The Photograph Teaser

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

  "He sits holding the photo and the sheet of paper, looking from one to the other. Kath is everywhere now, the landing is full of her, and the staircase, and the big brimming treacherous cupboard; there are dozens of her, from different times and different places, all talking at once, it seems."

http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/

"Kath.

Kath steps from the landing cupboard, where she should not  be." 

The teaser and intro are from The Photograph by Penelope Lively, a good story that I am continuing  to read with the hope that it will soon become a page turner!

What do you think? Would you continue reading?

A Mitt and A Square

Hello to Ginny, Tami, and all the "Yarn Along" yarnies. This week I am knitting the Number Nine block designed by Lily Chin in the pattern book "Great American Afghan". I've been doing so much crochet that I have yearned for more knitting recently.

The yarn is Plymouth Encore (as usual!) in beige with gray undertones and size 8 needles. Love this yarn and have used it for many years.

http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/



Also in the WIP department is the second fingerless mitt. Apparently, second sock syndrome applies to second mitt! Maybe the calendar will keep me on track to finish this quick knit side-to-side mitt?!

I'm cruising along with size 7 needles and could complete it in a couple of hours if I quit putting it
down and typing!
Still reading The Photograph by Penelope Lively. I just haven't been reading as much lately--too much happening so that I'm too tired to concentrate on a book. Sad.

So what is happening with your needles, hooks, and books?

Sports Blanket WIP

 

 

Youngest grandchild (age 8) loves sports, so his blanket must reflect that interest, don't you think? We're on our way with this cream and navy striped WIP. The grand plan is to crochet sports appliques---baseball, soccer ball, football and such---to scatter on this background. Some touches of red will be involved. I am doing double crochet in the back loop to add texture.

If all goes according to plan, this sports blanket will be B's Christmas present. Fingers crossed!

My current read is The Photograph by Penelope Lively. It's an interesting story, but hasn't grabbed me. A man finds a surprising photograph and is spurred to rethink his life and investigate the circumstances surrounding the photograph. While well-crafted, the story is not a page-turner at this point so I'll continue reading at my leisurely pace.



http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/

Visit Tami to see many Works In Progress and add your own!

Teaser Tuesday

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

"Nor did I tell Tony about his former student. Everyone knew as much as they needed to know in order to be happy."

That strikes me as very good advice! 

I'm having trouble get into this story. Has anyone read this or had the same problem?

Fingerless Mitts

 

A cool Fall day is perfect for knitting by the fire place. How fitting that I was knitting fingerless mitts to give to my Dear Husband for Christmas.

 This simple rib pattern is perfect for men and women and is  free here. You can see more details and pictures of  mitts on Ravelry.

 

I used the ever wonderful Plymouth Encore Tweed in color T789 gray and two size 8 circular needles to knit in the round. Watching Cat Bordhi on You Tube certainly helped since I hadn't knit with two circs in quite a few years. It was so much fun to do this project---something a little different for me.

 

While this pattern is quite masculine, it would be great for a woman too. The stretchy fabric makes this an easy-to-fit pattern. It is my first FO for Christmas! The only other Christmas WIP at the moment is a crocheted throw for our eight-year-old DGS.

 

What's on your needles/hook?

 

Have a good weekend!



Temair Flowers

Ginny has a beautiful blog where she invites yarnies to share their WIPs on Wednesdays along with the book they are currently reading. Do pop over to see the many lovely projects.

My back burner WIP is the Temair Throw by Nicky Epstein. These sweet pink flowers are the B motif which encircle the large center motif.

 This is my first experience with Ella Rae yarn. I am very pleased with the hand and the colors of this Ella Rae "Classic" which is 100% wool worsted weight. This gentle pink is simply gorgeous and sweet and soothing. Great yarn and a size G hook are making me very happy!

 

 

While I may occasionally stare at a blank screen, the one above is displaying my current read that I downloaded from the Denver Public Library, Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan. Since I am on page 14, I really don't have much of a sense of the story yet. I need some extended reading time to really get into it!

 

 

 



 

What is your WIP?

 

What are you reading?

 

May your day be blessed.



Mesh Triangle Shawl

This prayer shawl is made with stash yarn: Bucilla Melody from my neighbor who received it from her sister who received it from someone in Illinois who got it at a yard sale who.... You get the idea. It has been around for a long, long time. I paired it with Louise Harding Jasmine from my stash to crochet the triangle shawl. The brown is pretty drab, so I dug a little deeper to find the Filati FF Darling in green, tan, and gold to use for the border. Not my favorite yarns, but I did find a way to use them to bless someone in need of prayer.

 





The pattern is easy and fast, "Triangular Shawl to Crochet "by Lion Brand Yarn.



Yarn Along ~ A Beginning

  

I've only just begun. This bit of ribbing was preceded by hours of searching for a pattern for men's fingerless mitts. I ended up with this sweet and simple ribbed pattern from http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/knitting/cosy_knitted_handwrist_warmers_2.php  After Cat Bordhi refreshed my skills of knitting with two circs via You Tube, I was ready to begin with size seven needles and beautiful, plush, gray Plymouth Encore Tweed. This is Christmas knitting for DH. Hope I can knit two that match!

 

I was reading blogs at the time I snapped the picture. What a beautiful Fall day to read and knit on the deck while DH chopped firewood. My actual read is The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro . The compelling story is populated with fascinating characters who develop from the 1920s - 1950s.

 

What are you reading and knitting?

 



The Perfume Collector

My current read is proving to be a good one! I'm really enjoying The Perfume Collector  by Kathleen Tessaro. I have posted a few short paragraphs from the first chapter.



 Paris, Winter 1954

"Eva d’Orsey sat at the kitchen table, listening to the ticking clock, a copy of Le Figaro in front of her. This was the sound of time, moving away from her.
Taking another drag from a cigarette, she looked out of the window, into the cold misty morning. Paris was waking now, the grey dawn, streaked with orange, seeping slowly into a navy sky. She’d been up for hours, since four. Sleep had inched away from her these past years as the pain increased, shooting up along the left side of her body.
The doctor had given up on her months ago. His diagnosis: she was not a good patient; arrogant, refused to follow directions. The cirrhosis was spreading rapidly now, pitting her liver like a sponge. For him it was simple: she had to stop drinking."

 

 



What do you think? Would you continue reading?



A Sunday Post

Here's ’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on your blog.This is your news post, so personalize it! Include as much as you want or as little.

 

The books I read in September are

Elizabeth the Queen:The Life of a Modern Monarch  by Sally Smith Bedell, biography, 4/5

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott,historical fiction, 4/5

 

What a very short list! I did have several misfires in September. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind for a few of the titles I tried. A couple simply didn't interest me. I just didn't read as I normally do during part of that time.

 

I have just begun The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tressaro and am completely absorbed in it. Love books like that!

 

Up-coming reads will probably include The House in Amalfi  by Elizabeth Adler.

 

What are you reading?