Hermione Hat Pt.2 & What I'm Reading...

The hat turned out WAY too small (think child size), so I ended up giving it to my small-headed friend. Hopefully it won't be too small for her, but she's got a daughter she could give it to, if so. ;)

I've started another attempt, this time I went with a slightly thicker yarn and went a size up on my needles, and so far so good regarding the size. Maybe this will be the keeper! I like this yarn I'm using too. It's a pretty cream color, and it's got just the slightest hint of a sparkle to it, so it's a little magical, which is appropriate for a hat named after Hermione. ;)

Speaking of magical... I've also started listening to The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern while I knit. But... I'm only about 17% into the story, and I'm less than impressed.

I didn't really have high expectations for this book to start with, because I'm not interested in circuses, or carnivals, or fairs or other "entertainment" stuff like that... and especially not "whimsical" "magical" versions of those things. And I don't really care for unruly magic, either. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that magic constrained only by imagination and skill, without rules or boundaries, is boring to me... I've already seen several examples of this in the book so far. *sigh*
PLUS, the audio is read by Jim Dale, and I am not a fan of him. I don't like the way he reads at all, especially Harry Potter. This isn't so bad, at least he's not mangling voices I've loved for years inside my head, but I just can't bring myself to like his style. So... Yeah. Three strikes against this already, and two were there before I'd even started. =\

It's not really all that fair, but that's life sometimes, eh? LOL

That being said, I'm not HATING it. I'm just not really all that impressed by it. Maybe it'll get better... who knows? It's for my bookclub, so I'll finish it either way, and I'm sticking with the audio so I can multi-task and knit me up a hat! I'm a glutton for punishment that way. ;)

Wish me luck!

'Hermione Hearts Ron' Hat

For a while now, I've been itching to make this adorable cable and eyelet hat that I found on Ravelry, Hermione Hearts Ron, and now that I'm re-reading the Harry Potter series, and it's still cold, I've decided to just do it.

So far, I'm loving the pattern, though it is taking what seems like forever because there are so many stitches and the needles are so small that it seems like after doing all 132 of them to complete a round, I've added only about a centimeter of length. And to be honest, I am starting to get concerned that this adorable hat will be too small for my big head.

This pattern is very stretchy, but it still might not fit how I'd like, so if that's the case, I plan on gifting it to a fellow Harry Potter fan who has a smaller head than I do...

Here's a picture of the hat in progress (and sorry for the crappy quality - ipod pictures are TOTALLY the best... /sarcasm)... The yarn is actually pure white, not pee yellow. :P : 

Also, this past Christmas, a Secret Santa got me a copy of  Literary Knits: 30 Patterns Inspired By Favorite Books by Nikol Lohr. There are some gorgeous patterns in there, though I think that they are a bit above my skill level at this point. Anyone else knit or crochet, or quilt or craft or fabricate or make? And if so, have you made anything inspired by a book you've read or a movie you've seen?

Happy New Year!

So we all made it through the latest apocalypse. Woo!

Of course that means that now it's time for New Years Resolutions, which are inevitable and awful in their failure stats. I'm like 0 for 30. That's pretty abysmal.

And so, it's time for my obligatory quarterly promise to blog more. Wait for it...

.
.
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New Years Resolution: I'm going to try to blog more in 2013.

There. Wasn't that nice?

See you in April! :P 

Blah Blah Blah...

Yeah, so... No updates here in like... 3 weeks. Shameful I know. I've been in this horrible reading funk that I'm only just now emerging from. I didn't finish a single book from June 8th through June 21st.
It were terrible.

So, now that I think I'm finally over it (YAY!) I might just go ahead and post a review or something.

I know, I know... Try to contain your excitement, though.

R.I.P Grandma (1933-2012)

On Thursday night, my grandmother passed away. She was 79 years old.

She had 6 kids. 3 girls and 3 boys.
She had 13 grandchildren.
She had 25 great-grandchildren.
She had 1 great-great-grandchild, and another on the way.

My grandmother was amazing. She was the epicenter of her family. She was divorced, and with 6 kids relying on her alone, worked two jobs until she was in her 60s and health problems forced her to retire. But despite her health problems, she never complained, and she was never still. She cooked, cleaned, sewed, quilted, crocheted, made dolls, and babysat her grandkids and great-grandkids.

My grandma was also a miracle worker when it came to making do with very little to next to nothing. She raised 6 kids all on her own, and so innovation was key. My grandma could make full meals out of scraps. I remember calling my grandma and telling her what we had in the fridge, and asking her for meal suggestions. It would go something like this: "Grandma, I have 3 cans of corn, a sleeve of saltines, a can of cream of mushroom soup, mustard, and some chicken nuggets. What can I make?" And she would come up with at least three different meals that could be made with those ingredients. And it would always be delicious!

For as long as I can remember, I've never seen her house empty. It was always hectic with people in and out, kids everywhere, clutter and sewing supplies and chaos everywhere, and grandma in the middle of it all, loving every bit of it. With the TV on (usually to either the Weather Channel or a soap opera), with the doors and windows open, box fans circulating hot summer air, and a baby on her knee, grandma would be in her glory.

But I wouldn't want to give a false impression of her as a sweet little old lady. My grandmother was tough and took zero shit from anyone. If she had something to say, she said it. If she didn't like something you did or said, you knew it, and there was absolutely no confusion about how she felt.

There are lots of "legends" surrounding my grandma and her wicked temper and deadly aim. For instance, when my uncle was a kid back in the 60s, he liked to bother grandma while she was on the phone. She'd tell him to knock it off, but he was a pisser and didn't really listen. So, one day, he was pestering her, and she got tired of it... and so she whipped the phone at him, hitting him in the forehead, and caught the phone on the rebound without even missing a beat in the conversation. It didn't hurt him, but it sure as hell got his attention.

Or there was the time that my brother decided that he didn't want to march with his graduating class. He was adamant, and nothing anyone said or did would change his mind. So dad said that my brother had to OK the decision with grandma. So my brother says, "Fine. I'm not walking with them. I don't want to, and I'm just going to pick up my diploma and leave. Grandma's not going to change my mind."

So when my brother tells grandma, she says, "You're walking. Order your cap and gown. This isn't up for debate."

And so my brother walked with his class. There is no telling grandma no when she's got her mind set on something.

My grandma's wake is tomorrow, and I'm not looking forward to it at all. Not just because it will be sad, and it will be the last time that I will ever see my grandma, but also because my family can be very... difficult. They all love grandma, and unfortunately, they see it as something of a competition, which is frustrating, especially for those of us who live so far away and are sort of made to feel as if we're outsiders and interlopers in the family's grief.

But tomorrow isn't about them, it's about my grandma, and how much she was - is - loved, and how much she will be missed. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had her as my grandma and I will miss her terribly.

Love you, Grandma! ♥

I Found a Website Today... And It Is Made of Awesome

So, by some magical combination of luck, and karma and supercoolity (that last is my contribution), I learned of this site yesterday. I ♥ it already! So, I'm spreading the word in case there are others who haven't yet discovered this site.

We Give Books is a website where you can read various children's books online, for FREE, and simply by doing so, a book will be donated to promote literacy.

Can I just stress how awesome this is?

THIS IS AWESOME. You can read a cute picture book, click a button, and donate a book to a literacy program. And it costs you nothing but a little bit of your time.

Even if you're not a children's book reader, anyone reading this blog right now should be SQUEEing all over the place at how ridiculously, amazingly simple We Give Books makes it to put books into the hands of kids all over the world.

We Give Books has different campaigns with donation goals. You can choose any of these to support, and change them at any time. Their current list of campaigns include:
- Read For Central America (Goal: 30,000 books)
- Todos a Leer (Goal 20,000 books)
- Room To Read (Goal: 25,000 books)
- World Vision (Goal 60,000 books)
- Out of the Blocks (Goal 20,000 books)

 You can re-read books as many times as you like while they are available, and donate a new book with each read through. This is especially awesome to me, because I totally love re-reading, and I envision parents interacting with their kids by reading them a favorite story online, while at the same time teaching them both the joy of reading and the joy of doing something to help someone else. It makes me smile. :D <--- See?

Yesterday, I read and donated three books on We Give Books. Not counting review time, that's barely 15 minutes of my day.

Here are the books I read already:

MUST... NOT... READ.... THE SHINY!! (Yet)

Yeah... it's just like that.

I should be reading... I have four books going right now. I should be powering through them. They are GOOD books, dammit! But no. Instead, I avoid reading by looking at shiny things...

Better known as volumes 5, 6, 7 & 8 of Stephen King's Dark Tower graphic novel series.










So far, I have been strong. So far, these four are still shrink-wrapped, still on my shelf, still untouched. But my treacherous brain keeps whispering, "They are so short... think how quickly you'd get through one. No time at all! You are just goofing off on Goodreads right now anyway... Couldn't you be productively reading one of those volumes? It's Daaaaark Toooooowwwweeeerrrrr...."

Jerk. I know all that. But if I read one, I'll read the next, and the next and the next... and then my other books will never get finished.

*sigh*

Maybe I should put them in the freezer. O_o

My New Reading Room... err... Bedroom.

I do the majority of my reading in the bedroom. The living room is the Boy's domain... where he does his art, and whatever else it is that boys do. I do have a nice sunny chair in the extra bedroom, but I don't like to read in there very much... I like to sprawl out on the bed and read.

The problem is that my new(ish) downstairs neighbors like to have parties... a LOT... and they like to have these parties in the room directly below my quiet bedroom sanctuary. Unfortunately, it was too much of a distraction for me (seriously... it sounds like they play circus jug-band music every day... I couldn't take it anymore!), and so my boyfriend and I decided that the living room and the bedroom should swap places, because it doesn't bother him.

So we did... This has been a work in progress for 4 days now, and I've finally gotten things how I want them.

And it's nice and quiet and peaceful. *contented sigh*

Pictures below! Read on!

2012 Goal - No Re-reads!

You hear that sound? That quiet weeping? That's not the friendly attic ghoul - that's me. That's me mourning all of my favorite books for all of 2012, because I've banned myself from re-reading them.

No Harry Potter.
No re-reading The Shining, The Stand, The Dark Tower series.
Nothing I've read before... ever.

Dawson feels my pain. And I didn't even watch Dawson's Creek. That's how painful this is.

Shhh... There there, Dawson. I know. It's hard. But, we'll get through this year, Dawson. We WILL.

I mean, unless the Mayans were right. Then we're just screwed. O_o

Oy... Look at the dust in here!

Yeah, so... It's been a reallllly long time since I've posted anything to my blog, and... that makes me a lazy jerk.

I'm gonna try to do better, because... well I shouldn't be lazy or a jerk, let alone both at the same time. It's just shameful.

So, I'ma open the windows, dust things off, and maybe get off the couch...

Maybe.

I'm SAD... Help Me Move Back To Where It's Warm And Sunny!

So... I'm sure that anyone looking at my blog is wondering what the heck is going on with the Big Red Box over there... -->

Well, just lately, I've been really blahsome, not doing anything, staying home and just generally being... well not unhappy exactly, but that's part of it. I'm tired of winters that drag on for 6 months, and I'm tired of PA's 3 seasons (Fall, Winter, Construction), and I'm tired of swerving around potholes like I'm drunk to avoid the worst of the broken rims and alignment issues. It's been worse lately. I actually feel like I've had a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I'm tired all the time and never want to do anything. No energy, no motivation, just... blahsome. I'm just... in need of a change.

And lately, everything has been making me miss the south... Jen over at The Introverted Reader is doing a Southern Reading Challenge; and my Historical Fictionistas group on Goodreads is reading Cold Sassy Tree set in Georgia; and Flowers in the Attic, which I just read, features Virginia and Florida; and at work one of the Market Managers for South Florida told me I should come visit; and then I saw that my best friend from Florida is pregnant... on and on... So many things just nudging me to make a change. 

So... My boyfriend and I decided that we'd go for it. Move south. I am really nervous and scared, because it means leaving my mom, and my friends and my mostly secure job (in a bad economy) for an unknown.

It will be a while (at least a year) before we actually get things together enough to move, but I figured since I'm throwing caution to the winds just by deciding to go in the first place, might as well do the thing properly and beg too. LOL... I will be scrimping and scrounging and saving every penny I can... Looking under all couch cushions for loose change and selling everything that isn't nailed down.

The selling thing brings me back to why I write this blog, and because I don't actually like begging for money,  here's an incentive: Books. The purge begins. I will be posting a list of the books that I'm getting rid of at some point tomorrow. There will be lots. Most of them used, some new.

If you donate $10 or more to my cause, I will ship you a book from the list. First come first serve. Donate, then email me at EscapismThroughBooks@gmail.com with your book preference and address (US only please - sorry International people) and I will ship you your choice (or a replacement if that's not available.)

Good luck to me! :D

2011 Make-over!

So, if you've made it this far, you'll have noticed that things look... different. I have been seriously slack the past couple of months keeping up with the blog. I had the desire... just lacked the gumption. December really sucked the big one with work and personal stuff. Plus, with the exception of a few books (which shall be on the blog soon!) I haven't read anything worth mentioning here... Well, nothing that I haven't already sworn eternal love and favorite status to. Harry Potter, Dark Tower series, you know who you are. ;)

Anyway, so I decided that I would do a little redecorating and in a few minutes I will post my Friday Flashback review of The Name of the Wind, even though it's technically Saturday now on the East coast. Dates, schmates, right?

Let me know what you think of the new look! Happy New year! (I'm only... two weeks late on that. Who's counting? O_o)

Booo!

Just a quick post here to vent about how ridiculously sucky December has been on the whole!

Between work stress and family stress and most recently finding out that my boyfriend's mother was hospitalized due to a brain aneurysm (she's through surgery and doctors are optimistic that she'll recover - thank goodness), I feel like everything December has touched this year has gone terribly, horribly wrong, and I for one will be very thankful once 2010 is over!

I don't know what you have against me, December, but the feeling is mutual at this point. I say we go our separate ways, and soon. 

So, once again my well-intentioned blog plans have been thwarted *shakes fist at December* and I'm a little behind. I will try to do a catch-up triplicate Top 10 post tomorrow if I can.

Here's to hoping that 2011 is better!