The other reason I quit blogging, which is admittedly silly, was that I was feeling stifled by calling it knitting bean when I do so many other crafts. I felt like I was cheating or something by posting non-knitting things. I know, I know. I can post whatever I want on my blog, I told you it was silly.

So, I’m actually in the process of creating a new “brand” for myself and everything I do.  I have several ideas I’m excited about, so I really just need to decide on one.  I’ll keep you posted!

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First I did this:

Picture by one of the Moms

The Beeple by Allen Cullen
APPLAUSE! Cary Youth Theatre
My role: Costume Coordinator
Notes: This was tons of fun to do but I had to do A LOT of sewing and knitting   The kids on the design team picked/designed every thing with my guidance.  I made the Charbees’ pink, yellow and orange matching dresses with help from the girls, Princess Sweebee’s pink, green and purple dress, Wossup’s red sparkle dress using a self-created pattern, a support structure of wire to hold Queebee’s ruff up, dyed Hebe’s purple suit and knit all the Fuzzbuzz hats.  The kids made the camo on the Warbee shirts, painted the stars on and finger knit trim for the Fuzzbuzz, created Queenbee’s crown and bejeweled the Secret of Hex (which you can’t see in the picture).  I also taught them how to use expoxy resin, which they really had fun with.  My favorite costume is definately Wossup’s dress, though Sweebee’s comes in a close second, followed by Queebee.  The kids also made all of the set and props but I didn’t have as much to do with that.

Then I had a 16cm cyst removed from my right ovary.  That was no fun at all.  Thankfully it was laporoscopy and I recovered quickly, though I had a terrible reaction to the steri-strips.

And just now I finished up helping with a one week camp that produced this:

Picture by Me

Alice in Wonderland
APPLAUSE! Cary Youth Theatre
My role: Costume Coordinator, again
Notes:  Thankfully I didn’t have to make a whole lot for this one, just some bunny ears, mouse ears, the Tweedle hats and a few other miscellaneous things.  The Mad Hatter hat is mine from Halloween a few years ago.  I love being a costume freak, I get to pull out jems like that and make everyone happy.

Over all it’s been rather exciting few months.  I certainly enjoyed the theater stuff, but not the surgery.  I’m A-ok on that front now and I should have a bit of time to work on my dress unhindered.  Possibly.  Gah!  I need to get it done before Dragon*Con or I’m going to be crazy mad.  I just need to get’er done!

I made a new mock-up, trying to practice a different sizing up method. Do you like how I stuffed my dressform's bra with Target bags? Recycling, I tell ya.

Here's the fabric I've picked for the Jacket. Brown and cream houndstooth linen and chocolate cotton sateen for the lining.

I’m soooooo afraid to cut into the fabric!!  I think I’m going to make another muslin from my new mock-up just to be sure I’ve got the sizing right….  Nervous!

1891 Tailor Gown Mock-up

Not in the sexy way.  I’ve been working on my steampunk outfit!  I’m using an original 1890s pattern from Ageless Patterns.  The 1891 Tailor Gown to be exact (here is an awesome version done by someone else).  I’m thinking brown as the base color to go with my hat and cutting the sleeves short and not making the matching skirt… so basically just the jacket with short sleeves.  I think it’ll work.  I’ve been stressing about what fabrics to use, searching the internet madly.  Not mad because I’m crazy but mad because I’m angry that the selections are not good.  I’ve found 2 contenders.  I ordered a sample of one (can’t of the other one, not an option).  I’m pretty excited about this one.  Just a little worried that it’ll be too heavy. I also can’t decide if I want to wear it with pants or one of my skirts that I already own.  It’s so hard to tell how I’m going to feel when I’m just looking at a white muslin mock-up and some drawings I’ve done.  I’ll keep you posted though.

The next obsession is finding shoes.  It’s so hard to tell if things are going to work when you buy them online.  But then, you can’t buy knee high boots at stores this time of year.  I wear a size 9.5, which is always the first size to go so it’s highly unlikely that there will be any on clearance anywhere.  Luckily Endless.com has free shipping and return shipping.  Which seems crazy to me, how do they make money?  Not that I care too much… since I don’t want to pay shipping.    But then on Endless, it’s like, how do I pick just one pair!  And what color!!  *sigh*  I didn’t ever think I would become a shoe girl but it seems Carlota is rubbing off on me.    If only some of her extroversion would rub off on me too, hehe.

Sam has been asking for hand knits for a while now and I just recently finished a bunch for him as “Christmas presents.”  I say that with quotes because I did them with his knowledge, before Christmas came and one of them has been unfinished since last Christmas.  But, he loves them and that’s what matters.

Antler Scarf

Antler Scarf from Son of Stitch and Bitch
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool in “Rich Red”
Needles: don’t remember
Modifications: length- didn’t make it as long due to yardage
Thoughts: It’s a cool and simple cable pattern, went down easy.  Not sure I like the way it curls though and do wish I had more yarn to make it longer.

Twisty

Basic Cable Hat from Stitch and Bitch Nation
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool in “Rich Red”
Needles: US 7 circulars
Modifications: added more cable repeats to make it longer
Thoughts: Easy.  I’m not sure what sort of human being the directions are written for but there’s no way it would have fit on his head if I didn’t add more length to it.  I actually wish I had had enough yarn to add a few more repeats because it’s still a little small. *sigh* Luckily we live in Raleigh and he won’t have too much occasion to actually need to wear it.

basketweave

basket case

Basketweave Pullover
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool in “Deep Olive”
Needles: don’t remember
Modifications: none
Thoughts: First time installing a zip, went well.  I had started this back in November 2007 but didn’t finish the sleeves before it got so unbearably hot around here that it was too uncomfortable to knit on it.  Picked it back up in Septemberish and finished it just before Thanksgiving.  I could have done it a lot quicker if I had been motivated but once I didn’t finish it by last Christmas I slowed way down.  Sam loves it- though again, I’m not sure he’ll have many occasions to wear it.  It’s seriously wooly.

Frooty

Froot Loop from Knitty
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM in a green colorway
Needles: US 2 Bamboo double points
Modifications: none
Thoughts: These fit really nicely and are so comfy.  I was a little worried that the stitch pattern wouldn’t stand out very well but I think it turned out great.

Swing from the trees with the greatest of ease.

Monkey from Knitty
Yarn: Regia 4-ply (superwash) in brown
Needles: US2 Bamboo double points
Modification: none
Thoughts:  Love the yarn, pretty comfy.  Brown is one of my favorite colors and I’ve been wanting to make some brown socks for a while now.  I did pick this pattern because most monkeys are brown, I know I’m a dork.  I really like the way the toe fits on this- it’s a wider ending point than most patterns give and I think it fits my toes better.  I don’t have pointy feet after all.

The next pair of socks I’m working on are Waving Lace from Interweave Knits.

I have knit a pair of these before and have been wanting to do a pair for myself ever since.  They are going well but I’m a little bothered by part of the pattern.  You see there is a yarn over right after a purl in one part and right before a purl in another.  You can probably see the problem in this picture:

The yos after purls are so tiny that they almost aren’t even there and the ones before purls are huge.  I don’t know if there’s another way to be doing these yos or if that’s just the way life and this pattern are but I guess I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.  They are cute socks anyways.