In process -- December 2016

1st draft
More Writing Excuses!

Editing

“Rabbits”. Fixed that descent into madness thing. I really like the idea of this story, but it needs so much work!
“The Magician’s Ex-Apprentice”. Typed. 2nd draft: removed repetitive crap and implemented marginalia. This cut maybe 700 words out of the story which never should have been 5500 words in the first place.
“Vulgar Pony”. Typed and commented on the bad intro. Seems I have learned some things.
“Wind/Water/Salt”. I wanted something to put on OWW serially and this seemed the best choice, so I went over the first three chapters and posted the first one so far.

You see how I have a lot of projects here? It’s a problem. I constantly switch stories in and out of “active” state, and I don’t necessarily think that for me at this point in my life this is a bad process. But. I spend far too much time looking for things, trying to figure out which is the last draft I was working on, whether I’ve printed off a new draft. And since I back up all my drafts on my computers, the paper isn’t even necessary once I’m done with it. So I’m working on a system that involves a notebook where I collate information on everything, plus a more rigorous filing system with a tidier workspace. There’s nothing inspirational about having sheets of paper everywhere.

There might be a general clutter problem, beyond just the writing. I need to have less yarn.

Connecting

Critted 6

Got back 2

Circulating
1

Knitting
Ann Boleyn (1998). Finally finished that first sleeve. I started the second one, but got maybe 7 rows in, which is good because it’s a start. I’d really like to finish the second one in January.

Gift. Finished.

Mittens (for me!). Finished.

Cecile (Louisa Harding). Finished.

Okracoke cardigan (Shirley Paden). Started as a carry-around because it looked reasonable to keep track of, a little more interesting than boring sleeves, and somewhat portable. I’ve got about 3 inches of back. After the first pattern repeat I noticed that, much like when I knit Morrigan’s sleeves several years ago, on the reverse side I twist the twists the wrong way and it’s not as crisp as it could be. But I decided not to start over this time, because really, if you’re looking that hard at the bottom of the back of my sweater, what’s wrong with you!

Shorts (knitting lingerie style by Joan McGowan-Michael). Second time knitting these, wrote down my pattern alterations this time. I’ve done about an inch.

I also sewed a jumper.

What I read: September 2025

LHC #295: "The Last to Leave the Room" by Caitlin Starling. Audiobook. Workplace horror? Loved it. "Careless People" by Sarah Wynn-Williams. Hard copy, for office Data Ethics book club. The stories about Sheryl Sandberg really made me like my boss better. LHC #296: "The Fated Sky" by Mary Robinette Kowal. Hard copy. This got moved up the list because Ed had read book 1 in the series and got the rest out of the library. Loved it. He's got the next one in the series upstairs, I suppose I'll read it when he's done. LHC #297: "Bluegrass: A History" by Neil V. Rosenberg. Hard copy. No idea why it was on my list, I don't care that much about bluegrass. Nevertheless, the second half was interesting. I guess the first half was necessary, as it described in great length the way people came and went in Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys band, and also how technology and social pressures affect how music is made and performed. LHC #298: ...

What I read -- October 2025

"The Moomins and the Great Flood" by Tove Jansson. eBook. I read this because Marissa Lingen loves them. It was fine? This was the first one in the series and the only one available online; maybe the later ones are better. Maybe they're better if you read them as a child. "The Relentless Moon" by Mary Robinette Kowal. Hard copy. Read it because Ed had the whole series out of the library. It took a long time to get going, and sometimes I find MRK exhausting. Her white main characters all seem oddly aware of the Black experience. "The Martian Contingency" by Mary Robinette Kowal. Hard copy. Read it because Ed had the whole series out of the library. I don't often read subsequent books in a series in quick succession, and my reaction to this one is a lot of why: I found Alma's voice too similar to Nicole's -- sure, Nicole obsessed about food much more, but they both went on and on about "must support black guy in management" an...

In progress - January 2026

Wind/Water/Salt Chapters 39-51: Nothing Persephone (probably not its real name): NOthing Vinterlys: Worked on Chapter 2 some more. Critted 4 Got back 1 Submissions 0 Out there 0 Rejects 0 Knitting Georgia (Norah Gaughan). Started the month with one sleeve and half a front to go. Finished. Love this sweater. Aberlady (AS Celtic Collection). Did a few rows while listening to podcasts. Summer in Tokyo (Isager): Started. I was looking at the pictures and the charts, and the pattern as written is not what is in the pictures! So odd. I am going to finish up two cones of yarn with this project! Pretty exciting. I hope I don't run out of light blue. I was working along on it, and if you go and look at the sweater, it's knit bottom-up, and I was at the part where I only had two colors, about 5" maybe. And I was thinking, "wow, this is pretty ugly! Maybe I should stop...

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