Yarn Along

 

So it didn’t really feel like I worked a lot on this sweater, but as I counted the motifs, I realized that I got 4 1/2 rows of flowers completed and this week I’ll likely finish the back portion and move onto the other arm.  The arm is done in the round, so super fast!  Yeah!  Once the other arm is done the fair isle portion of the sweater is done and I expect it will go very quickly after that so you won’t have to endure seeing it for too many more Yarn Along posts.

Silje and I just finished reading The Apprentice together.  I must say, it is one of those books you cannot judge by it’s cover!  We both really enjoyed it!  As we’re moving into the Renaissance period in school, here’s a story about a painting apprentice who is bound to his master.  Not only did we learn about the apprenticeship process, and it was a really good mystery, but there was some amazingly deep thoughts in there about freedom, and what that is exactly.  Various characters throughout the book talk about their freedom or lack thereof.

What I loved most about this book was the natural discussion that Silje and I had afterward.  Normally when we talk about the book, I check her for basic comprehension.  Did she understand the facts, who was who, what happened, etc.  This time, we discussed the theme of freedom.

“Freedom isn’t about your circumstances, or your wealth, or even your position…(more thoughts that would be a terrible spoiler to those who want to read it)…  It’s about the peace in your heart.” is how Silje explained it to me.  It was my FIRST EVER literary discussion with Silje and this Lit. major wants to mark it on the calender.  As we discussed how this played out with each character…the apprentice, the boy kidnapped, the duke’s daughter, I just wanted to pinch myself.

I was actually planning to read this for the first time alongside Silje, but after she went up to bed on several occasions, I would read ahead because I just had to find out what happened.  (Knut sat next to me, tsk tsking.  He knows I have very little self control when it comes to books.)

In a nutshell, I’d recommend it.  Sonlight’s booklist is still knocking me over.