puppets and knitting

Today some friends and I went to see a puppet version of The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me at the Little Angel Puppet Theatre. My friend Max helped build several bits of the set, and the audience was full of excited kids and happy adults. We had a great time; the performers seemed to be having a wonderful time, too. The Little Angel has been going for more than 50 years, but recently the Arts Council of England cut its funding. Earlier this month the British Theatre Guide published an article on the reasons (*cough* Olympics *cough*) and effects of this cut, which can be read here. Despite funding cuts and recent economic worries it's heartening to see a theatre manage to keep going through donations and fundraising.

In knitting news, today I was given a flier for my friend Fi's knitting festival, Unravel, which will be held in The Farnham Maltings in February. Fi is a fantastic knitter and designer, and I can't wait to see what she's put together. Today I also swung by Loop to pick up the right size circular needle so I can knit a hat with the yarn I bough in Maryland this summer:


The color makes me very happy!

To round out my puppetry/knitting day, I've been watching Wool 100%, a Japanese film about two elderly sisters who take in a feral, obsessively knitting girl. It features wild knitting, puppets, an accordion and a very fetching pair of silver Louise Brooks haircuts.

knit one

We've had a weekend of no-jacket weather, which for some reason has put me in a knitting mood. I spent part of the evening looking for a nice structured wrap pattern and have had absolutely no luck. Either I'm one of the pickiest people alive or 99 percent of knitting patterns are terrifyingly awful. Can anyone explain this to me..?



..anyone?

I think I may just make something up, which is what my very talented sister does and her projects always turn out swimmingly.

Speaking of raccoons, my family was once intimidated by a raccoon in our own back yard. We were out on the patio playing board games one night and it stared us down with such an evil intensity we all considered making a run for it. They're not as cute as they look, raccoons.

...

Due to a very tasty and very strong cup of morning coffee, I can't draw anything that isn't wiggly. Therefore I am entertaining myself with plans to knit some very tall socks which look like this gentleman's leggings: