An Ode to Colors

In an attempt to get "with it" I stalked my dear friend Jesse's pinterest through her blog, leaving not one but two comments, caught up on all the blog posts I have been out of the loop on, forgot what I was doing, closed it, opened it, failed to find a link to pinterest, opened pinterest itself, searched for "model blue hat" trying to find her board of pinned items, failed, scrolled through 10 billion pictures of blue hats (I mean there could only be a few right?), got side tracked and ended up just staring at amazing pics.....

They were so inspiring, I felt like putting a few up here.

Source: landscapelifescape.tumblr.com via Evelyn on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Evelyn on Pinterest

Source: 28.media.tumblr.com via Evelyn on Pinterest

AHAH! I actually found it. No wonder. Tee hee...... It wasn't blue.

Source: tumblr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Hair Stylish

I am definitely on a roll here. I got my kniting charts congealing into something sensical, I am brewing up more ideas, I found my itsy needles and a whole bunch of forgotten knitting patterns in the basement. One of which is St. Brigid. If you don't know what that is, IMO it is the be all/end all of cable patterns. Seriously, it blew my mind when I stumbled upon it years ago (and blogged about it apparently).

Today I have been painstakingly knitting my "Evelyn" pattern to make sure there aren't any errors in the chart or in the written instructions. It has been tedious to say the least. I put it down every 10 sts and check, then recheck. Really though, measure twice, cut once.

My real interest in posting has to do with hair. Mine is quite long and bleck! right now. I may as well do something with it. I have been inhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifspired by recent movies like Jane Eyre 2011, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, etc.

Regarding Jane Eyre, I could not describe the movie better than this "It Took a Century to Get 'Jane Eyre' Right." The other versions that I saw just turned me off and missed the mark.



















Getting back to the bit about their hair... Ironically, in these movies the women's updos are pretty terrible. But they are interesting.
































I thought surely there must be an interesting and beautiful version. Why can't I learn how to do my own hair?












YouTube to the rescue! Whoosh!






























Thank you TorrinPaige and Kaley

Its ON like Donkey Kong!

In the last 10 minutes more exciting things have happened to me from a knitting perspective than the last few months combined. Well, buying that cashmere yarn from Springtide farm while petting 30+ goats was pretty high on my list of happy moments. Anyways.......

1. I just purchased Intwined Pattern Studio software. I can't even believe it. It's not cheap, but then it's software. By comparison, I guess it is equivalent to 2 or 3 balls of good yarn. AND it will go a lot farther than 2-3 projects.

2. Five minutes after I purchased Intwine download, I check my email and I was finally accepted into the Yahoo group for Knitting Pattern Software! I have been waiting for that email for a month or two.

So basically this means I can go full steam ahead with some designs that have been floating around in my head and in doodles in my notebook. I tried so many different ways to cheaply (well, "Free"ly) make electronic knitting charts but they just all crashed and burned. I tried to get down with FontForge and Excel and even Paint. OMG. So frustrating. I'm sure I was pretty close on each front to having a "working" template but it was just too annoying. Also, they would have been pretty freaking slow to deal with even if working properly.

So....my projects include

1. Charts for a version of the Anthropologie Sweater "Cabled Pathways". It is really beautiful and my Aunt-in-law wants to try making it herself. The Anthro sweater was $$$$$ and she didn't want to splurge. I did recently find it for less than half the Anthro price at ModCloth.com. I don't totally love a few aspects so I may make a few changes. Anyway, the charts for my modified version will be available soon (for free of course) on Ravelry.


At the ModCloth price, I highly recommend just buying it outright. Its really beautiful.


2. A fingerless mitten/glove pattern entitled "Evelyn". It was inspired by a very specific swatch pattern, Jane Austen movies and my new love for Lolita clothing.













3. A ponch/shawl design that I am SOOO excited to put together! Right now I am doing to research to pick and combine specific leaf/acorn/bobble stitches that look nice together. Did I mention I am really excited about this one? Its something I can't wait to make for myself and wear for fall.

How Austentatious ..... ;)

I mean, seriously???? Mark that isht on my Calendar and call me Mrs. Darcy. OMG OMG OMG! {{{jumping up and down}}} My secret is out! I love Jane Austen! Absolutely brilliant. To prepare for her celebratory day, there are even helpful vocabulary guides such as THIS one. {{{More Jumping}}}

Interestingly, I discovered the most fantastic clothing genre at the same time as I have been watching Austen movies on Youtube. FYI - PeriodxDrama has ALLLLL the bestest period dramas (who would have thought) and I am now BFF with KeepVid.com. While not the best quality (you get what you pay for), I have been falling asleep to Persuasion and Mansfield Park for the last 3 nights in a row. PeriodxDrama even has oooodles of BBC versions that I would have never heard of otherwise. TeeeeHEEEE!

Back to the clothing though... I am possibly the LAST person to be in this loop. It is a bit like Steampunk but with a Victorian flare. It goes both into a goth realm but also a frou frou girlies ruffled realm! What more could I want. I have apparently been in LOVE with LOLITA forever and never even knew about it.






















(From Morrigan NYC)

On the surface it would seem that it evolved as a union between victorian girly girl clothing mixed with the highly provocative Japanese "innocent" schoolgirl/childlike (ICK) clothing style. However, there is actually a very intelligent undertone to the whole thing. I quote:

Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in Russian and published in 1955 in Moscow and 1958 in Paris, and later translated by the author's step-brother into English. The book is internationally famous for its innovative style and infamous for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, middle-aged Humbert Humbert, who becomes obsessed and sexually involved with a 12-year-old girl named Dolores Haze for whom his private nickname is Lolita.

After its publication, Nabokov's Lolita attained a classic status, becoming one of the best-known and most controversial examples of 20th century literature. The name "Lolita" has entered pop culture to describe a sexually precocious girl.

Don't you just <3 Wikipedia.

Furthermore:

But Lolita thumbs its nose at Japan's fashion establishment.

The look is little girl, tea party cute, starting with black hair ribbons or tiny bonnets and moving to frilly dresses and thick platform boots or Mary Jane flats, often augmented with a lace umbrella to protect the as milky as possible complexion on sunny days.

Designer Naoto Hirooka: "I think many Japanese women feel intimidated by high fashion in the West and feel that they can never live up to the refined beauty that they feel Western women strive for," he said. "So, instead, they shoot for a cute look, one that doesn't require tall, curvaceous bodies and instead emphasizes girlishness."

Hirooka said the escapism of Lolita is also a reaction against conformism and the expectations on young Japanese women to quietly assume their adult roles as wives or workers in this country's male-dominated society.

"One of the salient points about Lolita is that it is really a fashion that is not intended to attract men," he said. "The women are creating their own world into which they can get away from the pressures of the larger society."

Now how interesting is that? It is exactly Victorian mentality! You can read the rest of it here.
























While I am not going to wear anthing extremely sexual out in public, I am seriously drawn to the highly tailored Modern Victorian peices I am finding. I just can't get over it. Most of what I like is extremely expensive but then, look at it. It actually has structure to it and took work. This stuff isn't just a single layer of cheapo material with some print all over it. There are layers, and boning, and complications! I am certainly not going to pay hundreds each for separates (some of those skirts are freakin $$$) but I may invest in a beautiful overcoat. Particularly if they are stinkin fabulous, right down to something like a little rabbit cameo!



























To be continued.............

Austentatious Continued....So What??? Sew Buttons!

For real, a ruffled shirt is how much??? Well I never! .......... Lolol. (Straight Face) So seriously, how can I incorporate this Lolita business into my closet?

For example:























15,540.00 JPY = 202.018 USD

Umm....No. That is just a plain cotton shirt with some ruffles on it. Wait just a minute. So....how about I take a plain cotton shirt and sew some ruffles on it? Bingo!



There are sewing books for Goth Lolita versions but I really like English frills and roses and browns (even though I admittedly wear a lot of black. It goes with everything.) But there are tons and tons of resources for free sewing tutorials. Yay! FYI - I am all for altering store bought items. I don't know if I would have the patience to sew something from scratch. I really like the idea of trying something on, making sure it fits, and then adding on to it.

Here are some links I am pursuing.


Lolita Handbook: Scroll down to see how to make that same white cotton lace ruffle shirt!






















Ruffled Shirt Tutorial (Her website is Da Bomb)

Historic pattern collections also abound.



























The Ladies' Treasury of Costume and Fashion

If you are sewing from patterns, here is the motherload of pattern collections: The Costumer's Manifesto.














However, there is always the random item that is perfect but just can't be replicated at home. :)













On a serious note. There are many more reasons to sew your own Lolita outfit rather than buy one. Ironically, those $$$$$ outfits you can purchase are mostly made in China. And we all know where those come from. Remember that quote I referenced last post?

Hirooka said the escapism of Lolita is also a reaction against conformism and the expectations on young Japanese women to quietly assume their adult roles as wives or workers in this country's male-dominated society.




























Wouldn't it be EXTREMELY ironic and philosophically F'ed up to purchase one of THESE outfits from a woman enslaved in an Asian clothing factory???

Country Hourly Wage
United States $8.25-14.00
United Kingdom $7.58-9.11
Venezeula $2.73
Costa Rica $2.19
Guatemala $1.21
Colombia $1.20
Honduras $1.02
Philippines $0.94-1.00
China $0.93
Peru $0.92
El Salvador $0.92
Jordan $0.74
Malaysia $0.73
Nicaragua $0.65
Bahrain $0.57
Thailand $0.56
India $0.55-0.68
Mauritius $0.55-0.65
Vietnam $0.52
Egypt $0.50-0.87
Mexico $0.50-0.53
Sri Lanka $0.46
Pakistan $0.37
Indonesia $0.35
Cambodia $0.24
Bangladesh $0.21

High Tech for the Commoner.... I'm Lovin It.

As usual, I was poking around the web reading about something TOTALLY UNRELATED when I discovered the niftiest thing EvAR! Or at least, the niftiest thing of this five minutes. I'm sure everyone has seen 3D modeling utilized on TV in some way or another. I think I first watched a program about 3D carving or etching used to make accurate topographical maps or even architectural models. Very cool but its not like I'm ever going to be able to play around with that kind of technology. The things I would make. I say that and yet seriously, what would I make??? I'm not sure. It just the POWER of it all. I just want the option to snap my fingers and have my will done by a machine to make some awesome object of my imagination. Well apparently, even I could do that as long as the snapping was accompanied by some mouse clicking.

BEHOLD.....Shapeways et al.

The Basic Concept.... Whaaa??? That is Neat.


Oh the possibilities....and luckily there is some competition so perhaps with some shopping, a good deal can be found.

Another company is I.Materialize.

One chicky is using this technique on etsy (which is where I first discovered that a mere mortal had access to this kind of thing).

She makes pretty little planters so anyone who has a pet plant can take it with them anywhere. OR, someone like ME who likes to steal leaf cuttings to propagate plants for free can increase their success rate. Her shop can be found here.

Cold, Cold, Getting Warm, Warmer!

I can't take credit for this, but it is amazing No? I found it on the blog of J. Rothman.
My hold up is that I can't find a spider that I like. I can't draw worth a crap and I really prefer it to be metal. HMMMMMMm of AnNoYANce!


However, this image by Shane Waltener is pretty to look at and quite toasty.