Unraveled Wednesday: 9/18/24

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers today for a look at unraveling, a couple of potholders, and a couple of books. I've unraveled what I had knit on the Washington Beanie for Justin and have officially moved on to something else. Once I wind the new yarn I ordered, I'll give you more details about the something else(s) I decided on.

I wove another potholder for Ryan. This is the smaller seven-inch size and the pattern is called Square Spiral. Like some of the other spiral/maze ones I've woven, the back looks different from the front. I can't give you a good, weaving-based explanation why this happens other than some sort of potholder magic. 

I wove a larger 10-inch one for my SiL. It's just a collection of somewhat random colors that I liked with no special pattern. We're going up to visit them next week and when I sent her a photo of the first one I wove, she said it was "a damn fine potholder." Clearly, she deserves one of her own. 

I finished two NetGalley books last week, one fiction and one poetry. I often judge books by their covers, but in the case of Shy Creatures the badger on the cover was a good sign. Clare Chambers has written a book with an interesting plot, and believable characters, complete with lovely prose. It is based on a real event but Chambers has given the main character, William, a slightly nicer life. Set in the mid-1960s, Helen Hansford is an art therapist in a British psychiatric hospital. There she meets William Tapping who has been admitted after an altercation in a nearby crumbling mansion. He is mute, with waist-length hair and beard, and after he shows an interest in art, Helen digs into his past to find out he ended up this way. The author is an acute observer of the human condition, and with this book, she raises questions of love and protection vs. control and wants and needs vs. what is in a person's best interests. This four-star novel was emotional without being overwrought, humorous at times, hopeful, and compassionate, with a moving ending. It will be published on November 12, 2024.

I was going to say that Water, Water is Billy Collins' best poetry collection to date, but I don't know if I've actually read any of his other books. I've certainly read other poems of his, and these rank right up there with the best of them. In this book of 60 new poems, I found only four or so that didn't speak to me. The author can write about Elsie the Cow, wondering who wove the daisy garland around her neck, figuring it was probably a little girl, and where she is now. One that I liked the most was about spying a cardinal and its mate and vowing not to tell his wife about them. "Indeed, I would take the two cardinals to my grave." I'll let you read this book of accessible poetry yourself to find out all that Collins told his wife (or not), in addition to the many other relatable poems in this collection full of beauty, humor, and satisfaction. It will be published on November 19, 2024.

What are you making and reading this week?