Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Unraveled Wednesday

Joining Kat and friends for Unraveled Wednesday.


Since my Frostbite Fighter Sockhead Cowl is really just a long stockinette tube with ribbing at both ends, it looks much the same as last week, just longer. I thought the stockinette part was knit to ten inches, I knit 11 and started ribbing, but the pattern says 12 inches, so I did unravel a bit and start stockinette again. Another inch or so, four inches of ribbing, and Justin's face and neck will be warmer. Knitting for him along with the prospect of getting back to my gradient hitchhiker next are spurring me on!

I just started Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen, mainly because I want to see how Ms. Quindlen is writing these days. I really liked some of her early books (One True Thing and Every Last One), but thought Still Life With Bread Crumbs was awful. Miller's Valley was good, but I want to see if she's kept the momentum. So far Alternate Side seems to be about parking, but I'm only at 12%. I hope there's a real story developing by the 20% mark. 

I finally finished The Woman Who Smashed Codes and found it as fascinating and riveting as everyone else. It's only the third week in January and I think I've already read two of the best books I'll read this year!

What are you making and reading? 

17 comments:

  1. That cowl looks great! And, you are almost done! I did like Still Life With Breadcrumbs - didn't think it was great, but good. I haven't read anything else by that author, so will be curious to read your review.

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  2. The cowl does look great! I liked Miller's Valley but the narrator put me in a bad mood! I'm an AQ fan so I'll be interested to hear what you say.

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  3. Yahoo! Progress is progress... keep it moving along. I'm excited for you to get back to (and finish) that gradient hitchhiker!

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  4. The cowl knitting is great for listening, I'm sure. I've always enjoyed Anna Quindlen but agree that her earlier works were better. I'm reading The Future Home of the Living God (it's great!) and knitting socks for Jackie.

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  5. I'm impressed with your knitting. I think I'd have let that 1 inch slide rather than rip back. Hope you have enough yarn. Looks like you're close to entering yarn chicken territory.

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  6. Al's doing a reading blog post on Tuesdays. She's reading stuff. I am interested in non fiction.

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  7. The "Codes" book sounds interesting! I just started Radium Girls and it is fascinating. For the last 6 months, whenever I was asked about a good book I would answer "Cork Dork". It was light. Radium Girls is heavy, but important!

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    1. I almost picked up Cork Dork from the library a few weeks ago, but my pile was already pretty big, so I put it back. I may have to look for it on my next visit. A friend just finished Radium Girls and was tearing up while she was telling me the story of "Lip, Dip, Paint". Like you said, heavy but important, and it's now on my list.

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  8. That cowl is going to be perfect! You are getting into chicken knitting territory with that yarn ball, but I bet you have more squirreled away somewhere. I am not much into biographies, but the smashing codes book sounds very good. I may have to investigate! I just finished the Weight of Ink a few days ago, and I loved it, but I like complex historicals. I have not been knitting. I am having one household disaster after another, water heater, garage doors, whatever can fail, has failed this past week. It's ok, it is what it is, and sooner or later it will all be fixed. :)

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    1. No yarn chicken for me, there's another skein wound and waiting! I have The Weight of Ink on my list, but I want to read it when I feel like I can give it the time it deserves. I loved People of the Book and am imagining it as a similar read. So sorry about household disasters! They use time and money, none of which we seem to have quite enough of. Here's hoping things get fixed and stop failing!

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    2. I loved People of the Book as well, and yes, it is a similarly written book. I hope you enjoy it whenever you get to it.

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  9. It's amazing to me how some projects just seem to stop the time/space continuum. . . and just hold there. No matter how much we knit, they are never QUITE the right length!!! I'm intrigued by the smashing codes book. It's on my list! XO

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  10. I see progress! looks like you are more than close to being finished - yay!

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  11. My reading has absolutely ticked up significantly! I can't wait to start the code smashing woman! I should be able to breeze through Gamache and be ready to start the other this weekend!

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  12. Glad you were able to frog back just a little bit and keep going. I hate when you have to start all over from the beginning.

    Knitting: February Socks

    Reading: Nothing right now other than magazines

    I used to like Anna Quindlin. Every Last One was creepy, but I enjoyed reading it.

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  13. Isn't it wonderful when I year starts off with very good books? I do believe that portends a great year of reading.

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  14. ah... stockinette tubes (especially with knitting at BOTH ends) are a real test of knitterly patience - I'd say you're passing with flying colors!! I've decided to just binge through The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. Totally enjoying it. and I have NO idea what I'll listen to next. meanwhile, the real books are getting short shrift for sure!

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