Yep. Just like that. Summer is outta here… and autumn has arrived!

I may be beating myself up a bit over my utter lack of blogging (or, let's be honest here, really any internet presence whatsoever) over the summer months but I am not complaining. Not one bit. I'm just moving on!

Why?! . . . → Read More: oops! there went the summer…]]>

Yep. Just like that. Summer is outta here… and autumn has arrived!

I may be beating myself up a bit over my utter lack of blogging (or, let's be honest here, really any internet presence whatsoever) over the summer months but I am not complaining. Not one bit. I'm just moving on!

Why?! I absolutely love the fall. I abso-freakin'-lutely love it!!

While the fall foliage is currently no where near as brilliant as it is in that photo at the top of the post of last year's display, and sadly may never be this year as I hear it, the cooler days and colder nights nevertheless put me right into my normal autumn mood. A happy, dare I say elated, mood that also somehow manages to simultaneously encompasses a feeling of oppressive stress due to a gazillion commitments and an overwhelming desire to do ALL THE THINGS.

What does ALL THE THINGS consist of, you may be asking yourself. Well, I can safely say that, at this point, it includes at the very least:

• knitting (and other fiber-y things): Yes; I do still knit. In fact, I'm currently working on my House Colors Project for this year's venture to the land of sheep and dreams that is the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival. The project involves a snake. And planes, crocheted hyperbolic planes to be more exact. And perhaps also a mouse named Elle…
• cooking and baking: The colder months have always been a time of soup for me. I actually just made my first soup of the season. I tried out a slightly modified version of a new-to-me recipe, Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup. I have to say the results were delicious… Also, I've been pondering cookies. Try as I might, I cannot resist a delicious cookie!
• the crunch factor: I'm currently going through a personal exploration of topics such as herbal medicine, wild foods, homemade hygiene and cleaning products, holistic health philosophies and practices and conscious decision making and how these ideas and practices already shape and may continue to shape my life and my worldview.
• reading: So, so many books to read.
• video games: I still love them, even when I don't have the time I'd like to have to devote to them.
• spirituality: A part of my life that has been sadly absent as an active participation sort of thing. I'd like to change that.
• photography: I just got a new iPhone 5. It has a better camera than the previous iPhones that I've owned. You know what that means…

So it is that I plan to do ALL THE THINGS and share some of them with you, through blogging; because, well, I like blogging. I feel unconnected without it.

What does your list of ALL THE THINGS look like?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTfbKW6_nxc

The Brett Domino Trio. These two gents create covers using electronic and . . . → Read More: happy things for hump day, 2012.05.16]]> It’s Wednesday. I need some happy things to get me over that hump in the middle of the week. I thought you might, too; so, some of the things that have made me smile recently:

1. Listening to my new music crush:

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTfbKW6_nxc

   The Brett Domino Trio. These two gents create covers using electronic and unusual instrument, delivered in a quirky and humorous manner. I love me some good theremin playing. Good, mind you…

2. Looking at the video game inspired stitching highlighted over on mr x stitch is starting to make me think that some cross stitch may be the perfect summer crafting for me…
3. Watching The Nerdy Nummies Cooking Show.  Nerd-inspired recipes!  Could you ask for anything more?!  One of my favorites from the series is, predictably, the unicorn rainbow cake:

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC77tcJZIdU

That’s it for now! Happy Hump Day!! Hope you too find something that makes you smile.

I feel that there are many people out there that think that a 30th birthday is a milestone, marking in some way the end of youth.  Somehow, 30 year olds are miraculously supposed to be . . . → Read More: Getting Old(er)]]> So, here I am, about a week out from my 30th birthday.  (*Gasp!*)  One week into “adulthood”.  (*shudder*, or something)

I feel that there are many people out there that think that a 30th birthday is a milestone, marking in some way the end of youth.  Somehow, 30 year olds are miraculously supposed to be all grown up, full-fledged adults so to speak.

While I have certainly come a long way from this:

I don’t feel as though I have many more answers.  Quite the opposite, really.  I have a lot more questions.

I haven’t quite been contemplating the meaning of life, the universe and everything.  After all, we already have an answer to that.  I have, though, been thinking more about what I’d like my life to be like – what I’d like to do, how I’d like to change, the things that define me.  These kinds of thoughts have led me to the idea of creating my 40 before 40 list – a list of 40 things that I’d like to accomplish before I turn 40 in February 2022.

Here is a quick rundown of the list, in no particular order:

1. Organize and record my yarn stash
2. Organize and record my music
3. Organize and record my books and ebooks
4. Organize and digitize my recipes
5. Make a family recipe book
6. Organize my photographs – including digitizing non-digital photographs and negatives
7. Make family photos available to family online
8. Develop and implement a backup plan for my digital life
9. Learn how to effectively use a calendar and a to-do list
10. Create and implement a retirement plan
11. Pay off my student loan
12. Own a wooded piece of land, preferrably in the mountains with some running water
13. Get to a point where I make more than 50% of my personal hygiene products from natural ingredients
14. Learn enough herbal medicine to treat everyday issues (headaches, upset stomach, cough, etc.)
15. Get to a healthy weight and maintain it
16. Explore my spirituality
17. Work up to a daily spiritual practice appropriate to my spiritual beliefs
18. Become moderately proficient in the use of at least one divinatory tool/technique
19. Learn to spin on a drop spindle
20. Learn to weave on at least one type of loom
21. Learn to dye yarn and fabric using natural dye materials
22. Learn how to create a WordPress theme
23. Design, code and launch a portfolio website
24. Learn about Classical music
25. Learn enough Japanese to read Death Note in Japanese
26. Relearn enough Ancient Greek to read Homer’s Odyssey in Ancient Greek
27. Read the ALA Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009 
28. Knit a sweater for me
29. Knit 40 pairs of socks for me, hopefully at the rate of 4 pairs per year
30. Write a piece of fiction. Consider trying to publish it…
31. Create at least one track of electronic music
32. Take a weekend hiking trip along some part of the Appalachian Trail
33. Take a week long camping trip, perhaps including hiking
34. Take a vacation without a camera, without a guidebook and without making reservations; keep a trip journal
35. Visit a national park
36. Visit a rainforest
37. Get a tattoo
38. Find at least one penpal who resides outside the United States and maintain correspondence
39. Send birthday cards on time
40. Remember that I’m in a relationship, not a routine

I’m going to create a separate tracking page for the list and probably some sort of sidebar widget.  The tracking page will likely have some more detail and explanations about each item on the list.  So, feel free to check in on my progress every now and then.

How about you?  Do you have a “X before X” list or a bucket list?  If so, I’d like to hear about it…

I’m sorry to those of you who come here for the knitting content (or really any other content besides book reviews).  It’s just not happening at this time.  My life has been taken over by the . . . → Read More: bookmarked: The Hunger Games]]> It didn’t happen.  Blocking didn’t happen.  Consequently, photos didn’t happen.  So, blogging about said knitting did not happen.

I’m sorry to those of you who come here for the knitting content (or really any other content besides book reviews).  It’s just not happening at this time.  My life has been taken over by the reading bug.  I cannot escape…

Title: The Hunger Games
Series: The Hunger Games::#1
Author: Suzanne Collins
Format: eBook
Overall rating: 4 (out of 5)

Ok; let’s get the comparisons out of the way. Many reviewers have compared The Hunger Games to Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale. Sure, when I first read the description for The Hunger Games, the first thought that came to mind was: “This has been done before. This is going to be rip-off of Battle Royale.” I was wrong…

Don’t get me wrong, similarities exist between the two works, but I like each one for very different reasons. Battle Royale is written with a gritty realism – graphic, gory details, psychological suspense and a world not dissimilar from our own waking reality. There is a painfully honest despair and a deep emotional delving to Takami’s story, the extent of which I do not find in The Hunger Games.

I think that this has much to do with the very different target audiences for the two novels. While both works feature main characters in a similar teenage age range (often a telling sign of the intended reading audience), Battle Royale is definitely intended for adult readers in my mind, whereas The Hunger Games caters to a modern young adult audience. This is obvious to me while reading for several reasons: the more distant treatment of death and killing despite the gruesome premise; the quick-to-move-on attitude of characters; the lack of nuanced exploration of the obvious emotional dichotomies that were created throughout the story and the beat-you-over-the-head-with-the-obvious (Panem = Roman Empire anyone?) mentality. All this is not to say that the book was bad, just that it was painfully obvious that it was written for a young adult audience.

Despite this, I, as an adult, found the book engaging and readable. Collins does a good job of keeping up the pace of the novel (once you get past some of the introductory stuff at the beginning) and the story and world that she creates are engrossing. Her descriptions were able to bring an intriguing, scientifically advanced, post-apocalyptic America to life, even if descriptions of Capitol fashion did have me in the mindset of a Who-esque Dr. Seuss creation. I’m interested to see where the rest of the trilogy will go.

The cover art that appears as part of this review remains under the protection of the original copyright owner.  It is used here in accordance with fair use guidelines.  If you are the copyright owner and you would like this image removed, please contact me.

Also, in cause you couldn’t tell, I cannot stop reading! Should I be concerned about . . . → Read More: bookmarked: Ink]]> So, I don’t want to put out knitting posts without some photos, which would require some blocking. Hopefully I’ll get to the blocking this week and have a chance to shoot some decent photos this weekend. Hang in there!

Also, in cause you couldn’t tell, I cannot stop reading! Should I be concerned about this?

Title: Ink
Author: Isabelle Rowan
Format: Kindle eBook
Overall rating: 4 (out of 5)

I will admit that the cover art was the first thing that drew me to this novel. I mean, how, I ask you, could I resist?

Next, the description intrigued me. Roman centurions, you say? Yes, please. Vampires? Lovely! Tattoos? I enjoy those… It sounded like it could be interesting. On the other hand, it also sounded like it had the potential to be a corny cliché-ridden disaster. Thankfully, what I found was a tastefully written novel that explores the nuances and nature of love, friendship and humanity through the story of a vampire romance.

If you’re looking for an action-packed read, sexual or otherwise, this may not be the book for you. While there is certainly a main story line that introduces situational tension into the mix, Ink really focuses on and shines in the areas of character development and exploration of its main themes. Rowan writes descriptive prose that is able to bring the characters, locations and situations to life, without being overly wordy. The relationships between the characters feel real and their struggles personal. Consequently, though, the pace of the novel drags a bit, especially around the middle sections.

Although this is definitely a character- and relationship-driven book, it also heavily focuses on the nature of vampires and, by association, humanity. Ink explores questions like: Can vampires retain their humanity? What constitutes humanity? Can vampires have relationships with other vampires and humans that aren’t about power? Can the essential nature of a vampire change over the vast expanse of their existence? Are vampires really so emotionally different from humans? In short, if you are not into vampires, you may find the whole thing boring.

Fortunately, I enjoy vampires. I was moved by the complex relationships between the novel’s three vampires as well as between the vampires and their various human relations. I heartily hope that a sequel is in the works.

The cover art that appears as part of this review remains under the protection of the original copyright owner.  It is used here in accordance with fair use guidelines.  If you are the copyright owner and you would like this image removed, please contact me.

Title: Away TeamSeries: Starship Cadet Missions::#1Author: Mark AldersFormat: Kindle eBookOverall rating: 3 (out of 5)

My . . . → Read More: bookmarked: Away Team]]> Be forewarned! This book borders on erotica; so, naturally, I touch on the subject in my review. There’s nothing vulgar in the review. I promise. If you think you might be offended by this, though, don’t read it!

Title: Away Team
Series: Starship Cadet Missions::#1
Author: Mark Alders
Format: Kindle eBook
Overall rating: 3 (out of 5)

My first thought regarding how to sum up this novel was to describe it as a “scifi lite, erotica heavy” space opera. Away Team is most definitely a melodramatic romance (as in the literary genre of heroic adventure tales, although there is plenty of the other stuff too) set in space; hence, I think that the term space opera is a fitting label.

Upon reflection, though, I think that “scifi lite” is not really a fair description. The scifi concepts (like photosensitive, self-repairing [possibly living?!] ship building materials and virus-inspired attack strategies) put forth by Alders are interesting; but ultimately they’re not explored as in depth as I would like. The presentation of these ideas felt a bit shallow; the inspiration was there but the explanation wasn’t. In-depth world building may be a bit much to ask for in such a short novel, though. Perhaps the series will flesh out some of these concepts as it progresses, brining the scifi aspects on par with the erotic ones.

Which brings us to the “erotica heavy” monicker. I still think this is a pretty apt description. Although, I’m also led to believe by other reviewers and descriptions of Alders’s other works that this novel might be a little on the “erotica lite” side for Alders… I thought the sex scenes were written well, dancing the line between sensually romantic and all-out pornographic, although there were a few inexplicable anomalies (such as going numb from the waist down during sex being somehow construed as a pleasurable thing…) and some personally annoying vague anatomy references (“his warmth” topping my list). All said, sex took up about half of the text, not that I’m saying this is a negative thing; however, this is pretty “erotica heavy” to me.

There were a few other minor annoyances:

1. The military aspects of Away Team were a bit on the generic side. For instance, the cadets filled out stereotypical military roles such as the geeky science officer, the cocky pilot and the physically-oriented commander. Also, I’m not sure that kissing in a high pressure situation as a bonding experience is a typical military activity…
2. Awkward time transitions were also a problem. There were plenty of times that hours or even days passed from one paragraph to the next, without so much as a transitional word or sentence. On the other extreme, some chapter breaks took place in the middle of a single continuous scene.
3. Unbelievable love-at-first-sight – I’m not a big fan.
4. The name Sonny rubs be the wrong way… Every time I came across it, Sonny and Cher popped into my head. It was unfortunate.
5. I’d bet my left nut that I don’t need to elaborate on this point. [Hint: read the book!]

Then there was the biggest annoyance of all:

Good god, where was the editor?! Away Team was riddled with grammatical errors and typos, ones that cannot be explained away by Alders’s Australian origins. They are not Aussie-isms; they’re just plain wrong. There’s nothing like grammatical errors and typos to take you right out of what would otherwise be fast-paced action, sexual or otherwise. Mark, if you’re reading this, have that conversation with your editor; he/she really fell down on this one. I’d be more than happy to make edits if you want to send me the text. For each red mark, you can deduct a percentage from your editor’s fees for your next book… It could save you a lot of money.

So, wow, it seems like I went a bit overboard on the negatives there for awarding a three star review. The truth is though, I did like this book and will most definitely be checking out future installments in the series as well as Alders’s other works. Most of the negative aspects were born out of personal pet peeves and not horrendous writing. Ultimately, Alders has created endearing main characters who are involved in a realistic feeling relationship (albeit with a somewhat unrealistic but enjoyable sex life) and space adventures. I’ve fallen in love with Ely and Emerson and, really, what reader could ask for more than that?

The cover art that appears as part of this review remains under the protection of the original copyright owner.  It is used here in accordance with fair use guidelines.  If you are the copyright owner and you would like this image removed, please contact me.

Title: The Lightning ThiefSeries: Percy Jackson and the Olympians::#1Author: Rick RiordanFormat: eBookOverall rating: 4 (out of 5)

So, I confess that I made a real mistake with this one. I watched the movie before reading the . . . → Read More: bookmarked: The Lightning Thief]]> I guess that I lied a bit in my last post, ’cause here I am reviewing another book… 

Title: The Lightning Thief
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians::#1
Author: Rick Riordan
Format: eBook
Overall rating: 4 (out of 5)

So, I confess that I made a real mistake with this one. I watched the movie before reading the book. That was a big mistake!

Don’t get me wrong. The movie was ok. It had some attractive actors, lots of action and fun special effects. All of these things made for a mildly entertaining, but ultimately less-than-engaging movie.

I was determined to read the book someday, though. Other people seemed to enjoy it and I had to know why. That day was a long time coming, but now it’s here and I know why this book enjoys so much praise.

I really enjoyed The Lightning Thief. It is so, so much better than the movie. In fact, if you have seen the movie, forget everything but the names of the good guys, the bad guys and some of the locations and then read the book, because to me it seems like that’s all that really remained consistent in the conversion. Sad, but true! If you haven’t seen the movie, just read the book; you won’t be missing much.

Suffice it to say, the book was really quite better than I was expecting it to be. I was glad to see more mythology woven into the story than existed in the movie. I really enjoyed the more modern take on the traditional characters as well as the exploration of the melding of the mythology and mythological beings into contemporary American society. That being said, I wish these topics were explored a bit more in-depth, although I know that’s a lot to ask for in young adult fiction. Of course, inclusion of more of this descriptive information would also have slowed the pace of the book down for sure, likely ruining the fast-paced, action-oriented feel of the novel. The Classics major in me can wish, though, can’t he? Perhaps, looking on the bright side, the novel may spur some readers to delve deeper into the original stories!

As other reviewers have pointed out, there are several similarities to the Harry Potter series to be found in the book. From the personalities that form the group of three main questing characters to the magical training academy to the destiny foretold by prophecy, the similarities seem limitless; yet, even to a Harry Potter fan like me, the book didn’t feel derivative during reading. I attribute this success to Riordan’s creation of an enjoyable world that built upon a foundation of mythology I know and love. Ultimately, the book’s similarities with American Gods and it’s roots in Joseph Campbell’s monomyth felt more readily apparent to me while reading than did it’s resemblance to Harry Potter. Thoughts regarding the novel’s Harry Potter elements settled in afterwards, with a bit of reflection.

On the down side, the focus on ADHD and dyslexia as traits of the children of the gods, disturbed me a bit. Exactly what kind of message are we trying send to kids who actually suffer from these disorders? It rubbed me the wrong way…

Overall, I’m hooked enough to continue on with the series at some point in the near future. The Lightning Thief was an easy read (which is good for the intended audience) that combines Harry Potter-esque elements with a G-rated version of an American Gods style mythologically infested world model to create enjoyable reading magic.

The cover art that appears as part of this review remains under the protection of the original copyright owner.  It is used here in accordance with fair use guidelines.  If you are the copyright owner and you would like this image removed, please contact me.

I should have some more variety in posts coming to you soon!

Title: Vampire ShiftSeries: Kiera Hudson::#1Author: Tim O’RourkeFormat: Kindle . . . → Read More: bookmarked: Vampire Shift]]> My apologies about jumping back into things with writing reviews, but I’ve been doing a lot more reading recently. It could have something to do with my new Kindle… I’m just saying…

I should have some more variety in posts coming to you soon!

Title: Vampire Shift
Series: Kiera Hudson::#1
Author: Tim O’Rourke
Format: Kindle eBook
Overall rating: 3 (out of 5)

Color me intrigued. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wasn’t exactly your everyday, trite vampire love story. Sure, our main protagonist Kiera Hudson does fall in love with her supernatural hero, but that’s not all there is. This book has more going for it.

First and foremost, O’Rourke presents an intriguing take on the vampire genre. Stories of debonair night-walkers à la Anne Rice seem to be a dime-a-dozen these days (a dime I’m most certainly willing to shill out, mind you), which makes O’Rourke’s take on the genre a welcome and interesting change. I’m not going to give it away here, though; you’ll have to read Vampire Shift to find out.

Second, Vampire Shift is also a well constructed mystery novella. O’Rourke drops hints to the reader and leads them along the path of discovery and deduction through the eyes of Kiera; however, be forewarned that things aren’t always what they seem and the most obvious answer isn’t always the right one. I’m a reader who loves to figure things out before the reveal and, still, Vampire Shift threw me for some loops. You may think that you have it all figured out, but don’t get too full of yourself… I can assure you it’ll lead to disappointment.

Finally in the plus column, the reader is introduced to many major plot lines that I assume will run throughout the series. While it is somewhat frustrating to have a substantial number of plot lines and mysteries not solved by the end of the novella, this is a calculated plan of action on the part of the author. A sufficient number of mysteries are resolved to leave the reader satisfied with the story, but enough are left unresolved to spur interest in future installments of the series. I know that I’m hooked, at least enough to move on to number two in the series.

So, you may be asking yourself: If Vampire Shift has all these things going for it, why didn’t you give it five stars?

Well, the writing feels like it’s missing some necessary polish. There are pronounced pacing/time issues in this novella. While I know that I’m dealing with fantasy here, I’m not presented with a world whose time scale is noted to be vastly different from my normal waking world. The events I’m presented with in the novella, though, sometimes seem like they could take up 40 hour days… Also, the pacing of the writing seems to be out of sync with the pacing of the events at some parts in the book. It’s not horrible, but it’s not wonderful, either.

All of this, though, is nothing compared to the editing!  There are quite a number of typos/grammatical errors for such a short piece; they’re distracting. Also distracting, formatting issues, uneven indenting being the biggest offender. Quite frankly, the grammatical errors and formatting anomalies were enough to drive me batty (pun intended) at times… I’m all for self publishing, but not as an excuse for poor editing and presentation.

Overall, while the concepts, plot lines and structure of the story are all fantastic, the prose and presentation feel unpolished. Hopefully these will come with a bit more time. In the meantime – Tim, if you’re reading this – I’d be willing to lend a hand with the editing!

The cover art that appears as part of this review remains under the protection of the original copyright owner.  It is used here in accordance with fair use guidelines.  If you are the copyright owner and you would like this image removed, please contact me.

Title: InheritanceSeries: Dominion::#1Author: Lissa KaseyFormat: Kindle eBookOverall rating: 4 (out of 5)

Ok. Confession time. This was my first ever romance novel! And I really enjoyed it…

Did I just say that?! Yes; yes, I did.

My mother was a really big . . . → Read More: bookmarked: Inheritance]]> Fell off the radar for a bit there, didn’t I?  Sorry…

Title: Inheritance
Series: Dominion::#1
Author: Lissa Kasey
Format: Kindle eBook
Overall rating: 4 (out of 5)

Ok. Confession time. This was my first ever romance novel! And I really enjoyed it…

Did I just say that?! Yes; yes, I did.

My mother was a really big fan of romances, although not of the m/m variety, at least not that I’m aware of. Nonetheless, the family teased her a bit for it, always referring to her “smut” books as if they were somehow lower-class literature compared to our other reading interests. You know, because murder mystery, sci fi and fantasy novels are way up there on the quality literature scale…

Anywho, I for one have to eat my words. I really enjoyed this novel. The relationships between the characters seem real and they cover a wide range. I also enjoyed the world that Kasey created for the book (and hopefully series…). While we only get a few details in this book, I look forward to what the world could become given development over several books.

I’m an avid fan of fantasy novels, so I think that the paranormal aspects of this romance novel really helped draw me in and keep me interested. I think that I’ll have to find some other works that have these same aspects moving forward. Although, I should probably also try out some other sub-genres within m/m romance to see if there are other threads I’d be interested in following.

I also have to admit that I was a bit skeptical going into this novel, as the m/m romance genre seems to be dominated by heterosexual female authors and audience members. As a gay man, I wasn’t sure that novels in this genre would really appeal to me and be able to hold my interest; I was afraid that they would be too much like stereotypical heterosexual relationships that just happen to involve two male characters. While Inheritance had some of this vibe in the physical and emotional stereotypically-feminine traits of Sei, the characterization made sense in the context of the story. I still have fears that the genre may be wrought with girly-boys that end up simply being stand-ins for what would otherwise be female characters, but I’ll have to do more reading before I can pass final judgement on this point. If there are more stories out there like Inheritance, though, I have nothing to fear.

The cover art that appears as part of this review remains under the protection of the original copyright owner.  It is used here in accordance with fair use guidelines.  If you are the copyright owner and you would like this image removed, please contact me.

Yarn: Lion Brand :: Vanna’s Choice [Brick (133)] Needles: Knit Picks 24″ Options Interchangeable Nickel Plated Circulars :: US 8/5.00mm Start: 9 September 2011 Finish: 24 October 2011 Made for: AndrePattern: Baby Sophisticate [Linden Down]Size: 0-3 months

Oops!  It seems the month got away from me…  No matter.  On with the show!

Have I ever . . . → Read More: FO: Rubber Baby Buggy Jumper (OK…Cardigan!)]]>

Yarn: Lion Brand :: Vanna’s Choice [Brick (133)]
Needles: Knit Picks 24″ Options Interchangeable Nickel Plated Circulars :: US 8/5.00mm
Start: 9 September 2011
Finish: 24 October 2011
Made for: Andre
Pattern: Baby Sophisticate [Linden Down]
Size: 0-3 months

Oops!  It seems the month got away from me…  No matter.  On with the show!

Have I ever told you how baby/child sweaters are a bit like crack for me?  I absolutely love making them!  Deep down, I really do enjoy making sweaters; I just haven’t brought myself to the point where I’m ready to knit enough fabric to cover my substantial figure.  So, little sweaters are where it’s at for me.  They are fun, functional and, above all, fast to knit.  Also, kids look adorable in hand knit sweaters!  Anyway, enough ranting on that topic.

This particular sweater was made for the recently born baby of one of our knitting group members.  The baby’s name is Andre and he is adorable.

I fell in love with this pattern while searching out sweater patterns that would be boy-appropriate.  (I find there are so, so many cute baby girl sweaters but so few fun, but not fussy, baby boy sweaters.  Do you have any that you would recommend?)  Baby Sophisticate reminds me of a smoking jacket; I just adore the shawl collar.  The pattern is free and easy to understand, with minimal instruction.  I made slight modifications to the pattern including paired make-1 increases for the raglan shaping and false purl-ridge side seams for a bit more structure.

Despite my typical misgivings regarding acrylic yarn, I knit this piece out of Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice.  While the person receiving the gift could totally care for handknits, there is nothing worse than trying to hand wash newborn spit up out of a wool sweater.  Also, who needs the added stress of hand washing during the first few months of caring for your first baby?  The answer, my friend, is: no one!  I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the yarn, as I always am when I use it.  The squeak factor is still there, but with nothing close to the viciousness of Red Heart.  In addition, the drape and feeling next to the skin are quite nice.

Although the project dates don’t reflect it, this was a very quick knit.  I kind of put off knitting on the button band/collar for the longest time.  I’m not really sure why.  Most likely I was simply distracted by other projects…

Overall, I really enjoyed knitting this sweater, and the new parents seem to love it.  Also, I got to use some buttons from the button stash I inherited from my mother:

What more could you really ask for?

PS  I have such are hard time photographing red.  Does anyone have any tips?

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn :: Sock [Turner (851)] Needles: Knit Picks Nickel Plated 6″ DPNs :: US 1/2.25mm; Knit Picks Nickel Plated 6″ DPNs :: US 2/2.75mm [cast on] Start: 1 January 2011 Finish: 31 October 2011 Made for: mePattern: Hayrick Socks [Anne Hanson]Size: XL

Holy crap!  It’s been way, way too long since . . . → Read More: FO: 2011.01]]>

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn :: Sock [Turner (851)]
Needles: Knit Picks Nickel Plated 6″ DPNs :: US 1/2.25mm; Knit Picks Nickel Plated 6″ DPNs :: US 2/2.75mm [cast on]
Start: 1 January 2011
Finish: 31 October 2011
Made for: me
Pattern: Hayrick Socks [Anne Hanson]
Size: XL

Holy crap!  It’s been way, way too long since I did one of these FO posts.  It is true that knitting production has been down for a while, but not that down…

Mostly, there are two hurdles I find to making FO posts happen:

1. Lack of motivation… to block!  I feel like blocking is a process that takes so long.  All that drying time.  So, instead I let things sit around unused.  Like letting objects sit around without blocking will somehow take less time…  Gotta work on that.
2. Photo shoots!  I feel a compulsion to have photos of my finished objects that are as lovely as I can make them.  For me, this means a few elements need to be present: daylight, motivation and means.  These rarely occur all at once.  Perhaps I will need to start employing others in this process…  That will make some shoots a bit easier, especially for those awkward angles on garments.

Anywho, onto info about the finished object!

First, the yarn: The Malabrigo Sock yarn was absolutely lovely. The colorway is gorgeous, although so varied that one sock is noticeably darker than the other:

I’m still in love with the color, despite this quirky coloring anomaly.  In addition to the color, the yarn was such a pleasure to work with!  It creates a nice even fabric with great stitch definition.  Overall, it really worked well with this pattern.

The pattern: This is my first Anne Hanson pattern!  I fell in love with this pattern when I first saw it in the knitspot shop; I had to have it.  Luckily, it was gifted to me during one of my knitting group’s gift exchanges.  (Thank you, Jessica!  Sorry it took me so long to get around to knitting them…)  The pattern is well written and easy to follow, even if your relatively new to sock knitting like me.  I did make some modifications, as is usual for me.  I just cannot leave well enough alone.  First, an eye of partridge heel:

because, apparently, I cannot help myself!  And a toe modified to fit my foot a bit better than the original:

So far, without fail, I’ve found most sock pattern toes to be written for people whose toes are decidedly more pointy than my own.  Perhaps I’m some sort of freak of nature.  Oh well!

As you can probably tell from the project name, 2011.01, these were supposed to be the first of many pairs of socks knit this year.  That didn’t happen, obviously.  I’m hoping that my year of socks goes a bit better, though…  I’m already working my way down the gusset of the first sock in Red Bull, my first year of socks project.  That’s a very good sign.

Overall, I’m totally in love with these socks.  Although, I think they are a tad big.  I’d like to knit this pattern again.  Perhaps next time, I will knit the large size instead of the x-large.  With the amount of stretch the pattern has, they should still fit and bit a little more snug…  theoretically…

Here are some more photos, if you care to see more. Click any photo to embiggen.

PS  I used this new Mac app called Analog to modify my photos for this post.  What do you think?  I kind of like the film-like effects…

The goal?  To finish knitting one pair of socks per month for the next year, starting in November.  Finishing UFOs will count.

First up: . . . → Read More: a year of socks]]> I need more hand knit socks.  It has been decided.  The only way that this is going to happen, though, is if I knit them.  Hence, a year of socks.

The goal?  To finish knitting one pair of socks per month for the next year, starting in November.  Finishing UFOs will count.

First up: Java Socks out of:

The Sanguine Gryphon’s Little Traveller, Rojas coloroway

I’ll be casting on on Tuesday!

Now that that is over with, let’s move on to something fun.  Meet The Branchs:

The Branchs, a family of nudibranchs, were my house color project for this year’s trip to the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival.  This year’s color was orange.

Want a . . . → Read More: Meet The Branchs!]]> <insert some lame excuse for my absence>

Now that that is over with, let’s move on to something fun.  Meet The Branchs:

The Branchs, a family of nudibranchs, were my house color project for this year’s trip to the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival.  This year’s color was orange.

Want a closer look?  Click any photo to embiggen.

Semi-complete details to come in a FO post shortly.

Oh, also: Hi!  How’ve you been?  I’ve missed you dearly.

ETYMOLOGY: [1911]

13/52 : Charte canadienne des droits et libertés – Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms from Flickr user Eric Constantineau

Confused? . . . → Read More: Photographic Friday: self-incrimination]]> self-incrimination \-ˌkri-mə-ˈnā-shən\ noun

1. incrimination of oneself; specifically: the giving of testimony which will likely subject one to criminal prosecution

ETYMOLOGY: [1911]

13/52 : Charte canadienne des droits et libertés – Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
from Flickr user Eric Constantineau

Confused? Don’t be; check out what this post is about by reading up on the concept behind Photographic Friday.

This photograph is protected by a Creative Commons license held by the author. All rights under this license are retained by the author. For more information regarding the particular license protecting this photograph, please click here. If this is your photograph and you’d prefer to have it removed from my site, please email me at habbitualaddict [at] gmail [dot] com.

Definition retrieved from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary on 7 July 2011.

PS  I apologize for the prolonged blog silence.  Camping carved out a bigger space in my life than I thought it would… not that I’m complaining.  I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things and should be posting more regularly again next week.