what i'm reading

this summer i made a resolution to read more books, it's sad to me to not be an avid reader, and the excuse of not wanting to sit there for a long time to stare at a book can't fly anymore [especially when i'm already spending ages browsing online...].
the resolution itself presented two challenges for me--the first was to find out what to read, and the second was what form i'd like to read the book in.

there's no doubt about how nice it is to have a hard copy in your hands to take anywhere and bookmark, and there's a good chance the book won't cost too much, but it's sometimes hard to justify the loss of precious space in a small home like mine. it seems so counterintuitive with my love for yarn and sparked interest in books but i've been very interested in living minimally for that reason. so to justify the cost of shelf space i look at review after review on book sites and try my best to gauge the rereading or reference value of the book that i haven't even looked much into [bless you, google book preview], and maybe if i don't forget about the book altogether, i'll make the big choice to purchase it. sounds like i could use a kindle, huh?

i went through that long process when buying these two books pictured, and so far i haven't regretted my purchases one bit. recommended by a friend, cordelia fine does a wonderful job of doing careful research and delivering her points clearly in delusions of gender, and has made me think a little harder about information i'd otherwise blindly consume. and stephanie the yarn harlot's done nothing but wow me with her writing style and relatability. i'm beginning to understand why she's so  popular in the knitting community. these are both really nice reads that i'd recommend to anyone who has as hard a time as i do about making purchases. especially if you're going to buy knitting rules. don't. hesitate.
i think after finishing these two i'll try an epic for the rest of the year. maybe tolkein, who knows. reading feels great.

have you fallen in love with any good books lately?

curating is tough

one of my favorite things about etsy is the variety of sellers and items you can find. there's always something somewhere to suit your tastes. so when i discovered that you could make treasuries to feature the beautiful things we all make, i quickly went to work to curate my very first. [you can click through the image to see my treasury <3]

1. black/grey canvas tote, 2. black walnut cup 3. elessa dark grey canvas bag 4. large chunky brown triangle beads

5. medium grey leather journal 6. dark grey vintage buttons 7. ozetta's tok thermal cowl 8. tibetan om carved bone bead necklace

9. model e leg warmers 10. icelandic dark grey cowl 11. tiny grey silver, obsidian, velvet ring 12. pearl and black beaded bracelet

13. padded cotton case 14. buffalo leather tote bag 15. black leather pocket journal 16. lord mock's small keepsake box 

treasuries are cool because they offer a chance to give a nod to the sellers who manage to show the best of their craft in their photos [believe me, after trying it a couple of times..it's hard work]. i hope to someday find one of my pieces in someone's treasury to see how i fit into their tastes and inspirations.

...

waking earlier and earlier in the morning, just to beat the summer heat, and enjoy the overcast skies before the sun breaks them up.
i've gone back to that good ol' meditative moss stitch, soon to be another little facecloth set in my shop. i was hardly a fan of bright, loud colors, especially not in my wardrobe, but it makes perfect sense to have such a happy color there to meet you for your daily morning ritual. for that reason, i've turned to these cheerful shades for this little collection.

veral

here is a new item i added to my little shop! this one's extra exciting for me because it's the first time i'm in the photograph, modeling the knit itself. i'm very nervous about appearing in photographs, i'd prefer to be on the other side of the camera at all times.
anyway, me aside the design itself turned out just how i wanted it to, this was in charcoal because it's among my favorite colors to wear, but i'm offering the knit in any of 32 color choices for you. it'll be exciting to see what customers will choose!
you can see my cowl and all of its options here, in my etsy shop.
and another bit of news--i'm a little over 2 weeks in my 365 project, you can look at my progress on tumblr or in my flickr set.