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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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.  Well, as a confirmed bibliophile I've been lurking and checking out others' links for a while now.  I decided to go ahead and jump in myself, so people who hate knitting and/or books can feel free to stop reading now and find a fun online game instead.  (May I suggest Words With Friends on Facebook, to which I am currently addicted?)

Anyone who saw my blog yesterday will know that my current project is hats, hats, and more hats.  Today I finished up a pink one with a pattern done in small bits of leftover Roving Acres yarn.  I couldn't bring myself to just toss the remains of my favorite yarn, even though I only had three small balls of it left.  (Think slightly bigger than a golf ball.)  Turns out it was just enough to use for the contrast on the pink hat.  I'm already casting on for another pink hat, which will be #8.  (I'm hoping to get an even dozen by the time I have to ship them out next week.)  The pattern comes from the Knitting Workshop companion book by Elizabeth Zimmermann, with the color blocking pattern coming from her The Opinionated Knitter.

On the reading front, I'm this close to being done with The Wilder Life:  My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie.  It's the perfect read for anyone Laura Ingalls Wilder-obsessed.  (I was thrilled to read this and find out I'm not the only one.)  I'm now driving myself insane wanting to visit the Laura home sites.  Since all of them are a minimum of a nine hour drive from my Ohio home (and most much longer), my only hope may be the Laura and Almanzo home in Springfield, Missouri.  Sounds like they've got the best stuff anyway, like Pa's fiddle and Laura's lap desk and the little china box she got for Christmas as a child...  I salivate just thinking of it...

Feel free to join the Yarn Along with Ginny here.

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