Thursday, August 1, 2013

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR SUZIE TULLETT


Suzie Tullett is a full time writer, lucky enough to live between the UK and France. When she’s not tapping away on the computer creating her own literary masterpiece, she usually has her head in someone else's. Learn more about Suzie and her books at her website. -- AP

Extreme Knitting!

I loved all things crafty when I was growing up. I learned to knit at quite a young age, proudly storing my wool, needles and patterns in a purpose bought knitting bag. My sisters and I often sported our aprons as we spent afternoons baking pies and cakes with Mum and out in the garden we’d attempt to grow sunflowers, an impossible task in the cold north of England.

As I got older though, my interest waned. Time was taken up with work and raising two sons – neither of them interested in anything remotely homemade, unless they could eat it, of course.

Lately, however, I’ve been dipping my toe into the crafting waters once more. The knitting needles and the patterns are out of retirement and it’s all thanks to the fact that I’m soon to become a grandmother.

Naturally, I’m way too young – for the role I mean, not the activity. But I’m happily throwing myself into it regardless, determined my grandson will be the best woollen clad baby on the planet.

Obviously it had been a while, and I had to start with something simple. So when my son and his wife spotted a baby blanket they quite liked, I thought, hang on a minute, and did what all good crafters do. I stopped them in their tracks and said, “Don’t buy one, I’ll make one!”

I mean, what could be so hard about knitting row after row of horizontal stripes? Especially when looking at the shop bought version, these stripes weren’t particularly uniform.  So off I went and bought the wool to begin the task at hand, and two hundred stitches on the needle later, I was merrily click-clicking away with the best of them.

Well it was all going quite well until I realized my mistake--that I may have overdone it on the number of stitches front. However, I’d gone too far to simply turn back and start all over again. And I so wanted them to have the design they’d chosen…
 
So I just kept on knitting and knitting to the designated pattern requirements, all the while hoping for the best. But just look at what I ended up with! Yes, that is me holding it up and yes, I am standing in front of a tree!

Little White Lies and Butterflies

A child of the nineties, Lydia Livingston is different. The last thing she's ever wanted is to be superwoman; she knows first-hand that 'having it all' isn't everything it's cracked up to be. As far as she's concerned, when it comes to job versus family, it's a definite case of one or the other. And while most women her age have spent years climbing the corporate ladder, she's made a career out of bagging her perfect man. At almost thirty and still single, Lydia wonders if she'd made the right choice all those years ago. And realizing the time has come to take stock, she goes against her family's wishes and banishes herself off to a distant land--all in the hope of finding a new direction. At least that's the plan.

But Lydia Livingston isn't just different, she's misunderstood. A fact she knows all too well. So when the totally unsuitable Sam comes along, she decides to tell a little white lie, re-inventing herself as a professional chef--not exactly the best new identity to come up with for a woman who can't even cook. Of course, the last thing she expects is for him to find out the truth and start blackmailing her. Let alone find herself roped into catering for a local wedding. But with things going from bad to worse, her madder than mad family also turn up in something of a surprise visit, intent on celebrating a birthday she has no intentions of celebrating!

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9 comments:

  1. Thanks for having me here today. Writing this post was great fun, even if the results of my crafting didn't turn out as expected x

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  2. Very nice although handicraft is so far from down the scale of my interest. When the children were small I used to crotchet, but it's only a memory. The book sound interesting.

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  3. Like you, Rayne, it's been so long since I've done anything crafty I'm just hoping practice is going to make perfect.

    Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend ahead x

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  4. Ha! LOVED the baby blanket! It takes me about 700 years to knit anything, so knitting something that big would work for me, because by the time I'd be done, the "baby" would be all grown up.

    I loved the sound of your book too! Going to check it out!

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  5. It's funny you should say that, Lani, my son has said he might keep it for himself.

    Thanks for stopping by and if you do fancy picking up or downloading Little White Lies and Butterflies, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it x

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  6. Hi Suzie,

    That blanket looks like it would look great on a bed. Maybe when you grandson is old enough to have a full size bed he could use it.

    Oh well, this one was just practise. You can make another smaller one.

    I grew up with a craft grandmother and made some things for my daughter once she was past the baby stage.

    You book sound like a fun read. Good luck with the release and I wish you many sales. :)

    Janice~

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  7. I agree, Janice, the blanket is definitely one for the future rather than when they baby's born!

    Thanks for dropping in and for your kind words. Keeping every crossed with regards to the book x

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  8. My grandmother loved to knit. She passed away in 1998, and I have the last blanket she knitted draped over a spare chair. Best wishes with your book.

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  9. What a lovely thing to remember your Grandmother with, Angela. I hope mine stands the test of time like that x

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