Last year, I wrote a post about a 107-year-old woman whose friends had helped her set up a blog. The woman was Olive Riley, and she had a spirit and a joy for living that, frankly, I wish I had now, never mind 70+ years from now.
Olive passed away today at the age of 108. I know there is no way one could say she didn't live a really long, full life, but it's still sad for the family and friends she left behind, including Mike Rubbo, the person who helped her with her blog. And I'll tell you, I for one will miss reading about her exploits.
Goodbye, Olive. You were a really cool old lady whose blog charmed the pants off me.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Slings and Arrows
Before the weekend, I received in the mail the first season (2 discs, 6 episodes total) of Movie Central's Slings and Arrows, about the world of classical Shakespearean theatre.
The pilot starts with the contrasting stories of two theatre companies: one is a hardworking group of actors with lots of artistic integrity...who are housed in a dilapidated building with non-functioning toilets, no phones, and the occasional electrical fire. The other, The Swan, is a posh, plush theatre that panders to the "grey-haired set;" it is the official home of the New Burbage Shakespeare Festival (based on the Stratford, I'm assuming). Whereas the first theatre is scrambling to cover basic expenses, The Swan is comfortable, complacent, and corporate-sponsored.
During the pilot, the first theatre is trying to a) fix the plumbing, and b) come up with the back rent that they owe the landlord. The other theatre is preparing for the opening night of the festival--a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
As the pilot continues, the tension at The Swan builds: Richard, the general manager (Mark McKinney of The Kids in the Hall), is in a tizzy about keeping their corporate sponsors happy, while Oliver, the artistic director (Stephen Ouiemette), is self-medicating with the bottle to avoid the glaring fact that he has allowed his productions to become boring and soulless in order to stay afloat financially.
So far I have watched the first and second episodes, and I'm already hooked. The writing is excellent: subtle and witty with some amusing in-jokes for those familiar with the world of the theatre, but not so many that it would alienate viewers not familiar with what goes on backstage. And although we do see characters that could definitely be "types" (the diva, the ingenue, the drunk, disillusioned director who has sold out his artistic vision to The Man, the clueless suit who doesn't really understand the arts), the acting skillfully avoids caricature.
A very young-looking pre-Mean Girls and Wedding Crashers Rachel McAdams is charming as a newbie actor who is paying her dues playing the "maids and fairies" roles.
Paul Gross is also mesmerizing as the crazy director of the impoverished theatre company who seems to have a mysterious past relationship to Oliver and Ellen, The Swan's leading lady (Martha Burns).
If you like warm, intelligent, engaging drama with comedic moments, I highly recommend Slings and Arrows.
The pilot starts with the contrasting stories of two theatre companies: one is a hardworking group of actors with lots of artistic integrity...who are housed in a dilapidated building with non-functioning toilets, no phones, and the occasional electrical fire. The other, The Swan, is a posh, plush theatre that panders to the "grey-haired set;" it is the official home of the New Burbage Shakespeare Festival (based on the Stratford, I'm assuming). Whereas the first theatre is scrambling to cover basic expenses, The Swan is comfortable, complacent, and corporate-sponsored.
During the pilot, the first theatre is trying to a) fix the plumbing, and b) come up with the back rent that they owe the landlord. The other theatre is preparing for the opening night of the festival--a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
As the pilot continues, the tension at The Swan builds: Richard, the general manager (Mark McKinney of The Kids in the Hall), is in a tizzy about keeping their corporate sponsors happy, while Oliver, the artistic director (Stephen Ouiemette), is self-medicating with the bottle to avoid the glaring fact that he has allowed his productions to become boring and soulless in order to stay afloat financially.
So far I have watched the first and second episodes, and I'm already hooked. The writing is excellent: subtle and witty with some amusing in-jokes for those familiar with the world of the theatre, but not so many that it would alienate viewers not familiar with what goes on backstage. And although we do see characters that could definitely be "types" (the diva, the ingenue, the drunk, disillusioned director who has sold out his artistic vision to The Man, the clueless suit who doesn't really understand the arts), the acting skillfully avoids caricature.
A very young-looking pre-Mean Girls and Wedding Crashers Rachel McAdams is charming as a newbie actor who is paying her dues playing the "maids and fairies" roles.
Paul Gross is also mesmerizing as the crazy director of the impoverished theatre company who seems to have a mysterious past relationship to Oliver and Ellen, The Swan's leading lady (Martha Burns).
If you like warm, intelligent, engaging drama with comedic moments, I highly recommend Slings and Arrows.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Knitting Pattern--Take-Out Coffee Cup
Recently I've started making hand-knitted play food for my friends' children to use with their doll tea sets and play kitchens. Inspired by ilikelemons' knitted ice cream cone pattern, I decided to design a knit take-out coffee cup.
I hope you enjoy making this as much as I enjoyed designing it. The pattern is below or you can download a PDF version here.
Knit Take-Out Coffee Cup
MATERIALS
DK or worsted weight yarn in the following amounts and colours:
• Dark brown—20 metres
• Light brown—20 metres
• White—40 metres
Set of double-pointed needles to achieve a tight gauge with the yarn you are using (I used 2.75 mm needles with a DK weight yarn). Exact gauge is not important, but gauge should be tight enough that stuffing does not show through stitches.
Small, flat round object the same size as bottom of cup--I used a pill bottle lid about 4.5 cm in diameter. This will fit inside the bottom of the cup and help keep it flat so it can stand up.
Stuffing of your choice: wool fleece, cotton batting, etc.
INSTRUCTIONS
Cup
Using white yarn and one dpn, CO 6 sts.
Knit as for i-cord.
Divide sts onto 3 dpns and pm to indicate beginning of round.
Round 1: Kfb into each st. 12 sts total.
Round 2: K all sts.
Round 3: K1, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 4: K all sts.
Round 5: K2, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 6: K all sts.
Round 7: K3, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 8: K all sts.
Round 9: K4, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 10: K all sts.
Round 11: K5, kfb. Rep to end of round. 42 sts total.
Round 12: P all sts.
Turn work inside out. Continue to work in the round (now you will be going the opposite direction).
Knit in the round in stocking stitch for 1 inch.
Increase round: K until last st on each needle, then kfb last st.
Continue to knit in stocking stitch; do an increase round after every inch three more times. 51 sts total.
Knit another inch, then do two purl rounds. BO knitwise.
Put a flat, round object such as a bottle lid into the bottom of the cup. The object should fit snugly and allow the cup to stand upright. Stuff the cup with the fibre fill of your choice and set cup aside.
Coffee
Using dark brown yarn and one dpn, CO 6 sts.
Knit as for i-cord.
Divide sts onto 3 dpns and pm to indicate beginning of round.
Round 1: Kfb into each st. 12 sts total.
Round 2: K all sts.
Round 3: K1, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 4: K all sts.
Round 5: K2, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 6: K all sts.
Round 7: K3, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 8: K all sts.
Round 9: K4, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 10: K all sts.
Round 11: K5, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 12: K all sts.
Round 13: K6, kfb. Rep to end of round. 48 sts total.
BO all sts knitwise and set aside.
Cardboard sleeve
Using light brown yarn, CO 9 sts. Do not join in the round—you will be knitting flat in seed stitch. *K1, p1 across row. Turn*. Repeat from * to * until the strip of knitted fabric fits comfortably around the stuffed cup.
Stitch the strip together so that one end overlaps the other slightly to form a visible seam. Set aside.
ASSEMBLY
Whipstitch the coffee, reverse stocking stitch side up, to the inside top of the cup using brown yarn. It is easiest if you don’t stuff the cup to the top before seaming. When there is one inch left to seam, stuff the cup until full. Finish the seam as invisibly as possible, knot, and hide the end by pulling it inside the cup with the needle.
Slide the sleeve onto the coffee cup until it fits tightly.
You’re done!
NOTE: This pattern is for personal use only--please don't reproduce it elsewhere, try to take credit for it, or make money off it. Thanks!
I hope you enjoy making this as much as I enjoyed designing it. The pattern is below or you can download a PDF version here.
MATERIALS
DK or worsted weight yarn in the following amounts and colours:
• Dark brown—20 metres
• Light brown—20 metres
• White—40 metres
Set of double-pointed needles to achieve a tight gauge with the yarn you are using (I used 2.75 mm needles with a DK weight yarn). Exact gauge is not important, but gauge should be tight enough that stuffing does not show through stitches.
Small, flat round object the same size as bottom of cup--I used a pill bottle lid about 4.5 cm in diameter. This will fit inside the bottom of the cup and help keep it flat so it can stand up.
Stuffing of your choice: wool fleece, cotton batting, etc.
INSTRUCTIONS
Cup
Using white yarn and one dpn, CO 6 sts.
Knit as for i-cord.
Divide sts onto 3 dpns and pm to indicate beginning of round.
Round 1: Kfb into each st. 12 sts total.
Round 2: K all sts.
Round 3: K1, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 4: K all sts.
Round 5: K2, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 6: K all sts.
Round 7: K3, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 8: K all sts.
Round 9: K4, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 10: K all sts.
Round 11: K5, kfb. Rep to end of round. 42 sts total.
Round 12: P all sts.
Turn work inside out. Continue to work in the round (now you will be going the opposite direction).
Knit in the round in stocking stitch for 1 inch.
Increase round: K until last st on each needle, then kfb last st.
Continue to knit in stocking stitch; do an increase round after every inch three more times. 51 sts total.
Knit another inch, then do two purl rounds. BO knitwise.
Put a flat, round object such as a bottle lid into the bottom of the cup. The object should fit snugly and allow the cup to stand upright. Stuff the cup with the fibre fill of your choice and set cup aside.
Coffee
Using dark brown yarn and one dpn, CO 6 sts.
Knit as for i-cord.
Divide sts onto 3 dpns and pm to indicate beginning of round.
Round 1: Kfb into each st. 12 sts total.
Round 2: K all sts.
Round 3: K1, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 4: K all sts.
Round 5: K2, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 6: K all sts.
Round 7: K3, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 8: K all sts.
Round 9: K4, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 10: K all sts.
Round 11: K5, kfb. Rep to end of round.
Round 12: K all sts.
Round 13: K6, kfb. Rep to end of round. 48 sts total.
BO all sts knitwise and set aside.
Cardboard sleeve
Using light brown yarn, CO 9 sts. Do not join in the round—you will be knitting flat in seed stitch. *K1, p1 across row. Turn*. Repeat from * to * until the strip of knitted fabric fits comfortably around the stuffed cup.
Stitch the strip together so that one end overlaps the other slightly to form a visible seam. Set aside.
ASSEMBLY
Whipstitch the coffee, reverse stocking stitch side up, to the inside top of the cup using brown yarn. It is easiest if you don’t stuff the cup to the top before seaming. When there is one inch left to seam, stuff the cup until full. Finish the seam as invisibly as possible, knot, and hide the end by pulling it inside the cup with the needle.
Slide the sleeve onto the coffee cup until it fits tightly.
You’re done!
NOTE: This pattern is for personal use only--please don't reproduce it elsewhere, try to take credit for it, or make money off it. Thanks!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Paris
view of Paris from the top floor of the Centre Pompidou
Notre Dame
looking up through the pyramid at the Louvre
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