tiny happy

making journal

Spring hat
Holland rd bag
Daphne
Mustard seed yarn

It's properly spring here now – the first week of September – but we've had stormy weather with bitterly cold winds along with slightly lighter mornings and evenings. I hope you've been keeping warm, wherever you are!

My newest niece M had a small party to mark her 100th day on earth last week. I knitted her a hat from some pale pink alpaca yarn I'd been hoarding for just such a thing. The pattern is a free one from Tin Can Knits, called 'Barley', and comes in every size from newborn to extra-large-headed adult. I'm really pleased with how this tiny little hat turned out. Might have to make myself one to match.

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Tom has requested a handknit jumper and on the weekend we called in to Holland Road to choose some yarn. Tash kindly popped my purchase inside this great tote bag – yarn noodles + needle chopsticks! I know it will get lots of use.

And in other yarn-related news, I bought this beautiful Norah George hand-dyed yak/silk/merino on a destash page and have just had it sitting on my desk, admiring the colour (its name is 'mustard seed', which I think is perfect) 

I'm thinking this yarn would make very lovely socks, or maybe fingerless gloves? Haven't decided yet. And besides, that man-sized sweater is going to take me a while.

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This week I finished reading The Kindness of Strangers which is a memoir by New Zealand writer Shonagh Koea. I've read all her novels because I love the unusual style of writing – but think I loved her memoir even more, as it explains the non-fiction roots to her fiction, if you know what I mean. 

And I've been listening to the excellent and beautiful album LUMP, which is Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay. Thanks to Flora for alerting me to it.

In the comments section of my last post, Deb asked if I knew of any good podcasts at the moment. I'm afraid I'm not much of a podcast listener, because I like audiobooks if I ever have time to listen quietly, and music when there's no time or space to concentrate on a story. But I have enjoyed the Guilty Feminist and Tom is currently listening to one called Teacher's Pet. And I hear The Alice Fraser Trilogy podcast is good.

Do you have any suggestions for Deb? Please leave any recommendations in the comment section. Thank you in advance!

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12 responses to “spring things”

  1. Betty-Ann Avatar
    Betty-Ann

    A particular favourite podcast of mine is Adrift. I enjoy the focus on the way human beings stumble their way through life, inadvertently committing faux pas and other social hiccups. I also enjoy the long established This American Life, 99 percent Invisible, Radiolab, Answer Me This. An excellent infrequent local one is Gone By Lunchtime.
    You have probably already chosen a pattern for Tom’s sweater, but if not, I can recommend Cobblestone by Jared Flood. I made it for my partner several years ago, and it still looks great.

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  2. Candyce Avatar
    Candyce

    I love Dispatch to a Friend and Tea and tattle.
    I love the mustard seed yarn….happy knitting!

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  3. Ellen Avatar
    Ellen

    I’m listening to Teacher’s Pet as well though it is quite intense.
    I really enjoy The High Low, Love Stories with Dolly Alderton & Desert Island Disks. Looking forward to other recommendations!

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  4. muenzeeins Avatar

    Oh Melissa this hat is so cute! reminds me that Pierre needs one as well for this winter, Emma’s old one is too girly :)… might try the Barley pattern…
    on the podcast section, I’m enjoying a lot “yarnchix podcast” although it’s a lot of blabla, but I don’t have to concentrate on it and it’s just relaxing :), and i’ve been listening to a dutch one from time to time “winteruur” to keep my dutch more fluent, but this one might not be very helpful :)… lovely that spring is coming up at yours, here we’re slowly moving towards autumn, love that change of season, the colors :)… happy week-end! cécile

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  5. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    It depends what Deb likes- I listen to BBC ‘world service’ -The Documentary, and Witness
    ‘Pompom’, ‘Curious handmade’, and ‘Truly Myrtle’ for knirtting ones
    ‘Caliphate’- just started listening to this- you need to go back to first one. It’s a journalist who has managed to get deep into Isis and interview people in there
    ‘My favourite murder’ – An American podcast by 2 very funny but somewhat rude (don’t listen if you don’t like swearing)women who retell about murders- sounds odd but entertaining (?!)

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  6. michelle Avatar
    michelle

    To add to Susan’s list of knitting podcasts, the Gentle Knitter is great–she doesn’t post a lot but I always enjoy it when she does. If you like “Caliphate” then check out The Daily from the New York Times. It’s 20-25 minutes each weekday discussing some aspect of the news with a NYT journalist. You get a good sense of what’s at stake in the event they’re reporting on, the background to it, challenges in reporting it etc. Also I love Stay Tuned with Preet, which has Preet Bharara looking at US events, often from a legal angle. He used to be US Attorney for the southern district of New York (before being fired by Trump) so he knows what he’s talking about and he has informed and interesting guests on the show. The last two podcasts are US-centric but given the whole US-sneezes-and-the-rest-of-us-catch-a-cold thing, they’re helpful for understanding what the hell’s going on there

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  7. Meg Avatar

    For a long while, I was not much of a yellow person but I have fallen head over heels for mustard colours lately. The yarn is gorgeous!
    I am not much of a podcast person either, but a beautiful friend recommended On Being to me recently. I haven’t listened yet but thought I’d pass the recommendation on. Meg:)

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  8. Sally Anne Wastney Avatar
    Sally Anne Wastney

    The Kindness of Strangers is one of my favourite books, I read it several years ago, and after reading your post, decided to read it again….a very special memoir .
    The Fruity Knitting podcast is my choice of podcast currently, I think Andrew and Andrea do it so well.

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  9. leonie Avatar

    You are so wonderfully creative. I love visiting your space here on the internet!
    I am not really a podcast person, but I adore the Dispatch to a Friend episodes: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com. They have inspired me to write letters, instead of emails.
    I have added The Kindness of Strangers to my reading list. Thanks for the music recommendation as well.
    If I could knit, I think I would make long fingerless gloves that reach all the way to my elbows. Happy knitting, whatever you decide to make.

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  10. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    Thanks for this reminder that spring is here, always lovely to read your blog.
    I’ve really enjoyed the podcast Lost in Translation from NPR:
    https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510324/rough-translation
    It looks at how an issue or idea in the English-speaking world is being grappled with in a different culture. Like Anna Karenina in a Somali prison, Jane Austen in Pakistan and surrogate mothers in China.

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  11. Pam Avatar
    Pam

    I knit a Barley hat for my husband last year – great pattern. Also, Yarns at Yinhoo is an excellent audio podcast. I’ve been listening for several years – it’s my favorite !

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