Happy Birthday, Sophia Loren (and an offer)

Today is Sophia Loren‘s birthday! I wasn’t thinking about this when I submitted the pattern to Knitty several months ago, but it does seem appropriate that the sweater came out in the same month that she was born.

Anna Crow in the Sophia Loren Sweater: an outdoorsy outtake from our photo shoot.

The Sophia Loren sweater in Knitty Deep Fall was inspired by Loren’s performance in Woman of the River, an Italian film from 1958 in which she plays Nives, a peasant who falls in love with a smuggler.

Ann Weaver in another outtake. Both shots were taken by Brandy Crist-Travers, the genius behind all of our Silver Screen Knits photo shoots.

Despite her success and legendary sex appeal, Loren is known for staying true to her impoverished roots by playing women like Nives. Her film career began in the 1950s, when her bombshell figure and attitude shocked and delighted both Italian and American directors. Loren remains a beautiful woman and a great actress, and still appears in films from time to time (remember her turn in Prêt-à-Porter? But let’s not talk about Grumpier Old Men).

Silver Screen Knits: Volume I

In honor of Sophia’s birthday, and of the release of Silver Screen Knits on Ravelry next week, I’m offering anyone who starts a project in the Sophia sweater a 20% discount on the ebook of Silver Screen Knits: Volume I. All you need to do is start a project on Ravelry and tag it “happybdaysophia” by next Friday, September 27. I’ll find you and send you a discount code for the book. I can’t wait to see what yarns and colors you choose! Check out my blog post from last week to see some color ideas I came up with.

Have a cuppa in honor of Sophia! Or, indeed, something stronger.