This week’s KnitBits, due out on Friday, is the second in a series of themed entries called the Recession Collection. Last week’s issue was a collection of 50 projects you can knit for under 50 dollars–a LOT less than 50 dollars in most cases.
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The theme of this week’s issue is staycations–the sort of holiday you take when you can’t afford to jump on a plane headed for luxurious locales. Our feeling is that knitters know how to make the best out of a weekend on a couch. You can read our “travelogues” below but you’ll have to look for KnitBits #267 to see what Norah and Margery whipped up over the weekend.
Favorite escapist movie:
N: Much Ado about Nothing with Kenneth Brannagh. I laughed, I cried, ……I sang!
M: Off the top of my head, month by month: Bell Book & Candle in December, Giant in January, All About Eve in February, Rebel Without a Cause in March, Vertigo in April, Splendor in the Grass in May, Rear Window in June, Dirty Dancing in July, A Walk on the Moon in August, Breakfast at Tiffany’s in September, The Body Snatchers in October, La Strada in November.
C: Right now, Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette.”
Favorite libation or wintery beverage:
N: Hot cocoa with a star anise pod thrown in.
M: Just a nice glass of Chianti.
C: Pumpkin beer–bottled dessert!
A guilty pleasure snack or comfort food recipe:
N: Chocolate and honey toasted on good bread.
M: Tarmasalata (Greek caviar spread) on a tuscan cracker.
C: Grilled cheese made with Cotswold cheddar–a double Gloucester cheese with chives.
Who or what surrounds you on the couch?
N: Lena and Jake, some tapestry needles (fallen behind the cushions) and big comfy pillows.
M: Memories of my dear cat Fred.
C: A laptop playing episodes of the British comedy “Peep Show.”
How do you unwind and shut out the world at the end of the work week?
N: I like to plant myself on the couch and watch long marathons of TV – like the Gilmore Girls or Project Runway.
M: We take Max, Olivia and Noah [Ed: Margery's son, daughter-in-law and beloved grandson] to our favorite Indian restaurant and we have a Bombay Sapphire Martini while Noah drinks a mango lassi and we all munch on pappadam. MMMMM!
C: Yoga and some difficult cooking–at least two hours in the kitchen! Last weekend it was matzo ball soup and the weekend before that was bourbon bread pudding. Okay, now my stomach is growling…
What does the knitting glitterati do behind close doors when they’re knitting for themselves and themselves alone?
N: When I’m really fried – garter stitch.
M: My new love is my sewing machine, so that is were I go to update my wardrobe. When it is yarn I am craving in my hands, I crochet and felt, hats, bags and other vessels.
C: Like Margery, I’ve been ‘cheating’ on my needles…I spin or weave! It’s a good way to get a little instant fiber gratification without having to think about shaping or fit or gauge…as long as I’m touching yarn, I’m happy! And like Norah, I always love garter stitch.
I hope you’ll join us–answer any of the questions you like, either in the comments or at your blog.
Happy knitting,
CR
