Satisfaction Reached.

Today I'm multi tasking. I'm currently:

• soaking my feet as part of a home pedicure
• eating smoked oysters (my Uncle Terry would be SO proud)
• Blogging, of course
• Working on the huppah

And, to top that off, I've just finished my shrug! I had finished the lacy 3/4 cut sleeve one that I began last Christmas. However, I was unsatisfied with the fit. So the search began for a better pattern. I found a great one on etsy that knitted up quick due to the chunky yarn and large gauged needles. It called for crochet sleeves, which I had never done before. I learned this: crochet is really easy. So. Much. Easier. Than. Knitting. And quicker. Once I picked it up, it only took a week to finish the whole shabang.

I originally wanted 3/4 cut sleeves, which the original pattern did not include. Once I did a test sleeve, I found it looked too bulky. In fact, the cap sleeve looks really cute. So I'm keeping it. Here's my very first crochet:

Its hard to believe that this-Turned into this-
Love it!

Now something else occurs to me: A little grey crochet flower for the shrug? Also, the dress needs a belt of some kind. would anyone we willing to knit or crochet a little lacy belt for moi? Or, even direct me to a good pattern? I would be ever so grateful....

Wedding Bolero/Shug Thinger Continued

Just to prove that I have been working on it, here is my progress on the wedding shrug:

One whole sleeve done! Just to give you some perspective, because of the complex nature of the lace, it takes about an hour and a half to knit nine complete rows, or one set. Ouch. There are fourteen sets of nine per sleeve. Ouch. Not to mention when I screw up and have to rip out a few rows to fix it. Doubly ouch. Still, its coming along! Now, granted, I may not even decide to wear it after all. it might not go with the dress, who knows. But I can say it does keep me from going crazy, thinking about all the other wedding stuff I can even start on yet. Knitting=sanity.
The one thing I'm dreading...joining the two sleeves. It requires the taxing and complicated "Kitchener stitch", one that I'm told even accomplished knitters can have trouble with. Yeesh. So, if any of you wise mothers out there have advice regarding the Kitchener, I'm all ears!

Ghost-Faced Knitter

I said I'd update you on the knitted bolero front, so here I am.

I'm about 12-13 inches in. The left sleeve will finish out at 15 inches, then I'll finish seaming it until that point. I'll knit a few more inches for the shoulder and back. I figure I'll leave the left sleeve on the needle while i do the right sleeve and then join the two by simply knitting them together. We'll see if that actually works. Learning! Yay!

The lace work has gotten much easier now and I'm learning a lot about the meat of knitting. Its like dissecting frogs in high school science. I've torn so much out and dropped and picked up so many times now, I can now make up patterns and figure out patterns by looking at pictures. I never could do that until now. Courtney one, Knitting.....57. But I'm catching up. Here are a few picture samples of my work so far.

New Year, New Post

Happy New Year, Ladies and Gents. Tis the year we get get hitched! It's hard to believe these are our last few months as singles. Now that school is out for a few weeks, I finally have time to blog a little. Here are some updates:
For starters, Casey has picked out her dress pattern. Its a nifty vintage vogue pattern that will look swell on her.
Mum and I are going fabric shopping this Saturday. Since Olivia will be in the vintage slipper satin we purchased in Butte, I'd love to have Casey in a nice deep green color. While shopping for Christmas presents a few days ago, Mom spied some curtains in Pier One that are perfect! Its a little unusual, sure, but what else is new? Its a very nice deep green silk shunting I think, and there is tons of fabric if we buy two panels. We'll find out this weekend if it'll work. Cross your fingers!


Also, I've been on a knitting kick lately...a serious knitting kick. Bordering on sickness, really. I visited a new knitting shop here in town, the Knit and Nosh. A super cute and helpful shop where I found some beautiful ivory yarn to knit this little tasty nugget:

Its a wedding bolero, and one that I have already started knitting. I've been searching the web for weeks for a little fuzzy bolero that a: isn't grandma-ish and b: isn't huge with no luck. Once I spied this pattern, however, I figured "why not make my own?" I'm a pretty capable knitter and I love learning new things, so here goes!

I'm not following her pattern exactly (it can be found here), instead I'm making it three quarter cut sleeve and cutting out the dopey droopy thing she's got going on (I mean I'm a hippy, but COME ON). I've also made the lace a little differently, so that it isn't so open, and has more stockinette in it. I am using the general pattern and measurements. I'll be sure to post a picture when I'm done. Its slow going, especially since this is my first attempt at knitting lace, but I do love a challenge! I already have several inches (although if I hadn't had to tear so much out and start over, I might be done with a sleeve by now!). I think it would look great with my wedding dress, and even if it doesn't, I have so much else I can wear it with anyway. Yay!

More to come.

ck

Green Appeal

How about this little betty for a strapless dress coverup?

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5104063

The Most Beauuuutiful Dress In The World

I don't know if you got the memo, but... I'm going to be the most beautiful bride in the history of the world. At least to Tay I will be. That said, I'm going to need the most beautiful dress in the history of the world. Thanks to my resourceful Mum, I think I might just have it in the bag. Presenting: Whirling Turbans (http://www.whirlingturban.com/). These amazing ladies in Bali, yes Bali, make one of a kind dresses for the vintage conscious lady. That's me! With one look at their print-packed website, I knew this was the place for me. This dress is what wowed me:

Isn't she a beauty?! That's a strapless petal bust, ladies and gentlemen. Petal Bust! Yes, this fabulous dress could be mine for the fabulous and thrifty price of....I have no idea. Yet. I've just completed a consultation email and sent if off. Hopefully I'll be hearing back from them soon. One thing I can be sure of: it will be far more original (as in one of a kind) and affordable than anything I could get at David's bridal (where wedding fashion goes to die). Blech! I've put forth this dreamy combination of wedding dress details:

Same strapless petal bust as the one on the left with a full circle skirt like the one on the right (fear not, the actual skirt is not that ...'Leave it to Beaver' ha-uge). I just can't easily picture getting wed in a body hugging skirt, call me old fashioned. I'd love to put a fun colored crinoline underneath, just so a little color peaks out. My choice of fabric would be a funky/classy brocade in cream or silver. The ones on the website are all brightly colored, so Mum and I might be finding our own to ship them if nothing comes in on their website soon.

Finally, I'd love to include this awesome, classy, so so sweet bolero on top. Sure, strapless is fun for funky dancing, but I'd love to cover up a bit for the actual marrying before God and my very tearful parents part. The fabric would match the dress for that super chic look. Yay!
Just think of the accessorizing possibilities. Les sigh. Funky colored pumps (maybe a print), pearls, or maybe silver. It makes a girl's head spin (and I haven't even included the awesome head piece/veil idea I have cooking). I'm getting pretty pumped to start making big decisions. We still have a little bit of time until we do that, but I'm ready to come charging out of the starting gate.

Look out world, here we come.

--Ck