Books 2012, #4-6

Clicking on the pics will take you to the relevant amazon page.

#4 "The Old Fox Deceiv'd" by Martha Grimes

This is the second of this series which I've been reading out of order for about 5 years now. Something that astonishes me everytime I remember is that the author is an american woman, living in america. Yet she has these books *so* perfectly set in both london and more rural parts of england in the early nineties. The key characters are Chief Inspector Jury who is one of those men you just want to take care of. He's fine by himself and has various relationships as the series develops but you can't help feeling that you'd get on. He is friends with Melrose Plant, who should be an Earl but has given up the title much to the annoyance of his Aunt who is very believably ghastly. All the books are named after traditional english pubs. In this one, where Melrose and Jury have only met once before, you see the relationship between them develop while Jury resolves a local murder and an ancient mystery. The books are very well written and very engaging. I'd definitely recommend them.

#5 "Appleby's Other Story" by Michael Innes

Another series I'm reading out of order but this time set a bit further back in maybe the fifties. There is no mention of the war or of things being "groovy" so it must be somewhere round then. Innes's writing is very wordy. There are double negatives and sub clauses all over the place. In that respect it is quite like Edmund Crispin and as a result these are not flippant books to be read lightly. You need a certain amount of concentration. Whether you enjoy this or not will depend on whether you can accept that a knighthood and age entitles a man to a certain amount of respect, which I guess it did at that time. The books are a nostalgic dip into a politer age and the solutions are usually pretty fiendish and so you're usually surprised at the outcome. This one is the same and if you like traditional character observed whodunnits you'll enjoy this. 

#6 "Singing in the Shrouds" by Ngaio Marsh

This was the unabridged audiobook read by James Saxon. I've listened to this before and it's one I keep coming back to. The "Flower Murderer" has been strangling women and leaving flowers on their bodies. Another victim is found just as a ship with ten passengers on board pulls out of the dock en route to warmer climes. Could the murderer be on board? Inspector Alleyn joins the ship to find out. This is a rarity for Marsh's books as there is no mention of New Zealand or the theatre, but it is still a great example of her work and very entertaining. 

I'm always banging on about this but if, like me, you get through a fair few books I would recommend Bookmooch. If I kept all the books I read I'd be on a Channel 5 hoarder documentary. Bookmooch costs nothing and you have books you want sent to you in the post in return for you posting books you don't want to a new home. Considering the postage I probably end up spending a pound with royal mail for each book I receive. So it's boot sale prices without needing to have a boot sale filled with like minded readers nearby. You can get any of the books below just by signing up and listing 10 books in your inventory.

Swap books at BookMooch.com

Dramatically Buttony

A rather deathly photo of me in my new Buttony.

I wore it to work today since I managed to give myself food poisoning the day before and felt in need of comfort. You know that feeling when you snuggle down inside a warm blanket? It's felt like that all day. Snuggly.

Cat snuggly.

I fell off the wagon a week or so ago and bought some purple and red Galaxy. I loved it for my Hitchhiker and tried to resist the brighter colours and was sucessful for months!

Red and purple. I've cast on a stripey jumper. Wheeee!

There is a beautiful moon tonight - it looks like the Cheshire Cat's smile hanging there in the sky. Which reminds me of this graffiti I saw in Brick Lane at New Year.

Mow.

Mama's got a brand new....hat

Not really. Mater and I did try on many hats though this weekend. For sister's wedding. This was my favourite on her.

The photos of me came out a little blurry. In any case I have been on etsy. How do you like these apples?

Source: etsy.com via Alex on Pinterest

I love this shop - the things are so delicate and beautiful looking. I broadened my search a bit and came across this. Isn't it astounding?

Source: etsy.com via Alex on Pinterest

I know it wouldn't suit me but...wow! It's practically got free-floating polka dots. My outfit is not yet confirmed so I won't buy anything yet, but that peacock one is certainly quite astonishing.

My book reviews (and thanks to those of you who have enjoyed them!) have reminded me of the usefulness of Bookmooch (I didn't buy any of the books I reviewed) and introduced me to Goodreads.com. They're both free and both very handy. For instance, these are just a few of the books I'm currently offering free to new homes on Bookmooch:

On Goodreads I list and rate the books I've read and get suggestions for more. I am a sucker for Amazon recommendations and so this is like that without then asking for my credit card details. Hoorah! By adding the Goodreads suggestions to my Bookmooch wishlist I widen my reading horizons without having to buy the books. Winning. 

While trying on hats I saw this coat hanging up. 

Definitely not my colours but I liked the appliqué dots and when I took a closer look...

Sashiko! I haven't done any for ages. Maybe it's time to dig it out again....

Books 2011, 1-3

I have admired the Knitting on the Green book reviews over the course of 2011 and have several times added books to my own reading list as a result. I have decided to give it a go, but am not sure you're ready for this further insight into my warped reading habits. Incidentally, clicking on the images will take you to the relevant page on Amazon.

#1 "Pay Dirt" by Rita Mae Brown

This is one of a series that I am reading out of order as I get hold of them. It's a small town in Viginia and (stay with me) the Post Mistress is a divorcee with a cat and dog (a corgi - in case that swings it for you) and a farm which contains 2 horses, a possum, a snake and a barn owl. Also various mice and foxes and so on. There's also another cat that belongs to the owner of the town shop which is next to the post office. Why am I going on about the animals so much? Well they talk. But not to the humans (that would be silly). They talk to each other. So while the humans are solving the murders (for there is always a good handful of them) the animals are also solving them in their own way and simultaneously trying to keep Harry (the Post Mistress) from coming to harm as she is frequently almost killed by the unknown assassin. I'm guessing at this point my readers are divided into two - those of you who are surprised I read books where cats solve crime and those of you who are not surprised in the slightest. The latter group are those that have met me.

In this book (which is the fourth in this long series) a Hell's Angel arrives looking for his lady friend and very quickly turns up dead. Harry is meanwhile being wooed by her ex-husband (who is truly sorry and repentant for being such a dick) and a male model who has taken up residence to get away from the fakery of New York. It sounds dreadful right? It's not! These books are utterly sweet. There are few extremes and no one could take offence at the content. There are twists and turns and intrigues and puzzles and CATS! If you like things like Agatha Raison, Miss Marple, Miss Silver and CATS then this is for you. Here is a cat.

#2 "Death at Rottingdean"  by Robin Paige

It's victorian times and an american woman who was brought up to be quite unrestrained marries an english lord and they go about solving crime together. The series is a typical example of its kind and is written well with an emphasis on the personalities and characters of the piece. There is evidence of quite a bit of research and there are a few pages of 'historical notes' at the end to show you how this could really have happened. In this one there are smugglers all over the place but things are not what they seem and people start dying. Rudyard Kipling is also there as a local resident. The books are a good read but there is a hint of morality that makes my lip curl slightly. Overall I wouldn't recommend going out and buying this but if you see it in a library it is a good rainy afternoon read. 

#3 "Gunpowder Plot" by Carola Dunn



Oh god, I can see a pattern clearly developing. But really - I do read things other than historical mystery lites. This is one of the Daisy Dalrymple series. She is an 'honourable' and her husband (she meets him in the first book of the series) is a Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard. Stories are set in the twenties when it's a rarity for the classes to mix, especially as Daisy is very unusually earning her own living as a writer. I have read quite a few of these now and really liked this one. The characters are very believable and well written. The murders tend to be singular in these books and the one in this saga had me genuinely confused. It makes no sense! But sure enough Daisy teases it out. Here are some fireworks.

Right - I've just noticed Liz has posted her first reviews of 2012 so I am heading over there to have a look.

New Do

Got my haircut using a Groupon.

I'm really quite happy with it - not that you'd know it from the picture. Managed to capture my grumpier side. Note the Randy Orton poster in the background. Nice looking man.

I spent this morning replacing the lining of my coat. It's been torn for about a year but it's been getting worse AND the pocket had split so...

I left the top bit since I didn't fancy tackling the sleeve inserts and there was nothing wrong with that bit. Plus I thought I could make it still look ok with the addition of some fancy tape.

I'm quite pleased with it.

I also used my rare daylight-hometime to choose buttons for my Buttony.

They are a little less dayglo than the pic suggests. My camera does seem to have gone a bit wonky with it's brightness settings recently. I'm thinking of getting an upgrade. Which brings me to Quidco.

This strange website gives you cashback on stuff you would have bought anyway. And you can get cashback just normal high street shopping. And you get money for clicking the 'check in' button on the free app while loitering in the doorway of closed mobile phone shops. I earned 70p walking from Bank to the hairdresser. It's not megabucks but it's 70p more than I normally get for walking past shops. They keep the first £5 of savings you make (check-in money doesn't count though so that 70p is mine boyo) then the rest is yours. Seems too easy? That's what I keep thinking. Time will tell.

The SpotBot Dream Dashed

My venture into business has not got off to such a great start. I managed to choose a name which is already a hoover. Farewell SpotBot. It was fun while it lasted. So I am back to needing a shop name. And I think this is a clear sign that "Lixie Makes It" is my true home. I've also been considering my photography skills, wonderfully displayed in this very post. Would you buy this woman if she was photographed like this in an Etsy shop?

It was my attempt to capture my new outfit and clearly it didn't go so well.

Then there is my attempt to capture the samples I dyed last night for my cloud jumper. The real problem is lack of daylight.

I'm thinking I might need a daylight bulb and one of those pound shop diffuser cube things unless I want to wait to photograph things until the weekend and I pray for good weather. Sadly none of them seem right. It would be ok for a mediterranean sky but not so much for a UK one. I've ordered some more dye in two different colours so I'll see how they work out.

Then lastly I even managed to take an out of focus photo of Betsy modelling my sleeveless jumper.

The neckline ribbing is wrong. It looks OK at a distance but it's not centred properly at the front and it makes the rest of it look really amateur. I definitely have to rip it out but I'm not sure whether to redo it or go for an icord edging.

I went to see The Artist this week.

It was amazing. If you have ever seen a silent film then you can imagine the style - it actually is a real twenty-first century silent film. The storyline is brilliant. The acting is incredible - the lead male is so believable - and for those of you who like that sort of thing there is a really astounding dog. I was completely caught up in the story and at one point - and remember this is a silent film - I jumped. I would definitely recommend it. It is something you will regret not seeing on a big screen if you only watch it at home. But you should still watch it. Oh, and it has John Goodman in. And he is really good.

No More Shopping

I swear this is my last splurge. For the first time in aeons I took myself down to Brick Lane. If you have any interest in vintage clothes and are in london I would recommend Beyond Retro. There are now several branches, including one just off Oxford Street, but the one in Shoreditch takes some beating. Behold the spoils...

My goal was 'office wear'. This little jacket seemed to tick boxes. Light enough for warm weather, smart yet quirky, aubergine coloured, right size. It was coming home with me. Next up...

This dress is one of those that proves one of the key rules of vintage shopping - you just can't tell from looking at it on a hanger. On the hanger in the shop it looked like a big lumpy bag of a thing. It also said it was a size 4. Once on it looks like some lovely little french number - perfect for wearing with low heels and an up-do. Possibly some little black framed glasses perched on the nose? I don't have any but...you know. I love the unnecessary button detailing.

Then finally I slipped. This does not fall within my shopping remit but....BUT....IT'S RED POLKA DOT.

Again, this looked very odd on the hanger and had some *enormous* shoulder pads which are now languishing in the bin. I may take an inch or two off the length but look at those pockets! Perfect for keeping kittens and other such equipment in.

My final purchase is what I may well wear to my sister's wedding in December and is not of the 'vintage' variety. As well as more vintage than you can believe there are lots of little designer boutiques and young designer pop-ups and so on in the area. This one is from The Laden Showroom where there are lots of little niches and each niche is a different designer. It's well priced too - plus there is a sale on!

It's a very dark maroon thin stripe corduroy wrap dress with a black cotton sash. It has proved almost impossible to photograph but you get the idea.

In between all this activity I've been beavering away on this.

I actually woke up at 7 this morning and had the armhole and v-neck steeks stitched and cut by 8.30am. By 10 I'd joined the shoulders, sewn down the steeks and steamed it all flat. Neck line and armholes will begin at the Romford knitting group this afternoon. I got most of the patterns and all the inspiration from my sister's xmas present to me - Alice Starmore's Charts for Color Knitting. Excellent book - even if they have misspelt it.

My next jumper is going to be using one of her all-over designs. So inspiring- I do like fairisle. 

I got an exciting email last night from a friend I've blogged about before who is am AMAZING textile artist. It opens up several avenues of fun and as a hint as to what one of them is I leave you with this video she has made. It is only a minute long and very beautiful.

New header

I am going to leave it as it is for a while to remind me that "standard" size is not always the "right" size.

 

On the 10th day of Christmas...

As well as all my other lovely presents I got a bit of money and so decided to invest in a proper sewing box. It arrived yesterday!

I was slightly shocked at how orange the wood is. The picture suggested more of a pale ash coloured veneer but then we all know those warnings about monitor colours. Besides, it has grown on me.

I've tried to be terribly organised and give everything a proper place.

I know it won't last though! I had thought of covering it in stickers - like the sewing machine.

But somehow it looks a bit too prim and proper to be stickered.

I thought Angry Kitty looked like she needed some cheering up so I stopped off at Thorntons on the way home to find her a friend.

He didn't seem to make her any less angry so I ate him. Let's face it - he had it coming.

The man in the shop asked me what name I wanted on it. "Angry." I replied. He slowly raised one eyebrow. "This is someone's name?" he said. "More of their state of mind" was my reply.

Traditional Christmas

Christmas at Mater's is a strictly traditional affair. There is a strong hint of the Victorian while food is at Edwardian, or possibly even Henry VIII, standard.

One of my favourites are Marzipan Fruit.

Nom. Mum even put them on the Christmas Cake.

Since I was born this amazingly retro crib has played a large part of the festivities.

I decided this year that the lamb wanted a better view so stuck him on top of the ox. Seemed fair enough to all concerned.

Things were enlivened by El Diablo.

She has fads. Her latest is sitting on the backs of armchairs instead of anywhere flatter. This would be fine but she has awful balance. She wobbles back and forth like a ship at sea. And when she jumps down she jumps from the back to the arm and then to the floor. Except last time she kind of missed the arm and belly flopped to the ground. Dignity is not a friend to this cat.

I got some lovely presents including the new Alice Starmore chart book but then I also got...

Just what I always wanted - me in wood form. I'm going to tuck it into the 'guest' side of the bed tonight. I've been thinking of naming her. I don't generally approve of naming inanimate objects but I'm thinking "Betsy". As in "heavens to". My dad made it for me from a paper template I made. It's varnished and everything so wet blocking will be a breeze. Hoopla!

Christmas

Merry Christmas to you all.

I see the Pope has condemned the commercialisation and 'glitter' of christmas. I know what he means, but sometimes people need a little glitter in their lives.