June Books

 Sadly no photo as I didn't think to take one of any of the physical books I read in June.

Only seven finished this month and only one of them wasn't crime, so I'll start with that. Unruly by David Mitchell , which  is described as a history of England's  Kings and Queens. I hadn't really taken on board the England bit, so I found myself surprised when it ended with Elizabeth I. I thought maybe he had got bored. Actually it doesn't end with Elizabeth I as the last section is a hymn of praise to Shakespeare, which seemed odd. Anyway as far as it went, I enjoyed it. Clear, instructive, no pretense of being impartial and often laugh out loud funny. The bad language got a bit tedious after a while, it's over used, but other than that a 5/5.

The Crime Fiction Book Group book was Unsolved by Heather Critchlow. This generally went down well although not with everyone and certainly not with me. If you don't like monetised podcasts, like I don't, (or the interminable BBC ones either) avoid this one, as that is how the protagonist makes his living. I will say that the bits of the book that were supposed to be from the podcast caught the tone of them really well, but given what I just said this was obviously not a recommendation for me. It's the first in a series and I can only hope that Critchlow got better at a) plotting b) characterisation and c) hiding her perpetrator. 

Then  there was Muse by Celina Grace. For some reason that escapes me, possibly they were cheap, I bought a lot of Celina Grace on Kindle a few years ago. She writes a series of police procedurals set in Devon. They're self published and rather better than that implies but I can sort of see why a publisher hasn't picked them up. Anyway I got an e-mail saying Muse was free so I downloaded it and read it and it was fine. I really can't put my finger on why I am so luke warm about these books as the plots are good, the police team is well drawn and the characters and crimes are credible - all the things I criticise in other books when these qualities are missing. But somehow they just miss the spot. 

Two J D Kirks - I must surely be running out of them by now; Where the Pieces Lie and A Death Most Monumental. It's the mixture as before and you either get Kirk and love him or you don't. ADMM had a great joke about The Only Way is Essex though, which I  loved even though I've never actually watched the program. 

It's Not What You Think by Clare Macintosh was disappointing. The 'big twist' at the end  was exactly what I thought it wold be from very early on. In fact so sure was I that I was right that I skipped most of the last third of the book which I found extremely slow, and listened to the last 20 minutes or so just to be sure. It's sad because I loved her trilogy of Welsh set police procedurals, but I suspect that this is just further proof that the domestic  psychological thriller is not for me. 

Last up was Karin Slaughter's We Are All Guilty Here, the first in a recent new series set in a small rural town in Georgia. I liked it so much I have reserved the follow up from the library. Other than that what can I say? relatable characters in a credible setting that Slaughter obviously knows inside out, and some other writers could take lessons from Slaughter in hiding the perpetrator in plain sight. Slight warning note; as  always with KS the details of the crime are grim; although she doesn't slaver over details as some others do, these aren't for the faint hearted. 

There's a reason I've got all the standard posts ( books, wool stats, stash enhancement) out of the way so early this month,  and it's because I'm about to go away again. I'm off to Yorkshire for a week; starting with a lot of old friend catch ups,  followed by The Gaskell Society Conference which this time around is in Ilkley. Happy me. I'm back on 13th after which I will have two trips to write up, and given how empty the calendar is looking after that I should have plenty of time to do it! 

Wool stats and Finished Projects for June

 Well the good news is that for the first time in several months I managed to finish more than one project this time June, although two of them were, inevitably socks. 

For Son no 2, from stash 

and for me, the self striping yarn club for May. 

and then I finally finished my So Faded sweater 

the colour representation isn't the best on that picture. The pinks look rather more 'candy' pink than they are IRL.

So, how did I feel about finally making myself a garment after many years of being too scared to try? Upside, it fits so all the measuring and swatching and arithmetic was worth it.  There is a bit too much fullness under the arms and I wonder if I could have gone down a size at that point. I also had to fill in the neck because the neckline was too low and wide for me, but it was just a case of a few extra stocking stitch rounds and a few  finagled decreases at the front. It's a bit too clingy for my liking, but I've realised that what I don't like is not that it clings, but what it clings to! I'll certainly be wearing it, so that's good. I did not in fact need five skeins , which is good ( look I'm not humungous! smiley face) but bad (not so smiley face) in that I have an extra skein that I didn't need. however I can use it for something else, so we'll chalk that one up to experience. 

Numbers In 1390, out 621, net increase for month 769, net decrease for year now only 1539.Possibly I need to finish something heavy! 

Holiday Haul - the mainly yarn one!

 It is no excuse I know to say that I bought less yarn than most people who were on the Dyeing Retreat, but it is still true. 

Anyway let's start with the fruits of our own labours - this is the skein I died together with the mini bouquet; 10g of the colours dyed by everyone else which you get as part of the package.  I was very worried before my yarn went into the oven as it looked like  a dog's dinner, but as we kept saying to one another 'Trust the Process' and I was very pleased with what I ended up with. And everyone else was pleased with what they did too. 

This year for the first time they offered a Goody Bag which you could order beforehand. So I did, because I knew that if I didn't and then saw everyone's else's I would suffer 'non-buyers remorse'.

The bag contained a specially dyed skein of yarn, a mug and a set of stitch markers, all marked 'Woollay Retreat 2026'. In addition to that several people had made a little something for everyone else  attending; hence the bag charm, the lavender bag and the Knitters Essentials Kit of notebook, pen, little scissors  and pack of biscuits. 

And then there were the purchases. I bought two palette packs of the current Speckle and Fade yarn club; February and May

and three skeins of 4 ply to make myself  a short sleeved summer top, which will be lovely when it eventually gets knitted!! 

And naturally, I have booked to go again next year.

Holiday Haul - the Non Yarn One

And yes, there will be a yarn version coming and the numbers will be ugly, although the yarn itself is lovely  but meanwhile...

I don't think we generally buy a lot of stuff. The occasional jigsaw puzzle, or book, or cat related accessory but we're not out there every day spending money like it's going out of fashion. That said we do ease up a bit on holiday and buy things we probably wouldn't buy if we  weren't away from home. Here's last weeks

First up are some pin badges, the new fridge magnet substitute to remind us of where we've been

more details of the steam train trip and our visit to Conwy to come soon. 

And here's the miscellany

If you're reading this and you live in the UK you will need no explanation for the fan;  if you're outwith the UK, suffice it to say that last week was very very very hot. My brother in law bought me the fan in a lovely woodcraft shop in Beddgelert while I was desperately trying to work out the best way to cool down my face and hands in the nearest loo. It's very effective; no wonder they use them so widely in Spain. At the front there is a pair of ear-rings that I treated myself to at the MAWS Craft centre where Lay Family Yarn are based. I bought a pair last year, different ones of course, but I always had a little niggle that said I might have preferred the ones I bought this time around. Actually to be truthful I'd have preferred the style of the ones I bought this time around but in green, and in fact that was what I went looking for. However I had a brief  a chat with the owner of the business and apparently she's currently unable to source green pearls. So I bought the blue ones instead, which will probably be more useful given that I wear a lot more blue than green.

On our way from the cottage in Wales to the place we were staying for the retreat the OH suddenly said, 'Do you know, I think we're near that great cross stitch place we went to last year'. How he knew I had no idea since we'd been driving for miles past interminable green fields with green hedge edging which all looked the same , and neither of us remembered what it was called so he can't have looked it up in advance. (The Nimble Thimble if anyone needs to know the name of a fabulous cross stitch supplies shop with good prices on DMC threads and the best selection of american cross stitch charts you will see outside the US.) That partly explains the cross stitch kit; it's not actually cross stitch but a counted thread band sampler. I have two others in the same series, one is even finished, framed and hanging on a wall in the house ( wonders, never, cease etc) and as I felt a bit obliged to buy something this was a good choice. Or will be if my eyesight is spared long enough for me to get round to stitching it. 

Finally there's a basic weaving kit. This was bought in a wool shop in Conwy which had been recommended by a friend . I'd had a look at their website and thought well, I could treat myself  to some Lykke needles since they are stockists, and also get one of these little weaving kits and give it a try. Fortunately or otherwise, they did not have Lykke needles in the sizes and length I wanted so that saved me a bit. And despite the owners best efforts at 'if you buy one of those weaving kits you can have another at half price' I restricted myself to one. To be honest, it wasn't hard. 

Lest you be wondering where the OH was in this orgy of self indulgence he bought himself some boring track stuff for his railway and  a set of lovely little trucks for it too. 

Oops, I dropped a clanger!

 Yes we're back and I'll be chronicling our adventures (and shopping - mainly mine but not quite all) over the course of the next few days. But first I must own up to a mistake in my post about the  May books which was pointed out to me by an eagle eyed reader ( thanks, real and not sarcastic, C!)

As she pointed out I had put a photo of Curtain Up at the top of the post and then referred to the book as Ballet Shoes. Sorry for any  confusion my wool gathering may have caused; it was definitely Curtain Up that I read in May. Not nearly as good as I remember Ballet Shoes to have been tbh.

Anyway I'm madly catching up with post-holiday chores this morning so that I can watch Wimbledon guilt free this afternoon, but just wanted to set the record straight before starting on more interesting posts over the next few days. 

(Sort of ) Happy Mail

 

This arrived today. It's the self striping sock club yarn for June and it's very nice. A bit on the bright side for me, but we all know I have close relatives who love  a bright sock. 

Its arrival was timely, as we are off tomorrow for ten days and as it is here  I will be able to take it away with me and work on it while I'm gone. 

We are going to North Wales for a week, which will be lovely if the weather is good and slightly problematic if it isn't; after that I am repeating the Lay Family Yarn weekend dyeing retreat that I did last year. Still very undecided about the  inspiration image for colours but I'm sure I'll make my mind up before I get there. Possibly. 

June has been a lousy ( or good depending on your point of view) month for stash enhancement already and the retreat will only make things worse ( or better, again depending on POV) as I will come away with a 100g skein that I dye myself plus a bunch of 10g minis; numbers dependent on how many participants there are as we each get a mini of everyone else's effort, plus of course  whatever I let myself be beguiled into buying from their shop. Ah well.

Onhte bright side I'll be taking several straightforward projects away with me to knit on at the retreat as we don't spend two full days slaving over hot dye pans so the hope is to get a few grams worked up while I sit and chat. And there will still be one or two June days left when we get back to use up a bit more. 

Hey, it is what it is. Obviously no blog posts while I'm away but there should be lots to blog about when I get back. Readers concerned about The Cat Cosimo will be pleased to hear that Son No 2 is taking up residence to look after him and keep him company while we are away.

A bientot! 

May Books

 

Not quite sure how I only managed eight books in May, but there it is. I would say My List Cannot Lie, except that it can if I forget to record things, but that said, it doesn't apply here, I just didn't read very much. 

I was going to say, let's get the dross out of the way first but a lot of what I read in May wasn't all that good. I did drag myself through the final two Norfolk books by J M Dalglish that I had on my Audible bundle. As before, competent plots, no characterisation and flat writing. For completion's sake, the titles were Hear No Evil and The Dead Call. I retain very little memory of either. To be fair that could be down to my age. Equally it could just be boredom with the books.

Surprisingly they were not the worst books I read this month as the U3A crime fiction book was When the Needle Drops by Colin McIntyre. This was universally reviled by the group with no-one having a good word to say about it, and several members giving up part way through. Mr McIntyre is apparently descended from the great Gaelic poet, Duncan ban McIntyre so the vague rumbling noise I heard all the while I was reading was doubtless Duncan ban turning in his grave. Normally when I don't like a book I am meticulous about saying 'don't necessarily believe me, if you think you might like it, give it a go and make up your own mind' but in this instance I'm going to come right out and say reading or trying to read this would be a waste of your precious time. 

It wouldn't be  a reading month if I didn't have some J D Kirk on the list, in this instance I read two; In Service of Death and A Snowball's Chance in Hell. To complete the crime roster there was Caro Ramsay's The Red Red Snow, which was a great listen, full of characters you wanted to either cheer or slap and an excellent plot twist that tied up two seemingly unconnected murders. Caro Ramsay is appearing at Bloody Scotland this year so that's one talk I'll be booking for. 

I picked up a book at the library called A Party in San Niccolo, purely because it was set in Florence and not realising it was a thriller type thing. It was very readable , lots of detail about life in Florence - the bits where real people live rather than the touristy places; lots of credible characters, some sympathetic and some not. If I have a criticism, and obviously I do, it was too long. A bit of judicious editing wouldn't have gone amiss. I did love one tiny detail; the heroine, who is staying with a friend in Florence recovering from a 'minor nervous breakdown' talking on the phone to her husband who has been left in charge of their three children while she is away. 'Everything is fine' he assures her, 'I get  the children to school on time every morning , I do their packed lunches, the only thing is, there'll be quite  a lot of washing for you to do when you get back as I don't have the time to figure out how the washing machine works'. Bless! I was rooting for her to stay in Florence with a rather nice man she met there. Spoiler - she didn't.  

And finally as an antidote to all things criminal there was Noel Streatfield's Ballet Shoes. This was just a tad too 'children's book' sadly; I loved Streatfield's books when I was young but reading this as an adult doesn't have quite the same magic. Also I saw too late that it had been 'edited' which presumably explained the rather abrupt ending and some of the more surprising 'swerves' in the narrative. 

I am trying to get away from a diet of unrelieved crime, but it's proving a struggle!