Blankets for Haiti

One of the many reasons I love Project Linus is that when there is a crisis, they put the call out for blankets for the cause and I can make something that will make a difference. We have until Feb. 27th to make blankets for Haitians who have so little. It's hard to imagine one of my blankets helping very much but I hope that it does. I hope all of the blankets we send will be used well and will let the people there know how much we care. Handmade items are so very personal. I have made so many blankets and hats and scarves in my lifetime and given them away - it's hard for me to imagine how it feels to most people to receive a handmade item. I have given items to people who have NEVER received a handmade gift. It's true! Sometimes my baby blankets are the only handmade gift a new mom receives. In times like these, I remind myself that I have something special to offer even though to me it is as simple and necessary as breathing. My handmade blankets can make a difference to someone who needs some warmth and love. Project Linus blankets are handmade hugs. Now that's special.

Movies

Thank goodness for TCM. I can watch old movies and expand my film repertoire. Wild Strawberries was one that I knew I should watch but wasn't sure I could be patient enough to get through it. It's subtitled, of course, but I managed that while crocheting at the same time. Am I awesome or what? Anyway, the movie was good. As I age, I understand older characters and their perspective in a way that I couldn't when I was young. As an older person, your perspective changes and you see the world differently. I understand why I couldn't understand MY parents all the time. It's just the linear experience of living that makes us wait for that comfortable settling in of our personality.

It was just me so I watched The Other Boleyn Girl. Didn't think I would be able to sit through that one either but I was knitting and waiting so it worked out fine. I actually enjoyed the history(?) of the movie. Not sure what was true and what wasn't but I still liked it. It certainly made me feel how scary it would be to live at the whim of the king and his crazy mood. Off with her head!

Got the SAG awards on the DVR so will catch up with that on Monday. Love to fast forward through those commercials! Makes the show nice and quick.

Golden Globe Awards

Yes, I watch awards shows. I like to see what dresses the women are wearing. I judge from a design perspective and get ideas. Also, I like to see actors as "themselves." I don't know. The whole thing is just kind of fun. Being an avid movie fan and TV watcher, it shouldn't be surprising that I like to see what's going on. I jotted down the titles of several movies that are now in my Netflix queue including all of the nominated foreign films. Movies and TV on DVD have COMPLETELY changed our ability to see good programming. I don't get Showtime, but I've got The Tudors and The United States of Tara in my queue. When will I get to them? Who can say? No matter how much time I spend watching movies and TV, I just can't catch up to all that there is out there that I want to watch. I suppose it's better than having nothing to watch or nothing to read. I am grateful.

And, I've begun a red and white granny square blanket for Project Linus that I really like because Valentine's Day is just around the corner and this blanket reminds me of that. It's crocheted so I can take a break from knitting and work on it. I'm on the home stretch as I knit the first of a pair of socks for my husband. His first pair! They are brown, kettle dyed from Knit Picks. Thank goodness Knit Picks offers solid color sock yarn. I cannot see my husband wearing variegated socks. At least not some of the crazy yarn I've seen out there. I like variegated, of course.

I started another ruffled scarf so that I can knit along with my students in the class I am teaching tomorrow. I am very excited to teach my first class at Knit Happens. I'm looking forward to many more teaching opportunities at this store and in a private setting.

I'm also getting my latest baby hat pattern ready to submit to Knit Picks for consideration into their Independent Designer Program. This seems like a great opportunity to reach more knitters with my designs. I'm really enjoying designing and getting ready to try some new techniques as well. I've got several movies waiting on the DVR, so I'm ready to work and watch.

Designing

I've been having fun designing knitted items for sale and submission. I've figured out how to get my items on Ravelry - although it takes a long time sometimes to get it all coordinated. I've been spending time knitting and trying out different yarns and making small changes. I started on Ed's brown socks that I IOU'd him for Christmas. I always enjoy knitting socks. More information about my knitting exploits can be found at CathyMacKnits.com.

Let's discuss Olive Kitteridge. I really did like this book. Olive was not an easy person to like. Every story has her in it, but they are not necessarily about her. Her husband was quite likeable and I suppose we like Olive well enough since her husband loves her. I got this idea from watching The Simpsons 20th anniversary special last night. Someone commented that people like Homer because Marge loves him. That makes sense to me.

The characters in Olive K. were vibrant and the language was quite wonderful. I didn't spend time pondering over the writer's words because I was listening to them but I could hear how they flowed and sparkled. Reading out loud gives your words a different sense. Something should be added, not lost, by reading aloud.

I'm reading The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher now and this book is quite fascinating. There is plenty of historical information about how detective work began in England. I will be eager to read Sherlock Holmes after this.

I did not get to see Sherlock Holmes, the movie, this weekend. Next weekend, I will for sure. My husband says he never wants to go to the movies again due to people talking through the movie. I admit, I usually have to ask people to be quiet whenever we are in an audience situation. Everyone thinks they are sitting at home and that it's okay to talk. It's never okay to talk. No matter what you think, I CAN HEAR YOU. So, perhaps I will rant about that another day.

Also, my older son is reading MacBeth in Honors English. I haven't read that one so will no doubt give it a go.

After Christmas

I slowed down on my knitting a bit to get ready for and enjoy Christmas. As we have watched movies as a family, I've been knitting on my latest blanket which is a log cabin pattern for Project Linus. It's easy to knit; I don't even have to watch while I make my stitches. I now have at least three people to knit socks for so I am working on the second of my pair of purple socks for myself. I received a gift certificate to Knit Picks (yay!!) for Christmas, so sock yarn will definitely be on my next order. I've designed a cute, little baby hat which I will make a few of and then put the pattern up for sale on ravelry. I needed to create something very small and clingy for a newborn. The hat I had been making with cotton yarn was too big for a tiny baby and it was rather flimsy. That's one thing that I really like about wool - it has spring and body. Maybe some more of that Spud and Chloe would be great for a baby hat. I wish I could find a LYS that carries it though. I would like to see it up close. I have two skeins each of the bulky and sweater but would like to see the dk or baby size. Probably will have to buy it online sight unseen as I did the others.

Getting excited about teaching my first class after the holidays. Next week I will get down to business and put a list together of stuff to bring, then pull my materials together, write my patterns, maybe even practice my teaching skills on my family. Should be pretty easy and straightforward project; just haven't taught to strangers in awhile. I'm thinking about new classes I can teach during the summer. I think I'll design a Christmas stocking and ornament. Summer is the time to get those holiday gifts made before you're too stressed and busy to finish them.

Looking forward to watching some new movies - Dark Passage and Revolutionary Road. We watched Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince last night which was a present from Santa. That's one of my favorites of all the HP movies. I really like the sweeping camera work in this one. So many wonderful shots around the castle and especially looking up in the Weasley's home and the Hermione and Ron are looking down. Also watched several Sherlock Holmes movies with Basil Rathbone yesterday. Very enjoyable. Back to knitting....

Knit Frenzy

I have been knitting almost nonstop due to my knitting class schedule coming up in January. I'm teaching a short class where we make cup cozies. I've made several in different yarns and designs trying to see what looks good and which ones I want to use for display. I'll be taking those to the store tomorrow. I love the new yarn I just bought at Knit Happens and used for my new Boston Beret. It's called Alpaca With a Twist and the colorway is orange tweed. I used the leftovers for my display cup cozy. I love how soft the yarn feels and the stitch definition is perfect.

Later this morning I will be back on track with my latest Baby Surprise Jacket. It's about halfway done. I had to put it down to get the cup cozies ready when I found out my first class is January 4th. I have at least 3 patterns that students can choose from to make in class.

Last night we watched the extended version of The Return of the King. I'm working on a yellow cotton baby hat and then will try out my own smaller version of that hat. It turns out newborns have much tinier heads and the pattern I've been using works better for older babies. I might try my own design for a baby hat too.

Also on my knitting list is tiny ornaments. I'm going to try a top down sweater but I may end up with just a tiny round ball depending on the difficulty level.