An-ti-cipation... is making me wait

Well I'm late to the Harry Potter party because I still haven't even cracked open The Deathly Hallows (mainly because the postman only delivered it today).



And I'll probably postpone reading it until I'm good and ready. That means, not only rereading the last book (all of which I've completely forgotten), but also getting through this pile of unseamed pieces. (Yes, I've actually finished something! I'm just as shocked as you.)



If I were Mrs Weasley, I'd have my Enchanted Tapestry Needle and Cut-Right Scissors do it overnight for me, but since I'm not, I'll just have to slog through it before sinking into a comfy chair with a tall cool glass of anything Bolthouse (better than a Butterbeer/Pumpkin Juice cocktail) and the last HP.

Frankly, I'm also happy to wait a bit, because having seen Daniel Radcliffe in Equus (in which that young man's acting range was astoundingly brilliant - so brilliant that you forget entirely that this is the same chap who we've all come to know as Harry Potter), it's going to take more than a Memory Charm to block out certain visuals.

Wishing you all a great weekend, whatever you're getting up to!

Where do you stand on Big Knits?

While coming up for air in the middle of doing Important Grown-Up Things (mostly tedious and having to do with paper and small print), I found myself contemplating Big Knits in the fashion world. I recall seeing a few in the more avant garde collections last year in Italy and found them... interesting. Conceptually.

And for this A/W season, there are more. Like these hats at Rick Owens.







And these mindblowing pieces by Giles Deacon at the Giles show.











** All photos by Marcio Madeira, at style.com

Normally I'm the kind of person who knows instantly whether I love or hate something, but I have to admit I'm a little on the fence about these Big (really, Gigantic) Knits. I'm a Small Needle Knitter myself, as a SNK I tend to shy away from large bulky items that might make me look like the Michelin Man. Not to mention the inevitable muscle cramping if I used broomstick-sized needles. The bulkiest I'm ever tempted to knit is an aran-weight sweater or coat, perhaps. For warmth.

But I am strangely drawn to, at least, the Rick Owens hat. (Imagine how quick a Christmas knit that would be - you could crank out 4 or more in an hour!) And I do love the THICK scarf in the last shot. And the dresses, too - again, as a concept. But could I see myself walking down the street in one?

Could you?

Sometimes the only person you never have time for is yourself

I have had one of those weeks that starts off bad, only to get worse. I'm not telling you this by way of complaint, or to begin some long confessional -- I'm just happy to be telling you this because I survived it!! Now it is the weekend, and high time to break out the old Survival Kit:




You can see that all my guilty pleasures (apart from the cashmere) are mass-market. I consider that a good thing. It means that effective therapy is easy to come by. (And if you run out, you can always find more just a few blocks away.)

Do you have any odd self-soothing rituals?

This week got me thinking about the things I sometimes do to keep myself sane. Knitting is one of them. All of you out there know, I'm sure, how soothing it is to pick up those needles and work a few stitches. For me it's better than a good backrub (well, not all backrubs... but some). So is being on a boat. But when casting off isn't feasible, I can find solace in -- of all places -- the supermarket.

Now, I'm not talking about a dinky corner grocery (which has its advantages, don't get me wrong), I mean a HUGE, dwarfing airplane hangar-sized space filled with endless rows of brightly colored vegetables and food flown in from every corner of the world. Everyone I know finds food shopping a tedious, if not aggravating and time-consuming chore. So I guess that makes me an oddball. I love wandering around in the grocery. Pulling together ingredients for a meal... from the first sniff of a cluster of vine tomatoes to the rich color of fresh yellowfin tuna and the shelves and shelves of spices! As my little wire basket fills up, my mind empties of the day's problems. It sounds completely mad, I know, seeking solace in the aisles of a food store.

Then again, why not? It's also, conveniently, where the Haagen Dazs live.