Book Marketing

I'm sure you've seen this before, but it never ceases to amaze me.
I love how the publishing world is using videos to market books, specifically creating a trailer for the book.
Here's one I found this morning for Caroline Rance's Kill Grief:



I have to admit that reading about this particular book has created more of a desire to read it, because the trailer is not really doing it for me, but the fact that they are making videos to market a book is amazing.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
I guess it's worked for movies all these years, but does it symbolize that we're having to lure people back to reading books?

And now it's harvest time

Wait, the harvest is over, most of it is in.
The only thing we're waiting on is the picking of the last of the apples, and maybe clearing those pumpkin fields.
Fortunately I got my own harvest done, and I finished this hat in the nick of time.
On the morning of October 31, if you can believe that.
We were getting ready to leave for Jamestown to watch SN2's soccer game, and I really wanted to gift this hat before we left.
You should have seen me frantically searching for a yarn needle so I could stitch the leaf on, and weave in the ends.
I found one and got it done.
What a mess.
The result, though, is worth it.
Here's my version of the pumpkin hat from Susan B. Anderson's Itty-Bitty Hats:



I used the yarn called for in the pattern which is Rowan Cashsoft DK RYC in Clementine.

Interesting Fact

I've discovered an interesting fact about myself in the past few weeks, and I've been chewing over it for a while.
What I've found is that I really enjoy the dark, yet sometimes funny, Germanic and Scandinavian films over the absurd, yet bright, films of the south, such as the ones done by Fellini.
You may not find this to be a revelation, but I am surprised.
Any ideas why?
Are there any foreign films that just don't leave you once you've finished watching them?
Is there anyone in particular that you like?
While you speculate and navel gaze, here's a preview from a film I watched (again) yesterday:



Perhaps there is absurdity in the dark too.

Misplaced Mojo

Why is it that I get my knitting mojo back at the same time I'm supposed to be focusing on reading books and writing papers?
I've been waiting all year (literally) for this independent study course.
For the five books I've read so far, do you know how many papers I've written?
None!
NONE!
It's obscene!
They are only 1-2 pages long, but I can't put down my knitting long enough to write.
What is wrong with this picture?
In the past month, however (no pictures, sorry), I have knit the following: a pair of hand warmers, finished a 7 foot scarf that has been in progress since February, one hand warmer, and a shawl. Yesterday I picked up the Who? Hat that I started back in January which has the 2" of K2 P2 ribbing already finished and I've knit so much on it yesterday that I am getting ready to start the decrease rounds.
Knitting mojo, where have you been all year, and why do you choose now to show up again?!?!
Begone (for a while), I have work to do.

Cutie Patootie

Here's SN2 in his college soccer picture:



What a cutie.

Living in a Yarn House

Do you ever stop and look around your house, and wonder, "Why do I have SO MUCH yarn?"

It's not the fiber you eat

Today was day one of the Finger Lakes Fiber Fest.
DH and DN2 came along with me, and the only thing I would wish for beside more money to spend is that we could have had more time.
We only had about 3 hours there because SN2 had a soccer game at 2:00.
You know as well as I do that 3 hours is just not enough time, but the little time we had was well spent.
I need to take other pictures of my goodies, but here are a couple of pics from the day.
DN2 wants to learn how to use a drop spindle, so of course we bought her one.



Some habits you have to encourage (usually by throwing money at them).
The man who sold it to us insisted she have a quick lesson, so DH watched and learned as well.
We may get him into yarn eventually.
Later DH tried to pet an alpaca (that is an alpaca, right?), but it got camera shy because another lady was pointing her camera right in its face, so it turned its back on both of them:



DN2 was fascinated by the silkworms. They're so soft! she cried.
Well yeah, they feel kind of, oh, I don't know, silky.
I didn't want to scare them with a flash the way the alpaca was not loving it, so I was trying to be as surreptitious as possible:



When we got to the game the father of one of the kids asked DH how he liked the fiber fest.
DH redirected the question to me.
So I said that it was really good.
He asked, what do they sell there?
Funny thing, I didn't realize he thought it was the fiber you eat, so when I started talking about yarn the lights went on.
Too funny.
The game was a nail biter - two overtimes and the score ended in a 2-2 tie.
Heartbreaking.
Here's SN2 at the game:


When we finally got home this evening I had to wind one of the skeins I bought.
My yarn swift is currently MIA so I used DH instead:


How sweet.
Now it's wound and I need to start knitting.
And of course I'm being stalked.



They love the smell of the animals.