January 2018, Books

I love to read, and to share my thoughts on the books that cross my path. Please let me know if you have read any of these and what your thoughts were. This is what I read this month.

Jo Baker- The Picture Book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. Four generations of one family connected by their first names. William a sailor in the  First World War at Gallipoli. Billy his son, a keen amateur cyclist who sees action in Normandy on a bycycle. Will his son has walking difficulties and spends time in a children’s orthopaedic hospital which apart from location strongly resembles the Adele Shaw Hospital for Crippled Children in Kirkbymoorside that I researched last year. The one in the novel even started life as a hospital for wounded soldiers from the first world war, and the descriptions of the buildings and the staff were very recognisable.  Will’s daughter is Billie and she is an artist in London. A good book to start the year.

Lynne Reid Banks- Uprooted- written as an older children’s book, but shelved in the library with adult books, I think because of its story line. This tells the true story of the author’s time in Canada as a refugee  from the second world war. The language was so clever, it really captured how children aged about nine did think and speak. Her style was just like the diary I wrote at that age. It was an easy and enjoyable read.

Juilan Barnes-The Sense of an Ending- A winner of the Man Booker prize, 2011, I am going to have to revisit my opinion of books which win prizes as being weird and unreadable. This is very good indeed. Man looking back over life, themes of history, self-delusion, whether people can or do shape their lives or just go along what is dealt to them. Just a little disappointed with the end , but only a little.

Nick Hornby- Funny Girl- I really enjoyed this book. It starts in the 1960s with a feisty Miss Blackpool , who gives up her title almost immediately for the bright lights of London. There she becomes a successful actress in a TV sitcom. But it is the early 60s and a time of change, how long can a staid comedy about a married couple continue? In places the book was laugh out loud funny, not certain that a much younger reader would find it as funny. Give it a go.

Mark Haddon- The Pier Falls- A collection of short stories. I wouldn’t have borrowed this one had I realised it wasn’t a novel. What to say? They are very imaginative and well constructed, but half of them go way off and are rather odd. The ones that aren’t odd are enjoyable, but in an unexpected way the odd ones are better. Like Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl. But it’s ages since I read Roald Dahl so I might be wrong. I reckon if you like short stories and the unexpected you will love these.

So that was my January reading. Have you read any good books this month. Here’s what I have lined up so far for February.

Should keep me out of mischief!

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Unique Blogger?

I was recently nominated for the Unique Bloggers Award by Margaret at the Crafty Creek

Thank you Margaret, I was thrilled to be nominated and included in a list of some very inspiring bloggers.

The idea is to answer three questions, nominate others and then set three more questions. I loved Margaret’s questions, so decided to answer them, then set three new ones and then invite you all to answer any you wish, either on your own blog or in the comments, because I think we are all pretty unique when it comes to the content of our blogs.

Margaret’s questions

What’s your earliest sewing memory?- I was taught to embroider by my friend Jane’s Grandmother. She gave us pre printed fabric and embroidery silks, and away we went. I can picture us sitting in the kitchen/diner in Jane’s home, feeling warm and rather proud as coloured flowers appeared before us. Now that might sound ambitious for beginners, I think I had made things before in binca, etc and done simple running stitch at school, but if I can’t remember that, it’s not a memory! Jane and I both still embroider. So here’s to all the Grans and Nans who take the time to sit with children and nuture their creativity.

What have you made that you are really proud of ? Now you may all recall the hoohah I have made about making buttonholes on scary new sewing machine and putting a zip in last year, for the first time since I left school. So you maybe surprised when I answer a Dressing Gown to this question.

What happened was that I took it into my head 30 years ago to make Mr E a dressing gown, from towelling material. This was not as ambitious as it sounds as MIL was a very talented seamstress, who in the past when I had tried to make a blouse for myself, had taken it off my hands and done the difficult bits, like about made the whole thing. So I bowled along to her house and showed her the fabric and pattern. We laid the fabric out on the table and I waited for instructions. They didn’t come. Long story short, we didn’t know then that she was already beginning to suffer from Alzheimer’s, and no longer knew what to do, and couldn’t help me.

Meantime of course I had lots of expensive fabric which was supposed to be a Christmas present for himself. Well somehow I managed to figure it out what to do, and a very creditable dressing gown it was and it was in use till the fabric fell to bits. I was very proud I did it, but I wish we had all realised then what MIL was suffering.

Is there another craft you would like to try? No laughing now. No not allowed. I would like to have a workshop session with a blacksmith. My 2x grandfather was a blacksmith, and his father before him etc etc, and I would just like to try to walk in their shoes, if only for a couple of hours.

My Questions and answers

1 Somewhere you always wanted to visit? Tempted here to say Peru and New Zealand, which are true, but probably won’t happen. So more realistically I could say the lavender fields in Provence or Manet’s garden, but even those are a bit ambitious at the moment. So my answer is Lowry’s gallery, Beamish Museum or the Styall woollen mill. If I limit myself to one, it would be the woollen mill, again because I have ancestors wo worked in mills.

2 What is the silliest/ or least successful  craft you ever tried? Years ago, maybe 30 again, I attended a craft evening class. In the first term we tried a different craft each week. I remember making candles using wax crayon and empty baked bean tins, and pasta pictures which we spray painted gold. The latter looked like pasta spray painted gold!

3 Of all the crafts you do, which is the most relaxing and why. I think the most relaxing thing I do is knitting. If I start to knit some afternoons, warm and cosy, contented, the motion of the needles becomes quite hypnotic. I often end up needing to have a nap!

So lovely people, over to you, you are all unique and amazing. I’m off to count sparrows now, as you do , for the RSPB bird count. Look forward to reading your comments, and once again thanks to the Crafty Creek, I was honoured.

 

Knit and Natter Friday!

This has been such a busy month for us with one thing and another. Far too much time spent on hospital appointments, garages and dentists, but these things have to be done. The TV was safely delivered last Saturday, it does seem enormous to me and it is still a novelty to push the on button and a picture comes up straightaway. The last one was taking ten goes to get it to start, and it wasn’t a faulty remote control in case you were wondering.

I was able to spend the last hour in the Kirkbymoorside Repair cafe. I gather it had been a very slow day for everyone, which was just as well as not many repairers had been able to attend. A lady from a nearby town had visited having heard of the venture and is very keen to set up one in her community, so that was a big positive for everyone.

I have finished sewing in the ends and adding a black border on the crochet blanket which is to be a raffle prize for the cafe.

I was thrilled that so many people could see the dragon emerging from my knitting last week. I am still working on the same wing, so not much to show this week. I have been able to do some more crochet on the Attic 24 weekend bag, which look bigger now I have done more, but I can’t help feeling there is going to be an awful lot of leftover yarn.

Hoping that when I sew in the ends I can get rid of the joins which look awful to my mind. The instructions said to join on alternative sides and in a different place each time to avoid a seam. I think I would rather have a seam than a mess. Must be me and my poor crochet skills!

So we are at the end of a month and I am quite surprised that I have managed to go a whole month and not buy a scrap of yarn, or a book or fabric. Nothing, zilch in the craft buying department, not even a button or a piece of tape or even glue. Have I turned over a new leaf? I doubt it!!

I am hoping that February will be a quieter month and so have more crafting time. What about the weekend, do you have anything exciting lined up, was January filled with craftiness? How is your stash?

This weekend for me, tomorrow is Holocaust Memorial Day and I am participating in an event in the library, I shall be doing a couple of readings. Sunday is the day I shall do my bird count for the RSPB. According to the pet shop where I get my bird food people have been buying lots of bird food this week in anticipation. We shall have the fattest sparrows and pigeons you ever did see I reckon. Still very good that so many people want to join in and care for our feathered friends.

So over to you now, please join in with the natter wherever you like in the comments. The natter is what makes these Friday posts.

Be Happy,

Cathyx

 

Sunrise

I am not an early bird by any means and for me to see sunrise is rare, but much easier in January!

Nature is amazing!

Knit and Natter Friday!

Hope everyone has had a good week since our last chat. Can’t believe what a whirlwind of it we have had. Nothing exciting you know, car MOTs, dental check up for me, choosing a new TV, not that my input into that twas much influence. “Oh no that’s too big “didn’t seem to cut the mustard with you know who. Added to which Mr E has arranged for it to be delivered on Saturday when there is the next repair cafe.  And as there are never enough chap menders to cope with what crosses the doorstep , I shall be the one at home waiting for  it to arrive. That’s life.

Now it seems to me that no-one is anywhere near guessing what I am knitting, what about this week, do you know now?

A face

C,mon, Little Miss F is a modern Princess, to quote her “I am not waiting for a silly Prince to come and help”. What do all Princesses need. Bigger hint at the end.

I have started to crochet the Attic 24 weekend bag. It’s much smaller than I expected.

Width ways I mean. The yarn is chunky on a 5mm crochet hook. I can only manage an hour at a time as it makes my fingers ache. So far so good I think.

Did anyone have snow this week? We had some yesterday but it didn’t amount to much. Or maybe you are in Summer and having heat waves, and swimming and ice cream and lots of homegrown goodies. mmm summer.

Today I have the Family History Christmas shared lunch and quiz and get together. I think I prefer my Christmas fun in December, seems all wrong now. Still it will be fun. I shall try not to embarrass myself too much in the quiz.

OK, so how did you get on with guessing what I am knitting.

Has that helped? Any ideas, anyone?

Please…

I hope you all have a marvellous weekend. I shall be telly man waiting for most of Saturday. Wondering how much knitting I can get done. Do tell your plans,

Be Happy,

Cathyx

 

Scrap Happy January

Very nearly caught on the hop, thought tomorrow was the 15th. Anyway here I am joining in with Scrap Happy hosted by Kate.

First up the crochet blanket from leftover yarn destined for the Repair Cafe raffle.

Still not certain about the yellow. I have the ends to sew in and a border, probably in black, because I have most of it.

And a piece of creative embroidery which has been at least two years and three winters in the making.

In close up

All the fabric is scrap, all the threads were ones I already had, the backing card was from a shirt packaging from Mr E. The only new thing is the frame. My favourite bit is the fence!

Please pop by Kate’s blog to see what clever people can do with their scraps!

 

Five Favourite Reads from 2017.

It’s usually hard to choose a top five favourite reads from the last year , but in 2017 five books made my top 100, so the task is easier.

5 Susan Hill- In the Springtime of the Year – an early novel from this author. A very young bride looses her husband in a fatal accident. Deals with the themes of grief, survival, but I loved it for its lyrical qualities in describing the countryside.

4 Joanne Harris- Blackberry Wine-an utterly charming book in the vein of Chocolat. Young boy Jay befriends an old man Joe, an ex miner, a whizz of a gardener, herbalist and wine maker. Years later Jay writes a best seller based around Joe. Then Jay moves to France, nearly spoils the idyllic life he finds there and discovers his soul.

3 John Boyne- A History of Loneliness- Irish catholic church, the abuse of power and the dangers of submission and wilful delusion. Excellent.

2 Ian McEwan- Atonement-  1935, a single very hot and languid day which takes half the book to describe, ends in a crime. Part two concerns a group of soldiers trudging towards Dunkirk in WW2. Part three, a London Hospital coping with the returning soldiers, so powerfully written. Part four- how it all ended. A very good read indeed.

1 Gerald Durrell- The Corfu Trilogy The trilogy of books on which the TV series The Durrells was based. I read this on holiday in Greece during  the” 30 days wild challenge ” in June. The books are laugh out loud funny. The nature content is superb but it must be remembered that the book was written in the 1930’s and Gerald was a naturalist, not the conservationist he is portrayed as on the telly. This was the perfect book to read in June, on holiday during the challenge. It was very Funny, and my absolute number favourite from last year.

Does anyone else have an absolute favourite book they read last year? I love suggestions for a good read as you know.

Knit and Natter Friday, 2018

I started these Knit and Natter posts last year when Ginny of Small Things gave up her Yarn Alongs. Turns out she missed them too, and she has re-started them as monthly link ups rather than weekly ones,here . Which is a jolly good thing, but you haven’t got rid of my Friday ramblings as easy as that. I have got far too fond of my own voice, more than that I have got very fond of the Natter that always follows. My Fridays would not be the same without our chats.

My son phoned this week to talk over a work problem. I listened, I spoke calmly, but what I really wanted to do was say ” who is this person causing you grief, I will TELL them!” Which of course would do no good. We are often told in the UK we have low productivity. It seems to me that if people spent less time on office politics and more time doing the job they were paid to do , the world would spin a lot faster, why one wants the world to spin faster I don’t know.   ( Alice in Wonderland I believe). Isn’t it so hard when your adult children have problems?

Meantime the great tidy up after Christmas has begun. Just where do all the spiders live that spin so many webs in the house? Maybe it’s just me they have it in for?

Hasn’t it been lovely to see everyone writing on their blogs this week with posts about the last years highs and lows and aspirations for 2018. I so hope to stop adding to my collection of yarn and fabric and get on and work with it.

Oh, and clean the oven, January’s only goal for me. Yes it does need a clean. And I actually quite like cleaning the oven, all that gunk is so satisfying. Today I will do this.

I have been mostly crocheting this week, trying to add one block a night to the final rounds on the blanket destined for a care home.

I have 14 more to go, so in two weeks they should be done and ready to join and add the border. Maybe finish blanket should be another goal for January. That makes two.

I have started with the Jo Baker book on my January reads. Hey that makes three goals, to finish this book. Before I know it there will be 18 of the beggars.

Not only has Ginny missed her yarn along but so also has Ginny at Ginx Craft who has started a first Monday in the month link up. Ginny designs and knits the most wonderful things you can imagine, there is talk of a book, I will pre-order it if I am allowed.

I have done a little knitting on the mystery project, no-one hazarded a guess last week , and this week is no better I reckon.

It will grow, once the blanket is done. Maybe by the end of January, oh my could that be four goals for January?

Enough, I shall go and clean the oven. Do please tell what you are making, could be anything, a bird house, a widget, a jumper, a blanket, a picture, a cake.. I shall be making greasy gunk this morning!

Be Happy

Cathyx

 

 

Photo Challenge 2018- Sparkle

Some sparkly pictures to start the year.

This light in my brothers home , not only sparkled, but also cast rainbows on my book at bedtime.

Sparkly Christmas Lights at my sons home where we spent Christmas

And the best sparkle of 2017 when Ms G said Yes to Mr B’s question.

Think Mr B took this as a selfie. But see that sparkle in their eyes!  The  best kind of sparkle to a Mum’s mind.

Wild Daffodil created this challenge this year so please visit her site here for some more sparkles.