World Book Night

One million books, 20,000 givers and a whole lot of happy recipients. I'm very pleased to have been one of the 20,000 chosen to give out 48 free books and tomorrow shall be sending some off in the post, handing them out after my Zumba class at the gym and then - gulp - giving out the rest on the street. Hopefully people won't veer away from me suspiciously - I know that whenever I'm approached by charity muggers I pretend to be talking on my phone.

We have decided to head out to Holmfirth, West Yorkshire to give some out there, so it should be a fun trip and a bit of an adventure. Holmfirth, by the way, is home to Rowan - I love their yarn, so much - as well as being the setting for The Last of the Summer Wine.

I wonder what Foggy, Clegg and Compo - not to mention Nora Batty - would think of my choice?


Fingersmith by Sarah Waters is a fantastic read. Set in Victorian London, it follows the story of two girls, one brought up in a manor house, the other in a den of thieves. There's a con trick being played, but just who is it who's being conned? Waters has such a firm grasp of her story, on the period details and on the dialogue that, even though it's well over 500 pages long, the words just fly by. I loved it the first time round, and rereading it has just confirmed to me what a great book it is.

So I hope that rather than steering a wide berth round me, the good people of Holmfirth will stop and take a copy.

More on my adventures in giving out books tomorrow...

And away we go...

First post. Wow. So much pressure!

So, at the moment, I'm staring out my window at my two cats, Izzie and Maud, who themselves are both staring intently at one spot. I think they've found a mouse. Or possibly a leaf. They are very easily pleased, my cats.

I work hard, my husband works hard, and sometimes - you'll all understand this - life just seems a little too difficult, a little too dismal, a little too dreary. Dull, dull, dull.

So why not focus on the things in life that give me pleasure, rather than worrying about things over which I have no control? Watching my cats playing in the garden, stroking their soft fur, listening to them purr.

Strong hot tea in an egg-yolk coloured mug; sunlight on a crisp, cold morning.

Sinking into a bath full of bubbles after a workout at the gym, accompanied by a good book and a glass of red wine.

The pleasures of casting on, of neat and even rows of stitches, of the little final details that make a jumper, a pair of socks, a hat your own.

This is going to be a crafting blog that may contain food. And books. And maybe films and podcasts. And very probably my cats. Just the stuff that makes me feel good, those simple pleasures that make life worthwhile.