2005 Knitting Recap

Here's the rundown on 2005's knitting and, really, in no particular order:

Ruffled Blanket, KnitPicks Crayon, pattern is found in Rainbow Knits for kids. Made as a sample for KnitPicks.


Dulaan knitting: 3 Pinwheel hats, 2 pullover vests, 1 pullover sweater and a scarf. The scarf includes the assistance of niece Samantha. The hats are Wool-Ease and Encore leftover from scarves made at Christmas time. The vests and sweater are made from Red Heart I had in the stash for a few years. The scarf is some Reynolds yarn I had and Samantha knit the first 5 inches or so for me.


Also for Dulaan: 2 hats made with the Ken pattern from the Harlot out of leftover Lamb's Pride.


Berry Freeze, Horstia Maulbeerseide-Schurwolle. Do I have a finished photo? No. Have I seen it on Mom since it was finished? No. Again, am I lame? Yes.


3 Sweaters for 18" American Girl Doll for Samantha's birthday


Blue Hoodie for Erin, Bernat Denim

Hot pink Bolero for Khylie, TLC


Socks, KnitPicks Daffodil colorway


Mittens in Bernat HotSox in SunHot and Red Heart in Purple


Felted hat, KnitPicks Wool of the Andes


Kruz's hat knit in Reynolds Utopia in gold and cinnamon


Charity knitting - hats and scarves in various acrylic combinations

Not pictured: Socks made for Khylie in Bernat HotSox pink.

Baby socks and hats made for Matt's little boy Ryan.


Erin's wristers made in Lamb's pride with SavannahChick's pattern, Natasha. The round thing is the makeshift stitch market I created in desperation from the cardbord of a tampon.


First pair of socks made for Kim out of Bernat. Not a good fit.


Emma's sweater made in pink acrylic using the 5-hr baby sweater pattern.

Read any good scifi lately? If you haven't, then I highly recommend "Chasm City" by Alistair Reynolds. Reynolds, who has a day job as an astrophysicist, is a British author writing in the 'new space opera' genre. In case you were wondering space opera is a scifi genre that emphasizes high adventure, interstellar travel, and space battles, where the main storyline is centered around interstellar conflict and character drama. New space opera combines the interstellar scale and grandeur of traditional space opera with elements of hard science fiction. New space opera is therefore scientifically rigorous while ambitious in scope. (Thanks Wikipedia!) Reynolds has set the standard that all new space opera will probably be measured by. His portrayal of science, technology, and the nature of space is all scientifically accurate-either it's possible, or at least theoretically possible. The laws of physics still apply. We can get close to the speed of light, but not past it (curse that E=mc2!). Whole cultures have arisen that live their lives in space aboard their massive 'light hugger' starships, providing the travel means necessary for those who need to cross the years wide distances between the stars (don't mess with the Ultras though, they are bad muthas). Thanks to advances in nanotechnology and biotechnology, most disease and aging has been eradicated (it can be quite spendy however)so people can make the long journeys, or live to see others leave and return. Or if they prefer, they can travel in frozen, deep sleeping comfort-helps cut down on the boredom.

Onward. "Chasm City" in a nutshell: Tanner Mirabel is a ruthless mercenary, but an honorable one-if you don't need killing, he won't kill you. He'll also take time out to help the opressed i.e. when he teaches Sister Amelia (a member of a religious order that helps space travelers in distress-hey, it can be real rough out there) to beat the almighty crap out of fellow monk who is giving her undesired attention. Tanner is on the trail of one Argent Reivich, a man he has given his word that he will kill to revenge the wrong Reivich has wrought on one Cahuella, Tanner's employer and a very bad dude himself. And when Tanner gives his word, he carries it out with a tenaciousness that a bulldog could only dream of. He crosses years and interstellar space in puruit of Reveich, even risking travel with the very creepy Ultras. But...is Tanner Mirabel really who he believes himself to be...or is he actually Cahuella himself, who extracted Tanner's memories and took his identity after feeding him to a giant snake like thing and removing his undigested body in punishment for a tragic failure, using his memories and ID to escape off planet...or is he Tanner Mirabel who is actually Cahuella who is actually Sky Haussmann, a 'post mortal' human wanted for war crimes and other criminal acts? The plot thickens and thins and twists and turns as Tanner pursues his quarry in the title city, a once shining monument to mankinds' technological and cultural achievement, now a bizarre, nightmarish place due to the effects of the 'melding plague,' a virulent nanotechnological virus that attacks both flesh and blood and machine.

"Chasm City" takes place in the same universe as Reynold's "Revelation Space" trilogy (Revelation Space, Redemption Ark, and Absolution Gap-I cannot say enough about these stories, hands down the best scifi trilogy I have ever read), and follows a pattern I have noticed in his other books. He takes two-and more in the trilogy's case-very different and diverging plot lines and slowly works them closer and closer together to where they finally meet, or a more apt description is collide, in the story's climax. "Chasm City" is a very complex story but very well worth the effort to read.

Book recap for 2005

1. The Lovely Bones
2. The Key Trilogy
3. Rising Tides
4. Chesapeake Blue
5. Good Hope Road
6. From Here to Paternity
7. The House of Seven Mabels
8. Tears of the Moon
9. Shining Hero
10. Little Black Sambo
11. The World According to Mr. Rogers
12. Prince Charming
13. The Time-Traveler's Wife
14. Trusting God
15. At Knit's End
16. Northern Lights
17. The Smallest People Alive
18. Slave to Love
19. Someone to Watch Over Me
20. Scholarium
21. Crewel World
22. Framed in Lace
23. Unraveled Sleeve
24. Black Rose
25. A Murderous Yarn
26. Hanging by a Thread
27. Divided in Death
28. Cutwork
29. Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon
30. Visions in Death
31. A Good Yarn
32. Madame Secretary
33. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
34. Jewels of the Sun, Nora Roberts
35. Tears of the Moon, Nora Roberts
36. Heart of the Sea, Nora Roberts
37. Dancing on the Air, Nora Roberts
38. Heaven & Earth, Nora Roberts
39. Face the Fire, Nora Roberts
40. Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
41. Blue Smoke, Nora Roberts
42. Slow Burn, Julie Garwood
43. Knit One, Kill Two, Maggie Sefton
44. KnitLit the Third
45. Life of Pi
46. Mulch Ado about Nothing, Jane Churchill
47. The Stupidest Angel
48. Possession, A.S.Byatt
49. Crewel Yule, Monica Ferris
50. 50 Harbor Street, Debbie Macomber
51. The Victory Dance Murder, M.T. Jefferson
52. Hunting Fear, Kay Hooper
53. Thunder & Roses, Mary Jo Putnam
54. Petals in the Storm, Mary Jo Putnam
55. Shattered Rainbows, Mary Jo Putnam
56. River of Fire, Mary Jo Putnam
57. One Perfect Rose, Mary Jo Putnam
58. Red Lily, Nora Roberts

Testing 1 2 3

Checking out whether the little harbor icon will show up or not.

Knitting FOs for January through June

5-hr Baby Sweater for Emma, pink acrylic, pattern from online somewhere (google it). Did I give it to her? No. I don't like the yarn, it's not soft and I could knit a better one for the daughter of a niece. Better meaning better yarn.


Cabled fingerless mitts for Erin, Green Lamb's Pride. The thing in my hand? A stitch marker made from a cardboard tampon tube because I'd left my regular plastic markers at home.


Baby Hat & Socks, White/Primary multi Steinbach Wolle Strapaz. Given to Matt Evans and his wife, Annie, for baby Ryan


Baby Hat, Blue JaWoll Superwash. Also given to Matt and Annie. I think I made a pair of socks as well, but I don't have a picture.


Hip-Hop Jacquard Socks, Patons Kroy, pattern is the free one with the socks. Made as a gift for sister 2 of 2. Only the second pair of socks I've ever made and I made them for her. She, naturally, asked "Are these slippers?" Can't blame her. I mean, look at them, they're weirdly shaped. But made with love.


Ruffled edge vest, Cotton Classic. Made from the Handy Book of Patterns. No picture because I'm lame. But my other sister, 1 of 2, is also lame because I asked for a picture but she never took one.

Ruffled Blanket, KnitPicks Crayon, pattern is found in Rainbow Knits for kids. Made as a sample for KnitPicks. I had wanted to keep it, so I'm now making a second one for a woman at church and her new son.


Dulaan knitting: 3 Pinwheel hats, 2 pullover vests, 1 pullover sweater and a scarf. The scarf includes the assistance of niece Samantha. The hats are Wool-Ease and Encore leftover from scarves made at Christmas time. The vests and sweater are made from Red Heart I had in the stash for a few years. The scarf is some Reynolds yarn I had and Samantha knit the first 5 inches or so for me.


Also for Dulaan: 2 hats made with the Ken pattern from the Harlot out of leftover Lamb's Pride.


Berry Freeze, Horstia Maulbeerseide-Schurwolle. Do I have a finished photo? No. Have I seen it on Mom since it was finished? No. Again, am I lame? Yes.

What I've read in the last 6 months

So I've got this other blog, Yarn Pig, that I regularly post to. But I wanted to have someplace to archive all of the books I've read, the WIPs I've completed and maybe, just maybe I could get my husband to take over the other one and turn it into more of a family update kind of site.

In the meantime, I wanted to list archive the book list taking up a lot of room in the side bar. So here goes:

The Lovely Bones - really enjoyed this library book and have contemplated owning it.

The Key Trilogy - Nora Roberts is an absolute favorite author and this is a set of 3 books (Light, Knowledge and Valor) and reading them was actually a re-read for me. (I tend to do that a lot with her books.)

Rising Tides - Another Nora book along with the next. Part of a trilogy about brothers.

Chesapeake Blue - This book picks up where the Chesapeake Bay trilogy left off.

Good Hope Road - nice read, easy to digest.

From Here to Paternity - Churchill's books are nice, easy mysteries that suck me in just for sheer enjoyment. And I love the punny titles.

The House of Seven Mabels - another Churchill.

Tears of the Moon - Another Roberts book, this is the middle book of her Irish trilogy. And she had a short story followup on her site for this group as well.

Shining Hero - different from what I usually read, I picked this up at the library and really enjoyed getting a view of Indian culture.

Little Black Sambo - Read this with my nieces (over and over and over), reminded me of the Sambo's restaurants we used to go to for breakfast growing up.

The World According to Mr. Rogers - gift book that I enjoyed. I'm a child of PBS - Sesame Street, Electric Company, Mr. Rogers - and he was such proponent for children that his passing has definitely left a hole.

Prince Charming - Jude Deverauz wrote a lot of "historical romance" and it's in quotes only because the setting isn't contemporary. But her books are guaranteed to get me laughing out loud.

The Time-Traveler's Wife - Christmas gift that surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I don't read science fiction typically, but this is more than that simple tag.

Trusting God - Jerry Bridges and the book my winter bible study focused on. It has really impacted my view of God and his sovereignty in my life and has been an immense help.

At Knit's End - The Yarn Harlot is an absolute hoot! Met her at Powell's and love, love, love her blog.

Northern Lights - Another Nora Roberts. Need I say more?

The Smallest People Alive - this was a library book that I diligently finished, but didn't care for. 'Nuff said.

Slave to Love - British contemporary romance that wasn't bad, but really read just for the flavor of the writing.

Someone to Watch Over Me - Another Churchill, but a different series and these titles are more in keeping with the time setting - Depression Era, Gershwin.

Scholarium - mystery written by a German author and translated into English. Different setting (think pre-Renaissance) and an interesting view of the education society approved of for only men.

Crewel World - Monica Ferris writes what I think are termed as "cozy" mysteries. Her main character, Betsy, knits and that's what originally drew me in, but it's the writing that keeps me coming back.

Framed in Lace - Book 2 for Betsy.

Unraveled Sleeve - And book 3.

Black Rose - Interrupting the Monica Ferris with a little bit of . . . Nora Roberts! The second in her In The Garden trilogy. Can't have enough Nora.

A Murderous Yarn - And back to Betsy with book 4.

Hanging by a Thread - and don't forget book 5.

Divided in Death - So Nora doesn't just write contemporary romance (women's fiction?), she also writes a futuristic murder mystery series. The In Death series features Eve Dallas as the cop who comes up against serial killers. Don't ask me how many times I've re-read the various books. Don't.

Cutwork - Wait! Book 6 for Betsy.

Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon - One of Donna Andrews books about a female metal worker and the murders she finds herself solving. Andrews also has a couple of books where the main character is actually an AI that interacts with people to solve crime. Check out You've Got Murder.

Visions in Death - Eve Dallas is up against a killer who removes his victims eyes.

A Good Yarn - Debbie Macomber's second book about a knitting shop in the Seattle area. Nice read, easy for summer.

Madame Secretary - I've heard Madeline Albright on NPR before and she's struck me as an intelligent woman with humor. And her autobiography shows that. Interesting to see world events from her perspective.

OK, that's it for books. For now.