Success!

I've been finishing projects lately, always something to be proud of. I've been working on the "Happily ever after dress" since mid-summer I think. It doesn't fit the bug wonderfully well, nor has the yarn worn well over it's long knitting life, but done is done and here it is:













Next I finished a super bulky cabled hat from this pattern.
It looks a little funny on my model.....


So I found a better one...

It's shaped a little funny, but very warm.

And finally, I completed an Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket. It came out extremely small, but I've decided to give it to the happy parents anyway. I might fit for a week or two. The most irritating part was the buttons. I didn't want to shop for buttons tonight (the Friday before Christmas) so I made some by wrapping beads with my yarn. I'm not completely displeased with the result.

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
We all know that Jon Scieska knows how to write for boys, now we get to see why. He grew up in a house with 5 brothers alternately trying to trick, beat up, puke on, blame and bomb each other. I read it in one hour and didn't stop laughing the whole time. Excellent book for boys who hate books. Scieska knows how to keep it short, simple, side splittingly funny, and often just gross enough for boys. I love this book, and will recommend it often.


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American Widow by Alissa Torres

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow. A woman relays her experiences after her husband dies in the Twin Towers on September 11. This is a great format for the story, as the text remains fairly simple and descriptive, while the illustration contains tons of emotion. The author tackles all the aspects of her experience, including the backlash against the families for receiving assistance, and her troubles navigating through the red cross red tape. There are added hurdles to her story because her husband was not born in the united states. An important story, and an important part of our experience on 9/11.


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Little Monsters

Here are the little monsters, growing by leaps and bounds everyday. One is at 31 pounds, the other at 58. Can you guess which is which?

Welcome to My Planet: Where English Is Sometimes Spoken by Shannon Olson

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Took me forever to finish, but I just couldn't quite quit. This character is pretty frustrating, but still hilarious at times. I'm not sure if we are supposed to blame all her problems on her mother, but mom seemed pretty interesting to me. There's not a lot of plot or story arc, it's more just a long conversation with the therapist, and hoping the character comes out a little smarter at the end, than when she started. This doesn't sound like a very favorable review, but I still kinda liked the book.


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Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier by Tom Bodett

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'm pretty sure this is a great book. I can't be sure though, because I listened to Tom Bodett read it, and if he read me the phone book, I'd think it was great. Still, it's a wonderful depiction of the painful adolescence of an average boy with an average family. His father is wonderfully understanding (almost too nice to be believed) and Norman's struggles with the craziness inside his head are very honest. I liked this book, but I'm looking at being 13 from the opposite side, and it all makes sense to me. I'm not so sure how a real 13 year old kid would see this book. They are not known for self-reflection. This is probably one of those books that all the grown-ups will like, but the kids....not so much.


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Watchman: Watchmen ( Softcover): Bd 1 by Alan Moore

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
OK, so I can't say I enjoyed this book, but I also can't disagree with the fact that it's a great book. It's complicated, and dark and brooding; all those things I generally avoid in my recreational reads, but those are the things that make it great. I can totally see why everyone raves about this book, but I doubt I'll get a copy for myself.


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