boogaj

Reading

I've been reading quite a bit lately -- actually finished up 2 books in the last week.  First up -- Camouflage by Joe Haldeman.    There were three reasons I chose this book:  First, I hadn't read any sci-fi in a while and I hand a hankering for some.  Second, I read The Forever War by Haldeman (this book won the Nebula and Hugo awards) and I liked it quite a bit.  And lastly, Camouflage won the 2005 Nebula award.  And I have to say that I did like this book and flew through it.  However, I found something lacking as I do with many sci-fi books.  There was a lack of character development and the ending was rather cheesy.  I have to say that it did give me my sci-fi fix -- and the story concept was quite interesting, so I would recommend it.

I also read Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami and loved it!!  It's right up my alley -- really interesting characters and somewhat unique storytelling device (an event, then description of what lead up to the event for each of 4 characters and the last part of the book was an "after" for each character.)

The book told each story beautifully and succinctly (yeah!!  If you read my reviews, you know that this has been lacking in the books I have read recently).  The book is set in Morocco and Spain and tells the story of 4 Moroccons who try to cross the Strait of Gibraltar in a small, overcrowded boat in the middle of the night -- looking for better lives for themselves.  Really interesting stuff.

I hope this has convinced you to give this book a read.  It really is quite wonderful!

New Stitch-Cast Episode (really)

I know it has been ages, but I finally got the mic out and recorded a new episode of my craft podcast.  Can you even believe it?

Comfort Food

It's been a difficult week for me -- when you have clinical depression sometimes things that aren't that awful hit you harder than you would like.  I work hard to keep my life structured and secure and for the most part I am able to keep things in check.  This week caught me off guard although I'd been preparing my self for it since November.

Back in November I posted about a rough week, well one of the reasons that week was difficult was becuase it was announced that the company my husband works for was being bought out.  Now, this isn't a terrible thing -- but there was the chance that his job would disappear.  Well, this week that was confirmed.  Happy Birthday to me!  (My birthday is Sunday.)  I know that this isn't a bad thing.  We have lots of notice (his job is still there until April and the company actually told them they could job hunt during work hours) and I'm pretty crazy about saving money, so we have a nest egg.  And my husband will have no trouble finding a job -- he's so smart and good.  (Really!  Go read him!) 

But I'm a little stressed out anyway -- and I have a feeling that a bit of it has to do with my upcoming birthday.  I don't know why that would bother me either -- I love my 30's so much more than any other time in my life.  I'm so happy now and love my jobs  -- which include homeschooling my brilliant, funny daughter.

I'm neurotic.  I know it.  I try to deal with it.  How?  by baking bread, of course!

Yes, I finally decided to give the no knead bread that everyone has been talking about a try.  I have a lovely cast iron LeCruset pot that my mom got for me a couple of years ago and it worked beautifully.  (I've also been eating massive amount of chocolate -- thank goodness V-Day was last week!)

And I've been stitching:

I'm a good way through part 2 of the mystery sampler. 

So, I'm fine -- just crazy. 

Ghost World & The Echo Maker

Finished up two more books:

First we have Ghost World by Daniel Clowes -- a graphic novel about youth culture.  I may be a bit old to fully appreciate the characters, but some of what they say and do brought me back to my post high school days.  The characters really ring true and I think this book would be great for people in their teens and 20's and a must for parents of teens.  While I enjoyed the book quite a bit, my favorite graphic novel is still Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (if you haven't read it, what are you waiting for?  Seriously!)

I also finished The Echo Maker by Richard Powers which won the National Book Award for 2006.  Now, I have mixed feelings about this award.  I really didn't care for The Corrections which won in 2001, but I loved Waiting which won in 1999.  This book was somewhere in the middle.  I wans't bad, but it also wasn't what I would think of as an award winner. 

Powers main concepts in the novel have to do with identity and the lack thereof.  Each of the main characters has a part to play and while one has lost his ability to recognize people due to a neurological problem resulting from a car accident -- you quickly see that most of the characters have lost their own identity.  It wraps up a bit too neatly in the end as Powers attempts to incorporate a mystery into the storyline -- which I didn't really care for.  The book was also a bit longer than it needed to be -- the neurologist sometimes blathers on for far too long -- and the sister of the accident victim is annoying to a fault at times.

All in all it was good and I could see where he was trying to go with the story -- I just think he took the scenic route -- too bad the scenery was a bit monotonous.

Up next is Camouflage by Joe Haldeman -- winner of the 2005 Nebula award (sci-fi).

Two New Quilt Blocks & a note about Stitch-Cast

Two new quilt blocks in the Flickr set.

And I'm thinking of starting to record some new episodes of Stitch-Cast now that I have my crafting mojo back. I'll probably go with a bit looser format -- talking about whatever strikes my fancy each week -- but I'd love to hear any show ideas you have. Is there a craft that you want to know more about? I'm willing to go find out about it for you! Just leave me a comment or email me (email link is up at the top of the right hand sidebar.

Pieces

While I haven't completed a quilt block in the last few days, I'm all set to get one finished today (and hopefully several this weekend).  I spent some time cutting and have quite a few pieces to show for my efforts.  I'm looking forward to sitting down at the machine and getting some sewing done, but I need to take a trip out to the quilt shop to get some thread first -- a minor roadblock.

I've been thinking of sewing a lot lately (when I'm not thinking about cross stitch) and I wanted to share a new book with you.  I purchased this a few weeks ago and have been meaning to write about it, but time has gotten away from me:

The book is called Simple Sewing with a French Twist and is written by Celine Dupuy.  There are a huge number of projects in it -- everything from simple bags and aprons to upholstery and home dec projects. 

The first section of the book is an illustrated sewing guide that coveres everything from handstitching an opening to inserting a zipper.  French seams are covered too -- which I appreciate because I always have to search the internet to remember how to do them! 

The middle part is filled with the projects which are divided into several sections including a "First Steps" chapter filled with simple projects -- perfect for a beginner, but fun for even an advanced seamstress.  There are also projects for the kitchen, bath, bedroom and even the garden!

The final section is devoted to fabric selection and she includes a list of suppliers, which is very useful if you want to duplicate the projects exactly as pictured.

There is so much in this book that it is fun just to page through it -- many projects can be adapted as you wish and are an inspiration from which to plan other projects.  Lots of photos and diagrams make this a joy to page through and remind me a bit of some of the Japanese craft books that I love so much.

Speaking of Japanese craft books -- I need to find time to give you a peek into the stack of the ones I received last week!

Bring it on!

We are supposed to be getting some decent snow over the next 24 hours and I'm ready!  I actually love the snow and the idea of being "trapped" at home.  And look what the mailman brought for me -- just in time!  Yep, this gorgeous pile of magazines arrived *today*.  I can't wait to put on my jammies and settle in for the storm!

Oh -- I've been putting up more reviews over at the Chocolate Blog, so if you love chocolate like I do please take a look!

Not Quite Block-a-Day

Well, I haven't made a block *every* day, but I'm still keeping up with it on a pretty regular basis.  (As always, all blocks are here in my Flickr set.)  In fact, I cut out some of the plain squares today so I could get a little glimpse of what the quilt will look like when I'm all finished.  What do you think?

Trade, anyone?

It seems that my mom got me a subscription to American Patchwork & Quilting for Christmas, but the magazine has been going to her house.  Well, I bought all three of these issues from the bookstore -- so now I have duplicates.  I can't stand to just throw them out, so I was wondering if anyone would like to do a little swap.  I'll throw in some other goodies with the mags.  Just let me know if you are interested in trading by emailing me or leaving a comment.

I found someone to trade with already!  Thanks, Lauri!

Cross Stitch Progress and Incredible Cross Stitch Books

I completed part 1 of the mystery sampler and started part 2 last night.  I'm really enjoying stitching on this -- maybe because each band is different so I never get bored.

I've been thinking a lot about cross stitch lately.  When I start thinking about a craft, I turn to the internet and begin manically searching for everything I can on the subject.  My search brought me to two books that I want to share with you:

First, Quaker School Girl Samplers from Ackworth by Carol Humphrey.  (I'm afraid it is still unavailable at Amazon.)  This book is *incredible*!!  You can tell that a lot of research went into this book.  And it is absolutely filled with photos of many samplers and other items.  Here is a sample:

This is just a random page showing some of the samplers -- there are probably over 100 photos like these showing hundreds of different motifs.  Just beautiful.

And I thought these were pretty.

And pincushions!  And pinballs -- these are knit and there is another book (which I don't have yet) called Tokens of Love which is all about the knit pinballs the girls made.

I purchased my copy of this book at Criss Cross Row and was very pleased with their service.  It arrived quickly and well packaged.

The second book is Petit Points et Toile de Lin by Marjorie Massey of Passe Compose.  I love the Passe Compose charts, but they are very difficult to find in the US so I was excited to find this book.  It is packed with charts for everything from whimsical (in a folkish way) farm animals to beautiful monograms and samplers.  It features mostly monochromatic designs -- which I love.  Here is another photo:

The book is all in French, but really it's all about the photos and charts.  I purchased this book from The French Needle and was also pleased with their service. 

So that's all the cross stitch news I have for now.  I hope you enjoyed a peek at these books!

Brown Sugar Cookies

I have subscribed to many different food and cooking magazines over the years, but I don't think any of them has been as informative as Cook's Illustrated.  I learn something new in every issue (this month -- how to store fresh ginger*) and often see some recipes that I want to try out.

Yesterday I received the March / April issue and was fascinated by the "Brown Sugar Cookies" recipe.  It actually uses browned butter -- a technique new to me, at least where cookies are concerned.  So this afternoon I had to give it a try. 

Sure they look innocent enough laying there, but I tell you -- these things are incredible!  They are so rich and chewy (the good crispy edge/chewy middle kind of thing) that I almost can't stand it.  The browned butter taste really comes though and makes them extra special.  I will be making these again and again!

* oh -- you store the ginger unwrapped in the refrigerator.

Mini Swap 2007

Maddie and I participated in the Mini Swap hosted by Molly again this year. Maddie was so excited because we swapped with Jo and her children who live all the way in Australia! As you can see Maddie loved her new softie. Here's a look at all the goodies:

Thanks so much Jo and family! I hope the package we sent arrived safely and that you have fun with it too!

Special Topics in Calamity Physics

I just finished reading Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl last night.  It took me quite a while to read because it is somewhat long (at over 500 pages) -- but I'm not afraid of a book with a little weight to it  :)  (Pete on the other hand loathes books this long and simply doesn't read them.)

I have to say that the story was somewhat interesting and kept me reading, but I truly think this story could have been told in 1/2 to 2/3 the number of pages.  Get this woman an editor!  I believe she's quite young and it was a good effort for what I believe is her debut novel -- she just needs to learn to tell things in a more concise manner.  And drop the weird parenthetical references to books, movies, etc.  Ugh!

Despite these issues I didn't stop reading the book.  I found myself somewhat involved with the main character and kept plodding along.  It's a strange story about a high school student, her father and her teacher who dies.  It's sort of a mystery, I guess.  Things aren't wrapped up neatly at the end -- which was a good thing.  If it was any "neater" I would have been very unhappy.

I'm reading a short graphic novel next -- Ghost World by Daniel Clowes.

Knits from a Painter's Palette -- the Koigu Book

I recently purchased Knits from a Painter's Palette: Modular Masterpieces in Handpainted Yarns by Maie Landra -- yep it's a book from the woman behind Koigu!  I have a nice stash of Koigu under my bed and I have made a Charlotte's Web Shawl, socks, mittens and am in the process of making a Keepsake shawl all with Koigu-- but I still have plenty left and was hoping for some new patterns to help me use some of it up.

As you can see, the cover of the book is gorgeous and that was enough to make me purchase this book.  Upon opening it though, I was a little disappointed for some reason.  Maybe because I have several of the patterns that are in the book already (Charlotte's Web, the Keepsake Shawl, and various garments that have appeared in magazines.)  And while there is a nice explanation of modular knitting -- complete with lovely color photos -- I already own Modular Knits which seems to cover a lot of this material already. 

Many of the garments are gorgeous -- this is Koigu after all! -- but also boxy as a result of their modular construction.  (Not very flattering for me -- or probably most people).  And while I think I'd have fun making some of these items -- I would probably never wear them.  I might think of making the child's "Play Blocks Vest" (although at 7 skeins of Koigu -- that's an expensive vest for a child!)

The photography is quilte beautiful and artistic and the vibrant colors of the yarn really shine through.  I'll probably pick this book up and look at it again and again-- using the photos as inspiration.  This might even get me to play around with modular knitting a bit -- but there isn't anything here that I haven't already made that I would make. 

If you want to make Charlotte's Web, the Keepsake Shawl or the Magique Cloak -- this book is a good buy.  The patterns for the shawls look like they would be much easier to follow than the older print patterns that I purchased a while ago.  And if you are a fan of Koigu -- the pictures alone will probably justify the cost of this book.  It definitely is eye candy!

Pincushion Challenge Gallery

www.flickr.com

This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called January Pincushion Challenge -- Winter Wonderland. Make your own badge here.

The latest Pincushion Challenge gallery is up at Flickr!

Canterbury Tales in Middle English

It appears that it is the Second Annual Brigid in Cyberspace Poetry Reading.  Well, I couldn't resist, having been an English major in college.  My favorite classes were in Old English and Middle English.  I actually read all of the Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English and our professor made us learn how to speak the language too.  In fact, we had to get up in front of the whole class and recite the beginning of the Prologue from memory.  To this day I still remember it! 

Just click on the link to hear me read aloud:

Canterbury Tales

And you can read along here:

Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,        
That slepen al the nyght with open eye-
(So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke
That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.

I'm sure my pronunciation isn't 100% accurate -- college was quite a while ago, but I think you can get the general idea of how it sounded.  What do you think?

More on the Second Annual Brigid in Cyberspace Poetry Reading at roots down.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

They just announced that the new Harry Potter - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is coming out in July!!  I can't wait!

I'm back!

Quilt Block a Day is not dead!  Yesterday I was sore from the accident (Very stiff and my neck was aching), but today I'm much better (still achy neck, but all other stiffness is gone.)  So I'm back to quilting -- yipee!

As always, all quilt block are in my Flickr set.