Poetry and Flakes Monday...

Poetry... Sometimes you can find poetry in the simplest statement. I give you Jung... "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." Carl Jung Swiss psychologist (1875 - 1961) As the weather warms the flakes continue... And the "Woman on the Edge of Time" Projects becomes larger... Happy Monday!

WK 9 Stash Update:

This weekend I plan on reading a lot, drinking lots of green tea (I actually after years of not getting a cold have a cold!) and start my March Project Specturm project. And now onto the stash... I have hit yarn fasting zen. We had a free day on Valentines Day and the fasting zen master that I am did not purchase. I feel that I should have no problem making it for another 4 weeks. And now for the update... ... I have begun making flakes for a snowflake afghan. ...Once again I was gifted. People in blogland can be so nice. ...Five more squares for my WTW project Want to see how others are using their stash? Click here.

Booked by Friday...

Driver's Seat : If you read nothing else this year read this novel. It is shocking!! I have never heard of Spark before but I am so happy I was introduced to her this semester. It is a story of murder and we know who will be murdered from the first chapter, but we do not know how or why. When I finished this novel I closed the book and said... “Wow...” there was nothing else I could say about it, truly it is shocking and it leaves you in such a way that you feel like you have to immediately return the beginning and read again to see if you missed any of the pieces of this puzzling story. Do I recommend it? Yes, although murder is involved it is surprisingly not graphic, I believe that is due to the detached voice of the narrator.


The Postman Always Rings Twice : Warning this novel is graphic. There is some violence in this novel which really bothered me at times, but besides that I could not help but like the book. There is nothing in this novel that is fat, truly every part of the novel leads to the story. It is a fantastic example of a well written story. When reading this novel it is fun to categorize all the twos. Do I recommend it? Yes, but pleased be warned there is violence in the novel but it is necessary to show the raw relationships people have.


Blind Owl : WARNING this novel is extremely dark with seriously disturbing content. A young man chronicles his mental downfall after finding out his wife is unfaithful and drives him so insane he kills her. This book was disturbing and left me feeling gloomy. It is difficult to follow because our narrator is in and out of drug induced hallucinations. Do I recommend it? Not really. I had to read it for class and when I was done with it I really did not want to look at it again.


The Complete Stories : Kafka is wonderful, but I have been biased for some time. People often read “The Metamorphosis” and fall in love with Kafka. For me it was “The Hunger Artist,” which is eight pages about a man whose only talent is to fast. He loves fasting so much that he sells himself off to a circus because his previous employer would only let him fast for 40 days. After 40 days people would loose interest in his fasting. At the circus he is placed in a cage near all the other animals and allowed to fast as long desires. One day people walk by his cage and ask the circus manager why it is empty. The manager picks up a stick at pokes at the hay, our fasting artist, with his last breath tells the manager that he was wrong , fasting was not that great, he only did it after awhile because he never found anything he liked to eat. He dies and they replace him with a youthful and hungry panther. How could one not like Kafka! The irony, the distance of the narrator but the draw of the story. Kafka is the master and father of psychofiction. Do I recommend it? Yes!! And particularly the complete stories volume which includes his parables.

Dom Casmurro :Funny! Although it is a novel of adultery it is so lighthearted and the actual story (husband's best friend may or may not have slept with best friend's and thus conceived a child who somehow looks very much like the best friend) is of little importance to the sheer fun you can have with this book. The narrator tells you from the first page that he is only writing this story to practice for his great novel "The history of Suburbia." He is constantly interjecting with little comments on the process of writing. He also ends the story when he runs out of paper, not necessarily when the novel is over. Do I recommend it? Absolutely, it is funny and an interesting comment on the process of writing.


The Good Soldier :My favorite novel I have read so far this month. John Dowell sincerely wants to tell his reader what he considers the saddest story he has ever heard but he wants to make sure he tells you in the way he would have come upon the knowledge. The result: a psychologically organized novel. He starts to tell you of the relationship he and his wife had and then the relationship that they developed with the Ashburnham's. Long story short everyone except John Dowell and Leonora Asburnham are having affairs and eventually die (I am not spoiling anything here because in part one you find out about everyone who dies...lots of deaths in this novel but them seem of little consequence and are not at all dramatic because John (our narrator )is so removed from the story). The prose reads a lot like Hemmingway. Do I recommend it? Absolutely, it is beautifully written and I had such sympathy for John throughout the novel, he really draws you in and you cannot help but want to be on his side. If you read this novel come back and let me know if you think John is a reliable or unreliable narrator. Traditionally Ford's Novel is considered as the perfect example of an unreliable narrator, I do not belief he is unreliable but in fact is incredibly reliable and the psychological organization of the book tends to trick the reader into thinking that he is hiding information from the reader.

Next Friday: Burton's Who Whould Have Thought It?, Proust's Swann's Way, Proust's Time Regained

Square Thursday...

It is the time of the week, time for squares.... Sorry if it has become boring looking at squares but it has been the only thing I finish lately. This weekend I have to prepare a 15 minute presentation on the novel Who Would Have Thought it? and write a five page paper. No big deal but I also have to read for Modern Novel Proust's Swann's Way and Time Regained! Now if you have not read those novels yet let me just say they are larger then some dictionaries! I really look forward to reading Proust though, it will be my first experience with old Marcel. Okay now on to the squares.... This week I have made 5 squares. One is 14 inches and the others are 7 inches. The two with white borders are for the KTC blanket. I tried to make some flowers in the squares but they came out a little funny, still I think they will add some character to the blanket. They were crocheted with a US H hook and I am not sure of the yarn it came from the WTW stash. The 14 inch one is a yellow stash square and the other too (although it is difficult to tell from this picture are shades of blue and grey for a "Blues" blanket. Someday soon I will count my squares to see just how many I have. Happy Crafting! Want to see more squares? Check out my Past Thursdays.

I should go to the post office more often...

If I did I would have found these gifts sooner... My husband bought me a mug with my Zen banner from my blog for Valentines Day. It is an awesome looking mug. Karen over at Musings of a Mostly Self Taught Knitter sent me two balls of Knit Picks Parade in the color Checkers and some candy which did not make it into this picture (it was eaten for lunch before the camera could get to it). All for participating in her Show Your FO KAL. She is awesome! Thanks Karen!!

Poetry and Flakes...

Poetry... February: Love/Affection Friendship I think awhile of Love, and while I think, Love is to me a world, Sole meat and sweetest drink, And close connecting link Tween heaven and earth. I only know it is, not how or why, My greatest happiness; However hard I try, Not if I were to die, Can I explain. I fain would ask my friend how it can be, But when the time arrives, Then Love is more lovely Than anything to me, And so I'm dumb. For if the truth were known, Love cannot speak, But only thinks and does; Though surely out 'twill leak Without the help of Greek, Or any tongue. A man may love the truth and practise it, Beauty he may admire, And goodness not omit, As much as may befit To reverence. But only when these three together meet, As they always incline, And make one soul the seat, And favorite retreat, Of loveliness; When under kindred shape, like loves and hates And a kindred nature, Proclaim us to be mates, Exposed to equal fates Eternally; And each may other help, and service do, Drawing Love's bands more tight, Service he ne'er shall rue While one and one make two, And two are one; In such case only doth man fully prove Fully as man can do, What power there is in Love His inmost soul to move Resistlessly. ______ Two sturdy oaks I mean, which side by side, Withstand the winter's storm, And spite of wind and tide, Grow up the meadow's pride, For both are strong Above they barely touch, but undermined Down to their deepest source, Admiring you shall find Their roots are intertwined Insep'rably. ~Henry David Thoreau I love Thoreau! I have been contemplating what my thesis topic should be so I can start to research and I am down to two genres...transcendental literature and magical realism. I have to admit I am seriously leaning towards the transcendentalists this month, but I still have time to think it over (my personal deadline is by June 1, 2006). My favorite part of Friendship are the last two stanzas. I love the image of roots being intertwined. I think I love that part so much because it reminds me of my husband and I , we both stand strong on our own but one can rarely find us without the other. I was asked by some classmates recently to join them for a drink after class and I actually told them, "I cannot possibly go out without my husband, it would be like going out without clothes." I know we are total cheeseballs... Flakes... Above is my first snowflake. It is pretty, but I am not sure it really looks like a snowflake. Either way I was inspired by the snowflake afghan that I decided I wanted to make my own, but instead of following the pattern directly I thought I would just make flakes and then put them into squares or hexagons so at the end I have a blanket of random flakes. This project just might take all year but I envision a pretty blanket in the end.

WK 8 Stash Update:

Week eight already! I have to admit this challenge has been a little easy for me. I have spent most of my time reading since class started and not too much time craving yarn, although I have to confess last night I was looking at yarn on the Knit Picks site, but I did not buy any. My silly husband looked at my screen and tells me.. “Amanda, dear I think you have a problem.” I looked up at him and told him.. “Oh sweetheart I am not that bad.” and smiled sweetly. What a silly husband! Okay now on to the update... ...who needs to buy yarn when people gift you with some. My KTC Valentines Book Swap Buddy Alice enhanced my sock yarn stash , she is awesome! ...I finished my Square Dance Socks! ...I finished 4 more squares for my WTW project and almost used all the yellow in my stash! All in all a productive week! Want to see how others are using their stash? Click here.

Booked by Friday

February has been such a fantastic month for reading! Last month I told myself that I would try to write about the books I had read for the month, but that was last month when the reading was okay...this month I am thinking that I will have to update more often because each week is really a reading adventure for me. So I am thinking that each Friday (or maybe every other Friday, but definitely on Friday) I will write about the books I have read for the week. This Friday however (I just realized it is Friday) I will not do a write up because I have to get working on two papers I have do next week, but next week look for write ups on... 1. The Driver's Seat 2. The Postman Always Rings Twice 3. The Blind Owl 4. Some of the short Stories of Kafka 5. The Good Solider 6. Dom Casmuro 7. Who Would Have Thought It? (yes I really read all those books to date! I am working on finishing the Good Solider, Dom Casmuro and Who Would Have Thought it? now, I am such a reading machine this semester, I wish I had even more time to read the KTC books quicker!) If you read as much as I do and you would also like to share your thoughts on the books you have read please feel free to snag my button and comment here with your link so I (and others) can check out what you recommend. And of course if you are itching for some group reading check out Knit the Classics.

Square Thursday...

I have discovered that squares are the perfect project for one who spends most of her day with her nose in a book. They are quick and some you do not even need to look at so you can knit/crochet them while reading! Multitasking at its finest! Anyhow here are my squares this Thursday... All are knitted this week and all but the half finished one are 7x7 (the unfinished one will be 14 x14). I think I might have one more 14 x14 and all the yellow in my stash will be knitted/crocheted! The purple one is made from a little ball that I had left over from making my crochet ankle socks. No squares this week for the KTC blanket, but I should have some next Thursday... Want to see more squares? Check out my Past Thursdays.

Soxy Lady

Today while I was finishing up my square dance socks my husband and I were listening to talk radio and I looked over and noticed he was watching me, I told him "I like making socks." and he said, "Yeah, you are a soxy lady." I love my husband... So here are my knit picks socks in the color "square dance." The are made on US 0 DPNs just knitted in round, the only part of the sock that was not knitted was the heal which I turned with a D hook. They are a little longer in the ankle then "Rumba" but they are still ankle socks and the only took one 253 yards/50 grams ball. My other socks in 2006: crochet ankle socks, Rumba. Happy Valentines Day everyone....

Spoiled...

My husband and I cannot stand surprises, or keep them. Today I met my husband after class and he gave me my gifts for Valentines Day, he just could not wait... Hubby got me a new memory card with 1GB for my camera, I did not realize this before but I only had 8MG memory card before! My camera must be so dated! In addition to my 1 GB my hubby got me these little fruit cups which are pretty good they are sweet but not too sweet. Thanks so much hubby dear!! And in addition to being spoiled by my husband my KTC book swap buddy totally wowed me.... She sent me Like Water for Chocolate, Book Darts, addi turbo needles size US 1, directions for toe up socks, a wonderful note, a little notebook, 2 balls of Fortissima colori sock yarn in a fantastic color, and a bar of Ghirardelli chocolate and a bar of Lindt Dark Chocolate "Intense Orange". Not to mention she went out and found a ton of sock knitting links for me. Thanks so much Alice! Oh and what is really neat is that Alice has been to my neck of the woods before (her parents have a place nearby ours) , it is a small world after all!

D: Dog

Click to get a better view Feb 12, 2006 for the first time we saw two coyotes in our yard. We have heard them before but have never seen them. There were two full grown coyotes who did run when Maverick barked at them. I do not worry about Maverick too much because he is not outside by himself, hardly ever, but I do worry about some of the other dogs around the neighborhood. Many people up here in the mountains let their dogs run around all day and night by themselves. Our postman lost a puppy Saint Bernard to a pack of coyotes a couple of years ago so we will make sure to keep Maverick close at all times. The worst thing about coyotes in my opinion is how well they blend into the landscape, unlike the bear we had this summer who stood out very well these guys you can barely see... More about Coyotes. I am glad we have Maverick he seems to pick up on them quick and his bark will still get them to runaway. My goof is a hero... For more Maverick pictures click here.

WK 7 Stash Update

I asked Maverick to model my first square dance sock and he does not seem to get the concept of how one is supposed to wear socks. What a goof! Okay now on to the Week 7 Stash update (can you believe I have made it 7 weeks without enhancing my stash!!) ...I finally finished my tote! ...I have 10 squares made so far for my WTW blanket project ...One square for the Knit the Classics blanket done ...One "square dance" sock done Want to see how others are using their stash? Click here.

Squares of week...

These are squares that will be used for blankets to be donated to WTW. I have 6 5 inch squares (all yellow from stash that needed to be moved off the shelf when hubby surprised me with dancing), and 3 more yellow squares 3 inch. All are single crochet (I really like single crochet). The one with the white border is the first square from the 63 squares book. It is a tannish color in Caron simply soft, single crochet. I plan on making all 63 squares but I am not sure they will end up in the same blanket. The white border squares will be for the Knit the Classics Blanket, which will be made from squares donated from members of Knit the Classics. How fantastic is that group! Okay I am off to make some more squares... Happy Crafty Weekend everyone!

Squares and flakes...

First of all let me say thank you to those who had such nice things to say about my Tote! I had such a fun time making it, but I am not sure I will make another one any time soon, because sewing by hand is a lot of work! But I love the way it came out and it is completely worth it and I am so very pleased with how great it came out for my very first sewing project. Okay now on to the squares and flakes. I think I already mentioned that this year I want to make 23 blankets for WTW . ( I already have a blanket and a scarf for 2006 and my goal is 25 things for charity each year, hence the 23 blankets). Anyway one of the easiest way to make blankets is to make squares and sew them together (at least I think so). I have no idea how many squares I will need to make 23 blankets (full size not baby blankets) but I have a feeling that this year I will be spending a lot of time making squares. 4 inch, 5 inch, 7 inch, 12 inch all sizes, tons of different colors hopefully 23 blankets. With all this in mind I declare this the "Year of the Square!" Not an along really but if you plan on making a lot of squares this year you are more then welcome to take this button (saved to your own server of course) and give it a home at your place and of course come on by and share your squares with me, knitted, crochet, how ever you make they are all welcome! I plan on getting my weekly square up on Thursdays so if you have any you would like to share come on by on Thursday and leave a link to your great squares in the comments section. To see some of my squares from 2005 and squares for 2006 check out my Square Album. (its home will be in the sidebar in my project photo albums section) And now for the flakes... I have to admit even though I have not made too many crochet projects yet this year I am getting better with my hook so when I saw the Snowflake Monday ring I thought I should join up and challenge myself to make some flakes, plus I think if I really want to see snow before the winter is over I have to create my own! Plus I saw this blanket on Julie's Site and I really love it I could see it making a great Christmas gift this year for someone not to mention an awesome blanket to cuddle up with on the coach. Happy Crafting everyone! PS...I have read some great book this week, at the end of the month I will have so much to tell you about the books I read (if the rest of the month reads like this week there are going to be some must reads at the end of this month). Just to get a head start, I really think a lot of you would love "The Driver's Seat" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice." I will tell you all about them at the end of the month...

Tote!

I finally finished my tote! It was originally supposed to have a zipper at the top but I broke the zipper trying to sew it in. It was all sewn by hand and cost approximately 2.00 dollars. Here is a look at the inside. I put lace on fabric left over from the tote to make handles and I used my 30 cent fabric as a liner. Want to see more totes check out these.

WK 6 Stash Updates

For my Red Hot socks I decided to soften Red Heart Berries (it spent a day soaking in Downy then washed now it is as soft as woolease). And I will also make a pair of knitted socks in Knit Picks Dancing yarn called "Square Dance" no pattern decisions made yet. I plan on making 23 blankets this year for WTW and the best way for me is to just start making squares. So in addition to being a sock fool in 2006 I am going to be a square fool. I am also trying to narrow down a project for my Woman on the Edge of Time project for Knit the Classics.

FO Friday...

Remember my lonely legwarmer? It has meet its mate! These legwarmers were made from one skein of woolease navy fleck on US 5 circulars in a basic rib stitch. The are nice and warm and soft so it is like you do not even know you are wearing them. I finished them just in time because today, finally, we are getting snow! Want to see others who have FOs this week? Click here. See my other FO this week here Want to see other projects made with one skein? Click here Want to see other legwarmers? Click here

Slient Poetry Reading

Cordially invited by Grace's Poppies (found it over at affinitty)... Meeting and Passing As I went down the hill along the wall There was a gate I had leaned at for the view And had just turned from when I first saw you As you came up the hill. We met. But all We did that day was mingle great and small Footprints in summer dust as if we drew The figure of our being less that two But more than one as yet. Your parasol Pointed the decimal off with one deep thrust. And all the time we talked you seemed to see Something down there to smile at in the dust. (Oh, it was without prejudice to me!) Afterward I went past what you had passed Before we met and you what I had passed. Robert Frost page PS...Knitting to come tomorrow....