Isn’t this absolutely amazing?

I was looking around on the interwebs for a shawl/shrug to wear at the wedding. It would be awesome to make one, so then I started looking for a pattern I could follow to knit my own (the fact that I don’t know how to read/follow a knitting pattern is just an aside). Here are my three favorite finds:

Gaia Shrug by DropKickGrl.

This one isn’t for sale and doesn’t come with a pattern, as it’s an original design. But I really love it — so simple and elegant. Anyone know how to make a pattern from a picture?

Bolero Bridal Shrug by reflectionsbyds on etsy.

Very romantic, looks warm, and only $75. I like the ribbon detail in the back. It’s a little hard for me to imagine which style(s) would go with my dress and which would be too much. This one might be too much…

Ribbed Lace Bolero by Kelly.

This one is very plain, not really wedding-ey like the others, but it has a pattern and I think I could figure out how to do it if I put my mind to it. It would also be very practical for anytime wear.

Aaron said he’d ask his aunts who know how to knit if they would be able to make a pattern out of the first. But maybe I’ll go for the second? We’ll see.

Bridal Floral Shawl by hersheyler on etsy.

This is really beautiful. So delicate. I really only like it when it’s wrapped up, though, with all of the flowers overlapping.

And, eventually, I want to make this: Cleaves by Katherine Summer O’Neal. It’s a very unique piece and would be perfect for the wintery chills I always seem to attract.

Tags: knitting, pattern, shrug

What is important?

Living as active a life as possible,

meeting all ranks of people, plenty of travel,

trying your hand at various kinds of work,

keeping your eyes, ears, and mind open,

remembering what you observe,

reading plenty of good books,

and writing every day—-simply writing.

-Edward Abby

Tags: Edward Abby, quote

Anna and I took a walk on the lake yesterday.

The frozen lake is pretty amazing. Usually there’s a thick layer of snow snuggled on top, but with the sun we’ve been getting lately, there’s only a slick, sleek surface. I was surprised at how smooth it was — perfect for skating! There were also some stellar patterns housed in the ice:

I was amazed at all of the intricate crystals, bubbles, and cracks. Most of our time walking was spent looking down, partly due to the patterns and partly so we wouldn’t fall. There were people fishing, playing “football” (with a snowball), and skating on the ice. One of the hockey players, from a group of old men, told us to lie on the ice with our ear pressed against the surface. The ice was shifting all around, and with an ear pressed against the chilly ground we could hear the cracks and booms traveling through the solid surface.

There was also this guy — pictured against a beautiful capitol backdrop. Anna (and me) would love to try it out! We were walking out to picnic point, so that I could start my wetland project. I have to “pick” a wetland, visit it at least once a week starting this last weekend, and create a natural history project of sorts.

As of now, this is basically all there is. An opening in the forest, reeds poking out of the snow, and animal tracks worn down by the wind. Still beautiful, don’t you think?

*for a few more pictures, visit Anna’s post.

Tags: frozen, lake, wetland, winter

Second day of classes, first day of African Dance.

(African Dance? Example here,
minus the getting thrown into the air.)

I really had no idea of what the class “African Dance” would entail. I had seen the African Dance performance at one of the Dance Program’s spring showcases and thought it AMAZING — the energy, the music, the movements! I thought it would be something completely outside of my comfort zone, which is why I decided to take it during my last semester at UW–Madison.

The women in the class have to wear wraps around their hips/pelvis,
as a sign of respect. This is the fabric I got at Goodwill today
(actually a ginormous skirt) to make into a DIY wrap.

And guess what? It is completely outside of my comfort zone! I have only taken two dance classes here at Madison, Ballroom I & II. I wasn’t sure what we’d be doing the first day of class (today), so I decided not to worry about my attire (jeans and a shirt). Wrong choice. We danced the entire period, and let me tell you — it was quite a workout. I’m not one to exercise much or regularly, so any high-energy activity is quite a workout, but the whole class was sweating (”glowing”) and rosey-cheeked along with me. The studio also smelled like a hockey locker room, faintly.

I’m not a dancer, so my coordination and rhythm have a ways to go. The class sounds like a lot of work for one credit (projects, performances, readings, outside events, journals), but it all seems like a good time. I love the music — the real drums, the musicians being at the center of the event. I know I am not good at all (yet), but I also noticed that much of the class wasn’t either. So at least there’s that. At one point, the professor split the class down the middle and had each side dance facing the other. It was very freeing to dance with/against/facing the others. It made me realize that many people are in the same boat (the what-did-I-get-myself-into boat) and that the skill/experience level of everyone varied greatly. We were told that the tempo we danced to today was slow, even though it felt crazy fast, and that we will get used to it as the semester goes on. I believe it and can’t wait to see my improvement over the semester.

All I know for sure is that my back is sore and those squats really got me.

Tags: African dance, dance