The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Superficially, this novel remarkably similar to The Starless Sea -- a young woman begins finding doors to alternate worlds, and must stop the secret society determined to close those doors permanently. But the details, the themes, the writing style, even the overall feel of the book is completely different.

In Harrow's world, the doors are crucial to the health of our world, letting in ideas and sparking societal changes for the better. Hence the secret society of mostly old, white men who want to study the other worlds, make a quick buck off some artifacts, and then close them forever before they have too much of an influence on us. January (the young woman in question), however, has a connection to one of the doors, and is determined to track down her parents.

Harrow's political commentary is sometimes a little heavy-handed, but the narrative she created is rich in detail and exciting to read. Even the villain is far more interesting than one would expect. My only complaint is that I would have enjoyed exploring more of those alternate worlds; we really only got to see one of them.

The US hardcover edition is gorgeous:

 

And I couldn't resist making another necklace, inspired by both the cover and the text:

Too bad I have no place to wear it right now.

Take a Stitch Tuesday Weeks 13 & 14

Buttonhole wheel cup makes a nice stylized daffodil:

Buttonholed cable chain stitch:

I like the scalloped edge this makes, although I need more practice.

Instastitch with Sue Spargo

Sue Spargo, whose handwork is absolutely gorgeous, is running a 90-day stitch along: 90 wool pennies sewn onto a background and embellished in lots of different ways.  I'm working from my stash and was only able to fit 42 circles onto my background, but that's ok, because it means I can pick and choose my favorite designs.

So far:

After a difficult day of homeschooling and managing my kids, working from home, and cleaning (sooooo many dishes!), stitching a circle is a real treat.

TAST Weeks 8-12

Twisted lattice band:

Couching and chained bar stitch:

Inverted feather stitch:

French knots and pistil stitch:

Cretan and looped cretan stitches: