Today is my blog’s third birthday. 3 years ago I’d just finished my 2nd year of university, I was working in a very quiet office, I was thinking of submitting a pattern to knitty, I needed somewhere to host a couple of free patterns I’d written up at the request of craftster members and I’d seen a few blogs and wondered whether I could do that. So I did. I never dreamed that it would end up taking over my life, lead to connections and friendships all over the world or develop into any sort of career. It never crossed my mind that so many people would want to visit here, or knit my designs or that I would even still be doing this 3 years later. Starting this blog has totally changed my life, in the most wonderful ways, and I’m very aware that none of that would have happened without you. I’m very grateful to you, for reading, for supporting my design business, for all of your comments that I’ve never replied to, for mentioning my work to your friends, for your finished objects photos, for the offers of places to stay – thank you for everything, but mostly just for being here.
In honour of the occasion and to thank you I think it’s time for a contest.
I’ve been clearing out my studio and I have a lot of goodies that I think could have much better homes that I think you might like. I’m totally stealing this idea from Miss Emily, because when I found myself watching City of Lost Children I kept thinking ‘why did no one ever tell me to watch this, really why?’ – I clearly need someone to point out the amazing things I might have missed.
Leave a comment recommending some treasure that I might be in danger of missing, be it a movie, a yarn, a place or anything you can think of, in the next 24 hours (between midnight and midnight gmt on the 6th of June) and I will use the random number generator to select 6 (or 2 sets of 3 to be more appropriate) people who will each win a box full of treasure turned up in my studio clean up. There will be some randomness involved in the exact prizes, but each box will have yarn (including some hand dyed by me), fabric (including some printed by me), one of my knitting related prints, vintage buttons and some other surprises. I’ll happily send your prize to wherever in the world you happen to be, I love how international this whole community is.
Thank you for all of your recommendations, comments are now closed and I’ll announce the winners soon.
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Visiting this eco-museum was amazing: London-Wul farm which you can see at http://www.thewoolworks.com/ The wool is sheared from the sheep, carded, spun and then dyed with the plants and flowers which grow on their land. They give knitting and spinning courses and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting and often go back.
I have 3 books to recommend ( if you haven’t already read them).
1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the nighttime by Mark Haddon
2. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
3. Small Island by Andrea Levy.
They are all great books which I think you would enjoy.
Hey hey! This knitimation music video inspired me to pick up a pair of knittting needles. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=asdN1jJw4EE
It’s beautiful with crazy colourful knitting madness.
There is a new(ish) movie called The Fall that is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I think you would like it.
A book: What is the What by Dave Eggers
A movie: The Toll of the Sea
A t.v. show: Big Love
A podcast: This American Life
A recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetarian-Sweet-and-Sour-Meatballs/Detail.aspx
While not exactly in your neighborhood (Nova Scotia), Gaspereau Valley Fibres in the Annapolis Valley is one of my favourite places. The yarn shop is in old barn, complete with warm woodstove and filled with lovely Fleece Artist yarns. They raise their own sheep and have a clawfoot bathtub overflowing with beautifully dyed rovings. It’s a little piece of knitting heaven.
Thanks for the great patterns and congratulations on your blogiversary. Cheers!
I highly highly recommend both Never Have Your Dog Stuff and Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself both by Alan Alda. I don’t know if M*A*S*H* was popular in the UK, but Alan is a brilliant man with some great things to say about living a meaningful life.
I’ve love to recommend the sadly canceled television show Carnivale, produced by HBO. It ran for two seasons, combining many philosophies, characters and ideas. If you can ignore the American/Dust Bowl/1930s setting, you might really enjoy it. Congratulations on your third blogoversary!
happy blogiversary!
hmmmmm. my recommendation would have to be bride and prejudice. its a bollywood re-telling of pride and prejudice, directed by the same person that directed bend it like beckham. it has totally over the songs, amazing dance numbers, and some truly hilarious characters.
congratulations! Here’s to another year.
check out:
blog: http://www.cupcakeblog.com (sadly recently finished but an amazing source of recipes)
Foreign Film: Les Diaboliques
book: The Leopard, Giuseppe Tomassi di Lampedusa
3 years of you making our lives happier! Huzzah!
My treasure for you is hardly sentimental or deep, but it is certainly entertaining & meaningful! If you haven’t already been introduced to the show Arrested Development, I can think of no better gift. It is pure brilliance put on screen.
Congratulations again!
Happy Blogthday!
I thought you might like these artworks, Red Shoe Girls (can also be purchased as small badges!) by an Australian artist: http://shelbyville.typepad.com/shelbyville/2007/05/have_zine_will_.html
I’ve just recently discovered your blog, and I’m enjoying reading it.
My suggestions:
Visit – Petra in Jordan – it’s truly incredible. I spent only a few hours there and must go back one day. There are bus tours there from Eilat in southern Israel.
Read – The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger (sp?) – it’s a wonderful book. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn – it and the sequels totally changed how I view the world.
Eat – ground cherries – our CSA in Massachusetts, USA grows them. I don’t know where else they can grow, but they’re amazing and almost no one has heard of them. They look like mini tomatillos, but they’re super-sweet. I can’t get enough of them!
congrats!
one of my most treasured books is a recent discovery (via an online recommendation by julia rothman) – The Night Life of Trees. each page contains an absolutely unbelievably beautiful image hand screened by a commune of artists in india.
my most treasured film is probably the philadelphia story. it never fails to make me feel good and loved and happy!
watch: Discovery Atlas (if you haven’t seen any of them already)
Congrats!!
I recommend The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It’s both a book and a YouTube video and it’s possibly one of the most amazing things I seen in a very long time.
I love reading your blog, you always manage to brighten my day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
Grey Gardens. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073076/
incredible.
A book: Life of Pi
A food: pho
A place: the scene from a mountaintop on a clear day all the down to the wooded bottom.
Happy 3 year anniversaire!
The novel Breath and Shadows by Ella Leffland; Hitchcock’s movie Vertigo; the combination of dark chocolate and passionfruit; the soundtrack from the movie Nashville
I am very glad that you decided to start this blog! I enjoy your every post.
Movie: The Secret Life of Words. Beautiful movie about a young refugee who nurses an injured man on an offshore mining facility. It was very touching
Book: The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue. A wonderful book about a young girl in the 1920s America and her ghostly presence in the present. It’s so good and I keep meaning to reread it.
Happy blogiversary!!!
It seems like just yesterday I was following you all over craftster in awe of your work!
As far as recommendations go I have 3:
1. Coraline
a wonderfully dark tale by Neil Gaiman which is becoming a graphic novel this summer.
2. this video of Jens Lekman live. It’s lovely.
3. this downloadable recipe card set.
I hope something there brightens your day! :)
Ysolda:
I don’t know whether or not this independent movie has made it to your neck of the woods (I’m in the US) but if so, please see it. It’s called Young at Heart, it’s about an octogenarian choir and I found it one of the most moving, uplifting films I’ve seen in awhile. Here’s a clip of one of the performances and I would bet there are others worth watching on YouTube as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u6k-99qcCE
In this clip, one of the singers (in his last performance, because of health reasons) is pinch-hitting for a friend who died shortly before the performance.
Viv from Maine, USA
Treasures you shouldn’t live without having/making/doing:
1. Homemade caramels. They’re a bitch to make (you have to stir a pot for about an hour and a half) but they are heavenly to taste.
2. TV show: Nip/Tuck. An awesome look at how society deals with outward appearance. Deep, thought provoking, and addresses many issues most other tv shows don’t or won’t.
3. Place: the Swiss Alps.
4. Music: Nickel Creek – beautiful bluegrass/folk music
tv show (now canceled but available on DVD): Dead Like Me every one I know who has seen this show loves it!
place: the grand canyon there is nothing quite like standing at the edge and looking down with the wind whipping past
if you haven’t yet seen juno, you need to. she’s the girl that we all wish we could have been.
I might be late, not sure what time it is GMT. But here is my list anyway.
Book: Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott
Movie: Local Hero – you probably know it since it was filmed in Scotland, but maybe not?
Place: if you have never been to the Isle of May, go!!! It is close to you and wondrous.
Blog: here’s a wonderful photo blog of a place near where I grew up 50 years ago, surprisingly unchanged by time in most ways: http://www.durhamtownship.com/about.html
Never stop looking for treasures, they are always around if you keep your eyes & ears & heart open!
congrats on three years!!
one of my favorite movies recently:
cashback
really interesting and gorgeous film :]
I really enjoyed the movie Delicatessen- it may contain a bit of cannibalism but it’s very charming.
Charles Simic is a lovely poet. He creates the most interesting images with succinct wording.
Also, perhaps Wild Strawberries, by Ingmar Bergman. Interesting view of life and aging.
here’s to three years! I’ve enjoyed reading your blog and following your patterns.
I think Ferraby Lionheart’s music would be right up your alley. there’s something quirky and sweet and melancholy and wistful about it that I think you might appreciate. you can hear it on his myspace and website. itunes and emusic and all those as well. if you only listen to one or two songs, I recommend Tickets to Crickets and Crack in Time.
My latest treasure (aside from knitting) is a CD. Worrisome Heart by Melody Gardot. She is a young woman who was hit by a car at the age of 19 and used music as a way to regain her cognitive ability. She’s jazzy and soulful with a beautiful voice. She was just in Edinburgh in May, but her website says she’s coming around the UK/Europe again in July.
I’m really loving knitting with “royal” alpaca (Blue Sky Alpaca yarn). It really is nice to knit with. For a vacation sometime you need to visit the islands of Greece.
Happy Three Years!
I have a few recommendations:
Book: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Movie: The Scent of Green Papaya
Food: Nuoc Cham
A book: Atonement by Ian Mcewan. The movie has made this very popular at the moment, but the book is just fantastic. Such detail and emotion. I love it.
A movie: A Very Long Engagement (Un long dimanche de fiancailles). 1920s France, love story with a determined heroine who I much admire.
TV: Quite Interesting. Popular in the UK, so you probably know it, but it’s very refreshing for a yankee such as myself.
:)
Congrats! Here’s to your next three!
My contribution is to suggest watching all of Hayao Miyazaki’s films. A few recent ones have garnered a lot of attention (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke), but all of his movies are just so cute and wonderful. He also seems to have an affection for cats, so maybe he was a knitter in a past life?
Well, thank YOU for your blog and being you and your designs that helped get me out of my knitting lethargy and be excited about making things again.
These are a few things that are extremely dear to my heart…
A movie: Joyeux Noel
It’s amazing how a movie about WWI can make you want to run out and hug the world.
A book: The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Steven Chbosky
(And the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett)
A tv show: Pushing Daisies
It’s a little slice of whimsical perfection.
Music: Matt Nathanson
He is my favorite musician in the world. He can be wickedly funny (as here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/rhwbjk) or break your heart with a song (as here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/0b1e67).
Beirut isn’t just music, it’s an experience.
I also really like Emmy the Great. She’s got heart.
Happy anniversary!
read: The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
see: The Lives of Others (German)
local: climb Arthur’s Seat and watch Edinburgh light up after sunset
and congratulations on three years! I look forward to more…
A place not to miss…Mount Masada in Israel. It’s next to the Dead Sea, and it’s where a rebel camp of Jews held their own against a Roman army until they were overwhelmed, and then rather than be taken as slaves they cast lots for one man who would kill them all, then kill himself.
It’s an incredibly sad story told in an amazingly heartbreaking, beautiful way by the mosaics in the ruins and by the light shows on the cold desert night.
3! Congratulations!
My newly discovered gems are music by the band Beirut, Lucy Ann Polk singing “Come to Baby, Do” and the movie series “Wonderfalls.” Have fun finding new discoveries!
If you’ve never played with polymer clay, you have got to give it a try. I think your natural spacial talents and eye for color would serve you well. You can use it to make fantastic finials on the ends of straight needles, and if you ever spin, handles for an orifice hook.
Ooh, and if you’ve not tried dragon pearl tea, YUM, it’s my all time favorite.
Also, if you haven’t I love the blooming (flowering/tied/whatever you call it) teas and I brew mine in a french press, which shows it off nicely and filters out any stray leaves.
I think that’s all I’ve got
But, goodness, i feel stupid for not finding your blog sooner. Silly me.
I’m so glad that I discovered the new series of Dr. Who. It’s, silly, serious and wacky, and totally fun. The spinoff, Torchwood, is also really campy and fun to watch.
Kamikaze Girls (movie)
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson (book)
Grand Canyon (place) it really is truly mind blowing
Poetry by Mary Oliver.
Beautiful. Organic. Spiritual.
I’ll suggest my favorite band in the whole world, the Old 97s. My favorite album is Too Far To Care, and if you’re so inclined you can listen to some of the songs here:
http://www.hitbyatrain.com/discography/index.html#toofar
Thanks for the contest, but thanks even more for your designs!
Oh my! Three years old! That’s like… 30 years old in blog years!
There are so many great recommendations here, but I can’t resist.
If you have never seen the Thin Man movies, starring Myrna Loy and William Powell, I cannot recommend them enough. There are six of them, and you should see them in order if possible. They were filmed in the 1930s and ’40s, based on the book by Dashiell Hammett (of Maltese Falcon fame). Hilarious whodunnits. What could be better?
Musically, I recommend Laura Gibson, who happens to be from Portland (where I live right now). Her album is called ‘If You Come to Greet Me’; if you want an idea of what she sounds like, I think ‘Hands in Pockets’ is a good song to listen to. Her style is not what I usually like, but I’m addicted!
Here’s to three more happy knitting/baking/blogging years! L’chaim!
Oh, how contests never fail to bring the lurkers out of hiding…here I am, at least!
I must definitely second the Hayao Miyazaki films…they are really wonderful.
And though it is thousands and thousands of miles away from your home, you must someday go out to California and drive along the coast on Highway 1. The road is narrow and windy, but the scenery is so worth it. In fact, anywhere up in the part of California that I have been so fortunate to grow up in – the Russian River area, Wine Country, Point Reyes,. It’s all gorgeous.
My good friend Sherrill’s knitting podcast– Belle of the Ball:
http://belleoftheballpodcast.blogspot.com/
is a fun little gem that a lot of people don’t know about and might enjoy. :) Happy 3rd!
City of Lost Children is my favorite! I highly recommend “Delicatessen” also. Some of the same actors. Vegetarians living in the sewer. Same beautiful cinematography. I think you’ll like it.
I highly recommend the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. It is meant for teen audiences but Every! Single! Person! I’ve recommended it to has read and loooooved it, regardless of what type of books they usually read. Happy Blogiversary, yay!
This comic always makes me smile, in one way or another:
http://www.sinfest.net
I’m so glad you’re here!
Movie: The Fountain with Hugh Jackman
Poet: Eugenio de Andrade
Eateries: Los Bagels, Eureka, California (the most amazing and perfect bagel you will ever eat, plus always awesome vegan/vegetarian soup.)
Arcata Pizza & Deli – the best cheese slice in Humboldt County, California
Zachary’s Pizza – the best pepperoni pizza (I’ve yet tasted) in the Bay Area, California
Authors: Marion Zimmer Bradley, Terry Goodkind, Diana Gabaldon
Listen Live: khum.com & somafm.com
Musical Artist: Vast
Fun textural experience: buying & using an old typewriter
I recommend that you journey to the city of Newport, in the state of Rhode Island, in the USA. You wouldn’t want to miss the beautiful, historic mansions. I find them to be very inspirational for crafting and photographing.
Happy blog birthday! :)
music: Eva Cassidy’s cd Songbird She has a beautiful rich bluesy voice. I love this cd
book: Doomesday Book by Connie Willis One of my favorite books- history and time travel done right.
movie: Clue Because it has Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn in it. Plus it is just plain fun.
Having moved to the US from London I would recommend exploring the hidden jewels of London (and the rest of the UK) on Heritage Open House Days http://www.heritagedays.net/. Mindblowingly beautiful buildings that are normally closed to the public open their doors on selected days of the year and it is such a treat.
Happy Blogiversary. Here’s to many more!
There is a book series that I almost missed if it had not been for a vacation that we forgot to actually take stuff with us for entertainment. So we stumbled into a Target to grab a book or two. I have learned they are the perfect diversion from a long day of designing when I want to get lost in a story but not so lost that I can’t get some rest.
They are the series of unfortunate events by Lemony Snicket.
http://www.lemonysnicket.com/
happy blogiversary!
books: Kafka on the Shore and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murukami
places: Yosemite National Monument (if you ever come to California, and if you do…Article Pract yarn shop in Berkeley is my favorite. Then you can go to Far Leaves teahouse on College Ave.).
:)
Both Carnivale and Dead Like Me were already mentioned, but I’ll add that they truly are *that* awesome.
And I’ll add a TV show that’s on currently – Pushing Daisies.
Happy Blogiversary.
The treasure I would have to recommend is a designer that the world kind of forgot as time passed. Charles Kleibacker; http://www.oac.state.oh.us/News/NewsArticle.asp?intArticleId=336
He was given credit for the midi skirt in the ’60′s but more improtantly was his mastery of the Bias and the Houses he worked at before he opened his collection.
Dead Like Me was cancelled? Dammit! That’s what I get for not having cable. :( (Yes, I have been living under a rock.) I will second the recommenation for Pushing Daisies – quite funny. And Doomsday Book (not funny, just good).
I would like to recommend Howl’s Moving Castle by that master of movies, Hayao Miyazaki – it is thoroughly enchanting and I am sure you would love it.
Happy Birthday! Anniversary! Blogoversary! Whatever!
HI! I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of months and really enjoy it. This is my first time to comment… nothing like a contest to bring out the lurkers!
Some things that I’m glad not to have missed were the Planet Earth series, Fall On Your Knees by Ann MacDonald, and Jane Campion’s The Piano.
There are some great ideas from all the commenters, it’s like a reward in itself. Congratulations on your blog’s anniversary!
Ok, I have two.
The first is one of my favorite short-lived TV series. It’s called Wonderfalls. It was on in the states for about a month, but I love it. The other is a book you may have already read. It’s by Jeanette Winterson. It’s called Written on the Body. It’s a love story where the narrator’s sex is never explicitely revealed. For a movie I would recommend When Night is Falling. I think it was made in Canada (but I could be wrong) but it has one of those lines that if anyone ever said it to me in real life I would just melt. (But I won’t tell you, just in case you actually watch it) Happy Blogiversary!
Congratulations on your anniversary! Wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for so much inspiration :-) OK, here are my recs:
Movie: Amelie. My all-time favorite. And there is a bit in the movie where Amelie helps shows a home-bound man interesting video tidbits of can’t-miss things, kinda like this fun contest.
YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4
TV Series: 30 Days, from Morgan Spurlock, the documentarian who made Supersize Me. Don’t know if it shows where you are, but the 1st 2 seasons are on DVD
If you want your heart to feel like it is going in a million directions for about two hours: http://www.amazon.com/Blankets-Craig-Thompson/dp/1891830430/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212721342&sr=8-1
2. You undoubtedly know of this place, but after having returned to the states, I find myself missing The Mosque Kitchen bi-weekly at the very least.
Happy blog anniversary,
If you haven’t seen it the funniest movie I’ve seen recently is called Death At A Funeral.
happy 3 years! thank YOU for keeping it up; knitting vicariously through you has been great fun.
some lovely things:
yarn: yarn chef on etsy, specifically her buttercream merino laceweight. lovely stuff, and very nice service
book: Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Jack Hodgins’ Innocent Cities
music: Mahler Symphony No. 7
movie: High Fidelity
cheers
Happy Blog-iversary!
A treasure I think you might have missed out on is a Canadian singer named Feist. She’s pretty big around here, but I somehow doubt she’s made it across the water in the same way. She’s kind of jazzy mixed with folky mixed with awesome!
hurrah! happy third birthday. i’m going to highly recommend two food related things, since i know you like to cook. robert farrar capon writes a brilliant cookbook/memoir called supper of the lamb and the movie babette’s feast is one of my favorites.
I just finished a book I throughly enjoyed: “Home” by Julie Andrews. Even if you’re not into Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music, this is an awesome memoir of her life from birth to right before she began filming Mary Poppins. I just read and read and read, because I wanted to find out what happend next.
I recommend Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, There Will Be Blood, and homemade hot chocolate. A winning combination!
A song: Philip Glass – Mad Rush (might also be known as Metamorphosis V). It reminds me of the way light plays through the trees, or the shadows that pass over fields as clouds pass over the sun, or of old home movies. It’s beautiful.
Movie: Children of Men. It’s apparently a few years old dystopian film, but I just recently saw it and love it.
Activity: explore something abandoned. From what I’ve heard word of mouth, Scotland has very relaxed trespassing laws, and even here you can usually just apologize and leave (if caught) and nothing happens. It might seem like a sort of weird thing, but it’s what I love to do. The sense of people and the place, and seeing nature reclaim or the craftsmanship that has just been left to rot…the feeling is amazing. And it’s just beautiful–and sometimes what you find is completely unexpected.
Example: http://kabang.org/plantroom.jpg
(I certainly have many links [including some in your area] if you’re interested.)
I recommend a wool rug by angela adams, a designer here in my home town of Portland, Maine.
http://www.angelaadams.com
Enjoy!
The coolest thing I’ve ever done is climb a ladder, stand on a board and jump off to fly on the trapeze. Seriously, it’s the best experience. You get to fly, and have a completely controlled freefall into a giant net. I’m doing a really bad job of explaining how incredible it is, but once you try for yourself, you’ll understand.
And if you’re looking for a place to go, better make it Australia. I did 6 months there for study abroad and it was the best time of my life. Melbourne is the first place I’ve ever been that I really felt like I could make my permanent home (of course, except where I grew up and live). And while you’re down under, go to Australia Zoo in Beerwah, QLD (home of the late Croc Hunter). Best zoo ever (and really clean).
Enjoy and happy blogiversary.
Happy Anniversary! Thank you for your lovely work and your conscientious approach to your business. May you have many creative and prosperous year ahead!
Have you read Italo Calvino’s novel The Baron in the Trees? It’s a treasure.
My favorite secret thing that not enough people know about: an island off the coast of Vietnam. Sure, airfare is ridiculously expensive to get there, but once you’ve made your way to Southeast Asia, it’s just a short hop skip or jump to the island of Phu Quoc. The Cambodians think it’s theirs; the Vietnamese disagree. However, it is on the same longitude as those well-known and overrun Thai islands, yet virtually undeveloped by greedy Westerners. We spent a week shacking up in a beach hut, on the most breathtaking cay, for a few dollars a day– renting motorbikes to visit the local fruit markets, eating the freshest and tastiest seafood ever, and meeting the few but kind visitors. If you ever find yourself anywhere near the South China Sea, get yourself to Phu Quoc Island. I recommend the east coast– sunrises kick sunsets’ butts, no question.
Happy 3! 2 Movies: Truly, Madly, Deeply, and Mixed Nuts. 1 Author: John Irving. 1 food: Carr’s Ginger Lemon Cremes. Also, my favorite preview is for the movie “the fall” I haven’t actually seen the movie yet (it requires driving an hour and a half) but I can watch the preview all day long. weird, I know.
Congrats on 3 years, Ysolda! I always look forward to seeing pictures of what you’ve got on the needles. And congrats on Twist Collective, too. How exciting!
My all time fave tv show which I’m sure you’ve seen but will recommend anyway: As Time Goes By (BBC) with Judi Dench and Geoffery Palmer. Pure comedic genius.
Really sweet movie: Chacun Cherche son Chat (When the cat’s away)
Best musical group: Cafe Accordion Orchestra
The book “The Family Nobody Wanted” by Helen Doss. It might be out of print, but it’s a great true story about a family in the US in the 1940s who ended up adopting a multi-racial, multi-ethnic dozen of children. It’s a really sweet story.
We’re lucky to have you in this great world of knitting blogs. Congrats on a 3-year anniversary!
A movie not to miss is ‘The Lives of Others’…beautiful, moving movie. A book not to miss is ‘Truckstop Rainbows’ by Iva Pekarkova…it’s an amazing story about maintaining individuality. And finally, I think everybody should watch the trilogy of Godfrey Reggio/Philip Glass….Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqoyqatsi.
I’d recommend a tv series: Slings & Arrows. It’s Canadian, and about theatre, but most of all it’s just awesome. It has entertaining ghosts, and wonderful acting.
Happy blogiversary! I look forward to reading this for many more years to come!
Happy blogiversary :)
Wow, now how are you ever going to get any knitting done with all these great recommendations?!?
My additions are:
Reading: Janet Evanovich’s stephanie Plum novels. There are 13 of them with the 14th comming out this month. They are halarious! I think you’d love them, best to start with “One for the Money”.
TV: Battlestar Galactica, its techinicaly Science Fiction but its really a drama set in space. I’ve found it very thought provoking and entertaining. It’s not everyones cup of tea but usually when people give it a go they end up loving it!
I’d also second making a trip down under (Australia that is) we’re a very laid back kind of people, and you’ve got to check out our beaches nothing like the ones in Scotland ;)
It has already been mentioned, but the show Carnivale is great and I think you would enjoy it. I also second the recommendation for the movie Local Hero.
I recommend the author Tom Robbins, and the book Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara.
Lately I have been making my own salad rolls and those are totally awesome. Also peach pie.
books that have changed my life.
a portrait of the artist by james joyce. walden by henry david thoreau.
my most influential/inspiring movies…
2001 a space odyssey. noi albinoi. fargo. harold and maude.
recommend
book- A Woman in Amber
movies- Dan in Real Life, Lars and the Real Girl
video- Fatboy Slim, Weapon of Choice on Youtube
song- Norah Jones Rosie’s Lullaby
Best movie for me in recent memory include Wong Kar Wai’s 2026 and Pedro Almodovar’s All About My Mother.
If you don’t want to read subtitles (ie. knitting with charts or beads or cable needles) how about Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man
A book by Jeremy Dronfield – The Alchemist’s Apprentice, a meal – Green Pawpaw salad and coconut rice, a place – the South Island of New Zealand, in particular the glaciers and Milford Sound, and a song – Sweet Jane, the version by the Cowboy Junkies. Love your blog Ysolda, happy blogversary :)
oh my goodness. over 80 entries to go through? (sigh).
a treasure of a movie: children of heaven by majid majidi (http://www.cinemajidi.com/children). a little boy misplaces his sister’s only shoes that have been repaired by the shoeman. they do not have the heart to tell their parents who are struggling to feed them and so take turns wearing the shoes to school. the little boy enters a race to try and win a new pair of sneakers for his sister. he must come in third to do this! how does he place in the race? does he win the sneakers? the children are precious, the story heartrending. i’ve been recommending this movie to so many friends. have you seen it yet? much peace to you, dorina (homeschooling, knitting mama to three beautiful girls in nyc).
I second The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, even if fantasy isn’t your thing… A non-fiction must has to be The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston, all about a group of people who climb California’s Giant Redwoods, because noone else ever has.
Happy Blog-versary! I was going to say the TIme Travellers Wife too. Awesome! Movie…In my Father’s Den. Its a NZ film so maybe more difficult to come by but it is also a novel and you may find that easier perhaps. Also one day you must come visit to NZ. I think you would really enjoy the gorgeous scenery
Happy Blogaversary!!!!
I’m recommending Pushing Daisies. It’s an ABC TV show that was interrupted by the writer’s strike. But it’s really cute and has a very whimsical feel to it.
Congratulations! Today is also my birthday, i’m 20 years older than your blog, so 23 :)
Alright, so I’ve got a couple movie recommendations:
Turtles Can Fly
Harold and Maude
Some great radio programs, which can be listened to online:
This American Life
Third Coast Audio Festival
Enjoy!
Don’t be afraid to mis something. Then you miss something.
Enjoy the small things in live: the sun on your head, the beautiful colours in the landscape, the flower who opens, a nice talk with someone you love. That are the things that matter. And the beauty of these things is that they are always around you.
Don’t rush to much from one to another event, take it easy.
Happy 3 years of blogging Ysolda, I like your blog a lot!!!!!!
Congratulations on 3 years of blogging :o)
Treasure I would recommend: a book – Prep – Curtis Sittenfeld – about being a teenage girl – a wonderful read
1. 24 hours daylight in the Arctic. I’ve been up here for 5 years now and every summer it amazes me. If you’re a bit of a night owl, 24hrs daylight is awesome – you can go out for a walk at 2am and it’s still bright.
2. The Great Northern Arts Festival (gnaf.org). A great arts festival that showcases northern artists. This is my second year participating and it’s always a lot of fun. One of my favourite parts are the workshops – you can learn a neat technique (like birch bark basket making) in an afternoon.
3. I’m loving this song & video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=sXPlhNIjq3g <3!
Food: Mushroom masala
Movie: Harold & Maude
Book: The Poisonwood Bible
My pic is a band, The Arcade Fire. If you haven’t heard it yet, you should! They are awesome!
Hi Ysolda!
I love your diary so much that my best friend and I are planning to come see Edinburgh on our next trip. I think you would absolutely adore Catherine Fox’s novels “Angel and Men” and “The Benefits of Passion”. I think they’re out of print, but you can catch a used copy from time to time on Amazon. AMAZING books, completely enthralling.
Anyway, happy 3rd birthday to your blog and you! Greetings from Germany, Charis :-)
Happy blog anniversary!
I’d recommend visiting the Briksdale glacier in Norway in the morning, and then crossing the Geiranger fjord from Hellesylt in the afternoon on a ferry, and knit knit knit one of your awesome patterns while absorbing the views. Nearly as good as Scotland!
Maybe the best treasure is to seize the day wherever you are, whatever you may be doing.
Cheers from Belgium
The comic “Fables” by Bill Willingham, it’s about storybook characters that are sort of refugees in New York, and really fantastic!
Thanks for 3 year of blogging!
Your style is very attractive, strong and pure.
I think you should know this shop:
http://www.stormontheattic.com. She sells handdyed biologic wool (sockyarn, lace etc).
She’s also on Ravelry.
And if you’re travelling/visiting The Netherlands, please come by in Rotterdam!
Puk
http://www.ballee.etsy.com
Congratulations on reaching 3!
I love your blog…thanks for lighting up my days.
Here are my treasures
Yoga – if you’ve never tried it give it a go.
Rooibos tea – delicious and healthy
Film – Etre et Avoir. Its a heart warming documentary about a school teacher in a small french village. He teaches a class ranging from 4-10 year olds all in the same room. Lucky children to have such a wonderful man teach them.
Happy bloganniversary!
I really love your patterns and blog.
My suggestions for you:
This american life (podcast)
Born in brothels (movie)
Happy anniversary! I just love to read your blog and see what you’re up to. I suggest you try out Beaverslide’s yarn. It’s a hazzle to live in Europe and have it shipped over – at least in Denmark where it is heavily taxed upon arrival. But it is sooooo worth it. Try it :0)
I love this contest! Congratulations and I’m so happy you started your blog and pattern career…
Well, I think you MUST visit us in Oregon over in the states and more precisely Central Oregon (Bend)! It’s beautiful and we have knitting stores, too!
Also, I love your patterns so much and have been a fan of yours ever since discovering them on Ravelry—-following along with my own recent endeavor, I wondered if you crochet? I love crocheted borders and Irish Lace and I wondered if you do that, too? I’m trying to teach myself so as to add to my knitting….
Happy bloggerversary, you did do fantastically well in the last 3 years. I never really posted here before, at least I don’t think I did but have been lurking for much of the last two years and I love your blog.
Anyway,
there is a little cooking blog called The Journal of a Girl who loves to cook which I love http://cookingismypassion.blogspot.com/
Yoga
A book called Prey, by Michael Crichton. It’s a sci-fi thriller that came out few years ago, the same one that scared Prince Charles away from nanotechnology:) It’s pretty good.
Film: Lost in Translation
Book: Memoirs of a Geisha
Place: Japan
Both the film and the book inspired me to visit Japan which I did in 2005. The best holiday I have had in my adult life!
Congratulations on the 3 years. I only started reading about 6 months ago but I am hooked.
So what I suggest: Dragon Pearl tea, perfect to enjoy while kntting and an absolute joy to watch the jasmine leaves unfold in hot water.
To read/watch: The tin drum by Gunter Grass
To listen to: Joanna Newsom
To eat: Butternut squash risotto with rocket
Congratulations!
I have two recommendations: firstly, a TV show called Dead Like Me and secondly, a series of Alice in Wonderland books written by Frank Beddor called the Looking Glass Wars.
Congratulations on your third blogiversary!
My recommendations:
Two books: Lasso Round the Moon by Agnar Mykle (Norwegian author) and Sinuhe, The Egyptian by Mika Waltari (Finnish author)
One musician: Solveig Slettahjell – lovely Norwegian vocal jazz!
Book: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom-I thought it was a very moving story about the human connection.
Happy Bloggo-versary!
Happy third birthday to the blog! I hope there are many more to come.
I would recommend the film “La Reine Margot”, and the book “A Portrait of a Lady” by Henry James. They’re both about fascinating women, and very rewarding to watch/read.
Happy Blogiversary!
My suggestion is a book called Miss Garnet’s Angel by Sally Vickers. It’s a wonderful story!
Happy blog anniversary!!!
My recommandation is a french regional recipie: le kouign amann (lots of sugar and butter mmmmmh délicious!) You can find it here: http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette.cfm?num_recette=18270
Happy blog anniversary!
My recommandation is the film Dancer in the Dark staring Bjork. It is heart-breaking and a film that has made an impression on me.
Congratulations! I have been reading your blog for a while but this is the first time I have commented. I am fascinated by your work, you have such a talent.
As for suggestions, if you are ever in Glasgow, I would recommend going to the restaurant Roastit Bubbly Jocks for some hearty Scottish food!
I thought I commented before but not sure it made it (if so, ignore one of them, I’m not trying to double dip!).
I think you’ll like the red shoe girls, by Australian artist/blogger Shelbyville – paintings and also much cheaper and very cute little buttons/badges – here:http://shelbyville.typepad.com/shelbyville/2007/05/have_zine_will_.html#comment-71131060
Happy 3rd Birthday!
Have you tried swing dancing? I recommend it. Check out this video on YouTube (http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=KZfX3OVW7k4), and join the fun in Edinburgh, with the Edinburgh Swing Dance Society (http://www.hopscotch-swing.co.uk/)
These recommendations are wonderful! I’m going through them all and picking out lovely things to read, watch and do. Thank you so much for eliciting them!
Off the top of my head, I’d like to recommend:
Films:
* Almodovar films, if you’ve not seem them already. Wonderful, all of them. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown would be as good a place to start as any other, though. Or Hable Con Ella.
* Au Revoir Les Enfants. It’s a French film, about a boarding school, set during the war, and it’s just so touching and perfect.
* Maria full of Grace. I loved this. It’s in Spanish and it’s about a Columbian girl who ends up working as a drug mule. It’s very sad but excellently made, and well-acted.
Books:
* Jane Eyre – you’ve probably already read it. If not, though, you should.
* Daphne du Maurier. Ditto. Rebecca is probably my favourite book of all time.
* Wilkie Collins novels – the Moonstone and the Woman in White. Beautifully crafted stories.
* Roald Dahl’s short stories are amazing. It was a while before I even realised that he wrote for adults, but there’s a collection published of all of his short stories, and it’s really wonderful. His imagination is so captivating.
* I love short stories, so I’d also like to recommend First Love, Last Rites which is a collection of short stories on the theme of love by Ian McEwan. They’re incredibly powerful.
* More short stories! I love them. I must have a very short attention span. But, Somerset Maugham’s collected short stories are excellent.
* Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. The film is awful, so if you’ve seen it, don’t let it put you off. The story is wonderful and it left me with a very strong desire to set off to Savannah and explore that part of America. It’s really evocative.
I must go through this thread and make notes! Another vote for the Time Traveller’s Wife, it’s fantastic. And I also recommend another Miyazaki film, Kiki’s Delivery Service, it’s my comfort film.
Ysolda, if you ever find yourself wanting to escape Edinburgh for the day & why not head to Fife. There is a fantastic shop in Newburgh called Twist Fibre Craft Studio (http://www.twistfibrecraft.co.uk/).
It is run by a very friendly couple & they offer a vast varity of courses & stock the most amazing UK natural fibres to spin your own yarn. Not far away (In Falkland), there is a place called ‘Pillars of Hercules’ Organic Farm, Shop & Cafe (http://www.pillars.co.uk/contact.htm) who make delicious food daily from their own produce & stock. You could end the day with a walk on the beach in St Andrews watching the sun go down. (You’d need a vehicle of some kind however, to get to them)
Happy Blogaversary!
Only thing I can think of is a Disney movie that one of my friends described as, “Well, that was the most random hour-an-a-half of my life.” – The Emperor’s New Groove.
Happy 3!
I think you should check out the swedish designer nygårdsanna, I think you´d like her aesthetic.
http://www.nygardsanna.se/
Also, the swedish shoe designer Åsa Westlund;
http://www.asawestlund.com/shoeindex_2007.html
Congratulations!!!
Three books I really like:
The history of love by Nicole Krauss
The book thief by Markus Zusak
The end of Mr. Y. by Scarlett Thomas
I’m definitely coming back to these comments when I need some inspiration!
i haven’t read all 116 comments, so apologies if i double up on others suggestions (of course i couldn’t just pick one…)
tv show: northern exposure
book: the inspector montalbano series by Andrea Camilleri (translated in english from italian). really great detective series. also made into an excellent tv series.
movie: the enlglish patient. the setting. the actors. the drama. the sensuality. the passion.
love you blog – beautiful knitting, wonderful writing, and a whole lot of recipes i ought to try. thanks for blogging.
hi, and congrats,
1. if you like city of lost children they you’ll love:
delicatessen
it’s beautiful.
2. science of sleep
again, magical and beautiful and funny and set in paris
3. make friends with a sausage dog.
xx
Congratulations!
Thank you for 3 years of such a wonderful blog… and for asking people to contribute things that are ‘good’ – it’s great to read so many suggestions!!
I’ve tried to think of 3 things that you may not have come across before. I think they are all etherially beautiful, but with an unexpected edge:
Film: Alice by Jan Svankmajer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095715/
Book: The Child Garden by Geoff Rymann
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Child-Garden-S-F-Masterworks/dp/0575076909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212740129&sr=8-1
Music: Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:j9fwxq85ldse
I’d also like to second the suggestion of Joanna Newsom… and I think that Alan Benett’s Talking Heads TV series was British Television at its best (but I figured you were likely to have come across these before).
Happy bloggiversary! *^v^*
I highly recommend watching the “MirrorMask” movie by Neil Gaiman (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/mirrormask/).
Hi Ysolda, happy bloganniversary!
Be sure not to miss Serralves 10 hours non-stop – this weekend the Serralves museum and park will be open from 8 am saturday to midnight sunday, with all sort of activities. Please come and visit us! I’m sure we could get some knitting done in the park (actually, I never tried it, but that’s quite a nice idea!)
:)
My electricity supply is about to go off for the day, so I don’t really have opportunity to make a thoughtful post here. I’d like to recommend my island (Sanday, home of Orkney Angora yarn) as a place to visit; to be quiet, to contemplate, and to re-charge. But it is a long way out of the way – so here is an alternative much more accessible to you: Wanlockhead, if you don’t already know it, is the highest village in Scotland. It nestles high in the Lowther Hills of Dumfriesshire; boasts the Scottish Museum of Mining; sits right on the Southern Upland Way; is stunningly, stunnngly beautiful. Sheep roam free in the village. You can visit an old miner’s cottage and the miners’ library, even ride a wee train in the neighbouring village of Leadhills. If you like to walk, you can get up on the hill tops and literally walk all day without seeing another human being. A wonderful place to gain inspiration or recharge batteries. And just an hour’s drive away from Auld Reekie – with the opportunity to stop off for a home-made ice cream in Biggar on the way home. Or drive on down the Mennock Pass (stunning) from Wanlockhead for just a few miles, to pay knitter’s homage in the nearby town of Sanquhar.
I’ll throw in a film too: The Draughtsman’s Contract or The Belly of an Architect – heck, anything at all by Peter Greenaway!
Congratulations on the bloggiversary – and thank you for all the wonderful designs.
I just recently discovered your blog and now I am addicted!
My recommendations (I had so many so had to narrow it down):
Yarn: my lovely friend Felicia’s hand-dyed yarn, at SweetGeorgia Yarns (especially the yummy naturally dyed skeins);
Place: halfway up Mt. Kinabalu in Malaysia, at night, gazing down on a bowlful of stars;
Sight: St. Paul’s from the Millennium Bridge at about 7:30 a.m. (well, it depends on the time of year) with the morning sun on it;
Book: A Suitable Boy, by Vikram Seth. Despite the length, I have read it again, AND again, AND again….
Congratulations on your three-year anniversary!
Likewise I’m going to have to make a note of some of these – lots of ideas for holiday reads!
Congratulations on your Blog Birthday! For your 3 years, here are 3 of my favourite things:
1) Watching the albatrosses fly, off the coast of Taiaroa Head, New Zealand
2) The movie ‘Once’, starring Glen Hansard from The Frames. A story of how a heartbroken busker in Dublin meets a Czec girl who helps him get a little closer to fulfilling his dreams. The soundtrack is amazing too.
3) Josh Ritter – a wonderful singer songwriter, he & his band put on the most energetic & fun live shows I’ve ever witnessed, plus he’s one of the nicest guys ever. One of my favourite lyrics of his (from Thin Blue Flame) ‘Heaven’s so big there ain’t no need to look up’.
I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while, I’m a very novice knitter so I’m working up to feeling confident enough to try one of your patterns!!
Hmm.. mine are all books…
Anything by Tamora Pierce for teenage aimed fantasy fiction with great female characters. (Sure, they’re teenage/young adult books, but I still reread them from time to time)
Any thing by Laurell K Hamilton (raunchy detective fantasy/horror)
And I’ve just finished The Chocolate Run by Dorothy Koomson – a bit like run of the mill light chic lit, but much less vacuous, and also set outside of London – shockgasphorror! :D
A place: the Sir John Soane’s Museum in London.
A movie: the straight story, by David Lynch.
wow, you’ve got a lot of comments! happy three-years-blog – you deserve your success.
as for reccomendations, i say, watch Vertigo, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, if you haven’t already. Fabulous, fabulous. xoxox
I would recommend the movie ‘House of Sand and Fog’. It’s sad, but beautiful. There are a lot of great books out there – when I want to relax and read something light I usually turn to Alexander McCall Smith. On the more serious side, I loved Master and Margarita by Bulgakov. Or War and Peace by Tolstoy if you are looking for a long, epic saga.
I really enjoy reading your blog, looking at your lovely photographs and knitting your designs.
My recommendations are:
1. HV Mortons travel guides around Scotland and England that were written in the 1920′s and describe wonderfully the people and landscape of a bygone era.
2. Walking amongst the ancient Oak trees in Sherwood Forest.
3. Motherhood and the feeling I get when my baby boy smiles at me when he wakes up.
I wish you every success with your design career!
I recommend Filatura di Crosa “Superior” just to feel it, not even to knit with.
Film: Twelve Angry Men – makes you think.
Love what you do :)
As others have said, The Time Traveller’s Wife is the most wonderful love story. I recently read Halting State by Charles Stross, it’s SF set mostly in Edinburgh with a bit of Glasgow and is very funny. Also, A Door Into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski is an SF book about pacifism, it’d truly amazing.
It’s a very long time since I’ve been but Kellie Castle is wonderful and reasonably close to you to visit. If you’re ever in Wales then Carreg Cenin and Castell Coch are two very different castles that are well worth visiting. Finally, if you’re ever in Brittany then Rochefort en Terre is a beautiful place and also happens to be where one of my favourite artists, Eric B. (forgotten his last name, bugger) has his gallery.
I love your blog, it always makes me happy to read.
I used to live in Edinburgh and my favoriet “secret” place is Doctor Neils Garden in Duddingston. It’s an old patch of waste land by Duddingston Loch, that was turned into a private garden over 20 years ago by two Edinburgh doctors. It’s now run by a trust and open to the public, but not many people seem aware thats it’s there. You may have seen it, it’s the piece of land with the old curling tower on it and its full of old pine trees and intresting plants. It’s a great spot to sit and relax.
To make a day of it I’d get up and walk over Aurthurs Seat in the morning, head down the far side into Duddingston (going via the exelent climbing frame on the sports ground). Stop and have lunch in the Sheeps Heid Inn(Edinburghs oldest public house), which does great food, ale and has a skittle alley. Explore round the village and then head to the Doctors garden. To find it you walk to the church by the loch and go through the gates of the manse next door. It feels like your walking into someones private garden, but if you turn right there’s a path that leads to a village garden with a gate at the end which takes you into the doctors garden by the loch. Enterance into the garden is free, they do accept donations, and normally the gates are unlocked. Have fun pottering around, then walk round the loch and head home via the Innocent Railway. (I’ve written this on the assumption you live on the Newington side of Aurthurs Seat).
Enjoy your blogiversary.
Recent films I enjoyed at my local independent cinema:
Persepolis, a mainly black’n'white cartoon based on a graphic novel about a girl growing up in Iran. Utterly amazing, and really funny (plus: educational).
Happy-go-lucky: I spent the first half of this film angrily whispering to Mr Bee “is there going to be a plot? When is the plot going to start?”, but by the end I didn’t want the film to finish! A British film set in London.
(I also went to see Indy IV there, but I’m not sure I would recommend spending money on that ;) )
Happy third blogiversary! My suggestions –
- a lemon sorbet thickshake on a warm summer’s day, yum!
- Tim Tams, the defiinition of heaven in a biscuit ;-)
- falling asleep while listening to the sound of rain on a tin roof.
- watching a glorious sunrise and savouring the peace and quiet, while the birds start to wake and break the stillness with their calls.
Thank you for all the time and effort you put into your blog – it’s a joy to read. Best wishes for the continued success of your business!
Congrats! I would say be sure to check out the book The Time Travelers Wife.
*delurk*
Read: Love in the Time of Cholera. I know it’s just been made into a film (though I missed the two nights it was at our local independent cinema) but the book was one I’ve loved since I was 15 or so. My comfort reads are Diana Wynne Jones (like Elly, I still love ‘children’s books’) or Jasper Fforde – if you’ve never picked up The Eyre Affair, go borrow it!
Listen to: The Wild Colonials: This Can’t Be Life. Wiki describes it as jazz-rock, which makes a sort of sense. I was lent a CD by my US flatmate in my first year at uni, along with Peppermint Sampler #2 (which I would also reccomend). This being ’99, I taped them, and only tracked them down years later.
Go to the stone shops in Edinburgh (or anywhere) and run your fingers over the smooth polished gemstones. Make chocolate chip ginger nuts or white chocolate brownies. Pick up some Lavender incense from Oxfam’s One Village range and burn it on a long, drifting summer evening. Grow purple sprouting broccoli for next year and steam it gently, or throw it into just about anything.
Just watch this “must-have-seen” film: LAWN DOGS. it’s from the 90′s, but it’s never out of time and you will never ever see such an impressive, heart-turning, crazy and “eyes wide open” story like this!
Thanx for all the inspiration on your blog!!!
Just thought of something else:
Ice-cream from Luca’s in Musselburgh
My favourite flavour is Stawberry…Yum!
oh my goodness! when I looked on here this morning before work there were 2 comments. I thought I’d reflect on the question today and add my comment this evening! I am finding it difficult to pin point one or two things. Books there are many that are beautiful and leave a lasting impression- one that springs to mind is Immortality by Milan Kundera. Anything by him has been worth reading. 100 years of solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (also wrote Love in the time of cholera) is beautiful too.
A warm, funny, visually lovely film worth watching is “My family and other animals” based on the book of the same title.
Jon McGregor’s So Many Ways to Begin, and, particularly his first novel If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things. Small, beautiful books that nestle into your heart. Asakusa restaurant in Mornington Crescent next time you’re in London, and Maison Bertaux on Greek Street if you’re in search of tea and cake and feeling extravagant. I’m sure you’ve seen it, but Princess Mononoke is one of my favourite films; Twelve Angry Men is good too.
Happy blogiversary, and many happy returns!
It’s been almost two years that i read you and i love all what you’ve done!
My recommendations:
Alela Diane with the album The Pirate Gospel and Mariee Sioux with Faces in the rocks , both american folk singer and maybe if you don’t already know this other one Joanna Newsome.
A place to see, the Ventoux mount in provence with Avignon and the Palais of the Popes. =) You will be welcome!
A movie to see, any of Stanley Kubrick, or maybe a Gus Van Sant one, paranoid park if you haven’t seen.
Happy Blog Anniversary!!
Happy 3rd blog birthday! All of us are so glad that you decided to start this blog so thank you too.
Recently I read Frances Mayes “A Year in the World” and found it to be as delicious as a good piece of chocolate.
One thing that I almost missed and was glad that that someone loaned it to me was the TV show Flight of the Concords. Those two guys from New Zealand made me laugh so hard with their own brand of humor.
Congratulations! I love everyone’s suggestions…
I recommend:
A book: Carson McCullers, “The Ballad of the Sad Cafe”
A film: Wim Wenders, “Wings of Desire”
A place: Machu Picchu, Peru.
Did you ever watch Pan’s Labyrinth? That’s another movie that has amazing, almost fantasy-ish cinematography.
And I second the vote from Flight of the Conchords above. Brilliantly funny.
Awesome places/ things:
1. Mendocino, California (Mendocino Yarn Company)
2. The show “Firefly”
3. The movie “I was a male war bride”
4. Books by Barbara Tuchman, especially “A Distant Mirror: the calamitous fourteenth century”
A book: In Parenthesis by David Jones. It’s a beautiful and moving book about a Welsh regiment in the First World War.
Happy third birthday!
As you are so crafty and love all the little things that make life, you should watch the Science of sleep by Michel Gondry. Not really for the story in itself but for the imaginary world created by the characters : dreamy worlds, the little objects and animals made by the main character in her little studio, the differents textures and materials used in the film. It reminds you have to enjoy life for all the teeny tiny things and that you have to enjoy the crazy world you have in your head!
There is one other thing that upset my world a couple of months ago : the first Cd of the Guillemots Through the windowpane. A mind-blowing album that just breaks your heart.
Anyway thank you for all the blog posts, all the nice glimpses of your life in Scotland. All the best.
Congratulations on reaching 3 years! I didn’t read all the entries above, so I’m sorry if any of these are duplicated. Here are three of my favourite things…
film: the squid and the whale
book: the snow geese, william fiennes
music: iron and wine
I’m coming to Edinburgh for a day next week, to decide whether to take up the offer of a place there for a masters…if you know of any treasures of the city that I wouldn’t find otherwise, please do let me know!
Hi, and happy blogiversary! I’m a fairly new knitter and happened across your blog by accident, but now read avidly.
I would recommend an absolute treasure of a read called ‘The Death and Life of Charlie St-Cloud’ by Ben Sherwood. Its an amazing novel of love, life and death – a real tearjerker, but one that really makes you think, all the same.
Enjoy,
Suzanne x
Happy blogiversary for yesterday!
Okay, a little gems that I have found lately:
Book: Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale (I was captivated)
Film: Atonement (probably best if you haven’t read the book)
Music: Alphabeat (I defy you not to smile and dance at their songs)
I also would have suggested the Shakeaway milkshake shop but there aren’t any in Scotland yet. They are fab.
Happy 3rd blogiversary!!!
Books-Twilight by Stephine Meyer
Movie-Manna From Heven
Congrats!
A French film: The Hairdresser’s Husband, directed by Patrice Leconte is the story of a love affair that is too good to last.
Happy birthday to your blog! I have enjoyed reading it and seeing you evolve from a student to a fully-fledged designer.
Happy Blogiversary! I am de lurking because it’s worth it for a competition :)
Obvious, but I’m going to recommend my yarn!
Congrats!
My suggestion is a simple pleasure but delicious treasure: bite each end off a twix and use it as a straw to drink your tea ;o) Be sure to eat the twix quick! Yum.
To read: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
To watch: Say Anything
To listen: Jens Lekman, “The Opposite of Hallelujah”
To visit: Rome, Italy …
To drink: Acai green tea
Happy blogaversary!
Thank YOU Ysolda – my little boy loves Elijah beyond all other toys. I love your blog. I hanker to live in Edinburgh.
Movie: Pan’s Labyrinth
Place to visit: Knoydart Peninsula on the W Coast of Scotland. We honeymooned at Doone which was fantastic.
Book: I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
I think you would adore this website:
http://notionnanny.net/
…I know you didn’t say websites, but this one is especially wonderful to a travelling crafter.
I also think that if you haven’t already seen I capture the castle, You me and everyone we know, little miss sunshine or the shipping news, you need to put those movies on your rental list quickly!
Books that have changed my life: Inventory by Christine Hill, 101 Experiments in the philosophy of everyday living by Roger Pol Droit, knitted gardens by Jan Messent and Art Objects: essays in ecstasy and effrontery, by Jeanette Winterson.
If you haven’t ever visited the small town of Glastonbury, you must go.
And if you haven’t knit with Wensleydale from the farm of Julia Desch, or the lovely hand-dyed stuff sold by Oxford Kitchen Yarns, then you must try both.
Also, you need to spend an afternoon in Prick Your Finger; it is the best yarn store I’ve ever been in. Expensive, but all the yarns come from small, independent suppliers and are of an excellent quality.
Finally, I love the designs from Domestic Bliss; it is a tea-towel range featuring prints from old, old recipe books.
http://www.juliehaslam.co.uk/domestic%20bliss.htm
beautiful.
Good luck treasure-hunting!
Hello. Happy Blogiversary!
I recommend the following:
- Beignet: Lovely and tasty. Good with coffee or hot chocolate.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beignet)
-Calke Abbey in Derbyshire: An amazing snapshot of history. It’s like it’s frozen in time.(http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-calkeabbey/)
-The Hoh Rainforest in Washington State (my home) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoh_Rain_Forest)
- The X-Files (my best show)
-The Green Wing (my second best show)
- Pan’s Labyrinth (the film)
I’m sure you’ve heard of the last 3. :) But I recommend them anyway. I’ve loads of books to recommend you but since you’re a lit. major I doubt there’s any point in mentioning them. :) (You’ll know books better than I will!)
(I just found out that I missed you at the sleepover at Socktopus Alice’s. I didn’t know you were staying over. I was trying to move house that weekend…)
First recommendation – a children’s book which never fails to lift the mood: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
Second recommendation – a proper “grown up” book: Kawabata’s Snow County. Extremely evocative and beautifully written.
Thanks for designing such beautiful things and happy blogversary!
The most sad and funny film I’ve ever seen, from my favourite filmer Isabel Coixet: My life without me.
http://www.clubcultura.com/clubcine/clubcineastas/isabelcoixet/filmes4.htm
Every person needs some times a candy…
Happy blogiversary!
Happy three year!
I absolutely love the book Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.
Crumbs, you’ll have no time for anything else if you follow up all these suggestions! Happy bloggiversary, my dear. I’d recommend the treasure of a film, “Cave of the Yellow Dog”, which I recently rented on DVD and will probably have to buy. And Venice in October is a delight, as is the ice cream there… Or a visit to Perche No! in Florence, where the ice cream is ecstacy.
Happy Blogiversary!
Watch: Les Choristes (The Chorus)–a wonderful touching French film about a man who goes to work as a teacher at a school for troubled boys, and how he changes their lives through music.
Read: There are a couple of authors who have written literature for younger readers, but whose books I still love, despite having grown into an adult. If you want an escape from the adult world, try (1) Mandy, by Julie Edwards (a little girl at an orphanage who finds secret refuge in a tiny deserted cottage hidden in the forest); (2) anything by Elizabeth Enright–my favorites: Gone Away Lake (Two children discover the remains of a lake long since dried up and forgotten, the ruins of once-elegant homes that stood along its shore . . . and two fascinating old people who remember the glory years), and The Four Story Mistake (tale of four siblings living with their father and a housekeeper in a big, rambling house in the country and the adventures they have discovering the secrets of the house).
Take a trip down Highway 1 in California.
Go up to the roof terrace of the Museum of Scotland for a great view of Edinburgh.
Watch the cricket down at Grange on a sunny afternoon.
If you have the opportunity to see the movie The Fall, I would very strongly recommend you do. It’s amazingly beautiful visually, the acting is so very wonderful, and it’s a cleverly told story.
Congrats on such a wonderful blog and thank you for so many beautiful patterns!
My recommendation is a film called Stranger Than Fiction. It stars Will Ferrell, but not as you know him, Emma Thomson and Maggie Gyllenhaal, and it is just wonderful.
It also has one of the greatest quotes ever:
‘I just though if I was going to change the world, I would do it with cookies’.
Wow, so many comments already.. I didn’t read them all so many other people recommeded it already but since you took up spinning lately (just like me) I’d recommend that book which I really enjoyed reading :
“Spinning in the Old Way: How (And Why) to Make Your Own Yarn With a High-whorl Handspindle”, by de Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts.
And happy Blogiversary ! :-)
I, too, would recommend ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’. And Diana Gabaldon (ripping good yarns)
Books:
Stephanie Meyer has written the Twilight trilogy (very page turning, made for some late nights) and her most recent book, ‘The Host’ (finished it last night) http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/thehost.html had the same laugh out loud/sobbing too hard to read effect on me as ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’.
Also, ‘The Historian’ by Elizabeth Kostova. Kind of a Dracula story. Delightful, kept me entertained for ten hours waiting in the KL airport.
Music:
Eddie Vedder singing No, Woman, No Cry (and then the look on his face at about 1.19 after he has led the audience in a kind of massed choir performance of betterman, beautiful)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXXxYrK_XT0
The Cat Empire (I am pretty sure I love the music, not just the main singer (0.46))
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtFxo4mpiKg
Guy Davis, I have seen him play live several times, a youtube clip does not carry quite the same ‘phwoar’ but still good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3pakynn8aQ
I’ve loved reading your blog.
Happy Blogaversary!!
I recommend a movie called Shinobi. It’s so amazing…anime but real life! For a food, Tom Yum Goong, a Thai soup. It’s spicy, sweet, sour and so addictive!
Wow!! Three years that is brilliant! I am so chuffed for you!!
Film/TV: Mysterious Cities of Gold – Buy it now – awesome, and just as good as an adult as it was when you were a kid!
Food: Lempers from Indonesia, The most delightfull thing you will ever eat, sweet aromatic center covered in sticky coconut rice.
Thing to see: Giant Buddah on Lantau (Hong Kong) a must in every life!!
Happy anniversary!
Reccomendations:
blog: http://www.book-by-its-cover.com/
music: Regina Spektor; Fats Waller
books: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman; Pija Lindenbaum’s picture books (especially Bridget series); Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (I think he’s been translated to English)
food: Swedish apple pie with almonds to celebrate! ^^
I’ll add my two-cents worth…
If you didn’t read it for your uni course (I’m a fellow English Lit graduate), I would really recommend ‘A Farewell to Arms’, by Ernest Hemingway – big issues, beautiful, heart-breakingly sad.
For a film, my recommendation somehow slipped under the British radar despite some famous actors (Bill Murray, Angelica Houston, Cate Blanchett) – it came out a few years ago, again is beautiful, whimsical, ever unexpected, very well acted and with a magical ending – it’s called ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’ – go rent it now!
Happy bloggiversary, I hope there will be many more!
Happy, Happy blog-birthday! I lurk here all the time and do so enjoy reading about your adventures in knitting and life. I have yet to knit one of your patterns, but there are several in the mental queue. :-)
My movie recommendation: Strictly Ballroom by Baz Luhrmann, the director of Moulin Rouge. Wild and wonderful with a great message.
I wouldn’t dare recommend a film to someone who knows about these things, and you are a blonde Amelie anyway! Book: “Sew What Skirts” because I haven’t seen much sewing round your blog recently and I just know this would spur you on to a collection of inspired skirts! And Oxygen footbed mules (ebay shop) – because they are uttely comfortable and funky and show off handknitted socks. And Etsy shop “alittlegoodness” for Japanese stamps / fabric / patterns.
Enjoy!
Happy blogversary! I really enjoy your work.
Here are my recommendations:
A film: I recently saw “The Life of Others” about a playwriter and the Stasi in East Germany. It is a great film and I was really touched by the humanity in the main character. But I must say that my preferred one remains “Amelie”.
A Play: “The Northern Lights” by Philip Pullman adapted by the National Theatre in London. I saw it in 2005 and if they ever do it again, I’d highly recommend!
A Place to visit: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
My absolute favorite beach: Pinel Island (St. Marteen)
Favorite knit shirts: American Apparel (but they run a size small)
Favorite chain sub/sandwich place: Jimmy Johns
Congrats on all of your succes over the last 3 years!
Experience Australia, and knit your way across the Nullarbor.
Congrats on three years!
Letsee…
A Film: Cactus Flower – it’s based on a French play but set in late 1960s New York. It’s great, if a bit bonkers.
A Book: 84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff. Delightful.
A Band: Cake. Or The Sea and Cake, depending on your musical tastes. :)
A Place: Laguna Beach, California. My favorite place in the world.
Happy Anniversary.
Came across your blog recently and have become hooked. Having lived close to N.Berwick many years ago it was a nice visit home. Keep up the good work and for allowing me a little trip home to the city of my birth :)
favorite movie: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and The Belles of St Trinians
favorite tv series: the Agatha Christie adaptations with Joan Hickson
Congrats, and thank you!
-see: Rashomon (I think you can get it free on Google videos, it’s Japanese and they have some legislation that keeps books, movies, etc free to the public)
-read: Dante’s Purgatory (not Inferno! Or rather, in addition to)
-know: the Latin root of the word ‘consider’ literally means ‘to be with the stars’. (Maybe that’s not a suggestion, but it makes me grin, so I thought I’d share)
Wow I can never believe how the commenters come out of the woodwork for a contest!
My recommendation: a Book …”How the Scots invented the Modern World – the True Story of How Western Europe’s Poorest Nation Created our World and Everything In It.
I’m of the Fraser Clan by birth. I found this to be such an affirming read about my Scottish heritage of which I was already proud!
Happy 3rd anniversary! I would recommened reading the book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. A wonderful book written with a great sense of humor. Nothing like a contest to get people out of the closet!
Congratulations on 3 years! I love all of your designs and check your blog daily for updates. Here are a few things you may be interested in:
Movie – Little Women (Wionna Ryder) I cry every time I watch it.
TV – Gilmore Girls (now canceled, but on DVD) I love how quirky and fun the show is.
Check out http://www.magnoliapearl.com This designer has created very beautiful and original handbags and clothing. I have 3 and carry one every day. They are made of antique jewelry and fabrics. They are just beautiful.
Thanks for your time, I look forward to more of your creative designs. If I lived in your area I would most definitely be at each one of your classes!
Cassie – Texas
Congratulations, three years is a lot!
I don’t know, you probably already heard of “The Artist’s Way”, a book by Julia Cameron about creativity. It really changed my life.
Happy blogiversary!
There’s one film I try to see at least once a decade and that’s Now Voyager! It’s just so utterly romantic and I love it even though I’m far from an utterly romantic sort of person.
Lemon drizzle cake and a nice cup of Earl Grey tea would make an even better perfect afternoon in.
A perfect afternoon out is fish and chips in Whitby!
Happy blogiversary!
One of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had was standing in a field on a chilly September night, far away from city lights, admiring the way the Milky Way curled across the sky. (A cosy sweater and a cup of tea afterwards are a nice additions.)
a treasure you are missing is reading the book You’re Not You by Michelle Widgen. well, reading any book for pleasure, that is. so do find a lovely book to sit with in your favorite nook with a sweet snack and enjoy some quiet time immersing yourself in another world.
Hmmm….. I have a few film recomendations:
Children of Men — amazing
Idiocracy — ridiculous and hilarious
Before the Devil Knows your Dead — heartbreakingly good
Happy blog anniversary … thank you for inspiring me and designing so many fabulous knits for us. xxx
Grow fresh basil, its a lovely small, tasty on pasta and brings a little outdoors into the kitchen.
If you are ever in Washington DC, you shouldn’t miss Kramer Books. It’s a bookstore, cafe, and even sometimes has live music.
Happy blogaversary!
This is fun! You must see the movie, Once. It is a little independent film that received all kinds of acclaim. The song, Falling Slowly won an Academy Award for best song from a movie. The movie is a love story, full of music. It’s the best! I would recommend the book, The Book Thief. You will not be disappointed!
I recommend food from singaporean street hawkers! Think really tasty curries, sticky peranakan sweets, amazingly cheap and fresh seafood, comforting soups, addictive pastries .. every dish is awesome :-D
I think you should read the children’s story, “The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip” by George Saunders, illustrated by Lane Smith.
And I think my T-shirt yarn in my etsy shop is pretty awesome too. (www.mklawrie.etsy.com)
Ok, a few things.
TV – If you haven’t already, you should definitely watch Invader Zim.
Music – Tiny Dancers, you can find them on Youtube.
Places – If you haven’t been to project Eden, I definitely recommend it. Its not THAT far…. well not as far as Canada, and my favourite part there was the dyes garden, which made me want to grow my own madder and indigo.
Places (again) Clovelly in Cornwall (or Devon, not sure) is a very tiny little place that you could visit on the way to Eden…..
Happy Blogiversary!
If you haven’t read it already, I highly suggest “Fire in the Blood” by Irene Nemirovsky. It is a beautiful, surprising book.
Happy blogiversary. A film that I love is the Kite Runner, the book is excellent too.
A real treasure is a lavender sachet under your pillow so that it soothes you when you go to sleep at night.
I must recommend the designs of Helga Isager. She’s the daugther of Marianne Isager, which some may know outside Denmark. She runs the tiny firm Amimono. Check her out on http://www.amimono.dk.
Love your blog :o)
Happy 3rd blogging birthday!
Here’s my list:
1) Movie – “Baraka”
2) Book – “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho
3) Food – Greek avgolemono (egg-lemon) soup
Enjoy!
I have enjoyed reading your blog over the last year. Keep up the entertainment! I get some daily amusement ouf of the shoebox blog… Its my little daily treasure! http://tinylittledivision.blogspot.com/
Happy 3rd Blogiversary!
My favourite movie for general, girly indulgence is “Strictly Ballroom.”
happy blogaversary
Have you ever read any of Charles de Lints books? urban fantasy and they suck you right in to the pages.
Also have you tried any of the recipes from the Cranks recipe books? Veggie but yummy
I’d like to recommend the movie ‘Crash’ – it’s a very moving film that really illustrates the connections between us all, many of which we’re not even aware of.
Happy blogiversary!
Happy blog birthday! And this is a gorgeous idea.
My hidden gems mostly relate to London, which may not be all that helpful to you, but should you ever find yourself in town this way, one of my favourite central-but-surprisingly-unused bar for meeting people or just having a coffee is the bar at the side of the National Gallery. It’s a restaurant too (and isn’t the cafe, don’t be fooled) but has a lovely quiet bar that never gets full.
Hi, I’m a fairly new reader, but I enjoy your updates! I would recommend the US TV series Everwood. It’s a great show about how a family makes a new life for themselves after a tragedy — lots of family dynamics set in a fun, quirky, supportive community.
reading any book by nick bantock is something you should not miss out on. i recommend museum at purgatory.
a little mazzy star for music.
and a date watching breakfast at tiffany’s which is always lovely.
Happy 3rd birthday!
Movie: Betty Blue
Book: The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson
Place: Dorset UK
Food: Organic tomatoes with feta cheese, fresh basil, olive oil and a bit of salt ‘n pepper
Congrats on 3 years in blogland!
I have nothing to suggest!! The other recommendations are wonderful. I really like your life as it’s presented! You’re creative and free-spirited… you already have more than most people. I love your blog!
I am from Warrensburg, MO in the US. I only began knitting in March, thanks to a wonderful friend that thought I might like to try, and now I am hooked! I found your website by accident and love it! Wish you weren’t so far away! Would love to visit your store! It may be to late, but I would recommend reading a book by Jodi Picoult. The last one I read was “My Sister’s Keeper”. Picoult really makes you think about everyone in the stories side of life. I loved it. I love your designs and the colors you use and can’t wait to try some of them! Happy Blogiversary!
My favorite treasure is butter tarts..to my knowledge only widely available in Canada, they are a special treat that non-natives here simply must try!
I would recommend that you learn to dance. For me it was the tango and there is a great tango scene in Edinburgh including Saturday afternoon tea dances that are worth attending if only to watch. Happy blog birthday.
Happy Blogiversary!
I recent treasure I have re-discovered and my boyf discovered for the first time is US teen drama My So-Called Life. I was originally aired in ’95 and stars Clare Danes and Jared Leto. It totally encompasses the teen angst of that time, and looking back the ‘grunge’ fashions of the time is pretty cool too. Beware is was axed after one series and therefore has no real conclusion, something which managed to bug my boyf for about 3 days after watching the last episode.
If you are ever in California, please visit the town of Santa Cruz. It’s my heart and soul. I now live in Chicago, but I miss my home dearly.
Visit the Literary Guillotine bookstore, eat a veggie burrito at Planet Fresh, walk along the beach on East Cliff Drive in Live Oak, have some Marianne’s Ice Cream or some salt water taffy, and if you’re there in the fall, visit Natural Bridges park and watch the air swarm with Monarch butterflies.
Read The Stone Raft by Jose Saramago
happy blogiversary! it’s hard for me to think about what treasure you might be missing out on except for the amazing lemon cloud cupcakes from the bakery across the street from me :) they are heaven in a cupcake. if you ever come to brooklyn i’ll be glad to treat you to one!
happy blogaversary!
i second recommendations for Invader Zim and Dead Like Me!
museums: People’s Palace in Glasgow, Decorative Arts Museum in Vienna, the Manggha museum of Japanese art and technology in Krakow
films:Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood For Love and the Japanese film After Life.
crafty stuff: Courage My Love in Kensington market in Toronto has great buttons, MarLen yarn- a small company in the Czech Republic, the cotton tape yarn is really comfortable and not expensive and they do textiles as well-there’s a store in the old town in Prague [and a great Afghan restaurant down the street!]
radio: The Vinyl Cafe on cbc radio[www.cbc.ca], they don’t have a listen again feature but they have a podcast.
I recommend “Flight of the Conchords” for a TV show, or CD if you are looking for a laugh. I just read “Into the Wild” which was a really interesting non-fiction book, and the movie was pretty good too.
Happy Blogiversary! I am going to recommend the blog Smitten Kitchen. http://smittenkitchen.com/
I don’t even cook much but this site makes me drool!
The Bloody Chamber and/or Burning Your Boats by Angela Carter, if you haven’t read them already.
Half Life by Shelly Jackson.
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn.
I recommend you read I Capture The Castle, or even watch the film. Its wonderful way to get in the mood for spring or summer. And the story is very captivating. Enjoy!
Place: the gardens of Inveresk Village, East Lothian.
Book: “The Pursuit of Love” by Nancy Mitford
Film: “The Enchanted April”
Happy Blog-Birthday!
Congratulations!
My recommendations are:
1) Movie: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (French film about the former editor of Elle magazine who becomes entirely paralyzed except for one eye; he writes an entire biographical account of his life and his illness by blinking his one good eye as an assistant recites the alphabet to him). Amazing!
2) Place: Batopilas, Mexcio. A small mining town at the bottom of the Copper Canyons. You take a train to Creel, all the while enjoying incredible views of the canyons, and then drive 4 hours downhill to Batopilas. Formerly a mining town, it now has 2,000 inhabitants, some small hotels and restaurants, and a beautiful central plaza where people go to hang out at night.
3) Music: Arcade Fire. An indie rock band from Quebec with a big, complex sound: they play horns, string instruments, even an organ as well as the more conventional rock instruments. Neon Bible is my favorite of their albums.
Sorry if you “know” about any of these things already.
1. South indian vegetarian cuisine–you can make it yourself too. This is amazing food much of which is vegan. Learn to make sambar and you will be happy. (and if you can do that, try your hand at the chutneys–mint-coconut, onion, tomato. eat them with everything. I like the cookbook Dakshin, but you can also search food blogs. Try http://www.cookerycorner.blogspot.com for starters.
2. The Japanese movie “After Life”.
3. The Russian movie “The Italian”.
4. The books written by Agatha Christie under the name “Mary Westmacott”. They are great–not exactly mysteries, but really cool studies in humanity.
(sorry if any of these are already suggested)
I recommend going to an onsen (hot springs) in the mountains of Japan – preferably an outdoor one in the wintertime. You’ll have to go in buck naked with all the other ladies, but it’s oh-so-worth-it in the end!
Happy Anniversary! I recommend Amazing Rare Things by David Attenborough, a book about the art of nature, full of the most wonderful, inspiring illustrations.
I recommend the 15-book manga series, “Maison Ikkoku”!!! It’s great – it’s about me! No, not really….
It’s about a university-aged woman who is a widow and goes to be the house manager of a boarding house that her FIL owns as she tries to recover. The boarding house is home to an assortment of wacky but endearing renters and she has many adventures and finally finds true love along the way. The first book makes you think it’s kind of racy, but its actually quite innocent and deep as you go on with it. And funny! and inspiring.
You need a perfectly shaped raku pot for your strait knitting needles :D Lucky for me my husband is a potter & provides me with all sorts of color and texture inspiration on a daily basis. Nothing I believe is more beautiful than the glazes achieved through raku firing! :D
Preita is definitely right about raku firing! I have a beautiful blue-green necklace which is raku fired, the colours are so deep.
A film which isn’t to be missed is the life of others (or Das Leben der Anderen), it was shortlisted on the BBC’s world cinema film thing last year, I think pan’s labyrinth won (which is also good, but not as good as the life of others!)
The CD by Jan Jelinek called loop-finding-jazz-records is amazing, its very soothing – http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=19770
Also, there is a mill in scotland called New Lanark (http://newlanarkshop.co.uk/) that produces very inexpensive organic aran and double knitting wool, I find it quite nice to knit with, although Im a student, so maybe the cheapness is also a factor!. (http://newlanarkshop.co.uk/)
Books: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, anything by Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke, and Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox
Movie: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Saint Ives- is is a delightful Regency romp that is perfect in every way. It includes the quote “Fine words butter no parsnips!”
Blog: http://www.endicottstudio.typepad.com/ – they’re actually shutting this down, but I recommend reading the archives and the Journal of Mythic Arts
Show: Firefly
Online Poetry Journal: Goblin Fruit
You’ve probably read it already (I’m a late comer ;) ) but “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” is a truely amazing book.
happy blogiversary! i recommend a little movie that i just watched the other day: lars and the real girl. it’s a totally charming little film with a bizarre plot line. it somehow completely works. and i love some of the sweaters in the film! :)
Book: Garden, Ashes by Danilio Kis
This exhibition is really interesting – Skin + Bones, Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture it’s on at the new Embankment Galleries in Somerset House, London.
This book has delicious food that I love and I hope you will too.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ottolenghi-Cookbook-Yotam/dp/0091922348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212768930&sr=8-1
From Éire, some treasures you might enjoy:
Historic Site – Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary
Film – ‘The Matchmaker’
Yarn – Original Kilcarra Donegal Tweed
All the best to you for many more blogging anniversaries.
It was tough but a must read jewel (for me at least) was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. If you ever get a change to read it, it’s one of my favourites!
Love your blog; lovely photos and projects. Have you read “The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency” series of books by Alexander McCall Smith. They are mysteries but have more to do with the main characters who are incredibly endearing.
Garden State. it’s an american indie film, so I doubt you’ve ever seen it. it’s a great “weird” film about growing up but a little too late. It’s really weird and funny and it makes you wonder why you never thought of that.
A musical recommendation:
Nina Nastasia
http://www.myspace.com/ninanastasia
Every springtime, I visit the local plant nurseries in search of some spectacular colors on the flowers. Once I find the one that “speaks” to me, that’s the one I’ll try to match to colors in my sock yarn stash (or buy for my local yarn shop if I actually don’t have the right colors), and then create a pair of socks for that spring’s flowers. Find yourself either an excellent nursery, or else your local park for the best flowers of this year’s spring.
I think you should check out the two artists Liselotte Eriksson (http://www.liselotteeriksson.com/) and Johanna Ost (http://johannaost.com/).
They are swedish artists who have great pictures, paintings, and drawings. Plus they have provided a lot of inspiration for me!
Congrats on 3 years!!
I think if I were going to pick one thing that has been really great for me in the past year it would be the book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.” I saw several blog posts mentioning it and borrowed it from my library. It was one of those “wow… I should do this” experiences for me. A fun, inspirational read.
the congress st bridge in austin texas. at dusk a horde of bats flies out from under. I lived near austin for 6 years and never got it together to go see them.
Band: Spoon
Website: http://www.cuteoverload.com (although I am sure you have heard of this one)
Restaurant: Dar Poeta in Rome (the best pizza of my life!)
TV show: Deadwood (if you not offended by lots of cursing, you will love this show) (this show was on HBO in the US, but I hope you can get a hold of it)
Movie: The Seven Beauties (a beautiful Italian comedy/tragedy about war–not to be missed!)
Movie: Away From Her (Julie Christie – sweet, sad)
Book: Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani
Totally Silly:
Wooly Bears – a weatherman here predicts how cold our winter will be by inspecting the width of the stripes of the Wooly Bear caterpiller here in Ohio, it’s the dangdest thing – he’s usually right!
jason anderson. singer/songwriter from the northeast of the US. wicked lyrics and music. perfect for walking around on a rainy day (or anything else for that matter). music just feels gray and soft, like cashmere. what a fun idea to look for treasures. cheers, julie
I have a few movie recommendations —
1. The Journey of Man — a documentary about one geneticist’s goal to trace the human family tree (it appears we’re all descended from a man who lived in Africa tens of thousands of years ago). It is FASCINATING and fun to watch.
2. Titus — the modern remake of Shakespeare’s play, starring Anthony Hopkins and directed by Julie Taymore. Ok, so some cannibalism is involved, but the sets and costumes are amazing. What I love is the mixture of styles and eras — it’s part ancient Roman, part mid-1900′s, part right now.
3. Le Dernier Combat — if you’re feeling in the mood for the whole black-and-white post-apocalyptic aesthetic, this is the movie to watch. It’s very slow-paced and there is no dialogue, but I couldn’t look away.
4. Sophie Scholl: The Final Days — powerful.
Happy 3rd blog birthday! I absolutely love reading your blog and can never wait to see what project you’re working on next. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world!
Happy 3rd blogiversary!! I love your designs :)
I would recommend Big Sur on the California coast. It’s a lovely, wild coastal region. Lots of hiking, lovely views. You can stay in a little eco-concious ‘resort’ called Treebones. It’s a bunch of yurts perched right on the edge of coast with absolutely amazing views of the Pacific in all directions. And, from December to about April you can catch some whale watching too!
And if you’re already out in the California neck of the woods, I would also recommend Yosemite National Park. It is without a doubt one of the most breathtaking places in the world.
Happy blogiversary! I haven’t been reading here long, but it’s just wonderful and hope it goes on for a long time. :)
~Book: anything and everything by David Sedaris (short stories that are hilarious and fabulous). Escape by Carolyn Jessop.
~Movie: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Some Like It Hot. Joyeux Noel. Whale Rider. The Wizard of Oz (which I’m sure you’ve seen, but it’s my all time favorite).
~Music: Rilo Kiley. Sondre Lerche. The Sea and Cake.
~Place: Reykjavik, Iceland (well, really all of Iceland, but Reykjavik is just wonderful). Northern Michigan, especially the upper peninsula.
Here’s to many more blogiversaries! :)
I don’t think I’ve ever commented before, so here’s to de-lurking. Congratulations on 3 years! Your work is very inspiring.
Food: Montreal bagels – hopefully you had a chance to try them while in Canada, but if not there’s a reason to go back. ;)
Film: Snow Cake – very interesting film about a man’s encounter with a high-functioning autistic woman (Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver)
Place: Tortuguero, Costa Rica – a beach where sea turtles nest and conservation researchers patrol the beaches in the middle of the night to collect data and deter poaching. Watching a turtle lay eggs is an interesting experience.
I think you would enjoy visiting New Orleans – your latest lace reminds me of New Orleans wrought iron.
http://www.inetours.com/New_Orleans/French_Quarter_Balcony.html
Congrats on your blog’s third birthday! I very much enjoy reading your blog, and have plans (and yarn) to start my first Ysolda sweater!
Japanese Knitting books. Lovely patterns, cute ideas. Some books with just stitch patterns, some with sweaters, some with accessories. This is my new obsession. The Knitting Elegance KAL blog site has links. If you order through YesAsia, shipping is free. Shipping through Amazon.com.jp is quite expensive.
Have you been to the Oregon Coast? I can’t narrow it down to just one town, it stretches along the entire state, and has everything. You can watch whales at Depot Bay, go to a cheesy casino in Lincoln City, boogie board almost anywhere, even find quiet, nearly empty places to rest, knit, or commune with nature.
I also love Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii, though at the moment, you might not want to go as the volcano is flowing.
I didn’t read through all of these so maybe this is taken . . . go see the Mountain Goats live. Even if you don’t like them, I think it’s worth seeing all the psychotic fans who know all the words to every song singing along.
And if you’ve never heard of them, then check them out. They’re huge in the States.
Congratulations on the 3 years! I know your blog is one that I check every day for an update because I love to see what you are working on and read what you have to say!
A knitting pattern! Everyone has tried it but I just finished mine and it was absolutely wonderful and fun to knit: Everlasting Bagstopper from Knitty. Again, everyone has tried it but I think that everyone should try it! Let’s hope for another 3 years and more!
And my favorite movies that I’ve seen recently: Amelie and Movie and Lyrics. I love love LOVE Amelie. It is so cute and quirky I instantly fell in love with it. Movie and Lyrics has Drew Barrymore in it and I just think she’s too cute for words.
Songs it would have to be “I’ve just seen a face” By the Beatles. It’s not one of their more popular ones but I love it and every time I hear it I just get happy and a big goofy smile on my face! And of course it gets stuck in my head for the rest of the day!
I’m de-lurking to wish you a happy third blogiversary! I’ve just recently discovered your designs, and I’m so glad you decided to share your talents with the rest of us. If you’re ever in the Boston area, you must go to Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream in Inman Square. They have some of the most fanciful flavors of ice cream and sorbet, including one (coconut butterfinger) that tastes just like summer to me.
Three years! Congratulations!
Something I discovered while stuck in Lisbon for 24 hours (a little adventure involving a missed flight, a checked wallet, and a castle): the Portuguese folk music called Fado. Beautiful, sad, addictive. In particular I recommend the album “Transparente” by Mariza. I listen to this CD over and over.
I have no idea if this would be interesting to you, but I love the Online Etymology Dictionary. It’s a great place to look when you find yourself wondering, “Where did that word come from, anyway?”
happy blog birthday.
books to read:
the lost lunar baedeker – mina loy
a tourist’s guide to glengarry – macgillis
the unbearable lightness of being – milan kundera
a film to see:
things you can tell just by looking at her
tv to see (if you find dumb boys funny):
kenny vs. spenny
Firstly I want to thank YOU for your wonderful patterns, especially Elijah, which I’ve just knitted and given to my 2-year-old nephew, who prefers to call him “Dumbos”
Secondly, I too loved City of Lost Children. Did you know all the costumes were designed by couturier Jean-Paul Gaultier?
My movie recommendation for you would be The Royal Tennenbaums which also has a lot of whimsy and quirkiness and a great soundtrack. Wings of Desire by Wim Wenders is amazing and poetic – my all-time favorite. Documentary-wise, there is a fabulous series called “First Person” by Errol Morris. Book: The Elephant Vanishes by Murakami. Music: I’m a sucker for Cat Stevens, so warm and energetic.
Happy 3rd blogiversary!
I am currently obsessed with Sia. You may have heard of her — I hear she’s big in the UK since she used to be in the band, Zero 7. She has a record out called “Some people have real problems” and it’s absolutely brilliant.
I also think everyone should read Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi.” So, if you haven’t read it yet, pick it up. It’s like reading an old fable, and that makes me really happy.
City of Lost Children is fabulous – I assume you’ve already seen Delicatessen, but if not, it’s worth watching.
Happy blogiversary to you! You’ve got such a good one, and it’s a pleasure to read.
OK, recommendations: I have really annoyingly exacting standards for books and movies, but there are two comedies I’ve really enjoyed in recent years that tend to get overlooked or poorly rated. One was The Last Shot, which is an absolutely absurd movie starring Alec Baldwin and Matthew Broderick, and the other was The Castle, which is an Australian film that precedes a lot of the self consciously sweet and awkward movies that followed by about a decade. It’s laugh out loud hilarious, though apparently it wasn’t widely distributed outside Australia. Bookwise, you can’t go wrong with James Baldwin. An English friend was asking me for recommendations of good American authors, and Baldwin topped my list. Beautiful prose strongly rooted in Biblical, lyrical language, and stories that really grab hold of a particular time and place in American history – the short story “Sonny’s Blues” is a good place to start.
And since I’m obsessed, I need to recommend Jens Lekman on the music front. His lyrics are as clever as those of someone like Elvis Costello, but much more pithy, and I just find most of his songs entirely delightful. Good live shows, too.
Bah, now I’m on a roll and want to recommend practically everything I like. I’ll stop now, as you’re sure to be overwhelmed by all the comments as is. Happy 3!
A very merry blog birthday to you!! I adore your blog so much.
treasures:
-the movie Silent Light, a beautifully made film about Mennonites who live in Mexico.
-the Peruvian and Bolivian mountainous countryside around Lake Titikaka
-a homemade alfajor — a Peruvian sandwich cookie made with cornstarch and flour, with manjarblanco (like dulce de leche) in the middle, dusted generously with powdered sugar. i can send you the recipe if you like!
i want to spend some more time reading through all these comments. what a wonderful collection of recommendations.
Happy Blogiversery! I discovered your blog at the beggining of the year and love reading it. I recommend Marley and Me by John Grogan. It’s a lovely book based on the real life of a dog and his family.
This series of comics documenting true stories from the china earthquake. Just a warning: it did make me cry.
Other comics: Sinfest, Friendly Hostility and its precursor Boy Meets Boy, xkcd and especially A Softer World.
TV shows: already mentioned, but Pushing Daisies and Wonderfalls are very uplifting. I also recommend Joss Whedon’s Firefly and Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip.
Poetry: Donne – The Undertaking.
Stories: if you haven’t read Gormenghast, I highly recommend it, the writing is so incredibly rich and full, and the characters are so wonderfully grotesque. And I don’t know if you’re into fanfiction at all, but even if you’re not you should check out The Shoebox Project – it’s a story with gorgeous illustrations and hilarious writing, told from Remus Lupin’s perspective when he was at Hogwarts. It really is astounding.
Yarn: Miss Babs anything, though I’m particularly fond of the sock yarn, which can be found at http://www.missbabs.com
Book: Lamb by Christopher Moore (and many of his other books)
Food: German Pancakes!
Band: The Dresden Dolls
I hope if you try any of these things you enjoy them! Happy 3rd year, and many more. :)
Hey Ysolda! Happy Blogiversary! I have 2 books to recommend that I really loved, and hope you will to!
1.Plain Truth by Jodie Picot
2.Somebody else’s children by Tori Hayden
So many good recommendations! Here are a few more.
Movies: The Apartment (Shirley MacLaine is gorgeous in this), Paper Moon
Bands: Headlights, Bishop Allen, The Spinto Band. Someone already mentioned the Mountain Goats, but I will second that recommendation. Amazing.
Books: America’s Best (anything) Recipes, from the America’s Test Kitchen people. I especially like Cover and Bake, or Best 30 Minute Recipes. Very good simple cooking.
Podcast: This American Life. I’m addicted, and a little bit in love with Ira Glass.
Congratulations with 3 years of blogging!
I really think you should visit the north of Norway now in the summer with the midnightsun :)
But I also recomend you to read His dark materials by Philip Pullmann.
Congratulations on 3 years! I’ve been reading for the past year or so, but never comment.
I really wanted to recommend Wonderfalls, the quirkiest tv show ever to get cancelled before it really had a chance, but it looks like it was never released in Region 2 DVDs. But if you can get your hands on it, watch!
Instead, I’ll recommend The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It just came to my attention recently that not everyone in the world has seen it, even though they should!
Book: The good faeries of New York
Food: well, German pancakes were mentioned, I offer Dutch pancakes with ice cream and strawberries.
Travelling by train through early morning Alps towards the South.
A Yemeni wedding.
Lying on the back in a potato field during a thunderstorm.
The first time haggis ;-)
And happy blogiversity!
Happy blogiversary!!
Have you ever read “The Red Tent” by Anita Diamante? She also wrote “The Last Days of Dogtown.” Both are fantastic reads.
Books: Lisa Wingate, especially her “Tending Roses” series. Light and heartwarming, yet draws you right in.
Podcasts: NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”, and Syne Mitchell’s WeaveCast
Thanks so much for a great 3 years!! I’ll have to come back and check out everyone else’s suggestions (boy, will you be busy for the next 3 years ;) ).
Congratulations! I do love reading your blog.
A place to visit: Arundel Castle – don’t bother with the stately-homey bit, the Keep and gardens are wonderful.
Food: pickled garlic. Mmmmmm
Happy birthday to the blog! I’m recommending three films, Cyrano de Bergerac (the 1990 version directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau), Character and Good Bye Lenin.
hello ysolda
i had exactly the same feeling when i was introduced to the City of lost children! (god bless the cool man in alphabet) When your next there try renting Harold and Maude. It’s superb
Keep up the good work!
Happy Birthday to your blog!!
I reccomend:
Eating fruit fresh off a tree.
Falling in love
Going to Germany and living like a princess in the historic castles.
I recommend – The Etsy shop Belle & Boo
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5108910
Some of the sweetest designs ever. I fell in love with the My Favorite Spot prints (girl in tree).
This blog is such an inspiration! I hope you’ll be around for many years.
My suggestion is the movie “Amelie”. It’s a great story with great humor and I think you would really enjoy the colors used throughout.
Thanks
The Giant’s Causeway in NIreland
Chanel No 5
I am from NI, but left 23 years ago and currently dwell in Nothern New Hampshire
The Causeway pops into my head frequently
Have a happy happy
I think you should check out the short and cancelled tv series, “Freaks and Geeks.” It’s one of the best stories I’ve ever seen about growing up and making meaningful friendships.
I need to come up with something no one else has…hmmm…I hope you have seen Firefly, because I think you would love it. I would recommend any of the books by Jasper Fforde if you have not read them. I just found this recipe for tofu croutons that sounds delicious.
So many comments!
Congrats on your anniversary! I’d like to recommend the book Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. I first read it in high school and it has resonated ever since. I think someone already mentioned it but the documentary Born into Brothels is beautiful. Best of luck in the coming years!
Susannah
I like your designs. I am jealous that I am not that talented. I have to follow a pattern line by line. There is this great local band that actually wrote the theme music for this season of Trading Spaces with Paige Davis. They are Kory and the Fireflies. Lots of fun to listen to and they donate some of the proceeds of some of their CD’s to different charities. How great is that. I would love to win some of your hand dyed yarn. Congrats on 3 years!
Book: “Einstein’s Dreams” by Alan Lightman (a fiction book about the dreams Einstein had while working on his theory of relativity…each chapter describes a dream about a different world in which time follows a different set of rules)
Yarn: Knit One Crochet Too Babyboo (if you’ve never tried it, it’s a bamboo/nylon blend with the loveliest sheen you’ve ever seen…and it’s cheap & machine washable!)
Etsy shop: LingGlass http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=3085 (a woman in Singapore who hand-makes beautiful stained glass jewelry)
Movie: the Nancy Drew movies from the 1930s, starring Bonita Granville (if you like old movies, these are totally cute, and each one is only about an hour long)
Beauty product: Burt’s Bees milk & honey lotion…it’s light & not greasy & smells like heaven
Happy blog-iversary!
Recommendations:
Films:
1) Kontroll – hungarian, filmed completely in the underground.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373981
2) Rocket Science
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477078/
Books:
1) Sunshine by Robin McKinley
2) I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith – I know this was already recommended above but I really enjoyed the book.
Music:
1) Wilco – I’m sure you already have listened to this band, but I cannot suggest them enough
2) Cat Power
Blogging can be surprisingly magical, can’t it? All the wonderful, unexpected things it brings into our lives? For my part, I’d like to point out this nearly perfect pair of novellas: The Hunters, by Claire Messud
Howl’s Moving Castle. Don’t know if you’ve already seen it, or if someone has already recommended it, but it honestly is one of the best movies to watch – when looking for something to keep me simultaneously entertained while knitting, I frequently turn to it as my standard backup if nothing else new is around!
i’ve been lurking awhile here — i have some music to recommend — beirut (www.beirutband.com) — their current album, the flying cup club, is fantastic, and they are from my part of the world.
For a book, I really like Out of Africa. For a movie I like Good-bye Lenin (which someone already mentioned).
I’ve only got one book to recommend but it affects us all on so many different levels. “Never Cry Wolf” by Farley Mowat.
I figured a Canadian author might get your attention admist the other recommendations!
Congrats on your Blogiversary! I’m really inspired by your creativity & always look forward to your new posts.
Movie: Run Lola Run
Food: A really simple summer desert…chunks of watermelon & bulgarian (or feta) cheese
Yarn: Big Cash by Zaol
City of Lost Children and Delicatessen are wonderful magical films…
Other great film (in my opinion) are: Brief Encounter (enchanting and old fasionned), Breaking the Waves (disturbing but with a dark beauty), and most recently Lost In Translation (a beautifully honest romantic story).
As for my favourite books… Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer, and the the Marlows series by Antonia Forest (if you can find them… only one is currently in print). These are all children’s books, but in my opinion a good children’s book is usually better writtten than most adult books.
And if you want to see loads of 1940′s knitwear, just watch Foyle’s War!
I recommend checking out http://www.101cookbooks.com for new recipe ideas.
Her triple chocolate espresso cookie recipe has won me more new friends than any other recipe in my arsenal. (I’m still amazed at the power of those ingredients.) I just tried her broccoli pesto recipe and HUZAH, another favorite.
(Love your blog. Happy 3rd!)
ok, if you’ve never read George Macdonald I highly recommend the books Phantastes and Lilith. There’s something magical and hidden treasure-ish about 19th century fantasy literature.
Happy Blogiversary!
Big Sur, California – I have never heard one person say that it is not extremely beautiful
The Royal Tennenbaums (movie) I just can’t help but watching over and over – some people really don’t like Wes Anderson movies because they’re a too bit quirky
And one of my favourite things to eat is so simple, but doesn’t seem to be the normal way to serve it in these parts, but it was really the only way we ate it – steamed asparagus and then you pour browned butter over it (put butter in pan, turn heat up to let it melt and get foamy and golden, pour over asparagus) SO GOOD. And the new grown up version is to add sage leaves to the butter right from the start so they get all delicious and crispy.
Happy blogiversary!
Have you seen the movie version of Clue? It’s very clever and a lot of fun.
I love “The City of Lost Children”! Here’s my movie recommendations, which seem to be on the same theme:
“Son of Rambow,” about a school bully who ropes a timid little boy raised in a strict religious sect into being the stuntman for his remake of “Rambo: First Blood.”
On the same theme: “Be Kind Rewind,” a piece of fluff with a scrawny plot about the employees of a video rental shop remaking movies with a cheap camera, but it so obviously loves movies and movie culture that it charmed the hell out of me. The director (Michel Gondry, who did “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “The Science of Sleep”) has a way with goofy, low-tech and sometimes completely gorgeous special effects, and it’s hilarious seeing their no-budget home versions of Hollywood blockbusters.
Happy Blogoversary to you!
I find your lovely little blog to be a hidden treasure. I am so glad I found it!
Hmmm…let’s see I think there is some gloriousness in the Oregon Coast, here in the west side of the US. I find myself drawn back there, whenever the mood suits me. Which seems to be all the time! *sigh*
~Kalurah Hudson
whiletheyplay.com
whiletheyplay.etsy.com
One of my favourite writers is Lorrie Moore, in particular ‘Anagrams’ and ‘Birds of America’, I cannot praise her highly enough. Also wonderful is Armistead Maupin’s ‘Tales of the City’ series set in San Francisco.
Love your blog, I find your designs very inspirational. I wish you continued success!
Movie: Wristcutters, A Love Story
OK, I know it sounds grusome, but it’s actually incredibly cool, set in a very strange “afterlife”. With Patrick Fugit and music by Gogol Bordello. Which I suppose is a band recommendation. Gypsy punk rock!
Anyways. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477139/
I would have to say the movies “the science of sleep” and “A long engagement”.
Thank you so much for three years of blogging and I hope you will still be enjoying it three years from now.
I am currently reading ‘Family Pictures’ by Sue Miller and I think it is beautifully written. For food: Strawberries with cream.
I’m in the process of getting my first sock pattern test knitted, and I’d love for it to be published in The Inside Loop.
You are definitely one talented lady, I love your patterns and I’m knitting Briar Rose at the moment.
Three things that make my life sweeter are:
1. Drinking tea out of hand made ceramics, especially out of a Japanese tea bowl called a yunomi.
2. The Black and White classic film Brief Encounter which I’d recommend to anyone to watch, with a large box of chocolates and a huge box of tissues.
I don’t think I could recommend any yarn, just because I have a feeling you have a much wider array of yarn.
As for books and movies, I can try there. The first movie I recommend is Sophie Scholl: The Final Days. It’s a German film that came out a few years ago and is staggering in its excellence.
My favorite book is The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. It’s amazing.
Thank you!
Visit Brighton Pavilion. An incredible building with the most lavish, opulent and eccentric interior I’ve ever seen (the rest of Brighton’s pretty cool too!!)
Drink Montezuma’s Omacatl Dos (dark chocolate drink with a hint of chilli. Heaven in a cup!!
Congratulations on your 3rd blog-birthday!
Well, your contest is great enticement to come out from the lurkersphere! Judging by your pattern names, you like Neil Gaiman and fairy tales, so I’m suggesting the following:
Read: The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly (he’s Irish, but don’t let that keep you from a great read :-)
Listen: Dead Can Dance, the Serpent’s Egg (great band, now defunct unfortunately, but wonderful knitting music – also good for cooking and cleaning house)
Watch: 3 great old movies – King of Hearts with Alan Bates; Gregory’s Girl (scottish, like you, but before your time I’m betting :-); The Lion in Winter (Kate Hepburn as Elinor of Acquitaine and Peter O’Toole as Henry IV (or V – at any rate, her husband) – fabulous performances all round.
Love your blog and can’t wait until I’m a good enough knitter to knit your patterns!
Observatory Mansions by Edward Carey
(it is my goal to have everyone read this book as it is one of the most weirdly beautiful books out there)
I have no idea if this reaches the time limit, but I will recommend some things anyway. :)
Films:
- Garden State (cute an weird)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (cute and weird, too)
- Princess Bride (a funny fantasy film)
Food:
- Green tea with mint
- Jamie Olivers dark chocolate cake. I haven’t got the recipe here right now, but it is absolutely fantastic.
- Fried polenta with tomato sauce
I couldn’t restrain myself to only one thing, and I could not miss out on the opportunity to recommend (talk about) things I like. :p
The Christmas Eve Carol Service in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge – not the one on telly, that’s filmed ages before but the one that goes out on the radio.
If you ever get a chance to come down, the queue starts early in the morning for seats and to hear music in there is simply bliss. It’ll be the biggest thing I miss when I graduate in a few weeks!
what a cool idea, i’m definitely coming back to check out all the recs (no time to do that properly at work you know).
one of my very favorite things is the windsor jambs (http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/river/images/wildscenic_windsorjambs_lg.jpg), a hidden waterfall in western massachusetts. we went there almost every year as kids to hike up through the falls (although we never figured out what a jamb was).
and something very cool is the faeryknitting podcast, a faery tale, garden and yarn talk! and twilighttales.blogspot.com has awesome whimsical stories.
oh, and jonathan coulton (or something like that) has some funny turn the tables music. i like skullcrusher mountain and your brains :)
enjoy!
My favourite gallery is the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. The building is a converted old fashioned grand train station, the art collection is stunning and the ‘tea room’ is the most beautiful ornate painted and gilded setting in which to sip tea and nibble pastries.
Oh… and they have a statue of a polar bear carved in white marble that Otto would love to meet.
This is really cool: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/22/scope.project/
Sadly, I’m unlikely to get to London in time to see it.
Music wise, I’m really liking Empires and they’re giving their album away for free right now: http://www.weareempires.com/
Here’s to another 3 years!
You should definitely read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Great book!
The Musée Nissim de Camondo in Paris– it is frozen in time, and the story of the family who lived there is most poignant.
Movie : “The Lives of Others”.
Music : Jeff Buckley’s “Grace” album. One of my desert island discs.
And thank you, I enjoy stopping by and seeing what you’re up to!
Happy Bloganniversary! To eat, I recommend making a Pavlova cake. To watch, I recommend the mini series Rome, to listen, I recommend a classic, Dave Brubeck and to read, I recommend another classic – Great Expectations. Thanks for your blog. It’s been a pleasure to read!
Have you seen PS I love you or read the book? Both bring me to tears!
Maybe give shopping on Etsy.com a chance? I’m totally addicted. Some people make some pretty cool stuff!
Happy Blogoversary!
Happy birthday! 3 today!!
Place to visit – Isle of Arran. all of it is lovely and on a clear day the ferry ride is – aah, beautiful!
Film – Fried green tomatoes at the whistlestop cafe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b9Z3MYo2M0&feature=related
(hope the link works)
hope you enjoy it if you haven’t seen it already.
towanda!