Hello and welcome to a little post about my current knitting WIPs and current books I am reading. Yes, I am reading books, who would have thought?
Current WIPs
All yarn and projects laid out on a bed.
Trifle Wrap by Helen Stewart, this is a really exciting project since I am making it to wear on my wedding day next Spring. I figured it was best to give myself a ton of time to work on it between other projects that I need done sooner. I am using yarn from Cape May Fiber, Chelsea Luxe Yarn, and Sewrella Yarn.
Shell Cottage Socks by Helen Stewart, this pattern/sock is going to be used for Sock Week 2024 hosted by Knitty Natty. I decided I want to finish a sock before sock week so at the end I have a finished pair of socks. I am slowly trying to make my way through my Helen Stewart socks and this pattern is a great mixture of mindless and action. I am using yarn from Urban Girl Yarns, which is really an awesome sock yarn I have been enjoying very much working with.
Current Reads
For the first book I am about 5% from finishing, it is Who Censored Roger Rabbit by Gary K. Wolf, it is actually the book Disney took to create their movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It has been very interesting to see the characters I know from the screen and rewatches put in different situations and be a bit different. I do reccomend if you enjoyed the movie for sure, but keep in mind it is different. Disney took some leeway.
The second book I picked up this past weekend at a bookstore about an hour away from where I live. It is called People From My Neighborhood by Hiromi Kawakami and transalted by Ted Goossen. I read half of it in a single day, I love it so far. It is broken up into small chapters, where each chapter tells a story about someone or something that happened in the neighborhood. It also has a little touch of magic, giving this a feel of a magical realism. Also, it is great fun to slowly get bits and pieces of this town to slowly build your own picture.
Hello and welcome to a bit of a makeover post! Today I am going to be redecorating both of my kindle devices to give them a bit of a new life, but also add some practicality as well. I was inspired by papernroses over on youtube for this little endeavor. For reference I have an 8th Generation Kindle that no longer is really supported and I just throw in my bag to take with me out in the world. I also have a Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, which I only use at home at this point in time. I think when my 8th one fully decides to stop working I will also be taking my Signature around town as well. As of right now my Kindle 8th Gen. just has some dead pixels, but does not impede my reading thankfully. Anyway, now that you have that bit of background information on to the redecorating!
The Supplies
Popsockets; one standard, one magsafe
Transparent cases; one sparkles, one plain clear
Various stickers, mainly knitting or halloween related
After
My newer at home kindle is the one I ended up adding the most to. The main reason for this is because it is the kindle I was able to find a see through cover for where I can collage the stickers together more easily without needing to commit. I ended up adding a Wool of Fortune tarot card, a moth knitting, a fox wearing a sweater, a hand, a la bien amiee sticker of her as a cartoon on a bike, and a moon. I also ended up adding a popsocket to the back as well to aid in holding the kindle while I get sleepy in bed. I found a realy cute one that had a moon and sun.
I ended up not being able to get a picture of my other kindle, but I did end up adding a clear sparkly popsocket and putting a few stickers on it as well. You might be wondering why I was not able to get a picture…well I misplaced it. This is why I have an out and about kindle and home kindle. I do think I know where it is, but I need to do a little travel to check. Oops!
I do hope you enjoyed this small post of my kindle makeover! Have you decorated for kindle? Any suggestions to make mine easier to use or even cuter? Please share below!
Hello and welcome to a bit of a challenge introduction. Finish it February is something I have been hearing a lot around the knitting scene, but I feel like it could really be great for all of my hobbies. Mainly, at least from what I have seen or heard, Finish if February is where you take all your WIPs (works in progress) and try your hardest to finish as many as you can. Now, I am going to be doing this with my knitting and crochet projects, but I am also going to be doing it with my current reads as well. So, since it is the start of February, here are the books I want to finish and the projects I want get of my hooks and needles.
The Books
As of writing this I am in the middle of two books, both of which I want to continue with and have been enjoying. The first is Holly by Stephen King, which I have mentioned in a post earlier this year. This one I have been “reading” for a bit, but I have not been keeping up with it so I might actually restart it since I am not too far along into the story. The second book is The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda, this is a thriller I really am enjoying the over all setting of a lore from what I have read so far. I would really like two finish this book first since it is fresh in my mind and then restart Holly. Realistically, I don’t know if I will be able to finish both these books in February, but I would like to finish one and then make a good dent into the other.
The Projects
So, my WIPs are a bit out of control I am not going to lie. I am activity working on 7 projects, 2 pairs of socks, 1 clutch, 2 sweaters, 1 wrap, and 1 tree skirt. I think I would be thrilled if I finished the Teddy Bear Clutch I am more than halfway done with as well as the socks I am working on as well. One of which is just a plain sock and the other is a test knit I am in the middle of. Following that I would like to prioritize the tree skirt and get that packed up with the Christmas decorations and ready for next year. After that I am not quiet sure which one I would prioritize. Overall, I think I would like to just get my WIP number down and I wont be to mad if I end up casting on something else.
Hello and welcome to a little recap of January 2024! I cannot believe that this month is already over, I feel like it flew by and I have no idea how it happened. But, I have to say the year is off to a really great start! I went on a real fun adventure, I finished a few projects, and I even read a few books. I know…I actually read not just one, but multiple books. Did I get my reading mojo back? Time will tell, but let’s get into what has been going on in January!
This month I ended up finishing a tome I started all the way back in August of 2023. It took me just over 5 months to finish reading American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. This non-fiction biography of Oppenheimer was mainly started because I wanted to know more about the live of the main character of one of the biggest blockbusters of 2023. It was very informative written in an engaging manner, but it was very long at about 700 pages. I think it mainly took so long because I every time I wanted to read it, I felt like I didn’t have enough time to dedicate to it. When reading it, I would want to sit and read for longer periods of time because there were no real natural stopping points throughout. I ended up giving this book 3 stars, I liked it, but I didn’t love it. It was a middle of the road read, but I am really happy I read it.
The second book I read this month was very different, it was actually a reread of a childhood favorite The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket. I am not sure why, but I really felt the need to reread these books in December and since then I have read the first two books in the series. One thing I noticed was how much I missed when I first read these books as a kid. They really do touch and hint at some tough topics. Regardless of this, it was really fun to see what I could find as an adult and remembering the story and flashbacks to when I first read them. I am planning on continuing my reread of the series throughout the year. I ended up giving this book 4 stars.
Making
This year is off to a great start with my first finished project being a gift knit for my mother. A sweater of all things. I actually started it and finished it in the same month. That has not happened in a long time. I made the Six Little Flowers Cardigan (ravelry) by Uma Murphy in a really pretty purple color. It was fun making a sweater for someone else and their excitement while trying it on throughout the process. I am tempted to make this pattern again in the future because it worked up so quickly while using size us 11 and 17 knitting needles. Plus, it is an easily customizable sweater as well.
The second project I ended up making myself a new pair of gloves. I used the pattern, Gloves No. 1 (website) by My Favourite Things. This is the first time I have completed one of her patterns and I can tell why people are always knitting up their stuff. I really liked the layout of this pattern and how it just got right to the point without trying to look pretty. It was written clearly, gave resources, and didn’t have fluff. I am in love with the neon yellow I ended up using for this pattern, it was called Electric Feels by a Homespun House. Another first for me, I never used their yarn before either and it worked like a dream! I will be ordering more in the future.
Adventures
This month one of the biggest adventures I had was a day trip to NYC to visit some friends with my partner. One of these friends was one from high school we have not seen in years and the other was visiting from Boston to see a show. We ended up going to central park, the MET, some yarn shopping, and out for a lovely dinner. It was great to spend some quality time with friends. It is something I honestly need to do more often. With everything going on, sometimes I forget to make it a priority.
Hello and welcome to an August Wrap up! I don’t know about you, but August always feel like the last month of summer, even though I know for a fact is apparently doesn’t end until September 23rd this year. But, I will be honest as soon as September 1st comes around I feel like fall is in the air. Anyway, I say this because I always feel like I try to fit in the most adventures in August to really get all I can out of Summer. This has led to some serious reading, crafting, and adventures this month. Yes, I did say some reading!
Books
The Spite House by Johnny Compton, this was a really interesting horror read for sure! I was looking for horror and that is exactly what I got. I mentioned a few months back that I picked this book up because I really loved the idea of an evil house instead of just being a filled with ghosts. I did not expect was the really interesting family dynamic and slowly learning how the family truly gets to this point. I feel like the only downside, which I really feel is more of a personal preference thing. I felt like this story would have been better suited as a novella, at times I felt like there was too much fluff and I was waiting for something to happen to the point of the story dragging at certain points. Which, I can see building suspense in a positive way for a different reader. Either way, I am very glad I read this book and enjoyed it, I am excited to see what Compton writes next!
Adventures
One of the first things I did in August was go on a NYC adventure with one of my best friends. It was a total blast we spent the entire day walking around, we started by stopping at Shakespeare & Co were I ended up picking up a copy of American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, which is the book about J. Robert Oppenheimer that inspired the movie Oppenheimer I believe. So after seeing and really enjoying the movie, I wanted to know more about him. I also ended up picking up a tiny little short story called Ghost Wall by Sarafi Moss, which was recommended by a staff member and I have no idea what it is about still. Then we stopped at Levain Bakery, where I enjoyed a really yummy cinnamon bread and latte. Then we just went into random stores that caught our interest and then went to a show. It was a really lovely day overall. The only bad part was loosing my project bag, knitting needle, and yarn in the subway. Thankfully, this can all easily be replaced.
On the left is a picture of the inside of the bookstore Shakespeare & Co.
On the right is a picture of my breakfast at Levain, a cinnamon bread and latte on a table top with bakery bag.
Hello and welcome to a little mid-month check in with the book or books I am reading and projects that are keeping me busy. I will say, I already finished a book this month…who am I?! But, I am still working on another that I believe will last me the rest of the month because it a TOME. As for projects I am, as always, working on a few.
Current Reads
American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, which is about J. Robert Oppenheimer. Yes, I did see the movie Oppenheimer and then promptly picked up the book the next time I went to a bookstore. This is a tome, but I am reading a little bit at a time and really enjoying learning a bit more about Oppenheimer. I can’t say that this is an aspect of history I really ever delved in, I never thought to look up who or whom created the atomic bomb and their stories. After seeing the movie, I became curious and as is customary, not everything can be kept in a movie so I am already seeing some information that is new to me.
Current WIPs
Completed ribbing on knitting needles on couch next to lemon themed yarn bag.
While I have about four WIPs or works in progress on the go, I am really focusing on two at this point in time. The first being Wyethia by Jessica McDonald (Ravelry | Website) This is a really nice shirt with lace along the bottom that I really would love to finish ASAP so I get some wear out of it before the weather cools off. As of writing this I am done with the lace, body, and have split for front and back. I am currently working on the back, so I don’t have a ton more to do. I am using Concept by Katia Cotton-Merino in color 59 (gray), which is 70% cotton and 30% wool.
The second project I am really just starting is my Tessellated Vest by Andrea Mowry (Ravelry | Website) for New York Sheep and Wool this year. I am using a kit I picked up from Farmer’s Daughter Fibers using pincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool in the color ghost ranch (wool), The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers Oh Dang! in the color clay dreaming (alpaca suri silk blend), and The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers Spinster’s Daughter in the color willow creek (wool). My goal is to work on this and finish in time to actually wear it to the festival. Since I decided to work on the vest, I think I will be able to do it in time.
Classic Bhaer 