What I made, by Sharon

  And all I mean by that is that I am both listening to and reading thrillers (or murder mysteries, I'm not really sure what the difference is). I normally try to have different genres going, because it can get confusing, but it happened this way. In eye-reading, I addressed the oldest book on my Kindle - from August 2022 - The Family Remains , by Lisa Jewel. It's a sequel and has very mixed reviews. I was ready to read the first chapter and abandon, but I've actually found it quite compulsive reading, even if I'm not convinced that the plot makes any sense.  It might help that I read the previous book in February 2022, so it's all a bit hazy. I'm listening to The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan. It was the Audible free book of the month ages ago. I've listened to a couple of prequels and quite liked them. They are set in Ireland and the narrator is perfect except one of the characters is meant to be Irish who moved to Australia when she was 14 and I can tell you,...

  Yes, I went out every night this week, and I remembered to take photos at each event. I can't say they are the best photos. but I'm proud of myself anyway. Monday night I joined the Richmond Knitters, as I do most Mondays. We ate l eft over birthday cake and, as usual, cackled and chatted and talked (a little bit) about knitting. Leon, chatting with the head brewer On Tuesday Leon, Kris and I went to a beer dinner, which matched Temple beer to Asian inspired food, and it was yummy and fun.  There was someone there wearing a cream cable-knit jumper and it made me even more determined to make a cream cable-knit jumper really soon. You can just see him leaning forward in the background of the photo above. On Wednesday  Leon and I went to &Juliet, a cheering, inspiring and delightful musical. I highly recommend.  Thursday was Shavout, so we had a four course meal and my parents, with my brother and some of my parent's friends. i got a photo, but I couldn...

  NetGalley were offering a review copy of  Making Clay Earrings and I said yes please so fast I think I sprained my mouse finger! I read the book and realised that I don't really wear earrings, but I am obsessed with buttons. I actually made some buttons in 2011 , but they were not very good because I didn't understand about finishing techniques, or that you can drill the clay after it is baked - and a few other issues besides. This book is clear and inspiring and fun. I went looking for supplies and discovered that the art shop just up the road from my place sells both Fimo and Sculpy. There was still the question of tools. It helps to have good tools, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something I really wanted to do for an afternoon. Meanwhile at knit night I mentioned that I was about to embark on a little Fimo journey, Sonia said we was getting rid of some equipment and then presented me with this amazing bounty. I knew I didn't really want to make e...

I'm eye reading, ear reading and non-fiction reading NetGalley review books, and I'm loving it. I'm eye-reading an Upper West Side Story by Rachel Cullen. It's a book about 4 youngish people in New York in 2004. It's told in four different first person voices and present tense, which is not my favourite narrative style. Some of the 2004 references feel a bit forced - we are always hearing about what TV show people are watching. There is also a LOT of discussion about what people are eating. On the other hand it's light and cute and I'm probably taking it all too seriously. Very cute cover... I'm ear-reading Hi Honey I'm Homo  by Matt Baume. I often listen to podcasts while I work (don't tell my boss ;) and this has that same kind of feel. It's very American and a bit repetitious, but also a  bit interesting and, unlike a novel, it doesn't matter if I miss a bit. In non-fiction I'm reading Making Polymer Clay Earrings   by Liat Weiss...

The first part of Good Beer Week (Pint of Origin) finished on Sunday, and it was quite a week. Mainly in beer activities but there were some other fun things thrown in too. So many things! On Monday I went to Richmond Knitters as always - no photos it would be weird to take photos of something I do every week, but maybe I will tonight. On Tuesday we went to The Park Hotel in Abbotsford for Pint of Origin Beers instead our of usual Tuesday trivia, it's fun to mix it up. On Wednesday we toured South Melbourne, visiting three pubs. Thursday we stayed home, which was a nice change, then on Friday Leon and I went to the Local and my parents place for dinner - again no photos, but I really should take photos of those who are dearest to me. On Saturday we celebrated the Richmond Knitters 16th birthday party. I've been going to this group weekly for 14 years, and they are such an amazing, inspiring, lovely group of people. It was a delight to get together and celebrate ourselves! We ha...

My plan to knit something when out and something when at home is working! I've finished both sleeves on Leon's jumper since Saturday, and I'm really happy with how the yarn is knitting up. I'll be casting on for the body today. Such a relaxing knitting project. It took some discipline, but when I'm home I've been slowly knitting away at my colourwork jumper. I haven't made a great deal of progress, but I was only home on Sunday night. It's been a busy week! I doubt there will be a lot more progress in the next week - I'll be home on Thursday night, and that's it. I'm a bit stuck on reading, both audio and eye-reading. What should I read after Neal Stephenson's Seveneves ? It was such an amazing book - not amazingly good, just amazing, and following that up is difficult. I've tried and abandoned a few books and am not desultorily reading Elizabeth Strout's  The Burgess Boys .  It's fine. Well written and interesting enough, bu...

There is an event called PoO (Pint of Origin) that is normally part of Good Beer Week, but this year is running the week before. Basially a number of pubs  are each allocated a place, and serve beer from that place. Originally it was different States but has broadened to include other countries and regional areas. On Friday night we started at The Catfish (New Zealand) and then went to Bonnie (Melbourne) and Near or Far (Brisbane). Elise had just come back from her trip and we had a merry crew. Saturday morning was Coburg Yarn festival. I had not bought or received any yarn since Christmas (not that i get Christmas presents, but Danni's Christmas yarn was the last yarn I bought), then the Richmond Knitters went out for lunch. I'm working on my photography skills, it's hard to take pictures of groups around a table! I bought some buttons, and yarn for 2 jumpers. The buttons I had on my old romance are too small and don't keep it shut. Now I have to sew buttons on again....

I try to practice mindfulness, but I'd rather put on my headphones when I am cleaning the house or doing my job than "be in the moment". Still I work at it. I mediate daily and find it really helps calm my busy mind. there are heaps of different apps, I use and like Insight Timer , which has a timer, as well as a lot of guided meditations and courses. These range from the scientific to the spiritual, but it's easy to separate out what I want. NetGalley recently approved my requests for two books on these topics - Mindfulness in Knitting - Meditation for Craft and Calm and There Is No Right Way To Meditate . I started Mindfulness for Knitters First and was very confused. It's word salad, Here is the introduction: From the origins of societies natural evolution, two ancient cultures have emerged, guiding the way for our heads, hears and hands. one of these cultures is knitting, or to be more descriptive, the addictive habit of forming a soft textile with your hands...

The good book is Seveneves by Neil Stephenson. I've read a lot of his previous work and was hesitant to start this, because it's massive and got mixed reviews, but I'm "enjoying" it, or at least finding it compelling. I'm about half way through this 800 page book and it might be getting a little less intense, or it might just be switching gears to a different type of intensity. In any case, I'm glad I'm reading it. I'm not sure I'm glad I chose my current knitting project. I'm turning Kate Davies Strankeeker round necked vest into a v-necked cardigan, and i probably don't have enough yarn, and I can't really knit it when i'm out and about which is strange because I have knit many colourwork projects while on the go. It's not super important, since I have a plan  to manage this, but it has led to frustration this week on Monday (knit-night) and Tuesday (pub trivia). I'm home for the next two nights, so might make some pr...

if you have been around here for  any length of time you will know that I love to knit all the time, and I'm very happy knitting in public, on public transport, in bars, pretty much anywhere. After I finished my mini-skein madness I knew I wanted to knit S tarkeeker by Kate Davies. I'm using yarn I bought for something else, and I should have enough, but I might not. Anyw3ay, I've started, with lots of hope.  I knit colourwork two handed, so it's really not suitable for knitting when I'm drinking. And next week, exactly a week from when I cast this on, is  Pint of Origin, rapidly followed by Good Beer Week. I considered my options - knit this while out, don't knit while drinking this year (hahaha) or cast on another project to knit in public. Such a simple solution. So unexpected. I have two choices for secondary projects - some simple charity knitting. I'm o n  mission to use up all the scraps of colourwork yarn I have left over. Bits and pieces that are l...

 AKWAK is happy to receive any donations, they package things out in sets. I normally just make a hat, cowl and jumper, but this time I did things properly. Behold my full set: Jumper, hat, cowl, socks and mittens. The most complete set I have ever made, 420 grams of left-overs used up and a child who will be warm this winter. Winning all around.

Well just the books, but there are three of them - audio, fiction and non-fiction, all kindly provided by NetGalley. In audio I am still listening to Joanna Stingray's   Red Wave, An American In the Soviet Music Underground . It's not a prefect book, like most memoirs its very focused on certain things, while not telling the complete story, and missing things that I want to know, but it is quite interesting. I'm reading Old Boys   by Nick Spalding. Two books in a row about middle aged men coming of age (the other being the excellent Dinner with the Schnabels by Toni Jordan). This book is pretty solid. I'm pretty sure I know where it is going, but the journey is the point. And anyway, I'm only a third of the way through it, so  I might be wrong. I'm also reading the Object Lesson's book Wine by Meg Bernhart. This is one of the more memoir based books in the series, and I'm finding her history and the story of wine very interesting. She's touched on ...