I'm happy to join Kat and the Unravelers today with a sock and a third. I finished the first one, cast on the second one, and I'm past the heel, picking up gusset stitches, and beginning the gusset decreases. Just a foot and toe to complete and I'll have a pair!
I tried the Finchley graft (youtube video link) that Vera wrote about recently on the first sock and it seemed slightly easier and faster than doing Kitchener on the toes. I'll have to try it a few more times to get more familiar with it and really decide which method I like best.
I finished one ARC last week, but it was just average for me. A Great Marriage was the first book I've read by Frances Mayes (she is probably best known for Under the Tuscan Sun), so I wasn't sure what to expect. This is the story of Dara Wilcox and Austin Wilcox who meet and fall deeply in love. The book opens with a prenuptial dinner at her parents' house, and it's all perfect until some wine is spilled. Several family members see this as a possible bad omen, and it turns out to be just that. Austin receives distressing news that disrupts their plans and the wedding is canceled. Dara flees to California to visit with friends, then heads to South Carolina to help restore an inn. There are moments of angst and some drama, but it reminded me of a Hallmark movie in book form. My mother-in-law used to love to read books with very mild dramatics (where nobody suffered from serious illness or died) and the ending was all tied up neatly with a big bow. This book made me think of her as she would have loved it.
I found the author's writing style difficult to read. She used a lot of sentence fragments and once I started noticing them, I had difficulty concentrating on what she was saying and found myself paying attention to how she had written it. But if you like your books to be mainly romantic escapes where nobody really suffers and characters live happily ever after, this one may bring you enjoyment. (And as a bonus, it has an arresting and interesting cover!)Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on August 13, 2024.
What are you making and reading this week?
P.S. I'll be back tomorrow with some poetry, but I'm visiting my SiL for a while and will be taking a short break until sometime later next week. See you then!
Love the socks! I have a feeling they're going to be a big hit with the recipient.
ReplyDeleteI think all those fragments would drive me bonkers (when you look for things like that for a living, it's hard to miss them), so I'll skip this book.
gorgeous sock! I have kitchener's stitch memorized so I don't think I want to learn a new one that would slow me down.
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love those shortie socks Bonny! I've read a lot of Frances Mayes' books and have found that I enjoy her memoir books very much, but not her fiction. I have Kitchener memorized, but enjoyed Finchley for a change...the hardest part is turning the sock inside out when the DPNs are still in place! Have a fun time with your SIL.
ReplyDeleteI forget how speedy shortie socks are! Those are wonderful, Bonny! I love the colors and the heels! I am listening to Weyward, but I just got Erik Larson's new book, The Demon of Unrest and I can't wait to start it!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the colors in that sock! I just started listening to Tom's Lake and I'm not sure what to make of it. Having a narrator that I can visualize is kind of distracting. I had the same issue with Tom Hanks reading The Dutch House.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought about the distraction of picturing the narrator, but I can understand it. I love Tom Hanks' voice, but I think there could have been a better narrator for Tom Lake.
DeleteGreat socks, Bonny. I love the yarn. I have finally become able to read, which may account for my enthusiastic reviews lately - LOL. I have missed my main comfort so much, and I am so relieved that I am becoming able to concentrate on a book again. I am reading an Emily Henry book, which is a happy read, and I am enjoying it. Haven't had time, or haven't made time, for any hobbies lately. But I am thinking about it every day. Have a great visit with your SIL!
ReplyDeleteI love the colors of your shortie socks, they look great!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a nice visit with your SIL! I'm getting ready for a long weekend in Chicago for my niece's graduation from seminary.
Thanks, Debbie! I hope to knit more while we make the eight-hour round trip to my SiL's house. Enjoy your niece's graduation - what a joyous occasion!
DeleteThose are great looking socks! I hope you're enjoying your time with your SIL!
ReplyDeleteOooo. I'm really liking the colors of those stripes, Bonny. I like the muted colors together. Enjoy your visit with your sister in law. XO
ReplyDeleteI love the stripes on that sock - and I'm so glad you gave it all another try. Enjoy the time with your SIL!
ReplyDeleteWhat handsome socks. I do love the subtle colors together. Enjoy your visit.
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