Books

Review of Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

cherylcan

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Dutch author Heuvelt’s English-language debut novel is called Hex. It is about a town haunted by a 17th-century witch, Katheryn van Wyler. Townsfolk uncover the true face of evil—and it’s not supernatural.

I loved this book. It was recommended to me by a friend and I am so glad. I had kind of gotten away from this type of book but a great read like this one really got me back into it. Although it is scary, the worst part of the story is the social implications of the terror people feel not how scary the witch is. Heuvelt is so good at getting into people’s heads to  how they would react and cope with the supernatural curse on their town. These psychological impacts are so well written and feel true. People are at their most scared here, so there are dizzying arrays of reactions.

The story is a slow burn set in present day. Give it a chance.  Thomas sets the stage by slowly revealing the fate of Katheryn, and why she cursed this town. The elders of the present day have a web lockdown on the town to keep track of their witch as well as to contain the curse. As is human nature, the young adults of the town are chafing against the strict protocols designed to keep the town and all its people safe. Their normal exploration of boundaries leads the entire town down a dark and dangerous path.

Some of the first people we meet are the Grant family. They moved into Black Spring not realizing that once there they could never move out. We get to explore their experience and eventual decision to have children. Tyler, one of their children, is my favourite character in the book. It may be because reminds me of my middle son. He is not a bad kid but has been raised to think for himself, so is now pushing his own agenda as only an idealistic young adult will. I really could see how the situations in the book could happen. The characters rang true to me. Especially, the scenes where parents who knew the rules, still protected their offspring from the consequences of their rash decisions.

If you like a psychological thrill laced with a bit of the supernatural and lots of social commentary, then this book is for you. I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

 

CAWcreationsPodcast, knitting

2017 CAWcreations Episode 6: Happy Canada Day

cherylcan
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CAWcreations Episode 6 published on Jun 29, 2017

Podcast about knitting and the books I am reading.
Except this week, I forgot the book. I should not podcast on days I feel ill.

Our baby had her prom and graduation the last couple of weeks. We are so proud of her and our other two children (young adults). What a whirlwind! We are so proud.

FO

1:00 Opal Socks in Flocke made using 2.5 mm (US 1.5) needles kept in my Annie Purl bag.

WIPs
2:05 Apple Blossom Socks by Helen Stewart using 2.00 mm (US 1) needles in my Tardis bag by Sue from the Two Tangled Skeins podcast. I used a grey glitter mini from Annie Purl for the cuffs. I am not sure but I might use a turquoise glitter also from Annie Purl for the heels. The main color is Lisa Sousa’s 2017 Rhinebeck colourway.

3:10 Ironheart by Tin Can Knits from Heart on My Sleeve Collection using Knit Picks Gloss DK and 3.5 mm circular needle

4:00 Vicky’s Lionheart Quick Knit Afghan using Sweet Roll yarn and a 15mm circular needle

Stash Flash

4:43 Sock blank from Paula at Bayview Fiber Arts in OOAK (blue-green) It is on her Spring Bay Sock Yarn base (420 yards/115g); 80% super wash Merino wool and 20% nylon, 3-ply.

5:30 Montague Yarn Shop purchased Heather (dye lot 6) superwash yarn by Richard Devrieze.

7:14KALs
I like your sweater KAL double dip by entering in the CAWcreations Group and the Knitting in Stitches Group on Ravelry.

Victoria’s Graduation and Prom Pictures.

Molly fell asleep as soon as we got in so no videos of her.

 

You can find me on:
Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/Cherylcan
Ravelry Group: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/cawcrea…
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylcan/?…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cwartman

Fleece and Harmony, knitting

Accidental Test for Colourfastness of Fleece and Harmony Yarn

cherylcan

A couple of weeks ago, it was a rainy dark drive home from knitting. When I finally go home, I grabbed my knitting bags and dashed through the rain to my door. I was tired so I headed to bed shortly after, sleeping through a wild rainstorm.

The next morning I looked out and there was my knitting bag sitting out in the rain. It had sat out all night with my Fleece and Harmony Strawberry fields yarn inside. How careless had I been. I was test knitting a shawl for Fleece and Harmony. I ran outside and grabbed it. I expected my project bag to be pink or IMG_2147red and the project to be ruined. It was soaked through.  My bag looks great. The colour did not run at all. The white is still white.

My project is fine. I was floored. What a great dye job. It did not run at all.

Later I finished another project, that had yellow to a midnight blue. When I soaked it wool wash, the water was clear. Fleece & Harmony’s yarns are colorfast.

I am so excited to know that any color combinations can work and the colors will not run into each other.

Have fun combining any colors that you want. You can be confident the colors will not run.

Happy Knitting!

 

 

Books, CAWcreations Pattern, CAWcreationsPodcast, CBC, knitting

June 7, 2017 CAWcreations E5: Cheryl’s Song

cherylcan

DreamingoftheSea

Podcast about knitting and the books I am reading.

You can find me on:
Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/Cherylcan
Ravelry Group: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/cawcrea…
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylcan/?…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cwartman

0:32 Fleece & Harmony mentioned me in their recent blog post,

WIPs
2:00 Opal vanilla sock using 3mm double pointed needles not sure of color,
3:23 Vicky’s Lionheart Quick Knit Afghan for graduation using Premier Yarns Sweet Roll in Frosty Swirl,Ice pop, Grape Swirl, and Raspberry Swirl  and a 15mm circular needles,
5:05 Ironheart by Tin Can Knits from Heart on My Sleeve Collection using Knit Picks Gloss DK and 3.5 mm circular needles,
6:40 Gingerbread by Libby Jonson using Madelinetosh Tosh DK in Coal seam and Bayview Fiber Arts Swing Bridge DK in Barn board, and 4 mm circular needles,
7:30 Gavin’s Blanket (Throw) by CAWcreations using Knit Picks Dishie Solids in Clementine and 4.5 mm circular needles.

8:35 Book: Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt is a spooky read. It focuses on a town, Black Spring, that is haunted by a witch. The curse means that residents cannot take prolonged vacations and are tied to the town. They also have high tech surviellance tracking the witch. I really enjoyed the contrast of how the adults versus the high school children felt about their restrictions. As with any great book, the focus is on the characters reactions to their environment which push the plot forward. It is a great book so far but I will add full review on this site when I finish the book.

What’s Happening:
9:26 Lucy the Duck moves her duckings story
10:20 Cheryl’s Song by Tim Wartman or check it out at: https://youtu.be/DmrpCvObsNc

knitting

Cast on my Gingerbread for the Sweater KAL

cherylcan

2017GingerbreadSweaterThis weekend I finally cast on the Gingerbread Sweater by Libby Jonson. I love it. The shaping for the top and armholes is so well done. I got the back finished to where you have to join to the front for knitting in the round. I will be casting on the front as soon as I can.

My yarn choices are just perfect. I am so in love with this. The Madelinetosh Tosh DK Coal Seam is knitting up beautifully. My only change from the original pattern is that I am going to fade into Bayview Fiber Arts Swing Bridge DK in Barn Boards for the bottom of the sweater.

I had hoped to enter the Hawthorne Cottage Craft Gingerbread KAL but considering it ends this Wednesday I am probably out of luck for that one. I am still on track to enter in the Knitting in Stitches “I like your sweater” KAL. Cast on a sweater and enter it in both the Knitting in Stitches and the CAWcreations “I like your sweater” KALs!

CAWcreationsPodcast, knitting, PEI, Things I have looked into

2017 May 16 CAWcreations Episode 4: A comedy of errors

cherylcan

0:57 Working on new designs for Fleece & Harmony,

2:09 WIPs

  1. Ironheart by Tin Can Knits from Heart on My Sleeve Collection done in Knit Picks Gloss DK using Addi Turbo interchangeable needles size 3.75mm. Kept in my Annie Purl bag. It is very well made. If I had to say anything the handle is slightly short but that is being extremely picky. If you want to buy her bags, then go watch Two Tangled Skeins podcast, they have a coupon code for Annie Purl – 15% off until the end of 2017.
  2. 3:18 Victoria’s afghan for graduation Quick-Knit Throw by Lion Brand Yarn. She chose Premier Yarns Sweet Roll in Frosty Swirl, Ice Pop, Raspberry Swirl, and Grape Swirl.
  3. 6:29 Fleece & Harmony colours for their Lot 57 yarn used in the Day at the Beach Blanket Shawl, in press. I keep it in my elephant bag from Knitters’ Nook.
  4. 8:09 Knitted Knocker using 2.0 mm Brittany needles. I love these needles as they have a smooth finish and do not splinter. My Addi bamboo interchangeablesSome technical issues at the end so you just get audio and a few pictures. My camera kept turning off after it recorded only a minute. The first time I continued for 15 minutes before I notices. I am persistent and finished despite these issues. Enjoy the pictures from our night at a cottage in Howe Bay, PEI. It is close to the Inn at Bay Fortune where Chef Michael Smith lives and works.

    9:00 Book “Friday Night Knitting Club” by Kate Jacobs. I loved Georgia because I have so much in common with her, but I love Cat for the growth she shows throughout the book. Let’s be real. I like all the characters. They remind me of our crew of knitters that go to Beanz on Sundays.

    9:58 “I like your sweater” KAL
    I am planing to finish at least one sweater before a trip I’m taking in the fall, and I’m going to need all the help/encouragement/motivation I can get. This will be a nice long KAL (Knit ALong) so you can take your time with it, or you can pump out as many sweaters as your hands will allow! Either way, we’ll be warm when we wrap things up in October.

    To enter:

    • knit or crochet an adult sweater (all finishing work must also be complete) sometime between April 20 2017 and midnight on October 20 2017
    • WIPs (works started before April 20, 2017) are allowed,
    • Must be a member of the CAWcreations Ravelry group to be eligible for prizes.
    • Multiple entries welcome, but remember use a separate post for each entry.
    • Entries posted in this thread will be assigned a number and random number generator will be used to choose the winnerPrizes will be announced at a later date.

10:11 what’s been going on with me. Trip to Halifax, NS to see Once at Neptune Theatre and to visit with friends. Mother’s Day fun.

Happy Knitting!

 

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Books, CAWcreations Pattern, CAWcreationsPodcast, knitting

2017 April 23 CAWcreations Episode 3

cherylcan

It is snowing on PEI this morning April 23, 2017, so I recorded CAWcreations Episode 3. This week along with knitting, I talk about:

  • My First KAL (Knit Along) including my “I like your sweater” fan girl moment,
  • Fleece & Harmony yarn,
  • PEI Burger Love,
  • Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,
  • Jonah Days / Projects, and
  • PEI Burger Love.

2017_CAWcreationsPic

I had to start and end the video with clips of Molly, my dog, and I out in the snow on Sunday morning. It did warm up later so the snow did not last.

2:25 FOs (Finished Objects)

  • Perfect socks
    • Ian’s socks to go with his overalls using My Colour Wheelhouse in their walking after midnight colour. It is a merino/silk blend so soft and the colours are perfect. I used 2.0 mm (US 0) needles to knit the socks with 44 sts in a K2 P2 rib and a heel flap heel. After completion, I used 3D fabric paint to put his name on the sole so that he would not slide around on his floors.
  • My Jonah Project:
    • Unfortunately, Ian’s overalls do not fit. The pants are perfect but the top not so much. I am going to have to get back the project and convert them to pants. I think that will work well.
    • In honour of  my reread of Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery, I am calling this my “Jonah Project”. A “Jonah day” is a reference to the prophet Jonah from the Old Testament of the Bible and is used by Anne to describe a day where everything has gone wrong. Jonah, in incurring the wrath of God for not carrying out his mission, was thrown overboard at sea and swallowed by a whale.

4:22 WIPS (Works in Progress):

7:55 Projects to Cast on:

14:17 Sweater KAL: I Like Your Sweater

  • To qualify you must :
    • Knit an adult sized sweater (must have sleeves and be made in an adult size other than that I am very fluid in my definition of a sweater)
    • Finish it between April 20th, and October 20th, 2017
    • Must be a member of the CAWcreations Ravelry group to be eligible for prizes (Prizes will be announced at a later date).
  • Discussed my “I like your sweater.” fan girl moment with the Yarn Harlot.

16:04 CAWcreations Pattern: Gavin’s Blanket Progress

16:15 Books: Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

18:22 PEI Burger Love: PEI Brewing Company Red Eye Burger

Have a wonderful couple of weeks, and remember as Anne says:

"Every morn is a fresh beginning,
Every morn is the world made new,"

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