Unraveled Wednesday: 11/15/23

I'm joining Kat and fellow Unravelers on this third Wednesday in November. I agree with everyone who has mentioned that the month seems to be flying, but I'm just sitting here slowly doing the i-cord bindoff on my Woolly Waffle Shawl. I originally thought this would be some sort of difficult, half-magical technique, but it's really not hard to do at all. It is a bit slow and cumbersome (or maybe that's just me) but the end result is lovely. I do hope to have a finished shawl to show you next week. 

Since November is zooming by, I decided to try my hand at crocheted snowflakes. I made a bunch of these years ago when my mother visited Sweden and wanted something lightweight to take as gifts for Swedish family members. I could use some for my own tree, and I really love the patterns I got from John's grandmother.

This "Christmas Special" is from sometime in the 70s the best I can tell. My favorites are the two on the bottom and there are many more nice ones inside. I'm pleased that I remembered enough crochet to make five snowflakes so far.

They look a bit like crumpled-up tissues now, but will hopefully look much better after I starch and block them. John's grandmother used to use sugar water to stiffen hers, but I think dilute starch or Elmer's glue might be better.

I read a couple of decent books over the last week. I borrowed A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking based on the fun title and found the book enjoyable. Mona is a 14-year-old bakery apprentice who can magically enhance her baking skills by making her bread rise and gingerbread men dance. She is seen as a minor wizard in a world where magic is common but that's okay with Mona because all she wants to do is bake well. Things go awry when she finds a dead body in the bakery. I liked that Mona is a somewhat meek rule-follower, not the typical heroine in a middle-grade or YA book. But someone in the city is out to get wizards, so Mona has to fight back. She does so by creatively using the skills she has to the best advantage. After being suddenly exposed to the darker side of the world, the book becomes a coming-of-age story, with an examination of some bigger questions. Details like Bob the sourdough starter provide plenty of humor. This one was three stars for me.

Ever since Justin got The World's Best Cat ©, I've been thinking about how I might also need a cat. I'd like one like my son's cat, Nugget, who is engaging, adorable, and sweet, but doesn't seem to need constant attention. I already knit and I'm an old woman, so clearly I need a cat, but my husband is not 100% convinced. While I try to persuade him and continue my quest toward becoming a crazy old cat lady, I thought James Herriot's Cat Stories would be a good one to listen to. It's full of the heartwarming and gentle stories that I've always associated with James Herriot, from kittens to older cats, ones that he has "owned" (or at least fed and tried to get close to), and ones that he has taken care of. Mr. Herriot reminds us that death is part of life, but all of the stories are still charming. I listened to the audiobook, but since the hardcover book contains illustrations, I may need to get that version, too. This book was a clear four-star winner.

“I thought afresh that a nice cat washing his face by the hearth gave extra comfort to a room."

What are you making and reading this week?