LA or Bust. Day 102.

Knitfest 2010 in progress, I had my first success of the knitfest season, I finished my grey Hermione hat this morning. I had very little left to do after last night. I had a few more decreasing rows, and then I needed to weave back in all of the ends. Turns out that when I did the pattern before, I actually didn't f* it up. I followed it correctly, and it just a short hat. I like a hat that covers my ears. So, I added in an additional cable—8 additional rows in sequence—and it is absolutely the perfect size now. I am also glad to know that I can, in fact, read a knitting pattern.



I actually spent most of the day not knitting, but working on my McQueen dress pattern. I am making great progress drafting the pattern. Some successes, some failures, but it is a really great learning project. I *may* start cutting fabric for it tomorrow, though I won't be holding my breath. My construction of the dress will be different in the back, mostly because I can't find a way to get the back in one piece, instead of panel. I keep watching the video (3:20) for clues. I can see that there is beading in there, too. Maybe I'll get to that, but maybe I won't. I have so much to do, and the back/side panels on this dress ... I have no idea how to draft those, so I think I am going to do something truly scary, draping and cutting them on the form...



I also learned some very interesting information yesterday from one of my classmates. Mood in LA currently has Alexander McQueen fabric from the Plato's Atlantis Collection, Spring 2010 collection. I almost peed my pants. Trying to suppress my excitement, for fear of looking even more like a giraffe in respect to my classmates, and succeeding and subduing, I now haven't been able to stop thinking about this morsel of wisdom. I feel obsessed. I have been thinking about almost nothing but McQueen for a week, as I have been working on my final project, and now my dress. He is already on my mind, constantly. Questions wondering in and out as I work. I often find myself curious as to how much he handled the different pieces in his actual runway shows. I am sure he worked with some more than other, and there were many he could hand off to fellow seamstresses (seamsters?). But which ones did he labor over all night?

So, now I am thinking that it must be time for a road-trip. A road-trip for fabric. It's only 350 miles. Maybe I could hop on a cheap southwest flight, rent a car for a day. Wait, this isn't normal. I can't even afford this stuff. Well, I don't really know that, I just assume, as the designer DVF remnant and Britex was a cool $325 a yard, I expect Alexander McQueens prints to be in the same ballpark. But, just imagine all of the things that could be done with it. I know that I have and addictive personality, but I seriously feel like Britney Spears obsessed with looking for herself in yet another useless man, instead of looking insider herself to find answers because it's too hard to do, and too hard to stop. Priorities definitely askew, I don't care.

Wait! I have a trip to LA in January. I'll be down there for about a week. I doubt I'll have time to make it to mood, but if I plan ahead ... can I even wait that long?

AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! Anyone want to go to LA before Christmas? Yes, it is a long way to drive in a car without cruise control. Oh, right, it's not a car, it's a BMW, but still. TOTALLY WORTH IT.

You see the problem here?

Perhaps some fine Kentucky Bourbon from Buffalo Trace, and some baby alpaca to knit will calm my mind from my McQueen FRENZY.

For a reference to the fabric that I speak of, it is here:
Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Finale: