Knitting at the Movies: The Debt

Ball of Shelter Yarn in AMC Hoffman Drink Holder: Fits Perfectly! Mr. Trask was unwilling to take a photo of me knitting in the theater (sigh).

Last night, Mr. Trask and I went to the movies with Jeff of GGSG. Inspired by Helen Mirren’s glorious career (as well as an NPR story suggesting male movie roles for Mirren AND our silly Twitter conversation on other roles), we went to see Mirren’s latest, The Debt. It was a real thriller – tense, tight, well-written and -acted. I knit all the way through, not because I was bored, but because I was intensely anxious – but, you know, in a good way.

Several exciting things happened in the course of our movie evening. First of all, I discovered that a ball of yarn fits nicely into the drink holders in the chairs at the AMC Hoffman in Alexandria, Va. So convenient! Also, I knit three more strips in the Log Cabin Shelter Blanket, changing colors blindly and only one of the three new colors was inappropriate – the orange, which I’d just used on that side. Utterly impressed with myself for picking up stitches without looking, and think I’ll be able to continue to knit the blanket at the movies (as well as, say, on the plane to the UK). I ripped out the orange strip this morning and replaced it with a nice navy blue one, but am posting a photo from before then, just because. If nothing else, the success of completely random color choice shows me how well Shelter’s different colors blend with one another, and makes me a little more confident about color in general. [Historically, I have issues with color choice. Perhaps that’s another topic for another post.]

Shelter Blanket after the film: only one weird color choice, the orange. Victory!

The film included a knitting moment, but not my favorite. One scene takes place in a Ukranian mental institution, a grim place indeed, and the camera pans past a nurse teaching a patient to knit. He’s holding enormous needles and struggling to complete the stitch, and she’s leaning awkwardly over the arm of a couch to help him. Neither looks particularly happy, and both Jeff and Mr. Trask looked over at me after the shot, as much as to say, “You belong in an asylum.” However, let me point out that the man in the institution did NOT know how to knit when he entered the ward (otherwise, she wouldn’t be teaching him), and clearly he is being taught in order to help restore him to health. Knitters are sane: QED.

Moving along to the next book giveaway, I located some more nice books for you all. Some of the books have fading on their covers, but otherwise they’re in good condition (and free). All winners will be chosen, as always, by the ever-popular Random Number Generator. If you tell me which book you prefer, and it is available when your number comes up, you will get that book! Therefore, as Mother used to say, ask for what you want. Without further ado, here are the books:

The Second Exciting Book Giveaway: includes Stephanie Pearl McPhee and some nice pattern books.

The Second Book Giveaway includes:

1. Rowan Classic Weekend Book Eight by Martin Storey. Features the pattern I first tried to knit with the cursed yarn. Ah, the days of the cursed yarn…
2. Colinette #47: Wayfarer, by Colinette Yarns
3. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off, by Stephanie Pearl McPhee.
4. Bags: A Knitter’s Dozen, by XRX Books
5. Knit Mittens!, by Robin Hansen – one of my favorite mitten designers, an expert in traditional colorwork.
6. Odd Ball Knitting: Creative Ideas for Leftover Yarn, by Barbara Albright
7. Modular Knits, by Iris Schreier – the owner of Artyarns!
8. Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, by Joelle Hoverson of Purl Soho. An amazing book.

Comment on this post by noon EDT on Thursday, 8 Sept. 2011  for a chance to win. Please remember that, if you comment here to enter the giveaway, you are committing to pay for postage. The easiest way to pay for postage is to wait until the package arrives, read how much postage is on the package, and add a dollar or two to cover the mailer itself. Then use the Paypal button in the right-hand column of the blog to donate that amount. Again, thank you to all of you who are willing to pay for postage.

Finally, here are the winners of the first book giveaway:

1. The Knitting Answer Book – Ivanna
2. KnitLit – Elaine
3. One Skein – CGuard
4. Noro Knits – Sara
5. Knitting on the Road – Tina
6. Weekend Knitting – Robin
7. Knitting Workbook – Krystal
8. Knit 2 Together – Jeannie

Congratulations to all who won! Check your e-mail, send me your address, prepare for knitting book nirvana, etc.

Not sure what to say in your comment? Tell me your favorite knitting book or author (mine is Elizabeth Zimmermann); tell me if you knit at the movies; tell me how you feel about Helen Mirren; tell me which male movie role you think she’d excel at. Heck, tell me how your weekend has been! As The Master might say, Anything Goes.