A lace scarf & a vampire movie!

Well, I finally got brave and started a lace project. I checked out "Last Minute Knit Gifts" from the library last week, and there's a nice little pattern called "Airy Scarf " that is a lovely beginner's lace project. I'm using Knit Picks Gloss lace in Mermaid, which so far has been very nice to work with. I made a little progress with the scarf at the KIP I attend, and I expect I'll be finished in a jiffy. The book says it's a 4 hour project...I think that's a good estimate. I think I'll be purchasing the book, there's some great gift knits in it. Speaking of the Knit in Public -- what a great time! There was a really good turn out, and I had so much fun talking with everyone (at least the people within earshot of me, ha!)


This morning I saw one hell of a good vampire movie called "Let the Right One In". It's Swedish, based on the 2004 novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, which I am relieved to find out has been translated into English because I would like to read it. The story centers around a 12 year old boy who is tormented by bullies and who befriends who he thinks is a 12 year old girl, but who is in fact a vampire. The movie was visually appealing to me, I loved the constant snow and cold weather -- not to mention all of the great scarves and hats everyone was wearing! And it's set in the 80's, when I was a kid, so all the better! The young actor who plays Oskar just captured my heart. I'm quite smitten with the movie. It is all at once sad, awful, hopeful, and haunting. It's a vampire tale that is not the least bit glamorous, quite the opposite, it's achingly human. There's an American version in the works, and I do hope it is as successful at telling the story as the Swedish version, though this movie, at least for me, has set the bar incredibly high. I have my doubts that it can be redone as well as this. I know I'll be thinking about it for a while, it's that good.

November crept up on me!

Eegads, it's November! How the heck did that happen? I guess I better get crackin' with the gift knitting, because there's only like a month and a half left before Christmas.



Okay, I gotta admit, I'm not really thinking about Christmas yet. Which isn't good, since the knitting time is dwindling down. Oh well, here's what I am thinking of:



--The Watchmen movie. I know, it's not due out until March 2009 (how am I going to wait that long????). And it does make me sad that Alan Moore hates the project. But I can't help but be excited....especially about Jackie Earle Haley cast as my personal favorite character, Rorschach.Okay, Nite Owl will always have a place in my heart, but I love the unlovable, what can I say?



--Diablo 3. I have been secretly (or not so secretly, if you ask my husband) pleading to the video game gods to please make a Diablo 3 for years. I'm slightly obsessed with Diablo 2, I just rock that game and have never found anything as fun, at least for me, to play. And now I have to yet again try to be patient until it is released...which won't be until at least 2009, ugh!



--Postsecret.com. This is by far one of my favorite obsessions. I love going there every Sunday and seeing the new secrets. Some are haunting, some are hysterical, and most of them just get to me in a way that makes me feel a bit more human.



--Ravelry swaps! I am addicted to swapping (it's sortof like having a penpal that sends you yarn and goodies, for any non-knitters reading this). I can't get enough of it. Right now I'm in the Darjeeling Limited Swap, and am having a blast picking out yarn and figuring out what to get for my partner. I'm having a hard time deciding if I want my theme to be Sweet Lime, Feather ceremony, or just Damaged Brothers. I'm leaning towards Damaged Brothers, there's just too much goodness in that movie it's really hard to narrow down my gift theme. It's a good problem, really!



I took the plunge and made some major knitting purchases for my birthday present to myself. I finally bought the Knit Picks Options interchangable needle set, and I'm so glad I did. The cords are super flexable, and I've been very happy with the set. I also got myself a Royal Ball Winder and a wooden umbrella swift! Squee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more hand winding yarn draped over my knees for hours on end for me! I feel completely spoiled, but they are all such practical tools I just couldn't deny myself any longer!

Here's the project I broke in the Knitpicks Options on:



It's the Scrunchable Scarf, knit on size 11 needles with Malabrigo worsted in Olive. I am in love with Malabrigo yarn. It's wonderfully soft, wonderfully beautiful (kettle dyed goodness!), and wonderfully affordable for how much yardage there is (216 yards for worsted). I can't get enough of the stuff.

Oh, and I did finish my Ravelympics project on time -- I ended up knitting the Amanda Hat, hence the goofy pic of me in said Amanda hat flashing my best game face up top, ha!