Unraveled, Week 2/2021

Doesn't it seem like it's been more than a week since last Wednesday? When that day started, none of us had any inkling of the drama that would unfold later that day. But life goes on, as it does, and I haven't stopped knitting and reading, so I'm once again joining Kat and the Unravelers to talk about both.

I am still working on Rainbow's Little Boxy, though I haven't touched it in the past several days, so it's not worth showing you -- it doesn't look much different from the last time you saw it! I did start a new project yesterday, though, a new pair of ankle socks for Rainbow/design sample. She is all about shortie socks these days, and I have no complaint about that because it means less knitting for her ever-growing feet.

This may look like handspun, but in fact it is not! This is some very cool yarn from Brooke at Fully Spun that Rainbow picked out at the last Indie Knit & Spin (back in November 2019). This is a marled fingering weight superwash Merino/nylon blend that mimics handspun. It doesn't look like she currently has any in stock, sadly, because it's very cool stuff. I am nearly finished with the heel flap and hope to get through the heel turn at some point today because I have a synagogue committee Zoom meeting tonight and could use some fairly mindless knitting to get me through it.

I have finished one book since last week:

Bonny was responsible for putting Monogamy on my radar, and it didn't have a really long wait at the library, so I thought I'd give it a try. It didn't hook me right away (in fact, I was thinking I wasn't going to like it much on the basis of the first few chapters), but I liked it more and more as I read more. It's definitely a book without a lot of action in that not very much actually happens in the book. Rather, it's one that is pretty much all about the character's thoughts and feelings -- and thoughts about those feelings. Miller does a really good job of fleshing out her characters, and they really come off the page. I wouldn't call it a must read, but it's good if you like this sort of book. I gave it 4 stars.

I am currently in the middle of two books that I am hoping to finish before the week is out. With my eyes, I am reading The Splendid and the Vile, which is just as good as everyone has told me it is but certainly isn't a quick read. And with my ears I'm reading The Color of Water, James McBride's memoir about his childhood and his mother's fascinating life. I heard about this book from the What Should I Read Next podcast, and it intrigued me because I read three of McBride's books last year and really enjoyed them. I normally prefer reading with my eyes to audiobooks, but in this case the audio really works because the book alternates chapters, with McBride narrating one and his mother the next, and the audio has two readers. I was amazed by his imagination in coming up with some of the characters in his books, but now I am seeing that his extraordinary early life gave him a lot to draw from!

Looking forward to hearing what you're reading and working on!