Trying to get it all done - a day behind

Currently listening to:

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, read by Jonathon Davis - this is unabridged and a really good long listen. A very interesting story that has a long ago, old world feeling within a futuristic world setting. Be advised that if you offend easily this is definitely not an audiobook for you as there is harsh language and some graphic parts; but truthfully nothing in the story is written or included to simply shock.

Audiobooks

My three recent audiobooks that I listened to and very much enjoyed are:

Talking to Girls about Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly read by Hope Davis

My rating for these three are 4 out of 5 stars

these are all available through Audible.com

current listening

I've started listening to the audiobook A Secret Kept by Tatiana De Rosnay read by Simon Vance - I am really loving this story!

I've also got one of my favorite podcasts to listen to - Knitting Pipeline with Paula - she's just so wonderful to listen to! As I listen, I always feel like I'm right there in the room with her because, she has such a inviting and cozy presence about her.

Socks, an audiobook and more

I have been going through a serious sock knitting phase and in the last month I knit up 3 pairs of socks. But I needed a break from my current in-progress pair when I noticed the patterning wasn't showing up at all in the colorway I picked - So I've got to decide whether to start over or just go on with plain stockinette which would be the easiest since it all just looks like stockinette anyway.On my break from said socks, I began to work on was a pair of mitts in a vibrant red/pink/orange colorway that kept calling to me from my stash - I did an extended-length cuff in one pattern and then used the hand part of another pattern that I've used before. At some point I will be knitting up a storm on more socks but I also want to make a shawl out of some really pretty Spring-time colorway I've been drawn to in my stash.

Listening:
I've been listening to the unabridged audiobook Life by Keith Richards, I am half an hour to finishing. It's been a wild ride and very interesting. Johnny Depp, another reader and Keith Richards himself narrates.

Viewing:
Season 1 Disk 1 of True Blood just arrived in my mail yesterday. Plus I have some recorded shows to catch up on - One Tree Hill, Life Unexpected, Sons of Anarchy, The Big Bang Theory, Fringe and a few others I can't think of right now. I know, there are times I wonder "Why am I still watching this?" well, it's mostly because I started watching the series and will continue watching till the series ends. A lot of times the unnamed show is just really good background filler while I am working away on a project.

podcasts, a video cast and other big news

Today I'll be listening to:

Knit Knit Cafe with Abby and Ben - a Mother and Son knitting podcast that is an awesome fun listen

CraftCast - with Alison Lee, always very interesting

Stuff Mom Never Told You - all around informative and entertaining

Stuff You Should Know with Josh and Chuck - always a good listen

More Hip than Hippie with Dori and Val - an eco-funny podcast

Sound Opinions - music information and reviews

WTF with Marc Maron - definitely not for everyone, you'll either love this guy or you just won't, listen at your own discretion

AND I'll be watching Round the Twist with Carin - very fun and very interesting, about knitting and spinning

Everything mentioned above can be found on iTunes


Other big news is my self-imposed goal of going "Cold Sheep" a.k.a. "not buying any yarn" until January 2012 - so yes, I will be knitting and crocheting from my stash. I really want to see how much of my stash can be used up over the next 13 months - Wish me luck!

I also have made a rough but sound draft of my plans for 2011 involve knitting up my stash:
- More than half of my stash is sock yarn, so I will definitely be knitting lots of socks for others and myself.

- During the colder months into spring, I'd like to finish up my sweater and maybe knit another as well as a shawl or two

- During summer, to get an early start I'm planning to knit xmas gifts like hats, scarves and mitts

- During early fall through Nov; start another sweater and a couple more shawls and random smaller projects

- Through Dec and the end of the year, I just want to do some simple no-stress knitting and make plans for 2012

- Instead of buying books or more patterns, I'll go to my own library and patterns collection to pick a random book/pattern and knit/crochet a project