I'm joining Kat and fellow Unravelers today, still plugging away on my Woolly Waffle Shawl. It looks much the same as last week, except it might be a bit smaller. I found several mistakes (knit when I should have purled and vice versa) and created a hopeless mess when I tried to drop down about 20 rows to fix them. I ended up frogging and tinking, finally got my mistakes fixed, and I'm cautiously optimistic and knitting forward. I'm still many rows away from reaching virgin yarn, but now I know I need to check every couple of rows and pay more attention.
As far as reading goes, I did finish several books. The first was an awful John Grisham novel, The Exchange. It's a sequel to The Firm but was missing much of what I enjoyed in It; there are no courtroom scenes, the characters lack depth, and there are many meetings. It was only two stars from me.
I listened to Before Your Memory Fades, one in a Japanese series of books about a magical cafe. I think that most of us have had interactions that, upon reflection, we wish we had handled differently. The cafe in Japan in this series provides a way to do this, in the time it takes for a cup of magical coffee to get cold. There are specific rules - the customer has to sit in a specific chair, they cannot leave the café and can only interact with past moments that have taken place within its walls, and if they do not finish their coffee before it gets cold they’ll be stuck in the café as a ghost. This visit with the past can't change the present but the coffee-drinkers who have time-traveled are often changed, see things in a more positive way, or at least feel more at peace. The stories are heartwarming and melancholy, and this three-and-a-half-star book is worth reading, especially if you are feeling philosophical.
I also finished my reread of The Nix. After reading Wellness I decided to reread The Nix. I've never wished for the ability to give more than five stars before, but this book deserves many more. The second reading gave me even more to appreciate, and Nathan Hill is definitively my favorite author. I don't know what he might be working on next but I will be first in line to read his third book.
What are you making and reading this week?
Knitting can be so meditative and, particularly when it is row after row..., I often find myself drifting into a dream state and do not always pay attention. I think it's good for me...just not good for the knitting! Thanks for your review of the Grisham book. I had not read any of his in a number of years but was contemplating reading his latest. Now I won't bother! No unraveled post from me - no knitting or stitching time BUT...there is a post up. Mabel is back!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are making me want to go back and read The Nix again! I am sorry there was so much unraveling this week... sigh. May you stay on track with your knits and purls! :) (and Before Your Memory Fades sounds fascinating!)
ReplyDeleteI wish Nathan Hill wrote faster . . . ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love waffle knit patterns, but boy-oh-boy . . . mistakes in waffle knit are so dang obvious. AND they are so hard to see until you're a few rows past the mistake. You are a champ to head back and fix them -- but it's so disheartening to have to do that. I wish you easy-breezy knitting from here on out. (Because that is a really awesome shawl you're going to end up with!)
Sorry about the unknitting, but I'm sure you would rather have it be right and the redo will be worth it. I hope this is the only time you'll have to tink back from here on out. I really feel like I must read The Nix after enjoying Wellness so much.
ReplyDeleteUGH! I hit that frogging thing with my cowl this week. Only I had to frog the whole thing. Hopefully, we BOTH have a progress week from here on in instead of a going backwards week.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I'm seeing Nathan Hill in All the Places these days! And I've never read him. Sounds like I must...?!
ReplyDeleteFrom someone who does more frogging than I'd care to admit, I applaud you. Your shawl is looking gorgeous, so dang even, and bigger! As frustrating as it is to rip, it's so much more frustrating to look at your unfixed mistakes forever. I've done both! Sigh.
I looked at the mistakes each time I knit another row, but stupidly kept knitting. It took a while for me to admit that I would always see the mistakes first and never be happy with the shawl, so I finally just ripped back after a botched attempt at fixing it. I feel much better now and we're blessed with above-average temperatures this week, so I won't need the shawl for a while. And yes, you must read Nathan Hill!
DeleteI keep making mistakes in simple stockinette and it's driving me nuts!! Lovely progress.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Nathan Hill and I hope it's not such a long stretch before his next book! So sorry you had to go back so far with your knitting project, I always feel better when I've reach virgin yarn, too!
ReplyDeleteOh my, sorry about your knitting setback but glad you're back on track. I had to do some ripping & tinking the other day, too, having discovered a PURLED row in my garter stitch project -- after knitting over 2500 rows without mishap. haha.
ReplyDeleteWellness is next up in my pile ... can't wait!
ReplyDeleteFrogging and tinking back is not much fun but the project is so pretty it's worth the extra time. I love the blue and the textured waffle stitch. As always I enjoy your book reviews.
ReplyDeleteI admire you for recognizing that you needed to frog and tink to fix the mistakes. Once you see them it is impossible to unsee. Grisham's latest book is on my TBR pile next to the bed. His last few books have been hit or miss; sounds like this one falls into the latter category.
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