April Knitting Update

 In the past month, I finished the Fairy Maidens socks I was making for my Mom.  The picture I took of them blocking isn't the greatest, but they turned out well.

Pretty quickly after finishing those, I started a pair of socks for myself, using some red tonal yarn I'd had in my stash for several years.  I'd decided almost a year ago that I needed a pair of red socks (I don't have any) and had finally worked my way through my To Knit list to those red socks.  I'm using the Quadrille pattern by verybusymonkey.  It's a pattern I've had my eye on for quite some time, and I decided to treat myself by finally purchasing it.

I'd say I'm about halfway through the foot on sock #1.  Like all of this designer's patterns, the knitting just seems to fly off my needles.  

Reading-wise, I had two large books I'd requested from my local library come in at once.  I'd been on long waiting lists for both of them, and hadn't expected them to both become available the same day.  Oh my!  It was a challenge to read them both before their due date, but I did it!

• Spare by Prince Harry, this one took me two full weeks to read.  There was so much to digest, and while I was vaguely familiar with much of the story (as an American who'd seen some of the highlights on TV as a child, then a young adult, then an older adult), it was interesting to hear the telling of those events and how they'd affected his growth and mental health.  Lots of behavior I can't say I agree with, but was nonetheless a book I'm glad I took the time to read.
• Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.  LOVED it!  Devoured it!  Hoping that the author please, please, will write more!  

Currently I am most of the way through reading At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen.  Mixed feelings about this book.  Parts I like, parts I don't, but overall not a bad story.  I wasn't sure when I saw it, if I would finish it; her first two novels I read all the way through and liked, but the third one I stopped reading at about chapter four because I wasn't liking the tone or the storyline, and I hadn't tried anything from her since.  I guess I would give this one a thumb's up, as I do intend to read it all.