Yarn and Books ... What Else Is There?

For years I've admired this simple brown shawl worn by Tasha Tudor. It features often in photos in Tasha Tudor's Heirloom Crafts, a book I pull out every summer as my autumn-loving heart longs for the cooler temperatures and crisper air of fall.

She pins the shawl in the front. It's  just a triangle, all knit, no purl. No fancy borders or stitching.

I mentioned a few posts ago about a shawl worn in Lark Rise, and I prefer that longer style that can be wrapped round and secured in the back, rather than Tasha's pinning method.

If you click here, you can go to Ravelry and see the shawl I'm making. I'd lift a photo of it and post it here, but my new photo situation on my computer is a bit more restrictive than before, until I completely figure it out.
I already had five skeins of this yarn that some nice person gave to me, and I like the color -- a deep blue/grey. I'm using it for the shawl.

 To be honest, I usually knit with acrylic yarn and avoid pure wool. I don't like things that itch or shrink. But this yarn is wool, so I'll need to be careful washing it. Since I want to wear it to work outdoors on our new little farmette, I like that the wool will be warm and sturdy.
I borrowed Anna's size 10 circular needles to accommodate the length.

It's coming along nicely, but I'm only on skein two. It starts at the top, at the nape of the neck, and increases with almost every row. A very simple pattern, thankfully. The little black yarn piece indicates that this is the right side of the garment. The white marker reminds me where the center line is, for increases.

And this is the little mobius shrug I mentioned before too. I got sidetracked with the shawl -- you yarn addicts will understand! I'll get back to it when the shawl bores me :)

And books?
At last I finished that book, Crete on the Half-Shell, which is mediocre. I gave it away upon completion to the borrow-a-book shelves at the local marine store. Sailors are always on the look-out for a book to read, but they don't like to accumulate too many on board, so they swap.
Then I started this again. It's been enough years that I've forgotten the specific story, and her writing style is always pleasing.

But then my birthday happened, and my loving mother sent this treasure to me! It's written by MFK Fisher's great nephew, and he addresses the year when the culinary stars converged and the great culinary minds of the time met in France, rather by chance, and what resulted. I love anything to do with Fisher and Julia Child.

I read before bed. On nights when my brain is sluggish and needs a little comfort before repose, I read Lark Rise. On nights when my mind is active and wants to be engaged, I read Provence. Healthy brain diet, you see!
I swiped this little book from my mother's house with permission, a few weeks ago. I love Elspeth Huxley. I love her writer's voice, her style. It's so safe to love a writer's voice. Then you can pick up anything they write, and know you'll enjoy it. It's exactly like meeting up with an old, dear friend, and enjoying their personality all over again. Rather than describing her childhood in Africa, this book is a simple year's diary of her life in an English village.

I had to look up the word 'gallipot.' It's used early in the book (in a quote) to describe the eyes of the local men. I'm not sure whether it's a compliment.
Adam and I took my usual bike ride wending through the village out to Whittaker Marina, to sit on their fuel dock and gaze at the river. We saw something, probably a sting ray, rise to the surface. At first he thought it was two porpoises. It was rather large. We continued to dangle our feet above the water.
Then the tow boat from Deaton's Yacht Service motored past us on its way to save some stranded sailor. It's called the Captain Ralph.

Do you have your fingers into any yarn, or your eyes into any new books? Do tell!