To sleeve, I guess...

Well, I decided to try out the sleeve idea. I am currently knitting the right sleeve on double pointed needles, but before I started I inserted a "lifeline" with a tapestry needle and embroidery floss:


That way, if I should change my mind, I will hopefully be able to rip out the knitting back to the starting position fairly easily.

You can find more info on that concept here: http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/lifeline.shtm

To Sleeve or Not to Sleeve, Take 2

I got the length of my burgundy bellydance top finished today. When it got down to the last few rows and I had to begin making the french cable bust band, I admit I was thinking something along the lines of "Wha?" when I was reading the pattern... But it evolved into one of those beautiful, magical moments when you first can see something coming together and you are both surprised and fascinated. This was probably the coolest part of the whole Giselle pattern to me. And I did not do this the first time around since on the original Giselle I chose to do the crochet trim version instead. I had to take pictures of the bust band to show just how nifty it really is:

I made a twisted cord out of the same yarn and threaded it through the holes in the band to use as a tie closure. Here is what the top looks like in its current form:

So now here is the predicament: I can't decide if I want to leave the sleeves at their current length and bind them off now or continue the sleeves until they are about a 3/4 length, snug-fitting sleeve style. I keep looking at the picture and trying to figure out what to do but I haven't come to any kind of conclusion yet... decisions decisions.

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So meanwhile I took a break and decided to wind my beautiful Mandy yarn into a nice center-pull ball. I still can't get over the concept that I made this yarn with my own hands. The process is so interesting to me, and I can't wait to knit it into something beautiful (once I decide on a pattern that is...). The yarn is really quite soft and I love the feel of it. Here is the finished product:

Yeah.... that didn't take long.

Happy Halloween

Well I finally got around to spinning the last of my Mandy colorway this morning. I washed it in some wool wash and warm water and rinsed it several times in gradually cooler water. There was a LOT of dye bleed that I wasn't expecting. But this is the first time I have worked with a dyed fiber like this. Before I used the natural colored fiber.

I have it in 2 halves, hanging up on hangers with water bottle weights in the kitchen while it dries. It looks like I ended up with roughly 158 yards of a worsted-type weight. I am not sure what I am going to make with it. I will have to look around at some patterns to see what kind of yardage is required for hats, scarves etc. It will be pretty exciting to knit something with yarn I spun myself :)

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I've been really stressed out lately with some things going on in my life and with my husband being deployed recently. I want to get back into my knitting to maybe help alleviate some of that stress. Video games are good for passing the time, but I think I also need to give myself some extra relaxation time.

I want to make a new pair of socks now that the weather has turned fairly cold here. But I still have to finish that darned Giselle sweater. And the second Giselle that is going to be a bellydance top. I really need to finish these things I already started before I start new projects. I also have the kitchen towel WIP going, but I don't mind leaving that one unfinished. It's a good on-the-go project to take with me when I leave the house.

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Today I have a sick kindergartener. He started throwing up last night a few hours after trick or treat, and I thought maybe it was from eating too much candy. But it continued all night long and this morning, so I kept him home from school. Seems like it might be some kind of stomach flu. At least I am hoping that it's something that will be quick to pass. He's driving me nuts with asking me for something to drink constantly. I keep trying to explain to him that guzzling down liquids and throwing them back up 2 minutes later are related events...

Better late than never

Well I've not posted for quite some time, a fact which does not make me happy =(

I have been knitting off and on. I started 2 new projects, one being a kitchen towel than can be hung on a stove handle using Sugar N Cream cotton in Ecru.

The second is a bellydance wrap top I am basing on the Giselle pattern using Paton's Brilliant in Beautiful Burgundy. I am probably going to improvise this one. I am not sure how I am going to handle closures or what the sleeve length is going to be, but it will be a crop top for me to dance in.

Speaking of Giselle, I don't think I have made much progress on the original one since I last posted. I really have no willpower when it comes to that picot edge and join. It gets on my nerves and makes me have no desire to work on it... I really need to just force myself through it so I can finish.

Things have been pretty hectic this month and there's a lot of stuff going on right now that has kinda disrupted my flow. So I have been trying to knit when I can, and spin a little (still working on that "mandy" colorway). But I can predict that there will be a lot of knitting and spinning going on in the coming months because I will need something to relax me and help me pass the time...

Meanwhile, I got myself a sword for bellydance! It's a baladay scimitar from Kult of Athena (http://www.cultofathena.com/). I am able to balance it fairly decently so far, but I want to work on my strength and flexibility so that I can do some really neat floorwork and stuff someday.

I have also been messing around with makeup a lot, watching youtube tutorials and teaching myself how to do some dramatic looks I can use with dance costuming etc. Here's some of the goodies I got this week from http://www.cherryculture.com/.

Here are 2 of the looks I created this week:

Black and grey matte -

Purple shimmer -

Well that's about it for now. I will try not to take so long to make the next post!

Picot edging is the devil

... at least when you are doing it with fingerling weight yarn over a large area! So I started working on the edging for Giselle yesterday, and worked on it pretty much all day. So far today I joined one sleeve flare to the top portion. The first time I did it I realized I had it positioned wrong, so I had to rip it out and start over. That's what I get for working on it at 7:30 am after very little sleep. It looks pretty good I think, but this edging is killing me with its painstaking annoyingness!

It will look a lot better when it is blocked, because I am still having a lot of curling issues. At least Cassie seems happy with it.

Random stuff

Well, since the olympics are over I thought I would do some small projects that I had been wanting to do for a while. So I made one of these Swiffer cloth thingers, and I really enjoyed knitting it. I used my knit picks harmony options needles for the first time and it felt really nice. It was a quick and easy knit and I am totally going to make a bunch more of these things since I have a lot of random Sugar N Cream yarn I got on clearance. I think I may be able to get 2 cloths out of one of the super size skeins.

I also resurrected my old dishcloth that was one of the first knits I ever did. I added a crochet border around it this week.

And now I am back to working on Giselle here and there, with a little bit of spinning thrown in. I still haven't finished spinning my "Mandy" roving and finished that yarn yet.

I did it!

After cutting it really close and staying up all night on Saturday night/Sunday morning, I finished my sock put project in time for the closing ceremonies. Here's a pic of the FO - Monkey socks.

And here is what I received:

I'm pretty proud of it because this is the first pair of socks I have ever completed and I learned some new technique along the way. I think the socks came out great. I will definitely make more with this pattern.

I cast on for one of the Swiffer cloths that I have been meaning to make, but I didn't get very far on that yesterday because I was way too tired. I also spun another section of the "Mandy" yarn I had been working on. Not sure what I will do today yet.