Saturday 13th January

Books

I am currently reading tooo many books again. I finished Gaudy Night, but I  have replaced it with several more

Stone and Sky by MerrynGlover is a Christmas book 'Stone and Sky', set in Shetland,  from a friend. It is very intriguing, and still in the 'setting up the storylines' phase, with hints to the future story, all because of what happened - what happened? It's a bit 'wait and see' - in the past. I'm finding the switching between people and time interesting rather than annoying in a different book unlike The Stranding which is the book club choice. What is the difference in the writing to cause that?

 I'm also dipping in and out of an ancient paperback by Jilly Cooper called 'The Common Years'. It's an informal diary / collection of observations from walking her irrepressible and out-of-control red setter on Putney Common from 1972 until 1983. Hilarious. 

Finally 'The Plowmen's Clock, Alison Uttley is another 'dip in and out' book; a collection of beautifully written reminiscences of rural Derbyshire in the early years of last the century.

Nigel Slater's 'Christmas Chronicles' still have entries for January.  10th January was all about marmalade....

Then there are several already queued on the tbr pile. Oh dear!

Knitting needles

And yet another set of 6.5mm circulars!  

No seriously,  although this is an extravagance, it is also a useful extravagance. I have like using these needles tor the ongoing mitred square blanket 

I'm knitting with dk yarn on 4.5mm needles in garter stitch, and it feels about right for texture and 'squish'. It's the sort of thing I can add a bit to when I want some really mindless knitting. It's not very portable, but lovely and warm to drape over my lap in this cold weather while I click along.

So, as I was still finding the straight 6.5mm bamboo needles I was using for the shawl I recklessly purchased some 6.5mm circulars from the same manufacturer as those blue needles. 

I find circulars are great for knitting flat pieces; you never ever drop or loose the other needle when you reach the end of the row. This w-i-p is the poncho using the yarn I was given as a Christmas present. I plan to use it as a warm wrap for when I am reading in bed.

Piano Playalong

Inspired by mystery 'knit-a-longs' and 'crochet-a-longs' I have started a mystery 'play-a-long' for a few piano students. The idea is that I send just a short extract of a piano piece each week, so by Easter they will have learned to play the whole thing without stress or pressure.  

I kind of shot myself in the foot by accidentally sending the whole piece in week 1; they all squeaked and backed away saying it looked Far Too Difficult! Well, I  agree, page 2 does look terrifying at first, second and even third glance, but at the pace I was planning to go they would have found it surprisingly easy. 

Luckily the real week 1 extract has reassured them somewhat and they are ready to give it a go. Week 2 is easy too... and week 3.... then comes week 4! It will be fine!