What I made, by Sharon

After last week's huge clue, I was very glad that this week was a little more restrained, and I am very nearly caught up. It's a very strange shape right now!   The next clue comes out Thursday night and I am fascinated to see how this will all tie together.  In reading, I chose a book hat I thought would be OK. I wasn't looking for anything that would be incredibly compelling, because I knew that I wanted to spend all my free time knitting! So I chose Jodi Piccoult's Wish You Were Here . It's a book that starts in March 2020, about a couple that get separated at the start of the pandemic. It's not for everyone, but i have a weird nostalgia (that might not be the right word) for that time. I think I had also forgotten how scary it was! It's not a bad book at all, and I'm enjoying it, but it's also easy to put down - not something I normally look for in a book! I have to admit that before I choose this I tried to start Rachel John's Work Wives . I...

I took a long weekend, and still didn't have enough time to knit! There is never enough time, and that's just the way of it. On Friday I went to Moorabbin to weigh in for Saturday's Powerlifting competition. then the team went for brunch and I had to get my nails done. I had a little bit of time so I almost got caught up on clue two of twists and Turns MKAL. Clue 3 came out on Thursday evening, so I was just a bit behind.  Comp day went very well, although I took no photos. I got squat: 85kg, bench 45kg and deadlift 110kg @55.5kgs body weight so i was quite happy about that (except the bench, which I failed lifts two and three. I got a gold medal, so that's always fun. When I got home I was a bit tired, and even though i sat on the couch with my knitting I did not get a lot of knitting done. Sunday was a glorious day of doing nothing. We cleaned the house, and did some washing and took a short walk. So relaxing. I don't know how I didn't get more knitting done -...

I usually try to eye-read and listen to different styles of books, but I ended up eye-reading Stitches and Witches    the second book in The Vampire Knitters Club series, and listening to Whispers Underground the third book in the Rivers of London Series. They are very different kinds of series, both enjoyable in their own ways. In knitting I'm still knitting the Twists and Turns MKAL and nothing else. There is a lot of knitting in each clue this year. Also, we went out on Friday night to a piano bar, and normally I'd get a lot of knitting done, but there was drinking and dancing and a good time was had...but not much knitting. Then I left my knitting bag in my downstairs neighbours flat. Tragic. I didn't get it back until Sunday. That's the clue half finished! I have today off sick - a scratchy throat and the start of a cough. I'm trying to nip it in the bud, since I have a powerlifting competition on Saturday that will go better if I am not sick. This does give m...

Six months ago I took Amazon up on an offer for half-price kindle unlimited for six months. I've different experiences with my three tries at KU, from "I didn't read a single book" the first time, to this time, where I have read 11 books and have a bunch more waiting for me on Kindle.  I discovered a couple of new series, including  The Vampire Knitting Club , which is about vampires who knit and I love it.  I also listened to the free audio for two of books.  Since Audible books cost $15 dollars each, this is quite valuable. Today I went to unsubscribe - it's worth it to me at half price, but $13 a month is a bit much, when I also want to buy other books and I'm often reading review books. When I went to leave, Amazon offered me another 3 months for .99c. To say I am thrilled is an understatement. I love a bargain! I'll reassess in 3 months - although I'll probably try to cancel again and see if they give me an offer, Amazon have really trained me to ...

The photo above is to prevent spoilers, but also I liked the way it was so similar  to my MKAL yarn. I finished the first sock of sOctober last Wednesday night.  Then Thursday I received my MKAL yarn, and got most of it wound up before the clue came through at around 8.30pm. And I have been knitting pretty continuously ever since. I love my colours and there are some fun techniques in here, like those braids. Some of the knitting has been a bit annoying -lots of casting off and casting back on again. On Monday I realised my stitch count was quite off, but I've (mainly) managed to fix that. I should get this clue finished just before the next clue comes out - there was a lot of knitting in it, possibly the most of any MKAL clue I've done.   I'm still reading    Darkdawn    the third in the  Nevernight series. It's a really good book, but I've been very dedicated to the MKAL, so haven't been reading nearly as much as I'm used to. I have been li...

I finished the Exp test knit last Sunday, blocked it immediately, wore it to work twice last week, got photos on Friday and  am finally sitting down to tell you about it now. I meant to do it yesterday, but on Saturday Leon and I went to Elise's house for dinner before we went to a show and as we were walking down her street I found an abandoned Yukka plant. It was healthy, someone had clearly taken it out of it's pot and just dumped it. Elise told me that if I wanted it I should take it. On Sunday we caught the tram back to Elise's and while we were picking up the Yukka she gave me a Monstera that she propagated for me.  We caught the tram to the pub with the plants, had lunch and a couple of beers. Luckily we were in a plant filled beer garden and no-one asked about our BYO plant situation! When we got home I did more balcony gardening and got my hands busy trying to keep up with the Stephen West MKAL .  So, this jumper was quite fun to knit, but if I was to knit ...

I always think I don't buy yarn... except when I do! I try to buy on an as need basis, and I certainly no longer stress shop for yarn, since I discovered having a big stash is more stressful for me. All of this is an introduction to all the yarn that has moved into my stash this week! Starting with rainbow stripped yarn from HalfBaked Hand-dyed . I've wanted rainbow stripped yarn forever, and when Dani emailed to say she was making this her monthly self-stripe colour I said "2 please" very quickly. I might make a sock-arms cardigan. You may remember I was going to dye my own yarn for the Stephen West Twists and Turns MKAL, but the yarn I ordered was out of stock. I didn't cancel the order, since there are loads of things I would like to dye and knit, including the Sock Arms Cardigan, some pink socks and who knows what else. That yarn showed up last week. The yarn I actually ordered for the MKAL. There is a story here. I ordered it four weeks ago, and asked the dy...

In knitting, I'm basically waiting for the start of the Stephen West MKAL. I've cast on a little pair of anklets to keep my going until the first clue drops. Then they are small enough to pick up and put down if there is time between clues. These are Joji's Flores socks, and I did sign them up for the Joji Fall Knit-a-Long, but I'm really invested in that KAL. Too much else going on. This week I started  Nicholas Sparks The Wish , which is a dual timeline about a woman dying of cancer and the relationship she develops in her final months. I got half way through and then couldn't, partly because I found the timeline set in the past really boring, and partly becasue the present timeline it was obvious what was going to happen - not just that she was going to die. The day after I started this I found out Sally, my boss, had died of cancer, so maybe that's another reason I just can't. So I picked up Darkdawn  the third in the  Nevernight series, and it has a s...

I have a rather large balcony, and over the last couple of years I have started growing plants, both on the balcony and in the house. I have some idea how to look after them, but when I saw  Pots by Harriet Rycrofy  was available on NetGalley I requested it very quickly. Harriet is English, but the advice she gives in this book is universal. She has a sensible, calm, down-to-earth approach that is both comforting and informative. There are things I've never though about, like grouping plants, as well as advice on plant care, planning and the dreaded re-potting. This book is filled with inspiring photos, while being realistic about what is achievable. Highly reccomend. This book actually made me look properly at my garden, and I'm really proud of what I've achieved, even if it is a little haphazard. I rescued this tree from our carpark - it was moved down there when the renovations started, and when I removed it it had 5 leaves. I repotted it, gave it some love and some w...

 I love sOcktober, even thought I feel like I probably have enough socks in my life. Also, s)cktober and the Stephen West MKAL co-incide, so that puts a damper on things. Still this year I have plans for two pair of socks: !) a pair of joji's Flores shorties from left over yarn: And a pair of plain socks for my father. I think this will knit up with brown stripes, and he likes an interesting, colourful sock. It's also the oldest yarn in my stash (except for some colourwork leftovers), dating from October 2020, so it's high time it gets used. Of course, this sock planning, along with the test knit , has pushed back the Joji lace and Fade boxy I was going to cast on , but that can wait. Now, let's sit back and see what actually gets knit!