About time!

So, after having a rough, rough, rough spring, I'm finally feeling like myself. Between bad work schedules for Zach, being sick for nearly a month (the 3-week cold that wouldn't leave), several family tragedies, and losing Joey, I've been sick, depressed, lethargic, stressed, and/or otherwise not feeling like myself since about mid-February. Stitches has really been the high point of these last few months.

And I think I'm finally turning the corner!! This past week, I've run 3 times, been to an aerobics class, been to three yoga classes, tried 3 new recipes, and made progress in bringing our house out of C.H.A.O.S ("can't have anyone over status"). Success! Am very pleased with myself and just had to share. :)

It helps too, that the spring winds are finally calming down a little so here is even the chance of running outside again. The treadmill is just not motivating for me :\ I never thought I'd say it, but I'm actually waiting for the summer heat, if only because it means the winds will die down!

So, fingers crossed that I can keep the momentum going!

J is for...

Joey's Influence.

It has now been one month since I lost my baby buns, but I still miss him terribly. After being so important to me for so long, I doubt the ache will pass quickly. His presence is still missed.

I know I have mentioned this before, but since Zach's allergies prevent us from having another bunny, there are lots of other ways bunnies have found their way into our house. Though, in all honesty, this started well before I lost Joey - you have a bunny, and they are such sweet and quirky little guys with such big personalities that they start spreading their influence rather quickly. Mugs, hot mitts, fabric... I see lots of little bunny things in our house. Bunny-ness is just a way of life!

And yes, this includes my knitting. These are just a few of the bunny-influenced knitting accessories currently in my stash. I also have a set of little silver rabbit beads, which will be Joey-specific stitch markers, accented with pastel and chocolate brown beads.

Aside from stitch markers and project holders and project bags and the like, there are lots of bunny patterns that I have found that have been on my queue just waiting for me to have time. And with my handsome boy being such a pretty chocolate brown, many of these patterns will have that color reflected somewhere. The Samhain Hare Tee has both bunnies and Celtic knot work, so it is definitely on the queue. Rabbits in the Grass and the Blue Rabbit Hat are both chances for me to practice my Fair Isle. The Happy Rabbit Carrot Hat is one that I will have to reverse-engineer, but I have Zach's full approval to make it for myself as a silly winter hat! The Pesky Rabbits Tea Cozy is also adorable, and I just need to find a good tea pot to use it with. It will remain on the queue until we find a teapot :) And 2008's Dishcloth KAL had a bunny dishcloth in March.

One pattern, not obviously bunny-related, is a memorial project I plan on making. Right before I lost Joey, I found a skein of yarn on Etsy dyed in a colorway named Chasing Bunnies. One of the colors in the project is a beautiful chocolate brown, just like my baby bun. It's a sock yarn, so a good amount for a little shawl-lette or triangular scarf. I have found one on Ravelry called the Moonlight Sonata Scarf. The lace pattern it's based on is called Sunspots. I look at it though, and can see bunny tails disappearing into the lace background. So, my scarf will be referred to as Adoratails, and I will think of little chocolate bunny tails disappearing into the garden at sunset (those are the colors in the yarn - see it below?). A good lace pattern for a yarn dubbed Chasing Bunnies. This will be my wrap when I need the comfort that Joey gave me for so many years.

More pretty shinies!

Have been having much fun making pretty stitch markers :) It's both frustrating and fun that beads come in large quantities. Affordable beads come in batches of 24 or 25 or so, or on strings 13 inches long - you get the idea. It means I've got plenty to play and practice with, but also means that I end up TONS of stitch markers if I actually make them all up! So, I make them in small batches at a time, and have spares saved up for swaps and gifts and such :)

I have found that this actually works well with my love of fun office supplies. I am a big fan of matching sets, so like stitch markers must be kept together, correct? So, to keep sets of markers together, I keep them all looped on a shaped paperclip! Ta da!

I tried the lobster claw clasp as well. Sturdier than the earrings, but smaller. The earrings fit larger needles (I've used them on size US 8s with plenty of space to move them - I haven't tried them on larger yet, just haven't had the projects on larger needles to use them with) but the lobster claw size I bought fits up to US 7 but not 8s. There are larger lobster claws, too, all the way up to key chain sized ones, but that seems like it would make a very heavy stitch marker, being that big.

While I was playing with all the beads, I also used some of the larger beads to make some drink markers. These are usually marketed as wine glass markers, so you might have an idea of what I'm talking about. I know we don't drink wine in our house (we don't actually own wine glasses) but the rings are fun little designators in case we do ever host something. Besides, they work wonderfully with martini glasses too, and those we do own! We're really more mixed drink people than beer or wine drinkers...

I is for...

Inspection Committee!

I used to have a very thorough inspection process before I began projects. Joey insisted that he have approval and disapproval rights for yarn being used. As you know, bunnies are full of disapproval, so it was a very strict process indeed.

Honestly, though, it never was an intentional thing. I just find it very funny that the bunny was very curious about whatever yarn I had laid out. Because if he was out and about while I was sorting yarn, he would come over and investigate. In reality, I think he smelled the cedar sachets that I keep in the yarn tubs, but it's more fun to think that he was inspecting my choices. :)

Scruffy has his part in the inspection process as well, though he seems to be more interested once the yarn is no longer in skeins. He really doesn't pay attention to the yarn if it's not "on the loose" and thus a threat to the household. He is interested in the yarn once it is in projects, too. Of course, it's a running joke in the house that he cannot actually sit just on the floor, but has to sit ON something on the floor. My projects spread out as I take pictures are a perfect example of something to sit on.

2 x Pelham 123 = Pelham 246?

Hehehe. I have such a dorky sense of humor...

Anyhoo, we recently watched the 2009 remake of The Taking of Pelham 123, the original of which is one I have enjoyed for years. So, here are thoughts on both versions of The Taking of Pelham 123.

Plot: Well, the new one is a remake, so the same plot for both. A group of heavily armed thugs take over a NYC subway car and hold it and its passengers hostage, demanding ransom from the City of NY.

Zach liked the newer version better than the older one, but then he's not as big on classic movies as I am. The newer one had points I liked and that I didn't, so I'm copping out and saying I like them both in different ways.

We'll start with the acting. Garber (the transit authority "good guy") was played as a totally different character by Walter Matthau and Denzel Washington in the two versions, because (let's face it) they are about as different as you can get. For being an "everyman" type character, Garber varies a lot between the two movies based on how different Matthau and Denzel physically are. I liked them both, though. Matthau's version was disgruntled and tired, just a guy on the job, not any superstar or big shot. Washington's was a little more jaded, a big shot was accused of bribery, and that was why he was working the desk. Still tired and every-man, just not as frumpy, I guess. Solid acting though. Really, the high point of the casting. And let's face it - Denzel is good at most things he's done, just by opening his mouth. Like Travolta's character said, "he sounds sexy." He's one of those voices you could just give the phone book to, and it would be a good listen.

Which brings me to the villains (Travolta playing the lead in the remake). Travolta was over the top. Just didn't like him. He had some good lines, but overall, was just too much for me. Robert Shaw played a much colder, more composed villain. Shaw just struck me as more believable as a personality who could engineer such a heist, as well as recruit 3 other guys to go along with him. I just have a hard time seeing Travolta's character as one that would inspire enough confidence to have people follow him in what seems a pretty crazy plot. "Rob something underground with limited escape routes? Sounds like a great idea! (insert sarcasm) Nutcase... (muttered under breath)" seems more like the response that Travolta would elicit.

As for supporting cast, I actually really like James Gandolfini as the mayor in the new version. Pretty funny, in a dry sort of way. Well, if not laugh-out-loud funny, he was a lighter character without being out of place. Make sense? I didn't like how the rest of the robbers were underused in the remake. In the original, you actually got to recognize all 4 robbers as individual characters. Here, Luis Guzman is waaay underused (he's a good supporting actor, and can do much more than what he was given in this movie), and the other two robbers I don't think said but two lines each, just walked around holding machine guns and looked threatening.

Which brings me to the next point, how the characters were 'developed.' There was the bribery subplot that I mentioned above involving Garber, which I just felt was unnecessary. Zach didn't mind it, and it did lead to one of the few scenes with actual tension in the movie, but at the same time, it just didn't fit well for me as character development. Garber was a good character being just a guy at his job who got dragged into all this nonsense. He didn't need to have this back story to make him more rounded. There are lots of guys who have no major identifiers on their CV, just guys who show up and do their job and maybe get promoted, maybe not. That's life. I dunno... the whole subplot just didn't mesh well with me.

Oh, and the girlfriend in the newer version bothered me too. She was talking online to her boyfriend (one of the hostages) and they were able to keep communicating secretly despite the armed men. There was one scene, though, where she was asking her boyfriend if he loved her, in response to her having told him that she loves him. I wanted to slap her. I mean, c'mon, he's lying on the floor of the subway train, with men with big guns walking around in the background. Does he really look like he can talk at that point?? And for that matter, how do the cops find out that the girl has the Internet connection to the train, but the robbers (who are watching all sorts of news while on the train) do not?

Another thing I didn't like about the remake was how the action sequence became over-the-top as all modern movies are. A car crash sends a taxi flying through the air? Really?

Overall:

Original: 4.5 of 5. Overall, enjoyed the cast better here, though there are no stand-out superstars. More cat-and-mouse, less straight-out action. Yes, it's on my shelf already.

Remake: 3.5 of 5. Entertaining, but with it's irritations. Don't look for plausibility, just accept it as a summer blockbuster type adventure movie and enjoy it as such. If you're looking for suspense, though, look to the original. Don't know if I'd get it for my shelf, honestly - not that I disliked it, but that if I'm watching the story, I'd rather watch the original telling.

International Babylost Mothers Day

Since we lost our nephews-to-be in January, the whole family has been learning about different efforts and groups who work with still-born and miscarriage grief. So many people are affected by these circumstances, but so few people know what to say. Take a moment to learn a little more, if you know of someone who has lost a baby.

Please take this day (the 1st Sunday in May, the week before Mother's Day) to recognize and honor mothers who never got to see their babies grow up.

Yes, there is also a Babylost Father's Day, as well, though not until September.

Adventures in Knitting DIY Toys, Pt 3!

Pattern Minders this time!

I kept seeing these on Etsy when I was browsing for other knitting ideas, but didn't find any directions on a Google search. I wanted the style where the magnets sandwich the page and keep in place that way. So much neater and more secure than Post-Its! Since I couldn't find directions from someone else, these instructions are entirely what I've figured out based on looking at pictures. I am proud of myself, even though this is really a simple pattern to figure out. :)

Supplies:

• Magnets
• Pretty Ribbon
• Superglue

I used 1/2 inch x 4 inch magnet strips from Wal-Mart. You get a bunch of them in packs for a dollar, so you've got plenty to play with. The other benefit to this particular magnet is that 4 inch strips work beautifully for 8.5 inch wide paper.

I found ribbon spools on sale at Michael's, but really any ribbon that you like will work. The ones I used first were a navy and gold celestial pattern, and a old font with "Remember" on it. I know that one is 'supposed' to be a scrapbooking ribbon, but I thought it was just too perfect for a pattern minder :)

The magnets I had were 1/2 inch wide, so they worked beautifully with the 5/8 inch wide ribbon. I think I would have had a little more trouble lining the ribbon and magnet up evenly if they had been exactly the same size.

There's really nothing to these, so here we go!

Directions:

Decide what size pattern minder you want to make. With the 4 inch lengths of magnet, you can easily make different sizes. Beyond multiples of 4 in the magnets, any other adjustments can be made in the amount of ribbon between sections of magnet. I wanted pattern minders for standard 8.5 inch sheet patterns, so that's what I was working with.

Cut a length of ribbon to the size you want. For my pattern minders, I cut lengths of ribbon of 20 1/2 inches. This makes them actually wider than 8.5 inches, but the little bit of extra ribbon acts as a bookmark as well, so I can find my pattern again when I close the book.

Leave a length of ribbon on each end to overlap the end of the magnet. I had about 1 1/2 inch of ribbon overlapping at each end. Besides making the end a little neater, this tucks the end of the ribbon out of the way and secures it, cutting down on fraying.

Overall, the lengths of ribbon total as follows:

1.5 + 8 + 1.5 + 8 + 1.5 = 20.5 inches
(overlap + magnets + ribbon at the fold around the page + magnets + overlap = total length)

Superglue the magnets in place. I know these particular magnets have a sticky side for attaching whatever to them, but I found that the glue wasn't quite strong enough for the use I was putting it to. Enter the superglue!

While supergluing it all down, make sure to glue between the magnet strips as well as to attach the ribbon. This makes joins the magnets together and makes it a single 8 inch stretch of magnet, instead of two 4 inch sections side by side. Cuts down on the wear as you're using it, since it's not folding and pulling at that midpoint.

Make sure all 4 magnets are glued into place. Let dry. I used small binder clips to keep the magnets secure as they were drying.

Ta da! I told you they were simple :)

I did find one example online, on Seabreeze Spinners. This one though, isn't what I was looking for. Very useful, but not all my patterns are copied out on loose sheets, and this style pattern minder wouldn't work as well with books. I also like my projects to be portable, even those with involved charts, and the white board isn't as portable. Still, if I get into very involved projects that I don't want to carry around or which have bigger charts, this is a pretty good idea. It's also nice that the "minder bar" is a ruler, so you can always check measurements easily.