The loveliest sleeve caps you ever did see

I'm plowing through my second sleeve of Parcel and want to show you the clever little sleeve cap.


This construction is new to me. The body of the sweater is knit in one piece and divided for the front and back. The tops of the shoulders are grafted together and then stitches are picked up for the sleeves. The top part of the sleeve, the cap, is then shaped with short rows. This creates a more natural rounded shape in which to put your shoulder. Brilliant! Clever! I don't know why all sleeves aren't constructed this way. The best part is that I don't have to remember to pick up the wraps, which are easy to miss. Leaving them creates a decorative edge on the sleeve cap.

In a traditional construction, the front, back and sleeves are all knit separately and then sewn together. Fitting the shaped tops of the sleeves into the armhole areas on the front and back is always a challenge. I've made other sweaters where the sleeves were knit from the armholes similarly, but they used just regular increases/decreases for shaping. It still works, but the shape isn't as three-dimensional.

I'm very happy with how this sweater is coming out. It will make the transition to cold weather much more pleasant than it would be otherwise!

Thing 15!

Here we are on Thing 15, because that is the one that comes after Thing 13. Right? Right.*

Thing 15 is about attending, presenting at, and organizing conferences, which is something I know a little bit about.

Attending conferences

I've attended the NELA Conference many times over the years. I've also attended MLA once (just for a day), and the PLA Conference once when it was held here in Boston. I'm looking forward to attending the NELA conference in just a few weeks in Burlington, VT. Back in Thing 7 I talked a little about why I enjoy conferences, so I won't repeat myself here.

Presenting at conferences

I'm fully convinced I'll do this some day when I figure out a topic I know enough about to present a program on it.

Last year I had a tiny taste of presenting when I had to introduce the presenters for a couple of programs. I feel fairly comfortable (meaning "not terrified") about public speaking and I put a lot of effort into being natural and not just reading someone's resume or the bio from their web site. Does anyone even listen to those kinds of introductions? I always zone out.

Organizing conferences

The reason I introduced presenters last year is because I was on the conference planning committee! I mentioned it in my post about the conference here. At the time I was planning to be on the committee again this year, but for various life-related reasons I didn't.

Being on the committee was a great experience in some ways, most notably in being able to influence the programs offered at the conference. I do enjoy having power and influence and it happens so rarely. It's also a great opportunity to work with other librarians from around New England.

There are a couple of down sides to being on the planning committee. One is that, obviously, you have work to do. This committee is pretty large so each person isn't responsible for very much but as a first-time participant I found it confusing. I got the impression that most of the people on the committee are on it every year so certain things aren't spelled out. For instance, we were told to bring program ideas to the first meeting but I didn't realize that if you suggest something it means you are the one planning it and have to come up with a presenter. I wasn't prepared for that. I'm also not a fan of paperwork and chasing people down to fill out forms, which is a large part of the committee work.

In addition to the extra work, the other down side to being on a committee is that you are locked into attending certain programs. You can't plan a program and then not attend. Also, every program needs a helper, so between planning and helping, there were something like 5 specific programs I was required to attend. This isn't really how I roll at conferences. Normally I go through the conference program ahead of time and circle each program I want to attend. I do this again when I arrive and get the final copy of the program. Then when the time arrives I go to whatever I feel like attending at the moment, which about 50% of the time are the programs I circled. It works for me.

Although I haven't decided whether or not to join the conference committee again, I do want to continue to be professionally involved and possibly help plan or organize something. Maybe it's time to organize another librarian cocktail party...

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*Ok, Thing 14 was on citation tools. I haven't been in school for a while, nor do I work in academia, so I couldn't get myself interested enough to download and install the three tools listed. But I'm sure they're great.

Bittersweet Symphony

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (1998)

We are introduced to two former lovers of Molly Lane when they meet up at her funeral. Horrified by the circumstances of her illness, during which her mind swiftly deteriorated, Clive and Vernon make a euthanasia pact. But soon their longtime friendship begins to fall apart. Clive is a composer, under intense pressure to finish his symphony celebrating the turn of the millennium. In his efforts to avoid distraction he fails to report a potential crime. Vernon, a newspaper editor, comes by some compromising photos of a top government official and wants to use them to boost his failing paper's circulation. Each disapproves morally of the decisions the other has made, the stress of their disagreements only serving to make their individual problems worse.

This short novel contained some beautiful passages describing music, and Clive's composition process during which he struggles to capture the elusive strains of notes he is searching for. I wonder if McEwan has a background in music.

He is adept at character development and at describing internal turmoil. As is typical with his novels, Amsterdam was somewhat painful to read. Misunderstandings arose and the consequences made me cringe. It's like watching an accident in slow motion and being unable to stop it. I don't really like the feeling, but I keep reading his novels so it must appeal to me on some level.

Unfortunately I found the ending a bit contrived and disappointing. A winner of the Booker Prize, I had high expectations for this novel, but of the five McEwan novels I've read I wouldn't say it's my favorite. (That distinction would go to Atonement.) Although I enjoyed the buildup throughout the novel, in the end it fell flat.

Have you read it? Do you think it deserves the praise and awards it has received?

Look at the skirt I made!

Listen up, I am becoming one with my sewing machine! Not only did I just make an actual wearable garment for the first time,* but in the process I actually had to dismantle my sewing machine and clean the feed dogs and shuttle race. I didn't even know I owned such things. Also, I adjusted the bobbin tension which I hadn't realized was possible, but which has made the sewing go far more smoothly.

But enough about my tribulations and learning experiences. Here is my new pretty skirt!


This is the Easy Breezy Wrap Skirt from Sew Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp. The fabric is that thin cotton that wrinkles every time you look at it, but seems to be the fabric that is most available everywhere, especially in cute patterns such as these yellow and white flowers.


I like it more than I thought I would. It's a little challenging to wear though, because of the ties on the front. When I figure out a way to tie it that's flattering and less awkward it will help. I've got a couple of shirts that would look really nice with this colorwise - one is green and one is turquoise - but they are longish and tight enough that the ties would bunch up underneath and look weird. But I do prefer wearing colors with this rather than white which just feels lame and uninteresting to me.


Also, because of how thing the fabric is, a slip is required. Since I don't yet own a white slip I've worn it with a pair of white spandex shorts underneath. It seems to do the trick.

The best part of this project? No zipper, no buttonholes! Not only does that make the project easy, but it doesn't require buying matching notions. You can just whip one up with whatever fabric you have hanging around. I've already started another one in pink and black.

*First time without supervision anyhow. In high school Home Ec class I made a shapeless tunic-like shirt, and not long after that my sister helped me make a dress.

There's gold in them thar hills!

The Floor of Heaven: a true tale of the last frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush by Howard Blum (2011)

In the last days of the Old West, the unexplored areas in Alaska and the Yukon beckoned. After the California gold rush the search for wealth continued and some started exploring these new areas. The Floor of Heaven follows the trails of three men whose paths converged during the this exciting time in the far North.

Charlie Siringo, a former cowboy searching for a new path, married his true love but after being left widowed started a new career as a private detective. George Carmack, a military man gone AWOL joined a tribe of Native Americans and went on to become the man who first discovered gold in the Klondike. Finally, Jeff "Soapy" Smith, a gifted con man, was always looking for the next place take his game and ended up practically owning the boom town of Skagway. These three fascinating men are at the heart of the book, and Blum creates tension and anticipation as the reader watches their separate paths slowly converge.

Blum acknowledges the number of conflicting stories about the events and, based on extensive research, has chosen which parts seem most likely to be true, weaving them into a well-crafted story of adventure, hardship, and violence. Adding so many details about the men's personal lives and families, as well as their adventures and aspirations, makes them more three-dimensional and realistic. It's a fun tale to read, but also an important part of US history that I knew almost nothing about.

There were some surprising elements in the story, such as when George Carmack finds gold and immediately tells everyone he meets so they can stake claims in the same area. He was sticking to the unwritten prospectors' code at the time, but it is completely counter to the competitive and secret way in which we would do things nowadays. Also included were some brief asides about Billy the Kid and Butch Cassidy, who I've always thought of as legend. But they were indeed real and crossed paths with the characters in this book.

If you want to learn more about this part of American history, or are just looking for a story of exploration and adventure, the Floor of Heaven is an excellent bet!

Thing 13: Google Docs, Dropbox, and Wikis

This week in cpd23 we are looking at online collaboration tools. Fun!

Google Docs
I use this at work for backing up my documents. It's easy to use, though I feel a little weird about using a personal account for work stuff. But opening another gmail account would mean having to log out from one and into another which is a huge pain. Anyhow it has come in handy when I've been at home and had nagging questions about how much of my budget for travel books I've spent. Not that I think about collection development at home. Ahem.

I don't use it for sharing as I don't do anything that requires sharing documents with other people, but I'm sure it's handy? I guess?

Dropbox
It sounds basically the same as Google Docs except that you have to download and install something and I don't want to do that or sign up for anything else right now. Again, I'm sure it has its uses if you need to work collaboratively.

Wikis
At my last library I worked in the Tech Services department a lot and they had an extensive wiki with all the information on how to process each type of item, including codes, call numbers, and labeling/stickers. It was incredibly useful!

I wish wikis were more utilized. They would be incredibly useful for any reference department as well - policies, procedures, updates, notes on problems with equipment and the status on fixing it, and all the other quirky things we need to remember could all be saved in the same place and everyone could access it. SO much more helpful than the messy system of binders and paper-clipped notes junking up most reference desks.

Are you all totally sick of the 23 Things posts? I know I am, but I'm sticking it out cuz that's the way I roll. Only 10 more Things to go!

Murder in the Pine Tree State

The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron (2010)

Mike Bowditch is a Maine game warden who hasn't spoken to his father Jack in two years, when late one night he receives a cryptic voicemail from him. Soon he learns that his father is the prime suspect in the murder of a state trooper and a paper company executive. Although Mike acknowledges his father's faults, he remains firm in his belief that Jack is no murderer. Risking his career and relationships, Mike sets out to investigate the murders and track down his father.

I won't say much about this in the way of a review, because I made the poor choice to listen to the audio version while driving and honestly my mind drifted away a bit too much. I think I would have liked it more had I read the book version. If you like audio though, I think it's a good bet - although I maintain that male narrators cannot do female voices, I mostly enjoyed the sound of this narrator's voice.

Despite my inattention there are some aspects of this novel I definitely enjoyed. Born and raised in Maine, I always appreciate authors who can capture the authenticity of Maine and its people, which Doiron (the editor of Down East magazine) does most deftly. Also I admired Mike Bowditch and his struggle to balance his strong sense of what is right with his loyalty to his father.

This is more of a crime novel than a traditional mystery, and though I don't read much in this genre I think the setting and characters are unusual and interesting. I will keep an eye out for more from this author, but I'll be sure to skip the audio version next time.