Protest Marches, Friends and Knitting, Then and Now

First - a movie review. We don't go to movies often. It's cheaper to wait and rent them and watch them at home. They get testy if you walk into a theatre in your jammies with a big plate of homemade nachos. I admit, it's a little better now that I get the Oldpeople Price {cackle....it's so much fun getting old}.

Anyway, earlier the week my dear friend Jody asked if I'd like to go see "that Pete Seeger movie." I didn't know there was one. It was at the sort of artsy-flic theatre (Westgate, for the locals). Actual title: Pete Seeger: The Power of Song.

There's something in theatre circles called "regressive memory", I think - it's when something triggers a memory and you experience a full sensory recollection; you can hear, see, smell everything of the instant you're remembering. Ladies and Gennulmen, this film was one long regressive memory. It was like watching through the folky-young-civil-rights-worker-hippie eyes that lived in my head for so long.

And it was good.

Jody and I spent the two hours (give or take) smiling through tears. We weren't together during all that, but still, many of the experiences were shared. Seeing Arlo Guthrie with his flowing silver ringlets and Tom Paxton with his little cap...seeing pictures of Pete as a child, as a bridegroom, building his cabin, appearing in all of those places - appearing before HUAC and never folding--there's no term for the heart-swelling experience the whole thing was. Afterward Jody went home to dust off all Pete Seeeger she had; I'm doing that this minute as I write.

See, I was a Woody Guthrie fan ("old", remember?) and I'm a HUGE Arlo fan....{brief pause as I wipe my eyes: "City of New Orleans" just came on my tape player} and of course Pete Seeger is a part of all that.

Flashbacks: the ride between Greenwood and Indianola, MS, when I was there for a few days during The Movement. Going to churches in Minneapolis, introducing Black Panther speakers. Telling my sister I was pregnant, but it was OK, "we're getting married"...and "he's black." If you want the rest of that story, buy me a cup o' tea sometime; suffice it to say that he and I had the Lovely Daughter and a Handsome Son of whom he was very proud. NOTE: my second marriage resulted in my Youngest Son, of whom I am also inordinately proud. Two "failed marriages" resulted in three people whom I like, love and cherish. No regrets there.

If you're a) old, relatively speaking; b) were "into all that"; c) enjoyed folk music then and/or now -- go see the movie. When I hear it's out on DVD I am SO snapping it up. That's one to watch time and again, and put on to just listen to while doing other things.

After the movie I went over to The Sow's Ear, which I discovered was, in fact, a Late-Night Knit. The place was even more packed than last time! NOTE: Mr Dearling made a comment which has borne fruit: after the last Late-Night Knit at the Ear, I told him about finding fellow local bloggers there, to my absolute ticklement. He quoth: "So...it's not Stitch-and-Bitch, it's "Hog-and-Blog!" So a few exchanged e-mails resulted in my learning that my new friend Beth Chocolate Sheep was going to be there.

She came not long after I got there, got settled and got my Caramel Italian Soda. It was a lovely finishing event to the day; I even treated myself to a massage by my (long-time) friend Donna, who, being a certified and talented masseuse, comes to the Late Knits. She has her special chair in the small darkened office, with tinkly music, and I have to say, it was more than delish (it was also my first-ever experience with a real massage, and I could get used to that sort of thing!).

I was cranking on my second Punkin Hat for Grandsons (see below) and Beth was making a fabulous Christmas stocking for an enormous pupdog; it's red, with little stars and things, and his NAME knitted right in, in white. I love that two-color stranding sort of thing but am intimidated out of trying it myself ... but watching her, it doesn't look scary or horrid or impossible at all...hmmmmmm.

Anyway, we were within 15 minutes of closing the place down, and I enjoyed the whole day-evening experience mammothly.


Now then - as I said, I was inspired by Crazy Aunt Purl's little punkin hats a while back, and got some Lamb's Pride Worsted ("Rust") and some dark green (I think it's "Piney" something, ball band not handy) and started right in. Now - I've never started a cap at the bottom, really; my toques start with the increase end. I settled on a simple roll-brim. Nice, being able to start on circulars. Evangeline is saying "Cute, Mom."

She is also saying "This would be much-improved if there were crunchy bits inside." But I'm actually quite pleased with the way it turned out, and I've started the second. I think I'll make the i-cord stem longer on this one and put a knot in the middle; I saw that somewhere and it was very cute.

Now - the test will be if Xander and Domanic and Conner (yep, I'll be making a third) will ever consent to wear them. Xander will, he's only three; Domanic and Conner are six and possibly already way too cool to wear something like that, Grammy Dale or no. I'll report back.