Don't you just feel better?

What a great day yesterday was!! Unfortunately, I had to work, so I couldn't stay home and watch the inaugural, but I got to see enough of everything to be absolutely elated. After so many disappointments over the last 8 years, especially the death of Paul Wellstone, I feel such great hope.

I did spend part of MLK Day watching the fantastic concert on the mall and knitting preemie hats. I got three hats done:



Project Name: Spiral Preemie Hat
Pattern Source: http://www.geocities.com/bbcrafty_17//SpiralPreemieCap.html
Yarn: Artyarns Handpaint Stripes
Yarn Source: leftovers from a hat and scarf set - stash!
Date Started: 1/19/09
Date Completed: 1/19/09

Comments: I wanted to use up some leftovers in my stash and figured a worsted weight hat would go pretty fast, so I found this cute pattern on the internet. It went really fast but was still interesting to knit. And the ribbing-type will fit a wide range of headsizes. The pink one in the middle is Chelle's basic preemie hat pattern in some Plymouth Dreambaby DK I got in a yarn exchange at a knitting retreat I went to a couple of years ago. Look at me using up the stash for service knitting!!

I also took my nephew, Michael, out for a movie on MLK Day:



I would describe this one as mildly amusing. Neither Michael or I laughed a lot, but it wasn't a horrible way to spend a couple of hours. I think Kevin James is funny enough, but all of the jokes in the movie are pretty much exactly what you see coming. James plays a mall security guard who takes his job way too seriously. He's a single dad and has a big crush on the pretty girl who works at the hair extensions cart in the mall. On the day after Thanksgiving, thieves take over the mall so they can steal the credit card machine codes and the pretty girl gets taken hostage, so Paul Blart refuses to leave the mall without first rescuing his lady love. The movie is an obvious tip of the hat to Die Hard, but there are a few too many fat guy jokes and nothing that happens is in the least bit realistic. But Michael said he liked it and we had fun together. I'd say save the money and rent it or catch it on cable.

Knitting News

OK, as I said last time, I wasn't super productive in the knitting department between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I did work on a few things.

I finished one front and the back on my Borghild cardigan. I thought I'd knit the boring stockinette back before the second front so that I'd have something to look forward to.



As I mentioned last time, I gave a pair of socks I knit last summer to my sister for Christmas and I was knitting a hat for my brother.



Project Name: Koolhaas Hat
Pattern Source: Interweave Knits, Holiday 2007
Yarn: Classic Elite Lush
Yarn Source: Needlework Unlimited
Date Started: 12/7/08
Date Completed: 1/13/09

Comments: I didn't finish it in time, but I had him try it on and he definitely needed the length the pattern gives for a man's hat. Unfortunately, I ran out of yarn. I looked for another skein in a couple of my local stores, but couldn't find this color. I thought the yarn was a little soft and feminine looking anyway, so I decided to just knit it in the women's length and keep it for myself. I used a little bit of some other yarn to finish up the top, so it's not as fuzzy, but it really isn't too noticeable. It fits me just fine. So, now I've started another hat in Malabrigo for my brother and hopefully I'll have it done by the Super Bowl.

I also knit a scarf, but I want to block it out before I take pictures and I've been too lazy to get down on the floor and pin it all out. I've got this cold that will not go away, so my energy level is sort of bottomed out. But, I'm spending most of the weekend sleeping, so I'm hoping I'll sleep it away!

I've also done a little crocheting. Here's my progress on the Babette blanket:



I have a definite love/hate relationship with that project. Sometimes I look at it and think it's great and other times I think it's hideous. I definitely am a better knitter than crocheter.

I'm currently working on preemie hats for the annual January preemie hat collection. Here's my first:



Jeanne and Chelle have taken down their blog since last January, but there's a Ravelry group, so if you're interested in joining us this year, let me know and I'll point you in the right direction. I plan to heed President-Elect Obama's call to service for MLK Day and knit preemie hats.

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend as much as I am. I still get a little thrill out of having a day off of work and still getting paid.

I've had some good crafting time over the weekend. I finished up the last of my Knitters for Obama preemie hats:



These are winging their way off to the old home state, South Dakota. And with that, the primary/caucus season is over and we're done knitting preemie hats. Once the nomination is official, we'll be knitting for the general election, if you're interested in joining in.

I've also started a couple of new projects. The first I officially started a couple of months ago, but I put it on hold to finish up my projects from Yarnover. And it's not even knitting:



It's the first square for the Babette blanket. I'm not much of a crocheter, but I got help getting started from two women in my lunchtime knitting group who are very good crocheters and now I'm on my way. It's a fairly simple pattern to crochet, if you're thinking about it and intimidated by the idea of crocheting all those squares. Obviously, it's a bit futzy with all of the color changes and sewing the squares together, though.

The original project is gorgeous and brightly colored, but since I already made a really brightly colored blanket recently, I decided to go in a different direction and go with more neutral colors. The original also calls for Koigu, which is fantastic, but a little pricey. So I'm using one of my all time favorite yarns, Rowan Classic Yarns Cashsoft 4-Ply. Not the cheapest yarn on the planet, but I got a lot of it on sale at Elann, so it wasn't prohibitively expensive. And it's amazingly soft. Stay tuned for more developments.

And I couldn't let a long weekend pass without a movie:



Oh my gosh, I loved this movie! I don't know what took me so long to see it with a cast like this. Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell star as a couple of Irish hitmen who work for an English gangster played by Ralph Fiennes. Farrell and Gleeson are shipped off to Bruges, Belgium after one of their hits goes awry and then need to hide out for a while. This suits Gleeson just fine - he loves the architecture and history of the place and Bruges really does look gorgeous in the film. Farrell is bored to tears though, having the intelligence and maturity of about a 12 year old. Things don't go as planned in Bruges, either, though, so Fiennes ends up having to show up and set things straight. And that's all I'll say about the plot, because you need to see it all unfold for yourself. It's all put together like a thing of beauty - with one event causing another, causing another. It's really a well written script. It's so unique too - hilariously funny but deadly serious in turns. I guess the closest I could compare it to is Pulp Fiction. Though this isn't anywhere near as bloody as Pulp Fiction and is actually funnier. And I can't review the film without commenting on how great it is to see Colin Farrell again, especially in such a great role. A few if us at work came up with our lists, you know the list, the five people who would get a pass from your significant other for if you had a chance to you know, get intimate with. Farrell is on my list and seeing him in glasses really confirmed his place on the list!

I also need to bring your attention to another film I saw this weekend, this time on DVD:



This is an amazing documentary about how our handling of post-Saddam Iraq has gone so poorly. The film clearly and in a really simple way lays out the decisions that were made and how that led to the chaos that ensued. Most of the most illuminating interviews are with people who were part of the Bush Administration's work in Iraq, so these are not crazy-eyed liberals who were opposed to the war from the start. I can think of no better way to honor our servicemen and women than to see this film and really understand why so many died needlessly in this war and how to make better decisions in the future so that this situation does not happen again.

More than just Movies

I finished up another preemie cap for the Knitters for Obama effort - this one was shipped off to Kentucky.



I also saw something a little more mainstream than the Film Festival stuff I've been reviewing lately:



I have to say, though, I loved it! I'm a sci fi/comic book fan, so I love it when a super hero film is done right and I definitely would say this was done right. If you're one of the few who haven't seen it yet, Iron Man is the alter ego of Tony Stark, a millionaire playboy who owns a weapons manufacturing company. He's a genius and when he's injured while showing off his newest weapon in Afghanistan, he gets himself out of captivity by building himself a suit of armor out of pieces of his weapons - oh yeah, a FLYING suit of armor. When he was initially captured, he took a lot of shrapnel in the chest. He has an electronic magnet implanted in his chest to keep the sharpnel from flowing through his veins into his heart, killing him. Robert Downey, Jr. plays Tony Stark/Iron Man and it's brilliant casting. Downey's own checkered history and redemption give a certain honesty to his portrayal of Stark. The film has fantastic special effects and keeps you totally engaged in the story. There is also a layer to the story about war and profiteering that will keep serious moviegoers interested too. But this is seriously a fantastic popcorn movie and the perfect way to kick off the summer movie season.

Besides movie-going, I've also been enjoying some music. I saw this fantastic duo:



What a wonderful show. They each have really gorgeous voices, but joined together it's just magical. They played a number of songs from "Once", some songs from their album and a couple of new songs. The crowd was really enthusiastic. They definitely have a devoted following. Glen Hansard introduced almost all of the songs and in true Irish fashion, couldn't resist a bit of storytelling. Sometimes the song intros were longer than the songs themselves. :-) Overall it made for a really wonderful evening and I hope this pair is together for a long time to come.

I also got to see this hilarious duo:



Another completely enjoyable evening. My friends and I had rockstar seats for this one and it was so much fun to see Flight of the Conchords up close and personal. If you haven't seen their show on HBO, their a New Zealand duo who play folky/pop songs with witty and hilarious lyrics. The tv show weaves their songs into each episode where they play characters very similar to themselves - kind of like Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Seeing the songs performed without the context of the show wasn't any less enjoyable. Bret and Jemaine are both goofy, funny and completely adorable. If you haven't seen this show and enjoy smart humor, check it out.

More Foreign Films

Just so I don't lost all my knitting readers, I'll start with the knitting. I have been knitting a little bit in between films. Here's most of what I've been working on:



I'm in Knitters for Obama on Ravelry and we've been knitting up preemie hats and baby bibs to send out to the states before their primary/caucuses to generate some good publicity and good feelings. Here's one story about it.

I also finished up the Lucy Neatby bracelet I started in class at Yarnover:



I haven't sewn on a button because it's way too small for my wrist. She has instructions for how to lengthen the bracelet at the end of the pattern but since I didn't read through the whole thing before I started knitting that was just a little too late for me. When I realized I was getting ready to finish it up and it was going to be too small, I decided I didn't want to rip back and try to make it longer, so I'm contemplating either giving it to my niece or just making it into a keychain instead.

OK, that's about it for knitting. Back to the movies. In the foreign film category but not nominated for an Academy Award I saw an Irish movie called "Kings":



Kings is the first major bilingual (it's mostly in Irish Gaelic, but there are some scenes in English) Irish film. It's about six men who emigrated from Derry to London in the late 70s as young men, full of dreams of success. It's 30 years later now and one of them has died, so they rest come together for the funeral and wake. Most of the men haven't found the success they dreamed of - only Joe, played by Colm Meaney, who runs a successful real estate business. All of the men are alcoholics (although Joe also indulges in cocaine) and struggling with their own guilt over their friend's death and facing the thoughts that come when you think about your own mortality. The film is based on a play and the bulk of the film takes place in a bar room and feels very stagey. They are able to show flashbacks to the young men and the days leading up to their friend's death, though. I really connected with the characters and the feelings of isolation, loneliness and disappointment. I recognize those men. I thought this was a really good companion piece to "Tiger's Tail" also. The economy is going great guns in Ireland, but these guys left before that happened and now are absolutely destitute, living in ramshackle homes. The acting was really great, but I wish I spoke Irish so I could have fully understood it without having to read the subtitles.



The next film I saw was Boarding Gate and I think your reaction to this film depends on your feelings about its star, Asia Argento. I saw her once described as an indie film version of Angelina Jolie and I think that's a perfect description. She absolutely exudes sensuality. I though it was ok. It's a sort of thriller. Argento plays an ex-prostitute who had a very destructive relationship with a successful businessman played by Michael Madsen. The plot is pretty convoluted and not very realistic. But it's gorgeously shot and beautiful to look at. If you're an Argento fan, it's a must see.



Myrin (Jar City to American audiences) is another thriller, this one from Iceland. Jar City is a more straight forward, traditional thriller and I really enjoyed it. I've only been to Iceland once, but I thought the film captured the dark and depressed nature of Reykjavik really well. The people I met there were beautiful and very kind, but everyone seemed very down and depressed - I think that has something to do with how short the days are during the winter. But I came away from the film the same way I came away from my trip - wanting to spend more time there and sort of drawn to it. The film is about a police detective investigating the murder of a man in his apartment. The investigation leads to more crimes, some that happened years ago. It also explores the detective's relationship with his daughter, a drug addict living on the streets. I was really caught up in the story and enjoyed following it through its twists and curves. This is a film for those who enjoy smart, dark thrillers.

OK, enough for now. Next time, documentaries.

Thanks Carrie!!

I got a great little gift in the mail last week and I was so busy running around, I didn't even know about it at first - lesson to everyone, check the mail, even if you're busy!



It's my Pay it Forward gift from Carrie. So cute, huh? She made a beautiful little knitted bag - that must be great felting yarn, because the fabric came out perfectly. She also sewed that cute little pouch and decorated the little Moleskine notebook to match - gorgeous! The inside of the pouch is the purple fabric you can see on the notebook. I'm so impressed with Carrie's sewing skills - it's just perfect! And everything's in my favorite color, purple! Thank you so much for the surprise during this hardest of Minnesota months, February. The long dark days and the endless cold is always hardest to take in February, before the days get noticeably longer and the snow starts melting in March. For my friends who signed up for Pay it Forward with me, I've gathered my materials, so you may see a little surprise of your own sometime in the next few weeks.

I did a little crafting for myself last weekend. I gave my friend Florence a "Kit of the Month" subscription from Bead Monkey for Hannukah last year. I bought one for myself as well so that we could do the beading together when we got the kit each month. We started off with a free kit I got for signing us up, the Fiore necklace. I made mine in pink:



Sorry for the quality of these pictures. It's really hard to photograph yourself in the mirror and get the little beads in focus too. This was a little bit challenging kit, but it was fun and I like how it came out. I have a lot of pink clothes that I can wear this with. I hadn't done any beading in a while and it was really fun. Since I had all the tools out, I made a couple more kits I bought at Bead Monkey too.



That's their Signature Pearl necklace. I love pearls and I like the colors they put together for that kit. I haven't worn the third necklace I made, so I'll post a picture of that after I do.

I've also been knitting a little bit. I finished up my third preemie hat:



I followed Chelle's pattern that I also used for the first one, but this time I used worsted weight yarn. I probably knit it at a gauge that was a little too firm, but it'll work. As you can see, I ran out of yarn at the top, so I switched in an unmercerized cotton and then made a pom pom to sort of cover that different yarn. I think it looks ok and it'll work. It's slightly larger than the other two I made, but it's still being modeled by a grapefruit, so I think it'll work.

I did a little more knitting (and a little ripping), but I'll save that for next time.

B is for Barack

B was easy for me. B is for Barack.



I love politics. When I first graduated from high school, I worked as a campaign staffer for a US Senator (Abdnor - yeah, that was when I was a Republican). Loved the job. I was a political science major in college. I have worked on dozens of campaigns over the years and seriously considered a career in political campaigning and legislative support, but chose the security of the law instead. So, it's nothing new for me to be excited during a Presidential campaign season.

Except I've never been as excited about a candidate for any office as I am about Barack Obama. I truly believe that he could be an agent of real, lasting change in this country.

Ever since Paul Wellstone died, I've felt pretty sad and hopeless about our country. Wellstone was a real hero in this state and a hero for progressives everywhere. His death was a real blow and I still can't think or talk about it without getting teary-eyed. Wellstone died and Norm Coleman was elected - a man I don't respect at all and am really depressed to have represent me. And then we had the war in Iraq. And the economy went into the tank. Pawlenty was elected Governor and cut every program and service in this state to the bone. Bush was re-elected. It's been really disheartening to see my state and my country on such a sad and depressing road.

But Barack Obama makes me hope for a brighter future. He makes me think that people can pull together and work for a better country for everyone, instead of everyone looking out for himself. He makes me think it's possible for people to be engaged and care. That the war can end, people can have real healthcare coverage, we can start planning for preservation of our environment instead of trashing it. The country can be run for the good of the people, not the corporations.

I had the chance to see Barack Obama in person yesterday at a rally. It was quite an amazing experience. People lined up for literally miles:



Those are people waiting to hear a politician speak!! And that's just one of the lines. I was up in the skyway and the line wrapped all the way to the end of the skyway and back up into a U on itself. There were so many people that it took two hours to get into the Target Center. The place was packed:



He spoke for about an hour and was passionate, thoughtful and persuasive. Wouldn't it be nice to have a smart President again? One who can actually string sentences together and use real words, instead of made up words? The biggest cheer was definitely when Obama mentioned that George W. Bush would not be on the ballot this November.



So, that's why for me B is for Barack. I hope everyone who is reading this in Minnesota will join me and caucus for Barack on Tuesday night.



I have also been Knitting Blue. (Afterall, B is for Blue too, which I am through and through):



I finished the first front for my niece's hoodie. I just stuck the fork in there to highlight the pocket - it was the closest thing to grab. I am almost done with the second front, so I just need to sew it all together, knit the hood and the edgings and put in the zipper. I was hoping to get it done by the end of January, so I'm sad I didn't quite make that goal. Hopefully by Valentine's Day, though.

I have also finished another preemie hat:



This one is grapefruit sized. Here's how it looks from the top:



Project Name: Cabled Baby Hat
Designer: Julie Hentz
Pattern Source: Knitting Pattern a Day 2008 Calendar
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
Yarn Source: The Yarnery
Date Started: I can't remember - sometime in January
Date Completed: 1/29/08

Comments: Another preemie hat for Jeanne and Chell's collection. I started one more and when I get that finished (hopefully today), I'll send the three over.

Cold Enough for Ya?

My friends outside of Minnesota and it's neighboring states, count yourself lucky this weekend. It's currently -11 and it's not going to get all that much warmer today. I've been really hankering for a new puppy since the holidays, but I have to admit it's days like today that made me decide to wait until spring to embark on puppy training.

On the knitting front, I joined in on Jeanne and Chell's annual preemie cap effort this year:



I'm kind of embarrassed that it took me two weeks to knit that little thing. It's sitting over an onion, by the way. I've often heard that preemie heads are about the size of an orange or a grapefruit. I ate all my oranges before I managed to finish up this cap and it was a little too small for the grapefruit, so I figure onion is close enough :-) I used their pattern for this one and I encourage everyone to whip up a little hat or two for the cause - it really doesn't take that much time, as long as you sit down and actually knit! I'm going to make at least one more before the end of month, hopefully two more.

I also had the pleasure of a really fine dining experience this week. A friend and I tried out Il Vesco Vino in St. Paul and I would heartily recommend this place. The restaurant is on Selby Avenue, in the space where The Vintage used to be, if you're familiar with that. It's a gorgeous, romantic space - if you're looking for somewhere special to dine on Valentine's Day, this would be an ideal spot. The food was really delicious too. I had the fixed price three course dinner - you choose a soup or salad, a pasta and an entree. I had a romaine salad, gnocchi with tomatoes and cheese and a beef tenderloin with tomatoes and capers and roasted potatoes. The salad was good, but nothing special. The gnocchi and beef tenderloin were outstanding, however. Sometimes gnocchi gets a bit chewy, but it was a perfect consistency and the "sauce" (not really a sauce, more of a topping) was delicious. The beef tenderloin was done perfectly, moist and tender. I tried my friend's beef shortribs with a potato puree and loved those just as much. Even though I was completely stuffed because I had to eat every bite of my dinner, I wanted to try dessert, so I ordered the tiramisu. It was very good, but still not as good as the one I had in Italy, which is always the measuring stick for me. There is a nice wine list here too, though not as extensive as in The Vintage days. They sell wine by the quarter and third carafe too, which I always appreciate, since one glass of wine is usually not enough for me. Dinner wasn't cheap, but it wasn't horrendous, either. I would highly recommend this spot for your next fine dining event.

I also managed to scoot out of work and to a late matinee yesterday. I saw this film:



I thoroughly enjoyed it. The film is set in 1980 and it stars Tom Hanks as Charlie Wilson, a Congressman from Texas who hasn't had much to show of his 6 terms in office when the film starts, but certainly enjoys the perks of being in Congress, namely it's cache with the ladies. Julia Roberts plays a very wealthy Texas woman who sometimes dallies with Congressman Wilson and clearly contributes quite a bit of money to his campaigns. She's a right wing religious anti-Communist true believer of the type that were taking over the GOP at that time and she lobbies Wilson (who is one the defense and intelligence committees and thus has great sway over the purse strings for any sort of covert operation)to begin funding the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan to defeat the Russian army who has invaded the country. After Wilson visits Afghani refugees in Pakistan and sees the conditions, he believes strongly in the cause and starts cashing in some of the good will he's stored up over the years of doing nothing much in Congress. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the CIA operative who is running the show in Afghanistan. The whole thing is just fascinating. Even though it's a pretty complicated story about funding and weapons and political factions, it moves really quickly and you don't get bogged down in details. It's written by Aaron Sorkin, whose tv shows I greatly admire, and I thought he did a great job with this film, too. Philip Seymour Hoffman is just brilliant in his role. He's hilarious and smart and just completely real. I'm sure you'll hear his name when the Academy Award supporting actor nominees are announced. If you enjoy politics and a good story, I'd really recommend this film.

I still have a couple more films to see before I do my final Top Ten of the Year (I'm sure you're waiting with baited breath!). Talk Cinema is today, but it's a foreign film, so I guess I'll have to get to a couple more films soon. Look for a bonus post next week since I have Monday off! Stay warm!!