fourth edition

Being ill has its benefits. Last time I was stuck in bed for more than two days in a row, I ploughed through Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell which I had previously failed to get into (the plot starts unfolding one-third through the novel). This time around I am knitting whilst listening to podcasts on [...]

The Guardian is running a series of semi-humourous columns called This Column Will Change Your Life and I hit upon It’s Not Easy Always Being Right the other night. I don’t think I’m always right – I live in  shades of grey – but I know that I often feel like I’m outsmarting people (mostly [...]

An assortment of various links for your pleasure.

Dicey knitting – for the ones among us who like to throw dice when we need to make a decision. “Start with the Ivory Cube — it will tell if you you knit, purl, slip, increase, decrease, or cable/twist. This is where you Impose Chaos“. Thanks, L.
Golden silk [...]

I haven’t done one of these in ages. Also: insomnia has struck.

This is my new favourite cartoon. Strong words lurk within, beware.
Robert Barclay Allardice – The Celebrated Pedestrian: “His most famous feat was the walking of 1,000 miles (1,600 km) in 1000 hours for 1000 guineas in 1809.”
Fancy Fast Food: “Yeah, it’s still bad for you, but [...]

This year’s Worldwide Knitting in Public event in Glasgow is going to take place on Saturday the 13th of June in the Kelvingrove Rockery, Kelvingrove Park at 1pm.
We’ll be having a picnic, so bring blankets, water, sunscreen(!), knitting/crocheting projects and something to nibble on.  In case of rain, the tentative backup plan is to meet [...]

There she is, that Ishbel.
The shawl blocked out beautifully and post-blocking I only had it in the house for about an hour before sending it across the Atlantic to a friend who needs a big hug.
So, yes, I was very pleased with the finished object – it looks lovely, works out larger than you think [...]

Link dump day!
+ Europe, Explained: a nice map which summarises it all for confused non-Europeans.
+ Puppets need puppets too.
+ Vegetarian-friendly roadkill carpet
+ The prettiest yarn shop in Denmark? I like my yarn shops over-stuffed, but if you like minimalism..
+ Sweden has its own Etsy-like site.
+ This is a real film: Tiptoes stars Matthew McConaughey as [...]

If you subscribe to my Twitter feed you will already have been privy to a major relationship crisis. Last night I was not talking to and was close to breaking up with knitting. It was bad. Seriously.
Looking back it was inevitable: it was late, I had been snappy most of the day and then I [...]

In January, Cindy Jacobs, a co-founder of an American prayer movement and host of the TV show God Knows, had a prophecy come to her. The voice of God warned Cindy about the troubles ahead for global economy.
And lo, on October 29 Cindy and her fellow believers went to Wall Street and prayed in [...]

I recently discussed Alasdair Gray’s fiction with someone who had contemplated doing a parody of Lanark for NaNoWriMo. I countered that Gray does such a fine job of parodying and plagiarising himself that it would be a moot exercise. 1982, Janine and Something Leather can be read as the latter parodying the former. Within Lanark [...]