Looking Forward...

Well, hello there. I'm sorry that I've been away so long. The last few months have a bit of a challenge for me - I've been finding it hard to be creative and haven't really felt like knitting, making, or baking, let alone blogging. And, although it's been hard, it has all been for the best possible reason - D and I are going to be having a baby! It's all rather wonderful and incredibly exciting, but for the last few months, because of a combination of tiredness and having to keep the biggest secret ever, I just haven't felt very creative.

However, the cat is now well and truly out of the bag and the wool is firmly back on the needles. I'm four months along and about two-thirds of the way through a very pretty lace baby blanket for my godson Toby's baptism. I'm really enjoying the challenge of learning lace knitting. It's going pretty well so far and is my first successful attempt. I rather wish that I'd got a bit more time to get it finished, but I've set myself a daily row count and I'm steadily getting there.

I'm also really enjoying being able to knit baby clothes for the new arrival and I have so many plans for little bits and bobs I'd like to make for the little one. The two projects that I'm working on at the moment are gender neutral, but we're looking forward to finding out what we're getting in the middle of August and I guess I can get knitting in earnest from then on.

Not feeling crafty, has meant that I've had a lot of time for reading and I've read some absolute crackers. Memorable favourites are Marina Lewycka's Various Pets Alive and Dead, The Red House by Mark Haddon, Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Caitlin Moran's How To Be a Woman, The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald and Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner. What a lot of wonderful books! I've also, along with some very lovely people at work, started a new book club, which is proving to be great fun.

Since I last posted we've been out and about quite a bit. A week in Amsterdam for my birthday was a wonderful treat - we stayed in two amazing hotels (The Amstel Intercontinental is quite probably the swankiest hotel I will ever stay in, in my life!) and walked absolutely everywhere. Amsterdam is a beautiful city, packed full of galleries and museums, stylish restaurants, boutiques and cafes and some really inspirational knitting shops. I didn't always feel like eating much which was a bit of a shame as the food was excellent.

The summer, now that it has arrived, is proving glorious and we've managed some lovely day-trips with picnics to the beach, Mottisfont, Oxford and to Henley for the regatta. It's lovely and hot and I'm looking forward to lots more picnics over the coming weeks. In fact, I'd say I'm looking forward to everything at the moment - having a baby must do that to you, I guess. The future is looking lovely!

Hello to Berlin

When I was planning this post, I was going to blog about my regular weekend. You know the routine - lovely long lie-in with breakfast in bed and a bit of book, followed by a nice relaxing bath, some pottering about in the garden, a bit of knitting and maybe a movie.

Everything was going to plan until I got out of the bath and D asked if I fancied going to Berlin. Of course I said yes. Who wouldn't want to go to Berlin? But then the penny dropped that he meant right then. Yes, that very minute! Well, that was a surprise. Twenty clicks later and in the time it takes to throw two toothbrushes, two books, two passports and a change of clothes into a bag, we were on the road to the airport.

It was all such a whirlwind that I can hardly believe it happened. And I have to say that I really enjoyed answering the usual, "How was your weekend?" question on Monday morning! Mr C, you are a lovely, lovely man and you have earned yourself some pretty serious boyfriend points.

This does mean that I haven't had much time for crafting and so my very nearly finished colour-block cardigan is still very nearly finished. I have hight hopes that it will be finished by the time of my next post. (But don't hold your breath - just in case.)

I've mostly been reading manuscripts for work lately so not much to talk about. I really enjoyed the latest from Sadie Jones, The Uninvited Guests, although I really didn't like the cover and I also enjoyed the first instalment of Leigh Bardugo's The Grisha Trilogy, The Gathering Dark. This was a recommendation from the lovely Hannah Love from work and was also a book that I wouldn't have picked up on the strength of its cover (yes, I can be judgemental). I'm delighted that the second book in the series has a much, much better cover and I'm looking forward to reading it soon. 

Hot Off the Press!

This week has been one of very great excitement in the world of The Bookish Maker. On Monday I received a direct message via Twitter from none other than Gathered by Mollie Makes, asking if they could use a photo of my first granny square on the Show and Tell page of their next issue! I can't tell you how flattered I was. Imagine - one of my photos in my favourite digital magazine! Whoop, whoop! 

I could hardly wait for the issue to come out and very nearly ran out of battery through constantly checking for an update on my iPad. I am absolutely pleased as punch to be part of such a great publication, so thanks everyone at Gathered for the honour. It's a fabulous magazine - keep it coming!

On the needles, I've started my little embroidery project and am using all kinds of coloured silk to bring life to a plain cushion cover. I'm festooning it with a border of crafty images - needles, thread, sticks and string. There's even a thimble, a sewing machine and a mannequin. 

Also, I've very nearly finished my colour block cardigan. I'm at the cuffs of both sleeves, and it's looking really lovely. The only slight hiccough is that after having tried it on, I do think it's a little bit short in the body so I'm going to have to undo the cast off edge and add a little bit more length in. It's still cold enough for coats but when it's a little bit warmer, I'm looking forward to actually wearing something that I've made with my own two hands and I want it to be as good as it possibly can be!

One of the many great perks of my job is getting to read books before they are actually published and this week I was lucky enough to be given an advance book proof of The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky. I'd heard about the book in-house and read a synopsis on the notes for Candlewick's covers meeting. It sounded intriguing straight away so I made a note to ask for a rating copy, but then on Monday, the very lovely Jo came to my desk brandishing a beautiful proof, telling me that she'd read it at the weekend and that I must read it. Jo is a great reader and I take her recommendations incredibly seriously - we have similar taste in fiction and I will always be grateful for her introducing me to Patrick Gale. 

And of course, she was absolutely right. It is a brilliant book. It is beautifully written and reminiscent of the nostalgic lyricism and intrigue of Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay or What the Birds See by Sonya Hartnett. It's not going to be published for a little while yet, but when it is - make sure you get a copy. I could hardly bear to put it down and read it in one day over two train journeys. 

I've had a bit of a break from buying books over the last six weeks or so in an attempt to reduce the size of the pile by the side of my bed. It's been a dismal failure to be honest with you as I've swapped or been given books instead, but I decided to treat myself anyway with some lovely new (and secondhand) books to read over the long Easter weekend. Happy reading!

Starting Something New

Spring is one of my favourite times of the year - a time for new and exciting things, for growth and light and enthusiasm. It's great time for starting something new which is exactly what my friend Fiona, also known as the Pine Marten but more commonly just Piney, is doing. She had a bit of a bonkers idea whereby she would take up a gazillion new hobbies until she found something that she would enjoy (and be brilliant at) and she's started a hilarious new blog to chronicle her adventures. 

I had the privilege of being the first person to share their hobby and duly rocked up at her place on Saturday morning with a bag of knitting-related goodies (tea, biscuits, hand cream - you know, the usual stuff). I'll let her tell you all about it in her blog - click on the link to head on over to Piney Gets a Hobby. It felt especially auspicious as I was driving over to hear Woolly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs on the radio and what I will say is that  she took to knitting like a Pine Marten to woodland - a natural-born knitter. Well done, Piney!

On the crafting side of things, I've started planning an embroidered cushion cover with some fabulous crafty transfers from Sublime Stitching. I'm not sure how it's going to pan out, but I promise I'll post again as it progresses. 

More excitingly, I've been using the very fabulous Meet Me at Mike's, and I've taught myself how to crochet granny squares. It's something I've really taken to; they're easily portable (so great for the train), quick to complete and surprisingly uncomplicated. I've always been a bit unsure of crochet, but it turns out that I really like it. I've also now had two attempts at handwriting embroidery, a Valentine's Day card for D and a first ever Mother's Day card for Shona, so that's another thing crossed off my New Year list. Hoorah!

There's some exciting new life in the garden too; I've planted a raspberry bush and put lots of summer-flowering bulbs in the ground as well as seedlings of tomatoes, peas, radishes and broad beans, which are currently dominating the kitchen table - and there are potatoes chitting nicely on my kitchen windowsill. As soon as it stops freezing and snowing, I'm going to get out and plant some of them - can't wait.

Last new thing for this post which I absolutely must mention, is the joy that is my new toaster! I am a MASSIVE toast fan - toast, crumpets, muffins, bagels, tattie scones, Soreen - if you can toast it and slather it in butter I'm probably going to be a fan and my new toaster does the job perfectly. Mmmmm!

Since I last posted, I seem to have gone through a spate of reading YA novels. Every Day by David Levithan which is going to be published in the UK in July by Egmont and is an absolute must-read, Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett which not technically a novel for teens but is a heartbreaking observation of adolescence; the ingenious Daylight Saving by Edward Hogan and the really rather compelling Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher. I've also started Monkey Wars by Richard Kurti which, from the first six chapters, promises to be absolutely brilliant.

Unravelling

Unravel? Well, that was just lovely. From the moment I got on to the Farnham train, I knew that I was going to have a good day. Surrounded by the gentle chatter of knitters discussing patterns, needles, tension and general swatch-talk, I wound my way through the countryside trying to imagine what Unravel would have in store for me. Arriving at The Maltings, I saw knitted arrows adorning the lampposts, the trees had been yarn bombed and there was an enormous knitted welcome to Unravel sign. My hopes were up and I was not disappointed. My friend Susie had told me that it would be big, but my imaginings hadn't even come close and as I strolled through room, after room, after room I could only wish I'd had a bigger budget!

I started the day with £30.00 to spend - which any of you knitters out there will know, does not go far in the world of hand-dyed, hand-spun cashmere, alpaca and silk but I was determined to make the most of it. My first (modest) purchase was a gorgeous printed card emblazoned with the motto, "Sew, sew, knit, knit, sew" and hot on the heels of the card, I fell completely in love with the button stall. (Which Susie had warned me would happen!) 

Six brilliant buttons and two metres of allium-embroidered ribbon later, I was ready to invest in some sticks and string. I did try to be methodical - I circled the main hall and explored the other rooms. Touching the wool and assessing skein lengths, comparing prices and thinking what I might be able to make. I took some time away from the show to think about what I really wanted and then I went to town. I managed to spend all but 40p and I would've spent an awful lot more if there had been enough network coverage to get the Paypal app to work!

Ultimately I came away with enough to get four more projects off the ground - none of which were on my original New Year list, but never mind! I'm really looking forward to getting started, although I suppose I really ought to finish some of my existing projects first...

On the needles just now, I have three major projects, a February scarf, an Olive jumper and a Caramel colour-block cardigan. They're all pretty big and to be honest with you I'm a bit daunted by how much work each of them will need to get finished, but a day at Unravel has definitely inspired me and renewed my enthusiasm to get some knitting done.

Currently reading: the really rather good Every Day by David Levithan. It's quite a peculiar premise, but so well written that I can hardly bear to put it down. A special mention to Heartburn by Nora Ephron, which I read last week. It is brilliant. Honest, thoughtful, poignant and witty, this is one woman's story of the end of a marriage. From the moment you open the book, you know what's going to happen - you know that it's not going to end well - but the end is still an absolute shocker. Even if I read it again, I would still be unprepared for how desperately sad the last few pages are. I've passed my copy onto a friend who read it, loved it, cried at the ending and has passed it on again. If you get the chance - read this book. I urge you.

A Few of My Favourite Things

I'm a huge fan of mittens and I love the snuggliness of my fake sheepskin favourites. I have to say that there is nothing quite like  pair of warm woollen mittens on a cold wintry day, especially if you've made them yourself. And the mittens that I've just made are possibly the snuggliest pair of mittens I've ever worn. They're like having a hand-hug and I am not kidding. I've been wearing them with pride since finishing them this weekend and have forced quite a few of my work-friends to try them on so that they can share the experience.

What makes these mittens so particularly great is the thrums. "But what on earth are thrums?" I hear you ask. Well, they're a phenomenal Norwegian invention whereby you wraps strands of wool roving around the wool you're knitting with to create a fluffy interior to whatever you are making. The thrums trap air which heats up, giving you the toastiest mittens, or socks, or hat, in the world - ever.

I've also ticked another crafty thing off my New Year list and made an embroidered handwriting card for D for St Valentine's Day. It took a lot longer that I was expecting, and the first word is a little bit ropey, but overall I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Luckily, I won't be needing my lovely new mittens for very much longer as I have the feeling that spring is finally on its way. This weekend has seen the first real sunshine of the year and I've made the most of it by spending a little bit of time out in the garden. I've cleared the veggie beds, cut back the rose and the clematis, pulled a few weeds and generally tidied the place up a bit.

I've bought some seeds, sown some broad beans and started three varieties of potato to chit on the kitchen windowsill. D and I have made a list of all the fruit and veg we fancy eating this year and I'm really looking forward to growing our own. I don't really know what I'm doing, but I do love it!


Away from the garden, I've been doing quite a lot of running - trying to get in shape for the Bath Half in two weeks' time. I'm feeling okay about it, but reckon that another couple of months' training would not go amiss. I've also seen my adorable godson and had a lovely day out in Bath. I've been taking heaps of pictures on my Instagram feed, so thought I'd post some of the highlights here on my blog. I'm excited that Instagram is now available from my browser - if you're not already already on it - head over to instagram.com and check it out. I'm off to Unravel next weekend, which I'm incredibly excited about. Come back next week and I should have posted about my day...

Currently reading: The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig (a re-telling of the Cinderella story and a great gift from Lesley in my book club's Secret Santa) and Grey Gardens by Sara Maysles, Rebekah Maysles, Dan Murphy and Albert Maysles (an eclectic representation of two remarkable and eccentric ladies).

Ae Fond Kiss

This week has been a real celebration of all things Scottish. We started the weekend with a delicious Burns' Night Supper at our lovely local, The Pheasant, where Alex laid on a veggie haggis especially. (What a superstar!) It was absolutely delicious and such a treat. I've never really developed a taste for whisky, which is a shame as there were two on offer for tasting, but D was very happy to help me out with mine, even if he did regret it a little the next morning!

Sunday morning saw us hit the road on an epic journey up to Glasgow to spend a week with D's family. It turns out that you can get an awful lot of knitting done in seven and a half hours and after a bit of a knitting marathon, my colour block cardigan is now considerably longer. I sort of wished that I'd had one smaller project on the go so that I could've had a finished object by the time we got up the road, but it was good to make some progress on a couple of bigger things, and I really got stuck into Olive on the way back down. 

The week started with a gig at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with celebration of the life and work of Michael Marra, one of Scotland's finest songwriters, with two of D's favourite singers putting in an appearance. I must confess that I wasn't familiar with the work of Michael Marra before the music started, but there were some brilliant songs and amazing musicians. Pat Kane and Eddie Reader were everything that D had hoped for and I had a thoroughly Scottish evening!

We continued our time off with more celtic delights, including such greats as tattie scones and the legendary macaroni pie. We took a road trip up to Oban along the beautiful lochside of Loch Lomond, visited friends in Dunshalt and took a glass or two with D's family. On a trip to the West End area of Glasgow, I visited a very lovely knitting shop called The Yarn Cake and invested in some delightful Drops yarn to make some suitably snuggly mittens (with thrums) and a pair of legwarmers too. We stopped off at a great restaurant called The Hillhead Bookclub on our way back into town for a really tasty lunch before a spot of culture at The Lighthouse and a mooch around the shops. It was hard to leave, but so nice to be back home, and we brought back a substantial amount of Scotland home with us in the shape of five kilos of Marshalls macaroni. (Well, macca is the national dish, you know!)

Currently reading a selection of non-fiction which I picked up on my travels north of the border and which I hope will inspire me to get my act together in opening a new Folksy shop. (I just have to decide what I'd like to make and how I want to sell it - minor points.) I'm also unable to put down Gold by Chris Cleave which, if his other books are anything to go by, is going to be a bit of a tear-jerker. Lastly, I leafed through a copy of the Polpo cookbook while staying with friends and there are definitely some recipes that I'm keen to try out. Think I might have to invest in my own copy next payday.