2020 Year in Review and 2021 New Year's Resolution

Another year has come and gone.

It has been a whopping seven years since I made the decision to dedicate this blog for my reading whims and in retrospect, posted my first book review The Sharpest Blade (Shadow Reader #3) here on 2 Feb 2014. The last seven years have been good to me. I now have a platform to which I can express my thoughts and feelings on books I have read as well as maintain them here as my List of Books. This year, I make further changes to my blog after some consideration which is actually rather fast and easy. I decide to document my completed crochet projects here as well.

Love-the-jaws is now a place where I share my book reviews and showcase my crochet projects. Though my interest has expanded to include crafts and hobbies, my focus is and always will be books. Crochet can calm but reality bites and books are my escape into the alternate world.

At the last count, I have reviewed a total of 50 books for the year to date. This works out to be an average of 4 books per month; 1 book per week.

Year 2020 @ 50 (+4 YOY)
Year 2019 @ 46 (-16 YOY)
Year 2018 @ 62 (+10 YOY)
Year 2017 @ 52 (■ YOY)
Year 2016 @ 52 (-22 YOY)
Year 2015 @ 74 (-23 YOY)
Year 2014 @ 97

Crochet: Shawl: Wrap Me in Ice-cream Shawl

Today is the last day of Year 2020. I am wrapping up the year with Wrap Me in Ice-cream shawl.

I love the blend of colours in this skein of Lion Brand Yarns. The yellow and orange are not only luxurious in its richness and vibrancy, they provide a good constrast against the darker tones of the green, blue, grey and brown. The colours remind me of my favourite childhood ice-cream too - the Walls Paddle Pop rainbow swirl ice-Cream. Perhaps that is where the creater of this Free Pattern gets the idea of naming this shawl from.

I bought 2 skeins of this yarn. What you see of my completed project here is actually that of 1 skein and then a bit more of the 2nd skein, to wrap up the darker tones of orangy brown so that the final row can blend well. Though I have weaved in the excess yarn and wrapped up my project as completed, I am still thinking if I should continue with more of the 2nd skein. While the size of the current shawl is fine, I feel that a bigger one may be even better. What do you think?

Review: Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

4 stars for Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.

I have never for the life of me ever thought of skipping Christmas. Perhaps because of this, I tend to skip this book year after year after year when I am selecting my festive holiday fiction. I am glad not to have skipped it again this year.

Skipping Christmas is not your run-of-the-mill Christmas story. There is nothing about romance lost and found which is ever so rampant in Christmas tales. Instead, it is a funny and entertaining novel, heartwarming and touching in all its originality. After reading this book, you will be amazed at the reasons that the Kranks can come up with simply to have a complete boycott of Christmas and then have a good laugh at the ensuing chaotic mess they find themselves in.

I like it that this book is short and sweet and so in time for a good Christmas read, especially so this year as I am even more busy with my newfound hobby - crochet.

Christmas is a time of peace and joy around the world. It is a festive season to be spent with family and loved ones. I am not skipping Christmas, not this year, nor the next, or ever. Today is Christmas Eve. We celebrated it with pork knuckle, chocolate log cake and many wonderful presents.

Have you skipped Christmas before or ever harbour the thought of doing so?

Well, in any case, have a very Merry Christmas!

Crochet: Amigurumi: Jaws

I know I definitely want to crochet this great white the moment I set my eyes on the free pattern. I come across it at the perfect time as I am sure it will make a lovely Christmas present for my significant other. In case you have not noticed, my blog is known as love-the-jaws.

Initially I use a pair of 12mm safety eyes (bought from Daiso during one of my shopping trips) for my shark as you can see in some of the pictures below. That was the worst case scenario in the event the safety eyes I ordered online cannot reach me in time. I am hopeful though to receive my package of 6-12mm safety eyes despite my festive season purchase, and true enough, the small parcel was delivered right to my doorstep last night. An extremely late night delivery but nevertheless, delivered in good time. I quickly got down to work, swop the eyes for a 7mm pair, stuff it and sew up the jaws. I also removed the dorsal fin which was not well sewn previously and resewed it to my satisfaction this time round. If you see carefully, you can tell that I have sewn the dorsal fin slightly after the pectoral fins, not as per the free pattern.

At the moment, this amigurumi jaws is sitting nicely wrapped up under the Christmas tree. I am so excited; I cannot wait to see it being unwrapped.

Crochet: Amigurumi: Micro Light

Yes, I am still at it, the micro dolls I mean. Deep down, I think I am still not satisfied with my last one, Micro Pur Pur. In a way, it is hard to stop trying once I get started on these mini dolls. It can be addictive!

This time, I crochet using a different type of yarn, lace yarn, and it certainly makes my job easier. But still, the doll is so small (1.5 inches) that I feel my fingers breakingly stiff and my eyes going bad while I am at it and after.

I started with the legs first, then the body. It all seems to go well until I crochet the head. Something seems off. I kept checking my yarn and the label. Then I realised why. Yes, I bought beige colour lace yarn and it is stated as that on the label. But the beige colour is a different shade of beige. I didn't even know that beige colour can come in different shades, and the one I have with me certainly looks more light brown than beige, but beige nevertheless.

In the end, Micro Light is super small and super cute but not what I would have envisioned it to be.

Still, I am happy to share my free pattern below.

Review: Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair (Wynbridge #5) by Heidi Swain

3 stars for Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair (Wynbridge book 5) by Heidi Swain.

It is not my usual practice to skip books when they come in a series. Truth be told, before I start out my journey with Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells, I worry about being clueless since I have missed out the first four books. In the end, my concerns are unwarranted as this book proves itself to be somewhat of a standalone even though it is part of a series.

It is not easy to find a good Christmas story, especially one to my liking. Most Christmas themed books are filled with clichéd plot and clichéd characters. And one thing for sure, it always starts off bad and worsens progressively before it turns for the better and concludes with "all's well that ends well". Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells is no different; the story and plot is predictable to a fault. I enjoy the first half of the book where I masquerade as Anna trying to find a perfect place to spend a quiet, peaceful Christmas and ends up with the Connellys at Wynthorpe Hall. But the same cannot be said of the second half where I struggle to get through the family feud involving the three Connellys brothers to finally reach the happily ever after.

Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells is a heartwarming story of Christmas magic, healing and love. But I feel that the story is non too cliché a Christmas fiction for me. I hope my next Christmas read will be a different one. A vastly different one.

Well, overused story setting aside, there is one thing I do adore much about this book though. And that is the lovely book cover of a picture. Look at that!

Crochet: Amigurumi: Micro Pur Pur

I realise no matter how, this is not going to work, simply because this Crown yarn which I use for crocheting my mini dolls does not come in beige colour.

When I purchase this yarn series, I thought it wouldn't be much of an issue as I can easily substitute the skin colour of beige with that of another, such as the light brown with yellowish tone which I use for Baby Green Elf. Then I thought it looks not quite right and so, I try again using off-white for the head and hands. In the end, the effect is worst. I think. Erm.. Micro Pur Pur looks kind of like a baby vampire with too pale a face. Haha..

Colours aside, this time round, I am actually rather pleased with my pattern and stitches as I finally get the size of Micro Pur Pur (around 1.5 inches) the way I want it to be. Do note that my pattern is mainly applicable for 100% acrylic yarn such as the Crown yarn as different types of yarn and their thickness and softness all make a difference.

Much as it is for my own reference, I am happy to share my free pattern here.

See below for Micro Pur Pur Free Pattern

Crochet: Amigurumi: Baby Green Elf

I crochet Baby Green Elf (around 2 inches) almost immediately after I am done with Pinky Pink Doll. And since Christmas is right around the corner, in three weeks' time, I thought it will be nice to use Christmas colours to crochet this mini elf with a bib.

I will say it is quite an improvement as Baby Green Elf is much smaller than Pinky Pink Doll. But then again, he is not exactly what I have in mind. Even though I know I am inching towards crocheting my micro dream doll, it seems like I have a long way to go yet. Well, I guess I just have to keep trying and trying until I finally get it the way I want it to be.

See below for Mini Green Elf Free Pattern

Crochet: Amigurumi: Pinky Pink Doll

Pinky Pink Doll is not what I have in mind when I started out on her. I wanted to crochet a mini pink doll but in the end, she turns out to be bigger, taller and more rounded. Still, it is hard work and I am proud to present her here. Though Pinky Pink Doll may not be my intended pattern, she is what she is and I am happy to share my free pattern below.

See below for Pinky Pink Doll Free Pattern