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November 03, 2005

The Knit Parade

Even though blogging has been non-existent, the knitting and other crafting has continued. Last week, I finished my first pair of socks!

 

And knit a soft and cozy cabled hat, from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky, acquired on sale at one of my LYSes:

And started the Shawl Collar Wrap Cardi (now dubbed SCWC because I am a lazy typist) from the fall '05 Vogue Knitting:

This is the back, knit in Knitpicks Andean Silk in Pitch. I'm using that for the body of the sweater, and Andean Treasure in Embers for the trim. It'll be quite a different look from what's in the magazine, but I think it will be wonderful!

I also finished 2 hipscarves for bellydance (one in recycled rayon, and the other in a ladder yarn), and my cashmere handwarmers/fingerless gloves - which I hope to get pictures and pattern posted for soon. And now I have to set aside my lovely sweater, because I just got the yarn to make a Colinette Perugino Throw (in Woodland) - an Xmas present for my grandparents. I expect it to go fairly quickly, after all, it is only 6 skeins of yarn. However, it's also going to be large, and by the time I hit the 12th row I will have *all 6 balls* of yarn hanging off of it, making it rather unwieldy. I figure it will be an at home/s'n'b knit only, and I want to get it done as soon as possible so I don't have to worry.

In non-knitting crafts, I just made a bunch of fun hairsticks and hairpins (most of which are for sale at the craft fair!) They were inspired by hairsticks that are sold at my dance studio, but I put my own spin on them, of course. I hope that some of these sell, because I really enjoyed making them, and would like to do more...

Posted by Shannon at 05:29 PM | Comments (2)

Back am I!

Sorry for disappearing there... life has been very busy recently, especially at work, and I just haven't gotten around to posting. Thank you to those of you who wrote to check in on me - I am continuing to do really well. Since it's been so long since my last real post, I'm going to split this in two - first, the general life update, and then the knit/crafty catchup.

So, let's see. I've made it to about 20 pounds lost (should cross that milestone at this weekend's weigh-in, in fact). I've been having a bit tougher time sticking with the plan through the weather change - fall always makes me want to hibernate and eat - but I'm doing pretty well.

I've also just started the second-level classes at my new dance studio, and we're starting to get into a lot of moves that are new to me or done quite differently than my old studio, so that's exciting. I'll be going to a 'bellyjam' at the studio on the 11th, and a workshop with some dancers from New York on the 20th, too. I'm wishing I had my sewing machine, though... I want new dance garb, but most of it is pretty expensive to buy, and lots of it is pretty easy to make. I'm trying not to go broke on my hobbies, here, after all - and between dance and knitting, that would be pretty easy!

Haven't heard much from D recently, which I'm happy about. We could probably pull off the staying-friends thing, but after the way he treated me for most of the last year and a half, I'm not too into that idea... and he's apparently catching on to that fact. I have been feeling the urge to start dating, but I really have no clue how to get on that train... and I'm a bit reluctant to even try while I'm still living with my parents - somehow that whole '26-years-old and living with mom and dad' thing doesn't seem like it'll be a big draw. However, It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to move out until after our December cruise and the holidays have passed - Come on, January!

Speaking of holidays, Halloween was fun... went to a party at Jojo's friend's house - I went as magnetic poetry:

I wore a velcro-friendly black sweater (harder to find than I expected!), and made a set of words attached to little velcro pieces so that they could be rearranged just like the real thing. This picture was taken after the party was over, when most of my words had either fallen off, been removed, or were arranged into poems on my back, but you can get the idea. It was kind of funny... most people couldn't figure out what I was, weren't quite sure how to react when I told them, but then warmed up to the idea. I spent quite a bit of the party standing still so that people could create new phrases.

I also put together my sister's costume, which I am pretty proud of. Her school made a rule that everyone's costume had to be of a character from a book, so we did Pippi Longstocking, which she just finished reading:

Another picture taken after-the-fact, so her hair is droopier here than it was during the day. I thought it turned out pretty cute, though, and it was also fairly easy and inexpensive.

Posted by Shannon at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)

November 02, 2005

PSA

We interrupt your regularly scheduled lack of blog posts for the following important information. The 4th annual 3WAuction Craft Fair is currently in progress, featuring a ton of incredible handcrafted goods. Please go check it out - my goodies (including scarves, bags, and hair ornaments) are all listed here.

Anyone is allowed to add auctions for the craft fair, so if you have anything you would like to sell, please feel free. And spread the word, too, if you don't mind!

I was going to write an actual blog post today, but ran out of time. Hopefully it will happen tomorrow.

Posted by Shannon at 05:35 PM | Comments (0)