Unraveled, Week 4/2022

It's a frigid morning here, but the sun is coming out and it's Unraveled Wednesday again -- time to link up with Kat and the Unravelers to talk making and reading!

Last night I finally sat down with my May(be) Queen to weave in some ends on the body and do the math I needed to do on the sleeves. Why is it that we put off things that take so little time for so long? It took me less than five minutes to figure out how many stitches I needed to decrease and how often to do the decreases -- all I needed to do was measure another sweater that fits me well and do a few calculations. Weaving in ends took me most of my evening knitting time (the hour or so between when Rainbow goes to bed and I get into bed with my reading), so I only managed to pick up the stitches for the first sleeve and knit a few rounds, but it's under way now!

I still have small amounts of the first two skeins of yarn remaining from the body, but I didn't want to give myself any more ends to weave it, so I've started the sleeve with the two untouched skeins. I also tried the sweater on again last night (sorry, didn't take a photo because it was night and the light was terrible), and though it's tighter than I anticipated, it does fit. I expect blocking will loosen things up a bit and give me just a touch of positive ease.

I'm also actively working on my socks, as they are easy to do while reading for work, and I'm approaching the heel of the second sock.

No, your eyes do not deceive you, I am knitting this one toe up! I know that's not the direction I normally knit my socks, but given that this heel is designed to be worked in either direction, I thought it was prudent for me to try it out to be extra sure. The pattern is now with my tech editor, and I hope to have ti back in a week or so, so I want to finish up the second sock to take the final pictures.

I've also been putting in some plying time here and there, and my second bobbin is filling nicely -- though it does feel a bit like I'm going to be plying forever.

Reading has been pretty good this week. I've finished two books since last Wednesday, one of which I haven't been able to stop thinking about.

I know many of you have already read and loved Stanley Tucci's new memoir, Taste: My Life Through Food, so I'm here to tell those of you who haven't yet picked it up that you need to read it, preferably with your ears. The audiobook isn't long (maybe 7 hours?) and goes very quickly, but every moment of it is a delight. If you're a foodie, you will love this book. Tucci takes us on a trip through his life, highlighting the hilarious and heartwarming moments that have centered around the kitchen and the table. He does drop the occasional F-bomb, if that sort of thing bothers you, but it felt perfect for the context to me. When I finished listening, I was tempted to start from the beginning and listen again, but I knew there were a lot of people on the wait list and didn't want them to have to wait any longer than necessary. I gave it 5 stars.

I purchased a Kindle copy of Agatha of Little Neon, the next Read With Us selection, rather than wait for a copy of the library because I was afraid I wouldn't get it before the discussion in March. I liked this book, though I didn't love it. I found the nuns to be entertaining and endearing, and I liked Agatha very much. But when I finished it, I found I was left wanting a little more. I still didn't have the sense that I knew Agatha all that well, and I really wanted to know what happened to her after the book ended. It's certainly a very different book from Matrix, despite the commonality of nuns as main characters, and I think we'll have a very interesting discussion. I gave it 3 stars.

I'm still slowly working my way through Braiding Sweetgrass and really need to focus on it if I want to finish it soon-ish. But at the moment I am fully immersed in Ruth Ozeki's newest novel The Book of Form and Emptiness. This is only the second book of hers that I've read, and I have a feeling I will be reading all her books at some point because I really love her style. There's such an unusual quirkiness to her writing that some might find strange but that I find really endearing.

What are you making and reading this week?