Blanket of Many Colors, TaDah!! American Spy in World War II

 

AND.......it's done!  The blanket of many colors has been laundered and is almost dry in this picture.  I debated about adding a 4th row, in fact had the colors selected to do so, then decided since the diamonds are squares...I would stick to keeping the blanket a square vs making it rectangle which adding a 4th row would have done.  It's about 43 inches square so works well as a lapghan, or a childs blanket.  I've not totally decided if this will be a baby gift or donated.

I've pulled out the Blue corner to corner project (intended for said baby blanket).....I've added about 12 rows since the last picture.  It now measures 34 in diameter and you can see quite a good bit of the white.  Not sure how much will be white, though you can see some still on the large ball of yarn.  I will continue to work on this and then make a decision about which to gift....but probably this one.  It's lighter weight and maybe looks more babyish?  More traditional?  What do you all think?

Obviously, this is not a recent picture.  But, one day after I returned from my walk back in the fall, I found 2 squirrels very busy eating my little pumpkins.  Each hanging onto the pots where I put the pumpkins.  These pumpkins grew in my flower bed on their own accord.  I didn't plant them, volunteers they were.  I had about 20 or so 4 or 5 inch pumpkins.  It's my understanding that's the type of pumpkin they were.  The lasted about a month with the squirrels having quite a feast day after day.  I enjoyed watching them eat.  Problem is...wonder how many places they spread the seeds they didn't eat.  Will I have pumpkins growing in odd places next year?  

Continuing to try and walk, or ride a bike, do planks, and yoga most days.  Fitbit tells me I walked 290,387 steps in January, 119.9 miles and burned 53,851 calories.  February hasn't started out very well, I think.  We've had some rain days, and some days with LOTS of wind keeping me inside knitting...so we'll see how the exercising progresses.  But, we must keep trying.

If you read no other WWII book, you MUST read this.  If you've been told woman are the weaker sex, read this!!  "A Woman of No Importance" by Sonia Purnell deemed the best book of the year by NPR and so many more.  The list of credible agencies calling it the best of the year is LONG!  The story of an American Baltimore Socialite, Virginia Hall.  1942, The Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission, "She is the most dangerous of ALL spies.  We must find and destroy her."

Blanket of Many Colors, WWII, Spies, Gnomes

 

Making good headway with the blanket of many colors.  In the previous post, I only had 1 square done in the 3rd row, and now all 4 squares are completed and joined to form the gray diamond block, plus 3 squares of rose colored diamond above it.  Plan to wait until I finish all 3 diamonds on this 3rd row before joining; as I might rearrange again.  Originally had the gray block on the bottom right, but after the rose diamond there will be a purple diamond and thought perhaps it was better to have the gray between the rose and the purple; but will decide once they are complete and I can play a bit with them.  That's both the fun and the challenge of not planning out the color arrangement before starting on the project....but, that's not my style.  I'm more of a seat of pants let's see how it flows persons, lol.

Another good WWII read for you all.  And who doesn't like Ken Follett?  While this is not exactly a true story, it is based on lots of real facts of the time and the events.  Reading some of the reviews it seems most people couldn't  put the book down.  Some watched the movie and then read the book, but most read the book first which is recommended....even by some reviewers who saw the movie first.  Do add this to your list.  The spy the object of the most desperate manhunt in history it says.

Continuing ta walk, or bike ride and working on planks most days.  Plan to make a file/tab here to note monthly totals with the hope that recording it will aid me in trying to do more.  This was taken awhile ago on a walk through my neighborhood.  Isn't the little Gnome village cute!  In addition am trying to add in some yoga a few days a week; but have really gone downhill with that.  Am so much more stiff than I was when I was doing it regularly.  Hard trying to get back into it, but trying.