Constantly waiting for summer
[Most Recent Entries]
[Calendar View]
[Friends]
Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
mimmimmim's LiveJournal:
[ << Previous 20 ]
| Friday, November 20th, 2009 | | 8:53 am |
Some days it's good to read rubbish
Genre fantasy isn't my favourite fantasy sub-genre, but I like Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden novels so I'm reading his Calderon series. Y'know what, I really, really enjoyed the last one. It's nothing new or earth shattering, just bobbins fantasy done well. I actually like his characters, and he manages to pack a decent amount of plot into each book. Okay, there's a dramatic battle at the end of each volume, which is the norm for GF, but he takes a lot of pages and writes about in engagingly. I've read far too many GFs where virtually the whole novel builds up to a battle which is then disposed of in two pages and the authorial tone is one of 'hundreds of people died but the leads are okay, so let's wait for the next book, eh?' I read a genre fantasy and I liked it. I'll be wearing tank tops next. (The knitted sleeveless jumper sort, not the strappy top sort.) Um, shoot me now? | | Monday, November 16th, 2009 | | 1:05 pm |
Hitchcock night
I do go on a lot about how much better black and white films are at the cinema. It’s that combination of seeing them on the size of screen they were meant for, with all details visible, and the way the shadows in the cinema and on screen mean the picture seems to expand and contract. See any black-and-white film with an iris shot in the cinema and it’s immediately apparent what I mean. Anyway, the prospect of seeing two silent Hitchcock films - one starring Ivor Novello! - with live piano accompaniment was too good to miss, so yesterday Pete and I went to see, in order, The Ring, Sabotage and The Lodger. The Ring was an interesting film as it’s the only one Hitchcock ever wrote the script for completely on his own. The plotline wasn’t up to much: famous boxer fights fairground pugilist and employs him as his sparring partner, but falls for the man’s girlfriend (later wife). Sparring partner progresses up the boxing career ladder until he can take the heavyweight champ on at the Albert Hall and fight for his wife. As scripts go, pretty pedestrian, and neither of us liked the ending. I found myself focussing on the clothes and sets more; whenever you see a modern programme set in the late 1920s it’s all high Art Deco as far as you can see, whereas in this film, which you’d expect to show far more accurately what people actually lived like, Deco was mainly to be seen in clothing, and the rooms were far less flamboyantly styled. Sabotage starred Sylvia Sidney. I love her as Juno in Beetlejuice and Grandma in Mars Attacks! And it was very strange seeing her as a young, beautiful star. She had the perfect 1930s face, with a tiny nose and huge-wide set eyes. She looked like a doll. That said, Sabotage is based on Conrad’s The Secret Agent, in which a group of anarchists are conspiring to plant a bomb, and I wish the scriptwriter hadn’t felt the need to shoehorn a policeman in. His romantic interest in Sidney’s character and investigation into the bomb plot drastically weakened what could have been a very tight thriller. The Third Man is being remade; frankly I think the filmmakers would be better off making another, tighter version of The Secret Agent. The Lodger was the film I really wanted to see. Ah, Ivor Novello, unbelievably beautiful as a young man. It’s based on a novel that was a massive hit in the teens, in which a landlady suspects her lodger, who is taking an interest in her pretty daughter, of being a serial killer. Apparently it was Hitchcock himself who introduced the notion of the victims all being blonde - he did have a thing for fair-haired girls. Anyway, I was really enjoying it but was up past my bedtime and had a glass of wine in the interval... and I fell asleep just as the killer was being identified. Bollards! The bits I saw were nicely tense, and the way the intertitles were done was exceptionally good and really added to the atmosphere. Pete, however, said the ending was another rubbish one, so perhaps it was a good thing that I snoozed through it. | | Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 | | 8:39 am |
What is mimmimmim making now?
The Louisa Harding jumper of doom is still in progress. I thought I'd finished it, then realised one sideways-knitted sleeve was the wrong length so I had to unpick it and am reknitting the whole sleeve. Bleedin' thing! I've finished making my Maltese Falcon, although it looks more like a Maltese Penguin. I couldn't get the beak right. For the next item in the crime swap I've designed a pair of 'Tommy & Tuppence' fingerless mitts. Fair Isle, because Fair Isle was massive in the 1920s, when Agatha Christie wrote her Tommy and Tuppence stories, and I'll be sizing them for both men and women so both Tommy and Tuppence could, theoretically, have had a pair each. One mitt is made, the other is in progress, and I have to say they're the nicest thing I've designed since my simple bamboo socks. My adopted cousins (school-age) may well be getting a pair each this Christmas, along with the usual books. Finally I've two items for work, one large and for an unspecified issue and the other small and for next issue, so I need to blast through the second swap mitt and crack on with the small item. I've got the basic shape done on paper, I just need to knit it and work out any oddities. I do get paid for my designs, which is nice. Because I'm a company employee, my knits automatically belong to the company, unlike freelance designers who get to retain their copyright. It's a bit of a bummer, but conversely it does mean I'm pretty much guaranteed publication... | | Saturday, November 7th, 2009 | | 7:55 am |
Cinema goings
I'm not much of a cinema-goer, but I've now been twice in just a couple of months. Pretty much a record! (I love films, I just don't love having to get home from Bath late at night, especially when Worst Late Western's train 'services' are involved.) Last night we went to see The Life of Brian. It was being shown at the Little Theatre, as a fundraiser. Terry Jones was there, and the tickets cost a fortune. Pete bought them; he got carried away with enthusiasm as were were queueing to see Dracula 1972AD and then felt to embarrased to say, "What? No way!" when he heard the price. Anyway, you've probably seen the film, maybe even own it on DVD (we do). On the whole seeing it on the big screen doesn't add much, although the aliens actually look better on the big screen, and the closing shot feels horribly bleak, despite the singing. Usually when I see a familiar film on the big screen for the first time I'm taken aback by what's added, but not in this case. What was nice was that the audience were clearly really into it and having great fun, but not to the point where they were trying to prove to each other which one of them was the biggest fan. Pete was in fear that people would be reciting the lines, but there was none of that. Just lots of laughter. Terry Jones? Would. Next weekend there's a triple bill of Hitchcock's British films, including two silents, one The Lodger. Ivor Novello, the Welsh Valentino, as Jack-the-Ripper type. We have tickets already, and I'm very much looking forward to it. | | Saturday, October 31st, 2009 | | 8:58 am |
Happy Halloween everyone!
I plan to cook a nice dinner for me and Pete - nothing spooky, pumpkin soup then a good bit of roast beef (maybe I'll splash out on a couple of ribs) followed by an apricot trifle. I'm very selfish about Halloween, like Christmas I like to keep it to myself and Pete. Holidays are most enjoyable for me when they're quietly indulgent! Radio 7 are broadcasting the Hercule Poirot story 'Halloween party' at 1, and a Kim Newman drama at 6:30, if either of those are your thing. TV is mostly disappointing, although Film 4 is showing Suspiria later tonight. | | Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 | | 5:47 pm |
I don't like winter
Everyone I know seems to adore autumn and late winter. Well, count me out. This blog is called 'Constantly Waiting For Summer' for a reason. I'm a spring/summer sort of person. I like flowers and things growing and long evenings. Trees with leaves and boozing outside country pubs, cricket and birdsong. Don't even get me started on how hard it is to get up in the morning right now. Anyway, that aside, life is good. I'm a little disturbed by the rumours that my favourite film, The Third Man, might be being remade. The original is perfect as it is. Some people aren't so keen on black-and-white, I know, but if you see The Third Man in a darkened cinema you'll honestly never wish for colour. Film retreated when colour became commonplace, with B&W in the dark you're closer to the action. Okay, the remakes of Get Carter and The Ladykillers and The Wicker Man all pretty much vanished without trace, but I do wish filmmakers would remake a 'nearly there' film rather than a classic. There are lots of good modern thrillers; I'm reading the new John Le Carre and it's excellent. Why not make a film of one of those? | | Monday, October 26th, 2009 | | 9:18 am |
Good weekend
Okay, I did next to no housework, so currently have Bad Wife Guilt (nb Pete would be perfectly happy with neither of us doing any housework, but I like to make a feeble attempt most weekends) but I did: Finish the socks I'm making for mum's birthday Work on the Big Work Project Watch two Universal horror films (the Lugosi Dracula, which was excellent of course, and 'The House of Dracula' from the 1940s, which was dreadful.) Made a big batch of bat and pumpkin-shaped biscuits. Read some stories from the Oxford Book of Gothic Stories. Excellent! | | Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 | | 1:50 pm |
Planning - long ahead - a trip to India
Pete and I had the 'trip of a lifetime' conversation last night, and I mentioned that one of the things I really want to do is the cruise up the Hooghly river run by Voyages Jules Verne. It takes in a number of places where my family lived, including the church where my favourite ancestress, scandalous Eliza, is now buried. Anyway, has anyone on my flist been to Kolkata? Would it be a good place to spend a week. I know Rajasthan is the place where tourists go, but I really want to go to Kolkata. If I could fit in a cricket match too, that would be aces. What language would be most useful in Kolkata? We're planning to learn a bit before we go, 'cos it'll take ages to save up for the trip anyhow. Granddad spoke Hindustani, but he never actually lived in what's now India as far as I know so it may not be the best one to try. (Apols if I lapse into old placenames at all; I'm probably going to be about two centuries out of date!) | | Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 | | 5:39 pm |
The Maltese Falcon
I'm going to knit one. Yes, this is a very stupid idea considering the only knitted objet d'arse I've made so far is Oogie Boogie, and he is made of malformed triangles, which are rather easier to knit than raptor feet. Still, he's for a swap, my swap partner is a big fan of films noir, and nothing says noir like a Maltese Falcon. This is probably going to be a disaster and I will end up melting Maltesers into a birdie shape to send her... | | Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 | | 8:57 am |
Kim Newman signed my book
I also asked him when Johnny Alucard, the fourth in the Anno Dracula series, would be out, and he said, "When I've written it." C'mon, Kim, you've had over a decade now! Anyway, I loved seeing Dracula AD1972 on the big screen, even if the picture quality was ropier than a hangman's noose. | | Friday, October 2nd, 2009 | | 8:52 am |
I am back from Toledo!
I don't think I told you I was going :) Anyway, the place was utterly amazing, and we walked for literally four or five hours a day sightseeing. One day we were out at 8 to cross one medieval bridge, walk round the other side of the river taking photos of the old city, then cross by another bridge back into the city. The whole thing took 2 hours, which meant we were back by 10, just in time for when the museums open. (Pete did that walk again by himself to get dawn photos, but I decided he could go out at 6am by himself, I wanted a sleep in!) So, a quick run through of what I saw includes ancient gates (6), monasteries (have lost count), medieval mosques (1, the other was closed), medieval synagogues (2, so I have now seen ALL Spain's existing entire medieval synagogues), medieval bathhouses (1), Roman circus (1), churches (again, lost count) and bars (frankly, was beyond counting. If there was an el Greco to be seen, we saw it. The real highlight was the Hospital de Tavera, originally a charitable hospital but the Duke of Lerma turned it back into a palace at the start of the 20th century. We were the only two tourists there, so got a personal guided tour of the Renaissance pharmacy and Duchess' rooms (the Duke died on the first day of the Civil War), including the chance to get as close to the El Greco paintings as we liked. It was great to be able to discuss the paintings in depth. The place also had the most astonishing crypt. Still used by the Medinacellis (who were related to the Lermas in some way I didn't quite get) it's a circular room, dark and stark, with a phenomenal echo. Stand in the room and click your tongue and the sound bounces back rapidly. I couldn't help wondering what it would be like for tap dancing! The Duke and Duchess of Lerma each have a huge stone tomb, but all the others were flat, and the whole place looks like a setting for a Hammer film of a Dennis Wheatley novel. Cats in Toledo are small, with wedge-shaped heads and very slinky body shapes. | | Friday, September 25th, 2009 | | 8:28 am |
Golly!
That Oogie Boogie pattern has been popular - several people have asked me for it, and it wasn't even on offer. I'm going to end up with more people making him than my sock patterns at this rate! Did you see the amazing Saxon hoard discovered in Mercia? What a magnificent find! I got very annoyed with the media constantly describing it in terms of money because it's worth so much more than cash. I wonder if it belonged to a king, and if so, which one? I find the discovery really exciting, although what i'd really love someone to discover is a book. Hell, one more page of an Anglo-Saxon book. That would be truly amazing. | | Thursday, September 17th, 2009 | | 5:34 pm |
Badger badger badger badger
So, I mentioned this to my husband as I need him to photograph a darning MUSHROOM! MUSHROOM! for me tonight. He had no idea what I was talking about. 'Ahahahaha,' I laughed to my workmates. 'He's never heard of the Badger badger badger animation.' Blank faces all round. In desperation, I said, 'It was an internet fad, like rickrolling.' They've never heard of that either. For once in my life I feel like a netnerd... | | 1:43 pm |
What am I making now?
I need to do the second of a sock in Opal yarn for mum's birthday - just a simple stocking stitch one. One of my more decorative socks has a hole. This is entirely my fault; I knit on dps and where this had some loose stitches tried to cut the 'ladder' and tie it tighter. Epic Fail. I need to rip this sock back, rejoin yarns properly and reknit the heel and foot. (Not a problem; I kept the leftover yarn.) 4 Halloween cards for a Halloween card swap. Finish the Green Jumper of Doom. (I detest it now, it's taken so long and been so boring.) Now, who wants to see my Oogie Boogie? I worked out the pattern myself, and knitted him for a Tim Burton swap I'm doing. I'm really please with how he came out as I used some short-row shaping, a technique I've never tried using in patterns from scratch before. And, of course, there is the Large Project for Work to do. I need to sit down and plan that this weekend. | | Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 | | 9:40 am |
Gothic Horror season at the Little Theatre (cinema)
http://visitbath.co.uk/site/whats-on/got hic-horror-season-at-the-little-theatre-c inema-p646773 Kim Newman is coming to Bath! *squee* I mean, I'm excited about Christopher Frayling and David Pirie, but Kim Newman?! I'm not worthy. Do not expect to see me on Friday nights unless you're coming to the cinema. | | Thursday, September 10th, 2009 | | 1:03 pm |
A day to myself
Him Indoors is off to Lords this Saturday, so apart from having to do the Saturday morning meat shop/ dry cleaner collection/ shoe repair collection by myself, I've a whole day in which to do whatever I choose. The problem is, I keep thinking of things to do, so now my list reads: Knit another Oogie Boogie Finish jumper Make socks Start Big Work Project Start new patchwork Finish old patchwork Listen to Peter Wimsey catch-up on Radio 7 Watch two Terry Pratchett animations lent to me by a workmate Have an Ealing Comedy-thon Listen to all my Paul Temples. Or a NEW Paul Temple, if I buy one. Frankly, that's too much to fit in, even with about 12 hours to do it in. What's the betting that SFX find me something to do on Friday? Do you have fun plans? | | Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 | | 2:05 pm |
beigey-gold or silver-grey?
I want to make the 'Clarissa' cardigan from issue 6 of The Knitter. It's sort of a cross between a Victorian bed jacket and a long cardigan; lacy, with a lacy ruffle all the way round the neck, front and sides. (Couldn't find a piccy for you.) I won't be using the yarn in the mag, Maggi's Linen, I'll be buying Lang Mikonos, which is really beautiful, but I'm having a colour dilemma. Among Mikonos' shades are a light golden brown and a steely grey, but because the yarn is shiny they look a bit metallic. I like the silver, and part of me knows I wear a lot of grey and black and the grey would be the best choice. However, it would look superb in the gold/brass shade. I'm just not sure what colours would work with it. Red? Green? I don't actually feel comfortable in most earth colours, so own very few clothes in those, but will happily wear red or green. So, gut says gold, but wardrobe and common sense say silver. Going for both is not an option; the yarn is going to cost around £70. What would you do? | | Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 | | 9:17 am |
| | Monday, August 17th, 2009 | | 8:43 am |
Creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky
I've been in a Halloween mood for a while now, and I feel bizarrely like I've stepped back in time somehow, because all the things that really excited me are exciting me again. I bought the Universal Dracula on DVD over the weekend, plus The Monster Club, which I adore. (Yes, it's corny, yes, it's late 1970s British horror, but it's still great fun.) I don't think I ever stopped loving these things, it's just that all sorts of other stuff got in the way, and now with the Halloween and Tim Burton swaps to knit for, and going to the excellent Inulro's party over the weekend, I somehow feel like myself again. I didn't get into goth for the image, rather there were a lot of things I liked that seemed to fit with goth and I liked - and still like - the music. I don't think I'll ever lose touch with it entirely because too much of it is stuff I liked when stuck in the arse-end of Norfolk with no-one with similar tastes to talk to; when you like something without anyone driving you to it you never really stop liking it. (Does that make sense? Is it pretentious twaddle? Ooh look, Elvis!) Anyway, this week I will be mostly wearing black and making sp00ky things and feeling damn good about it. | | Friday, August 14th, 2009 | | 8:09 am |
I drew something
I forgot to bring my witch pattern home along with my yarn yesterday, so was unable to work on the witch last night. Instead I sewed another pumpkin to fill with scented granules. (I've made a trio of them, all with a pretty Halloween fabric bag to go in, and I have no machine it was all done by hand.) It needed something more... a label! I made a cute little lable with a drawing of a pumpkin on that ended up looking very much like a vintage Halloween thing. I can't remember the last time I drew anything. How sad is that? As a child I loved to draw as much as I loved to read, but as I've got older I've stopped doing it. Last night there was no stopping, and I got the basework done on a little Halloween cartoon: a witch and mummy looking at an aggressive sock with eyes, and the caption, 'That the last skein I buy from Victor.' I tend to draw in pencil, then use indelible ink pen over the top of that, the sort used for technical drawing, then rub out the pencils and apply colours. It's all very cartoony and not at all arty, but I'm really pleased with it. more than that, I'm pleased to be drawing again. Part of me had feared I'd have lost the ability. I was going to turn it into a card for my swap, but part of me doesn't want to let it go now! It feels good to make things. |
[ << Previous 20 ]
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
mimmimmim's journal