Book: "Spoiled"

The main characters in these short stores are spoiled upper class women who are always aware of class differences.  These distinctions cause them problems.  One character is disturbed when she finds her cleaning lady at a bistro she had planned to make her regular haunt.  Another has an awkward situation develop with the nanny.  This book is enjoyable and I recommend it to those who like this type of fiction.

Book: "This Is Where I Leave You"

Another comic dysfunctional family book.  In this one, the children of a recently deceased atheist father are surprised to learn that before dying he requested the family sit shiva for him.  Judd, the main character, has recently discovered that his wife is having an affair with his Rush Limbaugh-like boss.  He joins Wendy, his sister, who is largely ignored by her workaholic husband, and two brothers at the family home for the shiva.  Paul is married to a woman desperate to have a baby while Phil can quote pop culture references all day, but has no marketable skills. This family has no secrets from each other, and they use the intimate details of their siblings' lives as weapons against each other.  Very funny and enjoyable.

My rating:  **** (out of 5)

Finished Object: Drops Jacket

Pattern:  Drops Jacket
Yarn:  Brown Sheep, Lambs Pride Bulky

This was a quick and enjoyable knit.  My only problem is that it flares out in the back, so I'm considering sewing a chain in the back to weight it down.   Now I just have to figure out where to buy such a chain.

Fiber in the Forest

Yesterday I returned from a 3-day knitting retreat in Holland organized by Trish.  It was loads of fun.  There were about 20 women attending and they came from as far away as Idaho.  It was great to see the work other knitters do and to pick up a few tips from them.  I learned a new technique for fair isle knitting that should make that process less painful.  I also got lots of my own knitting done, completing the pieces for my Drops Jacket.  They've been blocked and I'll try to get it assembled this week.

On Friday we visited a local sheep farm and an alpaca farm.   On Saturday we went on a shop hop to 6 local yarn shops.  There were tons of prizes and I was lucky enough to win one of the big prizes - a hand-made wooden swift from Hornshaw Wood Works.  I also won some beautiful handspun yarn and a skein of Elizabeth Lavold Silky Wool.

Oh, and there was plenty of delicious food and snacks.  I'm so glad I went!

Bird Deterrent

For the last couple of weeks, the co-homeowner and I have been hearing the  sound of a woodpecker pounding holes in the siding near our bedroom window.  When we yell at him (and it is a him according to our bird book) he leaves, but he's managed to create 2 significant holes, the largest of which is about 2 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches deep.  A little research showed that woodpeckers can be deterred by shiny objects, especially if they're blowing in the wind.  I decided to make a zero cost bird deterrent out of an unused aluminum roasting pan, some twine, and short nails.  Hope it works!

Book: "A Happy Marriage"

Author Rafael Yglesias dropped out of high school to complete his first acclaimed autobiographical novel, married a woman named Margaret who died some twenty years later of cancer, had two sons, lives in Greenwich Village, and writes novels and screenplays. All of these facts are also true of character Enrique Sabas. The book mostly alternates between chapters describing the courtship and marriage of Enrique and Margaret and chapters describing the last few weeks of her life.

One of the reviews I read online criticized the book for focusing on Enrique rather than Margaret, and that's true. However, I found the book moving and satisfying.

My rating: **** (out of 5)

Finished Object: Career Tracks Cardigan

Pattern: Career Tracks by Jean Frost

Yarn: Jo Sharp Luxury 8-Ply DK

This is my first sweater knit side to side (except for the sleeves) and I'm very happy with the result. I'm particularly happy with how well it fits.