YARN ALONG

Wednesdays over at the Small Things blog is Yarn Along day, where knitters and crocheters share what bit of needle goodness they're working on and what they're reading. Time for this week's installment.

I needed a smallish rug for under my family room window and decided on my version of the Big Stitch Knit Rug from Purl Bee.  Since this rug's location is frequented by muddy-footed dogs and chipmunk-watching cats, I went with an economical, easy care yarn -- Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Wheat and Glacier.  I'll soon be changing from my total Brady Bunch decor to something more springy and summery, so the rug colors aren't going to clash with my current avocado, tangerine, and marigold hues.  I'm using much smaller needles than called for, size 13, and am making it in stripes of varying widths, mostly to combat my own boredom.  It's an extremely easy pattern and free over at the Purl Bee here.


One of my birthday gifts from my mother was Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Around, which I just finished and thoroughly enjoyed.  That might sound weird for a knitting book, but about half the pages are taken up with her "digressions" and by the end of the book she's given a history of herself that is witty, concise, and wonderful (much like her patterns).  Whether I ever make anything from the book or not I'm so glad I have it.  It's particularly interesting to read about her German-born husband's escape from his homeland in 1937 when he was overheard making a snotty remark about Hitler and was trying to get out of Dodge before the Gestapo caught up with him. 

At bedtime last night I started the novel The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (best known for his title role in House, M.D., although to me he will always be my beloved Bertie Wooster).  It's hard to get a feel for the book after only reading three pages (I was very tired last night), but as I expected it's quirky and funny and offbeat, a little like a combination of Rowan Atkinson and Douglas Adams.


Are you reading anything good this week? 


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