Three things

My health has been not the best this last wee while, but wee things have made life a lot better.

1. I have actually achieved some reading. I finished Elizabeth May's The Falconer, and I enjoyed it. It's a nice light YA fantasy set in Edinburgh, and I'll be looking out for the sequel when it appears.

2. I knitted a chewing gum cosy. Seriously.

This is amusing me much more than it should, but doesn't that just bring a smile to your face?

3. Gingerbread syrup. Okay, I haven't actually made this yet, but I have everything together, and I have free time on Saturday. This stuff is completely yummy in coffee, and I'm looking forward to it a ridiculous amount.

Making Monday

Despite the almost complete radio silence lately, I've still been knitting away.

First of all, I finished off the handmade towel.

I am really pleased at how this has turned out, especially the hanging loop as I'm very much a beginner when it comes to crochet.

I started another washcloth for part of a gift, this time with a checkerboard pattern in the centre.

It looks a little washed out in the pale winter light, but it's a lovely teal colour. Again I'm using Wendy Supreme cotton.

The Ebbs shawl is coming along as well.

Again it looks a little washed out colourwise, but you can see the shape starting to form, and I love the colour combination.

For myself, I've been knitting a pair of owl fingerless mitts.

This is my knitting group knitting which means it's not knitting up the fastest. (It turns out there is only so much I can multi-task at one time. :D ) The pattern is from the June 2012 issue of Simply knitting, and I've knitted it before and will probably knit it again. This time it's in Wendy Serenity, and I've made the cuff a little longer.

And of course secret project number two is coming along nicely as well.

Making Monday

Apart from being very behind in NaNoWriMo, I have actually been knitting lately though I haven't talked about it much.

I've just cast off on a small towel as part of my Gran's Christmas present. It's bee stitch with a garter stitch border, which I adore and find great for knitting when I'm having a blether or watching tv. I used a whole ball of Wendy Supreme Cotton in DK - I literally had about two inches of cotton left when I finished the cast off.

Towel measuring 13 inches by 16 inches

All that's left is to wash it, convert one of the tails to a hanging loop and weave the other one in. I'm quite pleased with how it's turned out.

Also in Christmas knitting is the Ebbs shawl I'm knitting for Mum in Yarn Pony Mustang. It's so delightfully squishy, and it's going to look wonderful when it's finished.

I'm only just at the first colour change, but it knits quite quickly at the moment.

Secret project number two is still a secret but the knitting continues on that, and I'm pleased with how it's looking so far.

What I'm reading 16/11/13

A short one this week as the last couple of weeks have been hectic with birthdays, vet and hospital visits (everyone is fine but stress levels are still high), and a job interview (I think it went okay, I was certainly less nervous than the last one). Oh and being sucked down the rabbit hole of watching Arrow. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed something so much, and I can't wait to see the second season.

What are you currently reading?

I'm not sure if it still counts given I haven't really gone much further, but I'm still in the middle of The Thousand Names. I've started The Falconer by Elizabeth May, and it's a quick enjoyable read so far. I've also started a reread of Broken Blade by Kelly McCullough, and I'm enjoying it as much second time around.

What did you recently finish reading?

I went ahead and DNF'd Jeffery Deaver's XO. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The new Lynley book, Just One Evil Act, has just come in for me at the library, and a skim test makes me think I might actually finish this one.

What I'm reading (the two month edition)

I didn't mean to take such a long break from posting, but my health took an unexpected turn and started kicking my backside. I'm definitely on the mend now though, and I have quite a few posts lined up to share. First though, it's time to catch up with what I've been reading. 


What are you currently reading?

I'm still in the middle of The Thousand Names by Django Wexler which continues to be more enjoyable than I thought I would find it given that is it mainly military based fantasy at the moment. The description of a fantasy version of Sharpe seems very accurate, but Wexler writes well enough and has created characters that keep me wanting to read on despite that. (Nothing wrong with Sharpe, it just isn't usually my cup of tea.)

Technically I'm still in the middle of Jeffery Deaver's XO but I've stalled. It's rather mehish and I've no real desire to go back. I suspect this might be a DNF.

What did you recently finish reading?

Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs. It was the reading equivalent of comfy old slippers. Not brilliant and much the same feel as her previous ones but enjoyable and good to curl up to. Then there was Bones Are Forever which was much the same, except for one bit where I want to shake one of the characters or throw the book across the room. Ryan really should have known better (especially with what is revealed later on), and I can't quite believe Reichs did that. I'm not too sure if I'll read the latest one yet.

Oor Wullie. It made me giggle, and again like comfy old slippers, but ones that were my favourite to start with for a reason.

Thankless in Death - J.D. Robb. I really enjoyed the character interactions in this one, which is pretty much the only reason I'm keeping reading this series. It was great to curl up with on a wet afternoon when I was stuffed with the cold. 
   
Uncommon Criminals, Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story, Perfect Scoundrels - Ally Carter. Reasonably light-hearted teenage thief shenanigans? All over it. I have such a soft spot for this series, even if it does require a bit of suspension of disbelief at times. I finished the last one disappointed there wasn't more which is a big change from most of the books I've read recently.
       
Whiskey Beach - Nora Roberts. It could have been any one of her recent standalones, but it was a all right enough read especially as I was in the mood to know exactly what to expect. 
       
Magic Rises - Ilona Andrews. I really enjoyed it. I raced through reading it, and I can't wait to read the next one.

Red-Headed Stepchild, The Mage in Black - Jaye Wells. Red-headed Stepchild read like a first book, a little info dumpy and clunky in places, but I liked it enough to carry on reading. The second in the series read a little better, but I was quickly growing tired of the just about all the characters. I flicked through the other books in the series and that convinced me I really didn't want to carry on reading. I can see why they would appeal to people, but I just didn't like them enough to read any more.

The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson. I absolutely loved it! Definitely going on my to buy pile.

The Thief's Gamble, The Swordsman's Oath, The Gambler's Fortune, The Warrior's Bond and The Assassin's Edge by Juliet E McKenna. I'm absolutely head over heels for this series. It was a reread for me, but it's been such a while since I originally read them that I didn't care at all. I sort of resented the fact I had to put the books down to go to work or do other necessary things, and I savoured every word.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Not sure really. I just want to get The Thousand Names finished, but I suspect I will be buying and reading A Few Further Tales of Einarinn by McKenna as well.

What I'm reading 3/8/13

Last week was rather hectic so I ended up smooshing two posts into one.

What are you currently reading?

I'm in the middle of Kathy Reich's which is a fast, comfy read perfect for break times. I'm enjoying it, but there is a reason it's languished in the TBR pile for nearly 2 years (I like the characters enough, I'm just a little bored of the 'read one read them all feeling' that I've started to get during the last couple of books.)

What did you recently finish reading?

Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold. I loved it - it's exactly my sort of scifi, and it wasn't so Miles-centric that it dragged for me. (I like Miles, I just like other characters more.)

Book of Souls by James Oswald. I wasn't as charmed by this one as his first one, mainly I think because I had been looking forward to it whereas the first in the series caught me by surprise. There were a few moments where it seemed a little repetitive, and I think the main plot would have worked better a book or two further into the series, but the characters were all just as engaging and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series (and not just because of the hanging thread at the end of the book!).

Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch. I raced through it and loved it. There were bits that made me laugh out loud, a tall order given the way I was feeling, and though I knew there was a twist coming, I was still shocked as hell by it. I can't wait for the next one!

The Thirteenth Sacrifice by Debbie Viguie. I thought it was a quick, enjoyable read and liked it enough to go looking for the next book in the trilogy. The second book, The Last Grave, got a bit weird for my liking and I ending up just skimming. After reading the preview chapter of the last book I don't think I'm too bothered about reading it. I'm actually quite disappointed since it seemed intriguing to start with, but I'm honestly not engaged enough to care about which way the story goes.

I started but didn't finish London Falling by Paul Cornell and The Corpse-Rat King by Lee Battersby. Both were nicely written but boiled down to not my cup of tea so there was no point forcing myself to keep reading.

I read the preview for the next Inspector Lynley book up on Elizabeth George's website. Aside from how badly it was formatted, I don't think I've ever gotten whiplash from reading something so short before. It reinforced the fact I am actually going to read the next book, but also the fact that I really should stay away from it as well because clearly it is not good for me (how can you keep on writing about a character you so obviously hate??)

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Thousand Names by Django Wexler came in on short loan for me so that, and possibly Kathy Reich's Bones are Forever. Oh and last year's Oor Wullie annual as I realised I never did get around to it, shock horror.

New projects

It feels so good to feel creative again after living in a perpertual brainfog for most of the beginning of the year. There are still ups and downs (there always will be), but I'm really excited to try new things out.

Dyeing!

My family brought back this delightful undyed skein of Wensleydale Yarn by West Yorkshire Spinners from holiday for me. It's got a lovely crisp feel to it, and I feel postively awash with the colour possibilitities. I need to investigate fully what sort of dye I want to use and various methods, but I think it wants to be a varigated pinky purple sort of colour.

Knitting with wire!

The urge to try and knit jewellery popped back into my head the other day. It's something I've been curious about before, but this time I found myself standing in front of the wire in our local Hobbycraft. I have a vague idea of what I want to knit first, but I need to have a play about with the wire and see how it knits up. I can't wait.

Spinning!

This one has been building for the last year or so, especially after having a couple of goes at shows this year. I've not bought anything yet, just started to read up on it, but I am very excited to have another go. I suspect one of the drop spindle learning kits will be making it's way to me from HilltopCloud come payday.

What I'm reading 17/7/13

What are you currently reading?

I'm a few pages further along in Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold (and still enjoying it), and I've just started flicking through Managing Ehler Danlos (type 3) Hypermobility Syndrome by Isobel Knight. It's rather more in depth than her last book, though still very readable, and I suspect I will be dipping in and out of it for a while.

What did you recently finish reading?

It's been a mainly disappointing week for books.

I ended up DNF'ing The Aylesford Skull by James P Blaylock. It was all right enough to dip in and out of as a break time read, but I tried to read it for more than ten minutes at a time, and I found I just didn't care. I liked some of the characters, just not enough to finish the book.

Hunted by Kevin Hearne. It was all right I suppose. It wasn't bad, but I found myself skimming passages, and I really only carried on reading because I'm reasonably invested with the characters at this point. I'll read the next book because I want to see where it goes from here, but this book felt like it was just filler

What do you think you’ll read next?

Book of Souls by James Oswald has just come in for me, and I can't wait to read it.

Knitted increases

One of the things I love about knitting is that there is always something new to learn or to appreciate. Lately for me it's been how different various increases can look.

Up until fairly recently, I've been doing increases whatever way was easiest as I've been knitting items where the look of it hasn't been hugely important. Cue Secret project number one.

It's a blanket made from mitred squares, a simple project that has been ideal for knitting whilst watching tv or when I'm brain dead. I'm following the method I first saw in Lorna Miser's Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting, and increasing one stitch either side of a stocking stitch ridge, and I grew curious as to how different the squares would look with different increases. Since the blanket is made up from squares, it really is the perfect project to footer about with and see what happens.

I started off with a KFB increase (knitting into the front and back of the same stitch) and you can see how less pronounced the ridge is on one side.

I wasn't too keen on how these looked so after a few of these squares, I moved on to trying an m1R (picking up the loop between stitches from the back and then knitting into the front of this new loop) increase.

Apart from the few slips ups at the bottom of the square (it turns out there is actually a point when you are too brain dead to knit even the simplest of patterns) you can see the ridge is equally prominent, and I much prefer the appearance of this square.

The experiment started off knitting with an m1L increase (the same but picking up from the front and knitting into the back) on the left hand side, and even that has a slight difference as you can make out the tiny holes. Actually I'm not sure what happened there - it's supposed to be an invisible increase, and often is with me, but I think the ridge is altering things slightly. I'll have to investigate that further.

Isn't it all just fun?:D

And of course, I also learned that lemon is not the best colour to show off these differences. Ah well, you live and learn.

What I'm reading 12/7/13

Hello again! It's seems like forever since I've managed to blog, but then I remember it's because I was busy surviving and recovering from a holiday with my siblings. It actually wasn't as bad as I feared, and I actually enjoyed myself (although it was hard to tell what was scarier: the rides or my siblings arguing over who got to push me!). I'm starting to get back into the swing of things so expect more updates soon. 

What are you currently reading?

At the minute, I'm only in the middle of The Aylesford Skull by James P Blaylock. I am dipping in and out of it as my breaktime read, but I'm not too sure about it. I'm intrigued enough to keep reading but I'm not exactly excited by it.

What did you recently finish reading?

I DNF'd Val McDermid's Place of Execution after I finally admitted I had lost all interest in it. I'm not sure why exactly, especially after the first part sucked me in so well, but I was just past the halfway point and the thought of reading the rest was just plain tiring.

Laidlaw by William McIlvanney. This one felt a little odd to me. I mean, I can see why it is such a recommended book, and how it set off the Scottish crime writing scene, and I did enjoy it, but I have no desire to either reread it or go on and read the other two in the series. I think it was the amount of different POV's that did it - I couldn't really latch onto anyone long enough to properly care about reading more. I'm glad I read it though.

Blade Reforged by Kelly McCullough. It was definitely worth the wait to read this one. I love the slow unveiling of the worldbuilding that keeps taking place, and the development of all the main characters is still fantastic. I said when I first started it that it was like rolling yourself up in your favourite quilt, and that feeling lasted through the whole book. There are throwbacks to previous books, some interesting new characters are introduced and things get a little political as well (always one of my favourite aspects). The whole book is littered with fantastic little details that make the world seem alive, and it feels like coming full circle from the first book. At the same time, new questions and plot threads are introduced so it feels like . The only criticism I would have was the absence of Faran felt a little odd, and perhaps a little forced, but that was my only quibble in what is an otherwise great book.

According to McCullough's website, there are going to be at least two more in the series, but it's going to be at December 2014 before the next one. I'm extremely pleased there is going to be more, but I can wait. The end of this one feels like a natural stopping point in the series, and whilst I'm still very eager for more, it's not quite as urgent as it was at the end of the last one. In the meanwhile, I'll definitely be rereading the series so far.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I'd really like to finish Bujold's Komarr as it sort of fell by the wayside, and Kevin Hearne's Hunted just came in at the library for me.