My first really complex costume!

The various pieces were constructed/collected over a broad timeframe - the stays took about two years to make, and the jewelry is stuff I'd collected over about four years, and the shirt and breeches were made in the few days before my very first festival, when I went "AHHH! I don't have a pirate costume!" and ran to the fabric store. The breeches were totally experimental - they need some adjustments, but I'm astonished they worked as well as they did. Also, it was my first time performing a principal role, and I'd had only two days to prepare, but that's another story.

Costume: Brigit O'Malley/Pirate Queen

Costume Pieces

Constructed: Linen shirt, stays (18th century corset - period correct!), black linen breeches.

Purchased: Sashes, jewelry, shoes, stockings, belt and sword frog (from theinnerbailey.com - awesome people), rapier

Borrowed: Black frock coat (for the purpose of the play only) from David/Nathaniel. The coat was rather too dignified for his character - good thing we're both tall and lanky.

Combat Utility:

The costume is a bit problematic. The stays mean I have no spinal flexebility at all, and the breeches mean my ability to bend at the knees is rather limited. I can do sword fights just fine, but any stunts are right out. Oh, and my breathing's really restricted.

Comfort:

None. It kinda sucks to wear. Though I finally get to wear pants. That was exciting. Trips to the bathroom are a challenge, and pretty much require completely undressing. (Might seem TMI, but it's a serious concern when you're performing for a 12hr day.)

I like it. I like it a lot.

More pictures!

Stupid guards can't keep a castle secure. Except maybe by accident.

Some actual sword fighting (street theatre!), vs. the true owner of the black coat. See? I told you we were both tall and lanky. And here you can actually see what the bottom part of my costume looks like. The gauntlet is there because of a loose wire on the hilt of my sword, and yeah, my hair really is that long. (Now that I'm performing, I always get asked if it's a wig...)

Left to right: Nathaniel (David), Lucien (Luke), Brigit (Me)

It was a good gig. Grueling, but good.

A Brave Jacket

So, I've figured out the gauge for my next knitting project (I know, I know) which is sort of a momentous occasion because I have this really bad habit only paying lip service to swatching at best - I will maybe make it through about five rows, measure it, smush it until it fits, and say, good enough. Mostly I knit smaller things or things where gauge doesn't really matter, so it's been okay. But since my Mariah sweater turned out, well, huge (but wearable - don't worry sweater, I still love you) I'm taking way more care this time around with things like fit.

So now I am agonizing about what size to knit of the Heroine jacket, which I fell in love with because it resembles an 18th century workman's jacket. (Resembles. Sort of. It's most likely inspired by something like one, what with the facings and everything.)

I am agonizing. Seriously. I think tomorrow I shall have to measure various items of clothing in my possession and try to make a decision that way.

New year come, old year go

One of the things that happens when you lose track of reality for a bit is that I spend so much time actually talking to myself in my head that I sort of stop needing to talk to myself on the internet. Hence the fact that I have not kept track of my projects here at all for a while, and I'm sure the way I'm now italicizing like some idiotic Recency heroine has something to do with it. Because while I am no longer spinning in circles, I'm still trying to figure out which way is up.

Most fun news - I finished the Thing That Was Supposed To Be Done For Christmas For My Mom. (aka a Waves of Grain scarf in Knitpicks' Shimmer (colorway Sherry) and damn if I don't desperately want to do something with the colorway Blue Glass because it practically glows.) Anyway, the scarf turned out well, but is as of yet unblocked, so I'll wait to photodocument until there are actually photographs.

The method for grafting-in-lace described it extremely clever, and is otherwise awesome because it worked really well, and the times when I don't screw up when trying to graft things I feel like a queen.

In other news, I finished a pair of Endpaper Mitts, and learned a new cast-off and cast-on. Also they are supremely cool,very warm, and not bulky due to fitting snugly and being knit out of fingering weight wool. They were also my first bit of two-color knitting in a really, really, really long time. So they were fun.

One of these days, I am going to do a sort of year in review post of the stuff I've knitting/finished this year. And I'm going to title it something like Tragic Love Stories Are Only Nice If They Are Not Actually Your Life, just because I can.