Eye Strain

I forgot to mention how the "Improve My Mind Through Reading" project was going.

Very well actually. I'm currently working through Jane Austen's novels - so far I've read Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility and Emma, and I've just started Northanger Abbey. I must admit, so far I'm not enjoying Northanger Abbey as much. It's too self-aware - the "this is a novel that I am writing. See? You are reading a novel!" thing is niggling me a bit. I'm glad I didn't read this one first. My literary criticism is mind-boggling, is it not? :-) I also got Pride and Prejudice on DVD, as it's probably my favourite and also it has Colin Firth soaking wet which is never a hardship.

On Emma, I still think that Emma Woodhouse needs a damn good slapping. I thought that when I caught some of the recent adaptation on TV. I really think Mr. Knightley must have the patience of a saint. I know that's the idea, but aargh. At least she comes to her senses somewhat.

The only downside to all this Austen is that the language is rubbing off a bit. I have to be careful not to start talking like one of her characters and calling people "Good sir" and being terribly polite.

So all in all, successful so far. I can't believe it has taken me this long to read Jane Austen. I'll probably start on the Brontë sisters next. Although Ange has lent me some Christopher Brookmyre novels so I need to have a look at those too. Maybe as an antidote to all the good manners and fainting ladies :-)

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Muddying the Waters

Well we had a leak on the water main apparently. This involved someone with a digger making a big hole and me having no water for the day.

When it got switched back on again, it looked like this:



Dude. Chewy.

Anyway it fortunately seems to have recovered today somewhat, which is good as the plumber stated I shouldn't use the shower (in case it clogs) or flush the loo too much, and to watch for things flooding in case the silt jams up an important plumbing bit.

Great. I just love my life sometimes.

So in the midst of all this (the plumber was also "fixing" the range - this involved bunging goop in the hole in the wall and slapping fire cement everywhere...don't get me started) I decided that I was going out. So I went up to Largs to hit the secondhand bookshop and maybe get a coffee in Nardini's.

I never got my coffee, as I went to the bookshop first and this happened:



as well as this:



which I realised was all far to heavy to lug around the shops. So I schlepped it all back to the car, then couldn't be bothered to walk back into town :-)

Imbolc
Today (or yesterday, depending on your calendar and preference!) is Imbolc, so in honour of Brìde I had the candles lit (one of which was scented which I think is what's given me this horrible headache):



and did some ritual sweeping out of the cobwebs ready for Spring. I also had a poke in the garden (and a bit of a clear up) and noted that yes, there are signs of life out there. Subtle, but the climbing hydrangea has new buds, the montbretia is putting on new shoots and so is the fennel. Hooray.

Knitting
I've done some.

In fact, I have finished my Woven Woods vest, and I've even sewn the button on. I just haven't taken pictures yet. I know, my bad. Next is to sort out the Ravelympics project and try and finish the weaving.

Now I'm going to go drink tea, nurse my headache and ponder where on EARTH I am going to put all of those lovely books.

~*~

Fed Up on a Sunday

I realised this evening that I am fed up. I'm sure it's a passing phase mind, but just for tonight I am In A Funk. This is because I have things that need finishing which are getting on my wick. I have weaving to do:



but the warp is giving me FITS and I'm not enjoying it much. It's a 10/1 linen warp doubled, which is a bit like fishing line, and I cannot keep it tensioned evenly. One end will be twanging like a guitar string whilst another is sagging sadly. Grrrr. It's supposed to be a rug - the weft is a rough aran wool that I dyed an eternity ago, which is too scratchy for much else. I'll keep ploughing on with it, but it's a "bit-at-a-time" job otherwise I'll take scissors to it :-)

I have plying to do - I spun up some leftover raw Jacob, carded with some BFL, trilobal nylon and a few odds and ends. It was not great fun to spin, and the plying is killing me. I'm using a cone of very very fine "Kash / Seta" (whatever that is) which I had off a car boot sale. It's lovely soft stuff, but it's full of breaks and snaps as soon as look at it. You can't even pull it straight off the cone, you need to unwind it carefully. Aaargh. I'm about halfway. I keep doing a bit more of it but it's nearly as frustrating as the weaving.

I did do some successful spinning though -



This is the single, it's now plied up with another similar bobbin. Handcarded, hand-dyed merino, commercial merino top, some yarn snippets and metallic sparkly bits. I'm slowly piling up the handspun, and I'm going to knit myself a luridly stripy sweater with it. Oh yes.

A note on the hand-dyed merino. I bought 500g of "merino", expecting nice rovings or top. In fact I got what I can only assume are the leftovers from combing, smooshed up into a sort-of roving. The staple is about an inch. If it's merino, I'll eat it. Disappointing. Always check your fibre when you have the chance folks!

Full Moon



Pretty huh? I was fetching in the washing when I spotted it.

The Job Situation
Still sucks ass. Nowt much to report. I'm trying, but I'm not getting very far at the moment. I might end up completely re-doing my CV AGAIN. Only downside is as I use OpenOffice, the formatting seems to go off a bit when you view in Word. Maybe I'll try saving in .RTF format instead. I re-did it on the advice of an HR person, but I'm starting to think she didn't know her backside from her elbow. I have seen a part-time job just up the road, but I'm torn. I could do with the money, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot for taking a full-time position. Dilemma. I think I might leave it. See how I feel in the morning!

Improving My Mind
Just recently I realised there are an awful lot of classic books I have never read. I have never read Jane Austen for example (I KNOW, I'll surrender my Female Card at the door)so I've been polling the lovely people of the Completely Pointless group on Ravelry for suggestions.

I've now got a list of about 200 books. Eep.

Tomorrow I hit the charity shops in Largs :-)

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Reading Matter

I am a Reader. Not in the academic sense, but in the sense of someone who seems to be genetically wired to read Everything. Put a cereal box or a wine bottle on the table, and I'll read it. Road signs, adverts, hoardings, magazines in waiting rooms, papers left on the train, I'm there. I almost always have something to read while I'm eating (living alone has its advantages) whether it be the Ravelry forums, something from my novel collection or a knitting book. I have a fairly ridiculously large library (1000+ books on LibraryThing, and I don't think that's all of them)and no intention of pruning it. I have seen numerous people de-cluttering and de-junking and downsizing, making their lives more Zen and reducing their possessions, but for me if you took my books away it would be like cutting my head off. You may as well try to part me from my stash.


(this isn't all of them. Maybe 20%.)

You see, the thing is, it's genetic. My mother got me reading when I was, what? 18 months old? I have no idea. I was very young, in fact I can't even remember learning to read. My mum always has a book on the go. She has read her way through the local library so many times she's stopped going now. My parents had to extend the house to make space for all her books. No kidding. So there was really no hope for me :-) She instilled a love of good science fiction and the belief that the money spent buying a book is never wasted. She also introduced me to the joys of the charity shop and the second-hand bookshop :-) where of course, your book money goes so much further. In return I have hunted books down on the internet for her, and squirrelled out oddball selections from the second-hand shelves. We have often shared our libraries, though I think she still has some of mine on her shelves :-) She has not managed to get me to love Catherine Cookson though, and I cannot get her to like Douglas Adams, Tolkien or Iain Banks. Horses for courses I suppose...

All this brings me to today's bargain. I had to make a trip to the Post Office and fetch supplies. Handily enough, the Ayrshire Cancer Care second-hand bookshop is in between the Post Office and the Co-Op :-)

Now, to explain. I just finished "The Honourable Schoolboy" by John Le Carré. It's the only one of his I've actually read, and I really enjoyed it. (I love me a good spy thriller.) However, I have never read any of the prequels, never seen the films, so to be honest I only have a vague idea of what was going on :-) I decided while I was in the bookshop, that I ought to have a look and see what else they had of his. I have a couple on my shelves already, but, well, look what I came back with:



Yes, I seem to have ended up with two copies of "The Tailor of Panama". Oops. Got a bit carried away. Never mind, at 80p I think I can stand it. Now I need to make a list and scour the other shops to see what else I can drop on. I wonder how long that lot will keep me going for?

I also dropped on an absolute gem. You will like this. A wee book on weaving, and...



Alice Starmore. Oh yes. A lot less than I paid for the last one I dug out of a second-hand shop - "Scandinavian Knitting" cost me over £20. This one was £1.50 :-)

I have also been knitting, but I will show you those later. Now I need to go research John Le Carré...

~*~