February 2023 | A Random Book Haul

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023 bookishlunaLeave a comment

Hello and welcome to a post where I am sharing the books I am adding to my owned TBR. I have actually been reading a bit this past few months so of course I wanted to reward myself with some new books to add to my stacks. Most of the books I have been reading have been through my library digitally, but I recently went on a little adventure and came across a really lovely local bookstore and I wanted to support them. So, I ended up getting these lovely book. Also, I am adding a bonus of a preorder at the end of this post.

Local Bookstore Haul

Love at Six Thousand Degrees by Maki Kashimada, Haydn Trowell (Translator)

I have to say, the cover of this book really pulled me in. The cover is a really lovely dark red berry color, with an illustrated girl on the cover in the same color dress. Oddly, you don’t see her face at all as the title is on top of it located on a doodled cloud. Then I ended up picking up the book and looking at the description. It follows a house wife (name is unknown at this time) who has visions and leaves her life behind. It sounded interested and spontaneous. Bonus, the book is under 150 pages. When I got home I added the book to my goodreads and I ended up noticing that this books ratings are not the highest and had only one written review, but I am still intrigued.

The Icepick Surgeon by Sam Kean

When I walked into the store I really wanted to get a nonfiction read or a horror book. Sadly, their horror was VERY limited. Only about 20 books and I will be honest I read them all. So, I ended up picking up the above talked about book and then walking over to the nonfiction and this title grabbed me right away. In recent years I have realized I really enjoy learning about the history of medicine. I have read and loved The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris. While The Icepick Surgeon is medical related, it explore the lengths people will go in to try to prove something. Some of the things in this book are medical, but it seems to focus on science in general.

Pre-Order

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

Now, I wont go too much into this book due to the fact it is the second book in a series. The first book followed Jade Daniels a high school student who LOVES horror. She watches and consumes it to not focus on her not so great home life. But, this knowledge ends up coming in handy since she is about to be in a horror story herself. She deals with quite a lot and can be difficult to read for some. I will say, reading this I can see that Stephen Graham Jones loves horror himself with constant nods to other works. I highly suggest checking it out because I have not been this excited for a horror series in a long time.

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Monthly Intent & TBR | February 2023

February 1, 2023 bookishluna4 Comments

Reading Plans

Since last month I ended up finish an entire book, I am going a little overboard with my TBR this month. I am planning on reading two books. I mean, it is only tow books, but to be fair it is a 50% increase from the month before. I am planning to read the sequel to the book I read last month, Ninth House, this one is called Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo. I only just finished the first book and I am so ready to jump into the second one. I am not looking forward to the wait for the third book though. The second book is a book I picked up in January when my boyfriend and I went for a walk around town and stopped at a local indie bookstore. That book is called Devil House by John Darnielle. I have not heard much about this book, but it seems to be a very intriguing horror/paranormal book.

Crochet & Knitting Plans

This month I am planning on finishing two of my ongoing projects. The first one I would love to finish it my third Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition by PetiteKnit (Website | Ravelry). My first attempt at this pattern I made it for myself, the second and third are gifts for others. I really would like to finish this one ASAP due to the fact they need a hat during these cold months. This one is also lends itself to being an out and about project for the most part so I am confident in being able to finish it. The second project I really want to finish this month is my Underwing Mitts by Erica Heusser (Etsy | Ravelry). I am starting the month out with a little bit of a head start. I am about halfway through my first mitt already and I only started working on them just about a week ago. I have not picked it up in the last few days, but I feel like I am going to be able to make a lot of progress since they are small and the colorwork is a lot of fun on this project. Plus, I really want to learn to do the duplicate stitch. This technique is used after the fact the decorate the moth on the mittens.

Random Goals

This month I would really love to go to a knitting centered event of some kind. I either would like to go to a knit night, try to find a new shop to check out or something along those lines. I feel like since it is going to start warming up after this month I want to get in all the yarnie goodness I can. Other than that I would really like to see a little bit of snow, not a lot. This past month I really wanted to watch the snow, but it didn’t snow a single flake! I would really like it if it snowed a tiny bit when I didn’t need to go anywhere.

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Monthly Digest

Monthly Digest & Wrap Up | January 2023

January 31, 2023January 28, 2023 bookishluna3 Comments

Hello and welcome to my monthly Digest post where I talk about the things I made, books I read, and other random things I did in January. This first month of 2023 had a few ups and downs, but over all it was a good start to the new year. I actually read not one, but two books! I also completed a lot of projects that were lingering on my needles.

Books

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, I ended up giving this book 4 stars. I really enjoyed the story and I realized that Bardugo’s writing really pulled me in pretty quickly. I cared about characters quickly and needed to keep reading to find out what happens next. I actually have the second book in the series on loan from the library and I plan on getting than read ASAP because I enjoyed the first so much.

Knit 2 Socks in 1: The Easiest Method Ever for Knitting Two Socks at Once by Safiyyah Talley, this knitting reference book I picked up back in October at NY Sheep and Wool festival. I really have wanted to learn to make socks from a sock tube and I thought this book would be perfect. She does a really good job of describing the process and I am hoping to tackle this type of project this year and will for sure have this book open next to me.

Crochet & Knitting

Anker’s Sweater (Website|Ravelry), I already wrote up my stand alone post on this project because I really loved the process and outcome. You can find the post linked here, Finished Object | Anker’s Sweater by PetiteKnit. It was a dream to knit and I love how adorable the tiny sweater came out.

Multi colored granny stripe scrarf handing on ladder

Granny Stripes by Lucy of Attic24 (Website|Ravelry), this was a year long scrappy project where I took a ton of leftovers and just added them to an ever growing scarf. I used the mentioned pattern as a guide in making this, but did not stick to the cast on amount.

Half of a scarf hanging out of a bucket bag.

Sophie Shawl by PetiteKnit (Website|Ravelry), This I think was my favorite make of the month. I used up some leftovers from another project and ended up making what I called my Cruella de Vil shawl because it is half black and half white. It is perfect to wrap around and keep warm as well. The knitting process was straightforward and it was a great mindless TV knit.

Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition by PetiteKnit (Website|Ravelry), this is the second time I made this pattern. I ended up making this one to gift to my boyfriends Mom who loved the one I made for myself. I ended up modifying it by adding roughly an inch in length to the body of the hat to make it more slouchy.

Random Things

Mocktail in glass with sock being knitted and project bag.

Since I don’t really drink I wanted to enjoy a fun drink on New Years. I ended up coming across a recipe called Sparkling Blueberry Ginger Mocktail by Minimalist Baker. It was super yummy and easy, I plan on making it again the next time I get some blueberries. It is really nice because you can adjust it to your taste by adding more or less sparkiling water.

I also took a change this month to go to an open knit night at one of the yarn shops I shop at. I was not really sure how it was going to go because I never have gone before, but it was nice. I got to meet some new people and got some progress on one of my many WIPs. I am not sure when I will be able to go again, but I certainly plan on trying to go again.

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Bullet Journal Jottings, Writing & More

February 2023 Bullet Journal

January 29, 2023January 28, 2023 bookishluna1 Comment

Hello and welcome to a little peak of my bullet journal. Last month I did not share my bullet journal because I decided to try something new and if I am being honest, I loved how it worked out. I was in a way worried about sharing because I am not using my bullet journal in a typical mannor, but blending two things together. I decided to make my bullet journal a hybrid with a commonplace book as well as a brain dump. A while ago I did an experiment with the idea of a commonplace book, Let’s Talk | Using a Commonplace Book. I really liked the idea of having a single notebook to just put whatever I wanted, but at the time I made it a separate notebook. This time around I wanted to simplify my life a bit and consolidate things a little by breaking things down by month and adding my random notes, quotes, and information. Along side or in-between that would be my habit trackers, weekly plans, and whatever else I feel like adding to my bullet journal at the time.

Materials

B5 Time for Tea Dot Grid Notebook
Tombow Calligraphy Pen
Libretto Mechanical Pencil – Silver Barrel
Sharpie S-Gel
Plant Based Bride Patreon printouts
Tombow Dual Brush Pens in the colors 401 and 743

Spreads

This month I decided to add a spread to see an overview of my monthly posts as well as a kanban board to better help me keep track of where I am in regards to writing, taking pictures, and scheduling items. On the left I just drew a calendar for the month of February and left it blank so I can write in my posts later on. On the right page I broke it down into four sections; ideas, written, photos, and scheduled. I also placed a few tabs where I can write the title of the post so I can move it across the page as the post is in different sections. I have used this type of tracker in the past and it really worked wonders for me staying on top of things.

The next two spreads are my monthly goals, current WIPs, and my weekly knitting goals. In regards to my monthly goals on the left-hand page I decided to try something new. I really love the look of little calendars as habit trackers and I wanted to give it a go. I decided to have a total of 5 trackers; reading, making, 10,000, no spend, and BUJO. I lined them all up on one side of the page and then next to those I added my goals and current WIPs.

Goals

Read 20 days
Make for 28 days
10,000 steps 14 days
No spend 20 days
Complete 2 projects
Complete 1 book

Current WIPs

Oslo Hat (BF)
Hazel Neck
Underwing Mitts
Big Cozy Cardi

While all of that is on the left page, I decided to put my weekly knitting goals right next to this so everything I would need to reference goal wise is all in one place. I ended up doodling 4 trackers that look like binder or notebook paper. On each one I labeled it with one project that I wanted to work on throughout the month, not necessarily finish it. Then each line on the page was labeled a week by their numbered days, I ended up having a little of January and March in there, but I figured a little overlap is good than cutting anything off.

Lastly, I am going to attempt to use some weekly spreads in here again. I am keeping it simple with each week having its own page. Then from there each day is labeled with the number of the day and a letter for the day of the week. Each day is then further divided into two sections labeled as, events and to do. I wanted to make sure I had a space to add a to do list, because I love a good to do list, so I broke things down this way.

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Knitting, Crochet, Crafting, Art & More

Finished Object | Anker’s Sweater by PetiteKnit

January 26, 2023January 9, 2023 bookishluna3 Comments

Hello and welcome to a little post where I share some of the details about my most recently finished knitting project, the Anker’s Sweater (Website|Ravelry)! This project is a top down textured yolk sweater with some raglan increases, the rest of the sweater is stockinette. This particular pattern is made for sizes 3 months to 8 years. So, it works up super quickly! I ended up making the size 9-12 months so it can be used next fall/winter by the baby and their parents. I figured, they would get a ton of stuff for when the baby is very tiny, so having something for down the road would be helpful.

Picture of completed baby sweater on a comforter.

Why This Pattern

Well, I made this project for a few reasons, the first being I made an adult T-shirt version of this sweater in the past so I was very familiar with the construction already. This is for sure a beginner friendly pattern, but already knowing kind of how it was going to work up was for sure a selling point on the pattern. I also had yarn that I could use for the project already in my stash, so I wouldn’t have to wait to receive an order or take a tip to a yarn store. Normally, I would have no qualms about doing either of these, but I found out about the shower about a month before it was set to happen. Time was for sure not on my side to complete this project.

The Yarn

For this project it calls for two strands of fingering held double, which tends to be a DK once combined. Taking that into consideration, I took a peak at my yarn stash, I had a large enough pile of worsted weight yarn and did a swatch. It worked out so I decided to use Encore Worsted Solids & Heathers from Plymouth Yarn. I also liked that it was made of a material that could be washed with a little less care. Always good for baby things. I ended up using a green/blue color called 678 Light Green Forest.

While Knitting

Picture of half finished sweater next to its project bag with a wintery scene fabric on a couch.

This thing worked up so quickly, it was kind of hard to believe. I have never made a baby sweater, so that might be why I thought it was going to take longer. I knew, obviously, that it would work up faster than one of my sweaters, but honestly, it was kind of staggering how fast it went. On the first day I was already 60% though the yoke, the second day I was already entirely through the yoke and halfway through the remaining body. Only two days and I was working on other projects. The arms also only took about a day each, this really is a fast knit, I didn’t even knit the smallest size. The one thing I noticed while working is I did not enjoy working on such small circumference with a thicker yarn. It was more so noticeable the first 10 rows of each sleeve. It felt like there was just too much around my hands, but once length was added it was perfectly fine.

Thoughts Overall

I really think this is a great simple pattern with a little something going on for visual interest. It is a combination of simple stiches, and uses them to make something that looks harder than it is. Obviously, it still takes some work, and those increases can be tricky if you are unfamiliar with them, but a quick tutorial on youtube will fix that quickly. It was also well written pattern, it was all straight forward. Also, I just want to make it clear, I did not make any modifications to this pattern other than working with worsted weight yarn. So, this really shows how much I enjoyed this pattern, I tend to make modifications to wearables these days. I think I would for sure make this pattern again since the process was fun and enjoyable and the outcome was super cute and I cannot wait to gift it.

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Life Style

Decluttering 7 Things for 7 Days

January 22, 2023January 20, 2023 bookishluna2 Comments

Hello and welcome to a decluttering post, I have done some cleaning and decluttering things in the past. I have not made a post on the topic in a while, but I wanted to get back to it for a few reasons. The first and main reason is that I felt that a lot more clutter has found its way back into my life. Now, my living situation has changed in the last year so it could be because I have less room so everything seems more cluttered, but either way I notice it and I am not particularly happy with that. The second reason is that I really would like to just keep things around me that I use or need to operate the things in my life.

So, I was scrolling around YouTube with this in mind and I came across a video by The After Work Channel where she did a 7 day declutter challenge where she got rid of 7 items per day for an entire week. I enjoyed her video and it inspired me a bit because I thought I was going to have to tackle something like I had in the past, but this idea was a bit more accessible for me time wise and with the space I have. I can easily find 7 things that I am no longer using for a week. So, I did it and here are the things I ended up getting rid of and to hopefully move back towards a more minimalist space that I had.

Day 1

5 skeins of dk yarn I am not going to use
1 ruler where it has a wonky edge
1 pencil holder I don’t really need since I have a pen container in my desk.

Day 2

13 socks, did a little extra and got rid of all my socks without a match

Day 3

2 boxes of razor heads, there was only one in each box anyway
1 comb, don’t use it really ever.
1 spray deodorant, does not work well.
1 pill organizer, don’t need it.
1 hand sanitizer, was leaking everywhere!
1 glasses plate, I don’t keep my glasses on there anyway.

Day 4

1 heel cream, don’t like the smell.
1 pack of makeup sponges, I apply my makeup with a brush.
1 bottle of toner, toner breaks me out every time.
1 peach makeup pouch, I don’t need it. I was using a different pouch to hold everything anyway.
1 shaver, never opened or used.
1 bar of soap, I don’t like bar soaps.

Day 5

8 bottle of nail polish, they were all colors that dried out.

Day 6

1 broken thumb brace
5 pack of money pouches, from my cash wallet days when I was learning to budget
1 eyeshadow pallet, I never reach for it and I always use my single shade anyway,
1 coin purse, I thought I had lost it, turned out it fell behind my night stand.
1 pack of emery boards, I use a glass file now.
2 pairs of eyebrow scissors, they were starting to rust and I am not using anything rusty.
2 nail files, I use a glass file and do not really like the metal ones personally.
1 perfume sample, I didn’t love the scent and I have one I love that I use daily.
1 pack of post-it tabs, not really large enough to be of use to me.

Day 7

1 apple watch box, I need to stop keeping boxes forever.
1 apple watch strap box, I really need to stop keeping boxes for years and years.
1 pair of broken head phones, these were over 10 years old.
4 packs of alternate ear buds, why did I keep all of the options of they didn’t work for my ears?
1 old iPad cover, kept to make sure a newer one worked before tossing it. It’s time has now come.
1 budget notebook, the layout didn’t work for my current needs.

Outcome

Did I meet my goal of getting rid of 49 things? After looking back at everything, yes I did! I ended up getting rid of a total of 65 things, that means I got rid of an extra 16 unused items. I realized pretty early on in this week long challenge that doing a certain area of the house or room was more helpful than just walking around the house picking 7 things. It led me to really take a look at what I had in that category and get rid of everything I was not going to be using. This led me to get rid of more than 7 things on a lot of the days, because I didn’t just stop after the 7 items were found, but continued to work through that area.

Sign off, thanks for reading!

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Current Reads and WIPs

Current WIPs and Reads | January 2023

January 15, 2023January 9, 2023 bookishluna3 Comments

Hello and welcome to a midmonth check-in where I am sharing the things I am currently reading and my works in progress and share how I am feeling about each of them. I am happy to report I am finally reading a bit. Not nearly as much as I have in the past, but I am making some progress in that regard. Due to this, I am reading a few books that I am going to be talking about. On top of that I have two projects I am working on as well. Without more rambling, here are my current reads and WIPs

In progress knitting projects and my eReader on my bed.

My Current Reads

I am currently about half way through Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I am buddy reading this with Misty’s Book Space and it has been really fun reading this book in small chunks and talking about it weekly. So far I am enjoying the book, the author has done a really good job with setting the mood and establishing the characters and setting. There have been a few things I could have done without, but over all I am enjoying it. I am very much in the phase of I need to keep reading to see what happens next, which has not happened in a really long time. I am very happy that it seems like my reading mojo might be returning.

The second book I am currently reading is Sundial by Catriona Ward, this was also a buddy read, but I did not keep up with it sadly. I am still reading it though and I will finish it! I will be a good buddy reading partner lol. I am enjoying this story, it is a horror thriller, but I am enjoying Ninth House a bit more at this point. But, I have a ton to read still so I am curious to see if I feel the same by the time I finish them. I think the main reason is this is more a thriller\horror where as Ninth House is more fantasy/mystery dark academia. Both are written well and, like I said, I am liking them both.

My Current WIPs

The first project I am really focusing on is the Sophie Shawl by PetiteKnit (Ravelry|Website), I started this project in December of 2022 and I would really love to finish it and use it. I am over halfway done at this point and the width of the shawl is getting smaller from here on out. I think I should be finishing it within the week. It is going to be more of a scarf than a shawl in my option. I am also enjoying making one half black and one half white, The second project I am working on, which is more of a background project is the Big Cozy Cardi by Andrea Mowry (Ravelry|Website). This is more of a long term project that I am working on a little each day. I am loving the pattern and process for sure. It is going to be a big oversized cardi with a mohair collar, so it is going to be super comfortable.

What are you currently reading or working on?

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Knitting, Crochet, Crafting, Art & More

52 Weeks of Socks | Series Introduction

January 8, 2023December 31, 2022 bookishluna14 Comments

52 Weeks of Socks book, a stack of 3 yarn balls, a gall jar with pieces of paper in front of a circle pillow leaning against a wall on the floor.

Hello and welcome to a bit of an introduction for a series I am going to be doing over the next year. In 2022 I picked up a knitting booked called 52 Weeks of Socks published by Laine. I flipped through it quite a few times, but never made a pattern out of it. Then a few months ago I watched a video by Eliza Okay where she slowly makes her way though this series. It kind of inspired me to really get into this book and give the patterns a go.

The main reason I was hesitant with working with this book was how I felt I was so inexperienced with the techniques within the book. When I first picked up the book I had never done a toe up sock, I never did cables, I never even looked at a chart before. In addition to all of these, I had never used DPNs in my life. A lot of the patterns, at least the ones I took a look at, needed to use DPNs. Now you can manipulate a pattern to be done on magic loop or 9-inch circulars, but I also had no experience in doing that as well. I honestly felt like I didn’t know enough to do any of the patterns, which made me sad, but I knew that one day I would learn a lot of these things and be able to tackle it.

Now, at the end of 2022 I have done a lot of the things I was hesitant about I have worked on in other projects. Mind you, a lot of the sock patterns had combinations of these new things. I decided the best way to work on these other skills was to learn them mixed in one at a time into things I already “mastered” or at least knew well enough. I did two toe up socks in 2022, I did a shawl covered in cables, I used charts on a few projects and I even used DPNs on a project! Oddly, even though I felt more confident in my abilities and really enjoy making socks, I never really picked up the book again. I think because at that point, it was just a book in on my shelf and I had other sock pattens to make that I also owned. Then I came across Eliza‘s video and subsequent videos working her way though it, I was inspired to take the book out and start working my way though it.

Now, I am not only going to make socks out of this book. I am going to be making a little series out of it to share my initial feelings, how the process went, and my other all thoughts. Now, since the book has so many patterns I needed to figure out how I was going to maneuver working through this challenge/series. There were many way to do this; working through it chronologically, random number generator, or throwing the book like Eliza tried to do in one of her videos. I ended up landing on another option, which you can see in the picture above. I wrote each number on a strip of paper and then place them all in a jar. When I need a new sock pattern, I can just go and pick a number out! Nice and easy, as well as random, which I prefer.

Now, since there are 52 patterns in this book, I don’t really plan on making them all in a year, but over a few years. My goal this year is to make 6 socks out of this book. I figured two months per pair would be manageable, especially since some are more complicated than others. I am hoping to get a mix so I can fly through some and be able to take my time on some more challenging patterns. Either way, no matter how this works out. I am very excited about this new challenge and sharing it with you all.

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Monthly Intent · To Be Read

Monthly Intent & TBR | January 2023

January 1, 2023December 31, 2022 bookishluna4 Comments

Hello and welcome to my monthly intent post where I share my monthly TBR and other goals I have for the month ahead. I am really excited about a few things this month and am looking forward to. I am planning on trying to address my goals for this year early since my motivation is high currently.

Various skeins of yarn in different bases surrounding an eReader displaying the cover of Ninth House.

Reading Plans

This month I am going to be focusing on two weeks, both are buddy reads. The first is one I am very behind on that I was reading with my friends Reg and Jenna. For the Halloween season we decided to read Sundial by Catriona Ward. I have yet to finish it, they both have…oops! The second book I am planning to read is Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo and I am reading this one with Misty from Misty’s Book Space. I am really excited about reading these.

Crochet & Knitting Plans

This month I would really love to make the By the Fire Socks by Danielle Jorge. They are an ankle sock where the cuff is a few little trees. I have never made ankle socks or socks where the cuff isn’t a standard cuff, so I think it will be a lot of fun to give a go. Other than that I would like to start a Big Cozy Cardi by Andrea Mowry. It is a very oversized comfortable looking sweater, which I think would be perfect to wear around the house during these colder months as well as transition months. I don’t think I will get to finish it, but I know I want to at least start it.

Random Goals

This month I would really love to do two things, I would love to go for a walk in the snow as well as read in front of the fireplace. The first being totally dependent on the weather and is totally out of my control, is more like a dream than a goal. The latter I can certainly do this month without much hassle. I just really want to enjoy the fireplace while it actually makes sense to use it. Once it gets warmer, it is not something I can do without melting.

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Let's Talk · Reading Challenges

My 2023 Goals

December 24, 2022November 5, 2022 bookishluna5 Comments

Reading Goals

Read 6 non-fiction books, I did this one last year and I really loved it and want to do it again.

Get owned TBR under 10 books, last year I was able to get my owned TBR under 15 books. I really want to continue that trend so I can really embrace my mood reading.

Life Goals

Try or do something new, I really enjoy challenging myself my going to new places or trying something that is a bit out of my comfort zone. I don’t have a specific ideas at this time, but I know I can think of something over the course of the year.

Track my spending better, I am by no means bad with money, but I really want to get in the habit of tracking my spending. Especially when it comes to my hobbies.

Maker Goals

Knit 6 pairs of socks, this is another goal I am stealing from last year that I really enjoyed. I love my hand knit socks so I want to add to my collection.

Knit and create more from my stash, as of writing this I have yarn and patterns ready to go for 34 projects. I would really love to get that number down quite a bit over the new year. The only additions I think I am going to allow is if I sign up for a class and my yarn subscription for sock yarn.

My goals this year are pretty straightforward and I think really simple. In doing this, I feel like I am setting myself up for success. They are specific enough that I am working towards something, but not strict enough where it will be overly difficult and I just become frustrated and give up. While goals are all about pushing yourself, they should also be realistic, reasonable, and doable with a bit of effort. At least in my opinion.

What are some goals you have for yourself in the upcoming year?

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