I’m back! My energy has finally returned, and no wonder. I took the whole summer off – I mean, did zero writing. This was possible, of course, because I’m at the plotting stage of my next book, which entails more thinking than writing. And I did think. My new characters have been gestating since June, when my editor and I settled on one story idea from the eleven (that’s right, eleven!) I dreamed up. How did we choose? There was lots of back and forth, dancing between my favorite and her favorite, with more than one thought about which plot would be freshest when this book comes out in 2013. The one we finally chose was not initially at the top of my list. But her arguments were good, a springboard for my imagination, and the end result is something we both love. Such is the value of keeping an open mind. Such is the power of compromise.

Washington should learn from us.

But hey, I’m not going there. There are two things I avoid in my writing – religion and politics. We get enough of those in real life.

Which is the beauty of writing. In frustrating times, I escape into my books as I write, just as you all do as you read.

So, this summer, my mind was working, even if my fingers weren’t. And those fingers? Knitting. Those of you who follow me know that I’m a passionate knitter. I’ll talk about that occasionally, here in this revamped blog.

ReVAMPed? Do any of you watch “True Blood?” I’ve been glued. Was the new Eric endearing, king Bill impressive, Jason hysterical? And babyvamp Jessica? So real! And the finale? Omigosh. So much to think about until next year!

Sorry, folks. I got distracted there. I want to talk about knitting, specifically my latest FO (Finished Object), Elijah the Elephant. He took me two weeks to make, and was he ever fun.

I finished him mid-August, literally doing the eyes (French knots) within the hours of our newest granddaughter coming to visit.  I’ve never made a toy before, but everyone at SAW in June (that’s Squam Art Workshops, was talking about this one.  It’s an Ysolda Teaguepattern that works up quickly, with no seams, just stuffing as you go.  I had to learn how to do the French knots and a disappearing cast-on to start the head, and I needed a refresher course on wrap-and-turn for knitting short rows (thanks on all counts, YouTube).  But it was worth it.  Is Elijah adorable, or what?  Half the fun of the knitting, of course, was knowing who will be treasuring him for years to come.  BTW, knitters out there can see details of this project on my Ravelry page at http://www.ravelry.com/projects/BarbaraDelinsky/elijah/ .

Now I’m back working on my scrap sock yarn blanket, which will likely take me three years to finish, because it’s one of those easy-peasy projects that you keep putting aside for other ones.  More on those others in future blogs.

And more on this newest as-yet-untitled book, as well as on the ins and outs of daily writing.  Part of that may be cooking, since one of the main characters in this new book writes a food blog.  I don’t love cooking – five ingredients is about my limit, and that includes the pan – but I may have to experiment a little.