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Reading Challenges 2020

/ Tuesday, January 21, 2020
In addition to the GoodReads Reading Goal, I usually take on the PopSugar Reading Challenge, but for 2020 I'm going to try out two new (to me) reading challenges: one from Dymocks, and one from Bookly, one of the book tracking app I use. I intend to read one book per prompt.

This post exists to track the challenges for 2020. You can find a list of all books read here, or via GoodReads.



GoodReads Reading Challenge


2020 Reading Challenge

2020 Reading Challenge
Rebecca has read 4 books toward her goal of 150 books.
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Dymocks Reading Challenge


  • A book by an Australian Author
  • A book by an Indigenous author
  • A book from our Top 101
  • A book from our Kids' Top 51
  • A Dymocks 'Book of the Month'
  • Re-read your favourite book of all time
  • Ask a friend for a recommendation
  • A book featuring your favourite country
  • A book from your TBR pile
  • An award-winning book
  • A mystery/thriller
  • A memoir
  • A book outside your usual groove
  • A book of short stories
  • A self-help/motivational
  • A fairytale/fable adaptation
  • Book 1 in a fantasy series
  • A book that teaches you something new
  • A book adapted into a film/series
  • A book with a red cover
  • A book with a colour in the title
  • A book you can read in a day
  • A book about books
  • A book that makes you laugh



Bookly Reading Challenge


  • A book by an Eastern European author
  • A book that should be turned into a movie
  • Reread your favourite book
  • A book with a strong female lead
  • A reinterpreted classic book
  • A debut novel
  • A book you saw someone read on TV/in a movie
  • A book about mental health
  • A book of letters
  • A book on a subject you know nothing about
  • A book that mentions Romania
  • A book with an unreliable narrator
  • A book with a colour in the title
  • A book recommended by your favourite blog, vlog, or online book club
  • A book from your childhood
  • A non-fiction book
  • A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
  • A book with a blue spine
  • A book that takes place over a character's lifespan
  • A book published in the year you were born
In addition to the GoodReads Reading Goal, I usually take on the PopSugar Reading Challenge, but for 2020 I'm going to try out two new (to me) reading challenges: one from Dymocks, and one from Bookly, one of the book tracking app I use. I intend to read one book per prompt.

This post exists to track the challenges for 2020. You can find a list of all books read here, or via GoodReads.



GoodReads Reading Challenge


2020 Reading Challenge

2020 Reading Challenge
Rebecca has read 4 books toward her goal of 150 books.
hide


Dymocks Reading Challenge


  • A book by an Australian Author
  • A book by an Indigenous author
  • A book from our Top 101
  • A book from our Kids' Top 51
  • A Dymocks 'Book of the Month'
  • Re-read your favourite book of all time
  • Ask a friend for a recommendation
  • A book featuring your favourite country
  • A book from your TBR pile
  • An award-winning book
  • A mystery/thriller
  • A memoir
  • A book outside your usual groove
  • A book of short stories
  • A self-help/motivational
  • A fairytale/fable adaptation
  • Book 1 in a fantasy series
  • A book that teaches you something new
  • A book adapted into a film/series
  • A book with a red cover
  • A book with a colour in the title
  • A book you can read in a day
  • A book about books
  • A book that makes you laugh



Bookly Reading Challenge


  • A book by an Eastern European author
  • A book that should be turned into a movie
  • Reread your favourite book
  • A book with a strong female lead
  • A reinterpreted classic book
  • A debut novel
  • A book you saw someone read on TV/in a movie
  • A book about mental health
  • A book of letters
  • A book on a subject you know nothing about
  • A book that mentions Romania
  • A book with an unreliable narrator
  • A book with a colour in the title
  • A book recommended by your favourite blog, vlog, or online book club
  • A book from your childhood
  • A non-fiction book
  • A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
  • A book with a blue spine
  • A book that takes place over a character's lifespan
  • A book published in the year you were born
Continue Reading
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I discovered the ESK Yarnathon halfway through the year last year, so 2020 is the year I'm signing up to participate. It will be light participation for me, as there are quite a few other WIPs I want to work through, but I couldn't resist the lure of all the pretty badges to win and a fairy tale theme.

This page will track the badges won and projects completed - wish me luck!


FAIRY TALE LAND PROGRESS

I am currently at Wool Winder Mill with 1320/50,000 yards and 0 stars.



2020 KALs




Q1: Tiny Owl Knits 
Q2: Rumpelsilkskein
Q3: Jack and the Beadstalk
Q4: Storybook Knits Year Long: Choose Your Own Adventure Stitch Sampler


BOOSTER CLUB BADGES


  • Mini-Mouse (5 points) - Complete a project that uses less than 50 yards.
  • Scrappy Camper (5 points) - Complete a project using only leftover yarn from other projects
  • 5 O’Clock Somewhere (5 points) - Craft while enjoying your favorite alcoholic beverage or mocktail.
  • Accidental Moebius (5 points) - Accidentally twist when joining in the round, even though you rolled your eyes when the pattern designer explicitly stated you should “be careful not to twist.”
  • Breadcrumb Trail (5 points) - Add notes to a Ravelry project to help you remember what you did (or help someone else).
  • Cast Away (5 points) - Complete a project using a new-to-you cast-on or cast-off.
  • Froggarella (5 points) - Frog a project you don’t enjoy.
  • Diets Are Bad (5 points) - Break your self-proclaimed yarn diet with a purchase of 2 or more skeins for this badge.
  • Ding Dong (5 points) - Reach Wool Winder Mill in the Yarnathon. [20-01-2020]
  • Duds Win Too (5 points) - Collect 5 dud lotto tickets from 2020.
  • Extra! Extra! (5 points) - Subscribe to our newsletter. [20-01-2020]
  • High Turnover (5 points) - Cast on for a project during the same day you get your yarn.
  • I < 3 You Too (5 points) - Favourite at least 40 projects shared with the ESK Group.
  • Neat Freak (5 points) - Organise an element of your stash - yarn, needles, project bags, or anything else that could use some sprucing! Honor system.
  • Off Base (5 points) - Buy a skein of yarn in a base or brand you haven't tried before
  • Playing Chicken (5 points) - Complete a project with 5 or fewer yards of yarn remaining.
  • Queue Anonymous (5 points) - More than 150 items in your Ravelry queue.
  • Sick Stitches (5 points) - Take a sick day and work on your ESK projects. Whether you're really sick or not, we won't tell if you don't.
  • Suggestion Box (5 points) - Suggest a colorway, base, or dyer that you think ESK should carry by posting in this thread.
  • Swatchbuckler (5 points) - Actually complete a proper 4"x4" guage swatch befoe starting your project
  • Tag You're It (5 points) - Tag 3 ESK projects on Ravelry or Instagram with 'eatsleepknit'.
  • Tangled (5 points) - Ugh! This is the worst - your skein of yarn is hopelessly tangled. It counts for this badge regardless of who tangled it - you, the dyer, or your pet!
  • Wrong End (5 points) - Accidentally start knitting with the tail end of your long-tail cast-on. Ugh!




  • All Comes Out In The Wash (10 points) - Complete a felted project (does not include needle felting).
  • Captain Hook (10 points) - Complete the crochet option in a Flash KAL.
  • Charity Knits (10 points) - Complete a project for charity of your choice.
  • Fiber Friendship (10 points) - Complete a project with gifted yarn (includes yarn you’ve purchased with an ESK gift certificate).
  • Fill Your Boots (10 points) - Complete an adult-sized pair of socks.
  • I Fall to Pieces (10 points) - Knit or crochet a seamed garment.
  • Part of Your World (10 points) - Complete a project that makes a person look like an animal, such as a hat with antlers or a sweater with dinosaur spikes.
  • Stash Diver (10 points) - Complete a project entirely from your stash. Yarn should be at least three months old.
  • Suddenly Single (10 points) - Complete a project using any single-ply yarn.
  • 10K Club (10 points) - Reach Fair Isle Fountain in the Yarnathon via any method
  • Alternator (10 points) - Complete a project alternating your skeins the whole time to ensure a perfectly blended hand-dyed knit!
  • Just Right (10 points) - Have at least 20 correct weekly puzzle answers
  • Magic Carpet Ride (10 points) - Post a photo of yourself knitting on a flying carpet, plane, boat, or train
  • Once Upon a Time (10 points) - Own at least two of the ESK special fairytale-themed colorways
  • Phone-A-Friend (10 points) - Introduce a friend to Eat.Sleep.Knit! This can also be a blog or public internet post. [21-01-2020]
  • Social Stalker (10 points) - Follow us on at least two forms of social media. [20-01-2020]
  • Special Delivery (10 points) - Order yarn on your birthday!



  • Advent-ageous (20 points) - Complete a project that uses your yarnvent or Tosh advent calendar.
  • Cross-Contamination (20 points) - Complete a project using yarn from three or more dyers.
  • Feel the Breeze (20 points) - Complete a sleeveless tank or tee.
  • Fill in the Blank-et (20 points) - Complete a 1000+ yard blanket.
  • Gift of Giving (20 points) - Complete three projects for gifting to others. (400 yard minimum total for all 3+ projects combined)
  • Handle with Care (20 points) - Complete a project with a non-superwash yarn.
  • High-Class Hooker (20 points) - Complete a crochet project of any kind.
  • It’s Magic (20 points) - Complete a project that uses illusion knitting or crochet.
  • Jumperoo (20 points) - Knit an adult-sized sweater.
  • Little Red (20 points) - Complete a project with a hood.
  • Long Haul (20 points) - Complete a project you’ve been working on for more than 9 months.
  • Silk Sweetheart (20 points) - Complete a project using more than 50% silk.
  • Speedy Crafter (20 points) - Complete an entire project from start to finish within one week.
  • Winter Wear (20 points) - Complete a cold-weather project using chunky weight (or heavier) yarn.
  • Happily Ever After (20 points) - Reach Cast-Off Castle in the Yarnathon via any method.
  • KAL Queen (20 points) - Complete all four 2020 quarterly KALs.
  • Scheherazade (20 points) - Post in the Eat.Sleep.Knit Ravelry group on 30 different days (any 30, can be non-consecutive).
  • Skein Saver (20 points) - Own 100 or more skeins of yarn from ESK.
  • Spin to Win (20 points) - Spin a minimum of 300 yards of handspun from ESK fiber.
  • Stash to 5K (20 points) - Knit the equivalent of 5km worth of ESK yarn (5, 468 yards) before the end of the year.
  • Sweater Stasher (20 points) - Order 6 or more skeins of the same base in a single order (can be different colours.



*All images were created by and belong to Eat.Sleep.Knit

ESK Yarnathon 2020

by on Tuesday, January 21, 2020
I discovered the ESK Yarnathon halfway through the year last year, so 2020 is the year I'm signing up to participate. It will be li...
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2020  |  2019  |  2018  |  2017  |  2016  |  2015  |  2014  |  2013  |  2012  |  2011  |  2010  |  2009  |  2008  |  2007





Total Books: 


January

  • Fence, Vol. 1 - C.S. Pacat
  • Fence, Vol. 2 - C.S. Pacat
  • Fence, Vol. 3 - C.S. Pacat
  • Y: The Last Man, Vol. 2: Cycles - Brian K. Vaughan

Books Read in 2020

by on Tuesday, January 21, 2020
2020  |  2019   |   2018   |  2017   |  2016   |  2015   |  2014   |  2013   |  2012   |  2011   |  2010   |  2009   |  2008   |  2007 ...
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Just a few outstanding projects...

It's a little late in the month to be setting New Years Resolutions, but I figure being overseas for the year change gives me a little room to establish some goals to see me out through to the end of 2020. I am very inclined to bite off more than I can chew... but I love projects and it's fun even if you don't quite reach them. So with that in mind, here are the dream goals for 2020:



Books and Reading

Create
  • 1 Second Every Day 2020
  • Engage with the new weekly formatted Inktober
  • ESK Yarnathon 2020
  • Clear my outstanding WIPs (listed in order of how embarrassingly old they are)
    • No-Fuss Shade-Loving Shawl
    • Dulce
    • Greyhaven Cowl
    • Colorado Pop Chevron Blanket
    • 2016 Temperature Blanket
    • Purple/Blue/Green Socks
    • Kawoosh Socks
    • This is Not the Scarf You're Looking For
    • Moorland Blanket
    • Hue Shift Afghan
    • Victor Frog
    • Lavalette
    • Crochet bowl
    • Braids Cowl
    • Woodlands Blanket
    • Irma Hat
    • Pippa Dress
    • Clementine Dress
    • Pairfect Socks
    • Find Your Fade Shawl
    • Happy Day Mobile
    • Te Waikoropupū Socks

Wellbeing

  • Journal
  • Meal prep more effectively
  • Achieve a 25% success rate for closing all Apple Watch rings. (This may seem low, but last year I got 1.37 for the entire year - though mainly through forgetting to charge my watch.)
  • Do just a little housework every day


 Misc
  • Write and send 1 letter a week as per the Letters for a Year: Gratitude Book
  • Write and send 1 letter a week as per the Letters for a Year: Write Now book
  • Make progress on the Gastrolog/Global Gastronomy project

2020 Goals

by on Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Just a few outstanding projects... It's a little late in the month to be setting New Years Resolutions, but I figure being overseas...
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Home! I'm home!

Thank you to everyone who followed along, reading and commenting on the posts. A big thank you to Wendy and Mike for dropping me off at the airport, and to Jess for picking me up. How can you mind coming home when it's to this excited face?


I'm sorry the trip is over, but I'm not too sad to be back home and sleeping in my own bed. And, luxury of luxuries, I had an untimed shower and got dressed standing up! Oh, the delights of home are real!

And so we have officially come to the end of the daily travel blog - we'll just have to plan a new holiday to look forward to so we can all come together again. Throw out your suggestions at any time.
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Went on a nature cruise in Akoroa Harbour today, pretty impressive boat, yes?



Just kidding, it looked like this. There's no way I was rowing one of those things out into the ocean.



The cruise lasted for 2 hours and it was wonderful just to sit back and watch the landscape go by. The skipper pointed out lots of landmarks and gave us a running commentary on the various bird species flying by.


The Elephant








The goal of the cruise was to encounter the Hector's Dolphin, the world's smallest and rarest of dolphins. It is an endangered species and found only around the south island of New Zealand. The Hector (and it's subspecies Maui) are also the only dolphins with the rounded dorsal fin, which is pretty cool.

We did come pretty close to some dolphins, with them swimming right up and around the boat. We were also treated to a mother and calf who spent quite a bit of time swimming by us. We were told that this is a very rare, as most often the mother will bring the calf up close, show them how to interact with humans and boats, and then whisk them right away. These two stayed with us for a good fifteen minutes or so.








The boat also got a great show of some fur seals, which I am not over yet and am still totally loving. There were a few seal pups skittering around also and they were just so cute. One of the pups climbed over the rocks and stood here with the seal preening in the sun. Maybe it's just me, but I can see the little guy imitating the adult. So cute.





These two guys, however, were having some kind of beef.




The animal that stole the show, however, was Albie, the onboard dog. Padding around in an adorable little life jacket, I thought he was just the skipper's dog. But he also had a job to do. With his keen sense of hearing, he was able to hear the high pitched calling of the dolphins and direct us to them. I thought this was a bit of a stretch, and he was really there just to collect scratches - but then all of a sudden he's up and running and we change directions and hey presto! dolphins. Very impressive.


The three of us were sitting here and Albie just jumped up and slid between us. I was very happy to be one of his scratchers while he snoozed in the sun. What a life!

It was a great way to spend the second last day of the trip. Tomorrow it's off to Christchurch to drop off the van and fly home.



Animal Sightings:

  • Albie the Dolphin Detector
  • New Zealand Fur Seals
  • Hector's Dolphins
  • various birds whose name I can't remember)

Today's Playlist
  • Do Go On #36: H.H. Holmes
  • Do Go On #37: The Dyatlov Pass Incident
  • Do Go On #38: The Video Game Crash of 1983
  • Do Go On #39: Sir David Attenborough
  • Jackson Baly Spooks America #1: Patterson-Gimlin Footage
  • Jackson Baly Spooks America #2: Oak Island Money Pit
  • Jackson Baly Spooks America #3: Beast of Bray Road
  • Jackson Baly Spooks America #4: Dyatlov Pass Incident
  • Jackson Baly Spooks America #5: The Hinterkaifeck Murders
  • Jackson Baly Spooks America #6: DB Cooper
  • Lost in the Smithsonian: Muhammad Ali's Robes
  • Lost in the Smithsonian: Carrie Bradshaw's Laptop
  • Lost in the Smithsonian: Archie Bunker's Chair
  • Science Rules #24: Underwater Clues About Aliens
  • Unprompted and Unwanted #17: How Would You Curse a Small Village



Daily Stats:
Kilometres Travelled: 171km (4567 in total)
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I left you all last night to head off to the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. It was only a 10 minute walk from my campground, which made for a nice little walk there. On the way I saw one of the piers completely covered in birds - more birds than I had ever seen in one place! I think they were common murres, but Google and I could be wrong. Also, it's worth noting that this photo was taken at 8:30. There is no end of daylight here.



I wasn't able to take any photos at the colony but there's a video on the website if you're interested. The blue penguins were adorable and waddly as only penguins can be - but the creatures that stole my heart were the fur seals lounging right in their way. I think this trip has given me an unhealthy love of seals. They're so graceful in the water, but on land are just these big furry jelly beans, warming their belly and sleeping for hours. I want to be a seal in my next life. I managed to get within arms reach of one and it was glorious. And then it sneezed right on my face, so I may soon turn into some kind of seal hybrid superhero*.

This morning I got up and had breakfast at the cafe just down the road. It was, of course, steampunk-themed and I love this town's level of commitment to the schtick.

The main goal for the day was to reach Lake Pukaki to get a good view of Mt Cook. I was originally going to go to Mt Cook itself but was told that the view from the Lake was better, so that's where I went. First I stopped in at a nearby lavender farm. New Zealand Alpine Lavender is the largest farm of organic lavender in the southern hemisphere. I had seen photos online and thought it very pretty, but I really just wanted to know how it smelt to stand in the middle of so much lavender.

It smelled like lavender, funnily enough.

It really was lovely though, and I really did want to curl up and just take a nap.






For a while I sat and watched what I have called some 'Instagram girls'. You know the ones you see in pretty locations and they have big floppy hats and an 'outfit' and they're standing in the middle of a field like they're surprised you happened to come upon them in the middle of a big ol' whack of lavender in foothills of a massive snowcapped mountain. I sound mean-spirited, but that's not really my intent. I find the whole process fascinating and exhausting and I wish them (and the boyfriend inevitably stalking them with the camera) luck on their endeavours. As for me, I preferred to spend some time stalking bees instead.








Not my best bee shots, but I'm fairly happy with them.

I also had to try the lavender flavoured ice cream, which was delicious and I do recommend it.




After enjoying my floral dessert, I drove around the corner to Lake Pukaki. It doesn't matter how many times I see the blue of New Zealand's waters, I will never be over it. It was so bright and sparkling.



At Lake Pukaki they also had a shopfront for Mt Cook Alpine Salmon, the farm for which was just a few kilometres down the road. I bought some sashimi for lunch (because what goes better with lavender ice cream that raw alpine fish?) and it was the freshest, softest salmon I have ever eaten. Delicious. I enjoyed my lunch while starring off at Mt Cook which was putting on quite a show.



I've edited these photos to try to get a better look at Mt Cook, but truthfully, this bright blue one is the most accurate when it comes to the colour of the water. 




From here I drove onwards to the neighbouring lake, Lake Tekapo, and it was here that I had my only real disappointment of the entire trip. Lake Tekapo was one the reasons I had wanted to come to New Zealand initially. The beautiful blue lake surrounded by all those gorgeous coloured lupins... but it seems I had come just that bit too late because nearly every one of the lupins was gone and all that was left were rocks and dried grass.


It's not that Lake Tekapo isn't beautiful, and I was even going to go for a swim but couldn't find a bathroom to change, but it wasn't what I had my heart set on. A little down the road I did find an entire field of lupins, though even they were patchy in places, so I'm not sure what the problem was. Still, if that's the only thing to miss out on a trip, I can't very well complain.






On the final leg of the day, driving towards Mt Somers, I found myself in the middle of a calf parade, which was very entertaining, if extremely slow to extricate myself from.



And now, since I am in bed (oh I am so close to sleeping in an actual bed again) with access to unlimited wifi, I think I shall curl up and look at National Parks on Disney+. Goodnight all!


Animal sightings:

  • cows
  • sheep
  • horses
  • deer
  • falcons
  • stoats (I know they're a nuisance, but they're so so cute)
  • rabbits
  • goats


Today's Playlist:
  • Do Go On #33: The Titanic!
  • Do Go On #34: The Rumble in the Jungle
  • Do Go On #35: The Green Children of Woolpit
  • Lost at the Smithsonian: Fonzie's Jacket
  • Lost at the Smithsonian: Dorothy's Ruby Slippers
  • Reply All #21: Hack the Police
  • Reply All #22 (Bonus): The Man Who Refused to Email
  • Science Rules #23: The End of the World
  • Unprompted and Unwanted #16


Daily Stats:
Kilometres travelled: 344km (4397km in total)
Number of lollies eaten while driving: 6 (never you mind how many in total)
Number of times I wished I had another doughnut from Queenstown: 2





*currently accepting superhero names submissions.
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