FO - Way More Interesting Than Blah-gging The Oscars

Okay, I have a blog post about the Oscars that I abandoned about twelve minutes into the broadcast, after spending much of the preshow basically writing, "I like that. I like that too. That's nice." Well, that and lots of bitching about Seacrest. But yeah, the show overall, while I enjoyed it and liked the new style generally speaking, was pretty dull from a blogging standpoint. Mostly good fashion, no surprises in the winners (other than foreign film: whaaaaaat?) and overall just not a lot to snark or get really excited about. My post will probably languish in draft hell for all eternity.

But I did finish this yesterday:

A garment! And my first vest! I am SO not a vest girl, but I had these three balls of one DK yarn and two balls of another color of said DK yarn, and I was thinking colorwork vest. Two-color, non-intarsia colorwork. There turn out to not be a whole heap of options in that category that thrilled me, but I found this during my Ravelry search and thought it was just really pretty. Simple, flattering, wearable, work-appropriate...good things. I sweated my yardage the whole time I knit and I just BARELY had enough yarn - I think I have about five grams left over of each color. Squeak!!


It turned out really well, I think. A little tiny bit on the big side, but long enough - a miracle in my world - and not too small around the bust - another miracle - and big enough to allow for a shirt underneath without constricting my movement. Overall, I'm quite pleased with the fit. It's loose enough to allow for weight gain later, too. Not that I'm anticipating it. (I'm on a group weight loss thing right now and so far I'm doing pretty well - down eight pounds, hurray! Yay for being healthy - my habits were getting pretty shameful there for a while.)


Pattern Deets:
Cables & Spice Pattern by Diane Carlson
Size: 37" bust
Needles: US 5 & US 3
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy 013 (red, 3 balls) and 06 (pink, 2 balls)
Start: January 28, 2009
Finish: February 22, 2009


Pardon my wrinkliness - I wore this all day at work prior to taking photos. Bad knit blogger. The good news is that it holds up well. The pattern is also really well written and simple to execute, with not a lot of finishing, either, which is a very good thing in my book. No seaming at all - just grafts at the shoulders. Me likey. I'm also looking forward to giving this a wash - yes, I'm a slacker and wore it to work without even blocking or washing it - Hempathy blooms so beautifully when it's washed. This will probably only get better.


Okay, now I'm just being silly.

Oscars - A PSA For Those As Compulsive As Myself

So every year I get really obsessed with the Oscars for no discernible reason (they are not in any way indicative of the BEST work of the year, just the most publicized...and yet I plan my whole late winter around this event) and I drive myself crazy into the ground trying to see as many nominated works as I can. (It's especially difficult to pull off when I restrict myself to the first showing on weekends, traditionally the cheapest available ticket and the only budget-friendly way to stick to my plan.)

I've seen a number of powerful and impressive films in this pursuit, and then like NONE of them got nominated for best picture. Lucky for me, that sacred institution AMC Theatres is doing something that theatres nationwide should have been doing annually for 30 years - they're showing all five best picture nominees back to back in a single day. Blessedly, the tickets are cheaper than they would be to see each individually - $30 for all five - and include bottomless popcorn, a saving grace for those of us with husbands of infinite metabolism. (I for one will tote a bag of radishes and cucumbers, thank you.)

I'm saying hallelujah that the one film we did see, Benjamin Button, is the one showing smack in the middle of the day. There's a lakefront park and walking trail about 100 yards from the theatre, so we can get outside into the real world, have lunch, go for a walk, hit a Starbucks....I think it'll be a nice day. It's especially great for those of us in a strange area where, inexplicably, Paul Blart showed in every multiplex but no one really felt like putting Milk on a screen. (Um, thanks? Welcome to the South, baby.)

If you want to see if an AMC in your area is mounting the effort, check here.

And I'm thinking I may "live-blog" the whole event. (The Oscars, not the five movies. God, would that be torture for you or what?) By "live-blog" I mean, I'll write one ungodly long post and then publish when the thing is over, rather than assault your bloglines with 1400 posts all night. Things I always like to snark on: who won, who deserved it, who gave a catty sideways look when she lost (lookin' at you, Jolie), who looked great (expectation: Hathaway) and who looked jacked as hell (expectation: Cameron Diaz, as always, will appear to have run there straight from the gym...in Encino; and God willing, Meryl Streep will show up in stirrup pants again like she did to the SAG Awards, not expecting to be shown on camera in full view and only dressing for her gracious-and-lovely-from-the-bust-up loser shot.)

VK Free to Loving Home

Is anyone in need of the Winter '08/'09 Vogue Knitting? (It's the one currently on newsstands.) I subscribed and figured my first issue would be Spring, so I bought the Winter issue last week and lo, another arrived in my mailbox today - now I has two. First commenter takes it.