Threaden (a.) Made of thread; as, threaden sails; a threaden fillet.
Yarn (n.) Spun wool; woolen thread; also, thread of other material, as of cotton, flax, hemp, or silk; material spun and prepared for use in weaving, knitting, manufacturing sewing thread, or the like.

My knitting is slow-going just now. I’ve been wrapped up sorting crafts and other boxes in the basement, collecting things for an upcoming baby, and gardening.

Almost off my needles is one baby blanket in mint green with teddy bears. I would like to make a plushy teddy bear in the same color to go with the blanket, time will tell.

Next up (maybe) is a ducky blanket much like the teddy bear, only soft yellow instead of green. I would also like to make a plushy ducky to go with the blanket. Not that they would be inseparable, just coordinating.

Still no photos to offer, still no finished Spring Chick, though I have made progress on it. I’m afraid the fiddly work upsets my elbow a bit and until I go back for more prolotherapy I’m avoiding fiddly.

While not related to knitting, I have been slowly collecting scrapbook pieces here and there hoping to finish my (our) wedding scrapbook before our second anniversary or at the very least the arrival of Little One. I may be ready now.

Subtitled “Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life”
written by Jenna Woginrich

a review
I can’t rate this high enough. A must read for anyone who would like to depend less on corporate America (or any other country), our Government and more on him/herself. In a humorous yet factual manner, the author shares her adventures of moving, raising small animals for food and fiber (to spin into yarn), crafting, thrifting for essentials that need not be brand new and other interesting discoveries along the way.

a summary
The author shares her experiences and knowledge of learning to live local. She shares chapters on raising a few chickens with limited acreage, gardening on a budget, learning to live without modern distractions, and shares a wealth of research at the end of the book.

favorite quote
“Vegetable gardening has been called ‘the peaceful sedition’ because at the most basic level, when a person can feed and shelter herself, she doesn’t require a government to provide for her.”

Forever Lily discussion guide:

• Guide 1

a review
I read several reviews that were less than glowing for this book. I have to respectfully disagree. Maybe because I am expecting our first little one and while I do not know little one, I already treasure little one more than words can describe. I found the switch between the account of the events and the dreams the author had interesting. While I may not believe in past lives, it’s not for me to jump all over someone who does. The author shared deeply personal emotions as she went back and forth in through decisions about the adoption.

a summary
The author shares her account of events as she travels to China with her neighbor, who intends to adopt an orphaned girl. The events seem to change and swirl around the author as she attempts to understand her role in the adoption process of a woman she barely knows. She bonds almost immediately with Baby, while the adoptive mother won’t even hold Baby. She struggles with dreams of a previous life in China while seeking her path in the present day China and USA.





May 22nd, 2009  
Tags: 101in1001, forever lily, memoir, review

Day 4422 of captivity

9:10 am
They locked me in the pen again and left me alone. I really wish they would stop doing that. I like to ride in the car as much as they do. They take me sometimes, I like it when they take me with them, I get to put my head out the window and pant.

9:30 am
Freedom!!!! I’m out of my cage and get to explore. Yum, bunny fur. I’m going to scatter it all over the sidewalk and side yard.

10:00 am
Drat!! The neighbor kid spotted me in her front yard, must run faster. Hurry, hurry.

11:00 am
Drat!! The other neighbor spotted me and is watching me. I’m going to pretend I don’t see him and continue hunting butterflies, cowbirds and maybe a cat.

11:45 am
Thirsty, very thirsty, must go home and get water.

12:15 pm
Time to explore again, maybe the neighbors have gone away and won’t see me.

12:30 pm
Drat, he still sees me. He’s calling my name, I’m gong to pretend I don’t hear him. Oh noes, he’s following me, must head home, quickly. Ack!! He’s still following me, I’ll pretend I’m going in the house and waiting to be let in, maybe he’ll go away.

12:45 pm
I’m trapped on the porch, he won’t let me go.

1:00 pm
He put me back in the pen and duct taped the door close, I’m stuck here.

Water for Elephants discussion guides:
Guide 1
Guide 2

a review
It was a fun little story, though not especially deep or philosophical and a nice diversion from what I usually read, but that was the point of joining the book club. There were a few unseen twists. I enjoyed the author’s note at the end explaining where and how she developed all the intricate characters and plots.

a summary
The story is told by Jacob about his life before the nursing home. Near the end of college, a tragedy sends him running from college and searching for what he will do with the rest of his life. A traveling circus gobbled him up to be the on-site vet, quickly. In the opening chapter, a circus man is killed in a melee that may have been preventable. At this point in the story, I understood absolutely nothing of the character of any of the characters. I struggled trying to understand the death and motives. I spent over half the book quite upset and unwilling to understand the characters involved in the death. The half-way mark or so gave enough insights into the character of all parties involved to allow me to understand a bit more. As the story progressed, the chapters would flip from “young” Jacob to “old” Jacob (93 yrs old). This odd storytelling method surprisingly held my interest better than had it only been old Jacob telling of his youth.

In preparation for the release of the final book in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, I have been rereading the series. I am currently reading book 6 with the knowledge that book 12 arrives in the fall, well, book 12 volume one of three. When Robert Jordan died in 2007, his estate tapped Brandon Sanderson to wrap up the series for us. I laughed and laughed when we were told that all would be wrapped up in this last book. Sanderson didn’t want to stretch it out into several volumes. Before Jordan (James Oliver Rigney, Jr.) died, I had put the reading on hold half way thought book 10. I needed to know the series ended before I could read another word. With the series already over 3,430,682 words, I expected the series to finish with book 15. While I am disappointed that the series won’t end this fall, I feel much better about loose ends being tied up correctly.

Sanderson’s explanation

Threaden (a.) Made of thread; as, threaden sails; a threaden fillet.
Yarn (n.) Spun wool; woolen thread; also, thread of other material, as of cotton, flax, hemp, or silk; material spun and prepared for use in weaving, knitting, manufacturing sewing thread, or the like.

I haven’t posted anything knitting related in a while so here’s what’s on and off my needles in 2009?

• I made a pair of slippers for Granny, peach and white. But I failed to take pictures. I’m sure Granny will show if you ask nicely.
• I am working on my R2D2 plushy bot, slowly. Much like the R2D2 beanie, I am knitting in the round, intarsia style. I am sort of making the pattern up as I go. I purchased a collector R2D2 and opened the package. I’ll wait for the collective gasp to settle. I then measured in centimeters and graphed according to how large the final product should be. I’m probably about 5-10% into the project. I picked up some nice plastic bobbins, in Traverse City a few months ago, to make this project easier than the beanie. There’s a nice Ben Franklin with reasonable prices.
• I found a cute chick and egg pattern on a knitting site that I frequent. It’s an Alan Dart pattern, available on his site for free as of today. I don’t understand the difference between decrease by working two together and k2tog, so I’ve decided to make it up as I go. I’m probably about 5% of the way through this one.
• I have ten or so squares from a swap I participated in to collect blocks to make a blanket. I don’t know if I’ll participate in another swap, it was a lot of work to hostess this and it wore me out.

I have no photos to offer, check back next week and I might have a pic or two.

Through no fault of your own, I have ignored you. I’m sure you must feel left out in the cold as it was during the coldest months in MI when I stopped posting regularly. Please accept my sincerest apologies, I truly had not meant to go this long with out saying interesting things on a semi-regular basis. I feel like I should offer excuses that involve my wasted time at other online forums, TV watching and other things but I won’t. I’ll quietly accept responsibility and get back to thinking brilliant things on which to post.

Sincerely sorry,

I was unable to attend this month’s meeting so I cannot comment on what was discussed. I was a bit disappointed. A few people couldn’t meet last week so it was moved to tonight, but it was my day in GR. I’m not going to do a summary or review as comprehensive as the first book. I am unsure about the next meeting as I haven’t gotten the book from the library yet. I ordered it over a month ago and it still hasn’t arrived. If it arrives in time for me to read it, I’ll try to attend, if not, maybe it’s a sign *giggle*

My thoughts:
Several years before reading the book, I am able to recall the fuss generated by this book because of how the author chose to portray the Trinity, God as Father, God as Son and God as Holy Spirit. Many were encouraged to avoid the book, denounce it, and more. I didn’t store the title of the book in my head, only the supposed problems with it. In the Spring of 2008 this book was recommended to me by a friend, but I was chastised again not to read it for the theology, as if I am not a critical thinker. I was told it had an interesting message about forgiveness that I might find helpful. I read it and enjoyed the theology as well as the story. Sometimes being outside of the box is a good thing. I’m not going to preach sermons from it, nor will I probably put into practice much of the book, but the author certainly presented some interesting arguments for changing thought patterns.

This story is quite fictional, but the story seems real at times, too real. The author gives the reader a few opportunities to rationalize how the most fantastic of the events could have been less that accurate. I choose to read it as written, trying to take the fictional main character, Mack, and his close friend, Willie, at their word.

Mack experiences a great loss in his life which in turn leads to a gread sadness that he seems unable to overcome. While his wife has a strong faith in God, Mack’s life experiences have left him feeling rather distant. He receives an invitation that seems to indicate that God would like to meet with him. This is his journey to find God.

Some online guides for The Shack by William Young (spoilers possible):
Guide 1
Guide 2

A few weeks ago, my husband forwarded me an advertisement from a coworker of his inviting people to join a book club. He checked with the organizer to be sure that I could join and it was. Next up The Shack and then Water for Elephants. I’ve read the first and had the second on my to-read-list for a while.

Our first meeting was tonight, so I’m not sure of any of us were truly ready. We shared some thoughts on the book of the month, The Life of Pi and then did some housekeeping for future books/meetings. Some of the copies of the book had study questions, so we glanced through those and answered a few of the questions. While those specific questions are not online that I found, here are a few that I did find (study guides may contain spoilers for the book):

Guide 1
Guide 2
Guide 3

I offer a summary with spoilers because writing reviews is one of my 101 things in 1001 days as well as joining a book club. If you plan to read the book, stop now. Really, I wanted to use bold and exclamation points galore but decided against it.

a review
Disturbingly creative. The first part took a while to get into as it explored several religions Pi pursued as a child in India. Much detail is spent on describing the zoo and Father’s care of the animals as well as how humans should interact with wild beasts. Once the ship sets sell, the action starts and doesn’t stop until the end of the book. The author weaves a tale drawing the reader to desire only the best of and for Pi. A chapter of the current adult Pi happens every few chapters so that the reader knows Pi survives, appears to be happy, but is pulled in to find out how he arrived at his present circumstances. After the author spends several hundred pages describing the journey from India to Mexico, he offers a second story lasting less than 20 pages with similar details but differing main characters. The reader must decide which is the “better” ending, the “more correct” ending, the truth.

a summary
The Life of Pi opens with the adult Pi reflecting on his childhood with the author sprinkling pictures of who Pi would become. Pi’s father own and operated a zoo in India until he because upset with the political climate. While a child in India, Pi explored many religions hoping to find the best way to “love God.” He struggled understanding why he couldn’t be a Hindu, Muslim and Christian at the same time. He refused to accept they were so different that there was no commonality. His father eventually closed the zoo, sold the animals and loaded his family and animals on a ship to deliver the animals and begin anew in Canada. The ship does not make it from India to the intended destination. The ship and most of the occupants went down to the bottom of the Pacific. Much of the book is a story of Pi’s journey on a lifeboat for 277 days. When Pi first entered the small lifeboat, he was joined by a hyena, zebra, gorilla and tiger. After nature takes its course, Pi is left alone with a personified tiger, Richard Parker. He remembered training from his father and eventually “trains” the tiger to stay out of territory that didn’t belong to the tiger. Pi fed the tiger and himself from rations store on the boat as well as what he caught in the ocean. When he encountered another castaway, the tiger was not so understanding and devoured him. Somewhere in mid-journey Pi and Richard Parker encounter a carnivorous island, much like a Venus Fly-trap. They stay until Pi realized the danger and left with the tiger in tow. When he washed up on shore in Mexico, officials from the shipping company showed up to question him. He offered the above story to them, which they chose not to believe and asked for the truth. Pi offers a story without animals, where Pi, mother, the cook and a sailor are on the lifeboat until the cook kills and eats Pi’s mother and the sailor. Pi is Richard Parker, the tiger, and kills the cook when he can’t take it anymore. Pi leaves it to the officials to decide which story they like best.