Stop! Grammar Time!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled knitting blog to bring you this strictly non-knitting, nerdy post. Just in case you ever use (and trust) MS Office's grammar check, keep this picture in mind.



I wonder what severity cans? It has to be anchovies. After all, anchovies sound gross, and "severity" doesn't exactly leave one with a warm, fuzzy feeling. So it probably has canning parties with other unfriendly words like "discord" and "depreciate," and they can anchovies...

Or are they telling me to write that the severity of the disease fires "double"? Poor "double." Getting canned by MS Office's grammar check. I thought he was doing a pretty good job, myself. Good ol' "double"... but he is always getting into trouble, they say. I guess it was bound to happen.

This brought out the nerdiness in me enough to merit putting up the Hammer "Grammar Time" icon. Which, if you look closely, the background is "netspeak," making it even more awesome. I did not create that icon and I don't know who did... it was on one of those random websites with free icons. So if you made it, thanks, let me know if you want your name up there, and also you are the coolest person ever. Except for me. But that goes without saying. ;-)

* And yes, I know that's not the way to cite in a paper. But it's the way I begin citations all my papers. I have the actual citations on their little page, and I just put the number in till I am done and ready to purdy up all the citations. I'm not sure if it's quicker than doing them as you go (because I don't think I've ever actually tried that), but whatever. Works fine for me.

** And yes, I see the grammatical error in there that MS Word DIDN'T catch. And I fixed it!

*** Oh, by the way, as this post indicates, I'm still alive. I'll have to do a real post later... when I'm not extremely busy doing crap for finals.

Edit: Oh, I guess you can't look closely on the GrammarTime picture because Blogger stretches it out. But the background is netspeak. This image is only 100x100 pixels or something like that, but apparently Blogger says "NO! Ye shall have no photos smaller than 200 cubits" (and by cubits I mean pixels). I wonder if I can fix that.

Edit 2: Yay, fixed!

A Ransom Note

From Flickr:

Hey knittin_bayou! About your photos...

You've run into one of the limits of a free account. Your free account will only display the most recent 200 photos you've uploaded. All of your photos beyond 200 will remain hidden from view until you either delete newer photos, or upgrade to a Pro account.

None of your photos have been deleted, and if you upgrade, they'll all come back unharmed.

Doesn't this sound kinda like a ransom note? ;-) So does this mean now that my older pictures can't be seen, even if they are linked?

Dressing for Your Shape? (aka possibly TMI and no pictures, sorry!)

I've been pondering a lot recently about what really looks good on me. Apparently, I'm a pretty poor judge of it myself, considering the opinions of others 'round here.

For those of you who don't know, I am SHORT - 4'10" (not quite a legal "small person," but I'm only an inch over the max). I also would consider myself what some like to call "curvy," I suppose, but I am not sure what that means. I mean, I've seen magazines call Scarlett Johanson curvy, but did you see her in The Prestige (great movie, btw)?? In that corset? She was pretty much a stick with boobs. A very lovely stick, true (I rank her as one of the top 4 most attractive ladies on planet Hollywood), but a stick nonetheless. So, as a disclaimer, when I say I am "curvy," I do not have anything near the figure of Scarlett Johanson. I have boobs, 34" hips, and a little belly (but a 26" waist, except maybe at Thanksgiving). I also have short legs and well, my thighs ain't exactly proportional to my height, and they probably ain't going anywhere, either.

So, let's just say that designers aren't exactly designing for my body type. And I can see why that is - I sure as heck can't ever find things I like on myself, and if I like them, no one else does. All I've found that we can all agree on my looking nice in are button down shirts and pinstripe dress pants, and who wants to wear those all the time?

So anyway, if you're out shopping and you can't find things you like, well it's a bummer, but it's no huge deal - just don't buy it. Or return it if you buy it and get home and wonder what you were on at the store. But what if you're sewing or knitting for yourself? How do you determine whether something is going to flatter you if you can't try it on first? I know you can try on something similar at a store, but what if you can't find anything similar?

Also, which distorts your shape less? A mirror or a camera? Anyone know?

BTW, the pink dress did not go over well in person. Apparently, though it looks pretty good in the photos... not so much IRL (not that I had the nerve to wear it out after the looks I got just trying it on in the house!). At least that's what I hear. So I dunno what steps to take next. I have to admit to a major self-confidence drop recently, and I don't like it one bit. ;-)

Boxes and boxes

Well, ok, only two boxes. And a couple of pillowcases. That's all I have to show today... but it is, I assume, preferable to the complete absence of posting that's been going on around here lately, and also to posting without pictures at all.

So, I know what you're thinking - boxes are boring. Sure, they're good for keeping crap in, but they're boring. Well, I thought so too, until I discovered this wonderful stuff called Mod-Podge (or is it Modge-Podge? I don't know). Now I think boxes are wicked cool (even if saying "wicked cool" isn't wicked cool anymore), or at least can be after applying a gallon of this stuff and some scrapbook paper.

Actually, for these projects I used Mod-Podge (which will be abbreviated as MP if I mention it again), scrapbook paper, paint, ribbon, and fabric. It was mucho fun, although it stank to high heaven!

Here are some pictures:

The first box was a 12"x12" scrapbook paper box from Michael's. Now, in case you don't scrap, most of the scrapbooks I've seen come in a size for 12"x12" sheets of paper. That's right, the sheets of paper are exactly 12"x12". The box? Also exactly 12"x12". Anyone see a problem here? Anyway, I failed to realize this info until after the fact, and it's ok, because I have other crap in the box besides 12"x12" scrapbook paper (considering that I left most of my scrapping stuff at home). But just to let people know, the papers don't really fit. But for a box this pretty, who cares?!




After I finished the box, I wanted to do another. It was such fun! It just so happened that I got a free card organizer from Hallmark - handy, but oh so BLAND. I don't know if you've realized this about me, but I'm not a big fan of neutrals. They are boring! So, so boring. So, when I got this free card organizer that was (what else?) beige and white, ugh!, I thought I'd liven it up a bit. So, I used leftovers from the previous projects to make this:







I finally also accepted that my beloved comforter, the wonderful Van Gogh print, was wearing quite thin. I decided to get a new one. Then, inspired by some throw pillows I'd seen online, I painted pillowcases to match. I was going to do throw pillows, but it just seemed like too much trouble, as I would have had to make them, or make covers for a couple of throw pillows I found. I probably will do one soon, though, if I can ever find fabric paint in the colors I wanted to use for the throw pillow. I used sparkly fabric paint and some cheap beige (ugh, that color again!) pillowcases I found for around $3 (for a set of 2) at Kmart. I think the results were pretty fun, but here, you can judge for yourself!




And on the bed with the new comforter set:




Now, for updates on projects. In knitting, I'm currently still working on Josephine, but it's going slowly. For sewing, I've almost finished the "muslin" for V8386, of which I will have to get opinions before I use my fabulous pink, black, and white print from Gorgeous Things on it. I can't decide if the dress is going to flatter me or not. I thought it would, as I do have a very nice semi-formal dress in a similar style that I think is very flattering on me, but I'm not sure about this one. It will definitely need something under it, too, as the fabric (a cheap pink knit from the $1 fabric table at Walmart) is very thin. But you'll see in a few days.

Also, I updated some of my projects on Ravelry. I now have posted (not very good) photos of most my wips, as well as photos of all my fos (which have been on there for awhile). I do love this site - it is really great at keeping me organized and helping me remember what I'm working on, as well as what I want to do. I wish there was a sewing site like this - PR is really great, but it would be so wonderful to have a feature where I could post my projects I'm working on, as well as pictures of my stash and patterns I want to use them for. Just sublime. But don't think I'm putting down PR at all - I love it, too! I use my "pattern catalog" feature for keeping in mind what I want to do in what fabric, for now, but without fabric pics.

I really want to make a pair of peacock feather earrings. Any tips on how to go about doing so? I am dying for some, but how would you attach the peacock feathers to the earring hook thingys?

As this is really a hobby journal for me, and reading is a great hobby of mine, I'll talk a little about that, too. I just finished reading The Demon Under the Microscope today. This book has had me captivated, and is part of the reason progress on all my projects has been slow, even on a geologic time scale. It's a non-fiction book about the discovery and short reign of sulfa drugs, and it was just great. It took me much longer than most books do to read, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I give it an A++++!! I've not had much time for pleasure reading (yes, this is what I read for pleasure, along with many other things) any way, since I've had to read for class so much, but I think the next book on my list will be The Secret Life of Germs. I'm wary of this one, hoping it's not just another book that tells you to scrub everything and never let a bacterium into your house. Overzealous cleaning is as bad as no cleaning at all. I also have some Tolkien I haven't yet read, and am sorely tempted to wait until after reading one or two of those to start on Germs. Another couple of books I just finished are The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life and We Thought You Would Be Prettier: True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive. Both very funny books, although I have to argue that Laurie Notaro cannot be "dorkiest girl alive," as I hold that title at present. ;-) I hope to get my hands on her other books. Yes, I know I'm reading them out of order, but the books are kinda random in themselves, so I don't think it matters too much.

Assuming anyone still even reads this thing, I'm very sorry I haven't been keeping up with your blogs, or mine either, for that matter. I'm just so busy getting into the swing of things with grad school. I can't promise I'll do better, but I hope to at least post more often, and I'll try to catch up to my blog reads now and then.

Now I think I will dub this post "officially longest post ever!!"

I'm still here

Sorry, y'all. I haven't dropped off of the earth or anything, so I have no excuse for going so long without a post. I've been doing semi-crafty things and I've been knitting a little. I've been working and reading a lot, watching some movies and spending time with my family and friends, and thinking a lot about sewing but not doing it at all. I didn't even start on the dress in time for my friend's wedding, but I have a couple of days I don't have much planned (today and tomorrow), and I am going to try to finish the dress then. I'm getting ready to start school again on the 20th. I've some cute things to show, but haven't taken any pictures, so once I get on that, I'll post my projects and talk about them. Whee!

FO: BWOF Wrap Skirt 3-2007

I've had this one done for awhile, but yes, am just now getting around to posting it. It's the wrap skirt from the March 2007 Burda World of Fashion (THE reason I wanted this issue to begin with). As usual, pictures here, details on the PR review. The lilac skirt isn't quite finished. It still needs a zipper. And I don't have any tops that I like with either skirt, so I will have to find or make something that will look nice. I've worn the turquoise skirt a couple of times with the top in the pictures and it goes ok, but I'm not satisfied, though I did get compliments (oh joy! hehe).

The usual disclaimer about the more awful than usual photos. These pictures couldn't have turned out worse if I'd purposely tried to make myself look ugly and overweight in them. And I'm not a junkie; the band-aid is from the blood test I'd had that day (everything turned out fine).






Now, on to other things. I haven't been totally lazy. I've been decoupaging boxes with Mod-podge, scrapbook paper, and ribbon. I did a scrapbook paper box (which turned out to barely hold the 12" scrapbook paper pages I like, since it's apparently exactly 12" itself, what were they thinking? the paper gets stuck) and a card organizer. I LOVE how they turned out, and will post about them soon, when I find my mysteriously missing digital camera (where's Nancy Drew when ya need her)?

Speaking of Nancy Drew, I saw the movie and loved it. Go see it just for the great clothes! Also, the movie itself was cute and I loved how Nancy didn't change to fit in - an important message, I think. Especially if you've got it all together as she does! ;-) One of the dresses I fell absolutely in love with (ok, I fell in love with all of them, but one of them I really want to make), so I've been on a pattern hunt. Here are a couple of pics of it (the best I could find, though I couldn't find any of the bottom). It appears to be A-line with princess seams, a square-ish neckline, and an empire waist. Pattern suggestions, anyone?




I also saw Transformers, and, while it offered no fashion inspiration, it was a great movie (then again, I'm a Transformers fan, so I could be biased).

Sorry I haven't updated more recently. There just hasn't been that much to post about. I've been reading C. S. Lewis, Anne McCaffery, and Wicked, and I have a huge reading list to finish. I've got plenty of great fabrics to work on, but not lots of time to work. Especially since I've been trying to get lots of reading in, working, and still trying to get some knitting accomplished, too. But a friend I've known since elementary is getting married in early August, and I want to have the Vogue 8386 dress done in time to wear to the wedding (if I like it and decide it's appropriate when complete). I've got to get past some major fear that, for some reason, this dress isn't going to turn out well for me. I am not sure why I feel so certain there's going to be a problem, but yeah. I've read all the PR reviews on the dress, and I think all of them recommend the dress, but I'm still getting warning signs. Regardless, I'm cutting out for a muslin today. I gotta get started on the thing if I'm going to have it done in time for the wedding.

On the knitting front, I stopped working on Rapunzel. For now. I think it's coming out way too large, and it seems the only way to fix it is going to be redoing it. Fortunately, I was still on the back, but I was nearly finished with it. All that SEED STITCH, too, ugh! And it's not going to be a matter of changing needles or yarns, because my gauge was spot on. No, I'll have to figure out how to size the pattern down, I guess. Argh! So I'm working on Josephine from IK, instead. Some yarn has gone missing for a Chez Plum project I intended to start instead, so I had no choice. I can't figure out where it went! Maybe it's with the camera. And I don't have much yarn here to choose from. :-( But I am loving Josie, in a lovely lilac Microspun (yes I know it will probably pill and won't block). It's soft and really pretty, and since the lace pattern is simple, it will be ok.

An interruption

As you may know, I try to keep my personal life and my personal views/beliefs separate from my crafting blog. But this is one of those topics that are so very important that I am even posting it here, and I certainly hope no one will take offense (you never know what is going to offend people these days).

In the July issue of National Geographic, there was an excellent article on malaria. It's posted online here, and I think everyone should read it. It is so, so very important for us to find a vaccine, and to continue funding research for treatments of the disease, as well as to donate money towards helping the victims.

FO (?): Simplicity 4076: Wrap Top

So I finished this about a week ago, but have been hesitating on calling it "finished" because it's a little too tight. I mean, it's pretty tight, and I like to wear my clothes fitted, but I think this one might be too much, if ya know what I mean. I've decided to wear it a couple of times and see what I think. I left big seam allowances, so I can make it looser if I'd like. I love the fabric, and it was only $1.99. I love this pattern - it's so easy, and the results are great! Link to the review at PR is here.

As usual, the quality of these pictures is poor. I had to take them in the mirror with no flash, so I apologize for the blurriness!





Also, I've been meaning to post these for a bit, but had been too lazy to upload pictures from my camera until tonight. I didn't use a mirror for these but had to turn off the flash, and I haven't figured out how to get a clear picture of small objects yet, so I apologize for the quality of these pics as well! These are earrings I received from Susan of Sulu-design! The black ones I had ordered for graduation, but they never arrived, so she kindly sent me another pair and two extra pairs, all of which I LOVE. The pink and black are just perfect to match the fabric I got to make the Vogue dress for. I really appreciate the great service and beautiful earrings, thank you so much, Susan! I didn't get to wear the graduation earrings for graduation, but I've gotten a lot of wear out of them since then!






She's got some more great designs in her Etsy shop. I particularly like these three pairs.

Vote or die! ;-)

No, this isn't a political rant. I shall always try to keep those to a minimum, since that's not what this blog is intended for. Actually, this "issue" is rather on topic. Garnstudio's Drops Designs is having a vote for the new patterns they will release. I thought those of you who didn't know about this already might want to get your vote in. My personal favorite is the red cropped cardigan near the bottom of the page, z-284_278. It's SO Delphine-esque and I MUST HAVE IT! It even has that cable I particularly adore. So if you vote, please include that one in your vote!

Also, the new Knitty is out, and I just love Marnie's Chapeau Marnier hat. Now I must get my hands on a skein of Lorna's Laces sock weight in periwinkle, asap! This is one of the cutest hats I've seen, and my favorite thing in this issue. Gorgeous!

Also, check out this vintage dress pattern. The number looks to be M4425, and it's apparently from the 50s. I am on the hunt now. I want to find this pattern, or something very similar! :-D

Isn't this jacket from Burda June fabulous?

New project: Butterick 5046

Rapunzel is going well, but right now I am S-L-O-W-L-Y wading through an ocean of seed stitch, so I really don't have anything interesting to report! I'm so sorry, y'all. I only brought 2 projects, and need to get yarn for the third (a test knit), but haven't been able to yet. So yet AGAIN, I've nothing interesting to say about my knitting on my KNITTING blog. Argh! I can say that I'm a little worried - the back of Rapunzel is looking kinda large. :-(

So, remember the Garnethill dress I posted about last time? Well, check out Butterick 5046. Very similar, no? A few details are different - the obvious length and lack of cap sleeves, and the Butterick pattern doesn't have gathering on the shoulders or a bias strip on the edges, but aside from that, it's the same dress. So I got this pattern and some beautiful linen... it's between a deep turquoise and a deep jade. Sometimes I see the green more and sometimes the blue stands out more. I really love the color! So, I'm cutting this one out next. I need a break from working with knits! I really like them, and they are easy to sew... but annoying as all get out to cut. Well, better than chiffon. But more annoying than a woven, because if you're not careful, you'll stretch the fabric and cut your piece too small. I "finished" the wrap version of S4076, but I feel it's kinda tight so I think I'm going to need to loosen it up (fortunately I left enough hem allowance to do so).

I'm going to shorten it to the length of the Garnethill dress, or maybe even right above the knee - I'm short and it seems that's the best length for me. In the tissue fitting, the shoulders were too wide by quite a bit... can I just use that extra space for a gather, or will it not work because there's no curve? I'm also wondering how to add the cap sleeves. I really can't afford to buy more patterns to add shoulder gathering and cap sleeves from them right now, but I definitely don't know how to draft my own! Any hints? There is a sleeve in the pattern, but it's definitely not a cap sleeve.

I also picked up, at Hancock's, the pattern I never received from eBay, Vogue 8386! I filed a non-receipt claim with Paypal, so hopefully I can get the money back on that. But yeah, so I will be using the pink/black/white flowers for this dress! I'm pretty nervous about this one because I don't want to ruin that wonderful fabric, so I'm going to wait until after the linen dress and the "Stacy Shirt" (made of the same gorgeous chain link fabric she used!) to give the dress a try.

Finally, another pattern I'd been coveting since it came out, and got awhile back at a sale, was Simplicity 3797. I'm enamored of the dress view! I had some cotton that might work, but I'd originally planned it for other projects. What do y'all think? Should I use this for the dress or for the projects for which it was planned (a blouse and a skirt, not to be worn together)? I've also thought of making this dress in pink, just as shown. This, by the way, is the reason I chose the teal/jade linen for the GH dress instead of going for pink - I figure that although I can't see how, it probably IS possible to own too many pink dresses.

And, I finished another book, The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. It's non-fiction, but presents itself very much like a fictional novel. It was very good! I am extremely interested in viruses, so I expected to like it, but I think someone who isn't necessarily interested in microbiology would enjoy it as well... especially if you like thrillers, or Michael Crichton (though, of course, his sci-fi IS fictional!).

I started The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. I own this dvd, and have always wanted to read the book. So far, it is, of course, better than the dvd. :-)

As an aside, I am not in any way affiliated with Amazon. It's just the first site I could think of where I knew I'd be able to find these books. Buy them from anywhere you like, or borrow them from the library. :-)

Edited to add: Stacy, I am all about a Vogue dress sew along, but you may not want to wait for me to get to mine - it may be a week or two. I want this dress to turn out as RTW looking as I can get it (well, expensive, well-made RTW looking... not cheap, badly made RTW!). That's a general goal for every project, but this one in particular! So I want to get a couple of other projects done, because I'm using a different sewing machine and learning how to work it. It is quite different from mine and, while nicer, is harder for me to control the speed (a big thing for me, since I still have to go more slowly to keep a straightish seam).

Atajev, thanks for the advice about using a cap sleeve from another pattern. I DO have one pattern here (aside from the knit tops I just made) that has cap sleeves, but it is Simplicity. I'll cut it out and see if they match.

Also, I forgot to mention this. Yesterday we went fishing and I caught an eel. That was neat, but I didn't think to bring a camera on this little adventure, so I don't have a picture. I now have a pretty good list going of weird things I've caught when fishing: 2 stingrays, a shark, a sheepshead (and if you don't think that's weird, check out its crazy teeth!), and now an eel (link is not to my photo, but it looked like that except it was green and fatter, with a pointy nose). Wonder what strange creature will hop on my line next!

Graduate! :-D

Well, I'd hoped to have more to post about (some FO or something), but I didn't want to wait too long to post, and I am having no luck with the wips right now!

I graduated from La Tech Uni with a bachelor's in Biology on May 19, yay!



I'll have to post a picture of me in the dress later, but they are all on a disk and I'm too lazy to put them on the computer right now!

I haven't picked up a knitting needle in about 2 weeks. I have been TRYING to sew, but I seriously suck. I don't know if I just haven't done it enough or what, but even going as slowly as I can, I still can't get seams anywhere NEAR straight, which is a very bad thing when you're trying to make this skirt. Then also, the thread I used didn't have enough contrast, and the only other threads I had that would have worked colorwise aren't heavy enough, so now I have to buy a new thread. So I put it aside. And I just don't know how it's going to look on me when it's done (assuming it GETS done). ARGH!

Then I started on a muslin for this top, and that was a hellish experience. Even after asking at PR about working with chiffon, it was ridiculously difficult to cut and my pieces didn't end up the right sizes or anything. I'm very scared of cutting my good fabric now... it wasn't terribly expensive but it's so pretty and I don't want to ruin it!

Then I learned that my zig-zag foot (I think... the all purpose foot is how I think of it) is GONE. What a disaster!! I'd planned on making a few knit tops and a knit dress, which I cannot do without a zig-zag foot! So now that is delayed until I can get to the sewing machine repair shop to purchase the part.

I do have some linen to use for a skirt, but after the way things have been going, I just don't know. Sometimes I don't think I'll ever get the hang of sewing and have a finished garment that I like well enough to wear IN the house, much less out of it!

I did find a GORGEOUS red knit at Walmart for $1 yd. It's going to be my "muslin" fabric, but dare I hope it comes out wearable? As inexpensive as it was, I'll be a little disappointed if it all goes to waste. And I found some other fabric, white, on the dollar table, but I'm not sure what it was... perhaps someone can give me some suggestions? I think it was peachskin because there was some black which was not on the dollar table that seemed pretty similar, marked as peachskin. Anyway, one side of it feels kinda sueded (I have a scrap of sueded rayon and it feels similar to that, except the rayon feels a little nicer and the other stuff isn't stretchy). It's really soft, and the other side of it feels and looks like the wrong side of a satin fabric. It has no stretch, too. I don't know if it is poly... the bolt was just marked unknown content. But it is really nice, although I have no idea what it's good for. I just got some of it because I liked it so much! I also got some embroidered cotton voile from Gorgeous Things (and boy is that a perfect name!). I don't know what to use it for. There are a couple of tops I was considering from BWOF, such as this one, but I might have just enough for a dress, or a skirt, what do you think I should do with it?

But really, sewing is going so poorly for me. I don't know how much more time and money I can afford to waste making things that never turn out, but it's not much. With knitting, at least you can reuse the yarn if it doesn't work, but with sewing, what's done is done. I don't want to give up, especially since I've wanted to sew my whole life, but it is expensive and especially so when nothing works.

In knitting news, I signed up to be a test knitter for Ysolda's Snow White pattern, but I don't think I was selected (I haven't gotten an email or anything). I figured I wouldn't, because she'd sent the email out that morning and I didn't check till the evening, and there seem to be a lot of knitters who knit my size (34"), so I figured that spot would be gone. Oh well. I really love the design, though. It's so elegant!

Also, I got a Ravelry account. If you aren't on the waiting list yet, sign up! I had to wait at least a couple of weeks for my invite, but it was SO WORTH IT. This site has everything a knitter could need! And it's only in Beta. I can only imagine how powerful a tool it will be when it's released to the public. I'm organizing my projects and my stash, finding new patterns and knitters with similar knitting interests as mine, there are discussion forums, links to awesome new knit sites (at least ones I haven't run across yet), and the list goes on. I really love it, and I'd read some skeptics who said that sites like this never last because people quit using them, but I have to disagree! Look at Pattern Review! I can easily see Ravelry becoming the knitting equivalent of PR. I just hope it stays free!

Anyway, I am going to get back to Rapunzel and the Butterfly dress and everything else soon. I just NEED to get some sewing done, I need to complete something that doesn't suck and look homemade in that really, really bad way, both for practical purposes (I need summer clothes!), for self-esteem purposes (you CAN do this, Crystal!), and so I'll know I haven't wasted a lot of time and money on fabric and patterns. :-)

Graduation Earrings!

Here are my special order earrings, designed by Susan of Sulu-designs. Aren't they gorgeous and just perfect for the dress?!


She ships for free, too, just in case you wander over there and see something you must have! ;-)

Edited to add: Photo taken by her, not me. She is a fantastic photographer, I'm not! haha.

Graduation Dress

You know how you see a dress you just LOVE on the hanger, and then you try it on and are disappointed?

That didn't happen with this dress!!

I didn't make my graduation dress, but I love it so much I wanted to show it off anyway! It is from Ann Taylor Loft.


Isn't it lovely?!


Decisions, decisions... which shoes to wear?


A close-up of the shoes in the running.

Which necklace to wear? I'm leaning toward the black, but I just don't know for sure. It's a choker style and I usually like necklaces to be a little longer than that. I really need to find the one I'd planned to wear... but it has unfortunately disappeared for the time being. Hopefully I'll find it by the 19th!

Fear of the Unknown

I'll admit it. I'm afraid of sewing.

Silly, isn't it? I'll put several months' worth of work into a sweater that I can't really try on and have any good idea of how it is going to look for quite awhile without any fear, without thinking twice. A sweater I will have little occasion to wear, considering the climate. If it doesn't work out, I'll feel some disappointment, then rip without too much remorse and find something new.

But sewing? I don't know. There's something so committal about that first cut into a nice fabric you're totally afraid of ruining and/or wasting. Especially knowing I need to do all of these adjustments to the pattern before ever cutting into my fabric. Then, after you sew it up, if it's an atrocity, doesn't fit, and/or looks bad, what do you do with it?

A failed knitting project is a chance for a new beginning. A failed sewing project is a failure.

I really want to make a jacket. A nice, fitted brocade jacket. That fits ME, without being too long, or having sleeves too long, or being huge in the shoulders and tight in the boobs. I have the fabric, I have a pattern, I have fabric to practice with first. But thanks to my recent failures, I'm afraid to try any new projects. I want to make at least 2 sheath dresses, some tops, at least one nice pair of pants and some capris that aren't so long on me that I look like I'm wearing pants that are a couple of inches too short. I want to make up some of the darling 50s and 60s dress patterns I have, and I want to make a dress like the one I posted recently. I want to make use of the Burda WOF magazines I have. I want to have a wardrobe that is completely personalized, completely me, that fits perfectly and is exactly my style. But I'm afraid!

How do you recover from one or more failed projects?

Don't worry, I'm not giving up sewing. Just trying to get back in the game!

Wow, inspiration!

I'm not a quilter, nor have I ever attempted to be, but wow, this quilting blog I ran across is so inspiring, I just had to share! These quilts are works of art (not that they aren't all works of art, of course!). Check it out if you'd like:

Nellie's Needles

Really amazing!! :-)

The muslin didn't turn out very well this first try. I'm going to give it another shot when I get some more sewing time. I have never done a lining, so after I get it to fit decently, I am going to try a lining before I make the actual dress up.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Although, technically, it is not Thanksgiving any longer. It was a great day. Much food was eaten and much fun was had. Yay!

I'm checking in to say that I finished the Glampyre sweater, but I'm not sure that I'm happy with it. Pictures and a discussion to come soon... tomorrow? I also have been sewing, and have nearly completed a skirt, so stay tuned for that as well.

I also finally got around to doing a couple of reviews of things I've sewn, so here are the links:

Burda Blouse

New Look Tote Bag

If you are fortunate enough to wear a size 8.5 shoe

I envy you, and I'm about to show you a great deal (at least, imo)!

This eBay auction, for these shoes:



Aren't they gorgeous? They can be yours! Stupid me bid on them, without realizing that the size 6 meant UK, not US sizes, and since I normally wear a 5.5 in US, they are going to be much too large for me. According to various sizing charts online, a UK 6 is equivalent to a US 8.5. I am so heartbroken. I looked on ebay for these shoes for the longest time, finally found them, and now they aren't going to fit.

Name Change!

I never really figured I'd post much in the blog, so I never spent any time thinking of a name for it. And, I've kept to that, somewhat... haha. I don't really post often. I normally only post when I have something to post about, or feel I haven't posted in so long that people may think the blog's been abandoned. I like to write about patterns, yarns, and all that great stuff for my own purposes... but I never figured I'd be one of the bloggers with tons of readers and witty posts, although it is cool when someone "drops by." But I was never happy with "craftycrystal" as the name. It was the first thing I thought of, and while I thought it was pretty lame, I just couldn't think of anything to replace it. But, as I'm a Louisianaian, and rather proud of it, I decided to try "Knit on the Bayou" and see if I like it any better. What do you think? You have to sing it, to the tune of CCR's "Born on the Bayou." ;-)

Also, I am NOT admitting that I started another project. Using the Hyacinth Wool of the Andes I was going to use for the Drops Design cardigan with flowers... for which I'll now need to find another yarn. I was never certain about that sweater in this color, anyway. I'm thinking maybe a lilac.

Editing this to say that Susan had a much better suggestion for a name, and I am so taking it. Thanks! :-D

I Hate the 80s (fashions)

I really, really do. So why do I LOVE this look (on the model; I'm sure I wouldn't like it on myself)?!


Image from Newport News website.

Other things I'm loving - the ballet flats (particularly with bows). Also, faux animal skin, but only in the form of shoes (and one particularly hot dress I own but have never worn). Pointy toe slides. Vintage 40s and 50s dresses, or new dresses made from vintage patterns in that time period. Round toe tweed heels... actually anything tweed! Pointy, red, mid-calf boots, with a heel, of course, and military style jackets (though I doubt I'd wear one, the style is really cute). Trumpet skirts. My beloved button-down shirts. Pink, red, turquiose/blue-green, seafoam/mint, grey. And, of course, lacy or cabled knits. The Kara Janx Kimono dresses (see below).


Apparently I even love red and pink together now.
Here's a link to Kara Janx

Things I am definitely NOT feeling: skinny pants, tunic length anything, leggings, jeans under skirts, balloon skirts, those boots with all the fur... this list could get long... very, very long.

On the knitting front, I've gone into the body of the Spencer, but not very far. That's it. School is not leaving me much time for knitting! :-(

Of Delphine, shoes, and evening gowns

If you read this blog, you know I love sweaters. If you know me, you know I love shoes. And if you REALLY know me, you know I secretly love, love, love skirts and dresses.

Delphine and I had a spat. A major one! I'm not sure what made me think I could knit a sweater without a pattern. With major shaping AND cables. And all kinds of intricacies that I don't know whether I can handle. It's not coming along well at all. The shaping isn't making me happy, the sizing is making me want to cry, and I won't even go into the cables. AND I think with my bust, I'll have to figure out how to add short-row shaping to a cabled section! Let alone that I've never done short rows for shaping a sweater at all. I really don't know how they work, or exactly WHAT kind of shaping you are supposed to be doing with the short rows. Wow, I really did not think this through. I don't even know that this style of sweater is going to flatter me. Apparently, I am just a pattern knitter... NOT a designer! It's disappointing, but not surprising. I gain more respect for knitwear designers every time I pick up this darn sweater. I'm not exactly giving up, but I think I'm putting this sweater on hold... again. I guess I need more experience. *sigh* I just don't know what to do about this sweater. I've attempted all these calculations, read all of these articles on shaping... ugh! I'll feel like an absolute failure giving up, so I don't plan on it... but don't expect to see this thing any time soon! :-( I think I'm going to have to work on something else in its stead for now. I need to learn more!

Soo, since Delph annoyed me so... I worked a little on GG, and quite a bit on Sideways Spencer. I didn't have the concentration time I needed this weekend to work on Butterfly.

Here's a *gasp* progress shot of SS. The color is waaaay off. It is not a bright red as it appears in the pictures - it's really a deep, jewel toned red. NOT burgundy, either.



It is turning out very pretty. One thing I found out, though, when I blocked my E-town hat, is that this yarn seems to GROW. So I'm a little worried that this thing will end up too big for me, although it seemed ok in the swatch. I'm not worried that it will turn out too small, since I've read the stitch pattern really stretches.


Now, shoes. As already stated, I love shoes! One thing I always have problems with is finding a great pair of well-fitting shoes. I sometimes wear a 5, sometimes a 5.5, and, very rarely, a 6. It's hard finding cute shoes in a 5 or 5.5, believe me! My roommate happens to wear near my size also, and today she was wearing the cutest pair of shoes she'd just got. I tried them on, and they fit! I NEED them! Well, I don't NEED them, but I do hope to get a pair - they are very nice, dressy, black slides with a heel that isn't TOO high... the exact pair of shoes I've been searching for FOREVER! Here's a pic:



UGH! I love them!

I also love evening gowns. The only reason I ever bother to look at magazines or sites with celebrities is the beautiful gowns. For some reason, I'm usually most attracted to red gowns. Here are some I just adore:

This one is from Loralie.com, and it's called Show Stopper, for obvious reasons.



This one, also from Loralie, is called Passion:



The last dress from Loralie is called Salsa. I LOVE it!



The final beautiful red dress, from Yosa.com (she sells the most fabulous wedding and costume gowns!!), is appropiately named The Red Dress.



I wish it was considered OK to be married in red here. I would definitely be married in this dress!