My garden is blooming

HJ and Matilda in Sarah's Garden
Originally uploaded by Mamas 2 Hands

Here are some of my out of town Ravelry vistors- Hoppin' John is from Maryland and is currently touring the US. Matilda is from Australia and fell madly in love with John when she met him at the Knit and Crochet Show in Portland, OR last week. Now they are travelling together- they returned to Colorado with my other Rav friend who came to attend the show.

Got lots of ideas for knitting and crochet at the show and i picked back up my February lady sweater to work on. i am wanting to do more clothing and perhaps even some designing of my own.

Socks are done!

Finished my first pair of adult socks! They fit me perfectly and are nice and warm for all the rainy days we get here.

I am up to 75 books also-still reading mostly mysteries and there are alot of new books by my favorite authors out this quarter.

New books, socks, sweaters and gardens

This is turning out to be a good year for new books by some of my favorite authors! And I am also enjoying books by some authors that are new to me. That's the fun of browsing, and reading recommendations from others-- there is always something new to try!

On the knitting front I am almost finished with my first big girl sock, and about 20% through my first sweater. But it's spring and gardening is distracting me from knitting!

getting 3 new libraries soon!

Central Library Parking Garage
Originally uploaded by The Kansas City Public Library

Maybe one will look like this!!

Knitting socks and reading books!

Books in April:

61) **Enchanter's end game**- by David Eddings; read by Cameron Beierle- **4.75**-this is one of my standby series-fantasy-I re-read at least once a year.
60) **The 27 ingredient chili con carne murders** by Nancy Pickard--**3**- I like the heroine better in Arizona but still more a beach read for me.
59) **Bleeding Hearts** by Ian Rankin- audiobook- **3.5**--not Inspector Rebus-this one has a nice seeming assassin and a slimeball NY detective who's after him. It was fun.
58) **Coffin's ghost** by Gwendoline Butler--**3-** another English detective- Commander John Coffin-an okay read (April 2)
57) **The Salton Killings** by Sally Spencer--**4**--good solid English countryside murder investigation in Salton (salt pit)-I always enjoy Chief Inspector Woodend (April 1)

I made a pair of feeties, a pair of worsted weight socks and now I am making a pair of socks from sock yarn!

My first sock and up to book 54

sock1
Originally uploaded by readingknitter01

So I have completed 54 books through March 28 (aiming to get to 60 this month) and made my first sock!!! It's a teeny one but it has all the parts and helped me understand sock construction.

New books:
52) The Blue Corn Murders– by Nancy Pickard–4–a nice comforting mystery with strong women and interesting scenery
53) Odd Thomas - By Dean Koontz–4- my first book by Dean Koontz and I liked it
54) Execution Dock– by Anne Perry–4.5–the latest Monk book and excellent as always–as I read in a review “exquisite period detail” brilliant, page-turning thriller-I read it in one day- could not put it down.

55) Dexter in the dark by Jeffry P Lindsay- audiobook-4.5--just as good as the first one

I reached 50 books this year!!!! And March is not over

And I have reached the second buttonhole on my February Lady Sweater-the first sweater I have kniot for myself as an adult.


48) **Appointed to Die** by Kate Charles- **4.5**- David and Lucy and the horrendous dean
49) **Heartstopper** by Joy Fielding-- audiobook--**3.0**-- it was too long and too many side plots-but a nice surprise ending
50) **Knit Two** by Kate Jacobs--**4.5**- I thought at first I wasn't going to like this one and then I realized that I really did!!! So much so that I've read it in less than a day.
51) One false note-- by Gordon Korman--3.5-- audiobook- 2nd book in the 39 clues juvenile series-I borrowed the first book from my 9 yr old nephew at Christmas-2 orphans are following clues all over the globe that focus on famous people who are supposedly related tot heir family- this one is about Mozart-in Germany and Venice. I am going to check to see if my nephew has learned anythign from following the clues.