June and July Picks

So, June as a, shall we say, interesting month, I never got around to posting my picks. Just in the case someone was hanging on the edge of their seat to see what I chose to indulge in during these last two months, here goes!

I splurged on a few different books in June; it was a pretty rough month, and I was still celebrating my birthday a bit. So, among other things, I bought Ross Poledark: A Novel of Cornwall. I had watched the first season of the mini-series and enjoyed it, so I wanted to see what the books were like. The mini-series was quite faithful actually, and in some ways more enjoyable as the way the author wrote his characters they are rather distant and harder to engage with. I think the character of Ross shines thought better on the screen. I plan to read at least a few more of these books, but right now I’m on a mystery binge.

Speaking of mysteries, I also have started working my way through the Nero Wolfe mysteries, and I have decided to do them in order even though there isn’t any strong chronology, so in June I downloaded the second one, The League of Frightened Men. A very enjoyable read; Archie was drugged by a vengeful wife! As I continue my end of term murder mystery kick, I’m enjoying some Lord Peter Whimsy in the form of short stories and the first novel, Whose Body?.

For July, I picked the book Night Circus after seeing it in a friend’s post on Facebook. I haven’t read it yet; I’m saving it as my reward for surviving the end of term, but I can’t wait based on the person who posted it, and the synopsis I saw on Amazon.

For music in June I had two picks. First, an album of the Beach Boys greatest hits. I suddenly found myself with a Beach Boys craving, realized I had almost none of their music, and set out to correct that immediately. Total fluff, but oh such good memories of listening to oldies with my dad!

The second album I went with was the soundtrack for Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. The fact that it suddenly decreased in price might have had something to do with it! While others have complained that it didn’t have a strong theme like the other new movies, I loved Rey’s theme, and thought that John Williams did a much better job than Howard Shore did when he revisited his previous scores with The Hobbit movies. I’m not a huge John Williams fan like my brother, but I have been enjoying getting into the Star Wars mood…a few months after everybody else. December, I’m gonna be there baby!

For July’s pick I pre-ordered and then immediately began enjoying Needtobreath’s new album, Hard Love. Once again, they knocked it out of the park. While they are going in a more rock direction, I’m still loving this band. Their songs have great lyrics, great energy, and as with Rivers in the Wasteland there were a few songs that I could swear were written just for me. I particularly loved the title, “Hard Love,” and “Great Night,” and “Happiness.” Keep making music guys—I’m going to need another album in about a year the way my life is going!

So, that's it folks. I finished re-watching through Jeeves and Wooster as my marking TV, and am looking forward to some non-marking watching once school ends!

Bracing for impact...

This week is exam week. The big, tri-annual questions is asked once again--will I survive? Will a kid die? Will there be any time for knitting?

This past week did not have near enough knitting time in it, but over weekend I had a chance to put down some good solid work on the Petite Lisette while chatting with a dear friend over Skype. I somehow bungled the decreases a bit—I apparently can’t count to save my life—and had to fudge a bit (‘cause there was NO WAY I was pulling out all that mind numbing stockinette!), and finally got the pleats done. Aren’t they charming? Now it’s divided and all ready to start the top! I’m looking at this, and I think it’s going to be rather bigger than anticipated, but that means it will fit longer, right?

I forgot to post this dishcloth last week; I’m trying out some new round dishcloth patterns; this one is the Double Diamond Dishcloth, and the verdict is a) too big (I have this weird thing about dishcloth size) and b) too much trouble. So, this won’t become a handwork pattern, and I don’t really see myself trying it again unless I used a finer cotton. I started another one this past week that is much more promising. I think this one too might be a little big, but it’s a simple enough pattern to become a go-to.

I got the heel turned on my Blink socks and have started down the foot; this is no mindless knitting again,

And I started the second Groovy sock. I had to fight the color repeat a bit; the dark purple stripe isn’t always consistent, so I’m hoping that won’t become a constant thing. This is also now in the mindless knitting stage.

Parting shot: Subversive toile is making me laugh just now guys. It's Toile About You by Emmy Cicierega was something a friend showed me a long time ago, and I recently remembered and found. Dudes, now I want this on something...

I can always control my knitting...mostly

You know how sometimes reaching a knitting goal becomes super important? I think part of it for me is that my life totally out of control right now—on both sides of the ocean, but my knitting is something that I can control. So, I had in my head that I wanted to get two projects to the half-way point over the weekend, and…I did!

First, I am now done with chart 5, and thus officially halfway on my Names of the Doctor scarf. A weeping angel is coming up on the next chart—I’ll try not to blink.

Here is a picture of the whole scarf—I’m loving it! I can’t wait to wear it!

The other thing I wanted to get to the half-way point, is the pair of socks that have been my river knitting. Since I had an unexpected supervision on Sunday morning, I zoomed through the toe, and then after fellowship last night I sat down and did the heel. I made a newb mistake that resulted in my kitchner not being exactly even, but I won’t do that on the second one. Overall, I’ quite happy! And I love how my little forethought gusset looks!

The other project that got a good bit of love over this last week was my Blink sock (very Whovian knitting at the moment, huh?). I’m working on my second heel turn; I love how the feathers chart can work into the flap so nicely! Once I get that all done I can start zooming down the foot as it is pretty much mindless knitting.

And that is pretty much it for now. As previously mentioned, life feels pretty out of control right now, so I am working on my trust muscles. And, keeping my eyes fixed on December! I can do this, I can do this. Just keep knitting, just keep knitting...

Independence Day

After another rough week, this weekend off was a golden gift. Because I knew had worked hard during the week, and because I knew I would be doing some heavy duty marking this morning, I had time to actually relax! I took a healing nap, started a knitting project, and re-watched The Force Awakens just ‘cause. So, here’s a look at what I’ve been up to!

First of all, I started a Petite Lisette for a special little girl, and this is my first time using Knitpicks Hawthorn. I’m LOVING it! The colors are beautiful, this yarn has a nice twist to it, and it’s lovely and soft. I can’t wait till things get interesting in the waist pleats, though I’m enjoying the ‘mindless’ aspect of the knitting just now.

I continue to work on my Groovy socks. They were my companions at Sports Day, and I think the toe might be in sight. I have to decide if I’m going to take out the afterthought heel before or after I get to the toe shaping. How does one usually know how long to make socks when you don’t have a heel to measure from? Here is my scorers set up—I come prepared!

I also started a Hitchhiker ‘scarfette’ (my word for a cross between a scarf and a shawlette) in the yarn that I had originally planned to use for the Petite Lisette. I couldn’t get the gauge working for me, so I decided that a bright pink scarf in a fun pattern to nibble on over the next few months wouldn’t hurt anything. Such a clever pattern, and I hope that I will have 42 little teeth by the time I’m finished.

Last night I indulged myself in a some ‘higher brain required’ knitting and picked up my Names of the Doctor scarf again. I just started the fifth chart, so I need to get a move on if I want this to be ready for December. I love double knitting, it just isn’t always easy to do it in the midst of all my crazy. Loving the yarn, loving the pattern, and loving the process.

As it is half term I’m getting caught up on some big marking projects, and I plan to get a few more naps in. Only three more weeks and a half more weeks left of term, and then a month of PEACE!

I’m reading G.K. Chesterson’s The Man Who was Thursday just now, and am finding it a pretty gripping read. I picked it up because as I’ve been listening to Neil Gaiman’s essay collection, I’ve been checking out some of his favorite authors. I’ve found that when you like an author or musician, you should look into what they like to read or listen to as it’s probably well worth it. After I finish this, I think I’m going to read some more Tey, or perhaps a Nero Wolfe. Mysteries go well with end of term madness…

‘Cause it’s ‘merica day.

Dear America,

You are my country, and while I’m not convinced that patriotism is a vital part of Godliness, I do love you. I love that you allow me to vote for our leaders, and I appreciated have the right to do pretty much anything I might want to (because I’m a very law abiding citizen; this is not true for everyone obviously). I am protected by a military that believes in this country and these freedoms, and while I actively dislike spending time in government offices, yours are run far better than others I have suffered through. I am served by a police force who receives mostly hostility for doing their job to try and make our highways and cities safe, and after taking road trips in a third world country, I won’t complain (too much) about Louisiana’s highways ever again. You are where the land of my heart, the South is located, and I love your majestic landscapes and diversity. You are the home of barbeque, Ranch dressing, sweet tea, Root Beer, and Dr. Pepper.

There are some things about you that I don’t enjoy so much. The embarrassment of being around most of your tourists in foreign countries is pretty bad, and unfortunately the stereotypes of rude, brash Americans has been pretty fairly earned. Your people have made some, shall we say, ‘interesting’ political choices in the last few years, and your are providing an excellent and vivid picture of the weaknesses of a democracy where it’s people are either uneducated or won’t participate. I find it frustrating that you have made acceptance your greatest virtue instead of integrity or honesty, and there are a host of social problems that we are trying to solve in the wrong way by treating the symptom, not the disease.

But, despite all that, you are still my country, and I am thankful for you. I’m thankful that 240 years ago educated, Godly men signed a document the likes of which the world had never seen, and that I am a part of that heritage. I’m proud to bear your passport, and I pray for the future of my country. May God bless America in the coming years, may I be able to do some small things to make my country a better place, and may we never forget how blessed we are. Missing you today,

~ A Texan ex-pat