Used

I have this thing about used bookstores. I just cannot stay away. Some used bookstores hold more interest for me than others, and while I have nothing against 'The Classics', seeing shelves full of nothing other really doesn't do it for me.

A good way to win me over is interesting cooking books. (I have a... compulsion when it comes to buying cooking books, I think it's glandular or something). So you can imagine my excitement when I founda book which claims to "[explain] things you need to know, and things to watch out for. There are plenty of things left for you to discover, learn, stumble upon." In my subsequent internet forays, I found that I did not stumble across some super-valuable holy tome of cookery, or some hitherto undiscovered work of genius. No, I found a very well known instant classic, apparently. But I do seem to have found a less common edition, because it has different cover art. And Oh! The art in this book! It is adorable, there are illustrations on almost every page (in a style reminiscent of my mother's, actually), and I would have nabbed this sucker for nothing else other than the pictures. It also looks to be a solid vegetarian guidebook (I am notorious for being poor at inventing good vegetarian dishes. They are usually... green, and kind of soggy.)





















Also, a book for sneaky organic cooks? I am so there! I am no nutritionist, but it seems to have at least a goodly amount of simple, sane, helpful health advice (it is about half chatter, and half recipes). It also has a chapter about reinvigorating one's... personal life through change in diet, not partners. The writer (Jane Kinderlehrer) seems to be pleasantly witty, and I am *so* sold on the idea of a culinary guerilla now.

Now, if there was one more thing I needed to cement this bookstore in my list of favourite time-sinks downtown, it would be books about knitting. While I didn't find any of those, I did find 'an introduction to natural dyeing'. I am not a dyer myself, but I know that there are people out there who are very much into natural dyeing, and this 37 page pamphlet from 1972 Santa Rosa, California looks like quite the little treasure. Oh, and if the colour plate doesn't lie, I wonder why people don't do this more, I am very taken by some of the colours shown.
















And lastly, it's sock weather!

Not Knitting

I haven't knit in a while, really. But since I feel a tad guilty being so quiet here, I think I should share *some*thing. All I have are doodles though, sorry!

The first three are shamelessly inspired by some of Lisa's (http://www.monkeybrains.net/~dietrich/musings/) work. And the last is just a little fellow feeling the seasons change out here.

Tree!

-Am working on first sleeve of The Tomten
-Sock yarn is wound
-School has shifted from Open, I mean, Midterm Season to apparently mass freak-out time. Less than a month until reading break, we can do this! (despite the papers and exams before then, but shhhhhh). My point is, it's quiet around here. There is a lot of sleeping. And napping. Much more than there should be, I imagine.
-Has anyone seen my creativity lately? I have been perusing Lisa's old 'drawing a day' set on flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisasolomon/sets/803513/). I am always [always!] hugely motivated and inspired by her work, and it usually gets me feeling like I could start putting some ideas together if I had the time.
-Have a tree?

A Knew Knitting Chapter?

The Tomten is now zipping along. I've finished one front and about half the back, and if I kepe putting off work tonight, I just might be bale to join for the hood this evening! (I'll grab some photos once it's more than a big hunk of garter stitch)

And is this not just beauteous? (and that spelling looks horrid, hmm)
It is Araucania Ranco Multy (colourway PT502, mrrrowr). At 344 metres, this just might become a pair of socks for *me*! I'm thinking toe-up (I hate to waste), with a reverse heel flap (always need to try out something new), and I might make up some simple patterning for the leg/instep.





I really do need to get a hold of a swift and ball-winder, because if this knits up as nice as it feels (75% wool, 25% polyamide) there might be more in my future.

Doodles

There are days where I just do not feel creative in the least. (This is one of those days) On those days, I usually end up filling a page with these funny little doodles. They originally started as greenmen (I can't find any of my old ones), but have since morphed into these squiggly, curlicue-heavy faces. They are all unique, and they all cheer me up a bit.





I have probably drawn a few hundred of these in the last few months, in all sizes and personalities.
I am thinking about mayhaps putting together some card packages (they are my standard gift accompaniments). At this point I am just a little bit curious if anyone would be interested in something like that.
Hopefully more news on that in the future.

I think I need to rip the Tomten. Serves me right for starting to knit before actually getting size measurements of the kid it's for. (speaking of which, what is a reasonable amount of ease for a toddler's jacket?)

The last thing I have tonight is a sketch of a discussion I had with a friend a little while ago.



(It was like there was an elephant in the room, smoking a cigarette and blowing smoke all about. He was wearing a purple leaisure suit, trackerd mud all over, and was humming a song that no-one else knew.)

(and yes, heavily inspired/partly copied from Gerard Hoffnung's 'Hoffnung in Harmony' which I love so much.)

Happy evening peoples!