Book centric week

This week has been rather bookish. I'm working on a new book (my lips are sealed) and an advance copy of the US edition of this arrived (below, left).

   

I've been enjoying reading the two books on the right; sequels to Philip Reeve's wonderful first book, Mortal Engines.

The new-in-paperback book from one of my favourite authors, Laurie R King, also arrived this week. This is the latest title in her Mary Russell series and is accompanied by another pair of socks; finished except for grafting the toes. I got a lot of knitting done on these during another visit to Stash Yarns last week. It's a great place for hanging out with your knitting and the shop has wonderful yarns to fondle, comfy chairs and air conditioning; what more could a knitter want? As you all chorus 'more money to spend on yarn', that goes without saying....

   

Above, left, is Crazy Toes and Heels by Mary Ann Beattie (aka Queen Kahuna). I rather like the idea of knitting two socks at the same time and this book looks brilliant - easy-to-follow instructions and masses of illustrations. Above, right, are three skeins of Cherry Tree Hill Superwash Merino in the Fall Foliage colourway from Gill at The Woolly Workshop. The yarn was lingering in the Oddballs and Orphans bit of the shop and needed a home.... It's DK weight, 280 yards per skein; plenty to knit another Clapotis. You may notice a slight change from my usual purple/grey/black theme, but look closely at the yarn - definitely purple in there!

I haven't mentioned what I've been listening to on my iPod for a long time. I seem to be listening to the same few albums over and over this summer; they sound good in hot weather and work well for knitting on the bus. Fave of the moment is This Town, Lark Watts closely followed by Road to Freedom, Grayson Hugh (in spite of the awful photo on the cover!) with the odd foray into Cheap Trick's backlist (people of a nervous disposition music-wise should turn the sound down before visiting this site).