SWT:ME Costuming Notes

It's a TWAAAPPP

2009-09-30T19:24:14Z

I realize I haven't been here (LJ) in months as I've been mostly been trucking along on my PhD morning, noon and night. However, I finished a Star Wars knit and wanted to post it for the Star Wars knitters.

It's knitted combination of Admiral Ackbar and the classic Sock Monkey. An Admiral Ackbar Sock Monkey, if you will.

I hate to be the one to have to tell you, but your cruisers can't repel cuteness of this magnitude:

More pictures at my etsy shop

Happy Greeblie Day, everyone!

2009-02-14T16:16:54Z

Today she is four years old.

carbon_scoring @ 2008-12-01T11:09:00

2008-12-01T16:12:40Z

Whilst watching RotJ last night, I inadvertently referred to Jabba as Jabba the Fett:

DT: That'd be hilarious. Can you imagine that? Jabba wearing a jetpack?
Me: And when he fires it up it lifts him so he hovers like, maybe, 3 inches of the ground and moves across the room very extremely slowly
DT: It would be the Rascal of jetpacks.

carbon_scoring @ 2008-11-24T13:25:00

2008-11-24T18:28:57Z

And...today we're on BB Gadgets, Foolish Gadgets and Crafty Crafty

w00t :)

Not to be one of those moms, but....

2008-11-21T00:02:36Z

...Greeblie is a little bit famous today.

Halloween Costumes!

2008-11-19T22:49:28Z

I know, it's a little late. I've been busy, but there's only one day left at the Neuroscience Conference and I have a little down time while I doxie-sit.

This Halloween DT and I went as Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler (for those haven't read the Holmes books, think Victorian Era showgirl):

This is what the back of my costume looks like (kindly ignore my purse):

This is what the corset looks like without my little velvet-lined capelet:

carbon_scoring @ 2008-10-31T13:49:00

2008-10-31T17:56:13Z

"We're not the best people..."

"...but we're not the worst."

"No, grad students are the worst."

Everyone should seriously watch 30 Rock, because it is so very very funny and Tina Fey is so very very Tina Fey. Thursdays 9:30/8:30.

The Jundland Wastes are not to be travelled cutely.

2008-09-03T17:12:51Z

I met _opus_ and bearly_here during Star Wars: Musical Edition '03 when he was Ben Kenobi and we've always shared some gleeful Star Wars geeking out. So, when I heard they were naming their new baby Ben... what follows became more or less inevitable:

BABY BEN! (with a 2L coke bottle for scale to show it's baby-sized smallness):

Costume on the hanger

For the costumers who might be interested, the individual components are:
The first layer (taking the place of the brown turtleneck on Old Ben) is a brown 100% cotton onesie that I RIT dyed, then embroidered "Young Ben" on the breast pocket region (so he won't be confused with Old Ben):

Over that, a beige nubbly onasburg cotton tunic, complete with itty bitty tabbard:

...and itty bitty Jedi obi (so bitty!)

And of course, the iconic baby hooded Jedi robe, made from chocolate brown linen (all the fabrics used are 100% natural fibers because the outfit is intended for baby wear):

I also knit a tiny little stuffed blue lightsaber to complete the ensemble. The handle is a mix of different black and silver metallic yarn scraps from the stash and the blade is an electric blue boucle with metallic thread in there for some sparkle, all very tightly knit. Two little metallic pom-poms (sewed on super tightly) make buttons. Pictures of KnitSaber:

All folded up and ready to go:

Opened at the shower:

Um...what?

2008-07-14T04:24:53Z

In Lego Indiana Jones, it'll sometimes let you buy things that might be useful to you like the ability to dig things up quickly or disguises...DT was playing and was a little caught off guard by this one

The tempting item he was offered for a mere $70,000:

Question.

2008-06-10T14:09:27Z

What has two thumbs, speaks limited French,* and passed her quals??

THIS MOI!

*I am quoting the awesome Miss Tina Fey, whom I adore like the genius she is. My French is actually fluent...

Quick knit update

2008-03-27T18:47:12Z

I've been very very busy with grad school (which is wonderful, but also, you know...busy), but I have been knitting a little here and there on the bus, during seminar, while I wait for things to download (my poor little lappy is slow, but otherwise reliable), etc.

I thought some people might like to have a look-see at what I've been working on. A guy in my department at Tufts is having a baby, so I've been knitting up some cuddlies:

Here's the smaller blanket (please imagine it with ends woven in...end-weaving takes focus that garterstitch does not, and I haven't had the time for it):

Here are the coordinating bits o' satin ribbon so I can taggie-fy it:

See how they match?

Here's the whole kit and kaboodle. What you see to the left there are giant matching squares that are four times as big as the little guys. I originally was going to do a big blanket, but then decided a little blankie with satin taggies and a striped backing (which I'm knitting now) would be cuter and more fun for a baby. I'll still stitch up the edges on the big one, but I'm in less of a hurry:

The yarn is microspun, two strands held together on 9s. This knits up to a super cushy, squishy fabric. I know there are Lionbrand haters a-plenty out there, but microspun is cheap, bright and machine washable/dryable. Squares are joined with a three needle bind-off.

Big squares are 45 stitches wide by 86 rows (so 43 garter ribs, if you count like that) tall. Little guys are 25 by 46 rows.

Twelfth Night

2008-03-17T21:33:30Z

..or what you will.

I realize I haven't posted in a while, but DT and I are in performing in the Shakespeare Ensemble's production of Twelfth Night which closes Saturday, so I wanted to post some show info for folks who might be interested in coming to see it:

Performances are Thurs., Fri., and Sat. at 8 PM in La Sala de Puerto Rico. More info at the Ensemble's website: http://web.mit.edu/ensemble

Downtown is playing Feste (and sings!), and I'm playing Viola. I actually also costumed the show. The costume design is inspired by Stardust and other Steampunk/modernized Victorian sources. Worth a look, if I do say so myself. So far our audiences seem to have enjoyed themselves. Come and see!!

PS - Spring Knitty!

Winter Knitty!

2007-12-07T17:27:38Z

The Winter Knitty is up!

What do stars do?

2007-11-01T17:51:01Z

They shine.

So, for people who didn't guess, DT and I were Tristan and Yvaine from Stardust

Just two quick pictures now, more detail pics and a full write-up coming later:

DT as Tristan:

and me as Yvaine:

Like I said, write up coming later when I have a bit more time, but I will say I am hugely grateful to The Costumer's Guide for the wealth of reference pictures there.

Halloween Costume

2007-10-31T15:54:25Z

Hint #4

The "glass" snowdrop (handmade from Sculpey that I mixed the colors for, then glazed heavily to give it that glassy appearance)

Here it is sewn onto the lapel (I didn't want to poke a button hole in the jacket):

If you don't have it at this point...

Halloween Costume

2007-10-31T05:17:22Z

Hint #3

Sewing on shiny brass buttons on a pumpkin-colored suede vest.

The finished vest:

Halloween Costume

2007-10-30T01:14:07Z

Hint #2:

Embroidering over grommets so they're invisible in the dark, dark blue velvet.

As a note for my own purposes, the color for the grommets is DMC #336....I could've sworn I'd saved the little tube from the gold thread for the buttons, but I can't find it. No biggie, I just need to bring a sample with me to Pearl tomorrow and I'll be able to match it. I think there was a 7 in it.

More hints tomorrow and Wednesday!

Halloween Costume

2007-10-28T21:26:38Z

Hint #1:

(no fair guessing if you already know what DT and are going as)

This weekend and next

2007-10-25T18:11:26Z

I am not involved, but feel I should semi-plug the Shakespeare Ensemble's Titus Andronicus. It's running Thursday thru Saturday October this weekened and next at 8:00pm in Kresge Little Theater.

Downtown is playing Marcus (the Colm Feore role, if you've seen the Taymor film). I will be at the Friday and Saturday shows if you'd like to join me.

carbon_scoring @ 2007-09-28T15:33:00

2007-09-28T19:37:10Z

I haven't really posted in LJ much lately...I blame Ravelry and the secrecy the birthday/Christmas knitting season demands. Sorry.

That being said, is anyone interested in going to Franklin Fiber Twist with me??

It's officially autumn

2007-09-14T20:09:11Z

This morning I got the October Living and now I see that the new Knitty is out. I can't wait to peruse them both at my leisure this evening.

Also, the line apparently jumped and there are now only 183 people in front of me. Literally any day now. I am all a-tremble.

carbon_scoring @ 2007-09-14T11:05:00

2007-09-14T15:21:35Z

Why can't I keep better records? That's why I have this journal. I laid the yarn out for my sister's Fun Fur throw and though I am certain I measured a fleece throw of the appropriate size while I was home so I'd have some dimensions to work from, I don't seem to have written it down anywhere. Argh.

Pictures of the yarn

The colors are actually brighter than the picture makes them look. I need to wind those skeins of wool. Since two balls of Fun Fur yield a block that is about 18" by 14", if my math is correct I can knit an 11"x11" square from one skein (18"x7" = 126 inches squared, square root of 126 = ~11.2).

I have also finished the first Hamlet sock and I'm not 100% sure I can recreate the pattern sans notes...I will have to ballpark it. I really must learn to write patterns down as I'm making them up.

I had been taking a hiatus from my own Fun Fur afghan, but I picked it up last night during Iron Chef. I finished the magenta block, and knit on the blue one that I worked on during the Simpsons Movie. Including the blue one, I have 11 blocks navy, peacock, turquoise, white, kelly green, yellow, olive, pink, blue, champagne and glacier. However, I also picked up some clearance Fun Fur in NOLA to add to the pile (hard to believe there were colors I didn't have). I have 2 or 3 more colors to possibly add.

I'm up to row 38 of green neon hat #4 (6 rows away from decreases, for those of you playing at home), I had a foray into Fair Isle that I'm not at liberty to discuss and I booked our Nutcracker tickets.

Log Cabin Throw

2007-09-13T17:48:19Z

Yay! Camera cord! My lovely sister mailed me an extra camera cord (and chocolates and a card...I love my sister), so I can post a finished pictures of the cotton garterstitch log cabin throw I knit for my mama:

She saw it whilst flipping though my copy of Mason Dixon Knitting the last time she was up here and admired it for it's cheerful colorfull-ness (she also admired the baby Moses basket, but that'll have to wait). I had a reasonable stash of bright cotton (mostly Sugar and Cream and a little Lionbrand) for knitting dishcloths (I love the dishcloth cotton...so cheap and durable). Plus I kept finding stuff in knitting blogs that knitters had made from cheap cotton that came out gorgeous, so I wanted to take a run at it. Cotton was great for this because it comes in so many colors and though it has a nice weight and drape it isn't too overly warm (a must for New Orleans). I filled out my cotton stash with a little more Peaches & Cream cotton (from their website, http://www.elmore-pisgah.com/) and knit away, more or less following the instructions in the book for "Joseph's Blankie of Many Colors" (p. 70).

It still needs a few stripes and a nice border, but it'll have to wait until I go home in December. Fast, cheap and very relaxing to knit.

Other Log Cabins:
* http://www.flickr.com/photos/annarama/829775061/ - I like the use of mirroring pastels
* http://www.cosmicpluto.com/blog/?cat=26 - knit entirely from the knitters own handspun, hand-dyed merino...*melts*
* http://dragoncanknit.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/dsc02219.JPG - I like the mix of varigated and solid yarns (I found that one via The Log Cabin KAL )

I have plenty leftover cotton, I'd like to knit a patchwork afghan like a more traditional quilted log cabin blanket. Each square would be a log cabin, but you'd piece several of them together, like one of these: http://www.doodle-head.com/quilt/ideas/index.html (scroll down). There are some examples of that style in the book as well, I believe.

528 people in front of me for Ravelry. Soooooon.

Couple of things...

2007-09-12T18:15:13Z

I do have some pictures to post and my camera cable should be finding it's way back to me soon *fingers crossed*, but since I've entered X/mas/Birthday knitting time, a lot of what I'm knitting has to be kept secret so my posting might be sparse.

I am working on my fourth neon green ski cap (I know, I took a pretty lengthy break). I'm on I think the 27th row of 44 before decreases.

I am in triple digits in the Ravelry waiting list, which is wildly exciting for me. Only 724 people in front of me (DT still has like 13,000 people in front of him).

Also, I am ready to see this pretty much right now.

carbon_scoring @ 2007-08-31T12:56:00

2007-08-31T16:59:06Z

I haven't posted in a while because I was home in NOLA and have been busy with grad school stuff.

I arrive back with something I absolutely want to post....but cannot lay hands on the cable that connects my camera to my computer. Argh.

Also argh: the Yarn Harlot will be in NOLA whilst I am not :(