Knitting, Books and Heeland Coos!

Knitting: I have the body and one sleeve of Forecast done. In other word, one sleeve and the button bands to go. It has been a very quick knit so far - I wonder if I can finish it before the end of February? My plan was to finish it before we head off to Poland, so I'm well on my way to meeting that target. My knitting group has a crochet-focus meet-up planned, though and I was one of the bright ones suggesting it, but I really should get around to finish my cardigan. Also? Do I really feel like chaining up a crochet project when my fingers are itching to cast on for Frances.. decisions. Books: I got quite a few book vouchers for my birthday and they had been burning a hole in my purse since .. well, last Wednesday! So yesterday I had a 'little' shopping expedition to Borders. I came away with:

• Anne Donovan: Being Emily. Donovan is a local writer - so local that she lives just down the street - and I really enjoyed her Buddha Da.
• Junot Diaz: The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao. It has been very well-received but in a manner which made me suspect I'd actually enjoy it. I've already begun reading it and, ten pages in, I'm not disappointed.
• Ross Raisin: God's Own Country. Okay, I admit I was swayed by the cover and the fact that I rarely get to read books set in Yorkshire's sheep-herding communities. Shhh.
• Michel Faber: Under the Skin. I haven't read any Faber although friends tell me to read The Crimson Petal and the White. I thought a sinister little book might be a better introduction than a big, sprawling Victorian-esque caper. I like sinister books.
• Michael Chabon: The Yiddish Policemen's Union. After having read the wonderful Kavalier and Clay, both Other Half and I were keen to explore Chabon's oeuvre. I have been warned that this is less engaging but seeing as a friend of mine apparently inspired a bit character, who am I to resist?
• Robin Melanson: Knitting New Mittens and Gloves. Ahem, well.. I have been circling this book for quite some time now. Grumperina has quite a few pictures of various patterns up. I can see myself making a lot of these mittens in the future.

Today: David and I went to the Burrell Collection to see a British Museum travelling exhibition on Ancient Greece. How do I say this politely? Uhm, having previously lived in a city which boasts The Carlsberg Glyptotek, I was fairly underwhelmed. Fortunately we met this little guy in the pastures outside and he cheered us up (although David proceeded by getting lost in the park and I had to wait 40 minutes at the entrance before he made his way out. And he used to be a boy scout!):

Question For Today

So, knitting can delay memory loss! That is great news. But, I wonder, can knitting also stop my migraine from getting worse? The answer is no, sadly.

Uggggh (says the bloggerista/knitterina who promptly heads for a silent, dark room).

Things I Have Learned

In the past week I have learned that:

1. The majority of my friends here in the UK are either bloggers who knit or knitters who blog. I had a really nice birthday lunch the other day and counted just three non-knitters (although all three are bloggers). Interesting.
2. I really, really like edamame and it could very easily turn into an obsession (except my stomach aches today).
3. My taste in books has become somewhat predictable. I finished reading Andrew Crumey's Sputnik Caledonia and thought it "freaking amazing" (yes, I've lost my critical vocabulary). I searched the net for reviews and came across The Guardian's review. It thought the book read like a cross between Alasdair Gray's Lanark and Jonathan Coe's What a Carve Up!. Those two novels happen to be two of my absolute favourite contemporary novels.. whoopsie.
4. Sweden belongs to a parallel universe. How else can I account for the fact that I've met two Swedish women this past week - one of whom is me in another universe (she has long red hair; I don't) and the other a parallel universe version of my bestest friend back in Denmark (she has tattoos; bestest friend doesn't)? Very, very strange .. and fun.
5. The world is a scary place. This past week has seen big smackdown drama on everybody's favourite knitting forum and me wising up to the fact that Twilight fans of a certain age enjoy making felted wombs (and the wombs apparently sparkle when you open them up!). You get nutters everywhere - especially among amateur goldfish enthusiasts, I've reliably been told - but who would have thought crafters could be that .. well, special?
6. And who knew that foxes love playing on trampolines? I didn't but it makes life a little bit better.

I'm off to a hospital appointment this afternoon but hopefully I'll be able to join my knitting group tonight. I have yarn to show off and an almost completed cardigan (I swear: Forecast (rav link) has been the quickest project ever).

It's also nice to have ttime and energy to blog once more.

What She Came For

A note to Cail Bruich: when you advertise gravad lax with salad and rye bread, do not serve sour-dough bread. It is not the same. Also, consider serving the sour-dough rye bread with a smidgen of butter. Just saying. Ah, I am nursing a post-birthday hangover (although not due to any alcohol consumption - perish the thought! - just general enthusiasm). So many of you have sent me birthday greetings - thank you so, so much - and I will make sure to get back to each and every one of you. It might take a few days, but you'll get a personal thank you.

However, someone is having a very special birthday today! Happy birthday, Charles!

Still So Young To Travel So Far; Old Enough To Know Who You Are

I have always wanted to cut a Virginia Woolf-esque figure. Tall and graceful with a certain Bloomsbury bookish air. Sadly I am much too silly, disorganised and plump to ever fool anyone. Except my boyfriend seems to totally buy into this dream, bless him.

For my birthday he has given me a 1920s knitting project bag. The embroidery is ever so fine - done in wool on jute (I think) - and the bag is lined with fine linen. It is absolutely gorgeous in the most perfect early twentieth century Bloomsbury intelligensia way. It's possibly the best present I have ever been given.

He also gave me a needle-felted scarf in black, orange and sky-blue. Needle-felted!

I've been given an absolute tonne of wool by friends and family: Drops Silke-Tweed in creme and mustard; Kauni Effektgarn in a red-burgundy colourway; 2-ply wool in deep indigo-purple and grey, Sandness Sisu in green and red, worsted merino  in a stunning dark fuchsia and a full cone of orange 2ply alpaca. Not to mention all the Rowan Felted Tweed I need for Flyte.I don't think I'll ever need to go wool-shopping again.

And people have also given me perfume, jewellery stationery, book vouchers and books! And the sun's out! Aww..

A huge thank you to everyone who's been part of making this one of the nicest birthdays I've had in a long time.

For This I Am Thankful

“His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their latter end, upon all the living and the dead.”

It is snowing outside (again!) and I am reminded of James Joyce's wonderful short story "The Dead" (found in Dubliners and made into a beautiful film by John Huston). Even if you are the sort who shudder at the thought of James Joyce, give "The Dead" a chance. It is exquisite - and also the snowiest story I can imagine (something which may sound nonsensical but if you read it, you'll understand).

Earlier this week I was given my first birthday present. I do not write much about what it was like moving from Denmark to Scotland - but it was an uneasy transition and I found it somewhat difficult to build up a new network of friends. So, when I was given an unexpected birthday present by my Glasgow circle of friends, this act of friendship felt particularly poignant. The present? All the wool I need to make Flyte. It feels slightly overwhelming, if in a good way.

(Related: I am trying to find buttons for my Forecast cardigan (which is knitting up nicely, hence much radio silence). I went to John Lewis and discovered that ten buttons would cost me almost as much as all the wool for the cardi. That's not an option. I have looked at Textile Garden, eBay, Etsy, Bedecked, Pavi Yarns and Ribbon Moon. Any other places I should look?)

Finally, I have found yet another t-shirt I feel I should own, I pity this poor dog (although I'm also slightly amused by the Poodle Ninja Turtle-Leonardoodle), and I'm keeping a close eye on Academic Earth in case anything fun turns up. And, of course, CityPoem Copenhagen..