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 my monthly recap! This months post is going to be short and sweet, but I did some reading and got a few projects off of my needles. I didn’t go outside too much due to the heat so I was able to get a bunch done on my projects.
Books
As for reading this month, I am making my way through The Spite House by Johnny Compton. So far, I am enjoying it, but I will say the building at the start is a bit slow. I am at a point where things are getting real and the pace is more something I enjoy. I am curious to see where this story brings this family in this apparent haunted house. I feel like it might get very intense, but I can’t be too sure.
Crochet & Knitting
Tee shirt with short balloon sleeves in a cream color with specs of various colors.
Ghost Whisperer by Park Williams (Ravelry | Website), this is the first project I finished this past month. I really enjoyed making this pattern, although I did enjoy up adding a few inches to the body for my preference. My plan is to wear this over a dress for a little bit of a cover when in the air conditioning this summer as well. This pattern is made with a single strand of mohair for most of it, but in certain points it is held double.
A pair of red socks with stitch markers counting rows.
My second completed project was a modified version of the Dorsal Socks by Helen Stewart (Ravelry). I actually made this pair in a single week as part of Knitty Natty’s Sock Week. It takes place every year in the Summer where you do your best to knit a single sock within the week, she also runs something similar in the winter that is a bit longer where the goal is to knit a pair. Anyway, I modified this pattern by only adding a single fin on the back of the socks and using a shadow wrap heel created by EarthtonesGirl. This is also my first pair of shortie socks and I can see myself making more of them to wear around the house in the warmer weather.
Adventures
Collage of yarn store, comic store, bubble tea, and knitting at a restaurant with a tea.
This month I went on a few adventures, but I am going to only share a few. The first one I want to share is the fact I went on a little day trip my with boyfriend to Doyles Town, PA. There we went to a yarn shop, comic shop, and ate some yummy ramen. It was a lovely day just walking around a little downtown together and exploring a new place. Another day I took myself out to breakfast, not something I normally do, but I was bored and I wanted breakfast food. So I took myself and my knitting out to breakfast and worked on my Twisted Tea Shirt by The Little Wolf Knits. I also ended up going to get my hair done that day and running to a little local yarn store and picked up some yarn to make a pair of socks.
This month I decided to do something a little different and I wanted to use a prompt generator once again to pick my TBR. I did this quite a while ago, you can see what it ended up picking for me last time here: To Be Read | November 2020, Using a Prompt Generator. This time around I ended up using Random Prompt by heyreader. Without more of a delay here are the prompts it sent my way as well as the books I decided to read based upon them.
Significant Other Picks
For this prompt I let my boyfriend look over my owned TBR and pick any of the books on it. He ended up actually picking a number to corresponds with my goodreads shelf, Owned TBR. He ended up picking number 14, which means I am going to be reading Mary by Nat Cassidy. It is a newer book to my Owned TBR, it is described as a horror/thriller where a woman begins to have strange experiences that mirror a well known serial killer.
Published Before 1900
For this one I have to run to the library for, which I am excited to go to the library and support them. I don’t have any classics on my shelf, but one classic I would love to reread is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I last read this in 2015… a whole 8 years ago! I would like to see how my feelings are the same and/or different. Looking back at my goodreads I gave this book 4 stars.
Hello readers! Today I am going to to share some of the books I really want to read this Summer. I have not done a lot of reading in recent months, but I am hoping to slowly get back into reading. I miss getting lost in a book and honestly just having some me time so I am trying to make it part of my daily routine, even if it just a page or two. Anyway, here are the books I hope to read!
This book follows a PhD student in late 20s who just wants to finish her dissertation that focuses on Xiao-Wen Chou. From what I read in the description it seems like she finds a letter in a book that not only helps her in her goal, but also changes her life dramatically. I was drawn to this mainly because I enjoy reading about individuals in college or university, but when I read the description I felt like I needed to know what she found that impacts her life so intensely.
I will be the first to admit that the cover of this book is really what got my attention on the shelf at the bookstore. But, I am not one to buy a book based only on the cover only. I picked it up and read this, “In England in 1962, an Icelandic man is found dead on a train bound for Cheltenham Spa”. Then I was automatically won over, a train murder mystery, I am in! Then I read a bit more and realized it was a historical fiction and pulls from the 1950s/60s and takes a look at how someone could be shaped by a hateful ideology.
I went to the bookstore in May on the hunt for a horror novel. This book had a little blurb from a staff member that intrigued me enough to pick it up and read the description. If you are newer here I really enjoyed reading House of Leaves a few years ago and one thing I really liked was the idea of a house being the evil entity. So, when a father of two comes across an ad to live in a haunted house and detail their encounters for obscene amount of money I was intrigued to see if this would have the same evil location vibes.
Hello and welcome to a post where I am sharing the books I am adding to my owned TBR. I have actually been reading a bit this past few months so of course I wanted to reward myself with some new books to add to my stacks. Most of the books I have been reading have been through my library digitally, but I recently went on a little adventure and came across a really lovely local bookstore and I wanted to support them. So, I ended up getting these lovely book. Also, I am adding a bonus of a preorder at the end of this post.
I have to say, the cover of this book really pulled me in. The cover is a really lovely dark red berry color, with an illustrated girl on the cover in the same color dress. Oddly, you don’t see her face at all as the title is on top of it located on a doodled cloud. Then I ended up picking up the book and looking at the description. It follows a house wife (name is unknown at this time) who has visions and leaves her life behind. It sounded interested and spontaneous. Bonus, the book is under 150 pages. When I got home I added the book to my goodreads and I ended up noticing that this books ratings are not the highest and had only one written review, but I am still intrigued.
When I walked into the store I really wanted to get a nonfiction read or a horror book. Sadly, their horror was VERY limited. Only about 20 books and I will be honest I read them all. So, I ended up picking up the above talked about book and then walking over to the nonfiction and this title grabbed me right away. In recent years I have realized I really enjoy learning about the history of medicine. I have read and loved The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris. While The Icepick Surgeon is medical related, it explore the lengths people will go in to try to prove something. Some of the things in this book are medical, but it seems to focus on science in general.
Now, I wont go too much into this book due to the fact it is the second book in a series. The first book followed Jade Daniels a high school student who LOVES horror. She watches and consumes it to not focus on her not so great home life. But, this knowledge ends up coming in handy since she is about to be in a horror story herself. She deals with quite a lot and can be difficult to read for some. I will say, reading this I can see that Stephen Graham Jones loves horror himself with constant nods to other works. I highly suggest checking it out because I have not been this excited for a horror series in a long time.
Hello and welcome to a midmonth check-in where I am sharing the things I am currently reading and my works in progress and share how I am feeling about each of them. I am happy to report I am finally reading a bit. Not nearly as much as I have in the past, but I am making some progress in that regard. Due to this, I am reading a few books that I am going to be talking about. On top of that I have two projects I am working on as well. Without more rambling, here are my current reads and WIPs
In progress knitting projects and my eReader on my bed.
My Current Reads
I am currently about half way through Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I am buddy reading this with Misty’s Book Space and it has been really fun reading this book in small chunks and talking about it weekly. So far I am enjoying the book, the author has done a really good job with setting the mood and establishing the characters and setting. There have been a few things I could have done without, but over all I am enjoying it. I am very much in the phase of I need to keep reading to see what happens next, which has not happened in a really long time. I am very happy that it seems like my reading mojo might be returning.
The second book I am currently reading is Sundial by Catriona Ward, this was also a buddy read, but I did not keep up with it sadly. I am still reading it though and I will finish it! I will be a good buddy reading partner lol. I am enjoying this story, it is a horror thriller, but I am enjoying Ninth House a bit more at this point. But, I have a ton to read still so I am curious to see if I feel the same by the time I finish them. I think the main reason is this is more a thriller\horror where as Ninth House is more fantasy/mystery dark academia. Both are written well and, like I said, I am liking them both.
My Current WIPs
The first project I am really focusing on is the Sophie Shawl by PetiteKnit (Ravelry|Website), I started this project in December of 2022 and I would really love to finish it and use it. I am over halfway done at this point and the width of the shawl is getting smaller from here on out. I think I should be finishing it within the week. It is going to be more of a scarf than a shawl in my option. I am also enjoying making one half black and one half white, The second project I am working on, which is more of a background project is the Big Cozy Cardi by Andrea Mowry (Ravelry|Website). This is more of a long term project that I am working on a little each day. I am loving the pattern and process for sure. It is going to be a big oversized cardi with a mohair collar, so it is going to be super comfortable.
Hello and welcome to my top 5 books of 2022! While this year I read a lot less than I usually have, I still was able to find quite a few gems. I am happy to say that within my top 5 books I have a mixture of fiction and non-fiction. I also felt like it was a lot harder to just pick five books as well. I feel like this year I was a lot more picky about what I picked up and I really focused on getting my TBR down and being happy with what I had, with the exception of a few new releases I was looking forward to. This year and going forward I really am trying to find a place to be happy and grateful with that I have and I think that, in a way, bled into my reading habit. I didn’t read just to get the number up, read books because they were popular, or read them because I picked them up because they seemed like I MIGHT like them.
While I feel like this journey is just going to continue and will be an up and down process, but I am happy with how it has transpired so far. With this being said, here are the five I ended up picking as my top 5 books.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, this was one I bought as soon as it released this year. I also enjoyed McCurdy as an actress and when I learned that she was releasing a memoir I knew I wanted to read it. As it got closer to being published, I learned that she had lived a very rough life and dealt with a lot in her childhood. When I read it, I was engrossed at the first page, she has a very interesting way of telling a story. As I read it, I could read it in her voice and it really added to the wide array of emotions I felt reading about the abuse she had dealt with by the hands of her mother and beyond. I feel like, even if you were not a fan of her work, this is a very good memoir to read. It was well written, honest, and felt very real. By real, I mean how open and honest she was while writing this.
My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, this came out in 2021, but I read it pretty quickly after picking it up. I have read quite a few of Graham Jones’ work, mainly his short stories and stand alone books. As soon as I heard that he was going to write a horror trilogy revolving around horror movies. I was totally in. I really enjoyed this book tremendously because of what it was on its own. It was haunting, uncomfortable, and threw you right into the story. The writing was wonderful, as usual. He has a way of making you feel what the main character is feeling, which in a horror is sometimes difficult. On top of that it was great fun to see all the nods to “classic” horror movies throughout. As soon as I finished this, I preordered the next book in the series and I can’t wait to get my hands on it in 2023.
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami, this book was something I was not sure I was going to enjoy if I am being honest. I am not a huge “slice of life reader”. I ended up picking this up because someone brought it up to me and thought I would like it a lot more than the description would lead me to believe. I am glad I took the chance and read it. Kawakami has since become one of my auto read authors because of her ability to make a connection between the reader and the characters. You don’t just understand how they feel, you begin to care how they feel and you just want to help them, celebrate with them, and just support them. I won’t lie, this book can be dark at times dealing with really rough topics. Even with this, I felt like the writing was almost lyrical and flowed very nicely.
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed: Stories by Mariana Enríquez, Megan McDowell (Translator), even though this is a collection of horror stories, I am surprised to say that it made it to the top of the list. Usually, I am not a huge fan of collections because there are some stories I love and some I just loath within the same collection. That didn’t really happen with it came to this one. I really think it came down to Enríquez’s writing style. While there were stories I didn’t enjoy, I still feel like I enjoyed it to some extent because they way she tells a story. She explores the dark side of human nature in a way that is just a little too close to real that leaves you uncomfortable. She leaves you unsettled, uneasy, and makes you think about the story long after putting the collection down. I feel like for any book, if you think about some of it after putting it down, it is an impressive feat for an author. While there is just totally unappealing stuff in this book, I think that was the authors goal. Make us take a look at the horrible things humans are capable of.
Immune: a Journey into the Mysterious System that Keeps You Alive by Philipp Dettmer, this is another non-fiction read that I found very interesting. This book takes a look at the human immune system and what it does when it works well, too well, or just doesn’t function quite right. The author does a really good job at explaining complex ideas in simple terms that are easy to digest and take in. While this is almost like a textbook, it didn’t feel like I was reading one. I kept picking it up and enjoying the learning process every time.
Hello and welcome to a mid-month check in on my current reads and WIPs I am dedicating my time to. I already finished a few book, woohoo! But, I picked up a new read this weekend as well. While I am not reading luckily, I am working at a study pace, which makes me happy. As for making I have a few things on my needles, but one I am really focusing on. I hope you enjoy!
My Current Reads
Ghosts of Maine T.M. Gray, I just started reading this over the weekend so I don’t have too much to say. I am enjoying the way the book for a few reasons. The first being the formatting. It is perfect for picking up here and there in between all of my other obligations. The stories I have read so far have been enjoyable and I am excited to read more of these tales, especially since spooky ghost season is coming up soon. I love reading ghost stories this time of the year and the formatting mixed with the tone of these stories has been a perfect mixture for me. I can’t wait to continue reading it.
My Current WIPs
Color work yoke sweater hanging on a ladder next to a dresser with a plant on top.
I am currently working on my Alpenglow sweater. I am just about to separate for the sleeves, so good progress is being made. This is my first time doing color work, so I have been moving along very slowly, but now I am moving along. I am hoping to finish this sweater before the end of the month, but we shall see how much time I actually have to work on it. Things are looking promising though, so I am leaning towards being able to make thus goal.
Hello and welcome to my blog! I am just taking a moment to write some goals I have for myself this upcoming month. This month I feel like I am already ready to say goodbye to the heat of summer and embrace the light chill in the air of the start of fall later in the month. I don’t know about you, but I am already noticing the days getting shorter. Anyway, with all that in mind here is my intent for the month of September
Reading Plans
This month I would like to finish my two current reads, Maledictions: A Horror Anthology by Cassandra Khaw and I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. I mentioned yesterday in my Monthly Digest | August 2022 post that I have really been enjoying both of them for different reasons. I am about 30% into both of them so I feel like I will fly through the rest of both of them.
Crochet and Knitting Plans
Collar and start of zigzag section of the colorwork yolk on needles and balls of yarn attached.
This month I have the goal of completing a sweater called Alpenglow I by Andrea Mowry. I have never made a colorwork sweater, but so far I am really enjoying it! It has been engaging so I don’t think I will have a problem finishing it up.
Random Goals
As for my random goal of the month, I really would like organize my space a bit more. I did a lot of unhauling of books, items, etc. because I had to downsize. While I was able to take some things out of my space, I kind of just shoved things where ever they would fit instead of organizing. So it has been a little difficult finding items and my space just doesn’t seem to be working for me. I feel like it is going to take some time, but I really want try to tackle it. or at least most of it, this month.
Hello and welcome to a monthly recap post that takes a look at my reading, crafting, and random things I did this month. This month was a ton of fun and relaxing at the same time. I was able to spend a lot of time outside enjoying the summer weather, but also enjoyed some time cooling off indoors with a good book. Anyway, here are some of the things I was up to this past month!
Reading
Finished The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager, I read this with my friends Jenna and Reg earlier this month. I was slow to get into it, but once I did it went pretty quickly. I think what made it hard to get into was the fact I was not a huge fan of the main character. To be fair they are a untrustworthy narrator because of their drinking very frequent, so I think this was the authors point. Personally, I am kind of sick of this in thrillers. Apart from that I really enjoyed the lake setting, it really lent itself to the story. I was able to clearly picture the scenes from the pages and felt that each person we met had their own personality. I did really enjoy the use of lore in this story, it was interesting and really engaged me in the story.
I am currently in the middle of Maledictions: A Horror Anthology by Cassandra Khaw and I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. I am really enjoying both of them for completely different reasons. Maledictions is a wonderful collection of horror short stories that is great for when I don’t have a ton of time to sit and read. On the other hand I’m Glad My Mom Died is a nonfiction book written by a now grown child actress sharing her story. With this book, I really enjoy being able to dedicate time to reading it.
Crochet, Knitting and Crafting
Textured socks on sock blockers with contrasting heels and toes.
This month I ended up finishing a complete pair of knitted socks! I decided to follow a pattern this time around instead of doing a plain sock, I ended up using Picnic Blanket Socks by Helen Stewart. All her patterns are just wonderfully broken down line by line with stitch counts and % progress shown. They are really great patterns for when you are trying as new technique and want more than just the section ending count. These were a ton of fun to make, the texture was super easy and I can’t wait to wear them this winter.
Gray cropped tank top with bows on the straps
The second item I completed this month is the Georges Top by Johanna Gehrisch. I have some mixed feelings about this pattern. While I was making it I came across some things that I would change if I were to make this again. I would complete the bottom section on the round then pick up stiches to do the shaping. I also had to do ribbing around the bottom so the bottom did not curl, if done again, I would do a folded hem, the only reason I did not this time was because I didn’t know if I would have enough yarn. When finishing this pattern, at the time of making it, there was not a lot of guidance, did not tell me how far up to stich the halves together. I ended up guessing the the section I would do in the round in the future, well turns out I needed to do it higher for this items to sit correctly. Some guidance would have been helpful in that regard. Do I like this item? Yes, I do. Would I make it again. No, idea. I really loved the pattern, but having the lack in support towards the end was a bit of a turn off. If I did make it again I would remove the bows and make it longer as well as the changes I mentioned above.
Life
Kindle on table and dog sitting by feet of the reader
This month I was able to get a new ereader, if you want some more detail you can see my post called; My New eReader. Overall, I am loving using this, I take it everywhere and I really feel like I get more reading done. Yes, even though I only finished one book. Also, because it is not a computer screen I feel a difference in my eyes, they don’t feel as fatigued after a longer reading session.
A milestone I really wanted to celebrate is the fact that August marked one year of knitting. I did a post over on my twitter celebrating it as well. It is so hard to believe I have only been knitting for a month and have created things I never thought I would be able to and have fun challenging myself. Some of the more notable ones include a red textured and cabled shawl called the Saraya shawl, a textured brown shirt called Anker’s Summer Shirt, a gray shawl with eyelet details on the edge called the Kari Shawl and lastly some socks I am very proud of with contrasting heels and toes that I made from memory based on a vanilla sock pattern.
Rock beach next to the woods and water
One of the most relaxing things I did this month was taking walks outside and just enjoying nature. While there were some VERY hot days, it was great to just get out and walk on the days it wasn’t too bad or in the morning or evening. I took the above picture on one of my walks.
Classic Bhaer 