Joining Ginny‘s yarn along again today.

While I would love to be showing you great progress on the hat I began last week with more of that delicious alpaca, my needle broke bringing me to a temporary standstill. But as I had mentioned there are a few mittens on needles around here so I have picked them up in the meantime. I am using a thrummed mitten pattern that came with a kit my mom bought me a few years ago and omitting the thrums….Sounds like someone is a little too lazy to find a new pattern? This pair will be seventh I’ve made with this pattern (the sixth sans thrums). The wool is Paton’s Classic Wool in not-my-favourite shade of pink but a certain three-year-old here loves that these mittens will match her scarf and hat.

In a rather lazy, marathon day of lounging around and reading I finished (well, nearly began and finished) The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma. I perhaps didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the first two but that may also have been the speed with which I devoured it. I always feel a little cheated if I speed through a book too fast (which of course gives me ample opportunities to never finish a book I am enjoying). The Prisoner’s Dilemma held the same (gentle) intrigue, adventure and excitement that the others contained, maybe I am just sad that I suspect there may not be a fourth. Hopefully I am wrong.

Now I am at an impasse over which book to get into next. The kids and I have started Mary Poppins but I suspect it will be slow going because they are too wrapped up in Tintin and the Castafiore Emerald to choose anything else for bedtime stories. I was tempted to read Mary Poppins on my own but they are still interested in it so I will wait. Now I am torn between a light, easy, yet entertaining read through Tears of the Giraffe or a longer commitment to E. M. Forster’s classic Howard’s End.

I'm drooling over this edition

As I really wanted to read a good turn-of-the-century English novel, partly thanks to watching this series on Masterpiece Theatre, I think I will happily sink my teeth into Howard’s End. Maybe I’ll amaze myself by actually making some headway on it this week….Although sadly at the expense of my knitting since I haven’t worked out a strategy for doing both at the same time.

Happy Wednesday!

Today I’m joining Ginny over at Small Things – sharing what I currently have on my needles and in the book pile.

I love starting on new knitting projects but am not very good at finishing them up. Although I have three pairs of mittens and a little person’s sweater on needles elsewhere I am putting my energy into this hat for myself. My in-laws gifted me this beautiful, fingering-weight alpaca yarn from a farm in their area. I have spent lots of time admiring it but because of its light weight I’ve been afraid to start anything that may never get finished. The original plan was to make a cardigan for myself but I fear that may be a little ambitious knowing my history and fear of small needles. After some advice at my local yarn store, I’ve decided to start with this hat from 100% rain. Alpaca is stronger and much warmer than sheep’s wool – just perfect for the cold days we’ve been enduring. Then maybe I will confront my fears and try something larger…no promises, though.

As for books, I have a weakness for children’s novels. It may be embarrassing to pull out kid’s lit in a waiting room when none of my  littles are present but I love being reminded of the wonder I felt reading as a child. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma is the third in this series and while they are a little too old for my gang, I think they are fantastic. Adventure, mystery and fun. I have read plenty of children’s novels that didn’t have a child’s voice but Trenton Lee Stewart has done a great job of writing for children (and, ahem, adults) with this series. We haven’t started Mary Poppins yet but my big girls and I are excited to read it together – and, of course, we adore the movie. Bedtime stories are my favourite!