books,little knitting

First my knitting.     I am working on 2 sweaters that I've mentioned many times and now I just want to finish them and move on.  The "Rocky Coast " cardigan by Hannah Fettig in Quince Yarn I have put in many pictures of this.  I am on the second sleeve and then just have to do the ribbing band in the front.  I like this pattern a lot .  Knitting from the top down is so enjoyable.  The "Tea Leaf Cardigan"  in Spud and Chloe/Blue Sky Alpaca is easy and I work on it while watching t.v. or listening to podcasts and I just want to finish and start some new things.

I have done quite a bit of reading.Several of these books are short-less than 200 pages so the list seems more impressive than it is. "The House on Fortune Street" by Margot Livesey was excellent .  It is about families and relationships which I really like.  It takes place in present day London.My daughter Faith if you read this you and Jenny would like this book.Margot Livesey has a new book out called "The Flight of Emma Hardy"that I want to read too.I just started "The Odds" by Stewart O"nan.I love his books.  If you haven't read anything by him you are in for a real treat .  Again they are set in the present time in different parts of the Northeast.  Some of the characters appear in several of the books but all the books stand alone. They involve families and relationships the characters are really well developed.  I usually don't like male authors.  I think the have a hard time with female characters but not this guy.  I should know by now not to trust male authors but I gave Julian Barnes and "The Sense of an Ending" a try.  I figured this book won the Booker Prize maybe it would live up to its hype.  It was just ok.  "Blue Nights' by Joan Dideon was a interesting book.  Sometimes her writing is just beautiful.  This book is a true story about the death of her adult daughter. This week on Diane Rehm's readers review they read Ethan Fromme by Edith Wharton.  I had read this book a long time ago but reread some of it for her program.  This is a pretty depressing book .  I like her books about New York at the turn of the century so much more.  All the books are available on Amazon.com Ethan Fromme is free on Kindle.  If you want links to knitting patterns and yarn please see my previous blogs.  It is Friday and I am going to make pizza.  Peace

sunday again

The weeks are just flying by.  First I have to comment on the movie "The Artist" that I saw yesterday with my husband.  When the movie ended some people where clapping while we sat there in stunned silence.  We couldn't believe what we had just seen.  It was so bad. I can't believe it got good reviews.  If it was just said to be a quirky little indie film I could have gone along with it but BESTPICTURE impossible! 
Books I finished the Sarah Graves book I talked about in the last post.  Like I said a light mystery.  I am now reading another mystery."A lesson in Secrets"  by Jacqueline Winspear.  This series takes place between WWI and WWII in Britian .  The main character is a female private detective Maisie Dobbs.  Again it is best to read these in order because the most interesting part of these novels for me is the stuff about her personel life. I first heard about these books from Laura Bush and her daughters when she said these were their favorites.  I like the English setting and a lot of tea drinking.

My knitting-  The "rocky coast cardigan"  is really coming along but not so much the "tea garden cardigan".I had finished the back and was starting the front when I began to think the sweater was coming out to short and I am going to have to rip out the back.  I really don't want to do this but in my heart I know I should because I won't like it otherwise.  It will be a cute sweater if I do it right and don't get lazy. Rocky
coast cardigan (above) is knitted in the round.  I have started the sleeves.  I hope to finish it soon so I may have a chance to wear it or I will have to bring it to Maine this summer.Peace

super bowl sunday

sunset from or patio this week   Well today is Super Bowl Sunday my husband is just pacing around saying the tension is killing him. My daughter is coming to watch the game with us.  My husband made Chinese dumplings   and I made some crab dip.I will make a pizza for my son sometime at the beginning of the game.  I don't care about the game that much but I am looking forward' to the E-Trade baby commercial.  I have done a lot reading this week.  I read "The Book of Old Houses' by Sarah GravesThis is a series of mystery novels by  an author who lives in a 150 year old house in s Eastport Maine.  The author is a former nurse who lived in Branford Connecticut as did I.  They are light reading and I love the Maine setting . If you start them it is best to read them in order because they build on each other finished "Bird Song " by Sebastian Faulks.  As I said before I figured out the plot about 50 pages in and it did not surprise me. It was pretty good story about WWI in France. I continue with "look me in the eye"by John Elder Robinson.  It is written by a man who has Aspergers and my son is reading it for school so I am reading along with him.  I started "Ed King" by David Guterson.  This is the same person who wrote "Snow Falling On Cedars" which I loved.  This book has gotten mixed reviews but I kinda like it.  It is about a married man who has an affair with his children nanny while his wife is a mental hospital and the consequences that causes in every one's life.  Continuing my obsession with "Downton Abbey" I finished "Below Stairs" by Margret Powell .This is a short book written by a maid who worked in a house like Downton Abbey.  I read it my Kindle.I liked this and found it very interesting.  It is reviewed in toady's New York Times. All books available at Amazon.com

Next my knitting.  I finished a scarf in lace weight yarn that needs to be blocked so it doesn't look like much so I hope to include it in the next blog.  I've been focusing on my Rocky Road Cardigan by Hannah Fettig from "Coastal Knits".  Book can be purchased at www.knitbot .com.  i love this pattern and book.  The sweater is knit from the top down and once you understand the pattern it easy.  The cables keep it interesting.  It is knit in Quince&Co.Lark yarn in the Iceland color .  It is greyish with blue undertone rally beautiful.
While I knit I often listen to podcasts about knitting. Some of my favorites are "Cast On"by Brenda Dane.  She is an American living in Wales.  She just has a great way about her and tries to have a theme in each podcast.  She talks a little about what is on her needles,her life,and plays interesting indie music.  I love "Stash and Burn" (don't you just love the name) by Jenny and Nicole a nurse and librarian  who live in the bay area.  They discuss what they are knitting,and talk about yarn and knitting books.  "Knit more girls" are great.  They are mother and daughter who live in California.  Jasmine,the daughter had a baby recently so they are taking a shor break fro podcasting. "2Knit lit Chicks" are another mother and daughter who talk about knitting and the books they are reading.  I can't believe the amount of books they read.  Some of them are audio books.

recent picture of downtown Damariscotta Maine the closest town to our house Have fun watching the super bowl.  Go Giants!!!!