I'm joining Kat and fellow Unravelers today, with some knitting on both of my shawl projects. The Hitchhiker got some time when the weather was still quite warm last week; it was more comfortable to work on a small lightweight project when the temperature was 85 degrees.
I'm just barely halfway on this shawl but I would like to wear it sometime this fall, so I'll keep plugging away. Maybe when I switch to the 40" needle I will be able to knit like the wind. (Not really, but I can hope).
I read The Caretaker by Ron Rash last week, and I loved it. The cover is beautiful and so is the story contained within. I had other library books that were due back in several days, but The Caretaker kept me reading and ignoring the other books. Blackburn Gant is the solitary cemetery caretaker in Blowing Rock. His face has been disfigured by polio but he has found a good friend in Jacob Hampton, son of a prominent family. When Jacob is drafted into the Korean War he asks Blackburn to extend his caretaking duties and look after his pregnant wife. Blackburn has a strong moral compass but he is not a black and white character. Even he has his moments of weakness when the reader is not sure what his decision will be. There are a lot of emotions in this dramatic story, but you can tell that Ron Rash is also a poet. His prose and imagery are lovely and his writing sidesteps melodrama. Friendship, honor, loss, love of all types, what we will do for love, and how self-interest can be disguised as love are all covered beautifully. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
I picked up a book of Rash's short stories from the library (In the Valley), and while they were written with the same wonderfully descriptive prose and storytelling, the short story format just didn't provide a way for them to shine. This was only three stars for me, but I may read more of Rash's novels in the future.
And speaking of covers, I'll be finishing up this book soon:
It's science fiction/fantasy, complete with sentient cats and supervillains. I chose it solely because of the cover and have been glad to find that the book is fun and humorous.
What are you making and reading this week?
What a great cover!! LOL Both your Hitchhiker and your Wooley Waffle shawl are looking good! Cold temps are forecast for this weekend and beyond, so you may be able to knit like the wind on the waffle!!
ReplyDeleteI am with you on having a lap full of woolly knitting as the temps have turned very fall like here! May we both knit like the wind (Dear Brenda Dayne for planting that phrase in our heads!) although when the rows are long... the wind like knitting seems to be a the pace of a light breeze! :)
ReplyDeleteI think The Caretaker sounds beautiful and I will request it from my library! But that cat cover! That is brilliant!
I can see why you'd pick Starter Villain out of the library lineup, Bonny! Great title; fun cover. ;-) I love both your Hitchhiker AND your waffle shawl, and how perfect to have two projects on the needles to suit your mood (or the weather). I'm intrigued with The Caretaker. It sounds like something I might enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll be happy to have your waffle-y shawl done to keep you cozy when the temperatures drop even more -- so make like Dory and Just Keep Knitting!
ReplyDeleteThe Caretaker sounds really interesting, so I'm going to have to check it out at my library.
Love them both! It's great to have knitting options!! (That's my story & I'm sticking to it.)
ReplyDeleteBoss Cat looks like he means BUSINESS!!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope Fred & George don't see that book cover, they might start getting ideas about taking over. Love your hitchhiker and Woolly Waffle, too!
ReplyDeletewhat a fun book! Love the cover as well. I just started a sweater for my granddaughter and I am happily knitting in pink :)
ReplyDeleteI'm still knitting around and around on my Clam (ahoi); I will say that the one-row stripes are just enough to keep me interested. I've seen that book cover and look forward to your review :-)
ReplyDeleteBoth shawls look lovely. Will you get to a point on the waffle shawl where you start to decrease or does it become a larger and larger triangle? If you decrease you might knit like the wind to the end for sure. The name Ron Rash sounds so familiar to me. I've added that book to my to be read list. I'm plugging away on socks and the LYS KAL wrap. I'm also mending a quilt.
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