Time for the monthly round up: what's on the needles and what am I reading while knitting?
 

"The Children Act" is a novel by Ian McEwan. Does a child have a right to refuse treatment for religious reasons? If parents want to let their child die, because their religion prohibits blood transfusions, can a judge rule over their decision? Really interesting book. And the knitting, well, that's interesting too. Combining two hot topics here: tweed and broken seed stitch. Looks great, doesn't it? Yarn is Isager tweed.


For me, traveling is an opportunity to learn. I don't know that much about Cuba, so I wanted to prepare for the trip by reading more than just the travel guide. "La vie cachee de Fidel Castro" (The secret life of Fidel Castro) by Juan Reinaldo Sanchez gives an introduction to Castro's life and Cuba of his times. Sanchez was Castro's bodyguard who dedicated his life to protect his hero - only to get disappointed and flee out of country in his old age. The knitting is going to be Starling pullover by Helga Isager, using Isager Spinni and Isager Alpaca 1.


One of the long term visitors on my night stand is "Philosophers Behaving Badly" by Nigel Rodgers and Mel Thompson. It's an introduction to the crazy lives of great philosophers: Rousseau, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Russel, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Sartre and Foucault, with Simone de Beauvoir as an added bonus. I don't remember how far I got the last time I picked up the book, but as I'm taking a course in philosophy starting today (by the Finnish philosophy super star Esa Saarinen) I thought that I might as well read the book now. The knitting is in Quince & co Sparrow, a linen top that I already showed in my previous Knitting and reading post. There's going to be linen stitch and stockinette stitch, and now you've seen both. Hoping to finish by the time we fly to Cuba!


More summer knitting, this one in silky form: Jaipur Silk Fino top, also hoping to wear it in Cuba. And the book might also come with me to Cuba. It's "The Paying Guests" by Sarah Waters, and it just might be long enough for the long haul flights with its 600 pages.


In the children's classics series we finished "Kiljuset" and started with "Pippi Långstrump" by Astrid Lindgren. First, Troll Princess and Young Warrior announced that there's no point in reading the book, because they have seen the movie and know what is going to happen. Ten minutes later they were loving it. Knitting should turn into a dress for Troll Princess. Yarn is Tuulen Tytär by Knitlob's lair.

Since last month's post I have finished both "The Death of Bunny Munro" and the Repeating Horizons pullover, finished "Kiljuset" and the Skerry cardigan, and finished "Swallows of Kabul" (turns out it wasn't written by a woman, but interesting to learn more about Afghanistan anyway). The brioche stitch is temporarily on hold, while I'm working on the summer knits for my holiday. I finished "Katoamisten kirja", but I'm still working on the linen stitch. I finished the yellow vest just in time for Christmas, but Knausgård is still waiting. The amigurumi fruits also made it to a Christmas wrapping and we have been quite busy with Lonely Planet Cuba making plans and reservations!

Playing yarn along with Ginny.