I enjoyed PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. It is hard to forgive Mr. Darcy for interfering with Jane and Mr. Bingly, but really I should be mad at Mr. Bingly for allowing himself to be interfered with. Mr. Bingly is difficult to be mad at. It would be like kicking a puppy.

My favorite episode so far has been MANSFIELD PARK. Is it really written in first person, or was that a just a device to introduce Fanny's circumstances? It's one I still haven't read of listened to yet. It's the only one so far where I immediatly recognized any of the actors. Billie Piper played Doctor Who's assistant, Rose, for a couple of seasons. I haven't seen very many DOCTOR WHO's, but I did see one where she and the Doctor had to save Queen Victoria from an alien were-wolf. Seeing her star in a work of Jane Austen's was a pleasant surprise.

Mostly I too am working on wrist-warmers since they are fast. I'm getting in a few rows here and there on my alien scarf too. I managed to get a picture where you can see the completed alien pretty well. There's about two-thirds of a second alien next to him. I can make out the eye, but I've spent A LOT of time looking at it from different angles. I'm always sceptical that strange patterns will work. Then I feel surprised and clever when I get the proper results. It's always so nice when things work!

I couldn't get the pictures to work right, they aren't where I wanted them. Still, I think it's important to show both the front and the back.

More afghan avoidance

These are so much quicker than finishing that darn afghan! We watched our own copy of the end of P&P this weekend-so missed the commentary. Still as wonderful as always. Grrrrrrr-back to the afghan from now on and there's a lot of knitting to ice skating time coming up in March as well.

They Must Be Kidding

Well, I don't have much to say about my knitting progress, but I did imagine all of us sharing a collective giggle at the objectionable material warning before Pride and Prejudice this evening!!! Considering all the trash on television these days, I had to wonder if they meant we might object if we lived in the 1800's! Too funny.

Pride and Prejudice and avoiding the afghan

I love this version of P&P and I am cheerfully watching it in sections with my daughter instead of viewing the whole thing at once on the DVD I own. I am also avoiding the afghan and getting into fingerless gloves-much quicker and more fun. Plus I got suckered into one of the Ravelry groups (earlier mentioned by other posters on this blog) and I am totally into it now. I only have 5 more sets of handwarmers to make for people at work...These are straight knitting, size 8 needles- quick as a flash.

two finished beauties

My mom was visiting this past week and we hit the movies twice - giving me lots of time to knit. I LOVE to knit at the movies! So I was able to finish up my Jane project plus start and finish another project.

The top two pictures are of the soft, fuzzy wool sweater I made for my baby. It's a maybe fit for next winter. I embroidered it a bit and added some knit flowers. It still needs to be blocked but it's a very simple pullover, based on a classic that Garnet Hill used to sell for kids. I love how it turned out. The bottom pictures are of a simple hat and legwarmers made with the fabulous Socks That Rock yarn - so fun to knit with. I am a bit obsessed with matching caps and legwarmers for Little Miss.

I don't know what my next project will be. I've been loving watching P&P in the three distinct parts the way it was originally aired on the BBC. I have the dvd and always pop it in while doing some organization project around the house so it's more often background than something I am focusing on. I am concentrating on it much more with this Sunday night ritual. And I find so many people watching the series outside of this kal - I love getting to talk Jane with people I never knew loved her.

I am enjoying Jane Austen very much, but I haven't found a knitting project that relates to her at all. Last week I started a scarf that, if all goes well, will be full of hidden aliens. By knitting purls and purling knits they should only be visible from certain angles. They are very visible on the wrong side of the scarf. I hope that means it's working. I've been meaning to knit these scarfs for my cousins for Christmas for at least the last two years. My sister would probably like one too.

Seeing Gillian Anderson every week makes me miss THE X-FILES, although I think she's sounded very flat in her introductions. A couple of times she sounded like she was reading off a card. Does she always introduce MASTERPIECE THEATER? She starred in HOUSE OF MIRTH and I was wondering if that made her an American authority on Austen. If it was widely believed that all costume dramas are the same and no one knows the difference. Isn't that a horrible thought?

Once I started thinking about it though, I think Austen and Wharton were a little similar. I love the way they both handle narration. The narrator is always my favorite character because she's so clever. I imagine that's what they were like in real life. MISS AUSTEN REGRETS seemed to agree with me, at least as far as Jane Austen is concerned.

beginner projects

I've been working on two beginner knitting projects while enjoying the PBS series.  The first project is laughable. I started an afghan when I was pregnant with my first son...who is now 23! I picked it up again this year and got help from my knitting diva friend to finish. The original pattern had three complicated (for me) panels...and I only finished part of one as pictured. (Don't ask me what I've been doing all this time--you know, life.) I just couldn't concentrate enough to quit making mistakes : (  The 'new' pattern is to do two simplified outside panels, then hopefully ramp up to finishing the center one.

In the midst of the outside panel, I had to take a mental break and do another project. I did a simple prayer shawl. It's really a nice color, and fun to wrap up in while knitting on the other. I'd like to hear comments on those that like to work on one project at a time...or have a few going at once. Thanks for getting me back into the knitting world, even if it as an aged beginning! It's very inspiring seeing all that the group is doing. 

Vote for your favorite Austen hero

Darcy, of course!-----Even though I own this version of Pride and Prejudice in video and DVD, and have watched it at least 2 dozen times, I still had to watch again Sunday night. I can't really imagine another Mrs. Bennett, or Mr. Collins (!!!!) never mind Lady Anne de Bourgh when we get to her. I am almost done edging the lacy squares for my sister's afghan--now I just have to finish the embroidered squares, edge them, and put it all together. This is the point where I start looking at starting new projects! Here is the link to vote http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/austen/menofausten.html

P&P

I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment of Pride and Prejudice last night and spent most of the evening working on a scarf that I knit when I don't feel like working on other projects. I am so glad that PBS did not remake this show--this version with Colin Firth is wonderful (of course I say that about anything he is in). I started thinking of all the P&P sendoffs though. I expect everyone has seen Brigit JOnes but has anyone seen the Bollywood movie Bride and Prejudice?

Miss Lynn Regrets

the utter lack of pictures. I lent my camera to someone, and I don't have it back yet.
I did start a moebius scarf (FIVE TIMES) through Miss Austen Regrets. I finished it through the CSI mini marathon later (does that count, I just couldn't stop knitting). I won't have pics of that because it was a commission and I needed the money, so I already gave it to the person who is getting it, but I will take a pic of mine as a model.

I loved the detail in Miss Austen Regrets, too. I had to pause it at the scene where she's writing at the window and her sister comes in. Did you see the handknit lace scarf she had on her head? It was beautiful. now I know that my next project will be a lace one. I love it so much and I've been wanting to do more lace anyway. I already have the yarn, now I've got to find the right pattern.

Looking forward to settling down with my DVR to start P&P and the lovely Colin Firth. I'm a Colin fan more than a Mr. Darcy fan. I relate to Emma much more, and I love Mr. Knightly. Actually, did you notice the relationship between Jane and Rev. Bridges. He points out her mistakes and she thanks him for it: just like Emma and Mr. Knightley. I can't wait.
Lynn

miss austen regrets

Miss Austen Regrets was my favorite of the series so far. I loved the boldness the creators took in imaging this story. And did you notice the domestic details? There was lots of camera shots lingering on shoes, interiors, and bedroom scenes. I reveled in that.

I am still working on a pretty simple sweater for my Little Miss. For the first time I am trying some embroidery and adding knit flowers to girlie it up. I just may get inspiration from P&P this Sunday to finish it up.

Pics later....

but I finished some socks for my dad. I started them before the KAL (actually around Christmas time), and I promised that I wouldn't start anything until they were done. They are the first men's socks that I've made, and the first toe-ups. I make a fine pair of socks if I do say so myself, and I've just gotten to where they always come out the same length, but I didn't have to worry about that. Believe it or not, my dad's feet are not the same size. He has a 10 inch left foot and an 11 inch right foot. Crazy huh?!

My next project is a moebius scarf commission. I knit these pretty quickly, so I think that I'll be getting done a project per episode.

I've only today had the chance to watch Mansfield Park. It was nice to have this designated time where all I do is knit and watch Jane Austen. I also knit all through the super bowl on Sunday, but I was at someone else's house and sneezing because of their cat.

I enjoyed Billie Piper as Fanny Price, but MP is not one of my favorites. I'm excited about Miss Austen Regrets, and most especially P&P. This version is the one mentioned in Bridget Jones' Diary, and I LOVE Colin Firth. Really excited.

Knit Happy,
Lynn

My shawl is frogged

Sigh.

Saturday I picked up my shawl and knit two rows. On the way back I saw a mess several rows back. I must have made that mess last week somehow. What should have been a nice neat open hole made from a YO on one row and a purl on the row coming back had a tangle of threads and not that nice neat open hole. I valiantly tried to drop those stitches back and fix it. But I just made it worse. I should probably have tinked it, but by this time I was totally confounded, and so I frogged it all the way back. I'm not sure when I will pick it up again. In the meantime, I picked up a spinning project and I'm thinking of what I can do as a nice easy knitting comfort project.

And, I didn't watch last night's episode yet. It is taped, but DH just HAD to watch the Superbowl.

Sigh again.

Question about yarn

Happy Saturday! I haven’t knit much this week or during last week’s Jane movie because things have been really busy at work. I’ve been almost too tired to knit! But I do have an interesting story and a question to ask you all. Last weekend (in anticipation of the coming week’s havoc), I was a bit worried and down. I went into my stash room to find comfort in the possibilities and the colors and the texture of the wool. (Does anyone else find the presence of yarn and its possible futures comforting??) Well, we have the heat off in that room since we don’t go in there often (really, so the wool doesn’t get too warm. After all, it is wool and there’s so much of it, it doesn’t need any more heat—but don’t tell my husband this is the reason; he thinks we do it to save energy). Anyway, so it’s cold in there and I wore my coat. I was tired and uninspired and spent, so I made a little pile of some inspiring wool to rest on.

Well, my husband came looking for me. When he opened the door, I had my head on the wool and my face and body covered with my coat. Do you know what he said when he saw me there?? “Wow, you look like a drug addict passed out in the street!”

So, my question: do you think my behavior is odd??