tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27147046467278383512024-03-13T03:43:33.777-05:00Dyed In The Wool Blue StockingKnitting, Reading, Bitching, and now Home Improvement Sagas!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-43131084532869111872016-01-24T08:23:00.001-06:002016-01-24T08:23:55.407-06:00Welcome to the Year of SlackLast year, I'm not gonna lie to you, it sucked a bag of dicks. We did finally move and the spousal unit got his new robot hip. I fell far short of my goal to read 60 books and the amount of knitting I did was paltry at best. <br />
<br />
This year, I am all about doing what I want to do. I have read 6 books already. I have finished a pair of socks and 2 hats started last year. I have drunk a river of tea.<br />
<br />
I don't read books that are necessarily new or notable. I have Platte River Taste-- a mile wide and 2 feet deep. Here are the first 6 of the year.<br />
<br />
Book 1: Bloody Mary by JA Konrath. The author thinks these books are not gory. The author is wrong. This is the 2nd in a series, but I don't feel compelled to read the rest of the series, though I do have book 3 since I bought an ebook bundle on the advice of a friend. Maybe if there is a snow day. Or camping trip. I am not wild about serial killers, so this is not really my cup of tea. I think it's not a horrible book, so if that is your thing, I would recommend it. The main character is her own worst enemy. And that is with the serial killers.<br />
<br />
Book 2: The Lie and the Lady by Kate Noble. I liked the first book in the series so I read this one next. It was pretty good, though most of the plot hinged on people not telling each other anything. A few honest conversations would have cut the length of the book in half. That was a little frustrating.<br />
<br />
Books 3, 4, and 5: The Blackbird Sisters books by Nancy Martin. I don't know why I'm even reading these. I can't stand the heroine's sisters at all. The heroine is mildly frustrating in her amateurish detecting and inability to sack up and be with her shady boyfriend. Again, a few honest conversations would move the plot forward pretty nicely.<br />
<br />
Book 6: Anything For You by Kristan Higgins. I really liked this one better than the previous installment in the series. Don't get me wrong though, I like all of Higgins' books to at least some degree. This one has a lot more of the story telling from the hero's point of view than previous installments. It was not as funny as some of Higgins' other books, but a lot of times, the humor comes from the heroine getting herself into awkward situations, the heroine of this one, was a great blend of super competent boot-strapper with fragile underbelly. <br />
<br />
In terms of knitting, I have spiralled out of control with the volume of works in progress. I have 2 pairs of socks for myself going. I have a pair going for my mom. I have 2 cowls in progress. I have a lace stole in progress. I have Stephen West's Doodler hibernating as I am stuck all to hell on clue 2. <br />
<br />
I have been keeping really good sock notes on Ravelry because I mostly make socks for myself and I want to get to a point where I have a solid recipe that fits my foot. I have small feet that are very wide at the toe and considerably narrower at the heel. My ankles and calves are . . . sturdy to say the least. Even when I am slim, I do not have graceful looking ankles. I am fiddling around with gauge to find the right blend of comfort and strength. I think I want to make a lot more plain vanilla socks until I know how to get all the fundamentals right on a sock.<br />
<br />
Brace yourselves, sock notes are coming.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-71560345262578122302015-05-31T11:12:00.001-05:002015-05-31T11:12:13.500-05:00So. Many. BooksSo, I haven't updated in ages. Two months. I am still on track tfo complete 60 books this year. Here are the titles since I last blogged and a brief blurblette:<br />
<br />
Book 15: Dark Debt by Chloe Neill: This was a solid installment in the series. <br />
<br />
Book 16: The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart by Lawrence Block: In this mystery, Bernie is attending a Bogey film festival with a mystery lady, and also trying to unravel the secrets of a lost kingdom. I found it a little convoluted, but dammit, Bernie is so likeable.<br />
<br />
Book 17: A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin by Sophie Jordan: I rated this one pretty low on goodreads. I just didn't care for the step-siblings getting toget her, the past abuse against the hero as a child by the mother of the heroine, or the villain at the end. It was a free Friday selection at BN, but I don't know that I will be exploring more by this author.<br />
<br />
Book 18: Yesterday's Gone: Episode 1 by Sean Platt: I am lukewarm on whether or not I will read more of this series. There is a character that is a young child and his voice is annoying. I really am not getting into the way this particular post apocalyptic world is built, where nearly everyone has disappeared and there are weird animals left behind that are like pod-people versions of the pets they've replaced. <br />
<br />
Book 19: Along Came a Duke by Elizabeth Boyle: I did not care for this one. The villains were cartoonish and the heroine made her situation worse with a stubborn refusal to communicate honestly with the hero. I wanted to read this because one of the sequels was so well rated, but the first installment in this series was weak,<br />
<br />
Book 20: Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick: No one is gladder than I am that Amanda Quick has left of paranormals and returned to the straight up, no bullshit Historical Romance. Quick wrote the first historical that I ever read, so I owe her a great debt. Many happy hours of reading due to her novel Scandal. Amity, the heroine, narrowly escapes the clutches of a serial killer. It is due entirely to her strength and resolve. She rescues herself! The hero, Benedict, is greatly in her debt as she has saved his life and preserved a great state secret for him. When they are linked by scandal, he steps in to return the favor she did him with a little reputation protecting. And of course, they have to fend off one of Amity's former suitors who is No Damn Good and catch the killer. <br />
<br />
Book 21: The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane by Elizabeth Boyle: This was much better than Along Came a Duke. I haven't decided if I will read the installments between these novels.<br />
<br />
Book 22: Dying In the Wool by Frances Brody: I am a big fan of historicals that take place in the first half of the 20th Century. Of particular interest to me are post WW1 English stories. During WW1, Kate Shakelton's husband was declared Missing, Presumed Dead. Since the war, she works on behalf of others in her situation to find the fates of their missing loved ones. In this first installment, she looks for her friend's father, who went missing at home.<br />
<br />
Book 23: The Game and the Governess by Kate Noble: The nobleman actually thinks people like him for himself and that he is lucky. He is completely ignorant of the privilege he enjoys. So his secretary makes him a large bet that if they switch places, he won't be nearly as well loved and nor as lucky. Oh, if only someone would do this for all the 1%'ers. The poor heroine was a pawn in all of this, and I was a little nervous that she was going to get run all over. <br />
<br />
Book 24: A Medal for Murder by Frances Brody: The second Kate Shakelton focuses on a murder after a community play production, a missing girl, and mystery left after the Boer Wars. I didn't care for the Boer War flashbacks because the characters were such assholes, but also because I prefer a more solid point of view in my third person narrative mysteries. The ending was a little unsatisfying to me because I felt some of the non-murderous shenanigans deserved a little more comeuppance.<br />
<br />
Book 25: The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrows: I am a sucker for ladies with a past. The Duke is a bit of a dick to his Disaster Duchess. He is pretty much in a tailspin for most of the book until he finally gets his head pulled out of his ass. The lady's big scandal was really a mess and the resolution of it was equally complicated. I did like it a great deal, though in general, I would prefer not to read any more books where the ruined heroine was not ruined by consent. <br />
<br />
Book 26: Douglas by Grace Burrows: And despite my desire to no longer read about women who were raped and lost their reputations, I went right into this book! What the everloving fuck is wrong with me? The heroine is an unmarried mother who rusticates in the country, managing her cousin's estate. The hero is meeting with her for assistance in appraising a property he wants to buy. As it happens, the heroine was tricked into eloping, the father of the child doesn't know of her existance and the heroine doesn't know what the father's motives and intentions were until the very very end of the book, There is a significant part of the plot driven along merely by secrecy, which is lame, but I did like this book. It's the 8th in a series of TWELVE. That is too damn many installments. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-76600867080490772052015-03-23T20:11:00.000-05:002015-03-23T20:11:17.895-05:00Book 14 Book 14: <i>When the Marquess Met His Match: An American Heiress in London </i>by Laura Lee Guhrke<br />
<br />
I did not loooove this book, but it was a fun way to while the time between loads of laundry. The hero is kind of a big baby with his Daddy issues and his lack of funds. The heroine is a matchmaker who specializes in helping American heiresses trade huge dowries for titled marriages. Her own marriage was a rather sad affair, but at least her husband had the courtesy to die. She sort of throws herself on the grenade here to keep the hero from chasing a really sweet girl who deserves better than the utter rake and despoiler she initially believes the hero to be. <br />
<br />
Without being too spoilery, didn't I just read another historical that prominently featured beer brewing? Is that the new thing in historicals? Are hops really that sexy? <br />
<br />
<br />
***pause for light googling****<br />
<br />
I did! A Hellion In Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries features a rival brewer and brewster! And relatives holding the purse strings over the hero's head. <br />
<br />
I think I read, maybe a couple years ago, yet another historical where the hero from penniless nobility married an heiress whose father was a brewer. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-9451752183078080322015-03-23T19:56:00.001-05:002015-03-23T19:56:09.668-05:00Book 12.5 and 13Book 12.5 and 13. . how can that be? <br />
<br />
Chloe Neill wrote a novella for the Chicagoland Vampire series. Goodreads now shows me as ahead of schedule on my goal of 60 books for the year. I don't feel right about counting Lucky Break as an entire book.<br />
<br />
<i>Lucky Break</i> is a pretty quick read. Merit and Ethan are trying to have a romantic weekend away from the turmoil of all that supernatural bullshit they deal with. However, if they wanted that REALLY, I question whether or not they would go stay in the rustic guest cottage of a shape shifter. Naturally, there is drama before they even can get unpacked. The shifter husband of their vampire friend has turned up dead thanks to a hard blow to the head. Merit and Ethan get involved, along with the packleader for the midwest, who is featured in other installments of the series. The death is part of a longterm feud in the area between rogue vamps and a loosely organized pack of shifters. There are spoilers for the previous installment in this novella, so best to read it all in order.<br />
<br />
<i>Dark Debt</i> is the following, full length installment in the series. Ethan is just about to settle into his new role in the not very exciting world of vampire politics when his maker, Balthasar, leaves him a menacing note. But! But! He's supposed to be dead! The super powerful vampire has strong powers over glamoring, and he's pissed that Ethan left him for dead centuries ago. At the same time, Merit's human father calls in a favor so that Merit and Ethan will meet up with a powerful businessman on his behalf. Meanwhile, a criminal organization called The Circle is menacing one of the other vampire houses in Chicago. Turns out the previous head of the house was in deep debt to the organization and they have decided it's time to collect. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that the shit is not all hitting the fan by coincidence. This is not a close series of random events, but a more complicated conspiracy. As usual, Neill delivers a complicated plot, a lot of ass kicking, a sprinkling of nookie, and descriptions of disgusting Chicago Style Pizza. THAT IS NOT PIZZA. Despite the discs of abomination, I still think it's a good, fun installment in the series.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-63660825584612902512015-03-15T16:15:00.002-05:002015-03-15T16:15:45.223-05:00Book 12Book 12 <i>World's Greatest Sleuth </i>by Steve Hockensmith<br />
<br />
In this book, Otto and Gustav are attending the World's Fair in Chicago. There is a contest to crown the World's Greatest Sleuth now that Holmes has gone over the falls. I have to say that I checked this one out from the library a couple of years ago and renewed it 3 times without finishing it. Just a few weeks ago, I pulled it out again. It's been enough years since it came out, with no other Amlingmeyer books following it, that I was pretty sure this would be the final installment of the Holmes on the Range Series. The whole series is goofy and funny, the mysteries themselves are not rocket surgery. I found this final installment though to be extra goofy and the mystery to be far less compelling. Ultimately, there were just a lot of elaborate shenanigans and hijinx. I was glad for the ending the brothers got, but I suppose I could have just read the first 3 and last 3 chapters. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-39629473177855311362015-03-06T18:15:00.002-06:002015-03-06T18:15:42.065-06:00Books 10 and 11Book 10: <u>Fresh Off the Boat</u> by Eddie Huang<br />
<br />
If, like me, your rap name would be something along the lines of Marshmallo Chic or Wonda Bread, then you may want to get the Urban Dictionary app on your smart phone before reading Fresh Off The Boat. Eddie Huang's parents are FOTB from Taiwan and Eddie was obsessed with rap, hiphop, and urban street culture. He ran wild, he chased girls, did and sold drugs and got into a few fights. He also went to law school, started an urban clothing line, and opened a restaurant. There is no app that will help you understand the struggles of a minority who is trying to distance himself from a stereotype while also being true to his own history and identity. I loved the stuff he was grappling with there. It really resonated with me as a woman and feminist. The reviews of the book are very mixed on good reads, probably because people are uncomfortable with chapters called "Rotten Bananas" and "Pink Nipples" (HOLY SHIT DID I LAUGH MY ASS OFF OR WHAT?) or maybe they think it's ridiculous to spell anything like n!gg@. Ugh. STILL OFFENSIVE, but doesn't make the book less compelling. (See Also: Huck Finn). <br />
<br />
Entwined with identity is food, and as the son of a restaurant owner who later became a restaurant owner as well, Huang has put in a lot of food talk in this book. However, it's not a cookbook, and there are no recipes. This book is about flavors and dishes and how they call us back to who we are and where we came from. So if you want to learn how to make anything, this is not the book for you.<br />
<br />
This is also not a book for the fans of Tiger Mom who want to make their kids learn violin and get into Ivy League schools. This is for people who want to SMASH THE PATRIARCHY.<br />
<br />
I guess you can tell by the large amount of all caps, that I recommend this book.<br />
<br />
Book 11: <u>Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death</u> by James Runcie<br />
<br />
This is the coziest mystery I've read in a while. I am not a huge fan of cozies that take place in restaurants, book stores, yarn stores, or whatever. I do however, like historical mysteries from the 20th Century and these take place a few years after the end of WWII in England, near Cambridge. I cannot even pretend I understand specifics of UK geography. Google it.<br />
<br />
Sidney is the vicar in Grantchester, he is friends with one of he local police, Geordie Keating. In this first book in the series, there are 6 loosely connected novellas with each being its own case. Sidney asks questions, ruminates on good and evil, and eventually comes up with the culprits. He also walks his dog, Dickens, exasperates his housekeeper, Mrs. Maguire, and is torn between a couple of complicated women.<br />
<br />
Not all the stories in this book are part of season 1 of the <i>Masterpiece Mystery</i> series <u>Grantchester</u>. I have not yet seen the season closer on that one. The novellas also do not contain all the same events nor all the same endings, so it would be possible to enjoy both.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-44515480138118642402015-02-17T18:48:00.000-06:002015-02-17T18:48:23.665-06:00Book 9Book 9: Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So the heroine, Iris, is one of the terrible musicians of the Smythe-Smith quartet and the hero is named in the title. Richard is looking for a bride and he intends to get married with all haste. It is implied he's a fortune hunter but his reasons for a hasty marriage are so much worse. I am still a little amazed Iris didn't club him to death and bury him under the roses. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-25470696782008653542015-02-08T20:20:00.000-06:002015-02-08T20:20:02.084-06:00Book 8Book 8: Open Season by CJ Box<br />
<br />
As a big fan of the Longmire books and the Holmes on the Range series, I was hoping to find another Cowboy Detective series. I picked up this one, the first in the Joe Pickett series based on recommendations online. I found the ending a bit predictable in terms of whodunnit. <br />
<br />
I am not sure if Joe Pickett is a smart enough detective for me. Joe is a game warden in WY, who has made a couple of dumb mistakes on the job. I myself have made my share of dumb mistakes, so I tried to give ole Joe the benefit of the doubt. It was apparent to me in Chapter 1 that he's 2 strikes in. Needless to say, it's not exactly a career enhancer when a guy picks Joe's lawn as his final resting place.<br />
<br />
Joe's clearly married above himself and his wife is a bit flat and martyry for my taste. As bland as she seemed, her mom was downright annoying. Joe's daughter, Sheridan is the most believable female in the story. Also, there are bimbos. Terribly drawn bimbos.<br />
<br />
Joe kind of blunders his way into the cross hairs here and there are casualties as a result that I found tough to swallow. Joe's internal assertion that his family was stronger at the end seemed completely artificial to me and unbelievable. I also thought the resolution of events for the first victim's family to be a bit of a stretch.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-66099936352732531532015-01-30T18:49:00.002-06:002015-01-30T18:49:52.843-06:00Books 6 and 7Book 6: As You Wish by Cary Elwes and Joe Layden<br />
<br />
The making of The Princess Bride is detailed by Elwes with some backup from Layden. There are also sidebar commentaries by the other actors, the writer and director. Who doesn't love this movie? People who are DEAD INSIDE. I have seen it probably a dozen times and I would see it another dozen more. Everyone involved in this book describes it as magical-- a great script, a great setting, a great director, and a great ensemble. Elwes is totally charming, grateful and endearing from start to finish. <br />
<br />
Book 7: Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare<br />
<br />
This is the second in Dare's Castles Ever After Series. I enjoyed it mostly, but there was no exposition of how the heroine came to inherit her castle. Supposedly she inherited it from the same dead guy as in the previous installment, but there was no connection made. It just seemed an odd omission. On the plus side, you could read these out of order without a problem. The hero was a little bit of an alphahole for my taste, I didn't really care for the secondary characters. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-2507021083992605932015-01-25T08:35:00.000-06:002015-01-25T08:35:10.703-06:00Two Berets<a href="https://flic.kr/p/qD6WJf">I refuse to use Picassa So Google Can Suck It</a> You will have to click for a picture. I tried to open up rights entirely on the picture but flickr and blogger just don't play nice.<br />
<br />
I made these berets, one for a 12 yr old girl, one for her American Girl Doll, from Berocco Comfort DK Print. I tend to wing it on hats a lot and use the kind of yarn that does the talking instead of a pattern. I consider my hat method more of a recipe than a pattern since you are adjusting as you go.<br />
<br />
This is how I do a beret/tam. I guess the number of stitches to cast on from my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Handy-Book-Patterns/dp/1931499047/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422196406&sr=1-5&keywords=ann+budd">Ann Budd</a> book or free patterns on ravelry. Then I knit a short 2x2 ribbed brim, An inch for the doll, 1.5 inches for the girl. To increase I do a round of kfb, with a couple of spread out kfbf (if I need to) to get the total number of stitches to a multiple of 10. I knit an inch and a half before decreases on the doll hat, I think 3 on the girl's hat. At that point, I do 5 paired decreases, evenly spaced, every other row. Use stitch markers and you can't go wrong. I use a K2tog on one side of the marker and a Knit_Return_Pass (that is my left leaning decrease since I am a mirror knitting lefty). At 10 stitches remaining, I do a round of k2tog all around then I turn the hat inside out and thread the tail through the stitches from the inside and pull to close. If you pull too tight, you get a hat nipple, at that point, you either need to loosen it up or make a pompom. I hate making pompoms, so I am pretty careful not to make a hat nipple. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-328742155184624572015-01-24T20:16:00.001-06:002015-01-24T20:16:23.692-06:00Book 5Book 5: Daring Miss Danvers by Vivienne Lorret<br />
<br />
I read this book in a little over a day of reading. It clocks in at 212 pages on the nook. I have to say, I rushed a little hoping there would be either some heat between the two characters or at least some sort of conflict that would make the HAE (happily ever after, for the n00bs) a little more rewarding. Ultimately, it was just a meh for me. I don't think I will read the others in the series.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-86122463370168165922015-01-21T19:28:00.002-06:002015-01-21T19:28:42.022-06:00Books 3 and 4Book 3: The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian by Lawrence Block. <br />
<br />
Bernie Rhodenbarr is at it again-- breaking, entering and neglecting to get a good alibi for the murder that is pinned on him. So many twists as Bernie steals some stamps but is framed for murdering a tenant in the same building, who had paid ole Bern to appraise his book collection. And worse yet, Carolyn (Bernie's BFF) gets a call that her cat is being held ransom for a rare, expensive painting by Mondrian. Naturally, Bernie manages to clear his name, but it's a close call. <br />
<br />
Book 4: The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams by Lawrence Block<br />
<br />
This installment was published 11 years after Mondrian. Bernie is still knocking about with his used bookstore and he and Carolyn are still BFFs. In this adventure, Bernie is framed for the theft of some baseball cards, he finds a corpse in a locked room, and he has a dispute with his landlord. It's all quite convoluted. Ultimately, I found the end of this one less than spectacular from a justice standpoint. I did like how the landlord storyline worked out though. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-68293422811553037152015-01-10T19:31:00.003-06:002015-01-10T19:31:53.228-06:00Books 1 and 2Book 1: Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson<br />
<br />
This is probably my favorite of the Longmire books so far, though book 2 was pretty close. When a young Vietnamese woman is found dead near the squatters camp of homeless, mentally ill veteran of the Vietnam war it stirs up the past for Walt. While he works this case, he recalls his first case as an MP in Vietnam. I will say that with this book it was apparent to me that the series does need to be read in order. I found the ending to be a bigger surprise for me than it was for Walt. Some mystery writers are good enough to tell a story without it being a surprise or a twist and Craig Johnson is one of those writers.<br />
<br />
<br />
Book 2: Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner<br />
<br />
I really liked In For A Penny by the same author. This book left me a bit soured though. The supporting characters were all unlikeable and the resolution of the story of the heroine's sister's problems was too easy and not very plausible. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-27713564875059971062015-01-06T19:08:00.003-06:002015-01-06T19:08:59.013-06:002014 Knitting SummaryWell, I finished 14 objects last year. 7 of those were hats. There were also 2 pair of socks, a shawl, a cape, a scarf and three blankets for cats (at the NE Humane Society). All in all, I was a little disappointed in my own output. If you compare the yardage I bought with the yardage I knit, I look like a doomsday prepper of yarn. If you compare by weight, I knitted 2.1 Kg and purchased 2.5 kg, which is less bordering on mental illness. <br />
<br />
I was most pleased with the socks I made. They are nice and cozy and they are wearing well. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-71761193380193458382015-01-04T17:51:00.001-06:002015-01-04T17:51:29.091-06:002014 Reading Round UpI totally fucked around during 2014 in terms of book updates. I also blew off the entire idea of blogging about knitting.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My brother managed to read and review 11 books, just one shy of his goal. It made me go a little easier on myself regarding my assumed failure to read 52 books in 52 weeks. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So based on what I both bought and archived in my nook this year and those that I ranked at the library, here is a record of books that I read for the first time 2014:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Girl With The Cat Tattoo by Theresa Weir</div>
<div>
Geek With The Cat Tatto by Theresa Weir</div>
<div>
A Gentleman Never Tells by Juliana Gray</div>
<div>
Romancing the Duke by Tessa Ware</div>
<div>
Bedding Lord Ned by Sally MacKenzie</div>
<div>
Surprising Lord Jack by Sally MacKenzie</div>
<div>
Wild Things by Chloe Neill</div>
<div>
Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep<br />
Cat Daddy By Jackson Galaxy<br />
A Girl Walks Into A Bar by Rachel Dratch<br />
Lawfully Wedded Husband by Joel Derfner<br />
A Duke Never Yields by Juliana Gray<br />
Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran<br />
Stephen Colbert: Beyond Truthiness by Bruce Watson<br />
That Scandalous Summer by Meredith Duran<br />
Written on your Skin by Meredith Duran<br />
Waiting On You by Kristan Higgins<br />
Wallflower Gone Wild by Maya Rodale<br />
Stone Fox by Greg Hargreaves<br />
Nightshifted by Cassie Alexander<br />
Lady Mercy Danforthe Flirts With Scandal by Jayne Fresina<br />
Little Night Mischief by Emily Greenwood<br />
Three Weeks with Lady X by Eloisa James<br />
The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman<br />
Loving Lord Ash by Sally MacKenzie<br />
The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn<br />
Rude Bitches Make Me Tired by Celia Rivenbark<br />
The Ugly Duckling by Eloisa James<br />
Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman<br />
The Amazing Thing About the Way it Goes by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee<br />
The Enemy by Charles Higson<br />
THe Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty<br />
Moonshifted by Cassie Alexander<br />
A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierly<br />
The Escape by Mary Balogh<br />
The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan<br />
Blood Games by Chloe Neill<br />
I'm the Vampire, That's Why by Michele Bardsley<br />
No Good Earl Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean<br />
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean<br />
Don't Make Me Think, Revisited by Steve Krug<br />
Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep<br />
Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep<br />
Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep<br />
Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block<br />
What A Wallflower Wants by Maya Rodale<br />
In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgans<br />
The Burglar In The Closet by Lawrence Block<br />
The Burglar Who Loved to Quote Kipling by Lawrence Block<br />
How to Catch a Wild Viscount by Tessa Dare<br />
Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur<br />
The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza by Lawrence Block<br />
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days by Laura Lee Guhrke<br />
A Death Without Company by Craig Johnson<br />
Never Judge A Lady By Her Cover by Sarah MacLean<br />
Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson<br />
<br />
FIFTY SIX! Yeah, bitches!<br />
<br />
I am not going to count the 3 I can think of this year that I reread and I seem to have locked myself out of my amazon acct, so I can't tell what I read on the kindle app. I may be just over 60 books for the year. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-1292916910986007902014-01-26T14:37:00.001-06:002014-01-26T14:37:38.250-06:00Finished Item TWO! <div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately, the evil empire of Google no longer allows me to link photos from the evil empire of Yahoo. You'd think they'd form some sort of unholy alliance.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://katy-tricot.blogspot.fr/2012/11/chouette.html">Chouette </a> The pattern had a
chart and written instructions. I would
like to say this made me an adept chart reader but that would be a big fat
lie. Charts confuse me. You would think they wouldn’t, since I knit
left to right, as I read. I really struggled to reverse the topmost cable which made the horns of the owl. There was a significant amount of frogging and swearing and do-over. I think however, that I learned enough about cables for this to be of benefit in my next cabling project. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A friend of mine had a rough year last year and shortly
before Christmas/Solstice she put up a picture of Chouette on facebook and said
facetiously “Who wants to knit this for me?”
Well, I DO! I had never knitted
cables before, and this is the classic owl cable so it seemed like a good
starter cable. (SNORTY SNORT SNORT). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were some keystone kop-like antics in making
this. My kid spilled macaroni on the
first skein of yarn. Luckily I bought 2
because I thought 1 was pushing it with the yardage listed on the pattern. The
yarn I used is Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky.
I’m not usually a fan of single plies because so often they pill if you
raise an eyebrow at them. This yarn,
though, gave me a problem I had not encountered before. As I cast it on, it unspun and broke.
TWICE! I ended up pausing several times in the final cast on attempt in
order to respin it against my leg. I
don’t know if this is peculiar to this yarn or peculiar to lefties knitting
this yarn or if it is because I am a lefty mirrored knitter. The yarn also sheds like crazy. Fuzz everywhere. Do not knit beige yarn in dark clothes! I will say though that I don’t find this a
scratchy yarn and I think once it has a little soak with some hair conditioner
that it will be soft enough for anyone to wear next to skin. I hope it is anyhow, or I will have to
instruct the recipient to line it or mail it back to me for lining. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I knitted this on 2 shorter circulars as I am not a fan of
either DPNs or Magic Loop for hats.
Since the yarn is a wholesome oatmeal color, I used my Harmonies for
ultimate contrast between yarn and needles.
I highly recommend that to others with powerfully corrected vision. <o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-56045962899819958222014-01-20T09:55:00.002-06:002014-01-20T09:55:58.136-06:00Week 3, Book 3: Fat Vampire 4: Harder Better Fatter StrongerThis is not a stand alone book. There is really no way to review the 4th book without spoiling the hell out of the first three, should you want to read them. You should want to read them, strictly for entertainment purposes. This is not enriching literature. That is probably why the first 4 are sold as a Value Meal package of ebooks. <br />
<br />
Reginald is a fatty. Not chubby, not hollywood fat, but real fat. He's 350 lbs. He's a comfort eating loner who is the recipient of workplace bullying. Usually, anti-heroes are morally nebulous. Reginald is an anti-hero in all the external ways. He is turned in book 1 after being brutally attacked by some douchebag vamps. Think of every mean, popular, dim asshole who picked on dweebs in high school. It was a lot like that. So a less cool, but much older stronger vampire, Maurice, turns Reginald because otherwise, he'd die. This turns out to be a tipping point in the vampire world as you don't let the fatty sit at the cool kids' table in the cafeteria. You just don't! <br />
<br />
Since ole Reg isn't going to become superstrong or fast he ends up becoming super smart-- his usual braininess ends up getting amped up to excellent strategizing, pushing the limits of glamouring, and a little mindmelding. Reg can't seem to give up his human weakness for stress eating, which can be somewhat offputting, even for me, a champ at eating feelings. He wears his low self esteem on his 4XL sleeve. That is, to me, more offputting than the extreme eating descriptions. Reg, despite his unattractive physique and whining manages to get a superhot girlfriend. Ah, male authors and wish fulfillment! I found Reg's girlfriend, Nikki, to be sort of boring and flat. Claire, a young girl Reg becomes friends with because he can't bear to eat her, is much more interesting. <br />
<br />
The first 4 books are really about the descent into chaos and revolution in the vampire world, with a little run in with pissed of angels in the mix. Each book ends at a pretty dramatic cliffhanger. So the first half of each book is fixing a shitstorm and the second half is the gathering of clouds for a new shitstorm.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-3458407275845587472014-01-15T21:19:00.002-06:002014-01-15T21:20:12.097-06:00Week 2, Book 2: Girl Walks Into a Bar by Rachel DratchI really enjoyed this book. The first half was kind of rough, what with the struggles of show biz and the cavalcade of losers that Rachel meets in her quest for love. I found the discussion of improv comedy training and the processes of SNL pretty interesting. The grinding shallowness regarding how women are 'allowed' to look in our entertainment is pretty much as I expected, but still a soul sucking bummer. I very much identified with the midlife semi crisis that Rachel found herself in, although, no one gives a shit how I look at work as long as I come to work with all my clothes.<br />
<div>
<br />
Then! When least expected, Rachel finds herself pregnant by a guy who she hasn't been with all that long and they forge a coparenting arrangement independent of their relationship. I don't know if they are still together, I suppose if I wasn't lazy as crap I would check wikipedia. It's just an amazingly grownup thing to do, to put your kid ahead of your id. What a goddamn shame everyone doesn't do that. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are some laugh-out-loud discussions of pregnancy and that first bit of time after the baby is out when your whole life is a series of whatthefuck and I'msofakingtired. That's the fourth trimester there and it's exhausting. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-9553921668705879992014-01-15T20:57:00.000-06:002014-01-15T21:20:27.783-06:00First Finished ObjectAt one time, I was able to write a blog post from a flickr link. . .now flickr links are not accepted for photos by blogger. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudh4x0r/11939231156/">Here is a photo.</a> I semi-improvised this cape for my 5 year old niece. I started with a pattern for a top down raglan cardigan and fiddled around till I got a gauge I liked. The yarn is Regia Vulcano 6 ply. It's a nice superwash/nylon blend in sports weight and best of all, it comes in a 150 g put up.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I ended up using a size 6 US needle. The needle was my brand new Caspian from knit picks. It is just as nice as their other needles, a different color is all. Now, I love my original Harmonies, but I knit a lot of purple stuff. I got some Symphonies when they first came out and the sizing was inconsistent, but still, mostly good interchangeable needles for the price. So as it stands, I have 2 complete sets of Harmonies, one of Symphony and one of Caspians. I would rather knit with shitty yarn than shitty needles. <br />
<br />
So, I cast on 36, I knitted 6 rows for the collar and then the rest is stockinette with a 4 stitch garter band on either side. I did the raglan increases until it looked approximately like where the stitches would go onto holders to be used for sleeves later. I didn't put the stitches onto holders, instead I put a few more increase rows in and then I knit straight down until the amount of yarn I had looked like approximately 1/3 of the yarn. I got out my trusty kitchen scale and weighed the ball, then I knitted 10 rows and weighed it again and I determined that each row used 2 grams of yarn. I knew I wanted to do a feather and fan border, four repeats of four rows each plus a row to cast off and a smallish amount of yarn for an i-cord button loop, so I knew to start the border at 35 grams of yarn. I ended up casting off 1 row early so that I did just the one row after the eyelets. I picked up stitches on the back of the border to graft in the i-cord loop for the button. I fitted it as I went along. The button is just a pink flower button I found at walmart. <br />
<br />
This yarn was very prone to blooming when wet, though I am pleased to report the color was mostly fast, just a tiny tinge to the soaking water. It could have blocked even larger, but my niece is pretty shrimpy, like the rest of the family. The feather and fan opened up really nicely and the shape held without any pins at all. Instead of a fancy blocking mat, I used a floor mat from harbor freight. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-18343162321529150282014-01-07T20:26:00.002-06:002014-01-07T20:26:37.700-06:00Week 1, Book 1 The Geek With the Cat Tattoo<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
I sat down this morning because the most orderly way to read 52 books in 52 weeks is to check in weekly with a freshly finished book. Instead of having a book to write about with my coffee I realized that I am a total spaz. It's either hyper focus or no focus at all with me. At 7 am, I hadn’t finished a book during the first 7 days of the year because I have SEVEN books in progress. I am reading a contemporary romance, a historical romance, a paranormal non-romance, a contemporary mystery, a horror novel, a memoir and a religious book.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
I haven’t finished a knitting project in the first 7 days of the year because I have SEVEN things in progress! I am knitting a cape (for my niece), a hat for a friend, a scarf for gifting, 2 shawls for myself, a pair of socks for myself and a pair of slippers for myself. The slippers are about my 4<sup>th</sup> start at slippers. I keep not liking the patterns I pick, so the slippers should count as seven projects on their own, as many times as I’ve started them and ripped it all out.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Clearly, I need to get my shit together and finish some stuff. I sat down to read at lunch and whipped out the last 70 pages or so of <i>The Geek With the Cat Tattoo</i> by Theresa Weir. I bought this because it was a $0.99 book on kindle and I'd enjoyed the first book in the series. TGWTCT is the print equivalent of 162 pages. For comparison, The Shining is 466 pages. (It's also the horror book I'm reading). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
The first book in the series is a contemporary romance with a little suspense action thrown in. I was disappointed that this one was not a suspense hybrid. The Geek of the title is Emerson, who builds and repairs guitars, and is afraid to talk to girls like Lola, who's a free spirit musician with a recent bad boyfriend experience. The Cat, is a magical cat, named Sam, who has the ability sort of mentally push humans around. JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER CAT. EVER. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
I found a lot of the conflict manufactured in this, what with Lola not being bright enough to figure out if Emerson was shy or just a jerk, and Emerson being all insecure and shy. There was a significant amount of navel gazing by the characters. It's also always weird to me in a book when characters care what their siblings think of their boyfriends. Do adults do that? I never cared. Anyhow, I think it's probably a lot harder to plot a romance in a novella than in a full length novel, and it showed in this book. I would probably give it a C-<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> if it was more expensive, but at the current bargain price, it was a C.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I read it on the kindle app on my phone or on my nook HD+ tablet. I don't care for the weird way that Kindle tracks your progress by percentage. However, I do find it pretty crazy the way it tracks your reading speed and then tells you how much longer you have to read the book. It's pretty gratifying for people who read fast. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-75771021278239473312013-12-27T10:01:00.001-06:002013-12-27T10:01:31.908-06:00Don't Call It a Comeback!I've decided to resume my musings, you know, for both of my fans. I found it difficult to keep up with what I've read when I don't have a good central place to track it. Did I read 52 books in 52 weeks? NO IDEA!<br />
<br />
What did I knit? 4 shawls for my aunts, a pair of ankle socks for Chuck, 5 baby hats for donation and 2 scarves. I have too many things in progress, one hat for a friend, one cape for my niece, 2 shawls for myself, a pair of socks for myself and a cardigan for myself. I also have gathered materials and patterns for a couple of large afghans that I am just crazy enough to make in non-superwash wool. What? I have a bathtub.<br />
<br />
Primarily I shut this down due to having a lot going on. 2013 kind of sucked. Disclosing only what is mine to disclose, there were three hospital stays, a couple of PIC lines, a sigmoid colon removal, an age related hearing loss diagnosis, 2 dead cats, and no luck on our house hunting this year. <br />
<br />
Right now I am collecting new year's rituals for good luck. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-39956531029088279522012-09-09T16:07:00.001-05:002012-09-09T16:07:48.288-05:00roach jars: knitter's edition<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudh4x0r/7964825108/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7964825108_116a56791e.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudh4x0r/7964825108/">roach jars: knitter's edition</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudh4x0r/">fudh4x0r</a>.</span></div><p>So, I've been saving all these nubbins of yarn and putting them in the jar in the middle for the last year. Yesterday, I found a whole ziplock of other remnants in my stash and put them into other jars. These are quart jars, by the by. Each of these represents a finished object and I feel pretty proud of myself each time I look at them. I keep these on my desk at home.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-72641054194697660362012-09-06T07:30:00.001-05:002012-09-06T07:30:39.151-05:00Clockwork!<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudh4x0r/7934508884/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/7934508884_55c99f72a6.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudh4x0r/7934508884/">section</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudh4x0r/">fudh4x0r</a>.</span></div><p>Here is my finished Clockwork, spread out on the king sized bed. I didn't wet or steam block it because I'm still scarred by the sadness of my last project. <br /><br />This is knitted of 4 balls of KnitPicks City Tweed dk in Romance and 5 in Orca. I made 3 slightly smaller sections. This thing is snugglier than you can imagine. I will not be cold at work this winter! Take that crappy HVAC!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-67075003961847059172012-08-31T14:23:00.001-05:002012-08-31T14:23:41.488-05:00See what I mean?<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudh4x0r/7900681698/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8461/7900681698_037672c4c7.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudh4x0r/7900681698/">Untitled</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hudh4x0r/">fudh4x0r</a>.</span></div><p>Here you can see the nugget of yarn leftover on top of the baktus. There is quite a contrast in the brightness of the yarn vs the product that apparently CAN'T EVER GET WET! I didn't even impulsively wear it before blocking so this never got out and about before it turned to muddy pale green crap. BOO.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714704646727838351.post-95154064494770892012-08-26T16:43:00.001-05:002012-08-26T16:43:46.728-05:00Disappointment and ImprovisationOnce the baktus was finished, I put it in the sink to soak and the colors ran into a muddled horrible mess. I pulled it out and squeezed it before too much ran out and blocked it on the ironing board, folded in half. I tried resoaking it with a color catching sheet and it didn't help. I tried putting it in the washer on delicate with the color catching sheet and it looks WORSE. The colors ran more and the yarn fuzzed out like a 14 yr old boy. All that work and the yarn just looks like total shit. I am considering an overdye of blue to make it a blue and green affair, but I am still pissed off that the dyer didn't set the dye properly and the washing instructions were a wicked lie.<br />
<br />
I cast on the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bold-and-bulky-mini-cardi">Bold and Bulky Mini Cardi</a> using the recommended yarn in dark gray. I started it intending only to modify it by making it longer, and giving it long sleeves instead of 3/4 length. That plan has gone quite out the window. I've gone up from a 13 to a 17 in needle size. I've twisted the yarn overs when knitting them to eliminate the holes. I added 2 short rows to the back since it was riding up a bit. I have 5 skeins of the dark gray, and 2 skeins of light gray for the contrast trim. I'm an overbuyer of yarn. I believe I will make the entire sweater in the dark gray and use the light gray for some easy Christmas gifts or something. I am pretty sureI will have at least 1 extra skein of the dark gray as well. The pattern is easy-peasy to follow. It would be an excellent sweater for a first time sweater knitter. The only sweaters I've made before are the cruelly misnamed Five Hour Baby Sweater and the incredibly clever Baby Surprise Jacket. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0