Working my way though the DVD collection is proving rather enjoyable during lockdown. I spent a lot of last weekend's Bank Holiday enjoying a Star Wars marathon, now I'm onto old black and white movies. Last night, it was Lost Horizon, tonight who knows?
Secret Service [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Tom Bradby, narrated by Juliet Aubrey
The Great Train Robbery [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Michael Crichton, narrated by Michael Kitchen
The Body in the Library (Miss Marple) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library RB Digital] by Agatha Christie, narrated by Stephanie Cole
A Pocketful of Rye (Miss Marple) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library RB Digital] by Agatha Christie, narrated by Joan Hickson
And Then There Were None [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library RB Digital] by Agatha Christie, narrated by Hugh Fraser
How to be a Footballer [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library RB Digital] by Peter Crouch, narrated by Peter Crouch
Lockdown [Kindle Edition] by Peter May
The Snowdonia Killings (A Snowdonia Murder Mystery) [Kindle Edition] by Simon McCleave
The Harlech Beach Killings (A Snowdonia Murder Mystery) [Kindle Edition] by Simon McCleave
The Dee Valley Killings (A Snowdonia Murder Mystery) [Kindle Edition] by Simon McCleave
No Place to Die [Kindle Edition] by Neil Broadfoot
It's lovely seaside weather at the moment, warm but feeling comfortable because of a strongish breeze.
Hove seafront looking west towards Worthing.
One thing I love about Hove is the wonderful jumble of domestic architectural styles. This is St Catherine's Terrace, a stretch of houses along the main coast road.
I love the free Nightly Met Opera Streams from their archives. Each opera streams for 23 hours and because of the time difference, I'm off to catch up with Wednesday's offering after I finish this blog post. It's Puccini's La Rondine starring Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna from January, 2009. Pic is from one of last week's operas - Gounod's Romeo et Juliette - which had fabulous costumes.
There's been some crochet going on. This is my variation of Katya Novikova's Summer Memories shawl pattern. The body is worked in Wollmeise 100% Merino Superwash, colourway Ooohm, with stripes in Amazonas and Campari Piccolo.
That's about all I have to report. Life goes on much the same day after day and I'm doing my best to stay cheerful and keep busy.
A Silent Death [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Peter May, narrated by Peter Forbes
The Guest List [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Lucy Foley, narrated by Jot Davies, Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Sarah Ovens, Rich Keeble, Aoife McMahon
Original Sin [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by P. D. James, narrated by Daniel Weyman
The Lantern Men (Ruth Galloway Series) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Elly Griffiths, narrated by Jane McDowell
The Prisoner of Zenda [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Anthony Hope, narrated by Peter Joyce
The Mirror and the Light (Wolf Hall #3) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Hilary Mantel, narrated by Ben Miles
Penshaw (DCI Ryan Mystery) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library BorrowBox] by L. J. Ross, narrated by Jonathan Keeble
The Quartet Murders (A Yorkshire Murder Mystery #2) [Kindle Edition] by J. R. Ellis
The Murder at Redmire Hall (A Yorkshire Murder Mystery #3) [Kindle Edition] by J. R. Ellis
The Catch (A Slough House Novella) [Kindle Edition] by Mick Herron
Three Rivers [Kindle Edition] by David Blake
The Long Call (Two Rivers #1) [Kindle Edition] by Ann Cleeves
I'm making the effort to get out of the flat every day for fresh air and exercise. Walking the streets round where I live seems to be the best way as the seafront and streets leading to the sea are busy. I suspect this might change when the weather turns grey and rainy!
Yesterday's walk was along Eaton Road (how could I resist?) past the cricket ground.
The Sussex Cricketer pub is boarded up ready for some redevelopment at the ground.
i don't really mind staying at home (I'm over 70, so being very cautious about Covid-19). Self-isolation feels rather like working freelance from home which I did for many years but this time it's without the work!
My studio table is tidy and today's plan is to get out the pdf sewing patterns that I've printed on paper and stick the pages together. I'm in need of new clothes and have lots of fabric washed and ready to cut out.
Apart from sewing clothes, I have plenty here to keep me occupied and happy. Music, books, audiobooks are all essential to my mood (thank goodness for Spotify, Kindle, Audible and library apps) and there's a sizeable yarn stash to keep my fingers busy.
Black Summer (Washington Poe #2) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by MW Craven, narrated by John Banks
How the Dead Speak (Carol Jordan/Tony Hill #11) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library RB Digital] by Val McDermid, narrated by Saul Reichlin
Familiar Rooms in Darkness [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library RB Digital] by Caro Fraser, narrated by Steven Crossley
The Scarlet Pimpernel [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Baroness Orczy, narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt
King Solomon's Mines [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by H Rider Haggard, narrated by Toby Stephens
Princes at War [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Deborah Cadbury, narrated by Cameron Stewart
Wolf Hall [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] [Re-listen] by Hilary Mantel, narrated by Simon Slater
Bring up the Bodies [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] [Re-listen] by Hilary Mantel, narrated by Simon Vance
Come and Find Me (DI Marnie Rome #5) [Kindle Edition] by Sarah Hilary
All the Rage (DI Fawley Series) [Kindle Edition] by Cara Hunter
A House Divided [Kindle Edition] by Rachel McLean
Too Close to Breathe [Kindle Edition] by Olivia Kiernan
The Couple Next Door [Kindle Edition] by Shari Lapena
The Body in the Dales (A Yorkshire Murder Mystery #1) [Kindle Edition] by JR Ellis
I'm mainly a process knitter/crocheter. I enjoy the actual making of items rather than wanting the finished products. There are exceptions though. I knitted a Find Your Fade shawl (Ravelry link) for a friend's 50th birthday and hated the process (all those damn rows of garter stitch...) and swore never to make another one.
That is, until I tried the shawl on and realised I had to knit one for myself, this time in greens and purples.
Fast forward a couple of years and I've knitted another for myself. Mad or what?
This one's mainly shades of light and dark blue with soft, yellowy browns. The yarn ends are all sewn in and the shawl needs blocking. But first, I have to clear the studio table. I may be some time...
I'm much happier now I've had a rethink.
...than to start knitting a new design late at night when I'm tired. Looks like it's back to the drawing board today.
The yarn looks good knitted up though - it's Malabrigo Arroyo, colour 005 Aniversario.
Operation Mincemeat [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] [Re-listen] by Ben Macintyre, narrated by John Lee
Catch and Kill [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Ronan Farrow, narrated by Ronan Farrow
Cast Iron (Enzo Series) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library RB Digital] by Peter May, narrated by Peter Forbes
Solitaire (Clara Vine Series) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library RB Digital] by Jane Thynne, narrated by Julie Teal
The Devil's Edge (Cooper/Fry Series) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library RB Digital] by Stephen Booth, narrated by Mike Rodgers
The Stranger Inside [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library BorrowBox] by Lisa Unger, narrated by Chris Andrew Ciulla and Vivienne Leheny
The Order of the Day [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library BorrowBox] by Eric Vuillard, narrated by Leighton Pugh
Wakenhyrst [Kindle Edition] by Michelle Paver
The Quaker [Kindle Edition] by Liam McIlvanney
The Never Game (Colter Shaw 1) [Kindle Edition] by Jeffrey Deaver
Jubilee Library, Brighton, 28 January 2020.
Following on from my earlier post, here are the remaining books and ebooks from 2019:
The Body in the Dumb River (British Library Crime Classics) [Paperback Edition] by George Bellairs
The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (British Library Crime Classics) [Paperback Edition] by Leonard Gribble
Long Time Coming [Paperback Edition] by Robert Goddard
The Testaments [Hardback Edition] by Margaret Atwood
The Wych Elm [Kindle Edition] by Tana French
On Chapel Sands [Kindle Edition] by Laura Cumming
The Puppet Show [Kindle Edition] by M W Craven
Broadland [Kindle Edition] by David Blake
Moorings [Kindle Edition] by David Blake
St. Benets [Kindle Edition] by David Blake
Nobody Walks [Kindle Edition] by Mick Herron
The List (Slough House Novella) [Kindle Edition] by Mick Herron
The Drop (Slough House Novella) [Kindle Edition] by Mick Herron
Briarpatch [Kindle Edition] by Ross Thomas
The Ends of the Earth (Wide World Series) [Kindle Edition] by Robert Goddard
The Corners of the Globe (Wide World Series) [Kindle Edition] by Robert Goddard
The Ways of the World (Wide World Series) [Kindle Edition] by Robert Goddard
The People's Songs [Kindle Edition] by Stuart Maconie
Bats in the Belfry (British Library Crime Classics) [Kindle Edition] by E C R Lorac
Swan Song [Kindle Edition] by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott
The Last Stage [Kindle Edition] by Louise Voss
Frieda [Kindle Edition] by Annabel Abbs
Timeline [Kindle Edition] by Michael Crichton
Dead Line (Liz Carlyle Series) [Kindle Edition] by Stella Rimington
For several years, I've listed books/ebooks/unabridged audiobooks that I've read/listened to on Pinterest. No reviews, just pictures of the covers so I could remember titles and avoid duplicates. In the first half of 2019, I listed 64 titles. For some reason, books/ebooks I listed from Amazon were linked through to 'Amazon Fashion'. I've always been able to delete unwanted links; now I can't. So it's goodbye Pinterest...
These are the remaining audiobooks of Books 2019:
London Rules (Slough House Series 5) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Mick Herron, narrated by Sean Barrett
Joe Country (Slough House Series 6) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Mick Herron, narrated by Sean Barrett
The Infirmary [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library BorrowBox] by L J Ross, narrated by Jonathan Keeble
The Siren [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library BorrowBox] by Alison Bruce, narrated by Jonathan Broadbent
The Silence [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library BorrowBox] by Alison Bruce, narrated by Jonathan Broadbent
The Backs [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library BorrowBox] by Alison Bruce, narrated by Jonathan Broadbent
The Book of Mirrors [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library BorrowBox] by E O Chirovici, narrated by Corey Brill, George Newbern, Jonathan Todd Ross, Pete Simonelli
Me [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library BorrowBox] by Elton John, narrated by Elton John, Taron Egerton
Well of the Winds [Unabridged Audiobook] [Library BorrowBox] by Denzil Meyrick, narrated by David Monteath
In a House of Lies [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Ian Rankin, narrated by James Macpherson
The Cobra [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Frederick Forsyth, narrated by John Chancer
Dark Winter [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by David Mark, narrated by Toby Longworth
The Quest for Queen Mary [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by James Pope-Hennessy, narrated by Tim Bentinck, Gareth Armstrong
The Brothers York [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Thomas Penn, narrated by Roy McMillan
Original Skin [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by David Mark, narrated by Toby Longworth
The Stone Circle [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Elly Griffiths, narrated by Jane McDowell
A Dying Breed [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Peter Hanington, narrated by Jonathan Keeble
Travellers in the Third Reich [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Julia Boyd, narrated by Stephanie Racine
The Fourth Friend (Jackman and Evans 3) [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Joy Ellis, narrated by Richard Armitage
Sweet Little Lies [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Caz Frear, narrated by Jane Collingwood
Voodoo Histories [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by David Aaronovitch, narrated by James Langton
The Wall [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by John Lanchester, narrated by Will Poulter
The Night Manager [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by John Le Carre, narrated by Michael Jayston
The Nuremberg Trial [Unabridged Audiobook] [Audible] by Ann and John Tusa, narrated by Ralph Cosham
I thought I would take up blogging again where I left off in 2018. It's hard to believe that more than a year has gone past since my last post, in spite of lots of good intentions on my part. I'm a bit of an expert at putting-off-stuff-until-tomorrow.
So, what's been happening here? Nothing of note really - it's been one of those fallow years where I've felt as if I've been marking time rather than forging ahead. I've read a lot of books and listened to countless audiobooks while despairing about the state of this country and the government. And I feel it's only going to get worse after January 31.
In other news, I'm beavering away on several new knitting and crochet designs. There has been much swatching.
The models are now finished but instructions still need bashing into shape before the patterns are tech edited and tested. Why does everything take an age?
Apart from wall-to-wall Spotify or Planet Rock, my best listening during 2018 has been this:
Favourite guitar player plus brilliant singer plus damn good songs; Living the Dream has it all...
My best nine posts on Instagram this year are mainly knitting. No surprise there then.
From left to right, top row: Outlander shawl knitted several years ago and finally blocked, new design Colifichet, new design Wrap of Ages. Middle row: garter stitch wrap using oddments of sock yarn held double, Outlander blocking, Wrap of Ages pattern shot. Bottom row: Frankensocks, no-knead wholemeal bread straight out of the oven, new design Random Precision, large size.
I'm @wibboswords on Instagram if you want to check me out...
I listened to a lot of audiobooks this year, partly because I've been busy doing hours and hours of sample knitting for new designs.
My audiobooks of the year are Chris Ould's Faroes Trilogy, The Blood Strand, The Killing Bay and The Fire Pit. Matt Addis gets a special mention for his superb narration.
My top two fiction choices are William Shaw's Salt Lane and John Harvey's Body & Soul - both excellent reads.
Non-fiction best-of-the-year are The Spy and the Traitor, Ben Macintyre, and Viking Britain, Thomas Williams.