Friday, November 6, 2009

Moofies

(as one of my friends calls it).

I have a regular crowd of friends with whom I go to the movies on a regular basis. We usually go weekly, depending on what is out any given week, but the last time all of us were able to make it was a couple of months ago. Until tonight. These are all guys, and (I am astonished by this) tonight we went to see The Time Traveller's Wife (was only released yesterday here in Sydney). They had all read the book, but generally avoid anything 'chick flicky' like the veritable plague (OK, some of us did see The Proposal, but all agreed the best thing about it was the Alaskan scenery - I very carefully failed to mention Ryan Reynold's chest). Normally it is sci fi, action or horror movies on the menu (though I have so far escaped the latter). Re TTTW, Rachel McAdams is one of the very few actresses around I actually like (Cate Blanchett and Rachel Weisz being the other two)(my list of actors I like, by comparison, probaby runs to at least 10 times as many - don't ask me why). Eric Bana is always good to look at (not to mention super hot in Star Trek), though one thing that really annoys me about Australian actors who emulate American accents is they lower their pitch and lose enunciation. Having said that, I remember when Eric Bana was a comedian doing a skit show on one of the local networks, he was cute then, and I have to admit he is aging well. Funnily enough, the guys liked this movie more than I did. As is frequently the case, I had a few niggling issues with the film's internal logic (I know - with movies and TV there is the whole suspension of disbelief, and it IS a movie about time travel).

I came home to a clean house, today being the day my cleaning lady came. I feel horribly guilty about having someone clean my house, but figure I would rather pay someone to do it and feel guilty, than feel guilty about not doing it as well or as frequently as I should - and with two cats who shed copiously, vacuuming could occupy my life as a full time occupation if I let it (I had a friend who vacuumed twice a day because of dog hair).

Seriously, in my book life is just waaaay to short for housework.

About the extent of my domesticity is cooking and needlecraft - I cook because I derive joy from it, and I do various forms of needlecraft for the same reason, and not because I have to (for example, clothing repairs such as droopy hems are frequently addressed with either sticky tape or staples, until the point where it drives me nuts and I have to fix it properly - I think my record for a hem and tape was about 6 months). Also on the 'loathing housework, paying cleaner' front, I figure I work hard and long hours, and at the end of the day/week the last thing I feel like doing is housework, so I would rather pay someone to do it and not worry about it - and it frees up my time to do other things such as knit and cook. I should add that I do keep the kitchen clean, especially since I mostly cook for other people.

On the knitting front, I am currently cycling through about 4 of my current projects on a regular basis - the Phoenix Rose, the Unst stole, Goddess Knit's Mystery Shawl 14 and Honeysuckle (this last one is the project that I carry around with me, so I can do some at lunch, or any other time when I am sitting around waiting). As I have what I refer to as 'chronic startitis', I am always on the lookout for the next project. I desperately want to do the Queen Susan, but probably won't do so until the Unst is finished (thus giving me the incentive to push on and actually finish it), although I tend to only work on this one on weekends - the pattern itself is easy enough, but working with CashSilk after a long day, and in less than perfect light, is just borrowing trouble. I do plan to start a non-lace project, however. Inspired by the Harmonia's Rings Cowl(s) by Faculty Meeting Knitter (I am, to all intents and purposes, a Classicist, so there is a certain poetry I feel associated with this pattern), I have decided to do one of my own (OK, it is not a lace project, but I do plan to do it in laceweight. Sydney really doesn't get that cold, and I am not one to feel the cold all that much at the best of time, unless I am sick, so a heavier yarn would probably be overkill). Only problem has been - what yarn to do it in? I decided I would like a variegated cashmere or cashmere blend, and OMG how hard was it to find something I liked! Probably more to the point, something I liked and could afford. I was also being very particular about the colours, especially since it has to go with most of my clothes, and will be up against my face. The pattern requires about 360 yards. Some yarns I found I would need 4 skeins. One in particular I was looking at today had about 100 yds per skein, and the skeins were around US$50. Including postage, the cowl would end up costing me close to AUD$250.

For that much money, I would rather use stash yarn, then go out and buy a fabulous pair of shoes.

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