A Week of Finishes

First up, I finally finished this pair of socks I’ve been slowly working on since August. ! They are the Daphne socks by Twin Stitches Design that I got from Knit Picks. I made them with their Hawthorne Kettle Dyed wool. This is my first pair of lace socks and I love them! I made them with FlexiFlips which are becoming my favorite tool for making socks.

I also finished up two books I’ve had on the go at the same time. The first one was “Hello Beautiful” by Ann Napolitano.

I thought it was okay. It isn’t very deep I guess. To me, it felt like some stock characters moving through plot points.

Of course, reading “Shuggie Bain” by Douglas Stuart in tandem with “Hello Beautiful” was not good for “Hello Beautiful.” “Shuggie Bain” won the Booker Prize a few years ago, and it is so, so, so rich and detailed and wonderful.

If you read about this book, you may be put off, thinking it is a story of the wretched poor in Scotland and alcoholism and coming of age as a gay person. It is all of these harsh and troubling things, but the characters are so closely examined, so specific, that as a reader, you really care about and love (or hate!) these people.

Amidst all of these finishings, there was a lovely turkey dinner with my family here at home, a trip to see a play, a visit to the museum, and another tour of the botanical gardens. This time, the garden was all lit up for the holidays.

It rained all the day before we went, and we had non-refundable tickets, so we were a little worried. But everything ended well! It was festive and fun.

I’m back to work tomorrow. The students and I will need to start slow I think. I know a lot of them will be glad to be back because they get bored at home. !! (The opposite of me!)

Of course, I’ve started a new knitting project and another book. (This time I’m reading “Western Lane” by Chetna Maroo. It’s on the Booker list for this year.) And I’ve got a plan to go back to the museum soon.

I hope all is well with you and that you are reading and enjoying many good things!