Eye Candy.....Saturday?

Ok, well Friday night got away from me a bit, so here is a belated EC pic - I can't remember if I posted this on our other blog at some point, but I love it so here tis again (I thought I would give you a break from Italy pics - but no promises for next week!).

Funghi! Who doesn't love it? Cool colours, textures, all sorts of stuff. Not quite spring pics, but maybe next time...

Secret Pal Surprise!

Look look look! Secret pal goodies already!

A lovely parcel arrived today from my secret pal, with lots of lovely things...chocolate, handmade soap, bamboo dpns, sock yarn and an Estonian mitten book! Wow! Thanks Secret Pal - you are the best! And so very prompt! Here are gloating pictures for you all - sorry, but there is absolutely no sun today, so inside pics with flash. The one above of the yarn is somewhat more representative - they aren't very sparkly at all, despite what the last picture tries to tell you.

The mitten book is amazing! So many great patterns and ideas...and i could do with some mittens today, let me tell you! So much for spring.

Knitting Tourists in Italy

well, despite much knitting going on, alot of it is gift knitting, thanks to Secret Pal 10 and an upcoming visit home to Australia, so no photos as yet. i think i will probably try and do some close-up, not too revealing shots given that there are many things in the knitting pipeline and more than one thing on the needles at this time (a big thing for me!) But after May there will be many things to say, I promise!

So, on knitting related topics, here is a precis of my experiences of finding knitting shops in Venice, Florence & Bologna...

Venice: well, I saw at least 3, and two nearer to Piazza le Roma. Unfortunately due to my incredible disorientation in this city I could never reliably find them, and somehow they were always closed when we went by (the whole siesta thing I think), but they looked very functional in a way that most of the other shops didn't - I guess most of Venice is aimed at tourists, but obviously tourists don't knit! Italian and German yarn in the windows. So if in Venice, keep your eye open and a pen in your bag to mark your map!

Florence: Nada. We walked this city well, but no yarn shops in sight. On the northern side of Piazza Republica, where all the schmanzy shops are, there are some amazing tailors shops with amazing arrays of fabric - I kept meaning to take pictures but never quite got there.

Bologna: we didn't have much time, and it rained hard every minute we were there, but we were staying outside the city ring road, over the train lines from the station. If you keep going up that street (I think it has Giacomo in the name, anyway it is parallel but one main street west of Stalingrado) there is a HUGE yarn shop. Massive. It is local, not tourista, so it is open in the mornings, then from 3.30 to 7.30pm. The guys that run it are great, but speak absolutely no English. They have more stock than anyone I have ever seen. It was astonishing. Much of it is cotton, which of course has great clear gemlike colours, but lots of very interesting stuff. A bit of a treasure hunt of a shop. If you want better directions I can give them to you. I was unbelievably restrained, mostly because I was sick and just wanted to lie down! But I regret it now...they had an amazing grass green yarn...oh well!

In terms of fashion, obviously the italians have molto style. But few hand knits in the shops - what there was though, was spectacular (though expensive!). Gorgeous edible colours (think chocolate, coffee, caramel), mostly cardigans or wrap style, interesting textures, waist-high belts - bellissimo.

Holiday Book Reviews

Well, a few reads to talk about from the holiday/pre-holiday period.

Right before the holiday I was reading Philip Roth's The Human Stain. Another charity shop buy, I bought it because I had read some Roth many years ago and enjoyed it. Once I started reading it I realised that the film had been made recently (I haven't seen it though - I just recall the ads). In brief, it was ok. I am always a bit ambivalent about Roth - lovely prose, enjoyable reading, but it always feels a bit like he is trying to beat me with his message. It also felt very 'constructed' - I was always aware of the writerliness of the book. But a good read. Also, I quite like the cover design. Powells has a synopsis & some brief reviews.

Next up - Sarah Waters' Dickensian 'Fingersmith' (note: this link gives away the plot, which you probably don't want to know if you are going to read this). This was my holiday read, although it didn't last the whole holiday! Mostly due to delays at the airport I think, but also as it was a good yarn. It is clever, without telling you that it is clever. It is also constructed, but in a 'readerly' rather than a 'writerly' way (I don't know if this makes sense, but thats what I think!). It is not a great novel, but it is good. The prose isn't particularly wonderful, but it is period-focused without being a hinderance to reading. The plot is the gem of the book, and really this is a great story at heart. I won't say more than that, for fear of spoiling things, but it is an ideal holdiay read. The limited cast means you can pick it up and put it down regularly without losing who is who. I reckon if you were visiting London, it would be an ideal travel companion! Simon read most of it, and despite his usual verdict ('needs a good edit' - and I tend to agree in this case), he did like the story aspect. I don't think he has finished it, and he probably won't, but not bad for him. The Guardian review is here, plus the Powells synopsis & brief reviews. You can check out the author's website here.

Finally, the end of our holiday coincided with a cold snap in Europe, and two days of heavy rain. We gave up a bit on the last day in Florence - it was Monday, the galleries were mostly closed, we had walked for days on end, and it was cold & nasty. We found a foreign language bookstore, bought Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms (again, plot giveaway warning here), a bottle of wine, some cheese & hid out in our hotel room for a few hours. Great stuff.

I read a fair bit of Hemingway when I was 16 and 17 years old. I loved it, but I don't think I got it. This is my first Hemingway in years, and a concession to Simon who declares it the only fiction that he rates. In reality, this was bought for him, but I finished my other book, & couldn't find anything I wanted to pay ridiculous prices for, so I got to read it first! This is spectacular. I don't know why I haven't got back into Hemingway earlier - he is everything I love in a writer. The writing is sparse, clear, and you can see that each sentence has purpose. The writing is pared down to the essence. The story is great - there is no great moral, no metaphore, no mucking around, just a story to read if you wish to do so. There is no compromise to the reader - this feels almost voyeuristic, as though you are intruding on the narrator. Amazing. Watch out for the end. I'm not going to add links for reviews & stuff - check it out with a search if you like, there are millions of people having millions of things to say about this book. My suggestion - just read it and decide for yourself.

So, three very different books. I highly recommend the Hemingway, and this has got me back on the boil for his work.

One of my goals for this year was to get started on a longer term goal of reading more Russian literature, particularly more modern russian stuff. I recently re-read Bulgakov's Master & Margarita, and read Heart of a Dog. Even in the educated city I live in, it is hard to get hold of these things or find somewhere to browse a collection, so if anyone has any recommendations, I would love to hear them!

Return to Rainy England

Well, we have had a great week away in Italy. I ate so so much food, and rediscovered my love of Italian cuisine. We were very lucky with the weather early on, but did encounter rain and cold at the end. We did manage to get some good snaps - I have put a few on here (consider them to be early ECF fodder!) plus there are more on our other website. Enjoy!

New Stuff

Look! A picture of the dreaded/beloved vest. I have worn it twice now, and I have to say it is super cosy. But it does look ok. It is a little bigger than I wanted so maybe I will take the side seams in a little. Who knows. Sorry the picture isn't on - maybe another day. I still love the colour though (it is a bit better than it looks here - more green)!

And look! New yarn! Mmmmmm, Debby Bliss Cashmerino comes in such great colours! I went to the yarn shop to buy some extras for a little project I am knitting (sorry, gift knitting so you will have to wait!) - they didn't have what I wanted but they did have these! What great colours - I'm not a huge fan of pink but this colour is just so rich. The picture doesn't do their glossy depths justice.

ECF 5

Spring Spring Spring! Yay!

I Loved What I Loved

I recently finished re-reading (for the second time) 'What I Loved' by Siri Hustvedt. This book was a charity shop buy that I think I chose because I knew that Hustvedt was married to Paul Auster, and given that I like Auster, and presumably she does too, I thought this might be an interesting read. I don't know why I think that just because somebody is married to someone whose writing I like would be worth reading, but that is what I thought. And I stand by my random decision. This book is astonishing.

I started reading it with my 'light reading' head on - I think the cover & quotes signal that this book is a less intellectual read than it is. The book itself is also deceptive - this is not a linear narrative in a traditional sense. While time moves linearly, the focus of the novel does not. Characters remain present, even in death, but what is important changes. This novel feels real - it feels like a real life. When people die, it is not at a convenient time. When they love, it is not always at a convenient time. Children are not perfect. Friends are not always there. Happy endings are for other books.

The novel tackles some extraordinary creative issues, to do with art, poetry, writing, and creativity. Hustvedt's descriptions of the visual art are particularly evocative - I feel that I would like to seek out the main character's exhibitions. But I think the most interesting part of this novel is one of the most extraordinary, accurate and heart-wrending descriptions of a personality disorder. Hustvedt cleverly, without appearing to be 'terribly clever' allows one of her characters to discuss and dissect the role of personality and disorders of personality throughout recent psychopathological history. The associations are not always intuitive, and I would disagree with some, but they are definatley interesting and provide a fantastic counterpoint to the general pathologising of the normal spectrum of personality that is currently in vogue in the United States. The character of Mark is one of the best examples of personality disorder that I know in fictionalised literature; without exaggeration, without fantasising, without sensationalising the disorder, Hustvedt allows us to experience the pain, frustration and hopelessness of working or living with people with severe personality disorders.

This book is a fantastic read for many reasons - if you like subtly intellectual books, if you are interested in art, if you are interested in psychopathology and culture, if you enjoy beautifully written contemporary fiction, if you are sick of reading about lives that are too neat and work out too easily. This is one of the best books about love that I have ever read. Basically, I would recommend it to almost anyone. Just make sure you have your tissues with you at all times.

For more reviews, try The Observer, the New York Times, or the Guardian. Or this one, which is less glowing.

Baby Fever

With a new niece/nephew on the way, plus some friends in the baby way, baby stuff seems to be on my mind...I have decided to knit a baby blanket for the new family member, as they live in the hottest of hot hot deserts in Australia (think an average of 45 degrees C in summer!) and so woollen clothes are not really an option. But everyone needs blankets, even just for snuggling. So blanket it is - I will keep you up to date. So far the only decision is green & cream Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.
But in my blog-reading time, I keep finding ever cuter baby stuff! So here are a few things that I just have to share - Mum, these are especially for you!
Baby Shedir: this is just too cute! It is a baby-ised version of the adult Shedir from Knitty, which is also gorgeous.
More baby versions of adult knits.. the Cardigan for Merry, which Amy has beautifully re-designed from Kate Gilbert's A Cardigan for Arwen, which is divine (and on my list!).
Also, I looked at this from Hello Yarns and thought 'pah!', but then had to look twice (and thrice!) thanks to Brooklyn Tweed, who made a kickarse version (see his blog dated 13th Feb).
Also, just to feel inspired and humble, check out his February Baby Sweater (blog date 19 Feb) - the man is a Knit God. I want his Urban Aran Cardigan too. Hmmmmm. Lots of knitting to do.

On a different topic - food! Made Caramelised Onion & Parsnip soup on Friday - it is great! Great! Simon liked it and he doesn't even like parsnip. So basically, just slow cook some onions & garlic in a little olive oil & brown sugar - a heavy pan helps with this. After a while, chuck in some chopped parsnip & a cup of white wine. Let this cook with the lid on, then top up with stock & puree once cooked. I reckon you could leave the wine & use stock from the start, then stir in a little sherry at the end...? Is very very good.
Just put a batch of preserved lemon in the cupboard, cause we are about to finish off the last of the previous batch, to have with some whole trout tonight...mmmmm. But right now there are Anzacs to bake!
I really should go for a run.

Not so great socks

Behold....not very nice socks!

Pattern: Hellchick's Toe Up sock pattern

Yarn: Regia 4 ply Jaquard (colourway 5175), bought in Bad Gastein, Austria, far too hastily - I liked the colours but didn't look at the little picture on the back that showed what pattern it would knit up into. In fact, it is interesting how much harder buying yarn in German is.

Needles: 2.75mm aluminium dpns.

I really don't like these much - I think the colours are lovely (this pic has them about right, they are quite muted and wintery), but I don't like the pattern. Fun to knit up, but not for me. Interestingly, I decided to rib the legs and I like this much better - breaking the pattern up into more random looking stripes suits me better!

These are my first toe-up socks, and there are bits I love about this way of knitting socks, and bits that are just no good.

First the good bits -

I love this toe! I did a crochet cast on, and knit two rows either side to start with, and I love how there are no seams or knots or anything around my toes! It is so so comfy, and I don't feel like my toes are going to poke out through the sides. The decreases are nice & neat, and the whole thing works. Also, it is super handy to be able to knit without a pattern - just knitting to fit my foot worked heaps better, and these socks fit (unlike my other socks!). They are great.

No good bits -

a first short-row heel, and it is not pretty. I don't think I fully understood the double-wrap thing, and ended up with reasonable holes, leading up to a giant hole (which I have fixed in some sort of fashion). You can still see the smaller holes here. They are ok - nothing to worry about too much, but I much prefer the heel-flap method - looks so much tidier. I have done a bit more research and found a number of ways to try & tidy up short-row heels, and it seems that this problem is not limited to me, so I will probably try again one day. The only other thing I don't like is casting off around the calf - the cast on is much more comfy than having a slightly tighter cast off - although I cast off pretty loose. Anyway, I think I can live with them, and I would really only wear them around the house or under boots anyway.

But I think that from now on it will be solid or striped sock yarn for me. Interestingly, Simon is even slightly interesting in having a pair now...he will just have to wait for the next projects to finish! Am going to swatch for Anemoi mitten gauge today - wish me luck!

Eye Candy Friday (4)

How I love hyacinths....

so many small, waxy flowers

with that beautiful darker stripe down the centre of each petal...

and those glorious green swords of leaves...

and our house smells like heaven

new stuff...

Here is the yarn that Simon's mum sent me for Christmas - sorry about the drab background, but it was snowing the day I tried to take the pic and the light was terrible! The colour is about right though....

As you can see it is Paton's Jet wool & alpaca blend.

Also, a non-knitting craft finished object or two...new cushion covers! The ones in the house we are renting were a bit nasty, and while these are not to my normal taste, they do suit the house & the curtains - and they are kind of velour-ey and cuddly! Not brilliantly made but sufficient for a house that we are not putting heaps of effort into. You can't see the backs as I have to go & buy buttons on the weekend to fasten them! But the fronts look ok.

Also - another craft! Wood splitting! great for the stress release! Although it is a great shot of the nasty end of the garden! That junk isn't all ours I promise!!

Baudolino

Well, I have had a bit of a reading binge in the last few weeks. I finished John Berendt's 'The City of Falling Angels' the other week, which was interesting. Not interesting in terms of content - although probably made more interesting by the fact that we are off to Venice in a few weeks, but interesting in terms of how it reads.

Basically, it is a journal-style view of Venice, documenting a period of time when Berendt was living there. But it feels like a cheap, gossipy view. It is very 'high life' - these are not people you are ever going to meet, nor are you likely to see many of the buildings (at least from the inside). Probably this is just a personal dislike of style thing - nothing actually wrong with teh book, but I would have preferred more about Venice & its history and less of the bitchy gossip of who did what to whom.

Then I had two days without a new book! Gasp! I read some journal articles instead, which I guess is probably good.

Then after a quick trip to the local second-hand book shop, got my hands on a copy of Umberto Eco's 'Baudolino'. I had bought a hard-cover copy of this for my mum a few years ago, as she really liked Name of the Rose (like me), but never got round to reading it. I am glad in a way that I waited as this was a great book to wallow in and take time over. It is much more 'readable' than NotR, with notably fewer sections in languages other than English! There is also a lovely aspect of the 'newness' of English. Even better, however, was reading this having previously read Mandeville's Travels (also known as the Travels of Sir John Mandeville) . I would say that if you are going to read Baudolino, read Mandeville near to it (before, during, after - shouldn't matter much), it really gave alot of it a more honest resonance. I think it would be pretty easy to label much of the book as odd or fantastic, without the knowledge that people were told and believed much of it in the 1300's. According to Wikipedia, Christopher COlumbus had a copy of Mandeville's Travels on his boat as a reference book! The book is like the original Lonely Planet for travellers to the east, except it was even less factual than good old LP (think unicorns, men with only one foot that they hop on and use as an umbrella, phoenixs, anthropophagi (men with no heads but mouths on their stomachs) and all sorts of wonderful stuff (there are some prints at this museum of hoaxes site). A must read in itself, but irresistable when read with Baudolino. Highly, highly recommended, this book rocks. Eco at some of his most accessible and fun!

For more info & reviews see Wikipedia , Powells , and Reviews of Books.

Unfortunately, finishing this once again leaves me bookless. Time for some re-reading I think.

Eye Candy Friday (3)

Wall Garden.

Vestations

Terrible title. Sorry.
Well, just an update on the dreaded vest. I ended up removing the ribbing around the neckline (almost all of it anyway) & basting it on where it looked good, then sewing back on & voila! It is fixed. So much panic for naught. The stitching isn't as neat as the basting makes it way harder (who would have thought) but at least it is wearable. It is now sitting on the table waiting for a wash & block. Given that I am working from home today due to snow (!) this will probably happen at lunchtime. Yay!
Now...for that next project! I have some sock yarn - might do some toe-up socks? I really wanna start Anemoi mittens but need new needles...maybe order them today. & Simon's mum sent late Xmas presents which arrived yesterday - I got yarn! Lovely Patons Jet wool & alpaca blend in a beautiful dusky pink. There were two parcels, and first I thought I got 3 balls - but turns out I got 5! So thinking maybe a shrug would be good...been looking at them for a while as my trashy black one bought for not much in Ireland is falling apart. ANd they are very handy. Hmmmm.....
Maybe socks first.

Secret Pal 10!

Yay! Secret Pal 10 Time!
And so here is my questionnaire.....

This turns out to be a bit embarrasing at times, but here 'tis:
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I prefer natural fibres - wool, alpaca, cashmere, less so cotton. Don't like synthetics, sparkly things, novelty yarns. Am truly hooked on Rowan yarns.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
ummmm...a plastic bag. Really.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learned to knit when I was about 7, from my mum. I mostly knitted cat blankets (I wasn't into dolls, & was ok at knitting squares). I didn't do much knitting - preferred embroidery as a child & quilting as I got older. Started again with a jumper in my honours year of study in 1999, and did a few bits and pieces until getting back into it in 2005. I am probably on the beginners side of intermediate, I guess, and very much self-taught in terms of anything other than straight knitting
.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Nope.

5. What's your favorite scent?
Ohhh...tricky. I wear Romance & L'eau D'Issey. I love lavender. I prefer 'real' smells (e.g., oil, dried flowers, etc.) to synthetic fragrances.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yeah, kinda. I do like sweet things, but I don't crave them. I like chocolate (white and dark especially!), coffee & chocolate together, and turkish delight especially!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I used to make beaded jewellery but have fallen out of that since we moved to the UK - I think lack of vicinity to a bead shop & new knitting obsession! I occasionally sew, but mostly just collect fabrics that I promise I will do something with! I would like to learn to spin one day. We are about to start our allotment, and I love making preserves.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I studied as a musician at uni for a few years, and my true love is classical (orchestral, particularly russian & this century) but I have very eclectic tastes & like 90's rock, metal, klezmer, folk, jazz of almost all flavours, some electronica....just not pop! Oh, and MP3s are fine.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Well, I think my wardrobe would say green. I also like blue, but don't wear so much. Tend more towards muted colours than jewel tones. Like red, pink, browns. DOn't like yellow - makes me look odd! I tend to wear plain things, not patterns.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Live with my dearest boy, but sadly no pets due to temporary status in the uk. There is a squirrel that visits our back yard, thats about it.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Since arriving in the u.k., yes (except ponchos - haven't quite adjusted to them yet). A big fan of the scarf.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Mmmm, usually whatever I am planning to knit next! I like making hats, but have run out of people to give them to! I really like cabling.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks. My first go at toe-up. They are ok. They are for me! The short-row heels aren't as tidy as I would like & the self-patterning yarn isn't really me, but does make it fun.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes! Of Course!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Umm, I don't really have a preference for straight or circular - I use them as needed. Only ever used aluminium until this Christmas when I was given a set of lovely wood 4mm dpns - they are gorgeous! I keep trying to find things to make on them! Am totally persuaded of the value of wood needles. Am about to purchase some bamboo dpns to have a play with too.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Belive it or not, I don't have UFOs! I have managed to be super disciplined since arriving in the UK - I came with half a jumper and have just worked on one thing at a time since then. It suits me and my obsessive ways just fine.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I think this is meant in the more American sense of which festive season do I like - has to be New Years Eve. If it means holidays like vacations - my favourite is always the one coming up!

19. Is there anything that you collect?
No - I am more likely to throw things out than collect them! I always end up thinking how I just have to move everything with me everytime we go somewhere else...! So practical!

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Again, I am terribly dull. I don't have any subscriptions, and only one knitting book that I received for Christmas - The Stitch & Bitch one. I would really like to learn more Fair Isle - especially the more traditional european styles, and keep reading about how great Elizabeth Zimmerman is. I really like Vogue Knitting mag, but only have two from about 5 years ago! I look at the Rowan ones a bit, but don't have any. I am also obsessed with Eunny Jang's patterns but they are a real challenge! In terms of yarns, I would love to have a play with hand-dyed yarn - it looks so very pretty.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Sure! I would like to be better at stranded knitting (although I don't wear that style much), and maybe have a go at Intarsia (although again, not really my style). I am really keen to have a go at lace knitting - also a bit fussy for my wardrobe but I think I could incorporate a scarf or shawl....!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I am a novice sock knitter, & still learning & looking for my ideal sock pattern. I love wearing hand knitted socks! Foot measurements are: ball of foot is 8.5 inches/19cm around, foot is 10 1/4 inches/ 26cm long.

23. When is your birthday?
December 28th


So there. Shows just how dull I really am!

Token Picture

A picture - cause there are too many words on this page now.

I know that lots of folks in the northern hemisphere think squirrels are pests, but we are still enamoured of them. So very very cute. And foreign. Also, sitting amongst our snowdrops & crocuses posing for the camera. Wouldn't get a wombat doing that!

The best laid plans

Right here, there is meant to be a picture of my lovely new Fable Gilmore vest. Supposed to be. But isn't. After really concentrating (well, as much concentrating as you can on knit one purl one rib and miles of stockingette) and not making any obvious mistakes and even getting the confusing decreases right after writing them out (!) and frogging the armhole ribbing twice so it fitted nicely (with not too much swearing, and all onthe one night), and 15 rows of 270 stitches of k1p1 rib blah blah blah, it has problems.
I spent the weekend patiently, neatly and against all my instincts slowly seaming & blocking & making up as required. It looked great. Really great. THen I put it on. The band at the back of the neck sticks out at right angles, and somehow the front makes my boobs look weird. It kind of sits nicely on the neck, then falls open to its widest point right on the old boobies, then back in nicely to a lovely low V. I am sure this is my fault, and I am almost sure that it is a bit big. Maybe I am no longer a medium.
I know I should take the band off and have another play with it, but I can't face it. I am going to do something sneaky but tidy at the back instead. If that doesn't work, then maybe I will take the band off. I don't know what to do about the front - I am hoping that another wash & block & a bit of a press with the bands on (it was blocked without bands initially) will make it look better. Other than that, I have a really cool pea brooch with green pea beads in a silver shell - it might serve a useful purpose here!
I have been desperately trying to convince myself that I still love it, but it is sitting sadly in the corner of the couch, and occasionally receives nasty looks.
I had an absolutely mad day, and am going to go and have a bath & a glass of wine. And maybe pistachios. And a book.
Then maybe I will play with the band.
Then maybe I will try it on with all my good clothes & see if I can make it work.
Then maybe a photo. Maybe.

The Road

So, just before Christmas I received my much awaited treasure of a parcel...a first edition of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. In all my moving disorderliness, I hadn't realised until it had been released that this was coming, but snaffled one up. In my hot little hands is a slender hardcover in a shiny black dustjacket with only the name of the book & author on it. A little dull maybe.
Timing wasn't great - we were off on holiday and I didn't want to risk travelling with it, so held on and started when I got back. In the end, I think this was a good call, as this is not a book that you really want to read while on a wacky great adventure. This is a book for curling up in the sanctuary of your home, warm, well fed & protected from the world.
I love McCarthy's work, as previously noted in this blog. However, I do appreciate that at times his prose can be a little ...wordy? Of all the people I have lent his books to, I can think of only one or two who have finished, and I don't think I have made any real converts. This is tough reading. You need to be interested in appreciating each sentence for itself, not necessarily for its contribution to any linear narrative or plot. Having said that, McCarthy is a master at place. Place is a central (or sometimes the central) character, and it is felt more than anything else.
The Road is a little different. For many of his early works, McCarthy gave us epic Western adventures. He has been moving away from this with No Country for Old Men, which has the feel of the Western but set clearly in the present, and now with The Road.
The Road is an apocalyptic novel like no other. This novel has all the ingredients of your good apocalypse story - enough to make you want to become a survivalist actually! - but at base the real story is internal. The narrative line centres around two characters,and McCarthy weaves you into their experience so effortlessly that you are captured in this time (thus the need for cosy safe surrounds) - this is not a pleasant place to inhabit. As with all McCarthy works, there is evil, and it is discussed in the same manner that everything else is. Without any drama, or heightened emotion, bad things happen, just as they tend to do in real life. You can't predict it. And you are squarely faced with it - there is no shying away.
The glory of this work, in my opinion, is again McCarthy's prose. While his earlier works were highly evocative, with broad, looping, wandering sentences, this feels pared back to its essence. It is as though, in needing to tell an 'essential' story - one that is about the very core of us all - he has managed to tell it in the most essential of words. It is beautiful, poetic, and remains evocative in all senses.
This is a must read. Simon has read it already - a miracle in itself! - which confirms to me that this is an accessible McCarthy novel. But be warned - it is unsettling, and (most uncharacteristically for me!) you will need tissues.
As a brief postscript, it appears that this is going to be made into a movie - and that No Country for Old Men is on the way to film production as well. It will be interesting to see - it feels like it could be a great movie, but a difficult one, to watch as well as make.

More reviews are here, from Village Voice, Random House (publisher notes) and a good selection at Powells.

Eye Candy Friday + More!

I can't believe I still haven't posted anything decent! I am a bad bad blogger. Actually, I am kinda busy and driving to work now doesn't help. Also new house requires more attention, and its winter. Enough excuses? Well, I think I need to show off with a pic of our recent weather for ECF....

But also (finally!) pics of my scarf...

pattern: my so called scarf
yarn: Rowan Tapestry in 'Country'
needles: boring old metal ponys.

what i learned.....

• i love Rowan Tapestry
  
• new stitches are fun stitches
  
• scarves are much more rewarding when they don't turn themselves into big tubes
  
• don't leave your boyfriend home alone when he might decide to wash the brand new completed scarf without blocking it (...but it survived just fine!)
• Sometimes you should stop when you think it is done, not when you have used all the yarn.

Let me just say - i love this scarf. It goes with everything. It is far too long, but who cares. It is cosy cosy warm, and now it has been washed and put in the freezer for a bit the fluff-everywhere thing has gone. Love it. To death.


Anyway, also made a friend some Fetchings but forgot to take pics prior to the giving (but was beautifully, graciously received with much awe!