Done it again…

All things books, All things craft, ,

It would appear I’m still as daft as ever.
Remember that old saying – measure twice cut once. Meaning double check before you do anything.
Spotlight had wool on special.
The brand I use for charity knits has a standard range of colours so I just pick up the colours I know I can work with and am happy to knit.
Many balls of Royal Blue went into my basket

After finishing the back of the cable jumper I had the plain sleeves done in no time at all……then took a break, working on something else instead.

On to the front with a new ball…..initially thinking the yarn didn’t feel the same but it had come out of the same bag and was the same colour so carried on knitting.
After several pattern repeats (4 x 8 rows x 94 stitches!) I looked at the ball band…….oops, it was a different dye lot number.
When there are sales, supplies are topped up continuously and a few from a different dye lot must have still been in the bin
In my haste I obviously hadn’t checked each one properly before going to the cash register.

So……. I have looked and looked in various lights and can’t see any visible difference, but just in case, have decided that as the back and front are the same up up to the armholes, what I’m knitting now will be the back, where it’ll be less obvious.
The already finished ‘back’ has been unraveled down to armholes and I’ll knit it up as the front.

And ‘why don’t you leave it as it is’ remarked a friend, ‘who’s going to know’
Me, I replied!

Another ‘done it again’ moment a few weeks ago saw me agreeing to ‘make up the numbers’ and join another book club. It wasn’t until later and some info arrived I realised this wasn’t going to be as casual as my other one. No ‘tell us what you read’ chat over a cup of coffee…..this one is ‘we all read the same book the library provides then discuss it’ coffee comes afterwards. Too late to back out – this month’s book is Tourmaline by Australian author Randolph Stow published 1963.

Tourmaline is an isolated Western Australian mining town – a place of heat and dust, as allegorical as it is real. Out of the desert staggers a young diviner, Michael Random, offering salvation to this parched town. The once comatose community is indeed stirred to life, by hate as much as by love, and its people find salvation neither in water nor gold.

It’s turning out not to be a read and devour hour after hour book. It’s a bit of a slog more like. After noting all the characters and working out how they relate to each other I’m having to take it a few pages at a time to actually get the gist of the storyline…breaks/changes of scene written into the quite shortish chapters make it a bit easier …. You know, they say nothing ventured nothing gained, try something new and different- this book is certainly something new and different – surprisingly I’m actually enjoying it. Hopefully when the time comes I’ll remember what it was all about😊

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it’s Wednesday – the day Kat  hosts ‘Unraveled Wednesday ‘ …….that’s where you’ll find lots of knitting (and reading) to admire and think about.

And Wednesday is also the day to look out for Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse …..  you’ll find much to interest you there

32 thoughts on “Done it again…”

  1. I tried a book club once via my local library…there was a big bias from the librarian. One time it was a local author who turned up to hear our comments, the dude had self published and it was badly written…we were well into our comments when he mentioned he was the author!
    Most of us got up and left…I didn’t return, and a few weeks it folded.

    I know some of the private groups are good but I’m not sure that’s on my agenda of “fun events”

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    1. I might give the book a miss. I too busy trying to remember what I’m all about!! 🙂

      You’re such a good knitter. I was a hopeless knitter…no talent…so I gave up before making a total idiot of myself…and whatever it was I was trying to knit! 🙂

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    2. That would’ve been a gathering to be at – a bit unfair of the librarian not to introduce him….maybe he’d asked for it to be that way.
      You’re right about different ‘things’ appealing – I’ve learnt that enjoyment should be the main attraction

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  2. My previous bookclub was great. We took turns to choose a book we all read so lots of different tastes and many books I wouldn’t normally read but loved. Some were a bit questionable (50 shades of grey was one!) but lively discussion over wine and cheese made for some wonderful evenings.

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  3. I’m glad you sorted the colours. I can’t see a difference but if you can it would annoy you.
    Sometimes the books that are the hardest to read end up teaching us something important. I hope you keep at it.

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  5. I’d love to be in a book club but I just can’t concentrate long enough or find the time to read books so I’d stress myself out trying to get books read in time for when book club met. Maybe when life is a bit easier! Your jumper is looking fabulous. I can’t see any colour difference but I know that you’d know! lol

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    1. It may turn out the colours are closer to each other and there is no visible difference- fingers crossed that’s what happens. Have to wait until it’s finished and made up before I can judge properly. The book clubs are treat’s I’ve learnt to enjoy as I’ve become older….even though I read when younger I don’t think I’d have been able to discuss and maybe disagree with others over how I and others comprehended the content

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  6. I love the colour of your jumper. I’ve been in a book club where we all read the same book and discussed. It was always over coffee and a laugh. I loved it and stayed for 10 years. I’m not in one at the moment, but hoping to find one in the new year.

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    1. This is my first ‘all read the same book’ club and it’s different to any others I’ve been involved with. Might take a bit o& getting used to….but that’ll be half the fun I think

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  7. Oh the dreaded dye lot problem. The same colour really does vary such a lot doesn’t it. I reckon you will enjoy the new book group, it will give you a mental workout. My poetry appreciation group here is so very different to the one I belonged to in Yorkshire. This one really makes me think and I am getting a lot from it.

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    1. I hope you’re right Cathy…I’m just hoping there aren’t too many egg heads or literature nerds who want to dissect each and every paragraph. I’ll feel very inadequate if that’s the case. Maybe I’ll limit myself at the first meeting to – I enjoyed it/ I didn’t enjoy it😊

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  8. That cable jumper looks lovely! But how annoying about the dye! It would annoy me too even if other people wouldn’t notice.
    The “tell us what you read” over coffee club seems much more appealing than your new book club! We had some group reading thing going on in high school and even if we voted for what book to read, I really disliked having to read something that I didn’t totally choose myself. But I’m glad you’re enjoying the book after all. It sounds interesting to me!

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    1. I’ll find out about the club all in due course Susanne – the book is becoming less of a chore now the characters are developing and the storyline is becoming clearer

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  9. No, no. they’re the best bookclubs. I’m in one where we chat usually for about 5 mins about the books and the library one which is a very detailed discussion at where the books are sometimes a stretch (or complete rubbish, it can go either way). I now want to read Stowe. I don’t think I ever have. Maybe one of the kids ones – was he Midnight? #WWandP

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  10. I love the cable jumper and in particular the colour (my favourite shade of blue). It would have been annoying to find that different shades had been included. As for the Book Club, I am happy with my small (4 of us) book club. We are friends first so include a chat but also decided to just work through the classics and discuss. I’ve learned much from my friends. Good luck if you continue with the book club and perhaps you might like to join our What’s On Your Bookshelf? Link Up on the third Thursday of each month. xx

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    1. So far so good with the possible colour difference, once it’s put together I’m hoping it’s not that noticeable. I’m thinking about the link up Sue if not December maybe in the new year

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  11. That cabled textured jumper is beautiful. I understand your comment, “me, I would know the difference.” I belong to a book group that I really enjoy. We choose books together – in December for the coming year. I am contrary enough that I wouldn’t like to be in a group where I didn’t have some say in the book selection.

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    1. I just thought I’d help this group out and give it a go. If nothing it’ll be like a lucky dip each month not knowing what book we’ll be reading

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  12. As a teenager I had a jumper made from 2 dye lots. We couldn’t tell when we put the balls together but the “special” sleeve was quite obvious.
    Undoing it is a complete pest but you will be happier in the end. It’s such a glorious colour, too.
    Good luck with the book and with the club 😉

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    1. My mother did that, made a cardigan for one of my girls with a very different sleeve to the other. Seemed to think I was ungrateful when I pointed it out

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  13. Different dye lots are a pain. There is often a difference in colour and it is noticeable. I’d be frogging like mad. Sounds as though you’ve found a good solution

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    1. Yes, I was not amused. I’m hoping it’s not too noticeable which is why I made it be the back…I realise boys won’t be bothered especially those in need but others would see it

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  14. Oh I feel for you. Once you know something IS different you will always see it…don’t ask me how I know this. Your words to me about ‘not joining in’ groups for a bit resonated…I am going to have to get my city sea legs going first!! Thank you for sharing your post for Wednesday’s Words and Pics. It is great to have you be a part of this blogging community each week. Denyse.

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    1. My jesting words sometimes come true Denyse. Likewise don’t ask me how I know😊. In years gone by I’ve looked at the calendar and told myself something has to give/go. At the moment I can see this book club staying for a while

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  15. Oh dear to the knitting issue – but I think you’re very clever regardless, as I don’t knit!
    The bookclub is similar to my local one where we choose books from a huge list at the end of the year for the following year and then the library supply 10 copies of the book (randomly chosen from our list) for members plus questions to help with our discussion. Sometimes we don’t follow the questions but often they give us some direction if we’re not sure where to start. It works well with lots of discussion and often someone hasn’t finished it or even started it but we don’t care too much! Good luck, I went searching our library database for the book you mentioned but can’t find it.

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    1. Seemingly that’s the way it goes with this one Debbie. I’ve not met all the group yet, hopefully the others aren’t egg heads who want to dissect each and every paragraph and take all the fun out of the morning. Time will tell I suppose.
      Now if you really are interested in the book here’s a little detail from our library catalogue.
      Tourmaline – Randolph Stow
      Series title:
      Text classics
      Notes:
      First published: 1963.
      ISBN:
      9781925240306 (paperback)
      Maybe your library could order a copy

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  16. I have been in both kinds of book clubs. The tell-us-what-you-are-reading TW, one didn’t last. The one where the members take turns picking out book, no vetoes, just read the one picked, is great. I am a voracious reader, but in that club I read things I wouldn’t ever have picked. It became apparent that the very best discussions came over the book(s) many didn’t like. (I stopped going to that one during the pandemic because I was not impressed by their librarian’s half-hearted attempts to keep people safe. It is probably time to return.) The other book club is more of a social group; we spend 20 minutes or so on the book and the rest of the time eating, drinking, and chatting, It takes all kinds. Oh, and I love the color of your sweater!

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