lots o reading, a bit o writing
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and i’m not going to do any more arithmetic today. but I will warn you, because it’s been a while it will be quite a long post [as in over 1,200 words. DEAL, I felt like being wordy today.]. Knitting books are towards the top. Sci-Fi/Fantasty towards the bottom.
Wow. I’ve been reading a lot, and not just for school. Definitely not my RSS feeds (whoever fixed it so Google Reader doesn’t just say 100+ but specifically says 547 unread, thank you. I think.). I’m writing a bit here and there (generally in batches of 500 words, we’ll see where this post goes). If you’ve emailed me and I’ve not replied, please be patient. I’ll get there.
Way back before I went on vacation I read Itty-Bitty Nursery by Susan B. Anderson, a book I picked up from my favorite mostly-local independent. It’s not actually released yet (01 Oct) which made the acquisition even more exciting. I should figure out how to do a proper review of this book, other than beg you to order it. I loved her hat book, but wanted variety. I wanted hats, booties, and other gifts that new parents might enjoy. I have not been disappointed. I mostly finished the Flower Pacifier Clip (which is also available, I believe, as a enticing FREE pamphlet at your LYS, it’s at Knitty City) but haven’t yet figured out how to sew the clips I purchased from Target to what I made. I’m not totally thrilled with my yarn choice but I was falling over myself rushing to knit something from the book. It was a VERY fast knit and I learned how to double knit! Again, I highly recommend this book. Yes, of course some of it is devoted to how to knit (a feature of most books I don’t like), but it is over quick and there are still lots of patterns. I do wish that in the “sets” (i.e. booties and a pillow or the three pacifier clips) the yarn needs were better broken down, but I’ll survive.
Knitter’s Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann now adorns my bookshelves er, actually it currently lives in my knitting “basket”. A very good friend is due in December and I really really wanted to make the February cardigan for her daughter. I have no idea why I didn’t purchase this much sooner. It’s not expensive at all (I think it cost me $7.95 with tax) and is classic EZ. I’ve since cast on and then stalled for this as I borrowed my “good” 4.5mm circs (16″ Clovers) for another project. I’ve been dropping not so subtle hints begging for the new knit picks set. Guess it was good I completed my order for my veste evereste before they revealed this to the public? I still want a wheel or to be able to afford /something/ at Rhinebeck. ;)
Knitter’s Stash: Favorite Patterns from America’s Yarn Shops by Barbara Albright was a welcome treasure on my shelf for a short while. This came about because several items in it could be found in my Ravelry queue. I like this book and have determined that at this time I do not need to purchase it nor knit everything from it. I have enough “other projects” right now. More than enough. This is a great book however. Go buy it. From your LYS.
Continuing with the knitting (hey, scroll down if you want to see the sci fi/fantasy I’ve recently consumed) I read Knitting Pretty by Kris Percival. This was another inspiration from my Ravelry queue. While this is primarily a book geared toward new knitters, I think it is a useful simple guide to reminding those who spend their days twisting cables and throwing yo’s with fine yarns that sometimes a simple garterstitch square has extreme beauty. The photography is superb and the drawings which accompany the how-to knit sections are clear. I didn’t try american but I’m quite happy with my current knitting style. My purling needs some speed but if I stop knitting socks right side out I’ll have to purl and it’ll improve.
The final knitting book for this period to grace my shelves is Jennie Atkinson’s Romantic Style: Knits And Crochet to Wear or Display. Oh how I wish I had infinite free time to knit these garments and places to wear them to (and the chutzpah to wear some of them in public). Oh where to begin? I find her beaded cape and shrug (in different colour choices) simply elegant. Something about Kim Hargreave’s Chevron Lace Top just begs for me to knit it. Sharon Miller’s Lace Shawl is scrumptious and is made in garter so no purling(requires meters of weight) [except for the lack of CHART. grr.]! I love that there is crochet, and not just for finishing, and that the techniques are detailed, but in the back.
In the David Eddings category, while it took volume one several months to be my turn at the library queue game, The Belgariad (vol 2): Castle of Wizardry, Enchanters End Game arrived a few days before we left on vacation and was my main reading those evenings. Wow. I won’t say I was shocked by some of the events (as say, Garion was) but I found this a very well written and thought out series. I now have to research what is next. Give me time, please give me time. I also have school reading (and writing) eating up my schedule.
By the way, did you see that Naomi Novik won he John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer for 2006? Yay! Go Naomi!! Geez, I wish I had paid much more attention to you when I was your TA (er she was the instructor, I was her TA, thrice, er actually four times forgot about when I was TA goddess). Good luck and strength in this coming cycle of writing, editing, reading. :) I look forward to Empire of Ivory.
Since I’m still chipping away and Anne McCaffrey’s wonderful writings, I have now entered the world of “Brain & Brawn Ships”. WOW. So much to think about technologically apart from the great stories. Brain Ships, The City Who Fought, and The Ship Who Sang were recently consumed (not in that order). Wow. wow wow wow.
So what am I reading these days? Last night I started Andre Norton’s Scent of Magic and only because I knew that today would definitely be a MONDAY did I shut out the light and go to sleep. I’ve also been reading The Archivist’s Story while I put in my 10 minutes on the bike trainer (did I tell we finally got smart and put MY bike there? E can raise the seat if he has to and I can put it where it’s comfortable.. and the higher handlebars make resting a book much easier). My reading goal for the near future (or until my next batch of library holds comes in) is to finally make progress in some books I own. I currently only have 3 books out from NYPL, 3 from the Uni, and several by way of my mother-in-law for classes. I think that’s a record!
[so did you survive that incoherent mess above? I should give gifts to anyone who made it this far. Hmm. gluten free pretzels? I love them!! I think they taste better than most pretzels.]
I kind of made it to the end. You can keep your gluten free pretzels. Really.
I read through most of the knitting books, does that count? Though I’m not much of a pretzel fan either. I’m still so jealous that you have Itty Bitty Nursery. I can’t wait for it to come out!