FO: Apollonie Shawl

There are projects that just make you happy all round and you constantly look forward to knitting a few more rows on. Apollonie by K.M. Bedigan was one of those for me.

I used Ginger Twist Studio's Splendor 4ply in the Dove colourway. It's a Merino/Silk mix that is a dream to knit with and, as you would expect with the 50% silk, drapes beautifully.The colour itself is gorgeous, with very subtle changes in the pale silvery grey that seem to make it almost luminous. It'll go with just about anything.

The pattern itself is a dream to knit as well: clearly written and well laid out with the best description of wrap and turn I've come across yet. The lace sections are very intuitive and easy to read in the knitting, and I managed to watch TV while knitting it which is not something I can say very often with lace work.

All in all, I'm in love with it. Drapey, lacey and so, so soft.

On a side note, I used my new blocking wires for the first time when I blocked this, and it made life so much easier!

Project Specifics
Ravelry pattern page: Apollonie
Ravelry project page: My Apollonie
Yarn Used: 74g/296m Ginger's Hand Dyed Splendor 4ply in the Dove colourway
Finished dimensions: 126cm wide by 46cm deep (not quite as wide as stated but I think that's simply a gauge issue on my part).

Reading Amnesty post - the Romance edition

I actually started this post back in February but things (okay, my mental health) kind of went all over the place. Unemployment does not seem to be agreeing with me too well, and a lot of things are falling by the wayside because of it. With blogging, it's certainly not helped by the reading slumps and splurges meaning that I've either nothing to talk about or too much to talk about. Turns out neither is good for me.

I'm trying to get things back on an even keel so instead of feeling overwhelmed by the fact it's been so long since I posted, I'm saying screw it and declaring amnesty posts with what I've finished reading since the beginning of the year. There will be another post after this (hopefully next week) with the fantasy books. In the meantime, the romance or romance-ish books I've finished are:


Brotherhood in death by J D Robb.
This series is something of a comfort read for me, and I'll admit I'm more interested in the relationships than the cases at this point. For me this was one of the better books (although I really, really wish sexual violence, especially towards women, wasn't such a focus) with a couple of Eve and Peabody moments that I loved. By far the best though were the Eve and Mr Mira scenes, which I thought were all completely adorable and loved. I even outright grinned at a few of them which is rare for me these days.


A Duchess in Name by Amanda Weaver.
I raced through this book, liked it a lot, and loved both the main characters. (I will admit thought that the tropes (marriage of convenience, letter writing, discovering each other after marriage, competent women) were a bit like catnip that had my name all over them so that may have influenced things.) The only thing that held back my full love for the book was that there felt like there was too much of a time gap between some of the scenes, and I felt like I didn't really see the a lot of the changes in the characters. I definitely felt that lack, but overall, I can see why it was so well reviewed everywhere and I think it might go on my to reread pile at some point. 




I've Got My Duke to Keep Me Warm, A Good Rogue is Hard to Find, and You're the Earl That I Want by Kelly Bowen.
I devoured these in one weekend and I loved every moment I was reading them (the sort of love where I hated every time I was pulled away from them). I don't think any of the characters stood out as my favourite, but that was more because I loved them all rather than anything else. I think my absolute favourite part of the trilogy is the long running joke about chickens, and I laughed out loud at more than a few bits involving them. It's definitely a series that I'll be rereading and I will be reading more by Bowen. My only complaint is that I want Eleanor to have her own book (or novella, I would be happy with that) and a happy ending.


One Tempting Proposal by Christy Carlyle.
I was a bit meh about this one. Whilst I liked the book enough to finish it, I never really engaged with any of the characters and none of what I read stuck with me. It hasn't put me off Carlyle as an author but at the same time I won't be actively seeking her out again.

What I'm reading

It's been a long time since I've done one of these so I'm having a fresh start from the beginning of 2016. I'm also trying out links and cover images for the books so please let me know if the images are too small or you would prefer different links.

What I've read

I've not finished anything since the start of the year as I've been in a bit of a slump for the last few months. I'm coming out of what turned out to be a general life slump though so I'm hoping to finish something soon.

What I'm reading


I am in the middle of Susan Murray's The Waterborne Blade. Admittedly this did fall victim to the slump but it wasn't the book's fault at all as I had been enjoying the book immensely. I'm looking forward to getting back into it.





I've also started a reread of Aralorn by Patricia Briggs. I adored both books in the omnibus the first time I read them, and after I received my own copy for Christmas I couldn't resist a reread.


What I'm reading next

I've got quite a few books in my pile but The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley is due back at the library soon so I'll see how I get on with it. 

Yearly update

2015 seemed to fly by and I think I'm a little in denial that it's the 6th of January all ready.

Never the less, it's that time of year where I reflect and think about what I want to achieve in the coming year.

My goals for 2015 were:

1. Get back into sewing - I didn't get a needle roll made as I had planned but I did make a few envelope pouches and Christmas baubles, and I'm happy with how my back stitch, whip stitch and blanket stitch turned out.

2. Carry on improving my photography skills - I'm definitely happier with a lot of my photos which was my aim, and I feel like I understand the technical aspects a lot better.

3. Knit a pair of toe-up socks - done! (Owl Socks) I'm definitely a convert.

4. Graduate - With Distinction! (More on that later)

5. Practise spinning - I did a little but not as much as I would have liked.

6. Work with beads - again I did a little but not the full projects worth I had planned. I'm aiming to get that project finished this year.

7. Comment and interact more - Whoops? It's been a quiet year all round for a variety of reasons but I plan on this year being better.

8. Manage my time better - I'm happier with my levels of faffing about being lower which is what I was aiming for.

9. End the year lighter and fitter - I'm definitely fitter but not lighter. I'm happy with my progress for the most part though so I'm not going to beat myself up about it.

10. Finish the original fiction piece - not by a long shot but I did add more words to it as well as add an additional thread that improves it.

Some of my goals for 2016 are similar:

1. Finish the novel - the first draft at least.

2. Spin more - if I finish the year with one complete skein I'll be happy

3. Sew a garment - ideally, I've got my eye on a pair of pyjama bottoms but anything will make me happy.

4. Practise embroidery - I've been bitten by the stitching bug and I'd like to at least be able to do french knots and satin stitch to expand my ability to decorate fabric.

5. Knit more patterns in queue and stash - I have a lot of yarns paired with patterns ready to be knitted up, I just need to actually knit them now. If I can cross four patterns off my list I'll be happy.

6. Blog more - I really missed blogging and all the interaction of social media last year so I'm very eager to get back to it.

7. Reach target weight - I've made a promise to myself that this year I am finally going to reach this. In part it will involve getting fitter but by and large it's mostly down to me eating better and making better choices.

A lot of people have being picking one word intentions for the year, and I've settled on 'Believe' for mine. Believe in myself, my abilities and that I am actually capable of reaching for and getting what I want.

Which brings me onto possibly the hardest goals for 2016, the ones the really require me to believe.

8. Apply for PhD funding - I'm really excited about the topic and a lot of people around me have been very encouraging, I just need to take a deep breath and believe that I can actually do it rather than let my fear take over.

9. Submit paper - My supervisor from my dissertation wants to get it published so I need to work on editing it down to article size before sending out it to a journal. Again, I've realised that part of what is holding me back is my self-esteem and the worry that it's not good enough.

10. Write a shawl pattern - I've got a shawl or two that's been in my head for a couple of years that I would like to finally translate to paper and yarn even if it's just for myself.

Here's to a good 2016!