What I made, by Sharon

After finishing Assassin's Apprentice I was undecided about what to read next. it's hard to follow up a book like that, and I considered just going straight to the next book in the series, but I decided to take a break instead - and I'm glad I did.  I decided to read Big Little Lies simply because it was one of the oldest things on my Kindle, and I generally have a read it or delete it rule. I always forget how amazing Liane Moriaty is. When I started this, I was thinking "I'm not in the mood for chick lit", but that's not what this book is doing. It explores really big issues - bullying, family violence, blended families, abuse - while still being light and breezy. It a great read. I'm nearly at the end and I really, really, really want to know what happens. I'm working form home today and doing revisions on things I've written (a task i find tedious) so I'm using finishing this book as an incentive to get on with it.  

  I participated in Woolly Wormhead 's latest KAL because I'm doing a class with her at EYF and I thought it would be fun to have knit something by her. I had leftover yarn, so I I played along.  I quite like the hat design, and it was fun to knit. Since it's the same yarn as Elise's cowl, I will probably give it to her at some point. I just felt like I didn't have the same enthusiasm as others who were participating. They would excitedly post their finished clue each week, and I would think - I knit a quarter of a hat, what will I do for the next six days? I didn't feel a need to share with the group, which is rather the point of a KAL, I would think. Forgive me for being a bit "meh" today. I'm not sure why. Leon is also feeling a bit "meh", but he was kind enough to model for these photos. And when I say "model" I mean not get up and run away when I put this hat on his head and started taking photos! 

I finished the Romi Hill jumper more than a week ago, but it’s been hot. Now, I love it hot weather, but I did feel like I was the only person in Melbourne wearing a jumper when we took these photos yesterday. It was a very straightforward knit…until I got to the collar. I wanted to make sure the collar sat on my shoulders and didn’t flop around, so I went down a needle size, introduced a purl turning row and didn’t do the increases at the beginning of the collar.   Was it successful? Partly. It is still a bit gappy around the neck. I am kicking myself, because I had thought of doing some decreases, but then I chickened out. I’m thinking about reknitting it, but the joining of the collar was kind of complicated, and undoing it might be messy. Also, lazy. I think it might benefit from a reblocking.   All that said, I put it on yesterday over a collared work shirt, and found I quite like the way it looks:   I don’t really know when I am going to wear...

Cely from Running off the Reese's  calls her book posts “Words for Nerds” , and I’ve decided that I will too. Because I’m a copy cat. Also because I think it’s more fun than ‘Wednesdays are for Books”. I’ve decided to start linking up with Book Dates  "It's Monday, what are you reading?" posts. I've  realised that I missed the Yarnalong both because I like writing about what I’m reading, but also because I like reading what other people are reading,  and linking up. It’s kind of cosy and companionable. This week I started rereading the Robin Hobb's Assassins Apprentice. The third trilogy featuring the Fitz and the Fool is out, and I thought I would reread the previous 2. I don’t remember when I first read these books-I know I reread them in about 2003 – I have a very distinct memory of camping on Kangaroo Island, and reading one of these books. It’s always a bit nerve wracking, picking up a book that I’ve read and loved and revisiting it such ...

After my colossal indecision about what to knit next, I decided to make life easier for myself. It just felt like, for the last couple if months I was starting something new every minute. And with that comes with actions and decisions - printing out patterns, deciding on needles, endlessly analysing sock needles, choosing yarn, (sometimes) swatching. And then doing it all again six days later. Enough is enough. Yesterday I cast on Thoughts, by Joji Locatelli. A laceweight cardigan that I'm going to knit down to knee length. It's a pretty straightforward pattern, interesting enough to be interesting to knit, but simple enough to be able to knit without thinking about. This should keep my busy for quite a while. No Thoughts, no decisions, just knitting.

I'm jumping around right now, unable to make my mind up about ANYTHING. I received a box on Wednesday, with the yarn for Stasis .  The yarn is beautiful, but I don't think I want to start another jumper for myself, when my previous jumper is still blocking (I'll take photos sometime over the weekend).  I was going to knit a Carraig Fhada Kate Davies colourwork  vest, but then I realised that I won't get much wear of that until autumn. I had finally settled on a long laceweight cardigan . But then Kate sent me a pattern for a pair of mitts she designed. But they are in 3 ply, and I don't have any of that in my stash. Also, to add to my mental disarray, sign ups for Kate Davies new club start tonight. Too much happening, so many choices. In a related note, after the addition  of this yarn, my stash stands at 13,639 meters, pretty much unchanged from my previous count of  13,695. I have done an awful lot of knitting for a stash reduction of 60 meters! ...

I am officially obsessed with Penny Reid's Knitting in the City Books. This week I read Ninja at First Sight ,  the backstory to Happily Ever Ninja . T hen I read most of  Happily Ever Ninja during our weekend away .  The plot is ridiculous, and yet so wonderful. one of the things I like about this series is that she calls it "smart romance" and sometimes it steps outside - and above - the average romance novel plot. So this book focuses on Greg and Fiona, who have been together for 14 years. My only complaint would be that there is not enough knitting - the characters are too busy running around doing preposterous things. Also, not enough of the knitting group women. I love them all so much.

I’ve been away a lot recently, to the nicest places. This weekend we went to Marysville to run the 10km in the marathon festival. It was an utterly delightful weekend- warm and sunny, and a lovely run. In fact it’s the only organised fun run I’m doing next year, but Leon and I have decided to do the full marathon next year. Nothing like 42kms of trails in the mountains. Yesterday’s race was out first “official” training run for the marathon.   My parents' holiday  there has a front deck and we spent most of the weekend sitting there being warm, admiring the birds, and in my case knitting on my jumper and reading. I don’t know if it’s a good thing that I have recently learnt that I can knit plain things and read at the same time, but it certainly made the sleeves of this jumper go very quickly! I started the collar in the car on the war home: I have some concerns about the  neckline, because on many people it sits quite low, and I really don’t want it...

1. Here is the Woolly Wormhead mystery hat after clue 2 : 2. I’m liking the pattern. I’m slightly worried that it might be a little small but my previous 2 hats where too big, so we’ll see. 3. I’m still working on my Romi Hill jumper . I’ve almost finished the first sleeve: 4. When you work on two things at a time, everything seems to take forever to finish. 5.I’m going to Marysville this weekend for the marathon festival (only running the 10k though) which should give me plenty of time to get off Sleeve Island.  

I'm kind of finishing up requesting NetGalley books for the moment, because my "to read" list keeps growing, and I'm working all day at work, rather than picking through NetGalley to find the gems. Two weeks ago I logged on to post my final review, and saw they had review copies of Knit Mitts by Kate Atherley. Well, I was hardly going to say no to that! This book is great. Yes, it has nice patterns, but mainly it explains the process of knitting mittens. I'm going to knit a pair of flip top mittens to match my Stasis jumper, and this book is going to be immensely helpful in planning that project. So, I recommend this book if you like nice mitten patterns, if you want to learn more about the process, if you want to design or if you just want a pretty book. 5 stars.

We went to Wagga Wagga for the weekend. I had just cast on the Manzatani te e, and didn't bother throwing in anything but the project - I didn't pack DPNs for the sleeves, or smaller needles for the bottom hem. After all, I hadn't even finished the lace yoke, and we were only away for two nights. I actually rushed the packing in general, and didn't even manage to throw in dental floss, and I like flossing every night before bed. Near the end of the second night I realised I was going to get the body finished - so I figured I would buy some floss, and put the bottom hem on it. I bought 25 meters for $3. So, 250 meters would cost $30. And this stuff is nylon! Anyway, it did the job, both on my teeth and to hold the bottom of the jumper. 

I feel a bit weird, because I did my “ what’s nex t” post before the wrap up post – mainly because I didn’t finish the last pair of socks until 11.30pm on the 31 st of sOctober. Such a ridiculous self-imposed deadline. And what a magnificent pair of socks they are. Gladys by my current favourite sock designer, General Hogbuffer. Designed to look like a gansey, these are just the manliest of manly socks. The yarn, which I dyed myself , ended up a little more variegated than I was expecting, and pooled a bit, but still in a manly manner. These socks used more yarn than many I’ve made - 73 grams -  I expect because of the amount of patterning. Once I got the hang of the pattern it was easy to memorise and fun to knit. And for the final wrap up of the funnest month of the year,  here is  a picture of all six pairs of socks from sOctober, which ended up being a very productive month.  Now onwards to hats and jumpers!

After last week’s trip to struggletown   I wanted to read something fun and light, so I picked StartUp , by Doree Shafrir. It was an easy read, but actually raised some really big, relevant and timely questions about gender roles, sexism, our relationships with social media and each other. I highly recommend this, and could not put it down – I was a bit sad when I finished it, I wanted more. I was still in the mood for light, so I started the next of the Knitting in the City series Love Hacked . It’s Penny Reid, so it’s a well written, light and slightly ridiculous romance. I’m loving spending some time with the Knitting in the City ladies.