Wednesday, January 06, 2021

While Miz Kittling Knits: The Queen's Gambit

 


One thing I know for sure is that my copy of Leisure Arts' Big Book of Quick Knit Afghans has helped me keep my sanity during this pandemic. Of course, books help, too, but I've never found myself able to sit and read a book all day long. It works best if my days are cut up into blocks of time. Reading is one block, knitting and watching television is another block, and so on.

Keeping track of my stitches while trying to solve a crime drama on television keeps enough of my brain occupied so it can't dwell on things I don't want it to dwell on. I would imagine that most of you have found similar stratagems to help you as well.

I've given most (but not all) of my completed afghans away, so I'm working on rebuilding my stockpile. As usual, I have two different projects on the go at the same time. My second project is a needlepoint one for next Christmas, but I do intend to start another knitting project as well... one that isn't an afghan.

What do I want to show you today? The afghan that I made Denis, that's what. It's become my most liked Facebook photo this year. Here it is, draped with little ceremony on Denis's recliner. 

The pattern from the Big Book of Quick Knit Afghans is called "Peaceful," and the yarn is Red Heart's 100% acrylic worsted weight yarn in a color called "Blue Hawaii." Denis chose the color, and I chose the pattern, which is done using a double strand of the yarn, a cable needle, and size 17 (US) circular needles. One of the reasons why I love the patterns from this particular book is that they are done all in one piece. I'm not a fan of stitching things together. You'd think it wouldn't be a problem with my love of needlepoint, but it is. It must have something to do with my grandmother literally breathing down my neck as I used her brand-new sewing machine when I was a teenager. But I digress. Now I'll show you a close-up of the pattern.

You're probably wondering what Denis thinks of his afghan. Well, every evening on his days off, he's snuggled up under it watching television, many times from the television screen on the insides of his eyelids, if you get my drift. He laughs at me because I haven't made one for myself yet, at least not one for the family room where we watch TV. (Don't worry, I'll get to it!) Actually, I think I've created a monster. After almost twenty years, Denis seems to be thoroughly acclimated to this desert climate. Either that or the killer summer we had put the finishing touches on thinning his blood. He's been complaining about being cold at night, and now he's appropriated the afghan I cover up with when I'm stretched across the bed reading a book. He doesn't show any signs of giving it back either, so a duel may be in the offing. That... or yet another afghan. I wonder if this is the beginning of a cottage industry?


 
What was I watching while stitching away on Denis's afghan? One of them was The Queen's Gambit, which shocked me no end. No! The program didn't shock me, my high level of enjoyment shocked me because I find the subject of chess to be a bit of a snooze. The succinct synopsis of the seven-episode series is "Orphaned at the tender age of nine, prodigious introvert Beth Harmon discovers and masters the game of chess in 1960s USA. But child stardom comes at a price."

The time period, the clothes, the mesmerizing eyes of Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, the story... the character of Beth Harmon hooked me and I still find myself thinking about her even though it's been a few weeks since I watched the series. A second character grabbed my attention, too: chess champion, Benny Watts. In preparing for this post, I learned why I kept wondering where I'd seen the actor portraying Benny before. I discovered he was that smitten little boy in Love, Actually. He certainly does have a presence!

In conclusion, if you've heard good things about The Queen's Gambit but haven't watched it because you think chess is a snooze, too, don't let that stop you. You'll be missing out on some excellent television otherwise.

Now it's time for me to warm up those needles. Toodles!

15 comments:

  1. I love that afghan! It's gorgeous, and that shade of blue is beautiful. And I'm glad you've been enjoying The Queen's Gambit so well. I do keep hearing how excellent it is, so I'm glad it's living up to the hype.

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    1. The next thing I might watch that's been getting a lot of hype is something called Bridgerton, although I just looked it up on IMDb and it sounds like a run-of-the-mill soap opera. We shall see.

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  2. Denis's afghan is beautiful. I like the pattern. He chose a good color. My afghans are packed away. I know I should bring them out but I have a puppy who is a heavy shedder and a cat. He is a Pembroke Corgi and even though they aren't large dogs, they are known for heavy shedding. He is also in a chewing age.

    I enjoyed The Queen's Gambit also. I know hardly anything at all about chess but I enjoyed it very much. I told my sister it was good and she said chess didn't interest her. I replied you didn't have to be a chess fan to enjoy it. She is watching it now. It will be up for awards. Her eyes were really something.

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    1. Oh, want to mention too that I read Bluff and enjoyed it very much. It will be one of my best reads this year. It was a good start to this year's reading. Thanks for reviewing it and bringing my attention to it.

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    2. I'm so glad that you enjoyed both The Queen's Gambit and Bluff, Lynn!

      I can see why your afghans are packed away, although it's a shame. When I was young, we had dogs that shed a lot, but the toy poodle and wire-haired fox terriers I had turned me onto dogs that don't shed, and if Denis and I got a dog now, that's the way I'd want to go. (Although we'd also think long and hard about adopting a rescue.)

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  3. Wonderful afghan! My husband must have thinning blood as well, he has taken over the throws (but never the knitted afghan my mother gave--which I will not share). He's also taken to sneaking a few degrees on the thermostat when I'm not looking. Also, I read Bluff, as well based on your rec, which leads back to Lynn. Loved it!

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    1. I'm so glad you liked Bluff, Jen!

      The thing that surprises me about Denis is that he's always been my "furnace." It's different having the tables turned.

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  4. Beautiful afghans, Cathy! My husband and I have watched the first episode of Queen's Gambit and will be getting back to it soon. Our son recommended it to us. It seems to appeal to a wide variety of viewers.

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    1. It certainly does, Gretchen. Evidently it's based on a book of the same name, and although I loved The Queen's Gambit, I've hesitated to read the book. I don't know why.

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  5. That afghan is beautiful. The color is striking. No wonder Denis is found underneath it so often.
    It's good you love knitting, as it's so productive while you're watching TV. You enjoy yourself and you have a finished product. I must watch The Queen's Gambit. My father taught me to play chess when I was six, and I played it in my childhood and with a partner many years ago. I have been playing it online during the pandemic, and have learned a few things I did not know. It's all about strategy.

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    1. It sounds as though you'd get even more out of it than I did, Kathy.

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  6. I might. Everyone is raving about it.

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  7. That's a beautiful knitted afghan.

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    1. Thank you! Denis is quite possessive of it.

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