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Review: Queensland Theater Company’s The Pitch

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The Pitch Review

The Queensland Theater Company has opened its 2013 season with a bang. Wait. Make that a double bang. Two one act plays (The Pitch and The China Incident) that showcased the best there is in Australian writing, direction and well.. acting.

Both plays are written by Peter Houghton but have separate directors. The Pitch has Hugh Parker playing a down on luck screenwriter about to pitch to Hollywood biggies, while The China Incident has Barbara Lowing trying to keep communication lines between the big power players from breaking down. The Pitch starts the evening off and after a 20 minute break, The China Incident plays.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to stay for The China Incident so this review basically covers The Pitch.

The Pitch works like a satire on the modern Hollywood movies and the way they end. Hugh Parker plays Walter Weinermann, a screenwriter who was unlucky in love, to talk himself up about a “pitch” he is about to give to a couple of Hollywood biggies for a script that he has been working on for some time but he is yet to finish. With only a couple of hours to go till the big meeting, he has to psych himself up to come up with plots and characters to fill the holes in the story. He draws inspiration from his own (love) life and tries to make a mish-mash  of what a Hollywood script should look like. So you have cameos from Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Sean Connery, Chris Tucker, Catherine Zeta Jones and the crowd (and personal) favorite Rupert Everett.

With a one man show, this is hard to achieve and Hugh Parker does a remarkable job of capturing the mannerisms and the styles of each of these actors (except Catherine Zeta Jones) as he goes through his script playing out the scenes and the part the actors play in it. To not only remember the lines, but to capture the essence of an actor so that the audience can instantly identify the characterization is a stupendous feat. Hugh Parker as the actor, Catarina Hebbard as the director and Melissa Agnew as the dialect coach all deserve a standing ovation for this.

CraftGossip.com received complimentary tickets to see the show.

What? The Pitch and The China Incident (two one person plays separated by a 20 minute interval)

Where? Cremorne Theater, QPAC, SouthBank, Brisbane.

When? 2nd Feb-9th March 2013.

Tickets: QPAC

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How to Fix a Missed Crochet Stitch (No Frogging Needed!)

how to fix a mixed stitch title image

How to Fix a Missed Crochet Stitch (Without Starting Over!)

We’ve all been there. You’re happily crocheting away, making great progress on your project, when suddenly you notice something’s off. The edges don’t look quite right, or your piece seems narrower than it should be. Yep – you’ve missed a stitch. But don’t worry! Before you even think about unraveling your hard work, let me show you how to fix this common mistake the easy way.

First, How Can You Tell You’ve Skipped a Stitch?

Missed stitches love to hide, but they usually give themselves away if you know what to look for. Your project might start looking narrower than it should, or the edges might appear wavy instead of straight. Sometimes you’ll notice your stitch count is suddenly off. The most common places this happens are at the very beginning or end of a row, or when you’re switching between different types of stitches.

Five Simple Ways to Fix a Missed Stitch

1. The Drop-Down and Rebuild Method
This works great if you’ve just made the mistake in the last row or two. Find where you missed the stitch in the row below, carefully undo just the stitches above it, then re-crochet them correctly. It’s like giving your project a tiny do-over.

2. The Chain-Up Fix
Perfect for when you’ve missed a stitch at the end of a row. Just add an extra chain at the end of your current row, then treat it as a real stitch in the next row. It’s a simple way to keep your edges even.

3. The Invisible Increase Trick
If you missed a stitch somewhere in the middle of your work, try working two stitches into one in the next row. This sneaky trick keeps your stitch count right without making the fix obvious.

4. The Surface Crochet Patch
For those times when other fixes won’t work, you can literally sew a new stitch over the gap. Match your sewing to the surrounding stitches, and no one will ever know there was a mistake.

5. The Creative Cover-Up
When all else fails, get creative! Add a cute button, an appliqué, or some embroidery over the spot. This works especially well for projects like amigurumi or decorative items.

How to Avoid Missing Stitches in the Future

Now that you know how to fix missed stitches, let’s talk about preventing them. Always count your stitches every few rows – stitch markers can be a huge help here. Make a habit of marking your first and last stitches so they’re easier to spot. Good lighting makes a big difference too, especially when working with dark yarn. And remember, consistent tension in your stitches helps keep everything even.

Remember: It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

Here’s the most important thing to remember – crochet is supposed to be fun! A missed stitch here or there doesn’t mean you’re bad at crochet. In fact, most small mistakes won’t even be noticeable in your finished project. Unless it’s a really major error, don’t stress too much about being perfect. Those little imperfections are what make handmade items special.

Now that you’re armed with these fixes, you can crochet with confidence, knowing that even if you do miss a stitch, it’s no big deal. Happy crocheting!