Gretchen Ronnevik

Yarn Along

Book Reviews, knitting

I’m still working on Nicholas and Alexandra, a history of the fall of the Romanov dynasty in Russia.  I’m about half way through, and honestly I’m moving at a snail’s pace.  It’s not the book; it’s me.  I just haven’t devoted much time to it at a time as I should, but I’m really enjoying it.  I wish I would have been taking notes from the beginning.  Knut almost always has a notepad by whatever he’s reading and takes tedious notes.  You should have seen the notes he had last time he read the “Lord of the Rings” series.

I find myself thinking to myself several times, “Now who is that again?  Was he a revolutionary, or an imperialist?”  The main reason for this is I’m not familiar with Russian names and sometimes they all blend together in my brain.  I should have taken notes.  I’m not going to now, anyway.  I’ll just keep plugging along.  Just don’t test me on the names.

It’s kind of neat, though, because Silje’s history this last week had us reading and illustrated story of Peter the Great, the tsar of Russia who forced Russia away from the “backwards” Eastern ways, and dragged his country over to the “modern” Western ideals.  He forced his noblemen to build western style houses at their own expense.  He cut off their beards, and taxed anyone who dared to grow one.  He traveled Europe, and was the first tsar to do so.  My book had talked a bit about Peter the Great, another Romanov of the past, and it was fun to read the children’s story of him near the same time.

My knitting was a bit all over the place this last week, but it’s settled down now.  I was working on a lace shawl, but I did not like how the lace border was turning out.  So I put the project on the back burner as I look through my stitch dictionaries as time allows in the future, to see what lace I should use instead.
I’m still working on the Little Pearl Vest for my niece, whose birthday is coming up in May.  I’m nearly done, and then I need to make one more tiny Little Pearl as a sample for my local yarn shop.  Then I may take a break from that pattern for a little bit. 
Since I don’t always like doing colorwork, I cast on a solid pattern so I always have something to grab on the go.  This is one of my designs moving out of the sketch book, as it’s been waiting there a few months.  It’s a little capelet/cowl in a Japanese lace design.  I’m calling it “Tsu.” (Pronounced “Sue”)  When thinking of a name, I thought back to my Japanese (exchange student) friends from high school.  There was one girl named “Tsubasa” and she had the cutest clothes ever, and let me borrow them sometimes.  I loved how they fit me, and realized that someday if I went to Japan, I might actually find clothes that fit people like me there!  
The pattern will be available for other sizes as well.  I’ve had this yarn (Misty Alpaca worsted) for about 2 years and it did not work for the project I had first intended to use it with.  I’m so glad to take this lovely yarn out of my stash and put it to good use.  This pattern may require another skein, but I’m pretty sure the yarn store still has that dye lot there.
I’ve been a good girl, and following my daily pattern writing “chores” in order to get the Ginger Cardigan pattern off to the tech editor before the quilting retreat this weekend.  I’ve allotted about an hour’s worth of work each evening with milestones to reach each night.  I’m working on the “grading” right now, and it should be finished Wednesday night.  Although it’s not difficult to knit up, writing this pattern is more complex than I’ve ever done before, mostly because it’s my first adult sized sweater.  I feel like I’m writing in a different language.  It really uses a part of my brain rarely awakened.  There’s several pages of this gobbledygook.  Doesn’t it look that way?  (For those of you who look at that closely, don’t mind my blank number spots filled in with “;oasidfj'” random spacers until I get all the numbers filled in.  I do that so I don’t forget to fill in any numbers when they’re all computed.)
I wasn’t planning on finishing it so soon, but last week I put the pictures of the finished product on my Ravelry page, and wouldn’t you  know, people started sharing it, and I started getting emails from strangers saying “I can’t WAIT for the pattern to come out!”, and one that made me laugh, “Is there anything I can do to help you speed along the release of  this pattern?  I really want this pattern, like yesterday.”  The response pretty much lit a fire under me to get this done ASAP.  So far, everything is on schedule.  I’ve even given myself a few evening wiggle room in case of family “emergency.”‘  You know, ’cause Netflix is delivering a new movie here today, and Knut may “steal” some of my evening time.
 Yarnin’ Along with Ginny.

Comments

  1. In the book..How to Read a Book, it states to take notes while you read, something I have found myself wish I had started at the beginning of books too. Often I spend more time flipping back to make sense of something half way through the book.
    I didn’t email, but am very excited to see your pattern.
    Happy yarn along day.

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  2. Both the Little Pearl Vest and the cardigan look great! Isn’t it amazing how much time it takes to write up a pattern? I think it a whole new skill to learn.

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  3. I’ve never thought of making notes while reading before, but some books have difficult/strangely similar names and I do often need to go back and check who it is they’re talking about… Interesting idea!

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  4. I more often than not decide to read through a book without taking notes. I don’t like to stop and write stuff down 🙂 But, I do tend to bookmark pages to come back to. Of course, if I were trying to keep names straight…that wouldn’t really help me too much.

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  5. I don’t usually take notes on books, either–which is probably why a couple weeks after I finish something—I can tell you whether I liked it or not, and that’s about it! A friend gave me a tiny little “reading list” book(books I’ve read: a reading journal) that has just a page to jot quick ideas…My interest/Ideas expressed/Message/Plot; favorite characters/quotes–and who you loaned the book to….it’s really quite concise. I’m getting (slightly) better!
    I can’t wait for the cardi pattern, too!!! It’s lovely. So much work, but how gratifying to find your creation loved by so many!!!!

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  6. I’ve never thought about taking notes while reading but that’s a great idea!

    Especially for those times when I have to do a review in exchange for an advanced reader’s copy.

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  8. You are very busy! I can’t imagine trying to write a pattern…yet. I’m still in the learning stages of knitting. All look wonderful – does the Little Pearl pattern include the stranded patterning as an option or it straight stockinette in that area and left up to the knitter?

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  9. I’ve had many “wish I had taken notes” moments too…especially now when I’m more apt to set a book down for quite awhile in between reads. Can’t wait until the Ginger pattern is available…it’s gorgeous!

    Reply

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