Tour de Fleece Days 1 & 2

Day 1 and 2 of the Tour was a finish this project.

I have 375 grams of Skein Merino Silk tto spin. I had spun nearly 125 in singles. This fibre was not what I had first thought there was way more white and I had to rethink my plan.

Seeking advice from the likes of 1funkyknitwit and a few others I decided to try plying the finished singles. I have a couple of cones of commercial heavy lace/light baby weight yarn.

Day 1 involved just a little bit of spinning with just the first 125g completed as singles

Day 2 I managed to spin 125g of singles and ply it completing the second 125g on Day 3.

So the above became this - thick and thin and at the moment about 500metres of it with another 125g still to spin.

How did it Get to be July already

June as always passed in a blur the film festival which usually takes up half followed by a cough that just would not go away.

Sheer madness has departed and then comes July. What better way to celebrate than throwing myself into some more pure madness so I am jumping into the Tour - this year however I will be following the Tour de Fleece as opposed to the Knit along.

My plan is to spin every day (starting last Saturday) and so far I am on track.

I have some Skein fibre that I just want to finish spinning so I have made the effort and finished all bar one third of it as singles and plied one third already. I should just about get the rest done tonight (forget housework etc)
The total amount is 375grams so there is a huge amount to spin in total.

Following that I have a few gifts to spin then I will be onto pure fun. Hopefully by the weekend.

My camera battery is flat so I need to charge it - so alas no photos yet.

On the knitting front I have not yet blogged a few finished items/newly started items
And Another Thing Socks - Done
Envious Seraphim - Done and getting regular wear
Basic Tango - Done and getting regular wear
Crushed Berries - started and completed in need of a block
I have also completed a Juneberry Triangle in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter
Striped Study Shawl - started and in progress

The temporary loss of my laptop, which was also the charging point for the camera has slowed me down with my knit blogging.

More soon hopefully with photos.

Craft Show

Today I went to the craft show with miss_fee and her delightful friend Gracie.

We looked at sock-monkeys, buttons, patterns, craft supplies, material, scarves and of course yarn.

I picked up sock yarn, hemp and Quivik Silk from Prudence Mapstone, silk top from Kaalund, some gorgeous grey Slub from Dairing and some linen pieces as well.

All this and home before lunch!

Sydney Film Festival: Farewell Clare Stewart

The 2011 Festival brings to a close the five year tenure of Clare Stewart as Festival Director.

It has been an era of change with Clare extending the focus of the festival to single ticket holders and implementing the very successful Competitions. As a subscriber these changes may have reduced my personal menu at each festival but increased it's breadth by providing a wider range of experiences. I have even learned to love my new subscriber home in the Mezz instead of the Dress Circle.

The competitions in particular have bought a range of new generation films - some not to my taste - but that is what the festival is all about seeing new cinema. There has also been a revival of the festival with Sydney - many people are taking in screenings and other events associated with festival.

We have noted her style and wardrobe favorites (great boots) and have greatly appreciated an evolution of her presentation style with a more engaged and less confrontational approach with the audience. In addition your moderation of Q & A's kept the nonsense questions at bay.

Clare you have steered the festival well helping to keep it afloat when financial difficulties arose and saving I from obscurity. Good luck on your new journey.

Here's hoping the next director is as brave and creative!

Sydney Film Festival Day 11: The Guard

Brendan Gleeson stars as a relaxed small town Irish cop who my have a flexible relationship to the law when it comes to his community and personal life but has a heart when it counts.

His life is turned to chaos when the FBI comes to town in a magic performance by Don Cheadle who is on the trail of drug-traffickers.

A great comedy that slowed only in the first quarter but with enough smarts to make you question a few events in hindsight. A Great Saurday night film!

Sydney Film Festival Day 11: Toomelah

Ivan Sen's Beneath Clouds had me expecting much from this his third feature.

Ambitiously the story was written based on the people and experiences of Sen's mothers community Toomelah. He then used the community to perform in this dramatic production. Following the story of Daniel a young kid whose alcoholic father is mostly absent and whose mother sends him off to the mission drug-dealer for her supply. Daniel seeks friendship with the drug-dealers gang.

The gang is challenged when a rival dealer returns following a stint in prison.

The film would perhaps have been more successful as a documentary showing a frank and bleak picture of daily life it lacks emotional connection.

Sydney Film Festival Day 9: Norwegian Wood

The film is visually stunning full of gorgeous soft shots a totally dreamy endless Japanese winter. The film fails to capture the angst and thrall of the novel but more deeply disappointing was it failed to maintain my interest.

Sadly It failed to live up to my expectations

Sydney Film Festival Day 10: Jane Eyre

Do we need another remake of Jane Eyre - if it's this good yes.

Mia Waiskowski is perfectly pitched as Jane, matched with brave and deliberate editorial decisions by Fukunaga.

Opening with Jane wandering the moors the film is quickly engaging and uses her childhood as back story. Both Michael Fassbender as Rochester and Judi Dench as the housekeeper Mrs Fairfax are spectacular.

The film casts a strong spell and holds you till the end embodying the book and giving us a different vision.

I am a sucker for a good adaptation and this film delivers.

Sydney Film Festival Day 10: Take Shelter

Take Shelter is a brilliantly crafted thriller that is made so by a stunning performance from Michael Shannon.

Curtis LaForche (Shannon) is a working class guy from middle America his dreams become increasingly ominous and disturbing, eventually becoming daydreams as well. with a family history of mental illness he is concerned that he is following his mother's path.

The films soundtrack and vision is captivating and enthralling a brilliant piece that I felt was left down by it's cop-out ending.

Sydney Film Festival Day 8: Cairo 678

A film that tackles a taboo subject in the middle east is always going to be a festival drawcard.

The film is a strong piece that transcends the necessary message and engages you with a brilliantly developed group of characters.

Sexual harassment is rife in Egypt, only no-one reports it as it will bring shame to them and their family. Three women from different walks of life face sexual harassment in their day and the film shows how each deals with it. Inevitably they come together as a group and the outcome is played out with a brilliantly rendered detective investigating a series of revenge assaults.

Rendered with the right blend of humour and sensibilities Cairo 678 is a great film on it's own, but obviously a film that Egypt had to have.