moonfrog

Yes, I believe it is time to put a little something on my blog. Have I ever gone this long without posting? I don’t think so. Such is life and on we go toward a new year.

It is such a strange year for us that the only holiday decoration gracing our abode is this lovely wreath The Bearded One brought home for Thanksgiving and the little pine cone ornament in the center of it. For two years this little snowman has been left on the door after the decorations are all packed away in the garage, so he hangs in the laundry room waiting for the next season. He may well be the only decoration this year besides a wreath or two and some scented candles. I love the fresh tree smell so much that I will either buy another wreath or beg some tree trimmings from the local lot to spread about the house. Otherwise, we will enjoy family decorations at my mother’s house this year.

I think I’ll turn this into a little holiday contest, too, since I totally missed my blogiversary in September. Show me one of your holiday decorations that has special memories. You can post it on your blog and send me a link or just send me a picture to post here. I will post the prizes later with a deadline for entering.

I have managed some knitting lately, but just a bare amount and it’s not my fault. For Mom’s birthday we took a class at the local yarn shop to make the Fiber Trends felted clogs. We didn’t really need the class to figure out the pattern, but it made our time together easy and fun. It was a sweet escape with some knitting and some yummy cake.

I chose some Cascade 220 that was in my stash and added a ball of Knit Picks wool to the top. My goal was to make them a bit dowdy looking and I think it just might have worked. It is a strange thing with me that I have always taken a weird pleasure in having a few articles of clothing that I consider unstylish, old-fashioned, even frumpy. Many people would call them stereo-typically school marmish. They make me smile to myself when I wear them, as if I have a secret joke that only I understand. I always had something in my school teacher wardrobe that fit just this description. These slippers make me think that, and even though I have tried to break this rather odd habit, I still have a couple things that fit rather well into this description. I’m looking forward to seeing this slipper felted to see if it maintains its dowdy appeal. Am I just odd or does anyone understand this at all? I suppose you can tell it wouldn’t really bother me if someone thought me a bit odd!

That’s enough of this “little something” but I promise to follow up shortly with an update on what I will call  “A Little Something Special” contest. Until then . . . .

Audio Book Blurb

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson surprised me at first. It was waiting for quite some time in my Audible.com library, and I had forgotten that it was not fiction. Nonfiction was my mainstay for years, but recently I have returned to a steady diet of fictional escapes and am enjoying it immensely. However, I read on, setting aside any misgivings about the topic and ended up thoroughly enjoying this book. It reads like fiction and gave some great insights into the people of Pakistan at the time leading up to September 11th.

The book tells how one man (Mortenson) made a tremendous difference in the lives of the people of the region, but also includes his shortcomings — he made a difference in spite of himself. I found the story more interesting than inspiring, more heart-warming in regard to human relations on a personal level than a humanitarian effort. To me this is a story of adventure rather than self-sacrifice, but others may disagree with my view and be equally right in their assessment. I recommend this book as a special view into another world.

Kat, a member of the Caps for a Cure group, sent me this cool bookmark with some hats she knit. It’s so simple and useful, but still a work of art. I always admire creativity like this. It tempts me to add a new craft to my already neglected list. Instead, I will use it to mark my place in The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmermann.

Since I haven’t had time for knitting, I’ve been adding to my knitting and spinning library. This has been going on for some time, so much so that I didn’t even know I had The Opinionated Knitter until I was sorting through my stack of new books looking for a pattern. I thought I had one of EZ’s books and it turns out I have three!

Yarn and fiber for spinning also continue to find their way into the jumble that needs to be put neatly away — someday. I’ve slowed down a bit since the knitting is not progressing, but heaven forbid I should stop replenishing the stash! Along with supplies, the gathering of patterns and ideas continues to accumulate. It’s all I can do to keep from casting on yet another neglected project. Here’s one that I would cast on today if I had any chance of finishing it in the next month.

It’s the Mod Cables Hat by Jeanne, who graciously allowed me to use her photo here. I love the big cables and it just so happens that I have some Malabrigo in a color very similar to this one in my stash. Very tempting! The Yarn Harlot also has a bulky cable hat on her blog called the Unoriginal Hat. It must be the latest fashion, which means I am not destined to knit this for a couple years. Ha!

So much for my not-knitting . . . . It will improve soon, I’m sure. Now, reading, that is something I have been doing since I can sometimes listen to books while I work.

Audio Book Blurb:

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett was an entertaining read. The writing was smooth and enjoyable. The plot was a bit implausible, with a mix of topics that didn’t really seem to fit, but the writing carried the story through anyway. The characters were fairly well-developed, but the ending did not do them justice, so it was a bit of a let-down. I’d recommend the book for a fun read.

Another book I picked up through Audible.com is There’s Nothing in This Book I Meant to Say by Paula Poundstone. I’ve been a big fan of Paula since she started working comedy clubs in the Bay Area. I love her delivery, manner and voice. She narrated her own book, but as is often the case, it was not the same as seeing her in person or on video. The book interested me because I like her as a performer, but I think she should have heeded the title and not said many of the things she did. There was just too much about her children and accusations against her of child abuse. Not a funny subject even if the charges were false. I can’t really recommend this book.