Reading Gauntlets

Cast on small size. Accidentally reduced by 2 too many stitches, but I think it’s actually a good thing for my skinny wrists. Might go up to the medium size for the thumb gusset, as it seems too short at the small size.

Bound off first mitt with normal technique, feels a bit tight after finishing; tried “lace bind-off” (?) for 2nd one, not a lot better. Really needs a stretchy bind-off.

Got the name from @lilyorit, who saw a pic of the work in progress and tweeted “:D A LADY’S GAUNTLET”

Grumpasaurus

Using magic loop.

12/26 started tail
12/27 tail complete
1/3 did the comb (in chunky on #7 needle), still not sure how to do face
1/4 face with a bit of sock yarn. very pleased with how it turned out!

Best Books of 2013

Before it’s too far into 2014! Turns out I didn’t read that much in 2013. (I blame knitting.) But I did read a few books that I thought were five-star:

  • 1493: the sequel to 1491, looking at the world spawned by the Columbian Exchange, the good, bad, and ugly.
  • Fun Home: a graphic novel about family, sexuality, and death. Read for school, but loved it anyway.
  • How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: should probably be included with any first CSA. Great, great cookbook.
  • The Warmth of Other Suns: the story of the Great Migration of African-Americans in the 20th century, told with a mix of stats, primary sources, and stories.

In the order I read them, linked to my Goodreads reviews.

The Guards (Jack Taylor, #1)

The Guards (Jack Taylor, #1)
author: Ken Bruen
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2013/09/01
date added: 2014/01/09
shelves: mystery, fiction
review:
I saw the TV series recently and decided to get the first book from the library. Good stuff; quite different from the show in some of the particular, but a similar feel to it. And strangely poetic. There’s a great voice in Jack Taylor. Not that much plot, really, but a good story.

The Guards (Jack Taylor, #1)

The Guards (Jack Taylor, #1)
author: Ken Bruen
name: Elaine
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2013/09/01
date added: 2014/01/09
shelves: mystery, fiction
review:
I saw the TV series recently and decided to get the first book from the library. Good stuff; quite different from the show in some of the particular, but a similar feel to it. And strangely poetic. There’s a great voice in Jack Taylor. Not that much plot, really, but a good story.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
author: Alison Bechdel
name: Elaine
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2013/08/01
date added: 2014/01/09
shelves: autobiography, graphic-novel, non-fiction
review:
Read this for a writing course I took at work (The Evergreen State College) over the summer. Glad I got a chance to enjoy it. Great artistic technique, notably the contrast between the “cartoonish” style of the main narrative and the occasional bit of realism included as illustrations, usually drawings of photograph. Fantastic narrative styling, moving backwards & forwards in time, examining the author’s relationship with her father, and her father’s identity, from many different angles.

(Plus I had the opportunity to try turning some of an essay I’d written for the class into a page of graphic novel. Note: I can’t draw AT ALL. But it was still a great way to think about narrative, emphasis, etc.)

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
author: Alison Bechdel
name: Elaine
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2013/08/01
date added: 2014/01/09
shelves: autobiography, graphic-novel, non-fiction
review:
Read this for a writing course I took at work (The Evergreen State College) over the summer. Glad I got a chance to enjoy it. Great artistic technique, notably the contrast between the “cartoonish” style of the main narrative and the occasional bit of realism included as illustrations, usually drawings of photograph. Fantastic narrative styling, moving backwards & forwards in time, examining the author’s relationship with her father, and her father’s identity, from many different angles.

(Plus I had the opportunity to try turning some of an essay I’d written for the class into a page of graphic novel. Note: I can’t draw AT ALL. But it was still a great way to think about narrative, emphasis, etc.)