Bohemian Bluestocking

It's still raining here in the Berkshires. And it's rained a lot this spring and early summer. Sun would be really nice. And I guess I'm just down. There is always a slight trough after technical rehearsal. Our next show, Othello, hasn't really geared up yet, or maybe *I* haven't really geared up for the next show. And my project/build list looks a bit daunting: Several floor-length dusters, tailcoat, shawl-collar vest, pants, empire-waist wrap dress, and a gyspy-ish soutache-embellished bodice. Now, admittedly, I am not building *all* these garments, but, as 1st hand, I need to keep an eye on their progress, and more importantly, need to be able to speak intelligently about them -- which is probably the harder component of the two.

And no, I am not whining about it. Just a a slight wave of "oh god, what have I done...."

But I am off work a bit early this afternoon, which worries me a little, as if I am missing something vital, and it will dawn on me later tonight.

So I'll go home, make some real dinner, and work on my quilt a bit. Yes, there is a project that does not involve yarn. I've collected enough 30s style blue/red/yellow prints to make a lap quilt. I bought a pattern, called Bento Box, looks a bit like a abbreviated Log Cabin. After the 1st run at the lap quilt, I'll move onto a full-size in Japanese print (hence Bento Box, because it looks a bit like the layed school lunch boxes used in Japan)

It can be soooo nice to see your stuff on stage. And this week it's even doubly nice, since it's a knitted item on stage. I knitted a wig for a current show at Shakespeare & Co, the regional theater I work at. And here are the pictures:(courtesy of their website/Kevin Sprague/Studio Two) And it actually looks like a wig, though slightly flat on top, the curls were a little tight to get into that small circumference. I am pleased, and as soon as I can get some close-up construction photos, I'll post those.

At long last, there are some photos. And a tale of three mittens. Three pairs of mittens. There are the Berkshire Mittens: They have a 3-color twisted cast-on, and up to 3 colors carried across the inside. The thumbs are a standard interior gussett, different patterns on both sides, and they have a flat grafted top. One mitten has the month/year on the cuff, the other the location and a little diamond medallion. 

It's amazing what you can accomplished when you are unemployed/underemployed. Projects get DONE. period. end of story. It knitting, knitting, knitting, sewing, cooking, milk chocolate brownies, ginger carrot soup, homemade bread(?!), mopped floors(that just amazes me to no end -- I rarely mop the floors.)

I sorted all my embroidery floss and wrapped it onto little DMC cards.

And while it's certainly not boredom because I have plenty to do, I am wondering at all the things I've managed not to finish since I moved to Pittsfield. In the process of finishing some embroidery project(done after I sorted/wrapped all that floss) I came across/finished a dishtowel, as far as I can determine, has been sitting in the workbasket for over 10 YEARS. I packed it up unfinshed when I moved to Pittsfield from New Hampshire. I don't know if I should be horrified or humiliated.

Leave it at that. 

The homemade bread was yummy.

so yaaah, I'm a loser.....haven't written for a really long time. you know, work gets in the way of real life. Between working at the theater and this retail lackey job, there wasn't a heck of a lot of time to write anything. But. interestingly enough, while working backstage doing wardrobe I did finish 4 scarves and 3 pairs of socks.

Right now it's onto Fall Festival again, hundreds of school kids and lots of Shakespeare. Luckily, I am at the same schools as I was last year, so I'll know most of the kids and parents.  I have not idea what shows are planned, but will probably get swamped next week when I go on contract. yipee!

I am moving right along. The holiday season got me really swamped with retail lackey life, but there is a lightening soon into the new year, because soon the tourons (an alien species that sees our earth as a vacation planet) will leave earth for their home planet in the planetary system Longus Islandia Prime. And then I can focus on finishing up all the various projects left over from the fall. Really I will.

A bit of goodish news: I did get an email from my fearless leader at S&Co. saying she wants me back for the summer and fall seasons, which can mean anythings as far as shows go. I'll keep everyone posted as soon as I know where I'll be.

I think I have New Year Resolutions, but they may wait for couple of days.

I have photos to pick up from development, at some point.

Sort of. My cold has returned with a vengence. Now it has become bronchial. yech. For those who are interested, some photos from Fall Festival are now available. The site is Digiproofs. You will, however, need these event keywoods: ffs05mtgreylock & ffs05taconic to access the photos properly. I have not cut and pasted them because they are technically copyrighted and I should really give credit where credit is due. Plus, it's not that.... hard to link and enter a password.

I have some knitting projects on the table(besides my own stuff, which I will detail tomorrow or Friday, if I have time.) But for other people, and for cash($$ -- yipee!!), there are 2 hats and 2 scarfs and some mittens, and a vest. So a little cash flow, plus my other retail lackey work.

There is definitely some randomess/entrophy/dark matter floating around the universe these days:

• Veteran's Day I was working at my retail lackey job, and for the mist parts minding my own business, when a customer, out of the blue, asks me: "Would you happen to know what the time zone the Western Theater of Operations was on when the Armistice was signed in 1919?" Now admittedly I *do* know the answer (GMT) but what ever prompted this man to ask me? I am blandly running my cash register, singing to myself to pass the time. (not aloud, mind you) odd.
• We had a wonderful ring around the moon last night. I left the theater after tech rehearsals, and there it was, huge in the sky, a hands-span from the moon, one of the largest I've seen in a long time. They typically mean snow is on its way (they are formed by moisture and ice crystals in the atmosphere), but we merited only rain when I awoke this morning.
• There's seems to be seamtress work swirling around me as well, as well it should since I'll be with one less paycheck very soon. So I am glomming onto as much as I can to get me through the winter. There might me design work as well, but I am not holding my breath for that. That would be a gift, and sewing is just work-a-day.
• The Fall Festival of Shakespeare opens Thursday and runs through Sunday. The shows are ready to go. One looks fab and the other I am ok with. It's workmanlike work, and while I am certainly not ashamed of the look, I'm not incredibly excited either.

Yes, my shows at Shake&Co are almost done (they open Wednesday), but:

• My molars have started to ache. sharp shooting pain kinda of ache, with me lying on the bed, saying"please give me a respite, please."
• I've developed a sinus headache that's turning into a headcold. So now when the toothache throbs, I feel in my ear, and behind my eyeballs. A toothache behind my eyeballs.
• I am at work at 2am, stitching trim on a dress, because the director wants another dress rehearsal today, but I have to be at the other school this afternoon for their dress  rehearsal. Can't I drop it off Wednsday am? nooooo, that would make too much sense. They have to run changes Tuesday, never minding that this actress doesn't actually change clothes. And I also got: "I thought the veil would be longer? Can you make it longer?" IT'S TWO(now one actually) DAYS BEFORE YOUR SHOW, . HMMMM. NO. THAT WOULD BE YOUR ANSWER.
• My parents might actually come to one of my shows. Before everyone says, awww, that's so sweet, why is that on the "but...." list; In the over 5 years I've lived in the Berkshires, they have never once come to see me. They only live 4 hours away. hmmmmm. Now I know Massachusetts is a foreign country to the rest of New England, but....
• And because the shows are opening Wednesday, I am missing knitting circle. And I might miss it next week as well, since we are in the middle of Festival Week.

Somewhere in all this, I promised myself I would start my Buttonhole Bag. I've changed my mind about the colors. I've gone with a chocolate brown and sapphire Cascade 220 instead (old standbys). (Gave me an excuse to buy some yarn, like I needed much of an excuse.) Probably some stranded colorwrok of some sort. I also bought more Dale of Norway Tuir in black and dark magenta, which I will use with a halh ball of mustard colorl,  for another pair of Warm Hands Knitalong mittens. Two pairs are down so far, though: (1) A fingerless pair in Adrianne Vittadini silk/cotton baby blue, with a eyelet edge threaded with blue-edged brown ribbon, and (2) some anynomous(sp) dark green silk/cashmere/merino from Goodwill, 1x1 cable twist cuffs with squared off tips. Pictures to follow soon, I promise.

So despite the multiple pains in my head and ass, I seem to be making some progress nevertheless. humph. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Now, admittedly, I can be quite obsessed about clothes. Working for a theater can make you that. And I love talking about the free stuff I can score from our donations (Latest coup: a pair of leather Dansko half-boots with a cute buckle, a shearling coat in my size, and I 'm note a tiny person either, and a black chenille scarf -- all FREE!) So when I mentioned the shoe room to Abi and Jess, partners in yarn crimes, they were more than a bit distracted by the thought of a room full of shoes. And I'm not talking about an largeish closet either, but a real honest to goodness room. To wit:

And the big stockrooms are just as full. This is one aisle of SIX in the men's stockroom. We also have a women's stockroom, almost as big, which holds all the dresses, period and modern, plus our fabric stock. (Think about that stash!!??)

This aisle holds colorful pants, breeches, ethnic wear, vest, swimwear, hospital wear, bedroom wear, and kimonos. And yes, it's one of 6 aisles in this room alone.