Seawall

Pattern: Seawall by Lousie Zass-Bangham
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed DK in leftovers of five colors, approximately 4 skeins
Needle: US4 and 5 Addi Long-Tip Lace Clicks
Notes: This is a great stashbusting project. I had over one skein of dark gray Felted Tweed and oddballs of four other colors, which is fewer than the pattern calls for. I changed up the color pattern in the squares and stripes to use up as much of my yarn as I could. I ended up with a 73" long scarf which is much longer than the pattern calls for but I think a longer scarf is always better.

Uh...What Day Is It?

It only dawned in me last night that I completely missed last Thursday. I hate reading blog posts about, "Sorry I've been a bad blogger" but, damn, I have really fallen off the blog wagon.

We've been seeing a lot of movies in the last few days. We saw Catching Fire, American Hustle, Nebraska and Her. I recommend any and all of them.

Catching Fire was a slightly less dreary vision of Hunger Games than the first film but equally deft in its storytelling without spelling everything out for the audience. I don't know if absolutely all of it will make sense if you haven't read the books. I did overhear one woman on the way out of the theater saying she didn't understand what the ending meant. Maybe she was one of the many, many people in the theater who talked during the whole film or got a phone call. Grrr...

American Hustle was, I felt, an ode to Scorsese and New York in the 70s. It's slick, gleeful film-making with some really amazing performances. Seeing Jennifer Lawrence in this back-to-back with Catching Fire really highlights how talented she is. She is hilarious in this movie. Everyone is great.

Nebraska is a quiet, sweet little movie. Director Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways, The Descendants) goes for simple, unembellished visual storytelling. Great performances all around in this one too with a mainly no-name cast. Not one that really needs to be seen on the big screen though.

Her was my favorite of them all. Spike Jonze has written and directed a wildly original story beautifully. The film is quite sublime and surprising. It doesn't have the really off the beam insane vibe of a movie like Adaptation. It takes a wild idea--a man falling love with an operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson--and tells a heartfelt, romantic and eye-opening story. Older Son saw all four films with me and this was his vote for best too.

While watching movies I've been knitting a few hats for charity. Nothing interesting, just plain stockinette.

Here's one.



But I am nearly finished with a cowl I started last week, Millwater knit in Mushishi. This is just what I need right now. Easy but not too dull.

Maize Again

Pattern: Maize

Yarn: Mystery yarn from the "free" box at my retreat last month, I think possibly Malabrigo Rios?

Needle: US6

Notes: Knitting these for a second time made me realize I hadn't followed the pattern correctly the first time! Whoops. I love the fit of these mitts. They are nicely snug especially around the fingers. They are lightweight but feel very warm to wear. 

I made these at Younger Son's request. He picked out the yarn and approved the pattern. When I showed them to him he balked and said he doesn't need them anymore. New mitts for me, I guess.

Thursday Is for What the Hell Is This?

Oh, Janet E. is my special pet this week. She sent me something so outrageous that my children both independently exclaimed as they passed my computer, "What the hell is that?!" I suppose it's genetic.

Anyway, this little runway show slowly morphs from odd to unpleasant to the stuff that haunts my nightmares.

You'll see.

Tell me you won't be seeing this when you close your eyes tonight.

*shudder*

Thursday is Late...Again

I'm going to "put the blame on Mame." Last night Wes and I went to the annual holiday screening of one of my favorite films (possible three-way tie with Goodfellas and Annie Hall) of Auntie Mame starring the impeccable Rosalind Russel. If you don't know what I'm talking about please stop reading and run to a video rental store, if such a thing still exists, and get it. You might start with His Girl Friday to build your love of Rosalind to a fever pitch. Really...go.



But now I owe you a Thursday post so how about some lovely handcrafted chapeaux.

I think the mannequin may have torn off her own arms. I would.

Big Ten

Today is my blog's tenth anniversary. Wow. I want to thank all of you who stop by to read and who leave me comments. It means a lot to me.

Ten years. Wow.

Thursday Is for What the Hell Is This?

I have spent all night searching Danish websites to understand where this photo came from and why. I came up empty. Which means we get to make up our own answer. Who are these two men and where are they headed? Explain it to me, folks.

Thursday Is for What the Hell Is This

Whoops. I almost missed my annual Thanksgiving greeting.





Happy Thanksgiving!

Rainton

Pattern: Rainton from Head to Toes: Kids' Knit Accessories
Yarn: Cascade Ecological Wool in Aporto
Needle: US6
Size: Largest
Notes: Whoops. I didn't pay close enough attention and missed a line in the pattern. I knit the body of my hat in p1, k10 ribbing instead of alternating with plain knit rows. I also knit the ties until I ran out of yarn so they are much shorter than the ones called for in the book.

This hat is knit from the top-down instead of bottom-up for a change of pace.

Heads First

I received a copy of the ebook, Head to Toe: Kids' Knit Accessories by Katya Frankel. I can't remember the last time I got a knitting book and thought, "I want to knit every single pattern in this book." This collection, as the name suggests, features simple, stylish, gender-neutral accessories for kids of all ages (and small to medium-sized adults). The book in broken into sections--Head Things, Neck Things, Hand Things, and Foot Things. Since these are all child-sized accessories they are, for the most part, single skein projects and excellent stashbusters.

I dove into the Head Things section first. I got out my leftover Cascade Ecological Wool from my Rorschach Jacket (I think I still need to do a post on that) in Aporto, a gorgeous blue-green. First I made Duerger in the smallest size.


Here's the view from the top.



This is a simple beanie with twisted ribs running up the sides and raglan-like decreases at the crown for a slightly unusual shape. Very cute.

Then I continued to Simonside, in the largest size, a basic ribbed hat with a little swoosh-y cable on one side.



I still have a lot of yarn left. What to knit next?

Thursday Is for What the Hell Is This?

I was walking through Walgreen's and was stopped dead in my tracks by this image. 

Whoa Nelly. That is a whole lot of wool.

Then I realized that this was a visual for a Hunger Games inspired makeup collection and this was supposed to represent District 8, Textiles. I know the Hunger Games is a worldwide phenomenon but makeup representing all the oppressed districts based on their industry and the whole "sexy oppressed worker" look seems a little off to me. Katniss describes District 8 as "an urban place stinking of industrial fumes with no greenery, the people housed in run down tenements, barely a blade of grass in sight." This look doesn't really convey that, does it? Plus this image is just the start to the wool madness. Check out the videos to see that this is actually a terrible hat plus 

Of course, this campaign is slightly less misguided than the Subway sandwich campaign. You know, sandwiches as a promotion for a movie about a world where children fight to the death in an effort to keep their families fed. Totally in excellent taste, Subway.

Thursday Is for What the Hell Is This?

Darn it. I found the perfect Halloween costume just a bit too late.

I was going to be the Dread Pirate Roberts. Maybe next year...