Inside Jacket

Thomas Cobb got great reviews for his 1989 novel "Crazy Heart," about a washed up country-and-western singer named Bad Blake. And the movie adaptation, whose cast includes stalwarts such as Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall and Maggie Gyllenhaal, is getting the same sort of critical acclaim. (If you’re not into C&W singers, this is also a week for the widespread release of "The Lovely Bones" movie; take a look at early reviews.) Here’s a sampling of reviews for "Crazy Heart":

The Washington Post — There are many reasons to admire "Crazy Heart," chiefly a performance from Bridges that stands as a quiet triumph within one of Hollywood’s most durable and consistent careers, while making subtle nods to the actor’s best-loved characters.

Los Angeles Times – The grim parts of the film present the bourbon-battered Blake slowly (or, at times, quickly) losing his grip on life. But there’s also a comically bleary ballet to the performance by Bridges, who plays Blake as a gifted songwriter who never loses his supple intellect or candor even as his body gives out to his liquored life.

New York Times – a small movie perfectly scaled to the big performance at its center. It offers some picturesque views of out-of-the-way parts of the American West, but the dominant feature of its landscape is Bad Blake, a wayward, aging country singer played by Jeff Bridges.

Rolling Stone – Let’s just say that Crazy Heart offers the pleasure of watching a great actor at the peak of his form.

Entertainment Weekly — Bridges’ guileless performance makes this piquant little indie tale of country music, redemption, and the love of a pretty younger woman such a sad-song charmer.

Kari Chapin on the Powell’s Blog put up a post today about some of the really sweet, handmade, crafty book items available out there for book lovers.

Two of my favourites are the deer bookmarks (so cute!):

and these bookish paintings for an insta-library effect:

See these and other genius cuties in the entire post.

(View entire post here)

Fact: there's no time like the present to start crafting. Sure, you might have New Year's resolutions that involve going to the gym or trying to eat more vegetables and those are certainly fun in their own way (especially if your food looks anything like this). But neither of those things will allow you to create cool kitschy items to keep and give away.

We've got a few fun patterns to share with you from a selection craft books. This month we're featuring a pattern from Wacky Baby Knits, which could be seen as the "hardest" pattern since you need to know how to knit to make it (the upcoming crafts are more needle and thread based). However, if you know how to knit then you should have no trouble making this fabulous classic beret. And if you don't know how to knit, well what is YouTube for anyways?

For the beret, the alternating colors may seem daunting if you've never done them before, basic color work has a tricky way of looking harder then it is. (Key point: it's not that hard, we swear!) But if the striping seems scary to you, then this hat would certainly look nice in just one or two colors to minimize switching between yarns. The hardest part for me with the striping was really just tightening up the edges to avoid gaping. But as long as you have a yarn needle (or a bodkin, as author Alison Jenkins calls it) you can make it as tight as you like when the whole hat is done. Also, I chose to knit this on circular needles and I didn't have a problem following the pattern at all but the pattern can be done on straight needles as well.

So check out the Classic Beret pattern and the cute pictures of our office baby, Miles Fu, wearing his own Classic Beret.

Classic Beret (from Wacky Baby Knits by Alison Jenkins)

YOU WILL NEED

• pair of size 3 (3.25 mm) needles
• pair of size 6 (4 mm) needles
• 1(1:1) 2 oz (50 g) ball light worsted knitting yarn in color A (white)
• 1(1:1) 2 oz (50 g) ball light worsted knitting yarn in color B (blue)
• 1(1:1) 2 oz (50 g) ball light worsted knitting yarn in color C (navy blue)
• tape measure
• bodkin

TO FIT SIZES

0–3 months: chest 16 in (41 cm)
3–6 months: chest 18 in (46 cm)
6–12 months: chest 20 in (51cm)
NOTE: The hat is designed to fit average head size for age of baby

GAUGE

22 stitches and 30 rows to 4 in (10 cm), measured over stockinette stitch, using size 6 (4 mm) needles

Beret

Using size 3 (3.25 mm) needles and col A, cast on 69 (75: 81) sts.
Work in k1, p1 rib, following color sequence as follows:
Rib 1 row in col A.
Rib 2 rows in col C.
Rib 6 rows in col B.
Rib 2 rows in col C.
Rib 2 rows in col A.
Change to size 6 (4 mm) needles and cont in st st and col A, increasing as follows:
(k2, inc 1) 33 (37: 40) times, then k2 (1: 1). There will now be 101 (112: 121) sts. Cont in st st until work measures 4 (4¼: 4¾) in [10 (11: 12) cm] from end of rib, ending after a ws row.

CROWN SHAPING

With rs facing, beg crown dec and cont color sequence as follows:
1st row: change to col B, k1, *k2tog, k7; rep from * to last 3 sts, then k2tog, k1.
2nd row: purl all sts.
3rd row: change to col A, k1,*k2tog, k6; rep from * to last 2 sts, then k2tog.
4th row: purl all sts. 5th row: change to col B, k1, *k2tog, k5; rep from * to last st, k1.
6th row: purl all sts.
7th row: change to col A, k1, *k2tog, k4; rep from* to last st, k1.
8th row: purl all sts.
9th row: change to col B, k1, *k2tog, k3; rep from * to last st, k1.
10th row: purl all sts.
11th row: change to col C, k1, *k2tog, k2; rep from * to last st, k1.
12th row: purl all sts
13th row: change to col B, k1, *k2tog, k1; rep from * to last st, k1.
14th row: purl all sts.
15th row: change to col C, k1, *k2tog; rep from * to end.
16th row: purl all sts.
17th row: change to col B, k1, *k2tog; rep from * to end.
18th row: purl all sts.
19th row: change to col C, k 1 row.
Work in st st for a further 4 rows, then bind off all sts.
Break off yarn and, using a bodkin, draw it through the last st to fasten off, leaving a long tail.

Sewing Together

Using matching yarn and a bodkin, stitch the beret seam. Weave in all loose ends neatly on the reverse.

Wacky Baby Knits

Alison Jenkins – Author

$16.95 – add to cart

Book: Paperback | 8.26 x 5.23in | 112 pages | ISBN 9780399535031 | 07 Jul 2009 | Perigee | 18 – AND UP 

Next Time: We'll feature a polar bear pattern from Happy Gloves. 

Posted by: Julie Schaeffer, Online Content Coordinator

Alison Jenkins, Wacky Baby Knits, knitting, hobby, Penguin, crafting, Perigee

Check out this Publishers Weekly interview with Dash Shaw, which originally appeared in PW Comics Week on January 12, 2010.

Praised by PW as “out of this world” and “raging torrent of ideas, characters, and plot”, Dash Shaw’s BodyWorld was originally a webcomic, which will be published as a hardcover book in April.

Nominated for a 2009 Eisner Award and with a bold, innovative design, BodyWorld is a mind-blowing blend of science-fiction, classic high school drama, and futuristic what-if. It is at once funny and fearless-and sure to be the graphic novel event of the year.

Fans of classic 20th century American literature should check out our collectible Saul Bellow feature.