It’s been a while since I did a “7 Things” post, so it seemed like I was due. This week, I’ve been ogling sweaters on Pinterest and my new Netflix discovery, Sisters. (The main character is a hot mess but she wears the cutest, most colourful sweaters— not my style, persay, but I love them. Some of the other characters sport some great knits, too.)

Ahem. Besides knitting geekery, I’ve also been reading, and writing, and playing in an orchestra. Okay, a small one. As a volunteer. For the local kids’ play. But it counts, right?

Here’s what’s been inspiring me:

Great Men’s Sweaters

Some of my recent inspiring Pinterest finds. I’ve been working on a couple of ideas for men’s sweaters, and just love the sculpted, architectural look of these designs (mostly by Leif Nelson), plus the amazing texture. Not sure if my menfolk love it as much as I do, but maybe someday I’ll design something because it’s exactly what I’d love to see them wear, whether they ever do or not. ;-)

Great Knitting

Okay, this isn’t exactly the same as the Men’s Sweaters, because it includes so much more! Here are some lovely designs that have been inspiring me lately. I’m getting the impression it’s time to challenge myself a bit.

Great Books

Of course, I’ve always got a few books to talk about, but I’m only going to mention two at the moment. Actually, I already mentioned the first one on Instagram last week. Here’s what I had to say about it:

The second book is actually the first book I edited, which will be releasing tomorrow. The Book of Chaos is a wonderful middle grade fantasy novel about a special girl who finds an unusual book that takes her on an adventure to find her cousin. Along the way, she makes great friends and learns a thing or two about her family, and herself.

It’s a wonderful read, and I highly recommend you go pick up a copy for the special young person in your life—or yourself, if you’re a fantasy lover. :-) (You can learn more about the book and find purchase links on Jessica Renwick’s website. Locals—Jessica is an Alberta author. Even more reason to support her!)

Or if you want these two books from Amazon, you can click through from here:

Simple Comforts

I don’t know about you, but when I think of fall, I gravitate toward the idea of simple comforts like hot beverages by a warm stove with a good book. So I’m really thankful for the full wood shed stocked by my boys and hubby:

And also that I discovered butter coffee today. I loved it—it was satisfying and I didn’t even feel the need to sweeten it.

Plus, always with the knitting.

Mermaid Art

Well, since I’m writing a book about these types of beings, this is probably no surprise to you. But I recently discovered this charming illustration art by Soosh (vskafrandre on Instagram). What’s not to love? This artist also covers many other subjects, all of them heartwarming. Check out Soosh’s art shop.

Autumn

I haven’t taken a ton of photos of foliage this fall, but I did sneak in a few interesting shots. I’ve just been so enjoying the warm weather we got after the frosty start we had in September. It’s drawing to a close now, but I sure loved it while it lasted.

Mary Poppins

For the third year in a row, my family was involved in the local kids’ musical production, and for the second year in a row, I was playing second keyboard in the pit orchestra. It’s always a stretch for all of us, and so much fun. This year, Jabin landed a main cast role as the side character Robertson Ay in Mary Poppins Jr. He did awesome, and I’m so proud of him.

Of course, since I was so busy playing, I didn’t get any pictures of just him in his costume, but here are a few borrowed from other parents.

It was a wonderful experience for us both. But I’m also glad to be getting back to “normal life” today. And to finally have time to finish my revisions on The Undine’s Tear, which should be done and off to beta readers by the end of the week. Yay!

Stay warm, friend! And enjoy the remains of fall!