Tag Archives: Unravelled Wednesday

Social crafting & a little summer

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There’s nothing quite like social crafting. You sit yourself down in a new group, get your craft kit out and instantly you’re asked what you’re making, is there a pattern, or is it your own, oh and what’s the yarn? Then allsorts of topics just flow, you join in as little, or as much as you want and before you know it you’ve drunk your coffee, crocheted a small pile of circles and two hours have vanished!

This week I’ve gone to two crafty meet ups, one leading to the other, and topics have ranged from Jeremy Clarkson‘s new pub, his finding of knickers on the site, dogging (!) Rashes under boobs, muslin cloth, block deodorants, traffic issues, local festivals, roadworks, politics, ID, living in Yorkshire, the north and south of England a personal comparison, air fryers, gin, husbands reluctantly making their own lunch: “But what will I have?!” (mentioned by the older women, the younger were slightly agog. How about: “Anything you fancy making darling?”) and much, much more. Craft is probably about 3% of the range of topics covered. There is always much laughter.

When I first started visiting yarn groups, maybe 12 years ago, crocheters were in the minority. There might be me and perhaps one other, unless I felt I needed to bow to the general trend and took knitting. The morning after an evening spent in a pub or cafe I would realise my knitting was always a complete mess, because I couldn’t concentrate on any kind of pattern, chat and sip coffee or alcohol at the same time. Naïvely I once took some lace knitting to a meet up in Oxford. Never again! I find crochet much more free flowing.

At the first craft group I went to this week seven were crocheting, three knitting and one was sewing up some knitting. At the second I would say it was about the same; more were crocheting than knitting of the fifteen. Unfortunately the one who was sewing up on Tuesday came to the other group as well and was re-sewing because she had made a mistake. But it looked like a gorgeous little jumper in variegated shades of green. It will be perfect when it’s finally done.

You see we’ve had a bit more summer this week. I snapped these photos on a 3 mile loop of field paths one evening.

As we were halfway through the walk chatting away I suddenly realised there was quite a loud noise in the field behind. Peeping through a gap in the hedge I saw a combine harvester was cutting the meadow grasses to make hay. It’s been much better, drier weather lately. At last!

It’s the first time I’ve grown mangetout and I can’t believe how many I’m picking every day. I hate to say it, it sounds a little miserable, but I’m getting a bit fed up of eating them now! I didn’t realise they would produce so many. Our lovely neighbour watered our garden when we were on holiday and so I took her some. It’s time to pass them around I think!

The peas are ready and absolutely delicious. We had roast chicken and lots of summer veg on Sunday, the peas were sweet and beautiful. They only took one minute to steam, along with homegrown cavolo nero and mange-tout.

The beetroot are nearly ready to pick as well.

As for book talk this week I’m still listening to Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, it’s making me laugh out loud now. I’m also listening to

Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle by Clare Hunter. This was mentioned on another blog recently and I thought I’d give the audiobook a try. It’s on Spotify premium. It’s really interesting so far and I like the Scottish narrator a lot. I recognise Siobhan Redmond’s voice from a medical drama I used to watch on TV.

I’m reading an advance copy of Jenny Colgan’s new book Close Knit, which has knitting and quite a funny knitting circle (more social crafting!) up in the highlands of Scotland. It’s out here very soon.

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What have you been up to in the last week? Making? Reading? Growing anything? Any good recommendations for TV? Tell me a few things please!

Ana Lucia shawl finished. Still circling

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I left my Ana Lucia Shaw on the blocking mats when we went on holiday and actually have only just got round to unpinning it today!

The lengthy pinning hasn’t done it any harm luckily, and I’m really pleased with it. To be absolutely honest I started crocheting the shawl simply because I liked the pattern. I don’t wear triangular shawls, preferring cowls or scarves, and didn’t think that I would ever actually wear it. But it didn’t matter, it’s all about the crochet sometimes, isn’t it? You can easily gift or donate a make after all. To my surprise I can imagine it keeping me really warm and snuggly on a cold day. With a winter coat I think would look really nice.

It’s a keeper!

Started in 2019 I think it’s my longest ever project to complete (not counting the knitted stripy blanket which will probably take years to finish because it’s not interesting enough to pick up too often.) In the meantime the Katia silver paint yarn was discontinued, I think probably due to the sparkly plastic content. Whoops. I just had enough to crochet the pattern, although I probably would have repeated some rows if I had the yarn. Luckily it’s just right to wear.

If you fancy making one you can pay for the pattern, or access the free pattern on a link here on Ravelry. It’s designed by Wilma Westenberg, who has heaps and heaps of shawl patterns available.

I don’t think this is going to be the last triangular shawl I’ll crochet as there has been something really satisfying about the triangular start and lengthening rows of interesting stitches.

I’ve had an unusually social week. It’s always all at once, isn’t it?

Monday I went out for lunch with family. Well, technically I just had dessert (Eton Mess. I couldn’t resist the fresh summer fruits, meringue and cream) then met up with three friends for a drink and pizza at a pub, then we went to the theatre to see Uncanny: I know What I Saw. Have you heard the podcast? Seen the TV episodes? Read the book? I really recommend all, but suggest starting with the podcast. It’s best to listen to it in order because Danny refers to previous episodes and gives updates.

Tuesday I went back to a yarn group which I haven’t been to for ages. It was good to catch up. It’s one of those easy-going weekly groups where people come and go. You can just drop in whenever you want. There were six crocheters, two knitters and one drawing on fabric to make bunting for her rustic farm style wedding in August. I thought you might like to know the stats, I would.

Last night, Wednesday, I went to bookclub where we discussed Rebecca. I didn’t actually reread it because I’ve read it a couple of times, seen the play by Kneehigh Theatre Company and the Netflix film adaptation. Actually I realised I probably should have done, because I had forgotten crucial little bits and pieces of the story. But there’s so many books to read and you don’t necessarily want to reread something for the third time. Maybe I will in the winter when I fancy a slightly dark and atmospheric tale?

Later there are plans for a 3 mile field path walk and a tuna, butterbean and artichoke salad for dinner. Then more chapters of Sally Page’s forthcoming novel: The Secrets of Flowers. Tomorrow night I’ll be snoring in front of the tv!

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What about you? Any finished makes, have you been out and about lately? And, what’s for dinner?!

Blocking

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I’ve been waiting for good weather to block my Ana Lucia shawl, and it’s finally, finally here! Today’s top temperature is going to be the highest so far this year.

We have had so much rain and unseasonably cool temperatures that apparently during June more soup has been sold than suncream. I know I’ve definitely never snuggled up with a hot water bottle at this time of year, or had such weedy looking tomato plants. They are catching up now. In fact the veggie garden’s looking good all round: there are flowers and pods on the broad beans, the kale, beetroot, mangetout, red pepper plants, salad leaves and French radishes are flourishing, but the carrots are still invisible. Maybe they’ll appear? Maybe I’ll be sowing some more in a week or two.

Next I thought I would finish joining my Coast blanket squares together and make a start on a border, but it’s not ideal to be covered with blanket squares in this weather. That task will wait until cosy autumn evenings arrive, unless our summer changes. Always a possibility in England…

This week I’m reading an advance copy of The Missing Family by Tim Weaver. It’s due to be published here next week if you read the blurb on GoodReads, linked to above, and fancy it. When I requested a copy from NetGalley I didn’t realise it’s 13th in a series about a detective who specialises in missing person cases, but it’s not proving an issue. The story is compelling; it’s twisty and jumps back in time to grisly findings in the USA and forward to the titular family here in Devon. I cannot yet work out how it’s all going to connect together, which is the hallmark of a good crime mystery thriller.

Also I’ve just started listening to Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I’ve heard heaps about this book, and after yet another mention from someone at my bookclub last week thought I would try it. So far so good, although I’ve only heard a few chapters.

What are you up to at the moment? Is your garden flourishing? Are you busy making anything? Reading recommendations are always good too.

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Linking with Kat and the gang for Unravelled Wednesday to share what we’re making and reading.

Books and seeds

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Treasure hunting! Swapping as we went on Saturday:

6 book exchanges

1 seed & plant exchange

A new discovery too; a small farm shop, although it’s been in situ for donkeys years, perhaps since the 1940s or 50s. Technically it’s a small holding and shop between villages on a road I don’t remember ever driving before. Once known for asparagus, now veg and flowers. They supplement their produce (particularly at the moment when it’s still the ‘hungry gap’) with local produce from elsewhere. I bought some of the best strawberries I’ve ever tasted and some asparagus, which hasn’t been eaten because it got forgotten in the fridge. Must rectify that today, or tomorrow!

A pub garden for a drink and snacks in the sunshine (yes, the sun did shine on Saturday!)

Then, lastly a plant nursery which occupies the former walled garden of a nearby Manor house, now a nursing home. They are requesting that people no longer leave any plastic pots for now as they’re overwhelmed. Instead there’s a huge sign asking customers to take as many as they want. Hey hey! I took a colourful selection of free pots for my companion marigold plants, which will sit by my tomatoes. Also some cell trays which is fabulous as I’ve wanted some for ages. Half are already planted up with romanine lettuce seeds, French radishes, rocket and mixed salad leaves. I have rocket seedlings already!

I zipped through 9 chapters of one of the books I swapped last night, it’s a fast read and gripping so far.

What are you making and reading at the moment?

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Linking with Kat and the gang for Unravelled Wednesday again.

Fine, but wouldn’t want to wear it

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After doing some physio stretches and using my rocker board I sat down on the spare room bed and looked at my craft bookshelves, scanning the spines of the crochet books. I idly picked up DK A Little Course in Crochet which I’d found in a charity shop for very little money awhile ago. I’d liked the little stitch directory and thought it was well worth the 50p, or pound charge. I found myself flicking through it and then suddenly was delving into my craft cube for some two ply mercerised cotton as instructed. Well, actually I found its rayon. I discovered a 2 mm hook too. That’s the thinnest I’ve got. But I don’t think there’s much difference between the specified 1.5mm hook and 2mm really. Only .5mm. A fine cotton (rayon) crocheted bookmark is appearing, almost to my surprise. I’ve never ever crocheted with yarn so fine, or using such a small hook. Thank goodness for Clover Amour and their comfy handles.

It’s a lovely teal blue, isn’t it?

The rayon was part of a package given years ago by one of my cousins, who had the habit of frequenting auctions and bidding on mixed lots. She would end up with all sorts of things. And consequently, so would I.

I include pictures of the yarn label because it’s almost antique, isn’t it? Or vintage rather. Can you imagine being a young child and wearing a jumper made of rayon? I can tell you that it would have a very strange feel against the skin, and god help you if you got near to an open flame! Any idea how old old this Hayfield Jewel could be? It looks 1970s or 60s to me, but really I have no idea.

If you remember using this, or seeing your mum, granny or whoever then I’d love to know!

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This week I’m reading Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville.

“Dolly Maunder was born at the end of the nineteenth century, when society’s long-locked doors were starting to creak ajar for women. Growing up in a poor farming family in country New South Wales but clever, energetic and determined, Dolly spent her restless life pushing at those doors. Most women like her have disappeared from view, remembered only in family photo albums as remote figures in impossible clothes, or maybe for a lemon-pudding recipe handed down through the generations. Restless Dolly Maunder brings one of these women to life as someone we can recognise and whose struggles we can empathise with. In this compelling new novel, Kate Grenville uses family memories to imagine her way into the life of her grandmother. This is the story of a woman, working her way through a world of limits and obstacles, who was able-if at a cost-to make a life she could call her own. Her battles and triumphs helped to open doors for the women who came after.” From Goodreads.

If you’ve never read any of superb Australian writer Kate Grenville’s work then I suggest you start with The Secret River. I’ve read it a few times and have enjoyed several others of hers too.

I whizzed through the first half of Dolly’s story very quickly in a few sittings, it’s a very compelling story.

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What are you making and reading this week?

Linking up with Kat and the gang on Unravelled Unwednesday.

Ha! Just noticed what I did there. It’s staying!

Trailed by voices

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My second time at the craft group in a very relaxed café, lots of chat and a few hours that flew. Very good mocha too!

I paused and took a progress pic of the five circles I’d crocheted and thought I probably had better stop. I was surrounded by mostly crocheters, I think only one at the other end was knitting. I was so enjoying chatting and hooking that my hands found themselves getting busy again. In a way it’s good, because I’m seeing my hand therapist on Friday and can report how sore it now feels. This once would not have counted as a lot of crochet…

Describing my book group and this new craft group to a friend this morning, when we were driving along, I realise that I’ve now met two women who own and ride horses in the last couple of weeks. Maybe it’s not that interesting, but as they are from completely different groups and locations it’s tickled me.

The other day I was rather horrified that my new ball of Hayfield Spirit DK came vacuum packed flat in the post. I had noticed the generously cheap postage but didn’t realise some yarn sellers are now vacuum packing orders. I thought the wool content would be completely ruined, the fibres squashed into submission. Well, actually after springing out of the pack, the ball plumped up quite nicely and doesn’t feel any thinner at all than the previously non-vacuum packed. Have you had any yarn arrive packaged like this? Do you feel it made any difference to the quality of the wool?

This week I’m reading and also listening to Weyward by Emilia Hart and enjoying it very much.

‘Wearing together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart’s Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.’ From GoodReads.

I’m also listening to Robert Webb’s How Not to be a Boy which ties into Caitlin Moran’s What about Men? And also part of Elizabeth Day’s Friendholic, both of which I mentioned last week. Robert’s writing is excellent. I really like the way he portrays himself and his family, making conscious choices to be fair and empathic about all (barring the dull grammar school science teacher!) Robert has a great voice for narrating audio (he’s known for being an actor and comedian, part of the Mitchell and Webb duo, in case his name is unfamiliar.)

I’ve realised that recently where audiobooks are concerned I’m doing the thing that lots of crafters do, only I’m doing it with audiobooks. I’ve started many, listening to some of it, then moving on to try a next, listening to more of the first and then bouncing back to the next, and then starting another, and then…. I used to have to commit to one book using a credit from Audible. I’d listen to the book, then wait until the next month brought a new credit to spend. With the Audible plus catalogue (3 months membership for 99p offer I could not refuse the other day) and Spotify premium including 15 hours a month of audiobooks or podcasts, I am now absolutely spoilt for choice. I have given up book monogamy for hopping around like a wild thing!

Instagram seems to be full of people at the moment unravelling, or frogging, crochet and knitting like billio! (iPhone does not like this antiquated slang.) I don’t really know whether it’s a chain reaction to someone prominent doing it, or spring cleaning approaching, but my feed is full of people posting photos of unfinished items, then either filming something being unravelled, or agonising over whether they should unravel it, or carry on. They say it’s not very fun to crochet / knit and maybe they could use the yarn for something else, but they’ve got so far in the making that it seems a shame. What do we think? Can we advise? Impossible to answer! But I’ve tried. I generally take the middle line and say surely it’s got to be fun? It’s a hobby, not work. And do you want / need to use whatever it is at the end? If you don’t think you will, then unravel it by all means. But then often find myself adding a caveat: it’s such a lovely piece of work, can you add a border and turn it into a baby blanket?! Anyway, what I suppose I’m thinking as I dictate this to my iPhone is that I will stop starting anymore new audiobooks and finish a few in the next week.

Spring has suddenly sprung here in my part of England: daffodils, pink blossom, white blossom, forsythia everywhere, beautiful magnolia trees in bloom and an array of spring flowers. It suddenly arrived and gosh it’s welcome!

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Linking with Kat and the gang for Unraveled Wednesday, sharing what we’re making and reading this week. What are you making and reading at the mo?

Mustard, I’m looking at you

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I’ve been crocheting granny circles again. Mid-morning Saturday, Spotify Radar playlist on the speaker, new music to play and colourful yarn to crochet, while Someone read his book. I really love the mustard yellow one. It draws my eye again and again.

It was time again for my friend Lucy and I to pick our next recipe book of the month. Here’s why it started last month. This time I found myself messaging her to say: ‘The recipe book of the month thing – I found myself really hoping you’d say no 5 because I’d wanted it to be At my Table by Nigella, so yesterday I decided that’s my recipe book of the month. Watched 1st ep last night as all on iplayer.’

I’ve chosen a few things to make already. It won’t be hard at all. I really like Nigella. I made her Stem ginger, walnut & carrot cake on Sunday. It’s so good that I’m ditching one of my other recipes.

I chose number 47 for Lucy, sticking to my resolution to give her a harder number to count in return for hers last month, not that I’m petty, ha! And got a ‘Whoop whoop!’ Number 47 brought her counting along the bookshelf to Fresh India by Meera Sodha. I’m pleased too, because I bought the ebook when it was a 99p KDD and so will follow what she makes with interest.

Later another message: ‘I had shedloads of pages marked in this one, just went into the living room and Theo has taken them all out.’

I laughed.

And then: ‘And I had to say thanks because he was really proud he’d been so helpful.’

Theo (of the Patchwork blanket) is coming up for 3 years now. A cheeky little tinker.

Today I met up with my absolutely lovely cousin, I mean I’ve got lots of cousins and they’re mostly all absolutely lovely (!) but she is one of my top favourites. Her brother says we’re more like sisters than cousins, which makes me feel very warm and fuzzy. We’re both lovers of wandering around charity shops, this time she donated and I bought. She gave some jigsaw puzzles, including one I bought from another charity shop when we were slowly coming out of the lockdown restrictions. There were still plenty of hours to fill when social spaces and such were still not fully open, and groups weren’t meeting. I completed the outside and then lost interest. 1000 pieces might have been 500 (700?) too many when it had been decades since I’d done a jigsaw. At last I admitted defeat, and wanted to claim back the end of the dining room table, so passed it on.

During our wander I found this beautiful looking book. When I read Nina Stibbe’s Went to London, took the dog she mentioned the author Cathy Rentzenbrink lots because they’re good friends. It also grabbed me because of the recommendation on the front: ‘I loved this book… I’m so desperate for you all to share in its wonder, Elizabeth Day.’ It made me smile because at the moment I’m addicted to Elizabeth’s audiobook Friendaholic. I’m probably one of the very few people who have never listened to Elizabeth’s hugely successful How to Fail podcast. I recently heard her for the first time on the bonus episode of the Ghost Story podcast and her articulacy, intelligence and my sense of her general likableness made an impression. Friendaholic is astonishingly honest and open. She makes me laugh out loud, but then I find myself welling up. I love her narration too. If you like a very proper English accent (I’m looking at you America) then you will love her voice. I’m going to look for some of her fiction as well.

Dear Reader cost me the non princely sum of £1! I’ll let you know my thoughts later on.

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What are you making and reading this week? Have you also seen someone you love to spend time with lately?

Linking with Kat and the gang again for Unravelled Wednesday.

Chicken or fish?

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You know that thing in a restaurant? You can’t make up your mind, so you ask someone: “What shall I have?” they say “Have the chicken” and you instantly think “NO. I want the fish!” (Substitute mushrooms and aubergine if meat isn’t your thing.) I find that a really handy way of making a decision under pressure. Nothing focuses the mind like someone telling you what you instinctively realise you don’t want. Or, perhaps it’s my contrary nature? Someone will no doubt be nodding at this point. Well, I just sent two photos to him to choose which was best and he picked this one and I instantly thought “No! I prefer the other because the book isn’t covering over most of the crochet.” But there’s no picture limit is there? (Actually there is; I’ve got 91% of my blog space filled, even though I pay a yearly subscription. I’ve got to do something with my media library, but the very thought of it makes me wince.) So, here’s the other one. You decide which you prefer! Or maybe you love them both, wink wink!

The last two rows of the slightly marled grey yarn is a new ball I bought on Monday. I’m not entirely happy with it, although I tried hard to match the yarns. It’s also aran and has roughly 20% of wool like the Katia silver paint, now discontinued, that I used for the rest of the shawl, but it feels thicker. I think it’s going to be much bulkier when I start to crochet the shells. My plan is to search eBay, yet again, and then email Katia brand and throw myself on their mercy in hope of a stray ball, or a recommendation of another of their yarns which may be a better match. It can’t hurt, can it?

This week I’ve been to a crafty meet up. It’s always a gamble. l’ve joined several over the years and had mixed experiences. They can be cliquey, full of woman with children at the same school and it’s an hour or more of assassination of the teachers and staff, particularly awkward if I know any of them, or an older group who have been meeting for decades and don’t really welcome new younger ones. I once went to one with mostly university staff who were very snobby knitters: “Oh, you’ve never knit an X design?!” “You haven’t [even] heard of that designer?!” Or no other crocheters and so you can be viewed as an anomaly and rather pointedly (ha!) asked if you can knit? “Yes I can. I just prefer crochet as it’s easy and I can look at you and not make a complete mess of what I’m knitting.”

Actually I remember now that the university knit group was a long time ago, maybe my first crafty meet up and so I naïvely took some lace knitting. Of course when I looked at it in daylight the following day, there were multiple mistakes and dropped stitches. I’ve never made that error again. Of course it’s great to take something complicated and impress everyone, that’s if you’re a real lover of undoing it all the next day.

My longish lost absolutely lovely group are now too far away to meet up with really, unless it’s in the daytime but that’s tricky with work and children. Weekends seem to be ring fenced which is a shame.

I went to the coffee shop feeling curious to see whether I would be the youngest, the only crocheter and how many people there would be as few committed to attending on social media. I didn’t know whether to expect three or 30. The first surprise was someone I used to work with in the late 1990s, who said “Last time I saw you, you were engaged!” I went to her wedding and incredibly they’re not far from their 30th anniversary…. how did that happen?

There were quite a few connections; others recognised me and vice versa from local businesses, we think. A woman knows one of my parent’s cousins. She wore funky glasses, a nose stud and had a cool haircut. I see from looking at her social media that she does psychic readings. I shan’t mention knowing that, but I’m going to think of a long gone ancestor whom I never met, but would have liked to. I can picture her name as a couple of different items. I’m not going to say anything to her about psychic ability at all. I’m going to see if at the next group she tells me that someone called X is trying to contact you, or has a message for your family! You just never know…

There is also a relative whom I haven’t yet met who is in the FB group. And the Dil of a distant relative too. (My genealogy searches and greater understanding of the vastness of the family tree and remembering who is who is paying off.)

Apart from my ex-colleague, I also sat next to a lecturer who’s just written a book on swearing. l’ve reserved it from the library, so it will feature on another Wednesday. She was knitting a colour-work top down raglan jumper on circular needles, but I bet she doesn’t undo any at all.

Not a boring afternoon at all! And, I reckon there were slightly more crocheters than knitters, more than 3 but less than thirty attended and I wasn’t the youngest there. Not a boring afternoon! A perfect few hours.

And now the booky part: “…a family reunion that leads to murder. After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours. The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead.

And an hour later, the next family member follows… Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed. With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.” From GoodReads.

This is a book club read, we all voted online on about six choices and this won. I was pleased because it was my top choice, although I liked all the others, apart from one science fiction. I can’t make many of the bookclub meetings, but did go to one before Christmas and really enjoyed it. Sadly it clashes with another group I attend. Why is everything on a Wednesday? I’m going to carry on reading along with the books and join them on the months I can. There’s also a bit of WhatsApp chat after the meet up, so I can add my thoughts on the book there.

I suspect I know what’s going to happen and whodunit, while also suspecting the author is far cleverer than I. I won’t say anymore because of spoilers.

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I chatted about my seeds last week, if you want to see my beautiful peashoots and sunflower microgreens, mentioned here, then check out my Instagram stories today. Actually I’ve just had a lovely DM saying “Total peashoot envy.”

What are you making and reading (and growing) this week?

I’m joining in with Kat and the gang as usual for Unravelled Wednesday.

Circles & rectangles

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I’ve picked up my bag of granny circles to add a few more lately. I love this as it’s not a project or such with a plan in mind; it’s just crocheting an occasional circle when I want to sit and do something quietly. I’m using the remnants of Hayfield Spirit yarn which I used to crochet my two Bobble Cowls. Here’s the first cowl which I’m wearing a lot. I’m kind of hoping that one day someone says wow where did you get that cowl? And I can say “Well, actually I made it.” Still waiting!

I’ve been playing around with methods for using continuous joining, I’ve used the method before where you complete one round of the first motif and then start to join the others, but continuous joining means you do not break the yarn at all. You could stop and start adding motifs as you go over a long period of time, or plan the exact placement and do it that way. I think I’ll have to plan the placement because I don’t know what colours I’m going to end up with in the end. I also need to decide what they’re going to be. But there’s absolutely no hurry for that.

For the continuous joining method I’ve had to scratch my head and turn it to one side and then the other because most illustrating the direction of crochet (actually 99%) for the joining have been for right-handers. But I’ve saved a picture and flipped the mirror image. You have to become good at this kind of thing as a left-hander.

Anyway, it’s so far it’s an experiment to see how I liked them turned into hexagons and a try at perfecting the JAYGO. The beauty of circles is that you can crochet to enclose them within squares, triangles, rectangles or hexagons or…

I’ve decided for my Wednesday post that I’m going to try to feature printed books which I’m reading. I’ve always got Kindle books and audiobooks on the go, for a long time I have rarely read printed novels, but am enjoying the novelty of having a physical item to photograph, rather than screenshot.

I’m reading Maggie O’Farrell‘s latest for my next Bookclub meeting. We voted on half a dozen books and this came out top. I was delighted. (When I joined the BC last December the choice had already been made: Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I put that down after a dozen pages. Absolutely not for me!) I love O’Farrell’s writing. I read her debut in 2000 and have read everything, apart from The Distance Between us, as it’s been published. I shall definitely seek out a copy and read that too.

I’m probably only a quarter of the way into The Marriage Portrait and I’m already gripped by the revealing of the main character’s childhood and family life. It’s based upon a real life young Italian: Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara who died in 1561 from illness aged sixteen, but rumours abounded that it was at the hand of her husband. Lucrezia is written as an intriguing character, the story begins from her point of view as a little girl, to showing her as young married girl of fifteen experiencing a strong sense that she is soon to be murdered. The story is, so far, interwoven with flashbacks to her growing up in a busy household, the third daughter of a Grand Duke. It’s a little like Hamnet in that you know the ending before you begin. But do you? I am intrigued. I’m already recommending it to others!

Last night I joined a second book club; an online version with my friend Lucy. She used to, before having her baby, choose a recipe book every month and cook a new recipe a week from it. Then she would often decide whether to keep or pass on the cookbook. She says it floundered because she let her husband pick the alternate month’s books, but he never got round to it. So I wondered, would she like to do it again, with me?

“Oh yes, that’s genius! Plus then I get to hear all about the books you have…”

I regularly cook new recipes, but after years of aiming, and mostly achieving, to make something new every week, realise I often neglect my own bookshelves and mostly use those I’ve seen online. It’s just easier and fast, particularly when I’m doing an online grocery order. I’ve got hundreds of recipes bookmarked on my iPhone and iPad, emailed to myself, linked to on WhatsApp messages (one reason why I can’t delete years worth of threads with some foody friends) collections on Pinterest, Instagram, BBC Good Food site, Olive magazine site and probably a dozen more sources. It’s a shame as I have a mini library of my own.

So, we got on and counted our cookbooks. It took a while. I left out those only focusing on cakes, desserts, a chocolate cookbook, preserving books and bread books.

“I suppose I can’t pick a cake or desserts book, or can I?!”

“You totally could!”

But I decided it was too dangerous, and maybe too narrow a category, so left those out.

We shared our total number to be included (50+ for me and 80+ for her. I know. It’s a lot isn’t it?) Then messaged each other a random number. She chose number 42 for me and so counting left to right along my bookshelves I came up with Thomasina Miers Mexican cookbook. One of my sister-in-laws gave me this several years ago. I know I haven’t used it enough, so was really pleased that it’s my first pick. Lucy had to count along her shelves to number 27 (I didn’t make her count nearly as many she made me. Next time I’m picking somewhere in the sixties or seventies, evil laughter… ) I’m ashamed to admit that mine took three goes to get to the right number. I just wanted to check and it went from The Bean Book to a Thai recipe collection, which Someone was quite excited about (Thai, definitely not the beans!) then to Mexican.

A thought – join in if you would like to? Send me the total number of your cookbooks and I’ll pick one, or pal up with a friend. I’d love it if you’d share a photo of the cookbook on your blog, Instagram, or Facebook and tell me / us about your recipes as you go?

We’ve already decided to choose our next on or around 6th March. Now I’ve got to choose something to make this weekend. ¡Arriba, arriba! Mexican here we come!

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Linking with Kat and the gang for Unravelled Wednesday again. Sharing what we’re making and reading.

Paper & Yarn

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Hello there, how are we all today? It’s 1° here and the ice I tipped out of the bird water dishes YESTERDAY is still frozen on the lawn. Brrrr!

Going by my blog stats which show the varying number of countries this is read, I bet someone reading this somewhere right now is wearing shorts and a T-shirt, has been fanning themselves or cranking up the A/C, and complaining that it’s too hot…tell me if that’s you so I can turn a light shade of green.

I’ve brightened this photo and it still looks really dark and grainy, doesn’t it? Sorry. It’s that kind of day.

My Ana Lucia shawl (free pattern by Wilma Westenberg) is going on nicely. I’ve crocheted a few times over the last few weekends and enjoyed it a lot. Taking it easy on my hands, as is usual these days, but loving making each stitch. I’ve enjoyed the variety in this pattern, especially after crocheting good ole granny squares for my Coast Blanket.

Katia Silver Paint yarn (discontinued now I believe)

I picked up Snowflake by Louise Nealon at Stowe Gardens National Trust truly excellent secondhand bookshop on Saturday. There are always good finds. Often I buy recipe books but I’ve found myself missing reading paperback fiction lately. I am very attached to my Kindle, but have decided I’m going to keep a paperback downstairs for evenings when the TV is off and it’s a reading night, or there’s chance to read a page or two while something’s cooking etc.

‘Debbie lives on a dairy farm with her mother Maeve and Billy her uncle. Billy sleeps out in a caravan in the garden with a bottle of whiskey and the stars overhead for company. Maeve spends her days recording her dreams, which she believes to be prophecies. This word is Debby’s normal, but she is about to step into life as a student at Trinity College Dublin…’

Nealon’s style is fresh and her writing does seem unique, as promised in the blurb. This is a debut novel. I’ll add it to a future book recommendation post if it ends up being as good as it promises.

I’ve finished a few books this week so will decide what to read next on my Kindle and whether I want to start a new audiobook, or maybe I’ll stick with podcasts until my Spotify premium hours are back.

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What are you making? Anything crafty going on? Any good books on the go?

Joining in with Kat’s Unravelled Wednesday, a weekly link up sharing making and reading. Whoop! I still miss Ginny’s Yarn Along at times and so am jumping in with Kat and gang.