{Yarn Along} And here's the 14th pair...

Because, as bored as I am by socks, it's easier to pick the next skein of of the basket and cast on with my non-pattern. I kept feeling like I'd made these socks before....

I went back and searched my blog posts and it turns out that almost did, back in 2005. I think this is the last of my Magic Stripes, so I won't be doing it again.

Finding Sky by Susan O'Brien is the first in a new cozy mystery series. Nicki Valentine hasn't finished her training as a private investigator yet, but when her best friend asks her for help finding the missing teenage birth mother of the baby she and her husband scheduled to adopt, Nicki can't say no. Especially since the pregnant girl's parents think she's run away and no one else is really looking for her.

I love mysteries with moms of young children as the protagonist, but Nicki is way too preachy about her parenting and vegetarian diet. You can't get more than a few pages without a demonstration of her superb parenting skills. (She scans a playground to check the depth of the mulch and height of the play structure when her little ones aren't even with her.)   The mystery itself is satisfying and kept me guessing, but I'd only recommend this series to readers who won't be annoyed by lots of parenting tips along the way.


For more pretty knitting projects to drool over, check out On the Needles at Patchwork Times and Work in Progress Wednesdays at Tami's Amis. For more finishes, check out Sew Much Ado, Finish it Up Friday, Can I get a Whoop Whoop?,  and Freedom Fridays, Wonderful at Home, and Inspired Friday.