Finally Finishing

I knew it felt like my knitting and reading were dragging on a bit, but when I looked back to see when I last finished some things up, I knew why. It has been a month since I last finished a book, and two weeks since I finished a knitting project! I'm happy to report that I finished a project and two books this past week, so we are getting back on track :)

First up, my finished knit! This is the Spa Day Facecloth pattern and I knit mine in Knit Picks CotLin. 

I just love this color! I plan to whip out a few more of these this summer, but I'm not sure if I will use the same pattern over and over again or not.

Next up is the baby blanket. This saw some good progress this week- I think I got another colorful and white stripe done since you last saw it. 

It is getting a bit hard to photograph the whole thing, but hopefully you get the idea :) My goal is to have this done by the end of June. Can I do it?

Last up is a new project that I started- a dog sweater for Diesel :) This will probably be his Christmas present as he loves sweaters! The pattern I'm using, The Darling Darby Sweater, is great because it has you take measurements of your dog and knit the sweater to fit. This is perfect because Diesel has a broad chest but is a skinny puppy everywhere else!

This is the start of the neck. I feel like knitting a dog sweater brings you into a whole new level of knitting geekiness. Just me?

As far as reading, I have really tried to find more time to read all these books on my list (over 100 on my "to read" list on Goodreads right now!). This week I finished two books:

The first is The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan. This is the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series. I really love this whole series, and even though it is a kids book, I still find enjoyment in the stories and writing style. I would recommend reading the Percy Jackson series before starting this one, as it really gives good background and depth to some of the characters. The third book is home on the library shelf, waiting to be started!

The other book I finished this week was A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. This book is intense! Lots of characters, lots going on, but the way Martin changed perspectives every chapter helps you to focus on one aspect of the story at a time. I really like how Martin gets you to empathize with many of the characters, even those who aren't meant to be "good guys." It makes the book more interesting when you aren't always sure who to root for! I'm holding off on starting the next book until I finish a few more that are in progress!

This post is linked up with Ginny's Yarn Along.