A new year and a full January

You’ve probably heard this several times already, but here it is from the Library – HAPPY NEW YEAR! We wish you a year full of new memories, happy times, and of course, spending time with us.

There are a lot of things happening at the Library in January to highlight, so without further ado, here goes! This is a snapshot – there’s more listed in our Programs and Events calendar.

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Graphic Novel Book Club

Next meeting on January 6

Join us for an interesting conversation about favourite graphic novels and comics. The book club will discuss a new graphic novel each month. Session runs to May.

Register online

Looking for graphic novels? Get started here.

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All Things Yarn Club

Next meeting on January 11

Come and join a group of people who love creating things from yarn! Whether you are seasoned in yarn crafts, are starting out, or are just curious about knitting, etc., you will find like-minded crafters here. Share ideas, techniques, and get inspired by books and conversation. Just bring your creativity and the materials you need to join the fun.

Register online

Looking for knitting books? Get started here.

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Tales at Night

Happening on January 17

Tales are on tap at our storytime for adults! Feel like a kid again by listening to some fun tales read aloud by your local librarians at the Good Will Social Club, 625 Portage Ave.

Get the details

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Make Your Own Podcast

Happening on January 20

Interested in making your own podcast? Join us as we discuss what it takes to create and share a podcast. We’ll talk about planning your show, getting it made, and getting your podcast online.

Register online

Connect with fiction and non-fiction reads about podcasting.

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Everything You Wanted to Know About Winter Cycling (online)

Happening on January 22

Are you ready to try winter cycling? Or extend your cycling season? Learn the ins and outs about what to wear, cold weather gear for your bike, and riding tips for snow and ice. Presented in partnership with the Green Action Centre.

Register online

Connect with our Green Choices Information Guide for more ways to reduce your environmental impact.

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Brain Health

Happening on January 24

Join the WRHA Healthy Aging Resource Team during Alzheimer’s Awareness Month to talk about brain health. Topics include the normal aging of the brain, threats to brain health, and tips for reducing risks and keeping your brain healthy.

Register online

Connect with reads about brain health.

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eMedia HELP One-on-One Appointments

Being offered on four days at four library branches throughout January through March.

Book a 45-minute one-on-one help appointment with Library staff and get help with Digital Library services: eBooks, audiobooks, emagazines, enewspapers, streaming music and video, and databases.

Make an appointment

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We look forward to seeing you at the Library in 2024!

~Reegan

Create like a nerd: Part 1

Are you a nerd? I am a nerd. I am a creative, multifaceted nerd. I’ve designed a Mockingjay dress, made Rosebud Hotel Cinnamon Buns, cross-stitched Yoda ornaments, and learned to play my favourite theme songs. These stories and characters bring me joy and I love using my creativity to express it. Similarly, I love spotting other fans by their pins, scarves, bags, or other symbols of fandom. Do you own any fandom flare? Have you ever made your own?

Whether you’re planning a project or your next meal, try using your favourite book or movie for inspiration. Here are a few resources to get you started. 

Crafting

Star Trek Cross-Stitch by John Lohman

Explore strange new worlds of crafting and make ornaments, stitch wall-hangings, or decorate clothing for any Star Trek fan. This book is full of patterns for classic logos or phrases as well as some humorous designs like the “Trouble with Tribbles” pattern.

Outlander Knitting: The official book of 20 knits inspired by the hit series edited by Kate Atherley

The book is beautifully designed and captures signature looks from Claire’s time in both the 18^th and 20^th centuries. While flipping through to pick your first piece, pause to read one of the short features sharing behind the scenes information.

Harry Potter: Knitting Magic by Tanis Gray

Bulk up your wizarding wardrobe with a time-turner sweater, a Hogwarts House scarf, or one of Mrs. Weasley’s Christmas sweaters. The clear, detailed patterns have both written direction and diagrams to help knitters of all levels make creatures and creations of all kinds. 

Cooking

Doctor Who: The official cookbook by Joanna Farrow

Bite into the TARDIS at your next teatime with this incredibly fun cookbook. Serve an “Ood Head of Bread”, decorate a “Cookie Who’s Who” to honour your favourite Doctor, or get out the fondant to make a dangerously delicious Dalek cake.

Tastes Like Schitt: The unofficial Schitt’s Creek cookbook by Rachel Floyd

I’m obsessed with this book. Relive some the joy and laughter with recipes like “Roland’s Waffles and Fried Chicken with Extra Skins,” the infamous “Lovers’ Curry,” and of course Moira’s family recipe “Fold in the Cheese Aaahnchiladas.”

The Unofficial Ghibli Cookbook: Recipes from the legendary studio by Thibaud Villanova

This illustration-packed cookbook is a lovely tribute to Ghibli Studios with recipes inspired by so many of their great films. You could enjoy “Satsuki’s Bento” from My Neighbor Totoro or try “Calicfer’s Breakfast” from Howl’s Moving Castle. Don’t burn the bacon!

Family Fun

Star Wars Galactic Baking: The official cookbook of sweet and savory treats from Tatooine, Hoth, and beyond

Join the indulgent Dark Side with Imperial Devil’s Food Brownies or make some Resistance Ration Bars with these delightfully themed treats. Quick recipes are marked as “Lightspeed” – how cute is that? 

Craft Projects for Minecraft and Pixel Art Fans: Unofficial how to guide 15 fun, easy-to-make projects by Choly Knight

Whether you work in foam, cardboard, or duct tape, this book will inspire you to create some pixelated fun with pages of patterns you can adapt to any material. Will you choose the Crochet Creeper or the Perler Pig accessories? 

Disney Ideas Book by Elizabeth Dowsett

Make a pop-up princess card, a Mickey Mouse notebook, or enjoy an introduction to abstract art with the characters from Inside Out! This book is packed with simple, creative ideas for any age.

Visit the ideaMill Makerspace

Grab your library card and head to the 3^rd floor of Millennium Library to find the ideaMILL. After connecting with staff, you’ll be able to access high-end computers and software, 3D printers, sewing machines, and more! Find out more at ideaMILL – Winnipeg Public Library.

~Meg

Autumn Tool Kit

There’s a chill in the air most mornings now, and our regular activities have resumed after our summer break. Time is running out to finish that yard work and all that’s left to do is to batten down the hatches in preparation for the long winter ahead. Some people love autumn, and others find it difficult to get through. I’ve put together a little “Autumn Tool Kit” to help make it a little easier on those who struggle, and make it even better for those who love it.

First Snow, Algoma. A.Y. Jackson

 

One of the things I like about autumn is getting our slow cooker down off the top shelf and coming home to the delicious smell of something that’s been cooking away all day. My favourite “go to” recipe is super easy. You just stick a boneless pork roast in there, cover it with a can of Coke, and cook it on low all day. About a half an hour before you eat, pull the pork apart and throw in some BBQ sauce. If you want to get REALLY fancy, you can chop up an onion in the morning and throw that in with the pork (but you don’t have to). Toast up a couple of buns, and bingo bango: you’ve got pulled pork for supper. Trust me, it’s easy and delicious, but if you’d like to venture out and try other slow cooker recipes this fall, why not check out one of our slow cooker cook books? One of our newer ones is “Adventures in Slow Cooking” by Sarah DiGregorio.

Another fall activity you can try is canning and jarring. We had a presentation on jam making and preserving basics at the Louis Riel Library last month. Judy, our presenter, talked about Fruit Share Manitoba, an organization where you can sign up if you have fruit bearing plants in your yard and you don’t think you’ll get around to picking them yourself. If you register your fruit trees or bushes on the website, then people interested in looking for fruit can connect with you. The idea is that the pickers get to keep a third of the fruit, you as the fruit tree owner get a third, and a third is donated to charity. Once you have the fruit (or vegetables for that matter), the next step is to preserve them for the winter ahead. America’s Test Kitchen has a new book out called “Foolproof preserving: a guide to small batch jams, jellies, pickles, condiments and more”.

Now that we’ve got food covered, you’ll need an activity to keep you occupied on these long nights. If you are interested in trying out knitting or crocheting, we’ve got you covered in one book called “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Knitting and Crocheting” by Barbara Breiter and Gail Diven.

Once you feel like you’ve got the basic hang of it, why not come out to Louis Riel’s Knit Night? We meet the first Tuesday of every month at 7 pm. (Our next meeting will be on November 7). Although it is not a knitting class, it is a chance for knitters of all experience levels and talent to come together, share projects, and work together on individual projects. Most months will include a presentation on a particular topic. Give us a call at 204-986-4573 to register. We even let crocheters come, but we draw the line at macramé.

 

-Trevor

 

 

Fair Isle Felonies

My wife and a friend get together for supper and knitting on a regular basis. I’m usually around too, but often get outvoted on what to stick on the TV when the knitting starts. I’m happy to report that we’ve found a series on which we can all agree. It’s called Shetland and is produced by the BBC.

The first 3 seasons are available through Netflix, and WPL has a DVD of Seasons 1 and 2, if you are interested.

It is a police procedural centered on Detective Jimmy Perez, who works on the remote Shetland islands off the coast of Scotland. (His Spanish sounding surname is explained by the fact that his ancestor was a shipwrecked survivor of the Spanish Armada way back in 1588, although you’d be hard pressed to see the resemblance in actor Douglas Henshall’s blonde hair and fair complexion.)

Each story (in the first couple of seasons anyway) takes two full episodes to tell, so the writers really give the characters time to breathe and develop. There are many moody, atmospheric shots of the Shetland Islands throughout, and knitting enthusiasts will love to check out all the woolly knitwear sported by the locals (if you’re into that kind of thing).

The series is based on the award winning novels written by Ann Cleeves, and you can borrow many of them from WPL. Ann Cleeves never intended her Shetland books to be a series when she wrote her first one, Raven Black. After all, how many murders can you expect on these quiet peaceful islands? Well, the success of her first one meant that sequels were on the way, so she decided to write one for each season of the year and call them her “Shetland Quartet” and be done with it. The fact that her most recent Shetland novel, Cold Earth, is her 7th in the series, just shows that you might want to consider life insurance if you ever decide to take a trip there. So many murders!

The latest Shetland novel.

 

If you are a knitter and want to attempt your own “Shetland cosplay”, WPL has a great looking book called Northern Knits: designs inspired by the knitting traditions of Scandinavia, Iceland and the Shetland Islands.

If you are looking for a group of like-minded knitters who meet regularly and offer support to one another, why not consider joining WPL’s Knitting Book Club, which meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the Louis Riel Library? Call 204-986-4573 to register.

Trevor

Knit Happens at Fort Garry Library Book Club

Properly practiced knitting soothes the troubled spirit and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either. –Elizabeth Zimmerman

One of the pleasures of knitting is that it can be picked up anywhere no matter the weather. Requirements are simple – 2 sticks and a ball of wool, readily available at your second hand store or local wool specialty shop. The act of knitting is meditative and therapeutic – the rhythmic motion has been proven to change the brain chemistry and relieve stress. Thousands have taken up this ancient skill from fishermen waiting for the tides to change to surgeons knitting to keep their fingers limber.

Want to know where to begin if you are a novice or where to share the solitary practice if you have been knitting for some time? Join Winnipeg Public Library’s newest Knit Lit Book Club at Fort Garry branch.

Here’s how it works. Members choose a project from the wide variety of knitting books the library has to offer. Once a month we share our experiences and critique knitting books, patterns, magazines, and blogs. Here are some of the projects our members are exploring:

Margaret’s projects include socks from Favorite Socks by Ann Budd.

 

 

MaryLou wants to get back into knitting and has decided to begin a scarf. Paula is knitting a scarf with a lovely chunky yarn. For more inspiration see Scarves and Shawls for Yarn Lovers by Carri Hammett

 

Kari is knitting a two piece wrap which will be combined in a Rowan yarn of light caramel tweed, as seen in Wrap Style by Pam Allen

 

 

Once, women knit socks and scarves to send to soldiers in the cold trenches during World War 1. Did you know there are similar opportunities to knit for a cause? Knit a hat to accompany Koats for Kids or a dog blanket for the Winnipeg Humane Society. Jen is working on baby hats for charity from a pattern in Debbie Bliss’ The Knitter’s Year.

 

Novice knitters are welcome to join and tell us all about it. Experienced knitters can learn an intricate stitch and explain how they mastered it. Learn to Knit, Love to Knit by Anna Wilkinson

WPL has over 800 knitting books, DVDs and  magazines devoted to the soothing, calming, repetitive craft of knitting.

So pour a cuppa , pull up a chair, and bring out your knitting. For more information or to register call Fort Garry Library at 204-986-4918.

Jane

Knit Fast Die Warm

Most knitters know that once you pick up the hobby it’s like a flashback to the classic Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”. You bring just one harmless ball of wool into your house and before you know it you’re swimming in sock yarn, pushing past the worsted weight just to open the refrigerator door.

We have a solution for you: Knitting Book Clubs. The Winnipeg Public Library is now hosting two(!) Knitting Book Clubs starting in October. This is the perfect opportunity to grab a knitting pattern book from your local branch, or download one in ebook form from Freading or Overdrive, and start transforming those ever-multiplying piles of fibre into something both beautiful and useful. Baby shower approaching? Baby blankets are notorious for their ability to swallow up surprisingly large amounts of yarn. Maybe your issue is with single skeins or the remnants from other projects? Toys, mittens, and those teeny tiny adorable socks are perfect projects to use up leftovers while thriftily acquiring a heartfelt and handmade gift.

 

 

 

 

No babies in the immediate future? No problem! There are a plethora of titles in the library that are eagerly waiting for you to take them home and knit away your tribbles – or, troubles. And I do mean that quite literally.   

         

If you’re anything like me, once you start knitting there’s no end in sight. One project begets another and the “just one more row”s, “I just need to finish this section”s, and “I’m trying to pay attention to this pattern, I’ll eat dinner later”s become a regular chorus in your household. If so, I can tell you there is a method to the knitting madness. Just do a quick search online for ‘knitting’ and ‘health benefits’ and you’ll find article after article listing the advantages of crafting and, specifically, knitting. Many of these cite the Mayo Clinic study where seniors who engaged in cognitive activities, such as knitting and crocheting, had decreased odds of having mild cognitive impairment. These activities even served as a buffer against the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Crafting is unique in this way because it involves multiple areas of the brain at once: creativity, visuospatial processing, problem solving, memory, and attention to detail.

But the benefits do not end there. Knitting has been lauded as the ‘new yoga’ and there’s a certain amount of truth to it. Crafts such as knitting can have profound meditative effects.  A CNN article from earlier this year cited psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s flow phenomenon – those moments where you become so completely absorbed by an activity that everything else falls away. Many knitters cite the hobby as an excellent way to numb pain, relieve anxiety, and cope with depression, among many other disorders.

From the leading ladies of the golden age of cinema (think Lauren Bacall lounging beside Humphrey Bogart) to contemporary celebrities like Ryan Gosling, Kate Middleton, and Nicholas Hoult, knitting has mass appeal for good reason. So what are you waiting for? Grab those empty needles, or that UFO (UnFinished Object), and your library card. Mosey on down to the library or call to register your spot in one of our Knitting Book Clubs:

• Fort Garry Library’s Knit Lit runs the third Tuesday of the month starting Tuesday, October 21^st at 6:30 pm. Call 204-986-4918 to register.
• Louis Riel Library’s Knit Night runs the first Thursday of each month starting October 2^nd at 6:30 pm. Call 204-986-4573 to register.

Besides, winter’s coming and your dog could probably use a cozy new sweater…

Laura

Two Sticks and a String Theory

“Now, let us all take a deep breath and forge on into the future,
knitting at the ready.” –Elizabeth Zimmermann

Pass the Nobel Prize, please. I’m on the brink of solving the riddles of the universe by proving a correlation between string theory and… drum roll please…knitting. Stay with me now, a lot of theories that have proven to be true sound ridiculous at first.

Here’s a bit of proof for my premise. String theory is based on the interaction of elementary particles, bosons and fermions. Knitting is based on two elementary stitches, the knit and the purl. Once you have gotten the hang of these stitches you can go on to make almost anything. And, at least in theory, physicists can do the same with those elementary particles, once they figure out how to do it without destroying the universe. Knitting is much less risky, but it can be equally frustrating.

One stitch is sometimes all it takes.
Knit One Below: One Stitch, Many Fabrics

Or just one particle can do the trick.
The Particle at the End of the Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World

Scientists working with string theory can experiment with the different forms of elementary particles. Creating concepts with these particles uses tools ranging from something as simple as a pencil and paper to something as complex as a Large Hadron Collider. Knitting, in its most basic form requires 2 or more fairly straight items such as knitting needles, pencils, broom handles, or your fingers, and something to twist between them such as string, wire, dog hair, dental floss, and so on and on. While it would seem at first glance that knitting has the advantage over string theory in this example, string theory does encompass the whole universe, so I’d call it a draw.

I’ve never intentionally knit with dog hair, but the idea intrigues me.
Knitting with Dog Hair: Better a Sweater from a Dog you Know than From a Sheep You’ll Never Meet

Warning: this little book contains huge ideas.
The Little Book of String Theory

There’s the link of unpredictability between knitting and physics to be considered, as well. Observations of how the universe works will sometimes look for repeated patterns of events to predict what will happen in the future. Knitters work with patterns, too. And, just as observed patterns in physics don’t always bring the expected results, a knitting pattern doesn’t always turn out the way you think it will.

Knitters tend to hold strong opinions about every aspect of knitting from needles to yarn, techniques to tools. Physicists such as Stephen Hawking, Richard Feynman, Sheldon Glashow and Leonard Susskind are no different when it comes to string theory. Knitting  has benefited and advanced from people introducing new ideas and techniques. The dedication, knowledge and innovative thinking of people like Elizabeth Zimmermann, Alice Starmore and so many others have changed the way we knit and think about knitting.If physicists and knitters ever had the opportunity to get together and share ideas all of the riddles of the universe would probably be solved.

This woman changed the world of knitting forever.
The Opinionated Knitter: Newsletters 1958 – 1968

This man has changed our understanding of the universe.
Stephen Hawking: An Unfettered Mind

Imagine what would happen if these two could ever meet!

String theorists are trying to understand the forces of the universe, and how they connect with each other. Knitters are engaged in making connections between themselves and the universe. Knitting projects like prayer shawls, yarn bombing and community blankets are a way to create positive energy and associations between people. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can be altered to a different form.  The basic idea of knitting is altering materials to a new form, and string theory attempts to explain how the energy of the universe was formed.  Once again, there’s clearly a connection.

I could go on, but I feel that I’ve made my point. Maybe I’m way off base here, but this connection between knitting and string theory makes perfect sense to me. Now all I have to do is convince the Nobel Committee…

Lori

Handmade Holidays – An Early Start!

Every year, I try to get it together to make the gifts I’m giving for the holidays. Hostess gifts, Christmas gifts,  Secret Santa gifts… I always convince myself that I’ll have the time and energy this year to give meaningful gifts that are handmade with love and care. Honestly, the years I’m the most successful are the years when I make ornaments, or something similarly assembly line, but I couldn’t help scouring the (in this case, virtual) shelves for ideas of what to make. Nice and early, in mid-November, so I have a chance to make everything, right?

I decided Freading was the perfect place to look – this way, I could download the instructions straight to my phone, and have them with me at all times, for when the crafting urge strikes. No holds, no waiting! (And even better, I could renew them for free in the middle of December, when I panic for real and actually start making things.)

Mini Christmas Crochet

First up, we have these pretty adorable mini Christmas crochets. Despite the Christmas specific title, there are also wonderful winter holiday designs like snowmen and BABY PENGUINS to make!

Knits for Nerds

Now, I know *I* won’t have time (because it would involve learning to knit, as well), but the Hobbit feet slippers in this book are definitely a great gift idea this year!  And for the ultra-ambitious, why not make his-and-hers sweater vests from The Big Bang Theory. Plus, an eReader cover that doubles as a chessboard. Wow.

Show me a Story

For the little ones on my list, I love the idea of storytime blocks from this book. Visual blocks allow children to start to expand their own storytelling abilities, and are infinitely engaging to young ones – and all it takes is some Mod Podge, magazine or card images, and plain wooden blocks!

Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things

My dad loves gadgets, and is totally into the idea of recycling/ re-purposing  so I think a calculator turned into a metal detector would be a great stocking stuffer. I’ll even be generous and let him keep the change he finds in the couch.

The Great Christmas Cookie Swap Cookbook

I’m also definitely into the idea of doing a cookie swap this year – adding some variety to the plate is never a bad thing, and it is much easier to bake in bulk!

Trash-to-Treasure Papermaking

For kids or the cardmakers out there, this Papermaking book is beautiful – a card using these techniques is a gift in itself! I also love that it is recycling paper – the holidays can always use a little more Green, in my opinion.

Strong Waters

All of these sound great… but I think my gift this year for the adults on my list will be bottles of home-made mead. The Rhodomel (rose flavoured honey wine) recipe in this book sounds like the perfect thing for holiday cheer!

All of these books are available right now, for your computer, tablet or smartphone, from Freading. To find out more about how to use Freading, visit our Freading overview page.