I’ve made it to bodice/front panel of Phoebe’s phoebe sweater. It’s very enjoyable to knit and I just split for sleeves last night, so I’m getting excited to finish it up maybe soon? Phoebe has figured out it is for her by now, and she is so thrilled, as I’ve “tried it on her” a couple of times to check length. It will be really hard to not give it to her as soon as I’m done, as she could make use of it right away! (Her birthday is in December, the week of Christmas, so I’m hoping to tuck it away until then, if I can discipline myself.) I’m trying to also discipline myself not to cast on for another couple of projects but to stay focused on just this one and force myself to knock out the birthday sweaters. I ordered yarn for Philippa’s and Noah’s sweater, which arrived this week and eeee! It’ll be my first foray into Brooklyn Tweed. Also, I cut 10 inches off of my hair this past week and am loving LOVING short hair. Phoebe snapped this picture of me knitting from our front stoop yesterday.
Also, I’m almost through with Falling Free by Shannon Martin. I review a fair amount of new releases and get a bit leery of some, thinking most will be predictable or fall into the “Christianity lite” category. This book by Shannon Martin has been surprisingly different than I expected (shame on cynical me!). I’ve had a hard time putting it down. Her writing is rich, textured, both humorous and gut-wrenching. Her story is real and surprising, instantly likable and terribly convicting. She shares about giving up a comfortable and typical American lifestyle to move to a small inner-city home in a rough-ish neighborhood and mediocre school system. She shares about her and her husband giving up lucrative careers in the political realm to work in the prison system, to adopt children of various races and backgrounds. Her insights and reflections on money, poverty, community, loving our neighbor–they are like a jolt of electricity to stale American Christianity. Yet somehow her writing doesn’t feel preachy and guilt-inducing. Instead it leaves me hungry for Jesus, for the true and real Kingdom of God, for His uncanny ways and unconventional means. It is good, sound theology incarnated, fleshed out in a beautiful story. I am trying to linger over her words, but find myself turning page after page devouring this book! In other words–I highly recommend!
I’m linking up with Ginny today and her lovely wednesday gathering of readers and knitters.
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everything He gives 