Of Books, TV and, well, Knitting

So, I've been reading a lot lately. This isn't unusual (for those of you who know me!), but I've been in kind of a reading funk lately. I think it's because my time is so precious now, that I hate to choose between knitting and reading, and that I really wasn't excited about any of the newer books. I've been relieved of late to have found some inspiration, if you will, in the book world again.

I read Goodnight Nobody first. I blogged about it earlier, so I won't bore you again.

I finished Rococo on Saturday. Bleh. I was really disappointed. I really enjoyed her Big Stone Gap novels, but boy did this one suck. And I have to pay a fine because I turned it in late to the library (trying to finish it). I guess I just kept hoping it would get good, but alas, my hopes have been dashed. I hear that she's working on another Big Stone Gap book. I might try that one.

On Sunday I finished Cross Bones. Wonderful. Love Kathy Reichs. Have been TiVoing Bones, but have not sadly had a chance to watch it yet. (Due to the millions of other shows I have to watch, but more on that later.) If you haven't read Reichs, begin at the beginning, and read them all!

Also on Sunday I read Princess in Training. No, I'm not ashamed. I've read them all. And they really are good - frank, funny and refreshingly honest. They are not just like the movies either. This one is good - I can tell that Mia is growing up (she talks about SEX! And it doesn't have anything to do with knitting!).

Finally, I've just started Fire Sale, which is great, like all of Sara Paretsky's books (read them all too!), but it must be put aside so that I may attempt to finish The Big Over Easy before it is due back to the library.

Test? What test?

Oh my beloved TV. How I have missed you with all of your new shows this summer. Thank you for returning to me, with even better stuff than last year! All of my favorites are back - Lost, West Wing, Desperate Housewives, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, The O.C., Alias, and my new potential friends, Bones, My Name is Earl and Everybody Loves Chris (now you all know why we have two TiVo boxes.). Thanks to the magic of TNT, in just a few weeks we will get to see all of season 4 of Alias, while we TiVo season 5, before it comes out on DVD! Thank you TNT!
Let me just say - What the hell is that symbol on Lost? And - Logan/Duncan? Help? Love Veronica! SOOOOOO good. More people must watch this show!

Right, the knitting. That's what y'all really come here for, right? Well, the TV time makes for great knitting - I'm on the decrease rows for Clappy, and it is just churning along. It stalled for a bit while I waited for DH to wind the last skein of yarn. And waited. And waited. And then I did it myself during Gilmore last night.
I've been working on a scarf from the fringe Target yarn while reading (picture to come), and I finally pulled DH's second sock out of the basket, thinking I'd find that I had to pick up stitches for the gusset (for some reason I HATE this part),only to find that I was only four rounds out of the decrease after the picking up stitches until I could knit on happily to the toe. And this is GREAT reading knitting. Why didn't I think of this before? I made about 6 inches of progress just on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I hope to have it done early next week (maybe anniversary socks?).

One last note. The superpowers that be sucked me into Target last night (hey, I had to use the gift card I've been saving all summer to get season 4 of Gilmore! and it was only $39.99, with a surprise $5 gift card back! yippee! More Target yarn!). I had to get wedding gifts and too many birthday gifts. Some more yarn may have jumped into the cart too. I'm enjoying the fringe yarn, so I'm thinking it would make quick cute gifts for peeps.
And I found this.



I'll admit - I checked them out when I first heard about them. But $15-$20 for acrylic yarn and plastic needles? No thanks. But $3.78 for it? Hell yeah! Besides, I really wanted the bootie pattern! I'll let you know how it turns out (of course!).