More Reading than Knitting
Every mid-summer I seem to go through a knitting lag. It seems like it will always be hot and dusty, and the weather will never be cool enough to wear wool socks or sweaters. I have finished the first sleeve on my Nubby Cardigan, and I’m half way up the left front, but I’ve got ennui like Mayhem. However, I can always turn to my first love: reading.
First, I know some of my readers have Celiac’s Disease or know people who do. The August issue of Scientific American has an excellent article on the most recent research into the causes of CD, and new avenues for medication. The online the article doesn’t have the great figures that Scientific American is known for, but the text is all there. I think most libraries carry SA.
Second, I can be found on LibraryThing and on Goodreads. If you are at either, come by and friend me! I have M’s and my complete library (except for one bookcase–the ennnui thing) on LibraryThing, so I use it as a big catalog of our entire library. However, I find certain things awkward on LT, although the ability to use a barcode scanner to entire books is a real plus, that I don’t use it for keeping track of my current reading. For that I use Goodreads. I have always kept track of what I’ve read each year from birthday to birthday, so only the books I’ve read this past year are on Goodreads on shelf 45. On my next birthday, I’ll start a shelf 46. I’m really behind on the number of books I’ve read so far this “year.” But I’ve been doing a lot of reading that isn’t a complete book. For example I have a lot of sock knitting books, which I don’t read cover to cover:
However, perusing them lately I’ve realized that I haven’t knit a single pair of socks from some of them! I plan on redressing that issue. So, I sit by my sock yarn stash paging through the patterns and looking for the right sock yarn. Hopefully, as soon as I recover from my ennui, I’ll get more socks knit from these books.
I also have some yarn that I just can’t seem to find the right sweater pattern for, so I’ve gotten out these books and am studying the chapters on sweater fit and design.
Any other suggestion of other books on this topic, are welcome. However, I don’t need more sock books at this time!
Finally, I’ve been paging through these books for the perfect recipes:
The Spice Cookbook is my favorite. My mom has a copy that she received as a wedding gift back in 1962. I kept emailing for more recipes from that book, so she and my brother found me a used copy online and gave it to me for my birthday a few years ago. Cookies may seem a simple thing to bake, but they’re my favorite sweet, and I like to bake the tastiest cookies possible.
So, what do you like to read? Do you have summer knitting ennui? A favorite sweet or cookie? Take a second to leave a comment.
I know how that summer knitting lack business goes. 🙂
Alas, GoodReads just seems like one too many things, so I’m pretty focused on LibraryThing.
I *almost* bought the Martha Stewart “Cookie” book yesterday. I have no cookbooks dedicated to cookies – if I wanted to just buy one, which one would you recommend?
I’m so glad you’re on Goodreads! I’ve been considering using LibraryThing as well – for the cataloging that I’ve been doing on Goodreads. I’d already decided to remove the knitting books that are essentially just patterns and LibraryThing would provide the means to do what I want to do.
I’m not using any online book resource… I know I get sucked into things too easily, so I just don’t join 🙂 I’ve been reading the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield. It’s teen fiction, which makes for a fast read. But I bought a book about Henry II to counterbalance my teen series, and I’ll probably start it next.
I have most of the sock books you show here, and I haven’t knit socks from many of them, either! There’s so many choices nowdays… maybe I should stop buying sock books.
HIGHLY recommend Barbara Walker’s Knitting From the Top. Everything you need to know to custom-fit a sweater!
Knitting, books & cookies. Life doesn’t get a hell of a lot better than that. Enjoy.
Barbara Walker’s Knitting From the Top is fabulous. I spy a few sock books I don’t have! I’m trying not to buy more knitting books until I’ve knit more things FROM currently owned knitting books.
I really like GoodReads, I’ve just started utilizing it more.
Yum, cookies. My best-friend-from-kindergarden-who’s-birthday-is-the-day-before-mine has requested the cookies I used to make in HS, what we called COP cookies. Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter. Mmmmm. If I do say so myself. 😉
I just got MS’s Cupcakes book from the library, and looked through it on the bus ride home. I think the people in the aisles were drooling a little bit. Her photography staff is amazing…
Brenda- I’ve had a highly productive summer, knitting-wise- which is odd, isn’t it?
But I do read, and presently am re-reading Rosamund Pilcher- such great brain candy.
I highly recommend Lisa Lloyd’s “A Fine Fleece”- the only knitting book I have purchased in the last year.
I like Robert Sapolsky’s books. I am a bit biased as my Ph.D. is in neuroscience, but I really think his writing style is entertaining as well as informative. I would highly recommend A Primate’s Memoir. I know I’m in the minority, but I prefer nonfiction. I also like cookbooks. One of my favorites is (don’t laugh) called “Help, My Apartment Has a Kitchen.” It has some easy basic recipes for a couple people or larger groups.