Emily M. DeArdo's Blog, page 26
October 30, 2020
Seven Quick Takes--Only Treats!
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Helloooooo everyone!
Let’s start your day with some Patty, shall we?
Gosh I LOVE this kid.
Patty is four months old today!!!! :)
Also, here is her Halloween costume:
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From the blog this week:
The Brave New Us podcast is live!!!—I had a really fun time doing this one, since it’s about genetics!
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The cardigan is taking a break right now. The next step is to pick up stitches and knit the collar, which I don’t know how to do, so I am going to practice on the swatch.
In the mean time I’ve been working on this shawl. Ravelry notes here. It’s the sail-away shawl from Modern Daily Knitting’s “ease” issue, and it is easy! The yarn was actually a birthday gift and I’d completely forgotten about it during all the Big Projects I’ve been knitting.
The yarn is Sincere Sheep’s sport in Hathor’s Gem (the blue) and Suerte (the green). This yarn is magical. It’s so much fun to work with and the shawl is SO SQUISHY.
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My book, Catholic 101, turns three this weekend! Do you have a copy? It’s FIVE BUCKS, and if you’re a subscriber to the blog, you get an additional 15% off!
You can read it on any computer or e-reader, and it’s both PRINTABLE and GIFT-ABLE. So knock some folks off your Christmas list! :)
In that vein….
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Signed copies of Living Memento Mori are available! They are $20, and that includes shipping and a custom bookmark and prayer card that the Ave Maria Press marketing department made for the book! Fancy! I can dedicate the book to anyone you want! If you want a copy, email me. Buy some Christmas gifts and/or think ahead for Lent! :)
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Do we even want to talk about the election? How about not? :-D
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Next week I’ll have two new blog posts out for sure….the first one being about the second book, which is really exciting, and the second one being about health stuff, I think. No, nothing is going on that’s new, but I like to keep y’all informed about my life and health, so I’ll be writing a post about how things are going there!
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October 28, 2020
The "Brave New Us" Podcast Interview is Live!
I was so privileged to be interviewed by Samantha Stephenson for her Brave New Us podcast! This episode is about genetic illness and genetic manipulation: Should we do it? Why or why not? I had a great time talking to Samantha and I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can listen here.
October 23, 2020
Emily Knits A Cardigan: Seaming!! (IT FITS!)
A seam, as seen from the “inside” of the cardigan (AKA, the part no one sees)
We are now into the finishing stage of the cardigan! Yay!
Here are all the posts in the Emily Knits A Cardigan series, so you can catch up!
So, seaming. This is putting all the pieces together, and this is where it’s sort of like a puzzle, as I explained last week.
As a refresher, this cardigan has five pieces:
the back
two sleeves
two front pieces.
So the first seam I did (which you can see above), is the right “front” piece to the bottom of the back piece.I worked up to the arm hole.
Second, I seamed the first sleeve, and I was delighted to find it FITS—I slipped my arm in it and we have success! The third piece was seaming the front of the sleeve to the front of the cardigan, and the fourth piece was seaming the back of the sleeve to the back of the cardigan. So basically I can wear HALF of the cardigan now and it fits! HUZZAH!
The sleeve is a raglan sleeve, so it narrows to a point over the shoulder.
Shot of the sleeve—see how it’s set in there?
The second sleeved pinned before seaming.
I’m using a mattress stitch to seam the pieces together. It’s amazing and it goes pretty quickly once you’re in it. Make sure that as you work that you’re not getting any “excess” fabric—as in, check to make sure everything is going smoothly and there’s not a bulge anywhere. (If I can get a picture of this, I will, to show you what I mean!)
Now, with mattress stitch, you’ve lined the pieces up right next to each other. With the arm hole, I had to work horizontally for a bit, which was odd, but eventually it moved back to “regular” mattress stitch once the pieces straightened up. During the horizontal part, I did every stitch as opposed to doing two stitches at a time, to make sure that it was nice and secure! (If it was a more delicate yarn, like fingering or even sport weight, I would probably do every stitch for security.)
Also, when you seam, do it on a flat surface. I’ve been using my desk—it’s SO much easier than trying to hold it in your lap! You want a lot of good light when you do this too, and I have a lamp on my desk in addition to the overhead light, so that’s perfect for me.
BEHOLD THE FIRST SIDE!
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October 16, 2020
Seven Quick Takes: A Tea Break Weekend
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Hello, folks!
Jean Charles Cazin, October Day, 1894,
From the blog this week—and last, since I didn’t do 7QT last week!:
Amazon Prime Day: The Big Catholic Creative List!
Yarn Along #102: Blanket, shawl, cardigan….
My First Royalty Statement! (Buy copies!)
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These arrived yesterday…
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Seaming the cardigan has begun! This is actually a fairly long process…..yesterday was the “pre-seam”, where I used stitch markers to piece three pieces together.
So in the photo above, I’ve laid out the five pieces of the cardi—the back, two sleeves, and two “front” pieces.
I decided to start work on the right side first, since I don’t have enough stitch markers to put everything together at once!
I’m pinning fairly close together using the “lightbulb'“ shaped removable stitch markers. I don’t have any plastic ones, which would’ve been GREAT for this.
More pre-seaming—this is the sleeve insert section so the sleeve is attached to both the sweater back and the front piece. You can also see the sweater back and the front piece pinned together for the side seam on the bottom of the photo.
This has been really interesting, because it’s a 3-D object—not a flat piece! So I had to visualize how things, like the sleeves, would actually become….sleeves! So what I figured is that it is attached in two places, but then I will seam the sleeve itself to make it into a tube. Whew!
This is the first piece i’ve seamed so I’m not sure how long it will take. But even after the seaming, there is a shawl collar that’s picked up and knitted in garter stitch.
The finish line is sort of in sight! My goal when I cast on was to wear it this fall/winter, and that will definitely happen!
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So, "tea break” in the headline, what’s that?
One thing I’ve really enjoyed during the pandemic (YES ENJOYED) is that my parents and I have been having monthly tea dates. There’s a local tea house that has a loveeeely tea, and they’re taking so many precautions to keep things safe, that we feel comfortable going there once a month for lunch and then going to the local Catholic bookshop. It’s the one thing every month that I really look forward to (I think my parents do too….at least I hope they do!).
(Just so you know—we’re really safe, in general. Dad works from home. I don’t go out all that often. My mom doesn’t either. So we’re basically staying home except for things like groceries and doctor appointments. So this is our “treat.” And honestly, it helps keep me sane!)
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I’m going to vote on Monday, too—yay early voting! I really love voting on Election Day, but this year….probably best to do it early. So we’re going to the county Board of Elections to do that on Monday.
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Some business: If you’d like a signed copy of the book as a Christmas gift, LET ME KNOW NOW. Email me! The books are $20 and that includes shipping and a specially designed bookmark and prayer card. I can dedicate the book to whomever you like, or I can just sign it—your call.
You can also get copies of my ebook, Catholic 101—you DO NOT need an e-reader to read it! You can read it on your regular computer! You can print it out! The ebook is FIVE BUCKS. Yup. Five dollars.
And finally, if you like what I’m writing, and want to support me, check out my patreon page! Memberships start at a buck a month (yes, a buck) and go up to $20/month. I am working on adding video, but that’s something else I have to pay for so I have to check the budget. :) Patreon support helps me do fun things like video! :)
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And finally…..adorable Patty.
October 12, 2020
Amazon Prime Day: The Big Catholic Creative List!
Most of the theology/religion section of my library. (Yes, the Magnolia books were published by a Christian publishing house!)
On Prime Day, how about supporting your local Catholic authors? :)
OK, they might not be local to you. But—really, support Catholic authors! We really do love when people read our books! (and review them on Amazon!!!!)
So I put together a big list of Catholic authors and creatives that are on Amazon—give them a look and support their work!
NOTES: In most cases, I’ve linked to their current book, or most recent book. In other cases I’ve listed to their author page where there are a whole bunch of things! If there’s a (p) after the name, it’s their author page. If not, it’s the most recent book or item. These are not in alphabetically order. The book’s title is in italics after the author’s name.
Starting with…well, me, sorry:
And also sort of me: Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble, who wrote the forward!
And the rest! Go forth and support!
Elizabeth Foss: Real Learning Revisited
And also Take Up & Read (p)
Derya Little: From Islam to Christ
Jen Fulwiler: Your Blue Flame
Elizabeth Ficocceli (p)—she has kids books that are great!
Hallie Lord: On the Other Side of Fear: How I Found Peace
Kathryn Lopez, A Year With the Mystics
Jennifer Fitz: The How-To Book of Evangelization.
Kaitlyn Facista: To Middle Earth and Back Again
Lisa Hendey (p) —she’s got kids’ books, books for adults, books for everyone!
Emily Jaminet, Secrets of the Sacred Heart
Emily and her friend Michele Faehnle: Pray Fully
Lindsay Schlegel , Don’t Forget To Say Thank You
Mary Lenaburg, Be Brave In the Scared
Justin McClain, Called To Teach
Carrie Gress The Anti-Mary Exposed and Theology of Home II
Rebecca Frech, Can We Be Friends?
Erin Manning, Catholic fiction (p)
David Clayton and Leila Marie Lawler, The Little Oratory
Katie Prejean McGrady (p) devotionals, working with Catholic youth
Jane Greer, Love Like a Conflagration (poetry!)
October 7, 2020
Yarn Along #102: Blanket, shawl, cardigan....pick your project!
So the pieces of the cardigan are done, but with all the craziness of September, I didn’t start seaming it yet. That is going to happen. Probably this weekend because I want to devote time to it without being pulled in five million different directions by other projects! So the pieces are all waiting in my bedroom to be seamed. I’m a little nervous that the cardigan will be wonky—sleeve lengths or other issues—but you know what? Who cares, right? It’s my cardigan and I can wear it around the house and WHO CARES. I gotta get over the perfection idea. I mean it’s my first cardigan! So down with the fear of imperfection and ON TO SEAMING!
Patty’s blanket is now in the last set of stripes, yay! It’s part of her Christmas gift so I have a few more weeks to finish it, but I’m probably going to finish it soon and then get it all wrapped up to send to her come December.
Remember the lace scarf?
yeah, I loved it. And then I had to rip it out. :( Sigh. I haven’t gotten my courage up to cast it on again but I think I will in the next week….I just love that yarn so much!
DO NOT try to knit lace when recovering from surgery. That’s your free tip from me. :)
And finally….
a new shawl!
I love this pattern. It’s Hawthorn from Quince and Co and I’m using Quince’s Lark yarn in a special edition color way they had over the summer called Blue balloon. The great thing about the Hawthorn pattern is that it’s designed to be worked in any weight yarn! So if you see a color you just love, you can snatch it up and knit Hawthorn with it! (Hmmm, maybe my pretty yarn from the scarf above will get used here? :) :) )
It does use yarn overs (YO), so it’s good practice for those, but it’s not “true” lace. You just get these lovely wrapped eyelets and things like that. So this isn't a hard project, at least I don’t think so. It’s a good chance to practice YO! :)
I’m reading Story of a Soul, because St. Therese’s feast day was last week, and I generally re-read it every year. I love this edition because my friend Elizabeth Foss wrote the introduction!
I’ve been reading a lot of different things, sort of dipping into books here and there. I always have a mountain of books that I’m working on at any given time!
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October 5, 2020
My First Royalty Statement! (And....buy copies!)
So, today I got my First Royalty Statement!
Yay!!!
The way my publisher does this is that the royalty periods run from January-June, and then July-December. So the royalty statement I got today shows how many books I’ve sold from January to June.
And it did pretty well! Thank you for buying copies!!!! :)
It’s broken down into USA, Canada, and “Foreign” sales—there were two foreign sales, not sure who those were, but THANK YOU! :) I can also see ebook sales—there were 44 of those.
You might not know this, but authors don’t get paid royalties until they’ve paid back their advance. I am almost halfway to that goal, so yay. THANK YOU! :) Once I pay back my advance, then I actually start getting royalty checks. (As in: MONEY.)
And that brings me to…..buying copies for Christmas gifts! :)
Lent starts February 17, 2021, so you could even buy a copy of the book as a Valentine’s Day present! (Come on, it’s a good idea!) But, buying for Christmas is also a good idea, because then you’re ready for Lent with Lenten reading! :)
So you can buy a copy, or you can email me for a signed copy. Those are $20 and include a prayer card, a book mark, and shipping!
I should get my next royalty statement in March, and hopefully I’ll have made even more progress toward the repayment of the advance! :)
So, thank you for buying my book and supporting my writing! I appreciate every book sold.
Like what you’re reading? Consider supporting my writing by joining my Patreon!
October 4, 2020
Future Janeite
If you’re my godchild, the indoctrination begins early….
And yes, she will be getting Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Little Women, The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, The Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Carol….
October 2, 2020
Seven Quick Takes, St. Therese Edition!
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St. Therese’s feast day was yesterday!!!!
I love this, and I post it every year. Bless whoever made this!
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St. Therese was my confirmation saint. If you want to learn about how I picked her—or she picked me—go here.
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Some St. Therese books? THOUGHT YOU’D NEVER ASK!
I love this edition of Story of a Soul, because it has an introduction by my friend Elizabeth Foss!
My FAVORITE book about St. Therese: I Believe In Love. Seriously. Desert island book, folks.
Want some St. Therese every day? Then you want Mornings With St. Therese.
And this one: 33 Days to Merciful Love. (also, that image of St. Therese is my favorite, and you can get it here.)
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Want a movie? Here you go.
OR A STICKER or a MUG…..OR A KEYCHAIN?????
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My parish has a lovely St. Therese shrine….
(Use the arrow keys to scroll through it!)
A parishioner carved that. Can you believe that? I can’t.
There’s a relic of St. Therese, and it’s just such a beautiful place to pray. It’s so beautiful that you often have to wait! :)
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Right now I’m really missing the ST. Therese retreat center. This weekend would’ve bee the Women’s Silent Retreat weekend for the fall, and I almost always went to this one. Sigh.
If you know of places near Ohio that have silent retreat opportunities, please let me know? I MISS THEM!
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And to leave you this week—Anne Shirley. :)
Like what you’ve read?
Then consider supporting my writing on Patreon!
September 25, 2020
Seven Quick Takes--Welcome, Fall!
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Welcome, Fall!
I’ve always been a big fan of fall. I like the sense of new beginnings, of school starting, of football….and I love that the weather has cooled down and I can walk outside and not burn up! Yay!!!!
The leaves are looking really lovely this year too. And I love lighting candles in my house again and wearing my sweaters and fun socks!
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This week on the blog:
The new Take Up and Read Study is out! Essential Holiness is perfect for fall!
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I’m glad my eye has healed up although my doctor said I might be developing cataracts and to be honest I’m freaked about this because I depend so much on my eyes. So if you could pray for them I’d appreciate it. My next appointment is in February so I could worry for, um, months, and I really don’t want to do that! :)
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Lace knitting is happening….slowly. It has to be done slowly or you end up ripping it all out. At least you do if you’re me. :) I’m also reading the History of the Lord of the Rings series, which is JRR Tolkien’s original writings and drafts compiled by his son, Christopher. So it’s a great look into a writer’s process and the evolution of the story. If you’re a Tolkien nerd, they’re great. If you’re not, they’re probably really boring. But since I’m in the former category, I love them! The first one I read was Return of the Shadow, which goes until the fellowship reaches the Mines of Moria; next up is The Treason of Isengard.
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Some new Patty photos? YES PLEASE.
Patty with the stuffed lamb I got her for her baptism.
Patty with her brother, Johnny.
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Since it’s officially three months to Christmas….
If you want a signed book, email me . They’re $20 and that includes the signature, shipping, and the bookmark and prayer card! I can also inscribe it to the recipient, just let me know!
I also have Catholic 101, my ebook, for $5. You DO NOT need an e-reader to read it! You can read it on your laptop or desktop!
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I am really glad football’s back. I am also glad that both Pitt and the Steelers are 2-0. We’ll see if they’re still undefeated come Monday morning…
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