Movie Monday - 1/26/2015

Foxcatcher, starring Steve Carrell, is based on a true story. Carrell plays John du Pont, heir to the DuPont chemical conglomerate fortune. Being that he is a wrestling enthusiast, he forms a wrestling team and talks Mark Schultz, an Olympic gold medalist into joining Team Foxcatcher to win the gold again. He is also after Mark's older brother Dave, another gold medalist in wrestling, to come coach the team. Carrell's part is the Oscar trifecta - based on a true person, physically transformative and crazy character. I had not heard about this story when it was happening in the late 80s and 90s, but it was interesting and quite entertaining.

Michael Keaton plays mentally ill, narcissistic, washed out actor Riggan Thomson in Birdman. He had been a famous superhero in the movies and is now trying to resurrect his career by directing and starring in a Broadway play. I found this movie uncomfortable to watch  - the Birdman persona added insight to what was going on in Riggan's head, but the drumming that accompanied this narration and in other parts was just annoying. The character was hard to like, as was Mike Shiner, another narcissistic actor who is played by Edward Norton. The acting was phenomenal - also starring Naomi
Watts, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Ryan and Andrea Riseborough, but overall, the movie was meh.

MK out.

WIP Wednesday - 1/21/2015

We are in the homestretch.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 1/19/2015

Into the Woods is a sort of mash-up of Cinderella, Jack and the Bean Stalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel. The film is adapted from the like named musical by Stephen Sondheim. Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, Tracey Ullman, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp are the bigger names in the ensemble cast. The acting and the singing were great.  The film was quite entertaining.  I really liked it.

One down, ten left to watch before the Oscars.

MK out.

Start Something Sunday - 1/18/2015

Well, I actually started this neck thing last night at the hockey game:

I know I have a pair of socks, a scarf, a sweater, a baby blanket and a throw in varying stages of completion going already, but I needed a different sort of project.  OK, need is not the correct word. I wanted something not too involved and small. I wanted something other than what I was already working on. I wanted some new, shiny and different yarn. 

So, I shopped my stash and found this pretty yarn I had bought at Alisha Goes Around’s booth at the Yellow Rose Fiber Festival 2012 in Seguin, TX.  It's her Pulchritude of Peacocks DK base and it is squishy and round. I like it!

I am making A Little Bit Bohemian.

I got lots done last night. I think I'll work on it some more now.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 1/12/2015

I really miss Roger Ebert. He was my movie mentor. Through the years, he recommended many films for me to watch on his television show At the Movies with Gene Siskel, and later with Richard Roeper. When he got sick, he continued his movie reviews on his blog.  Life Itself is a documentary based on Elbert's autobiography of the same name. The thing that comes through this film for me is his humanity.  For that, I miss him too. It was very good.

The Lost Boys of Sudan is the name that was given to the tens of thousands of southern Sudanese children and teens that were displaced and/or orphaned during the Second  Sudanese Civil War. Reece Witherspoon stars in The Good Lie, in which she plays a job counselor trying to find jobs for some of these people who were relocated to the United States. The lead actors who played the relocated teens/young adults were somehow affected by that civil war before they fled their homes. It was a good movie.

MK out.

Start Something Sunday - 1/11/2015

Sooooo...I still have that baby blanket and the sweater going, but I was sad, cause I have not made any socks for several months.

Because, you know...I need socks.

I'm going to make Hippy Ripply Retro Socks. One of the Sock Knitters Anonymous challenges this month is to knit any non-vanilla pattern that is designed to take advantage of self-striping or long-gradient yarns. The challenge is to find (or design) a pattern that showcases the yarn and accentuates the yarn’s flow and patterning.

Excuse me while I go cast on...

MK out.

FO Friday - 1/9/2015

Ta-daaaaahhh!

I turned this:

...into this:

I am so proud of myself being able to scratch off one 2014 leftover WIP from the list. Go me!

N

O

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R

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L

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Y

I do have a real, bonafied, finished object for your edification:

The pattern is Shades of Summer Dress by Elena Nodel.  I used Cascade Sierra yarn in three colors - a pink (16) , a green (431) and a yellow green (409).  The numbers in the parentheses are the company's color numbers.  I made the size 6-12 months, but I really think this dress would fit a two-year-old. No matter, I have just the girl for it.  

MK out.

The Sock Report - January 2015

After a banner year of making a pair of socks a month in 2013...

...I made only 4 pair in 2014:

I think I'm okay though. I have a crate full of socks:

Lots of socks:

Top layer:

Bottom layer:

Despite all these socks, I will be making more...stay tuned.

MK out.

WIP Wednesday - 1/7/2015

I am knitting, I am knitting, falalalala-la-la-la-la!

In an effort to finish the WIPs (and you will see one that's finished on Friday, I promise - cause - it's done), I am working on the pink baby blanket:

I am about to pick up stitches to do the border. Yay! Yes, I know...there's a seed stitch border framing the entire blanket, but I am talking about the outer border.

I am also working on the sweater:

I had gotten to the separation of the sleeves, but was it suggested by the designer that my armscye wasn't deep enough when I showed her a picture; so, I frogged back a little to remedy the situation.  I'll be back on track straight away...

MK out.

Movie Monday - 1/5/2015

Y'all know how I lurves me some Amy Adams...so, of course I had to see Big Eyes.  The film is based on a true story, about the artist Margaret Keane (Adams).  During the 50s and 60s, her husband (played by Christoph Waltz) claimed her work as his own, and she, feeling powerless, went along with the ruse...until she didn't go along anymore and - well, go see the movie. Amy acted well, as did Christoph - although I felt his performance was a reprise of his character in Water for Elephants.  It was really good.

The Guardians of the Galaxy is based on the Marvel Comics superheroes of the same name. There's action, intrigue and comedy in this film about a group of misfits who band together to save the universe from certain destruction.  The ensemble cast included Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close and Benecio del Toro - just to name a few.  It was good.

MK out.

Start Something Sunday - 1/4/2015

I finished one of my WIPs yesterday...but I won't be showing it off until Friday.  It's pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

Since I finished a project, I started a new one today.

It's the 8 Days a Week sweater by Mary Annarella. I like her patterns. I'm using some lovely Madelinetosh DK Twist in Seaglass.  I bought this yarn at the last DFW Fiber Fest and had the best intentions of knitting it up before hockey season started. Well, hockey season is still going and I challenge myself to finish this sweater by the end of the month.

You heard it here.

MK out.