Film Music

Recently I have bought a lot of movie soundtracks. It started with my sister giving me the X-men First Class soundtrack last year. I found it good to listen to while revising for exams and when I wanted sound but not vocals to do my coursework to.

When I first watch a film I tend not to notice the music but I have found that recently when I watch XMFC I can name each piece of music as it plays. The only exception to this is the beach scene where I fall to bits and start shouting at Magneto while trying (and failing) not to cry (I cannot watch this film with other people or I just embarrass myself).

I got the soundtracks for Avengers Assemble, Thor, and Captain America. The Avengers OST was a download album and I have been listening to it a lot while waiting for the other two to arrive. Listening to "The Avengers" (here on youtube) makes you feel like you are being incredibly epic at whatever you are doing (and I wrote that while listening to it) even if you are, as the tumblr people suggest, just folding laundry or scrolling through your dashboard.

The same phenomenon that has happened with the music of XMFC is probably going to happen with these three too but I find I don't mind that at all. Bring on the music! I'll add to this post about the Captain America and Thor when they come (which should be pretty soon as they were dispatched this morning).

If anyone has any opinions on these albums or suggestions for other soundtracks that would be good to listen to don't keep quiet about it!

Postcards

I really enjoy collecting postcards from all over the place and adding them to the collage on my wall

Like this!

The collage is a mix of photographs, postcards, card fronts and small art prints. I keep getting told that I should take them down and arrange them in a frame but I don't want to. Isn't it infinately more fun to arrange them on the wall and test yourself to get as few spaces and overlaps as possible?

I often feel guilty buying postcards now as I'm running out of room the I can reach on the wall to put them up but because I'm home for the summer I have access to postcards other than veiws of the scottish higlands I feel I have to buy a lot while I can.

I get my postcards from all over the place. Most commonly they come from gift shops in museums or other visitor attractions and prints I buy when I'm at conventions. I'm always on the look out for more from different palces, especially from outwith the UK (if you feel like sending me any you're completly welcome to).

Book Reveiw: Knitting Vintage

Knitting Vintage by Claire Montgomerie contains 30 knitting projects inspired by the fashions of the 20th century.

The Patterns are split into the decades from which they draw their main inspiration from. These range from the "Roaring Twenties" to the "Dramatic Eighties".  Each segment has several pages at the start describing the main changes in fashion, how knitting was affected by it and a mood board showing the inspiration used for the designs in that segment.

All the designs featured in the book are very much wearable in a modern setting and some of the really awful designs that appeared in the 70s and 80s have been wisely left out (this is my opinion however so don't take it too seriously).

The patterns are mostly for clothes but there are several accessories as well such as a string of beads inspired by the flapper styles of the twenties or a lacy collar from the fifties.

Knitting Vintage retails for £16.99 but I got my copy in the Works (a book and art supplies shop) for £3.99.

Book Reveiw: Knitted Mug Hugs

Knitted Mug Hugs by Val Pierce is part of the 20 to Make series of books. I reviewed others of this series in this post (knitted fast food) and this post (eco-friendly knits).

The purpose of these mug hugs is to insulate your hands against the heat given off by hot drinks and to decorate your mug with a personalised cover saving you from muddling up mugs from a set and getting Earl Gray tea instead of coffee (this hasn't happened to me yet but knowing my luck it probably will).

Several of the patterns have variant designs for the decoration to achieve a different look for the same mug hug such as the hug with a fluffy sheep on it can be transformed into a hug with sophisticated rose instead.

All the patterns use either DK or 4ply yarns with 3.25-4mm sized needles.

Knitted mug hugs retails for £4.99

apologies and updates

I've been feeling a lot of blogging guilt this summer as I've not been posting as much as I would have liked.
I had an excuse up until two weeks ago with an exam resit for Uni but now I have nothing to do until September.

Sorry guys, blame tumblr.

I will be posting later today about stuff and I'm just going to throw some of my book review posts out even though I'm not completely happy with them.