Neglected and otherwise

The last week or so has been a frenzy of deadline knitting, which does make a nice change from pattern-writing and proofreading, even if it hasn't afforded any variety in yarn or project. I've been spoiling myself the last year or so, letting in multiple projects and leaping from one thing to another, so there are quite a few things I'm neglecting:

Getting my stripey mittens delivered to the woman who organizes trips to the Russian orphanage for which they were intended, Clockwork, and two sorts of spinning to be precise.

I'm also neglecting my Christmas knitting and a few other things.

What I'm not neglecting is movies. And the watching of DVD sets.

I spent most of yesterday parked in front of the television with the knitting; I intended to spend all of it with Season One of Lark Rise to Candleford - a loan from my aunt and uncle before they left for the winter - but was distracted by the opening of The Red Shoes on Turner Classic Movies and stuck around to watch it first.

I've heard a lot about this movie, which explores the sacrifice of a wider form of life that artists are expected to make for their work, and I thought it was probably something I ought to see, what with being such a classic film fan and all. I enjoyed it, but it was a little too riveting.

I know because it made me miss an important decrease row, frog slowly back, and then miss it all over again. GAH.

My take is that the main character is not the ballerina, but the man who runs her ballet company. It's a brilliant film and definitely worth taking time for if you've missed it up to now.

Lark Rise to Candleford by contrast is the perfect crafty companion: a costume series with recurring characters and visiting ones in most episodes, it's more than entertaining enough to make you forget you've been sitting knitting for three hours, but not so much as to make you miss an important step in your pattern. Now that's what I call Good Programming.


Last night I had to go to a meeting in heavy rain and I was afraid to risk SUSP getting wet if my bag leaked, so I brought Clockwork for an hour's knitting. It's been so long since I picked that up I was shocked by the difference in tension - seems I've been working SUSP with a much firmer hand than usual, such that Clockwork feels like a big sloppy mess. Kind of a treat, really, and it reminds me of why I was so eager to get it done. It's going to feel like a squashy warm hug under my winter coat, clear through to March I expect.

And I should be able to get back to it very soon - I figure SUSP has another week in it all told, and then it's back to personal knitting, yay! and housecleaning and laundry and sewing and rushing around instead of cosying up on the sofa.

H'mmmm.

Think I could stretch SUSP out a little longer? I hear The House of Elliott is pretty good...