Making progress!

I feel like I'm making some good progress with all of my projects for Vegas. Having to get my dress altered/re-done in time for Dickens just makes staying on track that much more critical, but if I keep it up like I did last night I should be in good shape.

So, last night I fixed my 1869 corset (the bust gores needed to be taken in so that I didn't pop out the top of the corset, who would have ever thought I would be taking in the bust of anything?), re-set my Dickens skirt on a new waist-band, and did the pleated ruffle for one of the 3 bustle gowns. That underskirt is basically done, I just need to get some hem tape and then I can finish the skirt off altogether.

Tonight I am going to cut out my new Dickens bodice and the combined bodice and train for the ball gown. That should leave me in good shape for the weekend. With any luck, I'll manage to get over to joanns crap and alleged fabrics to pick up large quantities of hem tape. I really need to start making shopping lists for the fabric store. Making all of these extra trips is just a huge waste of time, and time is not something I can waste just now.

My commute project du jour is a tweedy sweater from Rowan #29 (Hope, on page 25). The original was done in a cotton yarn, but something about doing cables and ribs in cotton just seems stupid to me. Nothing like a cabled cotton sweater if you want a stretched out shapeless mess after one wash (I'm an opinionated knitter, what can I say?). Anyway, I had some angora and wool tweed-like yarn in my stash that I'd been planning on making a cabled sweater out of, and luckily I liked this design and the yarn is at the same gauge. Yay! Of course, I now have twice as much yarn as I really need, partly because I bought it when I was larger, and partly because this sweater is a little cropped. I'll have plenty of left over yarn to make a hat, gloves, and maybe some socks to go with it.

Anyway, I really like the design of the sweater, but I am not that impressed with the pattern itself. I am highly annoyed with the shoulders. If you follow their directions, you end up with 5 fewer stitches on the front shoulder then you have on the back, the diagonal ribs have no hope of lining up into neat chevrons at the seam, and they have you pick up different numbers of stitches on each side of the neck opening for the collar (which they have you work flat for some stupid reason). So much for my attempts to follow directions. I've been trying to work with patterns more so I will have a better idea of what my students are struggling with and so that I won't duplicate the stupider errors in my own designs. It's a noble goal, buy my god can it ever be frustrating! As far as my wool version of Hope goes, there is no hope for the rib pattern at the shoulders but I fixed the collar directions, and should be starting on the sleeves tomorrow. Yay! I really want to get this done before Thanksgiving. It's getting cold and I've only got one proper sweater that really fits right.

Scary link for the day (be sure to watch the video!): Gangsta Knitter