What I've read lately: The Winter Children

December 16, 2015

When I last posted what I'd been reading in October (I know, how long ago?) I said that I'd been struggling with a book. More on that later, but in truth it stopped my reading and I think I just got out of the habit...

Since then I've listened to a couple of audio books in the car - Rosanna Ley's Return to Mandalay and Philippa Gregory's The White Princess - both of which I was certain I'd enjoy and both of which I'd highly recommend. But I knew I'd need to find something to break the reading rut I've found myself in.

So when I saw the opportunity to review The Winter Children by Lulu Taylor I thought it could be just the thing. When it arrived I was immediately drawn to the cover, and like many have said before me there's nothing quite like holding a real book. But I didn't start reading just yet, I wanted to build some anticipation and let's be honest it's a busy time of year with lots going on.

Then last Friday I was working in another office and commuting by train instead of driving, so what better opportunity. I soon learnt though that it's a quick journey and there wasn't much time for reading, even though I did get a seat in the tube!

#commuting today with company #agoodbook #londonlife

A photo posted by Stephanie Robinson (@lifeat139a) on Dec 11, 2015 at 1:06am PST

But even after a quick read that morning I was hooked. I read it on the journey back and then again later that evening as I took the tube to my Christmas party. It was just that kind of book, one that as soon as it started you cared about the characters and their situation. I'll not share more of the plot than you'd get if you read the back cover, because I don't want to spoil it for you but the story is one of a childless couple who desperately want to conceive. There's strong opinions by one on what their next steps are and then a generous offer from a university friend which helps them along the way.

As the story develops it's quite clear that the generous offer was made with an ulterior motive. Does it pay off? Well that would be telling wouldn't it? Let's just say the book, like all good stories has twists and complications along the way, but I think ends true to the characters and not far-fetched like some can be, nor leaving you wondering like others.

Infact I enjoyed this book so much I read it in three days flat, even attempting to read it on my post-midnight journey home after the Christmas party. I reread those pages the next morning to make sure I hadn't missed anything and was pleasantly surprised by how much I remembered as I read!

So yes, I'd recommend this book - and I don't think you need to have been in a reading rut to enjoy it. As for the book I was stuck on, I went back once I'd finished this and completed that too. It didn't end as I expected it too, so I probably could have carried on before - but of course, I didn't know that at the time. I'm glad I finished it though as its not often a book beats me.

Thanks to Mumsnet and Pan Macmillan for providing a copy of The Winter Children in return for an honest review.

Blogging it forward with Wayfair and a stranded cyclist

December 7, 2015

As I said on Friday I'd seen the Blog it Forward initiative that Wayfair are running this Christmas and hoped to get involved. Wayfair are challenging bloggers to "spread festive cheer by doing a good deed. Deeds can include any act of kindness, no matter how big or small". I was mulling things over and wondering how I could get involved as for every blogger that takes part Wayfair will donate £50 to Habitat for Humanity.

Thinking nothing more of it we set out for a bike ride last Sunday morning. The forecast had said Sunday would be the better day, except it wasn't. It was windy and cycling was pretty hard work, especially as I'd not been out on my bike for a while. We decided to head up to Tower Bridge on the north side of the river and home along the south section of the Thames Path, reversing the route we'd done many times.

We went through the Greenwich foot tunnel and then as we cycled towards Tower Bridge it started to rain. It was so windy in some places that even in first gear it was hard to propel the bike forward, I seriously wondered what I was doing and if I was really just a fair weather cyclist. But we pressed ahead with wind tears rolling down my cheeks. And rain too, driving into my face. Nice.

Ahead of us we could see a cyclist crouched down by his bike. As we got closer we slowed to check he was ok, because let's face it no one would be stopping for a rest in the open in that weather.

We quickly learnt that his chain had come off. With one look at his bike - a step through fixed gear bike - we immediately knew that the hub cover would need to come off to get the chain back on. He seemed less sure, but with experience of this on my own bike we knew we were right.

He didn't have a tool to do this, but luckily for him we did. In fact we had two, as since this happened to me I've bought my own. So we set to work, and it wasn't long before MOH and the stranded cyclist were bonding over a bike chain, and I was given the important job of holding the screws!

And then it struck me. This was my small act of kindness. Yes it's small, but as I reflected later not every act of kindness needs to be a grand gesture and without the multi-tool to undo the screws he wouldn't have been cycling anywhere.

Thanks Wayfair, this is a great initiative and I hope that by bloggers spreading kindness you reach your target of donating £5,000 this December. The final part of the challenge is for me to nominate two blogging friends, so I'm nominating Lins from Boo & Maddie and Angie from Changing Pages.

Knitting a cosy scarf

November 30, 2015

Brrrr. It's just the weather for a scarf isn't it? And with some forethought I'd have started knitting one before the weather turned. So when Cosy Wool got in touch, I was pleased to accept.

So what colours to choose. I looked at the site with an open mind, unsure what I wanted. As soon as I arrived in the Double Knitting section I saw the Sirdar Crofter Dk wool and the gold - blue - brown - neutral colour way that was shown as the thumbnail image caught my eye, and it took me a while to identify which name it was. In case you're wondering it's called Lewis and the plain wool that I ordered is called Camel, also Sirdar.

With my order placed, I waited for it to arrive. And when it did I was in for a shock.

How clever! A vac-packed wool delivery from @CosyWool 😄

A photo posted by Stephanie Robinson (@lifeat139a) on Nov 5, 2015 at 10:04am PST

With the wool re-plumped, I couldn't help but notice how soft it was. Now what kind of scarf to knit.

I decided I wanted something "drapey" and not solid, but I also wanted something that would grow relatively quickly. I wanted something with a pattern, but not something so complicated that I'd need to keep referring to a pattern.

I decided on a simple pattern of six rows knit and the seventh with two stitches knitted together and then bringing the yarn around the needle, to ensure the 43 stitches I cast on remained there. The first stitch of every row was a slip stitch and that, I think gives the edge a nice crinkly effect.

I can tell you're impressed with my technical terms already!

I started with a large block of the plain Camel colour and was itching to start to use the pretty fair isle multi-coloured ball of Lewis. At 50g I had much less of this, so I knew I'd need to be careful. I also knew I didn't want uniform stripes, so when I added rows of the contrast I was careful not to overdo it.

My next question was how long to knit for. Well I decided on a practical approach, which didn't involve me wrapping the knitting still attached to the needles around my neck - ok that may have happened once or twice as well. I got out a scarf I enjoy wearing and measured that against the rug in our front room. I knew that I needed to carry on knitting for a while, but soon I wanted to check my progress.

So I carried on.

And eventually when I measured the scarf against the rug, and against my neck - it was scarf length!

I found this wool easy to knit with and often sat in front of the television clicking away, it was quite therapeutic and it's been a while since I've done a lot of knitting, so it was fun.

I haven't mastered the art of knitting and not tangling the wool, despite pulling the end from the middle of the ball of wool. So on a couple of occasions MOH was persuaded to unknot it all for me - he's more patient you see so is much better suited to this task. Left to my own devices after a bit of jiggling, pulling and wiggling (the wool, not me) I just cut it and then I stand a chance of untangling it, but it didn't come to that!

What I hadn't remembered was, that every time I swapped wool would mean a set of ends to sew in. With my scarf at it's full length and the majority of my 150g of wool used, I cast off and started to tackle those ends.

Look, this was how many:

Now, how to decorate my scarf. I know it's pretty as it is, but I wasn't done yet.

It was time for some French knitting, something I hadn't done since I was much younger.

With a couple of cords made, and a couple of buttons I made them into flowers. I have a felt poppy brooch and I've been wearing this on my scarf, so this was my inspiration.