Last weekend's rainy and chilly weather made it ideal to stay indoors and knit, read, and nap. I had thought that I was approaching the end of this lingering Hitchhiker, with maybe 10 or 20 rows to go. But then I pulled out the first one and was confronted with reality.
I wrote down the stripes and number of rows on the purple post-it and was surprised to find that I still had 104 rows to go. I'm not sure how or why I had fooled myself into thinking I was almost done, but at least now I have an honest total. I've made some progress (14 rows) so there are now 90 rows to completion and weaving in a bunch of ends from the stripes. I have to mow the lawn later today but aside from that, I hope to be sitting and knitting. No more fooling myself!
Reading has been satisfying this past week, with two wonderful four-star finishes. Writers & Lovers was a good coming-of-age novel. My only small issue was that it wrapped up a bit too quickly with everything worked out perfectly. (Real life doesn't often work that way!) I felt lucky to find a copy of The Office of Historical Corrections on Overdrive, so I checked it out, downloaded it and was enthralled. I finished it in two days, and as I'm writing this, I'm wondering if I should bump up my four stars to five. It was a unique and original collection of short stories, and I will be looking for Danielle Evans' first book of short stories, Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self. I stumbled across The Push while I was looking through Overdrive, and checked it out because I was curious. Ugh! This book was only 1.5 stars for me, and served as a reminder that I don't have to check out books just because they've received good reviews. I also don't have to finish them when it becomes clear just how bad the book is. But I've started Braiding Sweetgrass and Challenger Deep, so I've got plenty of good listening while I knit.
What are you making and reading this week?
Oh my! That is still a lot of rows left. But, your Hitchhiker is lovely and the added color of the stripe is just wonderful. I can't remember what other colors you will be using. "Braiding Sweetgrass" has been on my radar for some time - I will be curious to read what you think of it. Wishing you speedy mowing so you can get back to the important things in life!
ReplyDeleteHarmless delusions are sometimes all that keeps us going on a project, so no harm, no foul. You just have lots of lovely knitting left to do. That HH is looking very good, Bonny. And lucky you for a good reading month! I haven't had one of those in a while, but I look forward to my next one. I tried to read Braiding Sweetgrass, finding the fourth of the book a bit charming, but then I got bored. It may have been my state of mind. I hope you like it.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way about Writers & Lovers and Office of Historical Corrections . . . and I think I'll steer clear of The Push. ;-) As knitters, I find we're an optimistic bunch . . . always thinking we'll have enough yarn or that it'll block out or that we're almost finished. So funny . . . But I say you ARE almost done. Those 104 rows will fly by because you will be endlessly entertained by the striping! (Another quality of knitters . . . we love the entertainment value in stripes. . . ) XO
ReplyDeletehow exciting to have more knitting to do! All the more entertaining and what a delicious colorway!
ReplyDeleteKym is so right... the idea of stripes makes a knitters heart sing! And thank you for the book recommendations! (I was shocked to find The Office of Historical Corrections available... so I immediately checked it out!)
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the happy ending to Writers & Lover, although I have to say I don't mind a happy ending in my books sometimes, even if it isn't realistic -- sometimes a completely unrealistic resolution is what my escapist brain needs! I hope your new audiobooks keep you good company while you work through those remaining 90 rows of your Hitchhiker.
ReplyDeleteI just finished a collection of short stories so I think I will hold off a bit on the Office of Historical Corrections but your review has me wanting to read it for sure. You'll blast through those rows in no time!
ReplyDeleteI have The Push in my queue so thanks for the heads up. I liked W&L.
ReplyDeleteYMMV with The Push. I don't read thrillers very often, so maybe this just wasn't the book for me.
DeleteThank you for steering me away from the "bad" books and for sharing that Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self will be coming out soon. The stripes really give this hitchhiker some pizzazz. Not that it didn't already have pizzazz, it's just happier pizzazz!
ReplyDeleteI will be curious about how you find Braiding Sweetgrass. It is one of my all time favorite nonfiction nature books. It is fun when Overdrive comes through with some good reads. The stripes are going to make this Hitchhiker even happier.
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