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.