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Review: Horrible Histories Barmy Britain

January 30, 2015 by Vikram Goyal

horrible-histories-barmy-britain

Fun Fact: Did you know that the first Horrible History books were published over 20 years ago?

Published in 1993 by the Scholastic brand, The Terrible Tudors and The Awful Egyptians, were an instant hit. They described British history (of the time) through the context of the ruling dynasties. And they made it fun for the kids. Learning history would never be more ghastly or ghoulish!

Of course, with every successful book series, there should be an obligatory TV show, followed by a successful stage show (we are only waiting for the movies now). And that is Horrible Histories Barmy Britain 2 hour sing-along, dance-along version of 1000 years of British History. Told in the most gruesome, ghoulish way that will have the kids shrieking in delight or fear (I couldn’t tell).

Not only do you learn history, you do it in an almost interactive environment that makes the dead people come alive. And fun. Did I mention fun?

To be honest, I didn’t know much of the history of Britain. Neither did the rest of the audience (this being Australia you know), so relating to the show is a bit hard. Unless you are with a 7 year old who is genuinely interested in the history of England and whether King Henry VIII is portrayed correctly.

This show was live theatre combined with 3D imagery that had us gob-smacked. Talk about high production values!

I am not sure what I retained in the end, but the skulls coming towards us and the dancing Queen Victoria will forever be etched in my memory. I am  hoping my 7 year old retained more of the history and knowledge part of it than I did.

It’s the horrible history of Britain with the nasty bits left in!

QPAC, Andrew Kay and Associates in association with The Birmingham Stage Company present:

Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain

When:

30 January at 7.00pm

31 January at 11.00am, 3.00pm and 7.00pm

Where:

Concert Hall, QPAC, Cultural Precinct, South Bank

Bookings:

136 246 or qpac.com.au

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Coffee Cozy Knitting Patterns

During the summer (which is what it is where I am writing from) I like to share patterns for things that you can knit and use even when it’s warm out. And sometimes they are things you can use when it’s cold, too, like this collection of coffee cup cozies. Because hot coffee is a must almost any time of year. 

This simple pattern form Darling Jadore is a great one for beginners and could be a good first knitting in the round project. It uses worsted weight yarn and includes video tutorials if you need extra help. 

If you want a perfectly plain cozy that you can jazz up with your own designs, check out the Base Doodle Cup Cozy from Jamie Lomax. This free pattern on Ravelry comes in two sizes (short and long) and is meant to be used with her doodle charts to make it your own. You could also keep it plain, add stripes or design your own motifs to stitch on it. 

Most coffee cozy patterns that I see are just sleeves meant to go over travel mugs, but what if your mug has a handle? This pattern from Stacey’s Knit Wits has an I-cord loop and button so you can use it on a mug with a handle or a travel cup. It uses DK weight yarn.

Coffee cozies are a fun way to play with stitch patterns and learn new techniques. If you’ve never knit cables before, this cozy from Purple Wool Co. would be a great first cable project, as it features simple braided cables all the way around. It uses worsted weight yarn and is worked in the round. 

Try double knitting to make an extra-insulating coffee cozy with this pattern from Tracy Leming. It includes little color changes so you can get the concept of how double knitting works on a small scale. It also can include a little pocket for a tea bag if you want. This one uses worsted weight yarn and is a free pattern on Ravelry.

Or try stranded knitting with the Love in the Air cozy from Danielle Thuen. It features hearts of different sizes and is worked in sock yarn. You’ll need to make sure those floats are nice and loose so it will stretch to hug your cup. You can find this pattern on Ravelry. 

They’re also a fun way to add a bit of flair to an otherwise plain cup. KnitnKaboodle Designs has this lovely leaf-shaped cozy pattern, which you could use for hot or cold beverages by changing up the fiber you choose (that’s pretty much always true). It is made in pieces that are stitched together and can be worked in a single color or choose different colors for each leaf.

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