Knit Nordic and Sew Scandinavian

There is a huge interest currently in all things Scandinavian from tv dramas, fiction, homewares and decorating trends to sewing, knitting and fashion.It's well deserved as having visited Oslo in Norway I can say we have a lot more in common with our Nordic neighbours than we might suppose. Their art and culture has shades of our Celtic past and somehow there is a familiarity about much in their country. Yet there is enough new and old and traditional to delight and surprise us.

I have a vested interest in Knit Nordic as my dear friend Eline is the author so I want it to do well :-). I'm a basic knitter so I'm going to have to work hard and concentrate on these instructions to get them right, but if you are a more experienced knitter like my Mother in law who also has a copy, you'll find the things delightful to knit as she has testified. I have two lovely pot holders from the book :-)

The patterns are charted and based on traditional Norwegian designs but they've been used to create modern, useful things like iPad and phone holder and more quirky and unusual things like hot pants and a teddy bear. Maurice bear is a very clever design being knitted in one, but with the effect of wearing his own snowflake jumper - this design alone makes the book a worthwhile purchase. You'll find lots to delight in this book as well as some interesting history about Norwegian traditional knitting designs.

My mother in law gave me this lovely sewing book for Christmas. Sew Scandinavian is a colourful pretty book with some lovely ideas for makes for your own home and for gifts. I like that it has full sized patterns included. I feel there is a margin for going badly wrong with projects in books that want you to enlarge, print off and tape together patterns from them.

It's grouped around rooms of the home from sitting room to bathroom with items to make for each one. As ever the success of the project will depend on your choice of materials. A lot of the items in this book are very pink coloured which in large doses is a bit too pink for my taste but I can see plenty of projects to make with my own colour ideas. There are some clever techniques such as threading beads on to ribbon to create a handle on a small bag and clever use of material such as the use of towelling for a hot water bottle cover - these all could be ideas for recycling things you already have.

Both books make me want to scurry off to the workroom and get making :-)

Domestic Bliss - Rita Konig

A sweet little book about homemaking. It was originally printed in 2002 so is slightly dated, but it is a friendly feminine sort of read with chapters on the essential things like dealing with builders and doing the housework, to much nicer chapters on entertaining and how to create the little homely touches that turn our living spaces in to luxurious havens.

I've read other books on homemaking and they can be either very worthy - that much cleaning can't be good for us! - or patronising. This one manages to be neither. The advice and suggestions are common sense, but that doesn't mean there aren't some unique ideas.

It could make a nice present for a housewarming or a student leaving home.

Mystery of the a Yellow Room - Gaston Leroux

My mother in law hadn't got on with this book and didn't finish it so passed it to us to do as we wish (probably via Oxfam). A slim little novel of 212 pages it's a quick read so I settled down at the start of the Christmas break to have a go at it.

The author is more famously known for The Phantom Of The Opera but this is a crime novel complete with murder, a detective or two and lots of clues and red herrings. As he was born in 1869 it's an historical novel - he wrote it in 1907. I nearly wrote that its Edwardian but that would be wrong since it's set in France. According to the back of my copy Agatha Christie admired the book as a classic example of French detective fiction, and she is said to have been influenced by it. Leroux in turn admired Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allen Poe and modelled his detective on Sherlock Holmes and M Dupin respectively.

The hero detective character is said to be only 18 and as such lacks a little credibility, but it's not a bad story for that. It's quite a puzzle of a mystery and you wonder quite how it can be resolved, but it's very cleverness is part of its charm. It's relative shortness keeps up the interest as it rushes breathlessly to its conclusion.
Some twists and unexpected turns keeps you interested to the last page. And no I'm not going to tell you who did it..

The Dalai Lama's Cat - David Michie

A novel. A gentle book of Buddhist basics wrapped in a charming story about a cat who becomes the pet of the Dalai Lama.

The apparent restful nature of a domestic cat's lifestyle is an ideal vehicle for explaining such concepts as mindfulness, meditation and other tenants of the Buddhist way. Cats often seen the epitome of living in the present and the hours they spend staring quietly out of the window or in to a hedge, have a Zen like quality to them. The storyline is simple and in a way little more than a collection of sketches and overheard conversations as observed by the cat but it gets the information across.

I'm a Christian, but read widely on other paths as I think each has something valuable to teach us. An open mind on spirituality to me doesn't dilute my view point, but enhances it as I see the commonality of faiths - that is to be compassionate and to live in peace with one another. And I have to add a note here to say I'm not a learned theologian - my views are entirely my own - you are entitled to disagree of course, but no I can't argue deep faith stuff with you, I'm not qualified to any level to do so.

Buddhism is perhaps unique in that meditation and mindfulness have been adopted by mainstream 'self help' books as a means to contentment and stress relief. Understanding a little of the Buddhist teaching behind these practises and how it works beyond the self help books is useful background I think. There are other ideas to explore and I left the book with other things to ponder on - such as Buddhists think that a lack of self confidence on something is a weakness of the mind as if there is something you must do (like share knowledge ) then it's selfish and lazy not to and that it's important to work to overcome it. Easier said than done I realise, but an interesting way of turning negative thinking on its head. There was also much about change and impermanence, and how we see ourselves.

Admittedly I did find myself wondering if the Dalai Lama knew of this book and I wondered what he'd think, but it's such a charming book I can't imagine any offence would be caused. In essence it's a happy little book, it won't take you long to read it, but it will make you think on things even after you've finished it.

Cathy Lamb - The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

A novel. I picked this up in Oxfam as I was returning some books I'd read. I rarely keep fiction. Not because I've not enjoyed it but because I have a sharp memory and I know how it will end.

This book called to me as its main character is a life coach and if you've come from my other blog fiddlesticks (Welcome :-) ) then you'll know that I'm at the beginning of training to be one.

Actually although it is an important part of the life of the central character it's not so important that if you've no interest in that subject you'd be put off. This appears to be a light hearted book at the beginning, something to read on holiday perhaps, but actually it's quite an emotional rollercoaster and even more so if you are a parent. That's sort of a hint, but I'm not really giving much away. Some passages are hard to read but it's been carefully written to convey a strong story without resorting to graphic portrayals.

I won't spoil a good story by telling you what happens in the end although its message is something we can relate to. Are we inspiring others to do or be something we are unable to be or do ourselves?

Turning a new page...

A new blog. :-). I love reading. I love book shops. I love the deliciousness of a pile of books by my favourite seat - be that a cosy sofa by the fire in winter or a wooden lounger under a shady tree in summer.

I read everything and anything - from cookery to theology, trashy disposable fiction to ecological thesis and sewing. I wanted to jot down my thoughts on books as I finished them as a record of my reading and because I thought sharing those thoughts may be of interest.

As I finish a book so I'll add it here. Hope it inspires you to read them too or comment if you already have.

May we never run out of books...