Reading and Knitting (and Crochet, too!)

I've been spending time listening to audio books and podcasts as I play with yarn lately. Both are helping me to expand my horizons and connect with the world around me; because here, in the middle of life, when I read an actual book, I fall asleep! 

I have always loved non-fiction, but fiction re-entered my life when my granddaughter joined a reading club this past spring, and I asked about what she was reading. I hopped on Libby to see if any of "her" books were available as audio-book borrows, and lo-and-behold I now read young adult fiction! 

I have also rediscovered the books of my youth. Stories and authors I am comfortable with, in the way that I might be comfortable with a friend I haven't seen in 20 years but have bumped into while shopping. The books I read in the open, and some I hid inside textbooks, a little embarrassed that someone might "catch" me reading them. Catching up has been fun, and I kind of love not having to write the book reports. ;) But I have noticed some things...

In YA fiction, there are an impossible number of "devastatingly handsome" young men. There are also freaks and geeks, to be sure, but the hero is usually not that, and his appearance (and his kiss) makes a love interest go weak in the knees. Lol...

Language has changed since I was a young adult. There are more 4-letter words in the newer YA fiction (especially those that start with an "f"), which makes me uncomfortable, but which also seems to be the way of the world. I know this is the way young people (and older people) talk these days, but I don't like to think about my grandchildren with potty mouths...and these characters could be my grandchildren.  

Love is nearly always complicated by a problem that could be easily solved by a simple, face-to-face conversation...which has always been a problem in the world of entertainment. C'mon people. Couldn't the girl just say to the boy, "Hey. I saw you talking to Karen. What's up with that? It sounded like you two have something going on."? That might not solve all of the heartache, but some angst could likely be avoided. (I may have notes for Hallmark movies, too...oy!)

In the older fiction, the comfort from my youth, while the language is often tamer, characters and authors are sometimes problematic. They are also reflective of the time in which they were written...a fictional history of real-world problems. This doesn't make them bad, and it doesn't mean that we should ban these authors, stories and issues...and even though the world is re-thinking the attitudes expressed (which it should), it does not nullify their past and present existence.

As I read with the pre-teen and with the little kids in my life, I hope I will be wise enough to foster real conversations about what might work (and what might not) in the books we read. I hope we talk about why older books might be problematic now, and why they weren't then, and I hope they learn how to respect others and practice kindness when they can. I look forward to sharing ideas and favorite books as they learn and grow and develop their own thoughts and opinions in their ever-expanding world, and to seeing each light-bulb that goes off in these early-readers!

When they are ready to learn to knit, I'll be here for that, too! Have you read any good books lately? I'm currently re-reading the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and The Girls by Emma Cline (YA fiction, fyi and lol).

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit (and Read) in Good Health!

Dishcloths and Toys are great projects to read with!

Tiny Babies (in their beds)

I knit. I knit a lot! I also crochet...not as much as I knit, but lately a little more than usual. Because every once and again I get a bee in my bonnet about something I'd like to make. Last time it was a beaded lizard. This week, it's all about dolls. 

When I was a little girl, my grandmother gave me a little Cradle Purse, complete with a doll, blanket, mattress and pillow. I don't know if she made the purse or bought it, but I remember that it had a plastic bottom, cut from an oblong shaped bottle of bleach. There were holes punched at the edges of where the bottle had been cut, and crochet stitches were worked through the holes to cover the cut edge before the skirt, hood and drawstrings were worked. 

I loved this little Cradle Purse, and I carried treasures in it well into my teens, although I did sometimes hide it from my friends by stashing it in a larger bag. Long after I had lost the doll and accessories, I used the purse/ cradle to care for my high school Family Living class "egg baby." (Bring the egg everywhere for two weeks to learn what having a baby is like...not so realistic, but not a bad lesson.) Long story short, the egg and I survived, with fond memories. :) I'm not sure when I finally misplaced the little purse. 

Fast forward to my 40-something years, and I found a pattern. I made three Cradle Purses using that online pattern which did not use a plastic bottle or butter tub. They were ok, but I wanted a flatter base. Now that I'm in my mid-50s, why not revisit this bit of nostalgia? So I looked up all the patterns I could find, then I decided to rework the pattern as I want it to be. 

Ive made three so far, each a bit different as I go, and I think I'm almost there. If my notes are good, I may write it up...we shall see. And just for fun, I have 12 tiny babies (4" long dolls) to add to these creations...although there may not be 12 purses made. Lolz...

Maybe I'll add little blankets and pillows, but that remains to be seen. (Who am I kiding? I'm probably going to do that...but I have not done it yet. 😉 )

I am thankful that my grandma left me with this memory, and maybe I'll find a girl (or 12!) to share new memories with, too. Regardless, I'm sure enjoying the nostalgia of this project! 

What are you working on this weekend? Whatever it is, I hope that it is bringing you joy! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit (or Crochet?) in Good Health!

Using yarn leftovers for
a riot of colors!