What a difference a bath makes!

I know I shouldn't be surprised... but I still am, every time I finish washing and blocking a piece of knitwear, to see how my lumpy stitches are suddenly even and flat. I don't have a good picture of mittens to fully show this off, but it's true.

What I've been reading

I never remember to do monthly book reports, but having just finished off a pile of novels this seemed like the right moment.

Romance: I've been working my way through Christine Feehan's "Dark" series as they become available on E-reader.
Dark Legend: I really enjoyed this one. I also couldn't foresee a happy ending for the couple, which ratcheted up the tension very nicely.
Dark Guardian: Pretty good. I really liked the heroine and the hero was less of a jerk than the average Carpathian male.
Dark Challenge: OK, not memorable.
Dark Gold: I thought it was the weakest of the lot. Dear heavens, the hero was so irritating!

Mysteries: I'm slowly working my way through Ruth Rendell's backlist as I turn them up in the library.
Some Lie and Some Die: while this is set so long ago as to almost qualify as historical fiction, it was a well-told story that kept me guessing almost up to the final pages.
Death Notes: a strange case of mistaken identity and possible murder. I didn't enjoy this one as much as I have most of her others, probably because most of the book seemed so unfocused.

Fantasy/Science Fiction:
Shadow of the Scorpion by Neal Asher: a prequel to his previous novels about Ian Cormac. Really good, although having read most of the later books I predicted the ending far too early. I would only recommend this to people who like their SF very bloody.
The Skinner by Neal Asher: technically I'm rereading this, but since I didn't remember 7/8 of the plot I feel justified in counting it. Probably Asher's best work (IMHO). The characters are more varied and interesting than in his other work, and plot hangs together nicely. Once again, I would only recommend this to those who like their SF extremely bloody.
Servant of the Underworld by Aliette de Bodard: a murder mystery set among the Aztecs of the late 15th century. While it made an irritating number of references to the novella that precedes it, the plot hung together beautifully and I can't wait to read the sequel.
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson: a gorgeous stand-alone fantasy. Gods, princesses, mysterious historical figures returned to the current day, revenge, magic, and devious politics. I can't recommend this one highly enough!

FO: Selbu Mittens

Selbu Mittens, finally finished!



Needles: size 3
Yarn: Heritage 150 Solids by Cascade
Modifications: I slightly modified the back of the thumb because it left white bumps on the side when I was decreasing... so I ended the pattern just before the decreases began.

Report: Oh my gosh I did it! Hardest pattern I've ever done. It looks gorgeous and the recipient is thrilled with the mittens.

Mawata

I'm a huge fan of The Yarn Harlot (Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, for the three people in the knitting world who haven't already heard of her.) A couple days ago she posted about making silk mittens straight from the mawata, without spinning.

Today she posted again, including a very nice set of basic directions.

I'm so tempted...

I'm late for St. Brigid's poetry recitation

but I love this idea, even thought it's fallen by the wayside in most parts of the world.

Some table talk, at lunch, of memory,
the anecdotal hypnotist who could
unlock the nursery. Not babyhood
occurred to me, but two weeks buried by

the next five years. That's when I should have made
poems each extraordinary day,
and I could read them now and brush away
the dust accrued over a half-decade,

and I'd remember everything we said
when we thought we were saying everything.
We did, I guess, what everybody does,
if I were better at remembering.
Sometimes I wonder who I thought I was,
And who on earth I thought was in my bed.

- Marilyn Hacker, from the Regents Park Sonnets

Cool stuff I notice on line

Somebody has a made up a color chart for dying with KoolAid.

Recently, an article on Ravelry described how to graft seed stitch. (I really need to practice this in scrap yarn so that I can fully wrap my mind around everything.)

I somehow missed the posting of the Winter Knitty. I only loved two patterns in it, but oh how I love them: Joanie and Palisander.

Vegan Chocolate Truffle Pie. I must try this.

I'm sure I had more things in mind when I started this post, but now I can't remember them...

Ten on Tuesday: 10 things on your bedside table

Short answer: NOTHING! (Mu ha ha ha....) I don't have a bedside table, just a bedside window sill.

Long answer: on the window sill I have
1) a box of tissues
2) a Chapstick
3) a Vapo-Rub inhaler
4) my Sony E-Reader
5) my Droid, which doubles as my alarm clock

That's it!

If you want to talk about the things near the bed, we have
6) an excellent reading lamp
7) a humidifier
8) the last three or four books I was reading (I think that would be Geist, 60 Quick Knits, Asian Dumplings, and Warbreaker but I'm writing this from work so I can't just pop upstairs and check...)
9 and 10) see above