Look, Ma! I'm in the newspaper!
What is this, media week? The Plain Dealer (Cleveland’s major newspaper) wrote a lovely blurb about Stitch Cleveland’s launch party this weekend. If you don’t want to read the scanned-in JPG, here is the electronic version.
Tomorrow, Kelley Petkun of Knit Picks is interviewing me for her podcast. She also reviews non-knitting books. So, here’s my mystery du jour: how can people fit in reading with all their knitting? I am a major-league reader. I have had parents take me aside in the library line and ask, on their curious child’s behalf, how long it will take me to read [all the books I have in my arms]. Poor kid never knew what hit him. I was afraid his eyes were going to get stuck that way. But it usually comes down to an either/or proposition — they don’t generally make audiobooks of the things I like to read, so I can’t listen and knit.
(For example: here’s the last book I read. At 576 pages, we’re talking days of audiobook).
Guilty pleasure of the week: watching the Victoria Beckham Coming to America special. I hurt my wrist the other day, so knitting and anything involving gripping motion with my hand was out all night. It’s still hurty, actually. I’m trying to work through the pain, which is stupid but necessary. Deadlines loom!
I don’t read nearly as much as I’d like but I’m relatively ritualistic. I find it nearly impossible to go to sleep without doing some amount of reading first, so in that way, I get at least 20 mins of reading in every day.
Congrats on being so multi-media! I’ll try to remember to download the podcast 🙂
You might be surprised what’s available at audible.com. (Though I couldn’t find Bess of Hardwick….)
I second the suggestion to check out Audible.com!
Knitting or weaving has become so much more enjoyable since I discovered Podcasts and audio books from Audible.com. I seem to get a rhythm going when I multitask!
An avid reader (over 130 books, audio and hardback in the past 13 months!) I have really enjoyed audio books. I’ve found that I with audio books I am introduced to books I never would have purchased in hardback….it has truly expanded my reading world!
Because I do a lot of very simple/mindless knitting with heavy worsted yarn, I’ve discovered I can knit WHILE reading!
All I need is a heavier, bigger book to lay across the top edge of the pages to keep the book open and flat.
Try it sometime on a stretch of easy knitting and see what you can do… you might surprise yourself with new multi-tasking talents!
WOW! You are like a dream come true!! I am an old knitter, like 40 years of knitting old, (50 years of age old). I remember, back in the day when the ‘acrylic’ yarns came out, you could actually purchase ‘wool’ for less. I am the mother of 6 kids who knitted for them from the time I found out I was pregnant with #1. As a matter of fact, I am currently, for the first time in my memory (which isn’t all that great), knitting for myself. I decided I needed an entire new ‘sock wardrobe’ before our Cleveland winter sets in. I have so many things I would love to share – like learning to knit from my old country, German grandmother (who could knit you a sweater with just a photo as a pattern), to teaching all 4 of my daughters and an ex-husband how to knit. However, in response to your ‘reading’ dilemma, I tried 1 1/2 yrs. ago to start a ‘Knit & Lit’ group here in Cleveland. I posted it on craigslist.com and had a few replies, including one from Vickie Howell, but nothing really came of it. My only stipulation was – NO ROMANCE NOVELS ALLOWED. Do you supposed that was the sticking point?? Anyway, I feel your pain, I too LOVE my books, there isn’t a room in my apartment that doesn’t have books and yarn (I learned a few new ‘stash’ ideas from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s Yarn Harlot). We did manage a few ‘Knit & Lit’ get togethers. The idea was to read your monthly book and then discuss it over wine and knitting. I belonged to such a group when I lived in Cheyenne, WY for a while (back in the day when we worshipped Kaffe Fassett and wished only to be in the same room as he). I think that by adding a bit of wine into the mix it allowed us all to open up about our reading and it definitely made for some interesting stitching, (which at times needed a little attentionrepair EARLY into the next meeting). Reading before bedtime is a must and public transportation allows for reading time and less stress in your day, (leave the driving, running red lights, accident detours, morning/evening rush hour to RTA). If your commute is long enough you can read for awhile and knit for awhile. My latest book recommendation – ‘Send Me’ by Patrick Ryan. I find that you can always get to know a person through the books they read.
I have had the best of intentions to actually make it over to your shop and congratulate you in person, but something always seems to come up and lately I seem to seldom be sans children. But I will get over there, can’t wait to see it!
I received my copy of Just Gifts, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to see my name in print. Quite a thrill!