Knitty reading

We found this book in the charity shop quite a while ago and rediscovered it whilst sorting out the bookshelves:

It tells the story of Mr. Nick, who loves to knit on the train in the morning with his friend:

 One morning his friend isn't on the train so he has to knit alone:

He discovers his friend is poorly in hospital so he goes to visit:

She doesn't like it there as there is nothing to see so he has an idea:

He knits their train journey up into a lovely blanket to cheer her up:

And then each morning they can knit together and enjoy the views once again:

Don't you think that's a lovely book?

We do :)

-x-

Yarn along

Joining in with Ginny once again.

This week I have had an elastic baby (see here) so knitting and reading time has been limited to the brief moments when she has been with Daddy or big sisters, or else taking the shortest of catnaps. This means that knitting has to be something mindless, an easy pattern held in my memory, soft silky yarn to soothe my emotions. What suits this purpose? The ongoing baby blanket. I set a target of one skein per month into this project and February's target will soon be met.

Reading? I finished The Woodcutter shortly after posting last week and so I picked up The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. It's quite heavy going though so I have also opened up My Antonia on the kindle. Only thing is every time I settle to read the little elastic girl wakes up......

Hoping to find time for more knitting, reading, and checking out all the yarn along posts but now the little one is calling again :)

-x-

Yarn along

Joining in with Ginny over here.

There is only one thing I'm picking up at the moment - the January socks. I think it's a losing battle though, no way I'm going to have the pair complete before the end of the month. Sock one completed last night, sock two shouting to me to cast it on. But as I said earlier - I have a plan......

Current reading - Woodcutter by Kate Danley. I love this book, which is probably why the socks aren't flying along. It's a tale of all the mythical Fae folk and fairytale creatures. A battle to take over the twelve realms of human and magic with only the woodcutter to protect them all. The reviews mention the one dimensionality of the Woodcutter and yet I feel that the lack of emotion and background makes him the ultimate hero, intent only on protecting the kingdom. The story combines all the characters we remember form childhood, Rumpelstiltskin, Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, but in a very much grown up setting, with a heavy focus on the "dust trade" and it's effects on the senses of human folk. I'm almost at the end of this book though and will be sad to see it's end. Any recommendations for similar tales would be very welcome :)

-x-

Yarn along

Getting back into things and joining in with Ginny's Yarn Along.

Book - Still with me by Thierry Cohen

Knitting - NapTime baby blanket

So I took this photo last night and wouldn't you know - I went and finished the book straight after. Actually it feels a bit weird to say book when there was no paper in sight! Still, it was a good read, mixing themes of suicide, eternal damnation, religion, and a good old love story but not at all smooshy. I don't do smooshy. It begins with a suicide attempt and unrequited love. A year later the main character wakes up and slowly begins to realise that he has lived an unknown life for a year, suffering total amnesia since his attempt to take his life. The story relates his subsequent awakenings and how he comes to realise what kind of person he is, and the life he brings to others. His awakenings happen at increasingly infrequent periods during which he tries to plot the downfall of his vicious uncaring other self, the self that is around for years at a time. The ultimate theme is the battle between the good and bad in ones self and is played out well. A well recommended read.

The knitting, well that's going well. I've finished the first skein of the Manos Silk, if you read my previous post you'll know that was my January target. Go me. I've realised that there isn't enough to make the blanket to the size expected but never mind, it will still be a decent size. Still loving the yarn, it's so soft and warm. The colour is rubbish on the photo, it's actually cream with pink not the peachy colour it seems! I'm going to put it to one side now though and go back to the socks - the other January target!

-x-

Yarn along

Joining in with Ginny once again.

Knitting and reading, two of the very best ways to relax and enjoy.

Still beavering away on the gift makes, so many done, yet still more to do. This is the cowl I'm working on for middle big girl, to match with the mitts and hat previously shown. I'm making it up as I go so hoping it will be ok:

Actually it's a bit risky all this top of the head creating, there's already been a few ripped back pieces. Maybe sticking to a proven pattern would help speed things up a little more......

Reading......well that hasn't happened so much the past week. Books still open include Anger and Oliver, as previously blogged, but no further into. I have gotten a few pages further into the one shown though but knitting is at the fore with only a few weeks to go!

Also on the needles are the ribbed scarf of biggest littlie, and the gloves for the man, which have both stayed the same since last mentioned. I could always give the man the one glove to keep the chain holding hand warm whilst walking Saffi. The other hand is always in his pocket anyway......

Off for a quick look at what you're all working on before it's back to the cowl again.

And thank you for your comments last week, about replying to other blog posts. I think I might have to be a bit stricter this week and make sure I only have a quick look at other posts, I have so much knitting and so little time, although I would love to be able to spend the time enjoying every ladst post.....

-x-

Yarn along.

Yarning along with Ginny once more.

Knitting and reading, enjoyable  ways to spend those moments relaxing.

This week I finally found my copy of the last issue of "The Mother" magazine. It arrived the morning of the big Autumn clean and ended up tidied into suitcase of prefold nappies??? A nice surprise to come across it yesterday and to delve between the covers of this conscious parenting, gentle, thoughtprovoking magazine.

Also reading our favourite autumn book "The Lost Acorns" from the Percy the Parkkeeper series. Much enjoyed and read several times a week just now. Also reading another family favourite "Brave Bitsy and the Bear" a story of the changing of autumn into winter and then into spring, and the animals who live through the change.

On the needles, well, what can I say? The pink scarf is growing slowly, a few repeats each night. I have cast on the Multnomah and then stopped, to be picked up again tomorrow on my train ride between bases. The crochet mega blanket - well that is as was. I did finish the garter stitch cardigan from last time, blogged about earlier in the last post I think? And the socks - they are still hiding in their project bag. 

The photo shows the latest cast on - a winter hat for Owen. He asked for red, I'm not so sure? The red is a nice deep red but I would like it to have a little more colour added. I'll have to think some more before I go much further.

So that's about it for this weeks yarn along, time to take a peek at your lovely projects and interesting reads.

-x-