Yarn Along is a wonderful link-up -- hosted by the Small Things blog every Wednesday -- about two of the best things in life: reading and knitting!
Reading: I'm still chugging away on "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" and, as much as I'm determined to love this book, I'm not actually enjoying it all that much right now. I have a feeling it'll eventually pick up and become so amazing that I'll wish it were twice as long... but for now it's sorta putting me to sleep. It's 782 pages and I'm still not even quite halfway done. On the positive side, I absolutely love the writing! It's the very slow-moving plot that has me struggling.
Knitting: The mermaid tail blanket I've been working on for my friend Jaymee's 2-year-old daughter is nearly complete! While catching up on some "Grey's Anatomy" yesterday I finished the decreases and got the tail fin sewn on (rather badly). I need to weave in my ends and tidy up the seam on the fin and it'll be ready for the mail!
I'm not totally happy with it (though I am happy to be done with it) -- it's longer than it probably should be for a 2-year-old and I wish I would've gone with my instincts and made it a little shorter than the pattern called for. And the yarn, especially the white, is already starting to get fuzzy. How is it going to hold up to a toddler if it's already looking messy just from me handling it?!
P.S. Thought my Hawaii coffee mug adorned with surfboards, turtles and fish would be appropriate to accompany the mermaid tail! ;)
I tried to read that book last summer and I felt the same way! I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't get in to it and it was so heavy to read!! Good luck!
ReplyDelete"Heavy" is a good way to describe it. It's almost like reading something academic with all the footnotes and the general tone. And yet, it's got lovely writing with a sense of humor to it. I'm past the halfway hump now and there's no way I'm giving up!
Deletethe mermaid tail is looking so adorable! she is going to love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeanette! I hope so!
DeleteI just love that blanket! I'm really thinking I will knit it for my niece for Valentines Day.
ReplyDeleteIt was a fun knit and I'm sure any little girl would love one! :)
DeleteIt is just too cute!!!
ReplyDeleteI have been debating one of those for my daughter. I've just got so many projects going right now.
ReplyDeleteThe pattern that I used was excellent TV knitting, if you need some more of that in your life!
DeleteLove the Mermaid Tale blanket! From your pictures is looks great and I know it will make a certain 2yo so happy. I've been thinking about doing one for each of my girls, but blankets in general are rather large undertakings...I don't think I have that much knitting jedi in me just yet! ;).
ReplyDeleteVisiting from Small Things.
Blessings,
Kelli
Yes, blankets are definitely big projects. This is actually the first non-baby blanket I've ever knitted -- and it's not nearly as big as a traditional blanket -- because it just seems like such a time commitment. I want to learn to crochet so I can whip blankets out left and right (at least, it seems to me like crocheting is faster!).
DeleteOoooo - love the mermaid tail! I have that book as an audiobook cued up to listen to after my current one is finished. I'm grateful for your review because I think I'll be able to listen to it easily while working on something trickier than I normally would if I was distracted ;-)
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm thinking it's the reverse -- you might want a simpler project to work on while listening. I feel like it might be easy to get lost if you're not paying attention. A commenter above described the book as heavy, and I think that's pretty apt. It has tons of footnotes and an overall dry tone (with some quirk and humor -- I do love the writing). I think the author was going for a sort of academic style. All that's not to say you shouldn't read it -- I think I'll be very glad I read it when I finally finish -- but you may want to start with an easy project and see if you can move on to something more complicated rather than the other way around. :)
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