Happy 2014!

Hello and welcome to my first post of 2014.  We're now two days in to the new year and I have been thinking about what I would like to accomplish this year. So here goes:

Knitting

• Finish the knitted squares/blanket from 'Art of Knitting' magazine.  This blanket has been around 6 years in the making and I would love to get it finished this year.  From what I can remember I am half way there and on the learning how to do cables so its quite an exciting project made up of lots of quick, fun knits.
• Stash busting - either sell (eek), give away (bigger eek) or actually use the yarns in my stash.  I'm thinking each month I will make something or give away/sell something that should cut it down by quite a bit.
• Learn to knit in the round.  I realised making the Robin decoration in December I hate making up so think knitting in the round will suit me nicely.
• Knit a pair of socks.  I would love to learn to do this and would really love to start with a book I have called two at a time knitting.  

Watercolour

• Paint a picture representing that month/moment.  Each month aim to paint a picture using my watercolours that represents what is happening that month, any moments or just for fun.
• I'm very much the beginner so anything I do with watercolours is completely new and exciting and I know I have so many techniques to learn.

Sewing

• I want to have a go at making some items I can wear.  I can't help think I'm struggling to find nice pyjamas so might give that a go.  I have a giant white cotton bed sheet we never use so might use that to have a practice
• I also need some napkins for the dining table, not sure what colour or how yet but thats another idea.

Books

• The plan is to go swimming every Friday and I have a waterproof MP3 player that I am hoping I can add an audio book to so I can listen to an audio book each month.
• Each month I attend the Builth Wells Reading Group so have a monthly read from them an often find it difficult to make it through any more books but I do have a wishlist on Amazon the length of..well...the Amazon and a whole bunch of unread books on the bookshelf and on my kindle so it would be nice to make a dent in them this year.

Creative writing

•  I haven't done any since that course last September and it would be nice to try writing something each month but think I may have given myself enough tasks!  Although I hope to use what I learned to write a good book review each month if nothing else.

Exercise

• Keep up the weekly Yoga sessions although this time at home and not at a class.
• Start weekly swimming sessions, Friday nights will probably work best as Mr C is often out with friends so I get a bit of time to myself.
•  In general I'd like to up the amount of walking I do, both throughout the week and a big weekend walk with Mr C.

I think that's quite enough for one year!  So my aim for January is to:

• Knit a square for the knitted blanket
• Give away or knit an item from my stash
• Paint a watercolour for January
• Sew some napkins
• Read Stephen Kings' 11.22.63; Listen to Kate Atkinson Life After Life
• Write book reviews for the above
• Do 4 Yoga sessions, 4 swimming sessions and get out walking

By the way my official new years' resolution is this, to be more optimistic and a friendlier person.  I wasn't sure exactly how to word that and then I seen the new years' message from the Dalai Lama and it clicked.  So my new years' resolution is this...

One week off and look...

...not even half way through my week off and I've finished a re-read of Stephen Kings 'Salems Lot AND knitted up a funky Robin for the Xmas tree. I love Christmas mainly for the holiday!

First off the book review.  I've read 'Salems Lot before although it was around 15 years ago (eek) and have to admit I enjoyed it as much this time around.  The book follows the story of Ben Mears who returns to a small town in the back of America to find he's not the only 'new' face on the scene.  The town is swiftly taken over by vampires and the horror begins.  I re-read it as I'm making my way through the Dark Tower series and the next book features heavily Father Callahan from the 'Salems Lot book so I wanted a refresh of that character and what he went through.  In saying that my favourite character was, and still is, Mark Petrie. Mark is a young boy who although a bit of a loner and a geek manages to stand up to both bullies and scary vampires. He also accepts the existence of vampires so quickly it means his story develops quickly and is more action packed than the others who as adults need more convincing before things get underway.  A great spooky read and I've still got the deleted scenes to read at the back of the book which I'll maybe do in daylight!

To the knitting now. Ok so I never got around to knitting up the baby hat but I decide to move on.  I bought Let's Knit magazine number 72 Christmas 2013 which had a great kit for knitting Robbie Robin. Robbie looked quick and easy to knit up and uber cute too so I decided to get to work.  It took me two evenings to knit and make up.  I hate making up. I hate hand sewing. I hate stuffing.  I think this shows as he isn't as cute as the magazine version but is perfectly suitable for sitting at the top, back, of the tree. My colourwork could do with some work too as I wasn't sure about the red breast.  I did however get to refresh SSK and learned how to knit an icord which was super easy. Instead of turning the knitting you move it up to the other end of a double pointed needle and knit, repeat and you get a long tube like cord effect...simples.  Unfortunately I'm writing this from the iPad and can't figure out how to upload photos direct into the post as soon as I do I'll upload them.

Meanwhile I'm taking a break over Christmas from anything crafty as we're spending Christmas week  at Bluestone, Pemrokeshire and I plan on lots of long coastal walks followed by large hot chocolates :). I will however be thinking of a crafty challenge for 2014 focusing on finishing some WIPs and stash busting and possibly even getting that knitted blanket finished!

Until the new year I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and Sanat is good to you :) x

Edit - you can see Robbie Robin in my Ravelry projects here http://ravel.me/thefunkylibrarian/84na7 

I am alive, honest!

Sorry again folks, it been a bit quiet on the crafting front as I have discovered my new passion, Watercolour painting.  Something else I enjoy but pretty much suck at.  Who cares though, I get to play with paint and call myself an artist!  I'll post some pics over the weekend of my creations.

For proper crafty related material I need to give myself a to do list.  First up is learn how to take up hems on curtains.  Our living room curtains are far too long and when I tried doing something like this before I made a right hash of it so I need to learn how to do this properly.

This is followed by taking up the hem on my wedding dress, something I wanted to do before the wedding but now I want to do it with an aim of being to wear it with other accessories.

In the knitting/sewing related category I need to sew buttons onto the cardigan I knitted for my friends son due in 8 weeks time and sew a little hat too.

I also have a tonne of yarn I just know I won't use so looking to sell some of it or give it to charity shops unless I can come up with a knitting to do list...if you're not on the list you're not getting knitted!

I did however manage to make a giant pom pom pumpkin for Halloween using orange yarn and some glow in the dark yarn I bought a million years ago on ebay.  I quite like him and he can come out to play every year, maybe next year I'll get around to making him some friends.

I've also been reading and listening to a lot of books lately...audiobooks, not just holding a novel to my ear...but haven't got through them either, specifically The Casual Vacancy or re-reading Salems Lot.  I went a bit Stephen King crazy after Doctor Sleep then Kindle Daily Deals gave me a load of King novels for £1.50, and I find it hard to knit and read at the same time.

So hence the to do list as even I am starting to lose track of what needs to be done.  Think I need to clear the decks a bit and get organised.  Oh and I have taken up running again, 3 times a week come rain, snow or shine.  Maybe I need to invent a running merged crafting sport although it already sounds dangerous!

Until next time...

Book Review : Doctor Sleep

I was keen to read this follow up to 'The Shining.'  Although I only ever watched the film it was a story I enjoyed and was looking forward to getting stuck into another Stephen King novel.  I've read several of Kings novels over the years and loved Misery, Salem's Lot, Gerald's game, Desperation, The Green Mile, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, was a touch meh about Liseys story and hated Dream Catcher! I'm also making my way through the audio book versions of The Dark Tower series and enjoying the stories and links to the other novels...but back to the purpose of this review, Doctor Sleep. 

This synopsis is from Stephen King UK website  or you can see the American website here. 

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and devoted to their comfortable Recreational Vehicles. They live off the 'steam' that children with the 'shining' produce when they are slowly tortured to death.  Following a childhood haunted time he spent with his parents at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles into a job at a nursing home in rural New Hampshire where his remnant 'shining' power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes 'Doctor Sleep.'  Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest ‘shining’ ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival . . .

I was fortunate to come across this video of Stephen King reading from Doctor Sleep.  This video explains more about The True Knot, the main 'bad guys' of the book...

I honestly don't know where to begin on how much I enjoyed this book.  The characters were very well drawn and throughout I was enthralled by Danny's story going through a roller coaster of emotions. Their is a particular seen towards the end that almost had me in tears!  I felt protective and drawn to the 'good' characters although was freaked out by the second appearance of Dick which didn't seem to bother Danny.  

Apart from being on the front cover the cat isn't a major player in the story but I felt we would have missed something without him an only relied in the humans. Something about the independent yet caring attitude of the cat that is reflected in Danny's character.

As for the bad guys, the True Knot, I'll never look at a camper the same way again! I didn't see them so much of a threat to begin with but as the story unfolds I found myself being more and more terrified.  I don't want to go on about the scenes I particularly enjoyed as their were quite a few twists and turns and I don't want to give them away but trust me it was a brilliant read!  All I will say is the ending was right for me and ended Danny's story nicely.

As I said at the beginning I am working my way through the Dark Tower series and did pick up early in the book Doctor Sleep the phrase "...their are other worlds than these..." which in the Dark Tower, I think book one, is spoken by one of the characters Jake.  Coincidence? I think not :)

I also picked up a phrase which was in my previous read Resistance (I'm sure just a coincidence and me King isn't stalking my reading habits) "..the devil is beating his wife..."  Hmm, I wonder, is it possible to be haunted by a phrase?

I bought the W.H Smith special collectors edition of Doctor Sleep which differs from the main copies by having purple cat eyes and wisps of steam. The cover felt nice with embossed steam and good paper and print font. I also liked the size of the hardback and format throughout.

If I had to summarise Doctor Sleep in 100 words or less (which I do for several book review sites) I would say:

This sequel to the shining is a must read not just for any King fan but for any fan of horror.  The characters are well drawn and the story keeps you hooked. A magnificent ending to one of Kings earlier stories, the proper ending that the character Danny deserved.