Yarn Along

Are you getting sick of my colour-effects (to brighten up my webcam photos) yet?

It's been so long since I participated in the Yarn Along, as I work on Wednesdays and rarely find the time to write a post the night before. But here I am!

The twin loves of knitting and reading go together like...well, like Hansel and Gretel. We just picked up this copy of the beloved story, adapted by Cynthia Rylant. It is beautifully illustrated by Jen Corace. If you love textiles, you'll love the details in this book: the beauty of the clothing, curtains, tablecloth is simply stunning. Little red shoes, a yellow sweater with cherries on it, shawls, and quilts...who could resist?

Who doesn't love this story? When I had it in hand at the store, I asked my husband if he thought it might be too scary for our kids. He replied that it's that delicious kind of scary that kids love. And he was right. What's wonderful about this adaptation is that it focuses on the courage and intelligence of the children, AND includes Gretel as a heroine in her own right. We love it and read it nightly.

And that other book? Oh my goodness. "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick is an absolute must-read for book lovers of all ages in your family. It's part mystery, part graphic novel, and all engrossing. It's a tale peopled by a young orphan boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station, a girl with a mysterious key for a necklace, and a bitter old toymaker. Fate brings them together in this unforgettable story. My husband and I were wrestling it out of each other's hands when first brought it home from the library. I googled it recently in order to find a copy for my sister and her daughters, (as well as one for us to keep, for when our kids are older!) and found out that it will be released as a movie this fall. So get thee to a bookstore or a library and read it in its most beautiful form!

I'm still knitting eggs. Sigh. Oh, and that's the Baby Sophisticate, in Tahki Yarn's Donegal Tweed, for a friend who is having a baby in April...because every little man needs a dashing cardigan, n'est-ce pas? Just needs buttons now...