More blue Koigu for another Shana . . .
It's a totally random coincidence that after finally photographing Shana's blue Koigu Nutkin socks the next project I picked up was also in blue Koigu, and also for someone named Shana! What you see above is one bootie from the set I am making for my other friend Shana who just gave birth to an adorable baby boy. I'm using the Christine's Baby Booties pattern which I've made before and they're just as cute as I remember. Every time I knit something for a baby I'm again shocked at how tiny and cute baby stuff is -- I know it's obvious but when I'm actually holding a tiny bootie in my hand it's still shocking to see just how little it is! What you see above was the first bootie of a set which is now finished, but when I realized I had about half the skein of Koigu left over I went ahead and started another set. It's always good to have a baby present in the closet for a last-minute gift, right?
Oh and you see the book that's open under the bootie? That's The Happiness Project and I'm on the last few pages. I haven't been able to put this book down since I started it: I'm loving it and it's making me think and examine my own life and attitudes. The author, Gretchen Rubin, decides that she has a great life on paper but that her mood doesn't always match, so she sets out to make her regular life happier by making small changes. She blogs about the process here but the book documents her year spent focusing each month on a certain aspect of her life and adjusting her behavior and attitude to ensure more moments of happiness. What I really like about this book is that she doesn't do anything drastic or scary (no moving to India or even quitting her job) to reach her goal, she makes tiny changes in common everyday behavior so that her life doesn't change but her ATTITUDE does. Before embarking on this challenge she did exhaustive research into happiness and read everything from ancient philosophers to Oprah, and throughout the book she references these sources . . . I love that because it means I don't have to go do the legwork myself . . .
As soon as I get to the end of the book I'm going to re-read it while taking notes so that I can start my own (much less intense) Happiness Project. If this description sounds at all interesting to you I definitely recommend browsing the book the next time you're in a bookstore, I bet it will speak to you, too!
2 Responses
Debbie
I listened to the audio version of the Happiness Project a few months ago. I really found some interesting advice in that book. I also follow the blog. Hope you enjoy the Happiness journey. It’s always good to rid yourself of the minor annoyances and focus on the good in your life.
Shana
July 08, 2010
I didn’t realize that I wasn’t the only Shana in your life. I realized you weren’t talking about me when you mentioned the baby boy. Although Trooper is still a baby, I don’t think he’d enjoy booties nearly as much as a human baby. Congrats on your new bundle of joy, Other Shana.