stockpiling

Books and yarn are piling up, which is never a bad thing.

There was a vendor fair the last evening of Squam where I happily picked up some wool from Kelbourne Woollens. It's hard to find in Canada, so it was a great opportunity. I got enough Acadia for a poncho project, and already I love the yarn. The colour (what's with purple these days?) is a bit risky for me, but the tweed effect makes for a great texture in simple stockinette. Immediately after Squam I was in Manhattan for a work conference. My one and only personal errand was to hop on the subway and visit Purl Soho. I could have stayed there all afternoon. Actually, I could have lived the rest of my life there. The wool, fabric and notion selection is straight up perfection. My limited time meant I had to make quick decisions, but I'm pretty happy with my picks. Linen and gingham, and yummy yarn choices - though ironically, four skeins are Koigu, which is totally Canadian. But that soft grey/purple semi-solid? I've never seen it on this side of the border.

On the reading front, I am way behind with my (really brief) reviews. This pile goes back to April but it also represents finishing up this year's Canadian Book Challenge. I met the author of Elephant in the Sky - such a smart, amazing woman! - and was eager to pick up her newest novel. Truthfully, I get a little distracted when I recognize location references because the novel is set entirely in Toronto, but the exploration of childhood mental illness is so heart-wrenching, the story just sucks you in. It's based on a true story, which makes it especially shocking and poignant. The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson was a little more slow-going. I really enjoyed Crow Lake, but this story took longer to develop and of the four books, it definitely took me the longest to get through. Little Bee by Chris Cleave kept my emotions on alert all the way through, and I actually put it down one night because I couldn't handle the possible outcome to a scary, missing-child situation. And the ending, well, I'm still numb from it. But The Light Between Oceans by M.L.Stedman was easily my favourite. It's been on my wish list for a while, yet I had to summon courage to tackle it. It's an impossible scenario - taking in a baby that magically appears, and raising her for a few years, but eventually realizing there is a mother mourning that child's loss. The storytelling laid the character's emotions bare, and it was hard to get through but entirely compelling at the same time. The story still lingers with me.

For more tales of knitting and reading, visit today's Yarnalong.