Odd Type Writers and a Knitted Toy

Joining with Small Things for Yarn Along.

I have finished the 2x2 rib baby vest from my first Adventures In Stitchcraft project (Ravelry notes are here).
I love how stretchy it is, which makes for a very forgiving pattern to size.

I am currently reading Odd Type Writers: From Joyce and Dickens to Wharton and Welty, the Obsessive Habits and Quirky Techniques of Great Authors.
I am really enjoying reading the little snippets about lots of wonderful authors. I always find biographies fascinating, so this is like a little bit of biographical information for lots of my favourite authors. Maybe I am just naturally nosy!

Such as:
Colette's first husband published books written by her under his name. He 'routinely locked his wife inside a room to write for four-hour stretches.'

Colette, painted ca 1896 by Jacques Humbert

Jack London had many rejections before being published, suffering from depression and even contemplating suicide. 'The weight of 650 rejection letters bore down on the poor, struggling author.'

Jack London in 1914 (Sunset Magazine)

Coffee or tea were often necessary for writers to function.
'Honore de Balzac consumed up to fifty cups of coffee a day, and he wouldn't settle for a subpar brew.'
'Voltaire was known to drink up to forty cups of coffee in a day.'

Cafe le Procope in Paris where Voltaire and Balzac frequently drank their coffee.

My favourite quotes are these two about tea, as they both sound like me with my tea drinking!

'C.S. Lewis once said to his friend Walter Hooper, "You can't get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."'

'Samuel Johnson described himself as 'a hardened and shameless tea-drinker; whose kettle has scarcely time to cool; who with tea amuses the evening, with tea solaces the midnight, and with tea welcomes the morning."'

Willa Cather and Maya Angelou both read the Bible before writing, Cather as she wanted to 'get in touch with fine prose' and Angelou 'for melody. For content also. I'm working at trying to be a Christian and that's serious business'.

Virginia Woolf and Lewis Carroll always wrote in purple ink, while Rudyard Kipling insisted his ink be the blackest black.

Written by Virginia Woolf

James Joyce's notebooks were elaborately colour-coded.

Notebook used for Ulysses

Oh my, I could continue on for ages, as these tiny little details fascinate me. But enough is enough! If they fascinate you too, read this book! The author, Celia Blue Johnson, has also written Dancing With Mrs Dalloway: Stories of the Inspiration Behind Great Works of Literature. I have this on hold at the library and I'm sure it will be just as interesting!

Finally, on the knitting front, I have been knitting away at Cuddlepie's Peppa Pig toy.

I have a few pieces made now - the dress, the body, the head and the snout. Looking at the pieces, she will be larger than I imagined. (Ravelry notes are here).

I am hoping to have her finished to show at Friday Finishes.