The Accident - C.L. Taylor

Time for another book review, although this one is overdue as I finished it about 3 or 4 books ago but I will do my best! 

The Accident was brilliant, and I think I read it in just over 24 hours. I discovered the book because I follow the Book'd Out blog and Shellyrae posted a review some time ago, I ordered it there and then and read it as soon as it was delivered. As it was published in 2014 I realised it could count towards the reader challenge too. 

Back to the book...it's a psychological thriller based on a mother finding the diary of her daughter currently in a coma after walking out in front of a bus. Consequently she uses the diary entries to track down the events that led to the accident. It has a pretty gripping plot. It was slightly predictable once you got about half way through but that didn't make it any less enjoyable and there were still a couple of unexpected turns within the rest of the book. I'd recommend it to friends without a doubt. (In fact I already have...)

Granny Stripe Blanket

Hello! I know its been a while...bit of hectic month really but I have spent the last few days finishing off the Granny Stripe Blanket. It started it May last year (I can't believe its been around that long to be honest!).

It made another appearance in these posts...

• Sunny Creative Days (June)
• End of the Christmas Holidays

And now its finished! 

It's made from James C. Brett 'Cotton On' yarn (50% cotton / 50 Acrylic), lots of but thankfully it's quite cheap. Apparently washable at 40 degrees so I think this may end up as a picnic/park blanket. It was a pleasure to make and its so warm and heavy it will be great in the winter months too, to snuggle up under on the sofa.

I just need to find a smaller project now for all the left over yarn! 

Murder is Binding - Lorna Barrett

Another book challenge review. I finally understood what 'Cosy Mystery' meant. This was ok...I gave it three stars. It was a bit tame and slow moving for my liking but I guess that's the genre. It only took me 3 or 4 days to plough through it and parts of it I really liked. The book is part of a series and centres around a street containing different book shops. A murder took place in the cookery book shop and the owner of the mystery book shop was the prime suspect. Obviously she goes on to solve the crime but I won't spoil it any further for you. I have the next 2 in the series to read but they can wait for another day!

Happy reading.

Hello....long time no see

Its been ages! So much to tell you.

My last post was apparently the 18th March...I've done loads since then. 

I have:

Finished stitching the Kiss kit by Emily Peacock (better photos will follow when I make it into a cushion)

Plodded on with the front room, there is actually progress there but you can't see it...honest.

Not sure I ever showed you the fireplace that's going to go back in there though...

Its all original, and would have been what was in the house when it was build. The only reproduction parts are the tiles.

Started a new ripple blanket (have given up with trying to keep open projects to a minimum...its just not me)

Started Tae Kwon Do (Yes really...I love it almost as much as knitting). I will tell you more another day.

The most recent project is the garden. Its annoyed me for 3 years, and little progress has taken place but the annoyance level must have tipped the point of no return and yesterday was a back break day (almost literally) for which I am now suffering and I'm also sunburnt!

Remember this...

Well it looked worse than that more recently, but last week I tidied up that border and put some plants in...

Then yesterday we dug...and shovelled...

This is about half of what was removed. The rest is in skip bags.

So on Tuesday a tonne of hardcore arrives, and then I need to make the final decision on what is going on top...paving or pebbles. Time will tell.

Oh and the other day I made one of these. They may move to the garden at some point but for now it can hang here and grow some mint. Great for using up random bits of yarn...I may knock up a few more.

New Stairs!

Short and sweet post today just to show you something.

After months and months of these being sat behind my sofa and tv cabinet they finally made it to the landing!...

We now have so much more space on the landing too. Obviously the bannister and spindles still need adding but they already feel far safer than the old ones. Remember them? Here's a reminder...

The even better thing is that I can now continue with the Landing....if I knew what I wanted! We will get there eventually.

Harvest - Tess Gerritsen

Definitely the best book I've read in the past 12 months. It got me from the first few pages and I then took every opportunity I could to read it. This book also proved that the reading challenge is definitely worth completing as I doubt I would have read this otherwise. I picked it purely because it was one of the best rated medical thrillers. 

The main character, Abbey, is a doctor training to be a surgeon who gets mixed up in a heart transplant battle between a young boy and another wealthy, older, patient. The boy gets the heart but this then leads Abbey to uncover some very sinister and illegal arrangements. The book is fast paced and keeps you interested until the very last page. It got 5 stars from me on Goodreads and I still felt that wasn't enough. I will be reading more of Tess Gerritsen's books this year, without a doubt.

The Sunny Day Blanket

You may remember that back in July last year I started making, as commissioned by Child #1, another blanket. This was the beginnings.

Well I am pleased to say, along with wishing you all a very happy St David's Day again, that it is now finished! As she is away in Scotland this week and it was half term so I had a lovely week off, I decided to work as hard as I could and complete it before she got home.

I think it was in the summer that it was named the 'Sunny Day Blanket' as that is what it reminds me of and I also hooked a lot of it sat in the garden last year on sunny days...