What I've been...

...Reading: Agent ZigZag by Ben MacIntyre. It's the true story of Eddie Chapman, a charming, dashing criminal and con man (and friend of Noel Coward) turned WWII British double agent. It's a pretty incredible story, very well researched and the writing is terrific; to wit, "Soho in the 1930s was a notorious den of vice, and spectacular fun. This was the crossroads of London society, where the rich and feckless met the criminal and reckless, a place of seamy, raucous glamour." I'm really enjoying this one.

...Watching: Season one of Dexter. Good fun.

...Cooking: Nothing. Nothing at all. Life lately has meant that I haven't been eating at home much and when I have, it's been some combination of cereal, yogurt and bananas. I'm starting to get twitchy to make something interesting though, so that should happen soon. I'll scroll through my saved food blog posts and see what jumps out at me.

...Planning: To see this exhibition. And, this one, which looks AWESOME. And I've been meaning to see the sample show at the Cooper-Hewitt too (behind-the-scenes installation notes by my friend Sarah here). And the Exoticism show at the FIT Museum. Stupidly, Gallery Hanahou is not open on the weekends, so I'll likely take a personal day in the next week or so and take them all in in one crazy cul-CHAH blitz.

...Knitting: After all of my moaning about Demi the other day, it's progressing quite nicely. It takes more attention than my other projects, but that's not a bad thing. It just means that I can't devote quite as much time to it as I'd like.

I finished the other front of Flicca. I'm going to try to knock the sleeves out pretty quickly and wrap this one up. It'll make a pretty ideal spring coat and there's no reason at all that it can't be done by then.

I had a credit at School Products and went in this weekend to buy yarn for Oblique. I bought two cones of superwash wool in a pretty mushroomy color. I don't generally go in for the beige family — I don't believe fair-skinned blondes should wear it next to the face — but this is dark enough and cool enough in tone that it's reasonably flattering.

The pattern is written for all of the pieces to be knit separately, but I'm going to join them at the underarm and knit the yoke in one piece. Since superwash wool tends to be slick and raglan seams are subjected to a lot of pulling and stress, I'm not convinced that the seams would hold up particularly well. I do want seams on the body though, since superwash also has less memory than regular wool and the seams will help the sweater keep its shape. I started and finished the first sleeve to the joining point this weekend:

I like the turned-up cuff.

...Coveting: This dress, which would look quite nice with either of the cardigans posted above.

Comments

[juno]

Did you see the Marni dress on Kate Bosworth in the current Vogue. So not my usual sort of thing, and yet, it moves me.

And I saw the most beautiful sleeve detail in the window of FIT Friday night on a c 1810 muslin dress.

The drawstring ruching is VERY good.

[Sil]

OMG! $125! Buy it. I would, except I won't have a paycheck until mid March...maybe it'll still be available? Bookmarked with hope.

[Sarah]

Let me know if you come to the CH during a work day so I can get you in and show you around! :-)

[Nicole]

I really love that dress. Such an easy and flattering wear.

[carolyn]

i can't wait to see both flicca and oblique. and that dress is quite lovely. and as to the dress, i also say BUY IT if you didn't already. (is your bday coming up? do you want that to be your present?)