Hello Ann – re your question about italics: I use them for a variety of effects, and often to indicate a shift in register rather than to imply emphasis. For example I might have one of my characters think to themselves: “My husband was the kind of guy people called a quiet hero”– with the italics signifying that the character recognises the phrase as a journalistic shorthand, rather than a description she might have used herself. In this case I would be using italics to denote a register somewhere between first person monologue and reported speech. In other cases I use italics to delineate reported speech within dialogue, when it would get messy to use nested quotation marks. And in other cases still, I use them simply to indicate the intent of a line in dialogue. For example, “That’s my baby, Angela!” means something rather different from “That’s my baby, Angela!”

I just finished reading “Little Bee”, and am trying to think how I can express in words how much I think of it, and thank you. As a artist, I realized that you have done what I hope to do in art: establish a dialogue with the viewer, so that a rhythm is set up between him/her and the content and feelings I expose…that what can be gained is what is really between the lines to be discovered. The structure, the wording, the relationship of a novel to “real” life all work towards that goal. (I hope this is understandable!)– two boys and a grandson of my own…..you nailed it on the head……..and how wonderful that you based that character on your own son…….LOVE IT! The cry for a sequel

Here’s why I like Sugarbelle’s Stencil Snap so well. You can see that I’ve adjusted the size so it will hold the bee stencil at an angle. FUN! Add the bee stencil however you want and snap it into place.

Safety eyes or buttons are a cute option for crocheted bees, but despite their name, they’re not actually “safe” for little ones. Safety eyes can fall off your amigurumi if pulled on, which makes them a choking hazard for children under 3. If your bee will be going to a home with little ones, your best bet is to embroider the eyes instead. More Crochet Patterns Wings are made with single crochet for round 1, half double crochet for round 2 and double crochet for round 3 You can also use almost any fiber content for amigurumi, making these projects excellent for using up extra scrap yarn you may have lying around! Little Bee is my book club’s selection for this month. One of our members convinced us that it was an excellent read and she was so right! The characters were amazingly depicted. The two women were so complex – vulnerable yet strong, passionate yet conflicted. The book club wanted to ask a few questions prior to our meeting next Tuesday:Place the Sugarbelle Stencil Snap on the cookie. Line up the honeycombs so they match the yellow honeycombs you made earlier. I love your feminine voice–Carl Gustav Jung would have loved it too, showing the power of individuation!’