Almost human. Still knitting.

There were lots of reasons to reorganize my study, one of which was to make a better knitting space.  A livingroom is a more communal space, a shared space, and sitting there in the evening makes me feel alone so usually, by 7:30, I come into my study to read.  

Audiobooks that is.  Most of my books are audiobooks these days.  It is a different kind of reading to paper book reading or ebook reading.  I never really thought about a book as a delivery method till my friend told me to read the graphic novel, The Arrival, I think it was, to explain a graphic novels power.  Read it once.  Never forgotten it.  That is the marker of a great story, told in a different way. I have explored audiobooks longer, though till the Arrival, I always felt that audiobooks weren't as good an experience of a story as a good old fashioned bound paper book.  The Arrival woke me to the different experience I was having from the same story on paper, as an ebook and as a well read audio book.  Each delivery method adds a different sort of nuance to the story, and for those special books, where I have read them paper and ebook,and listened to them as an audio book, an entirely special depth to what I take from the story.  But audiobooks are where I usually end up in the evenings.  It's a friendly voice telling me a story and keeping me company as I travel through where ever the story goes.

I usually read in my study because it is separate, and closed from the stuff of the day.  I escape here into a book much as I always did.  And now, there is a really comfortable little knitting chair here

and a tidy corner to sit in and read and work.  I always had a chair in here, but it just wasn't right somehow.  

I saw it and used it more as a sewing chair.  It's  really great sewing chair, and it is great for spinning, but it wasn't a relaxing chair, and evenings in my study, listening to books is about relaxing.  

I looked at a lot of chairs before ending up back at my favourite place Ikea. I looked at used, but honestly, I like to have things that work together.  It has always made me feel less combobulated with the world if I had things that could be just so. I saw some great rose coloured swivel rockers that would have been perfect knitting and reading chairs but my room isn't rose coloured and it isn't roses.  It's yellow and dandelions. I tried out 4 different yellow chairs but this one won the day, mostly because the back is exactly the right height if I want to rest back and have a little nap.  I just have to tilt my head and it is there.  This one also took the day because it feels small, though it is a full size chair.  

Sunday evening, in an effort to begin as I mean to go on, even though the study was still a mess, I decided to start a knitting project just for here.  For now at least.  It's probably going to move around with me later.

I have long been wanting to make something special for my daughter in law Amy's mom.  She loves a blanket that I knitted for Scott many years ago.  It is her blanket when she is over there.  

Me too.  Its just so wonderfully dense and deep.  The yarn is Comfort Chunky and I have some in my stash.  Her husband is not a wool fan, not even close, so this is the perfect yarn for her.  But not a blanket, a shawl, big and warm to snuggle in when she is watching TV as her day winds down, but also for snuggling when she is out camping with her all kids grandkids, including the ones we share.  

I knew exactly what I wanted to make for her, Study Hall from Knitty.  I love everything about this pattern and it is really perfect for knitting here in my study, listening to books or watching something.  It's body is a lot of garter stitch but there are sweet little details right from the start.  

 

It is the perfect knitting compliment to Miss Marple, as I work through all the stories as audio books and the TV series of her stories, Joan Hickson, Geraldine McEwan, and Julia McKenzie.  If I could find them all, I would watch all the Miss Marples ever made.  Garter stitch with a little twisted stitch right at the spine.  Isn't that just the most perfect Miss Marpleish knitting?

Tuesday is usually my spinning and errand day, but no spinning for me today.  There isn't any point in spreading this miserable cold.  I am starting to feel a bit more like a human though and coffee tastes really good.  I may live through this yet.  

Almost human.  Still knitting.  Reading and watching Miss Marple.  Sounds like a good day to me.