and Mr. Sebastian attempt to determine who is trying to murder her and why. In addition to this main story line several sub plots develop creating unexpected twists, an interesting blend of intrigue, romance and paranormal treasure hunting! So what did I think? I enjoyed it. It felt a bit familiar, but I've read many of her books - and being predictable isn't always a bad thing. It's light (well for murder!), it's easy and kept me interested all the way through. A good escape from the everyday and I'm sure I'll read the next in the series. With Crystal Gardens finished, I immediately dove into The Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark. Another mystery, this one involving murder, adultery and a parchment thought to be the only know writing of Jesus Christ! Be sure to stop back and see how I liked this one. I'm linking up today's post with An Accidental Knitter. She's been running something called the Thursday Book Challenge. Although interest may have waned some, I'd doing my part to help revive it - because I think sharing books once a week is a great idea! If you're interested drop by and give her a nod. I'm sure she'd love to hear from you. Alrighty friends, that'll do it for today. So glad you came on by. Until next time, Be blessed and stitch & read with love!
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So it goes like this... I stall, I make progress, I stall again, then I make a little more progress. Honestly I'm a bit embarrassed that I'm once again talking about this cardigan. Will I ever get it finished? I suppose if the weather were cooler and I could wear it when it's done I might move a little quicker, but that's questionable. The progress report goes like this: I have reached what I believe to be the desired body length. I'm unsure so I've left the ball of yarn I used attached just in case I want to add another row or two. Last night I began sleeve one. Like my recent foray into socks, this pattern is more of a guide than a step by step and it leaves a bit to interpretation. Note to self - this is best done before midnight when you're able to think clearly. The instructions told me to attach on the 7th stitch of the under arm, ch 3 (first dc) and work in pattern across. (But it's really around) Join with a slip stitch, turn and continue to work in pattern to desired length. I tried. It didn't work. I ripped. I have encountered patterns in the past (for mittens) that wanted me to work my round by turning. I'm sure it can be done and there's a reason for it, I just haven't figured out how. Being the creative problem solver that I am I did this instead: join in 7th stitch, ch 3 and work in pattern across. When I got to the beginning ch 3 I joined with a slip stitch and then put another slip stitch in the next dc to bring me to the right place to begin the pattern. I continued working the pattern in the round joining each this way. So far I've done 6 rounds and it looks great. (Pat on the back here!) It feels good to have encountered a "problem" and created a "solution". For me this is testimony that my skills are advancing! Now if I can only stay motivated long enough to finish this thing!
The book that I'm reading today is The Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark. I'm a mystery fan, and haven't read a MH Clark in a long time. This story centers on a the murder of a biblical scholar who may have discovered the only know writings of Jesus Christ. A letter to Joseph of Arimathea thought to have been stolen from the Vatican in 1474 AD. Who is responsible for his murder? His wife who's suffering from advanced Alzheimers? His mistress whom he has just broken things off with? Or maybe one of his colleagues who is intent on possessing the parchment? Face-paced with plenty of twists I'm enjoying this interesting bit of fiction - when I'm not working on my sweater of course! Don't forget to to stop by Tami's Amis and Small Wonders to see all the great projects going on today! Until next time friends, Be blessed and stitch & read with love! Where I begin to match projects with people...  I have to admit that participating in this challenge has been educational. Why, you ask? What have I learned? Well I already know that I am lazy and procrastinate always. What I didn't know was planning and preparing in advance (months, not weeks like I usually do) is quite a bit of effort! During this week I have been thinking about what I'll be making for whom. So far, all that I've really feel committed to is what I'll be making for my co-workers. Since they may be reading I'm not sharing more than that today. What I can say is that it will be one item made in a slightly different manner to make them each unique and personal for the recipient. As for everyone else well I'm keeping my options open and my eyes peeled for projects that strike my fancy. I don't think there are any blankets or throws in my future, but who knows? On another note, I realize that we're supposed to be reducing our stash, but I couldn't help but add these three yarns to my collection.
After all they were free (from my club at the library) - and who can resist free yarn?! Plus I came across them on a day when I had socks on my mind, and I think each of them would make a fine sock. Maybe that's what I'll do. Make socks for everyone. Do you think they'll get suspicious when I ask for foot measurements?
Be sure to check out Marie's great tips and prompts over at Underground Crafter. Honestly it's because of her that I'm even considering my holiday list in May! That's all for today friends. Until next time, Be blessed and stitch & read with love!
A satisfying late lunch on an early (almost) summer afternoon!  So easy to make it's sure to be a favorite! Here is my take on Mollie’s recipe for Spinach-Ricotta Pie:
The Crust: I use the ready to go Pillsbury crust from the refrigerator section of the grocery. Use whatever (unbaked) single crust you like best. The Filling: Olive Oil to sauté veggies 1 medium onion, minced 1 lb. spinach, kale, collards, mustard or any kind of fresh or frozen green you have on hand. Stem and chop finely. You can use frozen straight from the bag. ½ tsp. salt (I don’t use it, because of J.’s heart, but you can) Freshly ground pepper to taste A generous dash of nutmeg 2 or 3 beaten eggs 3 Tbs. flour 1 lb. ricotta cheese ½ - ¾ cup (packed) swiss cheese or sharp cheese (or combo) of your liking Paprika Preheat oven to 375° F. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg, and cook, stirring until the spinach is wilted (or no-longer frozen). Remove from heat. In a large bowl beat eggs and flour together. Stir in ricotta then swiss cheese. Add spinach/onion mixture and mix well. Spread into the unbaked pie shell and dust generously with paprika. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature. Orange wedges are one of our favorite accompaniments. They just taste great together! So there you have it. Give it a try, or any of the recipes from this (or any) of the Moosewood books. In my humble opinion they know where it’s at when it comes to vegetarian delights! Until next time friends, Be blessed and stitch & read with love!
The instructions in the STF pattern are a little vague - it's more like sock guidelines rather than a traditional pattern. That's okay it just means I needed to keep my thinking cap on. I struggled a bit with the toe. It came out kind of pointy, but I'll adjust that next time and I made quick progress of the body. The heal was another story though. I increased just fine, but it took a few tries and a bit of ripping to get the decreases right. I finally got it though and once that was done the rest was a breeze! It's a bit tight across the instep (I'll spare you more pictures of my foot!), but I think I know how to fix that next time. And there you have it - my first sock!  but I didn't give up - and look! My First Sock!
Greetings friends! I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday! Today, I have three things to share. Lets start with socks. I have wanted to make them for so long, but I've been hesitating because - well I don't know why. I've had this pattern for Socks that Fit! in my queue for ages and last night the spirit moved me to give it a whirl. The toe instructions seemed vague, but I did what felt like the right thing and sure enough it worked - and on the first try! If this works out I might be making socks for the holidays! Just think of all those great yarns I can use!!
Next up is the Zig Zag Bag that has been sitting in the wip pile for way too long! I'm going to line it with this great skirt fabric. Don't they look like they were meant to be together?! I bought the skirt ages ago at the thrift store hoping it would fit, but it was too small. I'm so happy to have found a way to use it! I've never lined a crocheted bag which is why I've been procrastinating, but how hard can it be right?  The lining fabric is a skirt from the thrift store! And finally there's the Chevron Lace Cardigan. With the sleeves in the right place I should be finished by now, but of course I choose to work on other things instead. I'm certain that this will be wonderful when its done. I suppose if the weather were cooler and I could actually wear it when I'm finished I might get moving. For today it's sitting patiently by my chair waiting.
I don't worry too much about having several projects going at once. It keeps me from getting bored. As long as I get them finished eventually I feel just fine. For me crochet is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. I guess I just like to make lots of stops along the way!
Be sure to pop on over to Tami's Amis and Small Things to see other great projects! Until next time friends, Be blessed and stitch & read with love! Analyzing the Stash
Creative Friday – Over at Natural Suburbia Linda has set up a linky for all of us to share our posts about any kind of creative goodness! There are lots of participants and since I recognize many of the names of people who posted this week I’m betting that there’s lots of visiting and sharing going on. Leaving (and getting) comments is a great way to build your network. Plus it just feels good doesn’t it??! I’m looking forward to making new friends and learning lots of interesting things!
The Universal Craft Blog Directory – Back in October of 2011 Craftyrie started this linky and it appears to have grown by leaps and bounds! Tremendously simple to sign up for, it randomly shows all members in one ever morphing list. I clicked about and found some interesting places, so I went ahead an added my name. Crochet Blogs by Ringsurf – Now this one I’m not so sure about. Initially I was lead to a list of over 400 crochet blogs and it was easy enough to click to check them out. Signing up was challenging. It seems like I had to enter my name and password multiple times before I was able to add my blog, and then I had to write a rather lengthy description of my site. Maybe I was just tired, but it seemed cumbersome. I added the badge to my blog and when I tested it I was disappointed to find that several of the sites it brought me to were quite old (one was 2008!). I’ll give it some time, but if it seems that this is the norm than I’ll probably remove it. I don’t want to promote something that’s hard to use and has “stale” information. And finally there’s The Blog Guidebook – This site appears to have a bounty of bloggy goodness along with a place to share your link. I haven’t listed my blog yet because I need to create my badge. I want it to be special (since it represents me!) and well honestly I have no idea how to build one! Like so many things on my blogging adventure I’ll figure it out, just not today! My brief tour through this site proved quite informational and I’m looking forward to spending more time learning ways to improve our blogging experience! Plus I love the way this site looks! There you have it friends. I’d love to hear your experience with any of these sites or recommendations for others that you enjoy. Until next time, Be blessed and stitch & read with love!  I'm participating in my first CAL! CAL - I've thought about joining on several occasions but I never seem to be in the right place at the right time. Today that all changed! While strolling along on the blog-avard I happened upon the folks at Lion Brand who were telling me all about the latest CAL set to begin next week. Huh. Imagine that. I'm just about finished with my Chevron Lace Cardigan and although I don't "need" another project I thought, why not? It looks like a great little shrug and I bet its fun to crochet with a whole bunch of other people. I read through the pattern (looks easy), the initial post and the comments. Everyone was so positive and enthusiastic. What could be better?? How about if they have a Ravelry group? Well of course they do! So I went right ahead and joined in there too! I figure with all this support I'm bound to keep on track! Plus, if I run into any trouble I'm sure there will be plenty of folks willing to help me out. (Crochet and knitting people are just so nice!) Now that I've gone ahead and made this commitment to myself I better get moving, and finish up that sweater! I'm not sure what I'm going to do for yarn. I know that I won't use the glittery yarn the shrug is named for. I'm not much of a glittery kinda gal! I do have quite a bit of Baby Sport in plain old white which actually might be nice. I have several white pullovers and they all get lots of wear. I'm sure a sweet wee shrug in white will as well. Don't you think?
On another note, I made lots changes to the blog over the past few days. I'm working hard to create an environment that feels friendly, casual and comfortable. I want to be easy to read, and fun without getting carried away. I changed my logo design (thanks to Picasa) making the whole thing a bit softer . I mean it's Crochet Nirvana for goodness sake - that shouldn't be cold and harsh! I've decided to go with the grayish background (instead of white), again for the warmth. I'd probably choose a different color if I could, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet! Happily after much trail and error with the CSS code I was able to change the font in the menu bar, increase the width of the whole page and adjust the size of the header!! I'm quite proud of that part since I have zero experience with code of any kind! Overall I'm pleased with the way we're looking today. Now if I can just stop futzing with it and get down to some crochet I'll be all set! Until next time Happy Weekend! Be blessed and stitch & read with love! |
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My name is Robin. I am a wife, mother and strong believer in the power of faith. I'm a maker, a crafter and an artist. I love exploring new mediums and sharing my adventures with you. Did you enjoy your visit? Let me know by leaving a comment. I love knowing you dropped by, and hope to see you again soon! Be Blessed and Stitch & Read with Love! 
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