Knitted wings. And rings.

Long time, no post. My apologies.


Well, my Baz Luhrman-themed 26th birthday party was a success. For many reasons. We had 25 dear friends in attendance, some of whom even managed to dress up. ;) We had several Moulin rouge dancers, in top hat fascinators and fabulous corsets, Mims with her awesome 1930s hair, our mate CJ's tribute to Australia, complete with cork hat and toy sheep, Ellen dressed in velvet as the Red Curtain, and my Matt as Ewen McGregor's Christian, looking super cute in suspenders and the fedora I bought at the Leeds Festival.


We had some some brilliant food, including my famous Nachos with vegetarian bean dip, and a truly scrumptious choccie cake, made by Ellen. We had Medori and orange juice, tonnes of great conversation, highly superior music through the speakers and, thanks to a bit of clever furniture shuffling, we actually managed to fit pretty much everyone in our lounge room! Everyone chatted, everyone hugged, everyone seemed to get on brilliantly. Awesomesauce.


The best bits, however, were craft-related. But of course. First of all, there were my wings.

Epic, yes? Definitely the most effort I think I've ever put into a costume- not only making the wings (which I got finished three hours before the party, I'll have you know!), but running all over the city trying to find a white skirt and top which A) fit, B) were just a little itty bit flattering on and C) didn't empty my bank account in one hit. Harder than it sounds. The Panda yarn for the wings (which a fellow crafter refers to as "the filthy condom of yarn") may have only cost $6...but by the time I'd got the top and skirt (on which I spent far more than I was intending, but hey), and shelled out for a new white bra (which I swear got just as many compliments as the wings!) and some magic knickers, my poor bank account was squirming ever so slightly. *sigh* That lovely Malabrigo I was planning on shouting myself is having to wait.


Anyway, the wings looked awesome, and generated many oohs and aaahs. I ended up using a piece of dowel wood to hold them in place, as the floral wire I'd got from Spotlight was beyond useless, and used gold elastic for the straps. I also made them extra long, so they could be easily seen over my shoulders...which was great, except I couldn't fit through our lounge door. And had to walk down our hallway sideways. And almost jabbed several of my guests' eyes out, especially when hugging and navigating my way through the lounge room, trying to find my camera and various drinks. Ah well. I looked good, my wings stayed in place, and nobody lost an eye in the end. Win.


The second awesome craft-related thing from that night was this:

Yes, it's my very own knitted engagement ring. :D The highlight of the evening came when Matt, aka Darling Boyfriend, asked me to marry him- in front of all of our guests. 


Basically, he came into the lounge and announced he was going to give me my birthday present...and plonked a massive cardboard box down at my feet. Inside said box was a cute little knitted box*, complete with purple knitted lining...which was empty. This had me faffing about for at least a couple of minutes, trying to figure out what the blue heck what was going on...before he said, quite cheekily, "Looking for this?", while holding up the ring. Which he put on my finger after giving a lovely speech, and going down on one knee.  I said yes, and everyone went mental. Again, awesomesauce.


And, y'know what makes it better? Darling Boyfriend, now Darling Fiance, knitted the ring all by himself. Almost. Remember how I taught him to knit? Well, someone, aka Ellen, got there first. It would seem that at the back of the Wellington Public Library, far from my prying eyes, she taught him the basics, supervised the knitting of the ring and helped him sew on the stone- which he chose himself from Tiger Eye Beads. And, well, it is, as my Mum proclaimed after I'd flashed it under her nose, simply magnificent. Totally adorable; totally apt. I have a fiance who learned to knit to make me an engagement ring...so, really? How can a girl not say yes? ;)

        Yes, I'm aware I look fat in this photo. I plan to do Weight Watchers before the wedding. 

                                          Post-proposal face nomming!


So yeah. I had awesome knitted wings, and an amazing knitted ring- not a bad birthday, as birthdays go. As the yarn is already getting kinda scungy, we'll soon be replacing the knitted ring with this one, once DF pays it off. However, I will definitely be keeping my first engagement ring, no matter how yucky and matted it gets...and will be passing it on to the kids, with any luck!


Aw, and the wedding crafting can now commence! Once we set a date, that is...

Knitting gives you WIIIINGS! And other stories.

So, I've had tonsilitis for the past week, and it has sucked much balls. Or tonsils, more to the point. Blergh. As I said on my Facebook status, I was feeling, at one point, like I'd been run over by a bus, a steam roller and a hoard of screaming Lady Gaga fans all at once. Thankfully, I seem to be improving. I am craving kebabs something rotten, so I take that to be a good sign.

Anyway. Being sick and cooped up inside for six days in a row (apart from going to see the doctor to get drugs, and nipping out to the cafe around the corner for iced coffee- which I swear has magical, medicinal properties) does have its benefits, in that one actually has time to craft.  In between much consumptive coughing, feverish tossing and turning, gulping down acidophilus yoghurt, watching the The Crucible and getting horrible vivid nightmares about witch hunts and hangings, and scratching myself half to death thanks to the lovely side effects of my antibiotics, I actually managed to get a fair bit of crafting done. For I am a machiiiiine.

First off, as the title of this post may suggest, I am knitting wings. Yup, seriously. Knitty, it would appear, has everything- even a pattern for knitted angel/fairy wings.  (And a pattern for a knitted umbrella, but that's another post). Wish I'd thought of it!

Why wings, you ask? Me, I am a great lover of Baz Luhrman's Red Curtain Trilogy. I have copped much flack from my more "cinematically astute" friends over the years, by my love and devotion for Moulin Rouge! remains firmly intact. I've been planning a Baz Luhrman-themed birthday bash for the past couple of years...however, due to yucky personal circumstances last year, and me just not being effing bothered the year before, it hasn't happened yet.

Early this year, as luck would have it, I discovered the angel wings while surreptitiously browsing on Knitty at work.  Henceforth, I decided it was high time I hosted said Baz Luhrman bash, that my upcoming 26th (ugh) would be just the occasion, and that I'd go as Claire Danes' Juliet and knit my wings.  Like this:

Yes, I am aware that Claire's wings have that "unfurled" look, whereas the ones on Knitty sort of droop downwards. Meh. In spite of that, I've made a decent start on my wings, and they're not looking too shabby. Only problem is, I'm using nasty Panda acrylic, which I swear makes creaking sounds when I knit, and makes me want to douse myself in rehydrating hand cream after every row. I need to get these done by the 16th of October...but I'm not going to get all that far if I keep throwing them down in disgust, and picking up one of my thousands of pure merino projects. Which don't have the quite the urgency, but are SO MUCH NICER on my poor hands. And just...feel nicer full stop.

Oh well. Here's a wing in progress:

Lovely, innit? In other awesome crafting-related news, I taught Matt to knit! He is, unfortunately, back on the dreaded ciggies, after having given up for almost a year, and he asked me to teach him so he'll have something to take his mind off things when he decides to quit again.  Good thinkin'. I got him started on a practice swatch-y thing on Monday night...and he is good. Ever the proud girlfriend, and much to his mild chagrin, I didn't hesitate to crank out the camera and record his "first steps!

                                                         Srs bsns!

                                 Crafty men are good with their hands, yes?! ;)

He's planning to progress to a scarf, so I'll probably get him his own yarn and needles when I next go shopping.  He seems to enjoying it so far, and hopes to knit himself a sweater when he "gets good enough." Which is grand, considering I'm under strict instruction from the Knitting Gods to not even think about knitting him a jumper until I've got the ring. I'm not usually the superstitious type, but that's one knitting taboo I don't want to mess with.  As I've no idea when he will be presenting the ring...he can take care of that one himself for now. ;P

                                   My baby's first garter stitch swatch! So proud...*tear*

Speaking of jumpers, my first sweater vest continues to grow. Am currently working on the back, and have about four, maybe five, inches to go before I need to cast off for the shoulder straps. I did some more work on it while I've been sick, including while waiting at the doctor's office, and while tucked up in bed on Friday, practically tripping-out with the fever.  And, I actually managed about an inch before deciding that a nap was probably a good idea. Mindless, two-by-two ribbed projects are good for sickly knitting, it would seem!

Here's a gratuitous progress shot. Could be the last for a while, as it may well be going into hibernation soon, thanks to Christmas knitting looming ominously on the horizon.

And finally! Being sick does actually provide sufficient time for the ADD knitter to actually get back to those projects which she's started with all the best of intentions...but have gotten cast (haw haw) aside and kind of "lost" in amongst all the hubbub of knitting her first garment, and trying to get about a bazillion presents done at the same time, for she is generous to a fault. Yup, we've all got 'em.

One such project of mine is this pretty wee thing, also from Laura Irwin's Boutique Knits, which I cast on while I was off with a bad cold (yup, my immune system does not exist) back in August. I got the band all finished...and then didn't touch it again for several weeks, leaving its beautiful turquoise 20s-style ruffled-ness languishing on top of the ironing board. This week, I somehow managed, with the tonsilitis still throwing a party in my bloodstream, to pin-block the band, sew the ends together, weave in the stray yarn ends, pick up 100 stitches and get a good start knitting the body over the space of about 48 hours.

Not a bad effort, considering I was doing all that in a wonderful fog of bacteria and snot. Have a photo:

Hmmm. I was thinking the other day how excited I was to have graduated from knitted accessories to garments, and was even comparing it to progressing into long-term, steady relationships after years of quick and dirty flings. However, in my case, the "quick and dirty flings", like the above hat and the Spirogyra I've been working on since June, seem to get dragged out far longer than good ole fashioned short n' steamy tryst should really need to. Like the knitting equivalent of a couple who keep meeting for drunken sex, long after they've both decided it's probably not going to work out, so let's leave it at that.

Then, I realised, oh wait, it's because I'm always knitting more than one thing at once. That is why things never get finished: I'm sleeping around (knitting around?), or so to speak! I just...give some of my partners more attention than others. ;P And...anyone who knows me will figure out this is a really not an apt analogy I'm using...

Anyway, it's back to the office for me tomorrow. Less time for knitting, of course, but I am nonetheless thrilled to be tonsiltis-free and back into the world! As a celebration, I shall be taking a stroll down Cuba Street at lunchtime, and buying yarn. And kebabs.