tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56380573089956014972024-03-19T00:01:52.788-04:00Underneath a BookI majored in English and all I got was this dumb blog.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.comBlogger387125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-91440476765646744802012-06-13T11:04:00.000-04:002012-06-13T11:04:00.246-04:00WiP Wednesday: Introducing Catkin<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E7QtEw3KZj4/T7z7swkCyXI/AAAAAAAAC18/gpuA2kecD5c/s1600/IMAG0196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E7QtEw3KZj4/T7z7swkCyXI/AAAAAAAAC18/gpuA2kecD5c/s320/IMAG0196.jpg" width="180" /></a>I've wanted to make a Catkin forever, but could never find the right yarn for it. A few months ago, while I was picking out yarn for that giant green baby blanket that took forever, I stumbled across a sale on JoJoland Ballad, a solid, fingering-weight yarn. I picked up two skeins each of lavendar and navy, and cast on a few weeks ago. So far, it's going quite nicely, though I imagine it's going to take me a pretty long time to finish. It's knit at a much tighter gauge than I typically use, which means more stitches, more yarn, and more time.<br />
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I've completed part one so far. I love the way the colors look together as well as the overall crescent shape. I think it'll look pretty awesome-- assuming I ever finish it.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-15201055638897138742012-06-12T09:23:00.000-04:002012-06-12T09:23:00.722-04:00Book Review: Starting from Happy by Patricia MarxI'm starting to think that intended-to-be-funny books need to come with a series of codes on the back that indicate the type of humor involved so that I can better avoid awkward comedies of neuroses by un-funny Yankees. Try as I might, I don't find anything in that particular comedic vein (which also includes Woody Allen and David Sedaris) particularly amusing. Rather than laughing, I find myself rolling my eyes, all, "Seriously? That was a joke?"<br />
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I know that humor is largely cultural, and this may be one of the few areas in which I retain the cultural values of my upbringing (the other one is gambling: I don't do it, ever) rather than the more, uh, bougie ones I've adopted as a result of my high-fallutin' education. I wouldn't be caught dead watching NASCAR, reading an "Inspirational Fiction" novel, or owning "Red Solo Cup" in any audio format, but my sense of humor is just like that of the rest of my family's: very stereotypically Southern (if you're thinking Larry the Cable Guy, stop. 1) He's not funny. 2) He's a Yankee). You'd have to see us in action to get the gist of it, but it mostly entails incredibly cutting put-downs, sarcasm, well-timed happy hours, and, sometimes, things that could get us landed in a Jeff Foxworthy monologue, like shooting armadillos with handguns in the dark (my mom lives in Memphis, apparently it's okay to do that there) and riding a four-wheeler in flop-flops and a sundress.<br />
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Anyway. <i>Starting From Happy</i>.<br />
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Basically, it's a unfunny-neurotic-Yankee novel about weirdos in relationships, with drawings and obligatory self-conscious smashing of the fourth wall. It has a few amusing moments, but I mostly found it tedious. You probably won't if you're into that sort of thing. If you're still bemoaning the end<i> </i>of <i>Frazier</i>, you'll probably enjoy it.<br />
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I'll be over here, eating my fried green tomatoes and judging you.<br />
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3 out of 5 stars.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-1420099707473512902012-06-08T10:08:00.000-04:002012-06-11T09:19:07.303-04:00FO Friday: Three SkirtsOne of the reasons I started sewing again was that I had it in my head that making my own clothes would probably be more cost-effective than buying them-- unlike knitting, which is virtually never cost-effective in terms of the price of the materials or the amount of time I put into the garments in question. As I've honed my skills and expanded my repertoire, I've discovered that it's only partially true. Some things are cheaper to make, others are not. Here's what I've come up with so far:<br />
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<u><b>Things I Should Probably Buy at the Store:</b></u><br />
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<li>Knit garments of any kind (t-shirts/tank tops in particular).</li>
<li>Blue jeans.</li>
<li>Pants, in general, most of the time. </li>
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As a rule, both interlocking knit fabric and denim/heavyweight pants fabric are pretty expensive. If it costs me $10 in fabric for a t-shirt or $30 for a pair of pants, I'm better off hitting Old Navy. The fact that my sewing machine is a pretty basic model that isn't really designed for knits or denim is also a factor.<br />
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<b><u>Things that are Cheaper for Me to Make:</u></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Cloth sacks/messenger bags/purses in general.</li>
<li>Cloth scarves.</li>
<li>Most skirts.</li>
<li>Most dresses.</li>
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The only time skirts or dresses aren't cost-effective for me to make is when knit fabrics are involved. Otherwise, it makes much more sense to spend $15-20 on fabric for a dress ($5-15 for a skirt) than to pay double that in the stores or online. Then there's the matter of tailored suits: I like to wear them, and plan on having a number of them when I start My Real Job after I graduate. While suiting fabric and linen blends can be pricey, both can be had on sale/with coupons for $10-ish a yard, and since I only need about 3-5 yards for a skirt suit, it's way more cost-effective for me to go that route than trying to find something nice off the rack.<br />
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You'll notice I've left dress shirts and shorts out of the equation altogether. I don't typically wear shorts (though I suspect they're cost-effective to sew because they require so little fabric relative to pants), and I'm kind of iffy on my ability to make anything that involves set-in sleeves at this point. All of the dresses I intend on making in the near future are sleeveless, and I'm not sure that I'm quite there, skill-wise, where sleeves are concerned. Beyond that, there aren't a lot of shirt patterns out there that I'm really into, and I'm also not sure whether it's more or less expensive for me to make a button-down myself or to just buy them on sale from Old Navy, the Gap, or NY & Co. (On the other hand, having such shirts that <i>actually fit me</i> might be worth the extra expense.)<br />
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I've spent most of my summer so far making skirts, because that's mostly what I wear this time of year. I usually live in those knit yoga skirts from Old Navy-- I have six or seven of them in different colors-- with solid-colored tank tops or t-shirts. In an effort to look more presentable/fashionable, I've decided to branch out a bit. The first pattern I've attempted can be found <a href="http://www.mygrowinghome.com/2011/05/elastic-waist-flirt-skirt-inspired-by.html">here</a>. I liked working from it a lot; it's fairly idiot-proof and comes with detailed instructions and lots of pictures. Also, NO ZIPPERS!<br />
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I decided to use quilting cotton for the fabric. It's cheap (each skirt only cost me about $7 in materials), durable, and comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. I know a lot of people don't like working with it because it can be kind of stiff and non-drapey, but I've found that a good washing and some fabric softener go a long way towards fixing that. Also, I'm so hard on my clothes that they probably need all the durability they can get.<br />
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Overall, I'm really pleased with how they came out. My next skirt-sewing endeavor involves an actual pattern: very exciting, yeah?Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-57175880396154059382012-06-06T08:21:00.000-04:002012-06-07T08:44:10.236-04:00WiP Wednesday: Lady of the Blue/Purple Forest Shawl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's pretty rare that I knit for other people. As a rule, I don't have enough time to finish the projects I want to make for myself and don't care to add to the pile by promising friends and family members handknits. However, I sometimes find myself with yarn that isn't suitable for something for me, and that's when I designate it "present yarn."<br />
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This is Malabrigo sock yarn in eggplant. I originally intended to use it in a <a href="http://underneathabook.blogspot.com/2011/12/wip-wednesday-14552-stitches-edition.html">gigantic stole of doom</a>, but wound up unraveling it because the color differences between the skeins were too big and caused the pattern to disappear. I decided to repurpose it, and used about 2/3 of a skein on the <a href="http://underneathabook.blogspot.com/2012/05/fo-friday-clockwork-scarf.html">clockwork s</a><a href="http://underneathabook.blogspot.com/2012/05/fo-friday-clockwork-scarf.html">carf</a> I made a few months ago. The remainder of that skein will be used for some matching mitts, which I'll start sometime in the near future.<br />
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That still left me with one untouched skein, and I didn't want to use it on something else for me. Lately, I've been trying to branch out with the colors I knit with, and I do not need another dark blue/purple <i>anything</i>. So, I decided to make a shawl from it and give it to a classmate who 1) really likes to wear purple and 2) admires my shawls.<br />
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I'm not really in a hurry to finish this as I won't be seeing her again until August. That's probably for the best, as my knitting mojo tends to crawl into a hole and die when it's warm out. So far, I've completed the first chart (pictured) and have sort of started the second, but haven't made a whole lot of progress on it just yet.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-32209501208117426862012-06-05T09:07:00.000-04:002012-06-05T09:25:04.962-04:00Book Review: Snivel (Circles of Heck Series) by Dale E. Basye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't stop reading this series. It's a sickness that has progressed to the point where I <i>pre-order new installments from the nook store</i>, which isn't something I do very often (the only other authors I do that for are Toni Morrison and Lauren Oliver-- interesting combination, I know), and I'm sure you're all judging me for being this stuck on a children's series. I cant't help it, though: the premise is so creative and the books are <i>really, really</i> funny.<br />
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Since this is part of a series, I'll put most of the review behind the jump:<br />
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To recap: Marlo and Milton Fauster have died and gone to Heck, where bad children are stuck for eternity (or until they turn eighteen). They started off in Limbo in the first installment, and have since migrated down to Rapacia (Where the Greedy Kids Go), Blimpo (Where the Fat Kids Go), and Fibble (Where the Lying Kids Go), where they have wreaked havoc and righted wrongs (mostly(. The fifth book in the series finds them being transported to Snivel: Where the Whiny Kids Go. Snivel is a "bummer camp" run by Edgar Allen Poe and Vincent Van Gogh-- not two people anyone in their right mind would seek out for a good time. Naturally, the camp is totally miserable: the food is gross, the uniforms are ugly and uncomfortable, the weather is awful, and the activities are downright painful. On top of that, Milton and Marlo soon begin to suspect that the heads of the camp are up to something sinister...<br />
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In addition to the adventures of the Fauster siblings in Heck, <i>Snivel</i> chronicles several ongoing side-plots that have evolved throughout the series, and Basye does a really excellent job juggling them and interweaving them with the main narrative.<br />
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The series continues to be very amusing and highly entertaining. 4 out of 5 stars.<br />
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I'll almost certainly continue it to the conclusion. The next in the series, <i>Precocia</i>, will be released in February 2013.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-33885990902464593102012-06-01T10:53:00.000-04:002012-06-04T12:46:08.862-04:00FO Friday: Mitts, Etc.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dzObT2r_nsI/T7z70O2Fx9I/AAAAAAAAC2M/I6s1mA_4DcE/s1600/IMAG0197-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dzObT2r_nsI/T7z70O2Fx9I/AAAAAAAAC2M/I6s1mA_4DcE/s320/IMAG0197-1.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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Hey, look! They're done!</div>
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<b>Pattern:</b> My own handy formula for making fitted fingerless gloves.</div>
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<b>Yarn:</b> Filatura di Crosa 501, Color #600.</div>
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<b>Needle: </b> US #6 & 8</div>
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<b>Notes: </b>Next time, I think I'll use smaller needles. I like these to be at a somewhat tighter gauge. </div>
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<br /></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-25264614428833616422012-05-29T11:20:00.000-04:002012-06-05T08:55:56.896-04:00Book Review: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Setepys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before commencing this book review, I would like to let it be known that I am talking about <i>Between Shades of Gray</i>, <b>not</b> <i>Fifty Shades of Grey</i>. I quite enjoyed the former, and have absolutely no intention whatsoever of reading the latter because there are very few things I find less appealing than so-called erotic fiction, BDSM culture, and <i>Twilight</i>, and <i>Fifty Shades of Grey</i> is apparently a terribly-written mishmash of all of those things. After reading the excellent two-part review over at Book Riot, I feel that I can go the rest of my life without acknowledging its existence.<br />
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Moving right along, <i>Between Shades of Gray </i>is really an excellent book. I saw it while perusing the e-book section on the library website, and decided to download it because I was totally unfamiliar with the subject matter: the plight of the intelligentsia and their families in USSR-occupied countries. Lina, the narrator, and her family, are highly-educated, well-placed Lithuanians. After Stalin-controlled Russia annexed Lithuania, her family is torn apart by Soviet soldiers, who load Lina, her mother, and her brother into wagons and pack them off to Siberia (her father is taken separately).<br />
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Lina's tale is eerily reminiscent of Holocaust memoirs in many ways: families are torn asunder, innocent people are taken captive and brutally abused by soldiers, they must endure long rides in cattle cars with no food or water, and are eventually forced to labor in starvation conditions and freezing weather. Many, if not most of them, eventually die. In an effort to stay sane in that environment Lina, who had previously hoped to go to art school, spends much of her time drawing what she sees in hopes that she will be able to escape and tell the truth of what happened to her family. <br />
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Highly recommended. 4 out of 5 stars. </div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-11911875049818856132012-05-25T09:46:00.000-04:002012-05-29T10:12:41.524-04:00FO Friday: Envelope Clutch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Slowly but surely, my sewing skills are improving. I finished this bag earlier today, and am pretty pleased with how it turned out. I used Noodle Head's Envelope Clutch pattern, <a href="http://www.noodle-head.com/2012/03/envelope-clutch-pattern.html">which you can see and buy over here</a> (yes, that's the same place where I got the pattern for my Runaround Bags).<br />
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I'm really glad that I decided to make the Runaround Bags first, as that pattern is way less fiddly than this one and is therefore a lot easier to execute. While I wouldn't say the Envelope Clutch pattern is especially difficult, it's definitely not what I would consider to be a beginner project. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give it about a five if you complete it without any extras, and a six or seven if you add the piping and wrist/shoulder straps. As I do not have a piping foot for my sewing machine, I chose to leave that part out. I did include a wrist strap, which you can see in the picture below:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FAcYdbfYl30/T8TTaqyugeI/AAAAAAAAC3g/DHUfnh8xgiU/s1600/IMAG0209-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FAcYdbfYl30/T8TTaqyugeI/AAAAAAAAC3g/DHUfnh8xgiU/s320/IMAG0209-1.jpg" width="320" /></a>Overall, I'd say that my skills are progressing nicely, though some of them still need work. I've become pretty comfortable with basic stitches and techniques as well as ironing correctly, though my detail work still needs some practice. I'm specifically thinking of zippers as I write that; despite having a zipper foot and watching a million YouTube videos on how to correctly install them, I'm still having some difficulties with getting them to look nice. You can see how uneven the stitching is in this picture. </div>
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A word to the wise on the fabric allotment: If you want to make the smaller size, a quarter yard is enough for both the exterior, wrist strap, interior, and interior pocket/credit card slots. Personally, though, I'd recommend going with fat quarters, especially for the interior, as they'll give you a little more leeway (this bag was made from them, actually). If you decide to make the larger size, however, a quarter yard will give you enough to make the exterior, a small wrist strap, and the interior. You won't have enough fabric to make a full shoulder strap or the interior pocket/card slot if you only get a quarter of a yard. In light of that, I'd recommend purchasing a half yard of both fabrics if you're planning on making the larger size. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">That said, I'm a pretty big fan of the pattern. It comes with clear, detailed step-by-step instructions and has plenty of pictures and diagrams, all of which I find useful as a relatively inexperienced sewer. I plan to make a few more of these in the future-- I got a ton of fabric for dresses recently, and imagine that I'll have enough leftovers from that to make a few small clutches to match. </span><br />
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-1319248767014086862012-05-23T10:43:00.000-04:002012-05-23T10:45:01.528-04:00WiP Wednesday: Putting the Gloves Before the Scarf<div style="text-align: center;">
A few weeks ago, I decided to make a <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTclapotis.html">clapotis</a> out of some yarn a random Raveler gave me last summer. I have seven skeins of Filatura di Crosa 501 in the 600 colorway. Each skein contains 137 yards of yarn, way more than I need for the scarf itself. So, I decided to go ahead and make a set of mitts to go with it:</div>
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So far, so good! I'll be posting a picture of the scarf-in-progress sometime next week. I imagine it'll take me a good while to finish it; I'm only 1/6th of the way done as of now. </div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-24696539618318174452012-05-22T18:50:00.000-04:002012-05-23T11:22:05.741-04:00Book Review: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few months ago, I decided to turn over a new leaf in terms of how I choose books. Previously, I'd simply scanned the library shelves for something that looked interesting, occasionally asking for recommendations on Facebook and Twitter when I couldn't find anything or was after something specific. These days, I'm revisiting all of the authors whose books I have previously reviewed and enjoyed and am reading every book they've ever published. For some writers (like Michelle Goldberg, who's only published two books), it's relatively easy. For others, like Sherman Alexie, it's more of an undertaking.<br />
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There are two reasons for this. First, Alexie's written a lot of books. Second, these books are <i>really heavy</i>. Much like Toni Morrison, another favorite author of mine, Alexie doesn't pull punches when it comes to pointing out how incredibly screwed up and racist American society is, nor does he hesitate to honestly and brutally depict those realities in the lives of his characters. Reading their novels isn't just a literary undertaking; it's often an emotional one that can be more than a little taxing.<br />
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<i>The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven</i> is the third novel of Alexie's that I've read and reviewed on this blog (you can see my review for <i>Flight</i> <a href="http://underneathabook.blogspot.com/2011/07/book-review-flight-by-sherman-alexie.html">here</a> and <i>The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian</i> <a href="http://underneathabook.blogspot.com/2011/02/book-review-absolutely-true-diary-of.html">here</a>). From what I've gathered from reading the back covers and reviews of his other works, this is more typical of his style. Rather than a cohesive narrative, the novel consists on a series of inter-related short stories that center on a few main characters, a reservation, and a nearby city that touch on Alexie's usual subject matter: racism and the social problems it inflicts on the reservations and their inhabitants, and how tribe members try to cope with and rise above everything that gets thrown at them. Most of the things I liked about <i>Flight</i> and <i>The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian</i> are present here: the strong narrative voice, the intense social commentary, and the thought-provoking nature of the story.<br />
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Overall, I give this one 4 out of 5 stars. </div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-31613607312260056172012-05-21T16:20:00.000-04:002012-05-23T09:58:44.292-04:00Surfacing.I just got back from the final installment of my Child Trauma mini-mester, and am absolutely delighted by the following things:<br />
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<li>I made it through the mini-mester with my sanity intact (it was a really challenging course).</li>
<li>I now have three months of uninterrupted knitting, sewing, and reading time.</li>
<li>I also won't have to drive to Cullowhee for three months.</li>
<li>I will also have time to get this blog caught up on book reviews and knitting posts, yay!</li>
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I am seriously excited by all of these things. </div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-77725020409830033312012-05-12T08:49:00.001-04:002012-05-12T08:49:17.385-04:00Current Book Docket<div><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwznIiMTZJaOIcq9y39RHtF9rHBSvqxGZ6ifzNv4L49Ioc0KIcPFxPgzoZBU15x44qYesRCkV2FDNhcWoKBb74hB_4hsskSFLNHmKnD7mwLJT6S0r7zJYsWq9yqjyFz2MWgRdcTf66mk/' /></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com1Knoxville, null35.853615 -84.01674tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-62706727672688844482012-05-11T08:16:00.000-04:002012-05-11T08:16:00.363-04:00FO Friday: A Clockwork ScarfI actually finished this a few weeks ago, but haven't really had the chance to post pictures of it.<br />
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<b>Pattern:</b> Clockwork by Stephen West (Westknits)<br />
<b>Yarn: </b>Malabrigo sock in "eggplant" and "archangel" colorways.<br />
<b>Needle: </b>US #4<br />
<b>Notes:</b> I only used about half of the archangel and two-thirds of the eggplant. This scarf definitely doesn't use as much yarn as the pattern recommends.<br />
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I'd been lamenting that I wouldn't be able to wear it until it got cold again, but I got a chance to on Wednesday. It poured all day long, making it pretty chilly that night. As I had a (what turned out to be a non-hot) date and didn't want to drag my jackets and sweaters out of their storage box, I decided to bring it along. It was the best choice I made all day; not only was it cute, it was surprisingly warm for how thin and narrow it is.<br />
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Also, you can see my shiny new haircut. :)<br />
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Lastly, here's a picture of the scarf all stretched out:<br />
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Keeping your sanity in grad school isn't always easy. I consider myself very fortunate to have a number of hilarious classmates who keep me entertained and my head (more or less) together through the darkest, most boring of lectures. We pass notes, surreptitiously text, and try to quote gangsta rap when we answer the professor's questions without them noticing, among many other excellent (and totally juvenile) boredom-reducing endeavors.</div>
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One of us got knocked up earlier this year, and I decided to make her a blanket for the baby. Sort of a "Thanks for being such an awesome classmate, sorry you're due at the beginning of the semester" present. I'm exactly two-thirds of the way done:</div>
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Hopefully, I'll be able to finish it early next week and get it blocked. While I'm really liking the project, it's too freaking hot to be working on a 100% wool, worsted weight baby blanket, even in air-conditioned buildings. </div>
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<br /></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-51148954151223052922012-05-07T16:45:00.000-04:002012-05-09T18:48:10.739-04:00Slowly rising to the surface.Since my second semester and first year of graduate school ended on April 30th, I've spent a lot of time decompressing. As I've discussed elsewhere, going back to school has proven a lot heavier than I intended, both in terms of how the coursework has impacted my headspace as well as a series of interpersonal curveballs that life has thrown at me. On the one hand, I am incredibly, deliriously happy with the direction my life has taken. On the other, I am equally exhausted, stressed out, and anxious because so much is still up in the air.<br />
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It shows. I have dark circles under my eyes that are big enough to own property, my face is more broken out than it ever was when I was a teenager, and I haven't updated this blog in forever.<br />
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Hopefully, all of those things will change sometime in the near future. Now that I'm (temporarily) less stressed out and getting enough sleep, I'll start to look human again, and much of my summer free time will be spent updating this blog in a timelier fashion. My primary goals on that front are to 1) get caught up with the Feminist Classics Challenge for this year and 2) write up enough book reviews to last until xmas break. I'm also going to be shifting the focus of this blog somewhat, as I'd like to write a little more about my day-to-day life, the things I'm doing, and what I'm interested in beyond knitting, sewing, and reading.<br />
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I have more rambling to do, but I have a hot date this evening and need to get ready for that. Apparently, leaving the house in a towel with wet hair and without a lick of makeup on is frowned upon by most of society.<br />
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One last thing: I officially pulled a 4.0 for the semester. Because I'm awesome. Go me!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-49244184258348292322012-04-27T09:45:00.000-04:002012-04-27T09:57:45.578-04:00FO Friday: Two Bags! Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I may have finally hit the wall on the Runaround Bag front, which is probably a good thing as I am sick to death of bias tape. I'm pretty much convinced that it's Satan's toilet paper.</div>
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I finished the bag on the right last week. Like the first Runaround I made, both the exterior and interior fabrics are duck cloth. Unlike the first Runaround I made, I didn't bother interfacing the exterior. As it turns out, it wasn't necessary; the duck cloth is sturdy enough on its own. </div>
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The bag on the left was finished on Wednesday. I used cotton fabric from Waechter's (my favorite fabric store around here) for it. Since I tend to be pretty hard on my bags and use them to carry things like books and my eee pad, I decided to interface both the exterior and the lining. It took forever and was kind of a pain in the ass, but I'm really glad I did it. I think it'll hold up a lot better this way.</div>
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I also finally figured out how to sew in a zipper! I've been avoiding it for an embarrassing length of time, but decided to suck it up and bite the bullet when I was putting this bag together. Also featured: a pocket for my cell phone and pens, because I hate how those things always seem to fall to the very bottom, underneath two heavy books, a knitting project, my wallet, and my eee pad. </div>
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Next on the agenda: a few envelope clutches by the same person who designed the Runaround Bag. I've already read through the instructions, and while they're way more involved than those for these bags, I'm pretty confident I'll be able to achieve some nice results. </div>
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-77676692372959861162012-04-25T08:48:00.000-04:002012-04-29T12:39:22.757-04:00Today I thought I'd write about myself for a change.The semester is winding down, after all. I'm halfway through my last week of classes and my final week at my internship, and I am so relieved that my first year is almost complete. There was never any doubt in my mind that I'd make it through successfully, but this school year brought many more challenges, personal and interpersonal, than I expected and I got way more self-awareness (and related emotional discomfort) than I feel like I'd bargained for. It's given me a lot to think about, in both the best and the worst ways. I'd like to think that it's made me a better person, but it's really too soon to tell.<br />
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On the one hand, I'm incredibly glad that I made the choice to go for my MSW because I finally feel like I'm not only doing something productive with my life and education, but that I'm also really making a difference in the world and doing what I need to do in order to be fulfilled in some nebulous, philosophical, career-related sense. On the other, it's been very draining, emotionally speaking, for a variety of reasons. I didn't start school in the best of headspaces, a lot of my coursework has dredged up feelings and experiences I'd rather remain buried in the bottom of my subconscious's closet, and my internship, much as I've loved it, was a major downer (dealing with mental health and substance abuse in incarcerated populations is <i>not</i> what dreams are made of). Throw in the stress of continuing to work in the service industry in an effort to stay above water financially, and you have a very anxious, exhausted, stressed-out me who <i>desperately</i> needs a break.<br />
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Fortunately, it's coming. My last day of class is Friday. In between now and then, I need to write two medium-length papers, complete a take-home final, and take an exit exam with the rest of my cohort (that I am mercifully not expected to study for). I'm working this weekend, then I have all of next week off. On May 3rd, I am heading to Nashville to visit a few very good friends from when I lived there. On the 5th, I will drive north to Indiana to see my best friend from elementary school marry her college sweetheart. On the 6th, I will drive to Knoxville to visit my family. On the 7th, I will drive from Knoxville to Cullowhee to start the first class of my mini-mester.<br />
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The course topic of the mini-mester in question? Child Trauma.<br />
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The reading list for said elective in child trauma? <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">Working with Traumatized Youth in Child Welfare, Collaborative Treatment of Traumatized Children and Teens: The Trauma Systems Therapy Approach, and Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Child Welfare Professional.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"> </span></span><br />
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Yeah, I know. Four and a half hours a day of that for two and a half weeks. I'm going to be such a joy to be around.<br />
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Once that's over, though, I will have all of June and July off, and my classes (and shiny new internship!) don't start up until the last week of August. I don't have many big plans for the summer. Most of them involve doing a few out-of-town things (I have two other weddings to attend in May and an engagement party to go to in June) and working five days a week at my job that pays me. The fact that I'm excited about only working full-time and dealing with my volunteering gig is, in my opinion, a pretty sad commentary on how nuts this past semester has been. I'm also looking forward to getting some reading done (and book reviews written for next semester!), knitting a bunch of things, and firing up my sewing machine.<br />
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Until then, though, I have papers to write.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-41866416926422003902012-04-24T23:53:00.000-04:002012-04-24T23:53:00.142-04:00Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiQnzV1G9z-xDQP_mma9WnKJ8ykC3lAFDzE7dON10VwiprrjhcLK3_kqjUbgzvbE1viqVgzaETDCeUY9VshZaV7-91A6PPrNzkKeSk4oDRGgwwSf3_FV3-WlJWoXhebe8FZA6HYcw76M/s1600/Miss-Peregrines-Home-for-Peculiar-Children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiQnzV1G9z-xDQP_mma9WnKJ8ykC3lAFDzE7dON10VwiprrjhcLK3_kqjUbgzvbE1viqVgzaETDCeUY9VshZaV7-91A6PPrNzkKeSk4oDRGgwwSf3_FV3-WlJWoXhebe8FZA6HYcw76M/s320/Miss-Peregrines-Home-for-Peculiar-Children.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>I heard about this book from a facebook friend, and decided to download it when I came upon it while browsing the North Carolina Digital Library. I figured it would be a fairly quick, uncomplicated read, especially since I enjoy reading YA fantasy when I don't feel like thinking. <i>Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children</i> didn't disappoint.<br />
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Sixteen-year-old Jacob has grown up listening to his grandfather's stories about his childhood, poring over the pictures he has saved throughout the years. Born into a Jewish family in Europe, Jacob's grandfather was spirited to a lonely island off the Welsh coast, where he resided in a children's home full of unusual children. As Jacob grows older, he comes to believe that his grandfather's stories were fairy tales and the photographs were fake-- until his grandfather dies under mysterious circumstances. Haunted by the memory of his grandfather's death and the mementos he left behind, Jacob travels to Wales to uncover the true nature of his family's history.<br />
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This book reads a lot like <i>A Series of Unfortunate Events</i>, so if you liked that, you'll probably enjoy this. Full of weird, old-fashioned photography and intriguing characters, it's a highly entertaining light read. 4 out of 5 stars.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-26925626395811662692012-04-17T23:53:00.025-04:002012-04-17T23:53:00.301-04:00Book Review: A Million Little Pieces by James Frey<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPOdxyTE2xUz83Ez2xeS2G_n6Fw9o0YIcMyCcZvpYSF6ob39cs0DPjsj_BKyDtiW1kMwQZg5h1fFAvBStVnBeSgNtqr5VwYRH8E2JkwJ8UdffuG_pth49HisUqHZ7CqNohL9U7nTDRaM/s1600/amillionlittlepieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPOdxyTE2xUz83Ez2xeS2G_n6Fw9o0YIcMyCcZvpYSF6ob39cs0DPjsj_BKyDtiW1kMwQZg5h1fFAvBStVnBeSgNtqr5VwYRH8E2JkwJ8UdffuG_pth49HisUqHZ7CqNohL9U7nTDRaM/s320/amillionlittlepieces.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Confession: I'm not really into memoirs. As far as genres go, they rank below everything except for crimesploitation, bodice rippers, sexy supernatural creatures (exception: <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>), and anything involving dragons (this includes tattoos) or spaceships, tying roughly with chick lit. I have a variety of reasons for that, but that's mostly because autobiographers tend to be navel-gazing, self-important liars. Or, more kindly, truth-stretchers. When I read an autobiography, I assume that a good part of it is at least exaggerated, and it has served me well over the years.<br />
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</div><div>Apparently, James Frey embodies all of those negative aspects of autobiographers and is gigantic, plagiarizing jackass to boot. This is good, because it means I don't have to feel bad about thinking that <i>A Million Little Pieces </i>was freaking terrible and that he's a godawful writer. I kept finding myself wanting to take a red pen to the text and leave snarky notes like, "Dear James Frey, You are not e. e. cummings. Knock it off with the Quirky Capitalization; it highlights your Mediocre Writing and makes you sound like A Pretentious Jackass."<br />
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I also had a running monologue that was in the key of, "Oh my god, people actually believed that this guy was for real? Are you KIDDING me?" Like, seriously. People are so gullible.<br />
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2 out of 5 stars, because it's not as bad as <i>Twilight</i> and is mercifully shorter than <i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i>. </div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-78297295685397557072012-04-13T08:27:00.000-04:002012-04-13T08:27:56.240-04:00FO Friday: A bag for me!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qgjs7LWaGgE/T4gal_1snNI/AAAAAAAACyQ/Q37j2EzwxY8/s1600/IMAG0130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qgjs7LWaGgE/T4gal_1snNI/AAAAAAAACyQ/Q37j2EzwxY8/s320/IMAG0130.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>My runaround bag is finished! Yay! I'm really happy with it, especially since I had to learn a few new techniques to make it. I'd never used interfacing before (in retrospect, it probably wasn't necessary since the fabric I chose was more heavy-duty than the quilter's cotton used in the original), and I'm not super great at gathering stitches. I also used bias tape for the first time, and while I should probably rip it out and re-do it, I'm pretty pleased with the first attempt. Yay me, and yay new bag!<br />
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It matches my favorite red shirt for the summer perfectly.<br />
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I'm probably going to make a few more, but they will be sans pleat-- I don't like how narrow it makes the top of the bag. It makes fishing stuff out of the bottom more difficult.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-17074562350355302092012-04-11T21:10:00.001-04:002012-04-11T21:15:04.645-04:00WiP Wednesday: Sewing a Bag at Night Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Since the weather has gotten warmer, my knitting motivation has fallen off a cliff (happens every year, but even more so this year because it never got cold enough for me to wear my handknits much), so I've decided to use the time I was devoting to knitting for sewing a few things for summer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://distilleryimage11.instagram.com/4ac8f2c6843a11e1be6a12313820455d_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://distilleryimage11.instagram.com/4ac8f2c6843a11e1be6a12313820455d_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm working on a <a href="http://www.noodle-head.com/2010/09/runaround-bag-pattern.html">runaround bag</a>. Two, actually, but I haven't started the second one yet. So far, I have accomplished cutting out the exterior fabric and the interfacing. Next up: cutting the lining and pocket fabrics, finishing cutting the interfacing, fusing the interfacing, and putting the whole shebang together. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First on the agenda: bags. I love lightweight canvas bags (think <a href="http://bungalow360.com/boutiques.html">bungalow 360</a>); they're cute, colorful, and are usually big enough to hold the necessities: a book, my cell phone, my wallet, a knitting project, and my giant freaking water bottle (optional: small makeup bag, tablet, extra pair of undies, hair straightener). The downside to these bags is twofold: 1) they don't hold up super well and 2) I therefore have a hard time spending $20-30 on them. In the interest of having bags on the cheap, I decided to find a suitable pattern and make my own. The runaround bag fits the bill nicely. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/2137f222802011e181bd12313817987b_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/2137f222802011e181bd12313817987b_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I went to the fabric store a few days ago to buy some fabric for the bags. The red and the black multi are together, and the cream and the stripes are also together. I'm not sure what I'm going to use the apple fabric for; I couldn't find a coordinating fabric that matched it so I'll probably hang onto it for a while. Since duck cloth was on sale, I only spent about $15 on the fabric, total. With the cost of interfacing, zippers, bias tape and notions factored in, each one will probably come to be about $12 in materials. Way better than $30, I think, and if the pattern executes well, I can re-use it for birthday or xmas presents this year. </div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-47582488238315890982012-04-10T11:45:00.030-04:002012-04-10T11:45:00.107-04:00Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2LKyc09N4mHFCRyUqUDkyjIMONOHOZPRHF6JKsKr1hGMCkCA_9-K-ckMT0kcFszMA38QUltqxi4i_OCPDPgQmb0bC2T93DDxE6WGqXBopj-lmFwRlGcXz3kY1xNIOWaGJhjoT_RIYPw/s1600/matched.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2LKyc09N4mHFCRyUqUDkyjIMONOHOZPRHF6JKsKr1hGMCkCA_9-K-ckMT0kcFszMA38QUltqxi4i_OCPDPgQmb0bC2T93DDxE6WGqXBopj-lmFwRlGcXz3kY1xNIOWaGJhjoT_RIYPw/s320/matched.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>I saw <i>Matched </i>in the library about a year ago and considered picking it up, but decided against it because I already had a gigantic stack of books. I resolved to pick it up later and promptly forgot about it until a friend of mine mentioned having read it. She didn't particularly care for it, but since YA dystopian novels are my quasi-literary crack, I decided to give it a shot.<br />
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Like most of the YA dystopian novels floating about, <i>Matched</i> takes place in a world of extreme social control, and the main plot point centers around forbidden love and illicit words. If you think that sounds a lot like the plot to <i>Delirium</i>, you're absolutely right. The two books are very similar; both involve star-crossed teenage lovers whose relationship would undermine the authority of their society, and so they must fight the society in order to be together and blah blah blah.<br />
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The world of <i>Matched </i>is really similar to <i>The Giver</i> in a variety of ways: characters are scheduled to be born, attend school, marry, have children, and die, and job functions are assigned based on a series of aptitude tests. The high point of everyone's life is their Match Banquet, in which they are paired off with their future spouse. Cassia, the protagonist, is slated to marry her childhood friend, Xander-- but someone makes a mistake and she is also shown the face of a longtime classmate, Ky. Drawn to Ky, she makes a series of choices that threaten the safety of everyone she knows. It's a pretty standard plot and is enjoyable in a brain candy kind of way.<br />
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I much preferred <i>Delirium</i>, but I'm in the queue for the sequel, <i>Crossed</i>, so it's not all bad. 3 out of 5 stars.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-62776939065337235052012-04-02T00:01:00.016-04:002012-04-03T00:06:37.880-04:00A couple of blog-related items:1. I got a shiny new twitter account for talking about books, knitting, robots, and nuts. It's public and family-friendly! <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/abookworming">@abookworming</a><br />
2. I am way the hell behind on updating my crafts and book pages. Given that I update them on the rigorous schedule of "when I can be bothered" (which usually translates to "when I have to write a paper"), it'll probably be sometime tomorrow.<br />
3. The semester is over in a month, so I'll hopefully have more free time to write stuff here then.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-34077188610604668072012-03-30T14:04:00.001-04:002012-03-30T14:06:53.202-04:00FO Friday: Longest Scarf EVER Edition<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ha3YiCCUiZI/T3XUMncL-gI/AAAAAAAACwg/lo5bLTaq13k/s1600/IMAG0090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ha3YiCCUiZI/T3XUMncL-gI/AAAAAAAACwg/lo5bLTaq13k/s320/IMAG0090.jpg" width="179" /></a>Just in time for incredibly hot weather (to wit: the fact that I was wearing a tank top when I photographed it), I give you: The Longest Scarf I've Ever Made.<br />
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Seriously, it's huge.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefd; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Pattern: </b><span style="background-color: white;">Douma's Multi-Directional Scarf</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefd; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Yarn:</b><span style="background-color: white;"> Fortissima Graffiti Colori</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefd; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Needle:</b><span style="background-color: white;"> US #6</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Finished Size: </b>8" x 9'4". </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;">I really love how it turned out. I blccked it pretty strongly, making the fabric thinner so that I can wrap it multiple times without getting too hot. I love the way it turned out, and am kind of bummed I won't get to wear it for months. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4oxZqjR0Ako/T3XVZOlsSLI/AAAAAAAACxA/aP0Uh54Jwwg/s1600/IMAG0007-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4oxZqjR0Ako/T3XVZOlsSLI/AAAAAAAACxA/aP0Uh54Jwwg/s320/IMAG0007-1.jpg" width="298" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;"><span id="goog_508436693"></span><span id="goog_508436694"></span></span>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638057308995601497.post-89162117628334364512012-03-28T11:43:00.000-04:002012-03-30T11:46:05.693-04:00WiP Wednesday: A Clockwork Scarf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">New scarf time! Pattern is Clockwork by Stephen West, and I have just finished Section 1. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h2tLIVd-510/T3XUGTD5LzI/AAAAAAAACwY/8pArXWoBxjs/s1600/IMAG0098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h2tLIVd-510/T3XUGTD5LzI/AAAAAAAACwY/8pArXWoBxjs/s320/IMAG0098.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yarn is malabrigo sock. The dark purple is eggplant, the lighter pinkish multi is archangel.</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463109574999465752noreply@blogger.com1