Knitting Sandwich

top five movies

Woo hoo for the fifth! It's top five day!

This month we decided to focus on our top five favorite movies of all time.  This one was ridiculously hard to narrow down... but we did our best! 

Here's Lindsey's list:

1. African Queen- This movie has it all: adventure, love, leeches, and most importantly a strong female character.

2. Shawshank Redemption- A heartbreakingly beautiful story of love and friendship, hope and resolve.  I can't help but stop and watch this movie every time I run across it.

3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail- The hold hand grenade, demanding a shrubbery, African or European swallows, there is almost too much good stuff.  High school would not have been the same without this movie.

4. To Kill a Mockingbird- No other movie adaptation of a book has done both justice- in my opinion.  I drool over Gergory Peck/Atticus Finch.

5. 28 Days Later- This movie scared the crap out of me.  Seriously, it still haunts me today years after watching it.  Like good sci fi the thing that spoke to me the most wasn't the fictiony bits but the social commentary. How quickly humans would resort to their basest animal tendencies, how enduring kindness and decency can be.  How we always hold out hope.

                                                                               .....         

melissa's list:

1. fellowship of the ring

2. empire strikes back

3. west side story

4. home alone

5. babe

(when asked to comment on why she chose each movie, melissa responded, "because they're freaking awesome!")

                                                                          .....                      

cmv's list:

1. Spellbound-  I just love this movie.  Though it's a documentary, the kids are all so cooky that they seem like caricatures.  I love me some cooky kids. (especially when they're homeschooled! (sorry- couldn't help but add that))

2.  West Side Story-  I can't possibly tell you how many times I've watched this movie (many many many of those times with melissa- it's not surprising it's on both of our lists)

3. Life is Beautiful. Besides being a stunning movie with so much to say about the power of attitude and the human character, I think this was the one and only movie I've seen in the theater with just my father.  That made this an especially touching experience.

4. Rocky III-  I love all the Rockys of course (except five-- ick!!).  And am completely helpless to resist the many Rocky marathons you faithfully find on tv (the sandwich spent many a day sucked into a Rocky marathon in our college days).

5. WSS cont... I will admit that I had a hard time deciding between West Side Story and Sound of Music.  If the contest were for most watched movie, the latter would have won hands down (my friend and I used to fall asleep to it every night when we were young).  But Bernstein & Robbins will kick Rogers & Hammerstien's butts anyday.

6. City of God (Cidade de Deus)- This film is emotionally riveting, visually incredible and of course, as an ex-resident,  I have a special weakness for any excuse to hear brazilian portuguese.  

Phew! That was hard, I almost feel a sense of betrayal to some of my other favorites.  As I was typing this I was wondering if we should have waited for the 10th and made it a top ten list this month!

So, we'd love to hear your favorite movies!  What are your top five?

-cmv & the sandwich

top five handmade treasures

Hooray for the fifth!  It's time for our top five!  After our top five knits list last month, the very clever melinda suggested that we list our top five favorite handmade goods this month.  So we did!

Here are Melissa's top five:

1. this is the family tree neckalce by lisa leonard deisgns. brian gave it to me this summer to commemorate the 10th anniversary of our first date. it should be obvious why i am in love with it. 

2.my great grandma knit this for me when i was a wee one. i've used it for every christmas i can remember. a few years ago it was falling apart and i sent it to my aunt for repairs. i hope it can last me another 33 years at least!

3. lindsey embroidered this bag for me and i can honestly say it is the perfect knitting project bag. not too big, not too small, absolutely *perfect* for socks, not to mention it has a squirrel on it! love!!

4. claire knit me this scarf for my 30th birthday it's the backyard leaves scarf by annie modesitt. i wear it all. the. time. you can tell because it is all beat up and rolly and careworn and loved (totally the velveteen rabbit of scarves). it could use a good re-blocking, but then i'd have to stop wearing it while it dried and i just can't seem to do that...

5. this is a fluid one - it's what ever current art my daughter is giving me. some days i get dozens of drawings and i honestly love each and every one. i keep them all. in a box in my basement. god forbid my house should ever catch on fire...

6. another lily art. she made me this "mixed media piece" in august 2008 and it's been hanging in my dining room ever since. i love it because it is everything i'm not (pink, bejeweled, sparkly... did i mention pink and sparkly?) and yet i love it with every fiber of my being because lily created it with love and gave it to me. it serves as a daily reminder of how much knowing lily has made me grow as a person.

Lindsey's top five:

1. Peter L. Smith, a Cup'ig artist from Mikuryarmiut village in Nunivak Island Alaska made this in the 70's. My parents bought this in Alaska (where I was born). We moved away when I was 2 and even though I don't remember Alaska I have always loved the history and heritage this represents.

2. This beautiful, amazing sweater arrived at my door just a week after I told Claire and Melissa I was pregnant. I was amazed that they made it so quickly. The tears of joy only increased when they told me that they made it a long time ago, when I first told them Michael and I decided to have kids.

3. My mom painted this for us as a housewarming gift. It is an abstract of one of our engagement pictures. The purple rectangle is Michael's face, and the turquoise J shape is mine.

4. My grandfather made this rocking chair. Mom was rocked in it and her dad taught her how to draw in it. Sarah and I were rocked in it and I am looking forward to rocking my daughter in it. Maybe she will even learn to knit in it. I can dream can't I?

5. The story [ jotted down on an envelope] reads: Quilt pieced by Great Grandmother Wyland, (Clara Osborn) and quilted by great Grandmother Florence, (Margaret Lang) Given to Dorothy W. Elder [my grandmother] by her mother, Grace Edith Florence Wyland, in 1937. This quilt contains many pieces used to make Grandpa Wyland's shirts when he was a little boy.

cmv's list:

1.  my father is an incredible carpenter. he built me so many unbelievable things when i was a kid (a completely furnished treehouse, a jungle gym, a climbable puppet theater, a rocking duck...) and this dollhouse is one of my absolute favorites, especially because it's the only one that's really still around and being used by kid visitors. he built some of the furniture inside and mom helped with the ultra-cool interior design. you can see the utter joy on my face to receive such an incredible gift!

2. my grandmother was a master knitter. she never used a pattern in her life but knit sweater after sweater that were just stunningly intricate and gorgeous. i was famous in my elementary school for my sweaters. and the baby ones are even more adorable! thankfully, my mother has saved each and every one so that one day my daughter can be the 'sweater girl' of her own school!

3. one year when i was teaching second grade, my mother got it into her head when i was visiting her for thanksgiving that she wanted to knit something for all of my students for christmas. namely, 23 bears in TWO WEEKS! she is so incredible and to this day (3 years later) my students still talk about their bears.

4. i have always suffered from terrible earaches and one of the only things that helps that pain is a hot water bottle. so the incredibly thoughtful and outrageously creative and talented melissa created this pattern and knit it for me. so so sweet.

5. i love these circles! lindsey painted them and gave them to me years ago. they not only look beautiful but have such lovely messages- i love to play with switching them around to fit the mood of the day!

I think I can speak on behalf of the entire sandwich when I say how incredibly grateful we are to have such wonderful creative influences in our lives! (I'm getting all weepy writing this post today- I mean, how lucky are we!)

What about you? What are your five favorite handmade treasures?

-cmv & the sandwich

p.s. You can take a closer look at the individual images here if you'd like.  And, as always, feel free to share your images with us in our flickr group. 

top five knits

Hooray for November fifth!  It's time for the top five!

We thought that, since we are the knitting sandwich after all- and since it's time for the Christmas knitting sweatshop to get up and running, this month we'd focus on our top five favorite knitting projects.

melissa's list:

1. meghan's hanami stole 2. turtleneck shrug (rav link) 3. justin's bearded toque 4. my squirrel mitts 5. lily's baby gryffindor (she gets two pictures because she's such a cute baby.)

Lindsey's list:

1. blankie  2. lace wrap (aka big blue)  3. loveable toys  4. lifesaver afghan 5. lace wrap  6. february lady

cmv's list:

1. blankie  2. meditation pillow (hilton of cadbol)  3. socktopus  4. brea bag  5. seed stitch baby jacket  6. communal blankie

What are your top five favorite projects you've knit?  We'd love to hear them!  (especially since sometimes Christmas sweatshops need a good pool of ideas!)

If you'd like to make a photomosaic too, you can use this easy mosaic maker.  And please feel welcome and encouraged to post pictures to our knitting sandwich flickr group.

Can't wait to hear from you!

-cmv & the sandwich

top five (in the bag)

it's the fifth!  and here at the sandwich that means we're indulging in another top five list.  this month we ask you to take a peek in your bag and answer: what are the top five things you don't leave home without?

melissa's list-

1. chapstick 2. planner 3. notebook & pen for lily 4. cloth shopping bag aka the chico bag 5. my copy of the lks/mlm beloit picture

lindsey's list-

Way too many pens glasses mints picture of me and mlm at Beloit Chinese money - because you just never know...

cmv's list-

1. a book (because you never know when you'll get stuck on a subway or in a line or at a bus stop or...(and by the way i can't recommend shutterbabe highly enough- it's incredible! so much so that i have to ration myself so i don't finish it too quickly))

2. a camera (or often two) 3. an extra bag (personally i love the envirosax) 4. liquid bandaid! (a MUST for all the walking to be done in nyc) 5. a metrocard (for when one has simply had it with walking).

so what about you? what are the five things that you never leave home without?

oh, and by the way- the sandwich has a new flickr identity . AND we also have a flickr group in case you'd like to share photos with us of your top five (or anything else, for that matter). we'd love to see them!

-cmv & the sandwich

top five

Something you might not know about the sandwich is that we are list-making enthusiasts.  While we were together this summer in Mankato, we had the idea to bring our love of lists to the blog as a way to branch out, share some favorites and hopefully reach out to you, our dear readers, and hear your favorites as well.  

So, on the fifth of every month, we will share a 'top five' with you and hopefully some of you will be inspired to share your 'top fives' back!

This month's list:

TOP FIVE FAVORITE BOOKS (in no particular order)

cmv's list:

The Alchemist- Paulo Coehlo

The Red Tent- Anita Diamant

Possessing the Secret of Joy- Alice Walker

The Poisonwood Bible- Barbara Kingsolver

The World According to Garp- John Irving

melissa's list:

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick

Ramona Quimby, Age 8- Beverly Cleary

The Lord of the Rings- J.R.R. Tolkien

The Scarlet Letter- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Johnny Got his Gun- Dalton Trumbo

Lindsey's list:

Son of the Circus- John Irving

To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

I Robot- Isaac Asimov

War and Peace- Leo Tolstoy

Memoir of a Geisha- Arthur Golden

I think I can speak for all three of us when I say that it was NOT easy to narrow down favorites to only five (can't it be top six?).  And I keep wanting to go back and make readjustments...

But it was fun to make the list- will you try it?

What are your top five favorite books?

-cmv & the sandwich