tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82357662024-03-17T21:43:02.861-04:00RobynettelyNo one is listening...Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comBlogger853125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-65032406440484291692024-03-12T21:58:00.000-04:002024-03-12T21:58:10.786-04:00What I read: February 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBqODXEN3M_wEib2uCmXqbzCxtFW9gWAA0bIRhXEMiOlCdxSFQwemITbTlMYLpN-JTfrkAyP2ilab5PcMsQ1sifkao0lOIFdUZ_WorE3wgUhpUqi132R8jI9OCCUgBToPyjrkBQK4TxomfTeHCG9qqqDtLfKdALAIA-ImzvP6MP3S9x3UJ4yK/s4032/PXL_20240206_211615023.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBqODXEN3M_wEib2uCmXqbzCxtFW9gWAA0bIRhXEMiOlCdxSFQwemITbTlMYLpN-JTfrkAyP2ilab5PcMsQ1sifkao0lOIFdUZ_WorE3wgUhpUqi132R8jI9OCCUgBToPyjrkBQK4TxomfTeHCG9qqqDtLfKdALAIA-ImzvP6MP3S9x3UJ4yK/w480-h640/PXL_20240206_211615023.MP.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><b>LHC #236: "The animals in that country" by Laura Jean McKay.</b> I thought I knew what I was getting into with this, but I did not. Wow. It's like a pandemic addiction memoir but with talking Australian animals who are not as insightful as we'd like. </p><p><b>"The Power" by Naomi Alderman.</b> I watched the TV show (season 1? will there be another?) last fall. The TV show was amazing, except the end didn't quite work for me. Alex went to a signing with the author, and I got this. I quite enjoyed it, the ending was much more satisfying. </p><p> <b>LHC #236: "Armistice" by Lara Elena Donnelly.</b> Audiobook. I found MRK's reading sort of a downer, wondering if that was on purpose. Or too wistful maybe. Also, Makricosta sounds really old as read, I went looking for fan art to get a better sense. I found surprisingly little, maybe I don't know how to search anymore. </p><p><b>LHC #237: "The Marigold" by Andrew Sullivan.</b> Near future horror set in Toronto. Needed more past perfect tense. Not sure how enjoyable it would be for a non-Toronto area person, a lot of in jokes. It does seem appropriate that the Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Council would fund a book about condo towers where the raccoons eventually win. </p><p><b>LHC #238: "The Iron Dragon's Daughter" by Michael Swanwick.</b> I'll be honest, I was guessing at this point, but I read his <a href="https://floggingbabel.blogspot.com/">blog</a>, I've never read one of his books, it makes sense I would put one on my list? Plus, everything I was more sure about had a waitlist and this did not, so here we are. I loved the language, the juxtapositions of faerie and 90's tech. </p><p>On Feb 25, joyous of all days, I was able to look at my holds list again. #s 232, 234, 237 and 238 were not on it! I'm leaving them anyway. I did manage to read 10 books off that list in the four months it was down. </p><p><b>LHC #239: "A Deadly Education" by Naomi Novik.</b> In juxtaposition to "Fourth Wing," I'd describe this as "grumpy times at well thought-out magic school." After the first few pages where I had to get used to the voice, I loved this book. Will totally read the sequels. </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-55984190333183801242024-03-04T10:42:00.006-05:002024-03-04T10:42:50.691-05:00In Progress: Feb 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBCH-ZLQnvnho1FZUwl7IwQeH3nCdPt0es5-h8LvVe42LsCGUCAp2i3cDDa7Mb6dETcAp-tGyxkWH9cklwuwtSe2o32YJp_hukDmAng4Uc89B8oaE45XNlFLQ6f2pWHdsQMEHd-94AkH2Hcy0VtySrsvXBrGGJwsFnhxFDfB3uQZNihbQoc60/s4032/PXL_20240210_143216061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBCH-ZLQnvnho1FZUwl7IwQeH3nCdPt0es5-h8LvVe42LsCGUCAp2i3cDDa7Mb6dETcAp-tGyxkWH9cklwuwtSe2o32YJp_hukDmAng4Uc89B8oaE45XNlFLQ6f2pWHdsQMEHd-94AkH2Hcy0VtySrsvXBrGGJwsFnhxFDfB3uQZNihbQoc60/w300-h400/PXL_20240210_143216061.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /> Not my car! But left at a place I frequent for several days. Very dirty. <p></p><p></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): Thought thoughts mostly. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories: </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Finished that third draft. My goal was to finish this in Feb and get it on the 'shop. I'm so close. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 6 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 1</span><span> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 0 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span></span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month halfway to the armholes. Wanted to get there by the end of the month, but I have 25 rows to go. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Morning Brew </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(Coffeehouse Knits). Started the month with 7" of body. God, stocking stitch in the round is dull. I need milestones! I also wanted to get to the armholes on this by the end of the month, I think I have 4 more inches. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Tiny Twists Socks</b>. Started the month with a half inch done. Finished the first sock, halfway down the leg of the second. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Nothing. <br /><b>Ruffle skirt:</b> Nothing. </span></p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-57511125213232635862024-02-15T11:05:00.001-05:002024-02-15T11:05:27.219-05:00What I read: January 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHyUwo2I_JLxDqtr-NAZNI-y2Jb_wxYNujtPdGOF9STq236qcUzFhZ-NYSuKJBr1cqygzGvksdTPFuHe0J2t4AU40qIqSTBHni3VRNoym2orI-e1oTL3ZmxTpRq5BTJ7QK1REdnBszSSRCcx6KhgAMNHatqT3dAFkkGHuMBy6NKUy2c01CcPT/s4032/PXL_20240213_022246106.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHyUwo2I_JLxDqtr-NAZNI-y2Jb_wxYNujtPdGOF9STq236qcUzFhZ-NYSuKJBr1cqygzGvksdTPFuHe0J2t4AU40qIqSTBHni3VRNoym2orI-e1oTL3ZmxTpRq5BTJ7QK1REdnBszSSRCcx6KhgAMNHatqT3dAFkkGHuMBy6NKUy2c01CcPT/w300-h400/PXL_20240213_022246106.MP.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><b>"Morgan is my name" by Sophie Keech.</b> Office book club selection. It gets exhausting to read about plucky young heroines who are terrible at needlework all the time. I should probably read some Jo Walton. I mean, you can be good at needlework and other things too! I didn't find this book very surprising. The first half was kind of boring, but it got better towards the end. <p></p><p><b>LHC #233: "The Shifter" by Janice Hardy.</b> I read her writing advice website regularly, so I thought I should maybe read an actual book to find out if she was worth it. Oh my, the voice of this book grabbed me immediately. The worldbuilding seemed shady but the voice was solid. It wasn't very subtle, but I might not be the target audience. </p><p><b>LHC #234: "Ragnarok: The End of the Gods" by A. S. Byatt. </b>At this point with my library account, I'm just guessing. I know there was something by Byatt there? I suspect there was. I did not know what to make of this book. Strange, but it worked. </p><p><b>LHC #235: "Babel: or the necessity of Violence" by R.F. Kuang.</b> I read The Poppy War back in 2020. I'm not sure why I didn't read the sequels. They're on my list now. I had started this just before the controversy broke about worldcon, and you know, China comes off fine in this book. Or, I mean it seems that way to me anyway. I was glad they used the tools they had, at the end. Good read. </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-62711680827328168502024-02-02T19:54:00.001-05:002024-02-02T19:54:16.817-05:00In progress: January 2024<p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63JJVVdLM_XeH6VGg7D8KYGU6_f9uPugHacznXCcm6GZoMqDoj1MDBzvD78gAcFKsP9yuoAAzVSD0hqmnHl3JitmVOCuNjUIKaKeEb1xkhlZfLdPFhe70bz9s_ITqTSY4i8NH81zLniu34SMbda1yJ2sWaFgTrkuy-e1nMHgdBlt9nJTjt-yW/s3264/PXL_20240107_015017026.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63JJVVdLM_XeH6VGg7D8KYGU6_f9uPugHacznXCcm6GZoMqDoj1MDBzvD78gAcFKsP9yuoAAzVSD0hqmnHl3JitmVOCuNjUIKaKeEb1xkhlZfLdPFhe70bz9s_ITqTSY4i8NH81zLniu34SMbda1yJ2sWaFgTrkuy-e1nMHgdBlt9nJTjt-yW/s320/PXL_20240107_015017026.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">What a bad selfie! What an awesome sweater! <br /></b><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): Thought thoughts mostly. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories: </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Started a third draft where I took out all the things that didn't belong. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 6 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 1</span><span> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 0 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span></span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month with the fair isle portion barely started. Since I was now down to 2 projects, I had no choice but to work on this, which is good. I planned to the armholes and did about half of that. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Braids</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(self). Started </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">the month with just the hem to go and then a small amount of finishing. It went great and now it's done. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Morning Brew </b>(Coffeehouse Knits). Started the month with a tiny bit of the body done. As it's mindless, and I'd run out of other mindless projects, I did a bit. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Tiny Twists Socks</b>. Started another pair, because I needed something portable and I have some modifications to the pattern I'd like to try. I have like a half inch done. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> No progress. <br /><b>Ruffle skirt:</b> Removed the ruffle, trimmed the skirt length, resewed the ruffle. Lapped that seam. </span></p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-77197710650771249472024-01-12T19:37:00.000-05:002024-01-12T19:37:54.468-05:00What I read: December 2023<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nAXuHFihxO9XucrrGJUiEnbh3ptXMTlCQwTmE5KJ3xRNCMwcLe77vki5lQfoKGivI-xfMTAcoAgyQhRNKXBgDtzLyRgO44QChXsC0_GlYoryFhqq1SqS4Mg2qFRxCn0iqklUlgmPYgRJRDFiBVaaEgy6fZBfI46HaXYYMfuHWPZX4wVxQ-vE/s4032/PXL_20231223_183059795.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="snail fossil" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nAXuHFihxO9XucrrGJUiEnbh3ptXMTlCQwTmE5KJ3xRNCMwcLe77vki5lQfoKGivI-xfMTAcoAgyQhRNKXBgDtzLyRgO44QChXsC0_GlYoryFhqq1SqS4Mg2qFRxCn0iqklUlgmPYgRJRDFiBVaaEgy6fZBfI46HaXYYMfuHWPZX4wVxQ-vE/w320-h240/PXL_20231223_183059795.jpg" title="Snail fossil" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>"Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros. </b>Two of my sisters asked for this for Christmas, and the boy started reading it and had to stop because he was having too many sarcastic thoughts, so I bought it so he wouldn't have to. And the tradition is, if you can read it, you should before you give it away. Alternate title: Sexytimes at illogical dragon school. <p></p><p><b>LHC #231: "Into the Riverlands" by Nghi Vo. </b>Book 3. I was going through old entries looking for hints as to what might be on my library holds list, and I found book 2 of this series, and I knew book 3 must be there. </p><p><b>"Lady Tan's Circle of Women" by Lisa See.</b> One of my sisters asked for it for Christmas. It was a bit gory, and I found the last section sort of tacked on, but it was quite fun. </p><p><b>LHC #232: "The Midnight Bargain" by C.L.Polk.</b> Just guessing this was on my holds list. I found it stressful to start, then kind of silly. Maybe I was going too fast. Good read. </p><p><b>"Fifth Business" by Robertson Davies.</b> Reread from high school grade 12. My dad read the whole trilogy even though he wasn't in Canada, and I being a terrible person didn't really understand why a non-Canadian non-grade 12 high school student would want to read them, but it was very readable.</p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-60461297312583366062024-01-01T21:08:00.001-05:002024-01-01T21:08:11.371-05:00In progress: December 2023<p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): Thought thoughts mostly. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories: </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">More editing strategies. I think another day or two of words and I'll call it a second draft, and start a third. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 3 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 0</span><span> </span></span><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 0 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span></span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month with the fair isle portion barely started. Did not progress.</span></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Braids</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(self). Started </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">the month with just the hood and hem to go. Started the hood a few times, did not make great progress for a few weeks, then I realized what to do in conversation with Alex, and finished the hood for New Year's Eve after only four days of work. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Tiny Twists socks</b> (Pop socks: Colorful patterns by Knit Picks). Started the month on the heel of the first. Finished.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Beady-eyed owls. </b>Last of the Christmas socks, for this year anyway. Started and finished. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Morning Brew </b>(Coffeehouse Knits). There's some math involved as I'm using Frangipani so I'm under gauge, but I finished the rib and started the body. Good, mindless knitting. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Nothing. <br /><b>Ruffle skirt:</b> Also nothing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I did repair four things, though. That's something. </span></p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-35776337050097188572023-12-14T14:34:00.002-05:002023-12-14T14:34:19.241-05:00What I read: November 2023<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtF5V0ksKWddZqOli8me83lXVdDxcHqDKM0hK-f3SmaHJKp-sLR7bUft1foOMrsGN-dR8VkzKwikT6-UYujkwcL4MAIPMDgTkB4CiOMBwHLMARNeJxB9rf8Un4aJxFZWkJal1O80G5zYc0y0eHPKAumJLA3zKUUdsWFp10mF-zlta4NMJunsSF/s4032/PXL_20231113_023431758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtF5V0ksKWddZqOli8me83lXVdDxcHqDKM0hK-f3SmaHJKp-sLR7bUft1foOMrsGN-dR8VkzKwikT6-UYujkwcL4MAIPMDgTkB4CiOMBwHLMARNeJxB9rf8Un4aJxFZWkJal1O80G5zYc0y0eHPKAumJLA3zKUUdsWFp10mF-zlta4NMJunsSF/s320/PXL_20231113_023431758.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><b>LHC #228: </b><b>"The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline. </b>Office book club selection. A quick read, a little rape-y but maybe I just found it that way because it's not my lived experience. </p><p>The Toronto Public Library's website had some sort of hacking incident or something, which was great, because I can remember enough of my holds list to get the next few books, and I can't add new things to it! Considering that it was up to 94 books, this was a blessing. </p><p><b>LHC #229: "Jade Legacy" by Fonda Lee. </b>The easiest thing to remember, of course, is the sequels on the list. I think I wanted something that stuck more together, this seemed a little pulled apart, across time and space, at least for the first third. The middle was awesome, and I was glad I'd kept reading. About 75-76% I was bawling my eyes out. </p><p><b>"Refuse to be Done" by Matt Bell.</b> I bought it with some credits I had at Indigo and then read most of it on TTC rides to the office. This is where the editing strategies I've been using have been coming from. </p><p><b>LHC #230: The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. </b>I mean, it had a witch hunter, I guess that's my jam? Not sure what I was expecting, but it was very good. </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-78996446963498444052023-12-04T22:23:00.003-05:002023-12-04T22:23:32.225-05:00In progress: November 2023<p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): Thought thoughts mostly. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories: </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Finished the draft I was working on, and started using some editing strategies on it. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 4 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 0</span><span> </span></span><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 0 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span></span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month with the fair isle portion barely started. Did not progress.</span></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Braids</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(self). Started </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">the month with five inches to go on the left shoulder. I was stressed about having to accomplish things and, you know, work and stuff, so one Sunday I just finished the first (extremely large) ball of yarn. Like, literally these balls of yarn are the size of a loaf of bread. Then there were about six rows to go, so I did that. Then I learned a sewn bind off so I could match the long tail cast on. Now, just the hood and hem to go. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Scarlotta socks. </b>Started the month about an inch from the start of the toe on the first sock. Finished the pair. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Tiny Twists socks</b> (Pop socks: Colorful patterns by Knit Picks). On the heel of the first. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Nothing. <br /><b>Ruffle skirt:</b> Also nothing. </span></p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-7697134363532905652023-11-17T20:07:00.000-05:002023-11-17T20:07:10.779-05:00What I read: October 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQw_PQQXRHHmb-dQUTMf5wQv-VX14S99RN0JqYXcFaJ1Ug7okxLD1z_4x_qaw1G_3KwFF-YWytYchxr3He1O0XVzRqIKHU8irj86olbqv50i1KpZVuerK8lUD8RDSUL6_N2DrcmBByU8AC7Ra8nXxSeXIZhechkCKgANrHRrIGlQ6zKwP_UXbZ/s3264/PXL_20231026_203227901.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQw_PQQXRHHmb-dQUTMf5wQv-VX14S99RN0JqYXcFaJ1Ug7okxLD1z_4x_qaw1G_3KwFF-YWytYchxr3He1O0XVzRqIKHU8irj86olbqv50i1KpZVuerK8lUD8RDSUL6_N2DrcmBByU8AC7Ra8nXxSeXIZhechkCKgANrHRrIGlQ6zKwP_UXbZ/s320/PXL_20231026_203227901.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b>"Perhaps the stars" by Ada Palmer.</b> In my defense (that it took me four years to finish reading the series), book 4 wasn't even out when I started book 1. I sort of thought when a new character was narrating there would be less sobbing in each other's arms, but no such luck. So much exposition! Portions of it were a slog, but the use of multiple languages, the way dialog was presented, that all was neat to see in action. And the ending was very satisfying. </p><p><b>LHC #226: "The Traitor Baru Cormorant" by Seth Dickinson. </b>I had it on overdrive hold for weeks and weeks (at least six actually) and it was still six weeks out when I got it.<b> </b></p><p><b>LHC #227: </b><b>"Scholars of night" by John Ford.</b> I knew this book was going to be a delight on about page 2. And it truly was. I will push this on people.</p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-9584357106284939442023-11-01T21:42:00.003-04:002023-11-01T21:42:23.967-04:00In progress -- October 2023<p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKii-6ZLD86y3Urej6ObT6oxO_Fd3CZaS3IIoUGAArUTh9rT2Cwl1Q7fRrkqnTXLodaTPXBHuIudQ4oklDJjhX0NkRTmEOtzeX_l939qa03CyDM2umk3G3zS9tPicENyuo7siZerU30HnDnc6ZmnI82o2eD7bxAr7UmvP3mSSxVMa5DmiQoSb/s4032/PXL_20231030_003309059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKii-6ZLD86y3Urej6ObT6oxO_Fd3CZaS3IIoUGAArUTh9rT2Cwl1Q7fRrkqnTXLodaTPXBHuIudQ4oklDJjhX0NkRTmEOtzeX_l939qa03CyDM2umk3G3zS9tPicENyuo7siZerU30HnDnc6ZmnI82o2eD7bxAr7UmvP3mSSxVMa5DmiQoSb/s320/PXL_20231030_003309059.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><b><br /></b></b><p></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): Thought thoughts mostly. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Started one, have 90% of a first draft. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 4 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 0</span><span> </span></span><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 0 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span></span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month with the fair isle portion barely started. Did not progress.</span></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Braids</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(self). Started </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">divided for the neck and done 3/4 of the back I'd guess. Finished the back and front neck and rejoined and did about an inch of the left shoulder, so five inches to go, then the hood, then done. It would be cool to finish this this year. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Owlie athletic socks. </b>Started the month with one toe and two heels to do. Finished. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Beady-eye owlie socks. </b>Started the month with part of one leg. Finished both socks. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Scarlotta socks. </b>There was a disaster with the second beady-eye owlie sock, where I encountered a factory knot in the yarn where the beads were threaded mere minutes before I was going on a road trip, and the passenger seat is nowhere to be opening the knot the beads won't pass over, so I can rethread the beads on the other side of the break. So I grabbed a skein of yarn and wound it into a ball in the car, and started these. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Thoughts and prayers. <br /><b>Ruffle skirt:</b> Thoughts and prayers. </span></p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-38531340903702132532023-10-11T22:52:00.003-04:002023-10-11T22:52:57.546-04:00In progress -- September 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECbcfcqKn117dXx5L-euKW4Qk1R_yl2Goi96RdCFrnFtYHs7LKHfZDFrnIlKUudArE9slOcJNhtBSmuXNkdu-h1mZkcDPcAkp-vO0iF-Fq9b6atU2-TUU4es-lfLAMxFISMpBbg1mN-3CAccsmeZgrc57f8MkMoMDieaAFf_rQdcFdIc1QJnv/s3264/PXL_20230921_171322603.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECbcfcqKn117dXx5L-euKW4Qk1R_yl2Goi96RdCFrnFtYHs7LKHfZDFrnIlKUudArE9slOcJNhtBSmuXNkdu-h1mZkcDPcAkp-vO0iF-Fq9b6atU2-TUU4es-lfLAMxFISMpBbg1mN-3CAccsmeZgrc57f8MkMoMDieaAFf_rQdcFdIc1QJnv/s320/PXL_20230921_171322603.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): Made a playlist, not exactly writing. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Started a different one. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 4 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 2</span><span> <br /></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 0 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">1</span></span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month with the edging in two pieces but complete. Put the edging together and started the fair isle portion. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Sock yarn hoodie </b>(self). Started the month with the zipper half sewn in. Finished. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Pinner socks </b>(Knitpicks). Started the month with one sock on the cuff and the other on the leg (they're toe up). Finished. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Braids</b> (self). Started with <a href="https://www.zara.com/ca/en/hooded-knit-crop-top-p04331108.html?v1=267200503&awc=32877_1692737232_9ee01e42533014e4f1c2f5843e240fb6">this picture</a>. I'm working sideways, and I've divided for the neck and done 3/4 of the back I'd guess. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Owlie athletic socks. </b>Revised the pattern so it fits men. Finished the first, started the second. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Beaded-eye owlie socks. </b>Started the first one. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Nothing.<br /><b>Ruffle skirt:</b> Nothing. </span></p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-29437864804644357572023-10-03T12:55:00.002-04:002023-10-03T12:55:57.724-04:00What I read: September 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5D3BvSSkPlIANp5ZQtugGoiQ9iKfYfDQ4OHFqducAzU673o0zRtRJuEY6WtKi0J260VUIa2WmVw7Q5UVNVpZXQqb0L8GNac2ZzxK929Ov4d1m_Oyr9-ThtRSWmN1cNkbdBXPMllSAA7HeF05uPAShpn4l7d-rqH3BxK6FCfIz8r2zI7opcFIO/s3264/PXL_20230930_012131789.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5D3BvSSkPlIANp5ZQtugGoiQ9iKfYfDQ4OHFqducAzU673o0zRtRJuEY6WtKi0J260VUIa2WmVw7Q5UVNVpZXQqb0L8GNac2ZzxK929Ov4d1m_Oyr9-ThtRSWmN1cNkbdBXPMllSAA7HeF05uPAShpn4l7d-rqH3BxK6FCfIz8r2zI7opcFIO/s320/PXL_20230930_012131789.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><b> LHC #222: "Elder Race" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. </b>Audio book because I needed something to listen to while I finished some projects. This was a really nice story, I loved the archaeologist and his self-doubt, and the ending. </p><p><b>LHC #223: "The Unspoken Name" by AK Larkwood. </b>eBook. I didn't really connect with it. It was fine I guess, it had some amusing turns of phrase. The character of Sethennai Bethandros didn't quite work for me. </p><p><b>LHC #224: "A Master of Djinn" by P. Djelli Clark. </b>Audio book because I needed something to listen to while doing 225 screengrabs for a French translation. The reader's voice was wonderful. Excellent story. Though sometimes I thought Fatma was wilfully not recognizing what was going on vis-a-vis the effect of Solomon's Seal early on. </p><p><b>LHC #225: "The Will to Battle" by Ada Palmer. </b>eBook. I found this one easier to follow than the last; when I finished book 2 I remember wondering why I was putting this one on my list, and thinking it was out of some misguided liking for Ada Palmer the human. I've already requested the last volume as part of my bid to not read books in a series two years apart (if possible). </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-77785473273280793182023-09-12T13:14:00.003-04:002023-09-12T13:14:34.862-04:00What I read: August 2023<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ruQDaaEViyE-QSxdpE74ns08l0RzR3NvjllRkE6mkKkjGGE8RxH5hYcP7R8ampm64TnpJIdxOAnWy7J2pky0QdYkVuyRg1ynWqsfZUyE2FxjDnkcJ0dS1Z_It1wGWZVCj9Ez_H4uqsbF5Lp0nD7-nEVE3SWy3yBXgnhw5grSOBMNpdxFiPnu/s4032/PXL_20230716_195425591.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ruQDaaEViyE-QSxdpE74ns08l0RzR3NvjllRkE6mkKkjGGE8RxH5hYcP7R8ampm64TnpJIdxOAnWy7J2pky0QdYkVuyRg1ynWqsfZUyE2FxjDnkcJ0dS1Z_It1wGWZVCj9Ez_H4uqsbF5Lp0nD7-nEVE3SWy3yBXgnhw5grSOBMNpdxFiPnu/w640-h480/PXL_20230716_195425591.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br />"The Absolute Book" by Elizabeth Knox.</b> I got it for Christmas. It was delightful, even if maybe some stuff wasn't explained completely. Or maybe that's part of why it was delightful. <p></p><p><b>"Crucial conversations" By Joseph Grenny and three other old white men. </b>Another office book club selection. The word "candor" comes up a lot. I really resented this book. </p><p><b>LHC #220: "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt. </b>There was a girl at my previous company who wanted to have an office book club, and she had this book on her desk for months and months. I can totally understand this. I found portions crazy stressful to read. Like, I would be skipping ahead to see how much more in the section, could I get through it, pacing around, etc. I wanted to know how it ended, sure, but I was having weird stress dreams and stuff. If it wasn't a library book I might not have finished it at all. It was such a relief when Boris showed up again and something happened. I didn't hate it, I just wished it was about 30% shorter.</p><p><b>LHC #221: "Slow Horses" by Nick Herron.</b> I got invited to the office Food Bank Farm adventure, which is 4 hours from me, and I needed an audiobook for that drive, and this was available. It wasn't until I opened the book on a computer later that I realized it was divided into chapters. It might have helped me if chapters were indicated in the audio, because the hardest part to follow was every time a POV shift occurred. Strange choice. </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-8776813528119468172023-09-01T19:13:00.000-04:002023-09-01T19:13:01.805-04:00In Progress -- August 2023<p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihALZUbvPb4AMefrsaejFBj-8OqAhUxgaZi-NTojKegH6maot50fjDW_-hesa_74Xo9lOic3-N8MWDyuOkSjj0bd_Jek0ikwOYMFfJUKJK9XtofE2dhhr1Cr3XdH-feZzjq8mCHhPvDw3zuOp2cJWjDghr-8i6J4Q8nvXdGq4Y-V3RDNT6Vaiv/s4032/PXL_20230727_153025924.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihALZUbvPb4AMefrsaejFBj-8OqAhUxgaZi-NTojKegH6maot50fjDW_-hesa_74Xo9lOic3-N8MWDyuOkSjj0bd_Jek0ikwOYMFfJUKJK9XtofE2dhhr1Cr3XdH-feZzjq8mCHhPvDw3zuOp2cJWjDghr-8i6J4Q8nvXdGq4Y-V3RDNT6Vaiv/s320/PXL_20230727_153025924.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><b><br /></b></b><p></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): Nothing but thoughts. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Finished that short story. Posted it. Submitted it. Worked on another one. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 5 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 3</span><span> <br /></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I read the endings of three of my peers' novels here this month. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 1 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span></span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month just about done with the body edging. Finished that during a team call (it actually keeps me from reading the internet during the call so I don't feel guilty). </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Sock yarn hoodie </b>(self). Finished the second sleeve. Started sewing in the zipper. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Pinner socks </b>(Knitpicks). Started the month with the toe of the first sock done. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Nothing<br /><b>Ruffle skirt:</b> Cut and sewed the ruffle</span></p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-51569678698019253132023-08-15T12:09:00.000-04:002023-08-15T12:09:13.146-04:00In Progress -- July 2023<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygw0j2LI0zXqaEc7zIyLATmoZwrzDyfO4zgfATcE5u2VI0OsRj_s4vikMdlVI0sJQZkzuWoo_jS_xC74z6-l7caVuHVznmJc-zr-VNgPadZZ22lcKf6U_NBM2loWgl_3UJ4nPpVjTL5ktR0Xtu_Sk17plK9qbdRs6gK2GyxgDOjVM9afYYXF1/s4032/PXL_20230723_123224563.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygw0j2LI0zXqaEc7zIyLATmoZwrzDyfO4zgfATcE5u2VI0OsRj_s4vikMdlVI0sJQZkzuWoo_jS_xC74z6-l7caVuHVznmJc-zr-VNgPadZZ22lcKf6U_NBM2loWgl_3UJ4nPpVjTL5ktR0Xtu_Sk17plK9qbdRs6gK2GyxgDOjVM9afYYXF1/s320/PXL_20230723_123224563.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): Nothing but thoughts. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> As I mentioned last month I had a dish-washing epiphany on a story that wasn't going well. I'd already changed the POV character, but I knew that wasn't enough because I had no ending. It has an ending now. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 4 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 0</span><span> <br /></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I really need to post something new.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 0 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">1</span></span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Tay Tartan cardigan </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(Martin Storey). Finally finished the danglers and minor seaming and chose buttons, then had to wait to block because the space I normally block in needed to be cleared, and this would be very disruptive to my work, so I waited to block it for the night before I went on vacation. It would appear that the finishing of this sweater took 4 months, which may be a new record. It fits for the most part. Yay! </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month just about done with the body edging. Did nothing. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Sock yarn hoodie </b>(self). Started the month halfway down the first sleeve. Finished that sleeve, started the next, putting me on track to finish this sucker in September. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><a href="https://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer09/PATTsunday.php">Sunday swing socks</a></b>. Started the month on the gusset of the first. Finished that and the second. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Pinner socks </b>(Knitpicks). Started this for a long car ride, and when the ride was over I decided I was doing the wrong size, so I'm still on the first half of the first sock (not yet to the heel). This also gave me the chance to switch the contrast color to something more contrasting. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I'd like to say I ironed and drew some dots so I could start embroidering, but instead I went to Cdn National karate competition and vacation and the like. Now that Tay Tartan is done, I do have someplace to put this project when I'm ready to embroider, maybe that will be next month. <br /><b>Ruffle skirt:</b> Sewed darts just so I could say I worked on it. </span></p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-29654357501613736992023-08-01T17:08:00.001-04:002023-08-01T17:08:53.223-04:00What I read: July 2023<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqE1d9sbqJyJfFbkx-88HSFpqcSmzW1kbamHrLbnHyWaHbKbKk42O5syzrtLvAcKb0v_JCJtqkpO_zlgqGUZtAE9pEs34nI0znyQ23jiZvpmVNEytkmbA3WrTVMrQd3FxJu0ghbhDF0D30s_plfl27I9KPW4WG6sRBd6xcXJEZ3MIsZEe5Hnen/s4032/PXL_20230727_153025924.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqE1d9sbqJyJfFbkx-88HSFpqcSmzW1kbamHrLbnHyWaHbKbKk42O5syzrtLvAcKb0v_JCJtqkpO_zlgqGUZtAE9pEs34nI0znyQ23jiZvpmVNEytkmbA3WrTVMrQd3FxJu0ghbhDF0D30s_plfl27I9KPW4WG6sRBd6xcXJEZ3MIsZEe5Hnen/s320/PXL_20230727_153025924.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /> LHC #216: "The Braver Thing" by Clifford Jackman. </b>Audio book. Canadian. About 18th century sea-pirates. I felt like the accents slowed it down, but considering that I was tying in loose ends of Tay Tartan sweater for the bulk of the listening, that didn't matter much. I was not surprised it was written by a lawyer. It would have been like a half hour shorter if the narrator hadn't made some kind of annoying choices (I eventually dealt with this by speeding up to 1.15x). I was thinking it would have been nice to have a list of characters, except everyone's roles change so often that it would have inevitably given something away. At least it had a good ending. <p></p><p><b>LHC #217: "Poets and Pahlevans" by Marcello Di Cintio.</b> Hard copy. Persians and a martial art (wrestling), totally my research jam. It was exactly what I wanted it to be. </p><p><b>LHC #218: "Everyone knows your mother is a witch" by Rivka Galken. </b>eBook. The voice of this one was so great, very entertaining. I requested this one based on the title alone, and didn't really have a clue what it was about (I expected a younger protagonist, for one thing). It was pretty funny to read the acknowledgements at the end and say "oh!" The central-European feel was delightful. I will be forcing this book on others, as often as possible. </p><p><b>LHC #219: "A man lies dreaming" by Lavie Tidhar. </b>Hard copy. The library has nothing of his in eBook! His name keeps coming up, I think someone at Locus is a fan. The first of his I've read. I found it very entertaining, but can see where it might not be everyone's jam: a lot of sex and violence and sexual violence, and Hitler is after all the main character. I won't be recommending it helter-skelter, but for the right person it's a fun read. </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-39486878263162789452023-07-14T13:28:00.006-04:002023-07-14T13:28:55.936-04:00In progress -- June 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCqBtsX2eCjZyJ1ek9Bvy5PRK6UO4fygT6Q4moLnVD84oWwLXftdomq1EcXCphvAwSlocOEGqIB_ogJO0tLjrtWvAQEp41gW-O_o1L1a-uoz6JBkLvryPuWBpMSsBICsFgtKkPRwOg1JLBisL7oBhRDkXqo4Htume-R80S2ar_EnjFSXCdFAC/s4032/PXL_20230708_235853138.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCqBtsX2eCjZyJ1ek9Bvy5PRK6UO4fygT6Q4moLnVD84oWwLXftdomq1EcXCphvAwSlocOEGqIB_ogJO0tLjrtWvAQEp41gW-O_o1L1a-uoz6JBkLvryPuWBpMSsBICsFgtKkPRwOg1JLBisL7oBhRDkXqo4Htume-R80S2ar_EnjFSXCdFAC/s320/PXL_20230708_235853138.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): If I can trick myself into opening it, I can often easily write 400-500 words. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Desperate to get something on OWW because it's been months and months and I feel bad for never having anything new there, I came up with a system: No more of this 15 minutes thing. That's great for Persephone, but I need to have a 2-hour block to sit down and read a story through and make whatever changes need doing, and I need to do this a maximum of four times per story. Like, I have no trouble immersing myself in it and coming up with things to change, but then I never actually make the changes, instead I write them in my notebook. And nothing ever gets finished. No good! </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I did write a little thing, 400 words, and I worked on another one, where I had the usual dish washing epiphany, so maybe I'll be able to finish a draft next month</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 6 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 1</span><span> <br /></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I really need to post something new</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 0 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">0</span> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="color: red;">1</span></span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Tay Tartan cardigan </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(Martin Storey). Danglers. Almost done! Because I got an audio book. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month just about done with the body edging. Did nothing. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Sock yarn hoodie </b>(self). Started the month halfway from the armholes to the hem, with16 (partial) balls of yarn used. Now I've used 21 balls and I've finished the body and started the first sleeve. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><a href="https://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer09/PATTsunday.php">Sunday swing socks</a></b>. Started the month just before the heel turn on the first sock. Turned the heel. This is for when I leave the house, since the yarn-eater hoodie is really not portable anymore. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I'd like to say I ironed and drew some dots so I could start embroidering, but instead I started a different sewing project. </span> </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-71260927611524738572023-07-03T15:21:00.000-04:002023-07-03T15:21:31.129-04:00What I read: June 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Qdd-H2hJK1pm6GhJLSh6ks-Wx6qt9xg3jMXEJIgS5i6HwoByTopXo1N2hWb9aHhZJh243RquTlqtCLxZKpFJOtuwk5pfKZyeZRG8q7WAFhu8qcyPB9zqwReXGXxvBFg_PAQE6pdIwfVKxfbeJkaCMLqJb5GBOBQXOvlaUxAzXU5rETvymsgR/s4032/PXL_20230625_234939095.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Late last summer, property management folks uprooted Deathless while installing a heatpump in my townhouse. They left him lying on the lawn. Without much hope, I trimmed his limbs and replanted him hours later, a meter from the heatpump. This spring I was excited to see buds, then leaves." border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Qdd-H2hJK1pm6GhJLSh6ks-Wx6qt9xg3jMXEJIgS5i6HwoByTopXo1N2hWb9aHhZJh243RquTlqtCLxZKpFJOtuwk5pfKZyeZRG8q7WAFhu8qcyPB9zqwReXGXxvBFg_PAQE6pdIwfVKxfbeJkaCMLqJb5GBOBQXOvlaUxAzXU5rETvymsgR/w240-h320/PXL_20230625_234939095.jpg" title="Deathless the rosebush" width="240" /></a></div><br /> <b>LHC #213: "Deep Secret" by Diana Wynne Jones.</b> I read the first chapter and was dubious, but then I got on a roll and it was a delight. Weirdly fat-phobic, not sure what to make of that. <p></p><p><b>LHC #214: "It's complicated: the social lives of networked teens" by Danah Boyd. </b>I started off kind of jaded. What, these kids are requesting a video camera from their school? How 2001! Somehow Deep Secret seemed more modern to me. it predates Covid, DJT and Tiktok, things I think have shaped current socials. But I persevered, and this book was really good. I incredibly relate with DB's perspective on youth. More people should read this book. </p><p>But then, I love teenagers. So I would say that. </p><p><b>"When women were dragons" by Kelly Barnhill. </b>I got this for Christmas. I got three copies, so my sister took one, and she read it a couple of months ago. Half-way through, she was loving it. Then she got to the last quarter, and she said it kind of fell apart. Boy, was she right. About 100 pages from the end, I was worrying that I was going to get really angry because the dragons were coming back (spoiler, sorry) and they were going to have no comeuppance, but instead the dragons came back and it was a bit of a slog. Also, I kept hoping she'd go back to the knots, but she never did. </p><p><b>LHC #215: "The secret to superhuman strength" by Alison Bechdel.</b> Graphic anything feels like cheating, but if I was opposed to cheating I'd have come up with a rule about novellas. I felt pretty seen by this book. </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-41299331719857598892023-06-13T00:23:00.001-04:002023-06-13T00:23:36.702-04:00What I read: May 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Fs0tl0u6rVAjc6dauSxtyvkciJpSsT6gAivbptTjrCQO5vw1yTdxhBC2pa1cdGMReeY89neuevyOHLY_QGU5A4YHzv1HYqNuIfoC7KwLlQVC4haYB-WI9LsxBBZ5gNdLzrwHuAcuV5AC79bHPn9w6I8muSPSfHm3y4cHDERPUa2mOs70IA/s4032/PXL_20230613_020228487.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Fs0tl0u6rVAjc6dauSxtyvkciJpSsT6gAivbptTjrCQO5vw1yTdxhBC2pa1cdGMReeY89neuevyOHLY_QGU5A4YHzv1HYqNuIfoC7KwLlQVC4haYB-WI9LsxBBZ5gNdLzrwHuAcuV5AC79bHPn9w6I8muSPSfHm3y4cHDERPUa2mOs70IA/s320/PXL_20230613_020228487.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b>LHC #209: "Pre-industrial societies: anatomy of the pre-modern world" by Patricia Crone.</b> Hard copy. Really good, I liked the voice, sometimes a list of things would end in "or whatever" which I always feel like I'd get in trouble for. </p><p><b>LHC #210: "The hummingbird's daughter" by Luis Alberto Urrea. </b>No clue why it was on the list. If I knew anything about 1880 Mexico it might have been an easier read, or if I knew any Spanish. Still, I got the idea and it was very good. Somewhere inside my head I had decided this was in translation. Probably racist of me. </p><p><b>"What Strange Paradise" by Omar el Akkad. </b>Office book club, hard copy. I would never have picked this on my own, but it was outstanding. Loved the ending. Though I think Vanna is supposed to be 15 and she seemed kind of 10? </p><p><b>LHC #211: "A Declaration of the rights of Magicians" by HG Parry. </b>Much funner. I was reading along and thinking how unrealistic it was that William Pitt was Prime Minister of Britain when he was like 25, and Wilberforce was so young and he was an MP, and then I googled, and oh. My bad. Truly I have wasted my life. My favorite part of his wikipedia article: "<span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">In practical terms it appears that Pitt was essentially </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexuality" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #3366cc; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Asexuality">asexual</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"> throughout his life, perhaps one example of how his rapid development as a politician stunted his growth as a man.</span>"</p><p>Anyway. Sometimes I found myself wondering how a character knew something, for example, Danton about Robespierre's mother. It didn't have a satisfying ending, but it was good nevertheless. </p><p><b>LHC #212: Afsaneh: short stories by Iranian Women.</b> A surprising amount of snow. The translation seemed uninspired. I wonder if the stories were chosen to portray the lives of Iranian women in as horrible a light as possible, or if it's really like that. </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-56532867753334859342023-06-06T10:24:00.002-04:002023-06-06T10:24:31.511-04:00In Progress: May 2023<p> </p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zuYKZJ4OaMeLTdONJUA7p_PB6thVIrTXGKAM9jYx_gM0pseVnVr5usKm0QcZaGG4aU3w-KPMXXNftGcAUWoMlQruGJQM5nl1gWuJQcio4pbfQJL3gh4Hw8DOMBjbs7WWZMpPsupH20eho1u-I30VRLIU6LdH0I4knSUqn9x6TxFVpSrtRw/s3264/PXL_20230604_024207874.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zuYKZJ4OaMeLTdONJUA7p_PB6thVIrTXGKAM9jYx_gM0pseVnVr5usKm0QcZaGG4aU3w-KPMXXNftGcAUWoMlQruGJQM5nl1gWuJQcio4pbfQJL3gh4Hw8DOMBjbs7WWZMpPsupH20eho1u-I30VRLIU6LdH0I4knSUqn9x6TxFVpSrtRw/w300-h400/PXL_20230604_024207874.MP.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></b><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): I did write some words, but everything took a back seat to the tax prep project. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I was using ChatGPT to research because Google sucks (what's a good poison for my location and time period, what's the cure for that poison in the time period, etc.) and then I asked Google for a cure for Arsenic poisoning, and Google told me garlic and onions! Which I thought was an appalling answer, until I thought about it, and if you're diagnosing your As poisoning via Google, then you're not going to be chelating yourself or hopefully not treating yourself with activated charcoal. If you really think you have heavy metal poisoning, see a medical professional! Not in 1880, though, they'll probably bleed you until you die. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 5 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 0</span><span> but also posted nothing. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 1 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I think the one I had out there missed the boat completely </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> 0</span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Tay Tartan cardigan </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(Martin Storey). Worked on danglers. Made some good progress, but still not done. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month just about done with the body edging. Did nothing. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Sock yarn hoodie </b>(self). Started the month at the top of the armholes. I'm now near the waist, it's going great. I've used 16 (partial) balls of yarn. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><a href="https://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer09/PATTsunday.php">Sunday swing socks</a></b>. Balled the yarn (and yarn for three more projects) and started. Got almost to the heel turn on sock #1. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Did some taxes instead. </span> </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-3810534372107772402023-05-10T13:25:00.000-04:002023-05-10T13:25:37.556-04:00In Progress -- April 2023<p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCe_C7GnUnWMvQjXkxsf-58K_MCgJvPtAlmXvRq9kuI1nJFxRPhs5-xrGpA-KDXGCUacFSc8vIZibodDqqryZSCf6kFLda3J66H5OcbQ5qwxuIzcGUdjKcYO0VCnbd-Jb0IfCbRAhKf7cBWOD63tjgb5sSYUevLIvLQ6v0mAkHoIrpW8cNxA/s3264/PXL_20230506_175852976.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCe_C7GnUnWMvQjXkxsf-58K_MCgJvPtAlmXvRq9kuI1nJFxRPhs5-xrGpA-KDXGCUacFSc8vIZibodDqqryZSCf6kFLda3J66H5OcbQ5qwxuIzcGUdjKcYO0VCnbd-Jb0IfCbRAhKf7cBWOD63tjgb5sSYUevLIvLQ6v0mAkHoIrpW8cNxA/w300-h400/PXL_20230506_175852976.MP.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): This 50-word minimum thing was great and then I fell off the wagon again. And also, some days I would write 62 words and just watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLV1i-fVsk4&list=RDGLV1i-fVsk4&start_radio=1">this Bucimis video</a> for a while (the last minute is the greatest thing ever). I also found a playlist on Spotify that is nothing but different versions of this song, and printed out the sheet music, but I'm not obsessed. I suppose it's a nice change from the 20 different mixes of Unholy (Sam Smith) that I also listen to? </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> worked more on it, never finished. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 5 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 0</span><span> but also posted nothing. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 0 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> 1 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> 0</span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Tay Tartan cardigan </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(Martin Storey). Worked on danglers. Still not done. I estimate 12 more hours of danglers. Can that be correct? No wonder it's not done! Then buttons, and blocking, and FIN. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month just about done with the body edging. Did nothing. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Sock yarn hoodie </b>(self). Started the month with the hood done, fearing starting the shoulders. I'd used up 5 (partial) balls of yarn! Now I've used <span>11</span> and I've divided for sleeves. Now that it's too big to be carried around some of these other things might get some more love. </span></li></ul></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Sashiko project:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Did nothing. </span></p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-35768412282524511002023-05-01T11:15:00.000-04:002023-05-01T11:15:04.392-04:00What I read -- April 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrvxHfCS9Tw5IwiWKuHIvLpRSjtJlo6gS3196Wupc7YiUsYd5HWn3asNWAyFTmXo_XHuAzs7jjkSLjjDmic_VNtLCaRfmHmHz-eFGHWn4dUy01_cd9eS_2r2fyzDQq6wuiiD5BIDOUNRfTgNNOm2wkY2TUdNUL6iU1ezL-JBgvx9sHbVvGA/s4032/PXL_20230426_175941797.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Squirrel with a giant mushroom stump in its mouth" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrvxHfCS9Tw5IwiWKuHIvLpRSjtJlo6gS3196Wupc7YiUsYd5HWn3asNWAyFTmXo_XHuAzs7jjkSLjjDmic_VNtLCaRfmHmHz-eFGHWn4dUy01_cd9eS_2r2fyzDQq6wuiiD5BIDOUNRfTgNNOm2wkY2TUdNUL6iU1ezL-JBgvx9sHbVvGA/w480-h640/PXL_20230426_175941797.MP.jpg" title="that is going to be one very high squirrel" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>LHC #206: "The City We Became" by N. K. Jemisin. </b>Is this the seventh book I've read by her? This one did not immediately grab me. I, uh, read a Rick Riordan presents book a while back that did the same thing? </p><p><b>LHC #207: "Blackwater, the complete saga" by Michael McDowell.</b> eBook. More gothic than horror if you ask me. It's was written in the 80's and it's kind of like those epic, sweeping generational sagas that were popular back then (the Thornbirds, e.g.) except in this family, occasionally someone will turn into a water monster and kill somebody (often someone who deserves it). Like others of its genre, it's very long. </p><p><b>"Radical Candor" by Kim Allen.</b> Read this for the work book club. Walking is clearly a big part of her creative process. It's the first time I've ever been in a book club! </p><p><b>LHC #208: "Seconds out: Women and fighting" by Alison Dean.</b> This really spoke to me, not just about karate and reffing etc. I quite enjoyed it and will probably try to force it on others. </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-26151258912896722962023-04-12T16:32:00.000-04:002023-04-12T16:32:28.780-04:00What I read: March 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjijYCcZQJsq1oZmW-C6yC4KZW8pCIL48hCmPfQBxTVQoAmPr1SWv0MKXw1NgaKikzKARy2YvPD7Uq_r1RcRPOUrXfvlC9o6pi4pxZf4JPj__Fj_Syi3Ow0c0xV4jajdfUYGHcQdeZP8II1u_ouFYOP0j0hKtLxJ1dv7QDSzp-LRI-F7-kw/s3264/PXL_20230318_013700891.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjijYCcZQJsq1oZmW-C6yC4KZW8pCIL48hCmPfQBxTVQoAmPr1SWv0MKXw1NgaKikzKARy2YvPD7Uq_r1RcRPOUrXfvlC9o6pi4pxZf4JPj__Fj_Syi3Ow0c0xV4jajdfUYGHcQdeZP8II1u_ouFYOP0j0hKtLxJ1dv7QDSzp-LRI-F7-kw/w300-h400/PXL_20230318_013700891.MP.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><b>LHC #204: "The once and future witches" by Alix E Harrow. </b>Hard copy because the eBook had like a 7-week wait. Takes place in about the same timeframe as "The Jungle", interesting juxtaposition. Good book, start to end. <p></p><p><b>LHC #205: "They can't kill us until they kill us" by Hanif Abdurraqib. </b>Hard copy, because the e-book had like a 14-week wait. This one must get stolen a lot, they got brand-new copies in and I got one of those. I did what I do when I read something about music, which is I listen to the artist or work as much as I can as I read. This totally exposes me to things I know nothing about. It was also amusing when people would ask what I was reading, to explain to them. </p><p><b>"Harrow the Ninth" by Tamsyn Muir.</b> I want to read sequels a little closer to the book they're near, where available, rather than putting them on the list and reading them two years after I read the previous. So here we are. Ebook. I spent a lot of time wondering what the heck was going on, but that was by intentional. Already put volume 3 on my list, it would be cool to get to that before volume 4 comes out. </p><p><b>"A Desolation called peace" by Arkady Martine. </b>Another sequel, read in the same year as book1! eBook. I love how the culture that's most similar to mine is on a space station, whereas the ones who live on the planet are somewhat opaque and confusing, and the space aliens are totally opaque. This is everything that's awesome about science fiction. </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-46253484382690236052023-04-03T10:37:00.003-04:002023-04-03T10:37:54.170-04:00In Progress -- March 2023<p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwqhjOfBuxq0FtqgCd_FEfjuKSEH6rJObUNFvAVfxmPYECScLbrByTYWt3LaQcgXypKBGsC-vyV8a2id5xc3SSVj8mB2Tf_kOTofICqiNRmnmGdOkk5z0bUlpRus5zNt1xUWxYQzdhakm7ltHdHGjZ5LSEtoKSyslcYU_3RnZ4LnO2LwC8A/s4032/PXL_20230306_023736083.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwqhjOfBuxq0FtqgCd_FEfjuKSEH6rJObUNFvAVfxmPYECScLbrByTYWt3LaQcgXypKBGsC-vyV8a2id5xc3SSVj8mB2Tf_kOTofICqiNRmnmGdOkk5z0bUlpRus5zNt1xUWxYQzdhakm7ltHdHGjZ5LSEtoKSyslcYU_3RnZ4LnO2LwC8A/w480-h640/PXL_20230306_023736083.MP.jpg" width="480" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Wind/Water/Salt </b>Chapters 39-51:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Still n</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">eed to take up comments and revise. </span></p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Persephone </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(probably not its real name): More words, read an interview with Sarah Monette who said "minimum 50 words per day on writing days." That's a goal I can get into, and so low it got me to open my manuscript on a not normally writing day. And then somehow I wound up writing 400 words and progressing the story, using some scraps I'd had hanging around and progressing plot and character. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Short Stories:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Maybe my process is just ridiculously slow? I worked on the same one as last month, quite a lot actually. I feel like I'm just working on this to have something to post on OWW, and maybe that's not a good reason. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font face="helvetica"><b>Critted</b><span style="color: red;"> 9 </span></font><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Got back</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> 0</span><span> but also posted nothing. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Submissions</b> 0 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Out there</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> 1 </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Rejects</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> 0</span></div><div><b><span lang=""><font face="helvetica">Knitting</font></span></b></div><div><ul><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Tay Tartan cardigan </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(Martin Storey). Started the month with just the finishing to do. Sewed the shoulders (I may hate Martin Storey shoulders!), did the button band/neck edging, sewed in some danglers. There are tons to go. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Cathar</b> (self). Started the month with 3/4 of the body edging done, thinking about starting again with smaller needles. Did not do that, just kept going, almost done with the body edging. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Lotus</b> (Norah Gaughan). Started the month with just the seaming and the back insert to go. Finished. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Sock yarn hoodie </b>(self). The purpose of this project (other than to get a cool hoodie since the one I wear all the time is a little beat-up) is to use up some partial balls of sock yarn. It's a 2-row stripe, four colors rotating. I'm starting at the top. I've done the hood basically. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Practice hoodie. </b>I finished this a couple of years ago but didn't like the shape of the hood, so I took it out and did it again. Much better. </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Sashiko project:</b> Meant to work on this, but never did. </span></div></div>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8235766.post-3287831849478051062023-03-17T22:43:00.000-04:002023-03-17T22:43:40.179-04:00what I read: Feb 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tozRndiZQRQ_luBwtX6-8hWWxQASSwUfDVFB_Y_XtGidBAlDwXjGsnNl5m8My2O11UkCvhXDugJCafGJSZoR-2ZKKj_HnP3QsLgrJSup-bQlLphcAxGXwcjVzj0X8gfPX9IH_cU91qhS4diHGFB_H0hbnHSFRTdDrcho_J88oSUaQcORXQ/s3264/PXL_20230318_010450211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tozRndiZQRQ_luBwtX6-8hWWxQASSwUfDVFB_Y_XtGidBAlDwXjGsnNl5m8My2O11UkCvhXDugJCafGJSZoR-2ZKKj_HnP3QsLgrJSup-bQlLphcAxGXwcjVzj0X8gfPX9IH_cU91qhS4diHGFB_H0hbnHSFRTdDrcho_J88oSUaQcORXQ/w300-h400/PXL_20230318_010450211.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><b>LHC #201: "The Lover: A Sufi mystery" by Laury Silvers. </b>In the acknowledgements, Murat Coskun! And I thought, the drummer? What's he doing here? The writing wasn't very elegant. Too much sufi, not enough mystery, like the plot is a distribution mechanism for the research. And the dialog seemed kind of modern.<p></p><p><b>"The Essex Serpent" by Sarah Perry. </b>I got this for Christmas, and I'd finished a hardcover from the library and had three more on the way but they hadn't arrived yet, so I picked this up to read on the bus one evening, and I was totally hooked. No supernatural to speak of, though I often expected it to veer into Lovecraft, but great just the same. </p><p><b>LHC #202: "The invisible life of Addie Larue" by VE Schwab. </b>Hard copy because the eBook had like a 16-week wait (!). As this book moved up my hold list, I was growing increasingly ambivalent to it. The boy's book club read this in the fall, and they had some issues. I remember the boy said he didn't expect so much sex, and also, if someone's going to live a really long time, he'd expect them to venture a little farther from home. But I've read five other books by her, six if you count the YA one under a slightly different name that was about a library of bodies and eyeliner? </p><p>I did not find there to be too much sex, except when things kind of stopped working for me with respect to the relationship with Luc. Agreed about the travel thing. And I kept wondering, Addie spends a whole day with someone sometimes, or an entire evening. Do they never have to go to the washroom? Doesn't she? </p><p><b>LHC #203: "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair. </b>AudioBook. It was published in 1906, and I feel like things haven't changed enough, or maybe are sliding back towards how things were back then? Fascinating and horrifying. Wikipedia says this book led to the Meat Inspection Act, which made me wonder if perhaps most people only read the first third of the book? US covers so much more stuff than just that. Though it really does completely abandon plot once Jurgis becomes a socialist and starts attending meetings, where endless speechifying occurs. With which I don't necessarily disagree, but still. At one point I thought the book could only end with Jurgis dying, but the author chose a different path. </p><p>The reader did a great job, and I was highly amused to see some of the other projects he's worked on: "Santa's little yelpers"! </p>Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343435208403097543noreply@blogger.com