Okay - here’s what I’m thinking :)
For the mittens to go with the hat and the scarf there’s going to have to be a cable - the same cable as shows up on the above mentioned accessories. So I’ve been pondering how to do this. The cable could certainly go up the back of the hand and would look great - but this is what I’ve been wondering. What if I knit a cable panel - oh, say 5 repeats of the pattern - and then joined the beginning to the end so that there was a “bracelet” of cable. Then I’d pick up on one side to do ribbing and then the other side to do the hand. The cable pattern would go around the wrist. Do you think that would work?
Jude Law as the Sky Captain
The story is fun and preposterous in the way that 30s and 40s science fiction tended to be before there was enough general knowledge of science to make us aware that some things really aren’t going to be possible. None of this is a problem. As with the blue screen, it’s more or less something you expect. The graphics are nicely done and the conventions of the time, far from being ridiculed, are cheerfully and honorably observed.
There’s only one serious problem, in my opinion - but it’s a real serious problem. Neither of the main character actors is up to the job. That’s not to say that Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow aren’t fine actors - but they couldn’t pull off the 30s style dashing hero and tough-but-funny career girl dialogue to save their lives (see His Girl Friday with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell for an idea about how the dialogue should have played). Law comes off as more prissy than rakish and Paltrow hasn’t a clue on how to handle her character. A change in either the actors or in their style of delivery could have made this a terrific film instead of just an interesting one.
Surprisingly enough, Giovanni Ribisi and Angelina Jolie were wonderful. I didn’t expect much from either one of them, but they handled their characters deftly and with spirit. Sadly, neither have much on-screen time.
I guess I would recommend this film, though somewhat reluctantly. The art work and the homage to the golden age of science-fiction are worth seeing. But Law’s and Paltrow’s boggy and mired performances make it a very close call.
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interesting ideas for the mittens which definitely *should* have the same cable on them- i like the idea of the horizontal bracelet effect- using that do you think you would really need the ribbing? if you used a smaller sized needle for the cable band , couldn’t you just pick up along its side using a larger needle and already have the ‘cuff’- adding the ribbing too would probably make the mittens have a more gauntlet appearance- or, how about ribbing, cabled horizontal cuff worked as the base of the body of the mitten, and then remainder of body of mitten worked above that (definitely more work as you would get to pick up stitches on both sides of the cable)- well, my ideas anyway, but you have to remember we don’t really ‘do’ mittens around here very often so my knowledge is limited in extremis-
sounds like the movie gets a ‘mixed’ review- interesting, isn’t it, that the actors from whom one would expect the best performances are the ones who fail the most- i rather like a. jolie (there’s nothing better than a rebel *with* a cause) and think she is often under-rated for her abilities-
we are still on ‘baby countdown’ here- nothing like it for keeping things exciting-
stay happy-
You may not “do” mittens, but your ideas aren’t in the least remiss. But I like a loooong cuff so the cable alone wouldn’t do it for me. A gauntlet isn’t necessarily out of the question at all as I originally envisioned picking up on both sides of the cable panel. A little extra work perhaps, but what the hey :)
I’m sure baby Willa is just putting the finishing touches on her birthday suit and will be along monentarily :)
I think your idea for the mittens would work. I’m assuming you’ll knit the thumb gusset after you’ve picked up the stitches for the “hand” of the mitten. That would be my only concern ... placement of the thumb. But since you want a long cuff, that may not be a problem. Will the ribbing tend to ruffle the cable band since it would pull in?
As soon as I hit the submit button, I had another thought. What if you did the cable band bit as you described but make it the hand of the mitten. Pick up stitches along one edge to shape the top of the mitten. Pick up stitches along the other edge to do lower portion of hand, ending in ribbing. I think I like this idea better since I don’t see a potential distortion of the cable strip by the ribbing.
Charlotte - Thanks for sharing your ideas! Yes, the hand will be picked up from one edge of the cable and proceed as though from the top of regular ribbing. I’ll probably work about 4 rows even before starting the thumb gusset. I hadn’t though about the ribbing “ruffling” the cable band - that’s a good point - but I think I know a way around it :)
Thanks for the review - to be honest I’d wondered about Paltrow. A role like that really isn’t something she’s used to. It’s a shame she wasn’t up to it. (You know, her mother, Blythe Danner, would’ve been perfect for that role in her younger years....she has sass!) But I’m surprised about the male lead! You’d think they would’ve been batting 500 with their casting. Sigh. I think I’ll wait for DVD.
Speaking of which, the Star Wars trilogy comes out today...and my kids have never seen it! (There goes my mother of the decade award..hehehe) Guess I’ll be correcting that deficiency.
Oh - about the mittens....I like your idea and I think it will work. Especially since you want long cuffs. Can’t wait to see it!
Bron - Danner certainly would have done a better job. She did a TV comedy with Ken Howard years ago based on a Hepburn/Tracy movie (Adam’s Rib) and she was wonderful.
I started a “try-out” mitten last night - we’ll see how things go but I’m liking it so far :)
I like the pink cable scarf. It’s a very pretty design in a good colour. Was Nubble Light painted by Edward Hopper? It looks vaguely familiar and we’ve just had a Hopper exhibition here.
Hopper did Lighthouse at Two Lights - but the scene is very similar to Nubble Light. I envy you the exhibition; I would have loved to see it!
