Work In Progress

Wedding - Handmade (FO)

Sorry for all the long breaks in blog posts! We are just so busy (finally in the same state - when I started this post two months ago, we were in different states) and it seems that blogging - as much as I love it - keeps getting dropped.

So, for our introduction at the beginning of the reception was No Conversation by View from the Hill. Partner loves this band.  They don't get a lot of press but I hope you all like it! 

As I've mentioned, we really tried to do this wedding our way, with our own touch and part of that was trying to use handmade stuff.  In addition to the wonderful guest book Partner's friend made, I also used Etsy for my jewelry.  We were following on with the Celtic theme of our rings.  I'll admit I was a bit stumped on jewelry until Partner said he sees me as a Celtic Princess (he really is a romantic!). 

I loved my hair piece I bought from misunbridal. 

Sadly there aren't any great pictures of my earrings - you can just see one poking out in the picture above  including how well the citrine captures the light.  Fortunately SDJewelry took a nice photo.  I love the knots and I also love that I can wear these now with other outfits.  It makes me happy each time I wear them. 

I think, as I need jewelry, I want to repace store-bought jewelry with some of the more unique jewelry on Etsy. 

I've already mentioned the bridesmaid's willingness to make the bouquets and boutenierres and Partner's wonderful centerpieces. 

We used folks off of Craigslist for our DJ, servers, and found local shops for hair and cake.  Our wonderful friend Samten made all the amazing food. 

Interjecting a little musical interlude, our first song was a bit of surprise from me to Partner. I actually picked this song out years ago. You see, years ago Partner showed me a special dance he had made up for this song.  Commonly associated as the theme music for Northern Exposure, one of our all time favorite shows, it also cleverly covered our absolute inability to dance... 

At the party, the knitter's in attendance made their presence known... (I love that they wore green handknits, a sort of knitterly bridesmaid...) 

My own plans for a wedding shawl failed spectularly, but fortunately my knitting friend rallied to my rescue and made a beautiful Live Oaks Shawlette in my wedding colors for me to wear for the evening. 

She also made my garter, a pattern of her own design: 

Complete with little hearts, poorly captured by me... 

A few weeks after the wedding the same friend asked if I wanted the rest of the skein of yarn she'd used to make the garter.  Hmmm, the rest of the skein from such a thoughtful gift, that just happened to be Handmaiden Sea Sock with silk and seacell?  Yes please!

I knew immediately what I wanted to make, but it wasn't until I left for England (yes, 9 months later!). I made amazing strides on the way over and then was derailed by the brown sweater (I think I'm on sleeves 4&5) and the Ravellympics challenge. 

I didn't do a gauge swatch so that by the end, I was sweating if I would be able to finish though I'd started with enough yarn.  I did a Russian bind off and ran out of yarn. I tinked back (I hate tinking bind off rows!!!) and then tried a normal bind off but with larger needles.  And ran out of yarn.  Finally I bound off only one needle size up and barely made it:

But finally, I did it! My own Live Oaks Shawlette - the same pattern I wore at my wedding, made with the same yarn as my garter. :) 

The drape is amazing, the sheen of the finished fabric is lovely. The yarn only started to look ragged after taking out the bind off row for the fourth time and then it smoothed out after a bath.  

Because I didn't do a lace bind off, my edge is more pointy and doesn't quite have the floating leaf quality you'll see in so many versions, including the one I wore for the wedding.

There is a lace blocking secret in the pattern. I feel I shouldn't share it since it's a pay pattern, but I'm going to use it on other lace pattersn and will share it if it works. I will say that having been shoved in a plastic sandwich bag for over a month, I shook it out and it still looks freshly blocked though this picture is from it was freshly blocked and my photographer was in another state! :) 

Pattern: Live Oaks Shawlette
Yarn: Handmaiden Fine Yarn, Sea Sock, 389 yards 
Modifications: US4 for body and a regular bind off with US6 and a US5 to make the yarn last.
Knitting yardage total 2012: 2380

Sadly, this concludes the wedding review.

Our final dance of the night is probably an interesting choice to some. I love the chorus: 

But when I'm lying here with you 
And the whole world's out of tune 
You're the one and only voice that makes things right...

Out of Tune by Sarah McLachlan

Thank you for sharing our wedding with us... 

Wedding - Ceremony

Well time to move on to more wedding stuff.  Hope you don't mind. :) 

We took pictures before the ceremony when the light was better.  But we were adamant that we didn't want to see each other before hand (seemed to defeat half the purpose though people thought it was odd since we've lived together for 2 years).  Anyway, forgive a few narcissistic shots.... 

My thrifty side is happy that I managed to get this dress second hand and, with alterations, cost about $500.  Thank you Canada (that is where I bought it from though I suspect she bought it in the U.S.) I was also happy to buy it second hand because nearly every dress I found was made in China. We wanted to do a no-China wedding.  In the end my shoes came from China, but otherwise, we were successful. 

 

There were also fun snaps with the family   

One of my all time favorite pictures of my parents 

My (twin) brother who saved the day by running back and getting all the boutonnieres! 

And then the boys got to glam it up... 

My sexy, handsome man... 

This is when I got nervous.... 

The moment that Partner saw me.... he said I looked like a Celtic Princess! Success! 

We married in a circle under a willow across a small creek from our friends and family...

We wrote our own vows.  This is when I started to cry.... 

My ring... 

We also did a handfasting... 

 And then, just before sunset, we were there.  

Mr. and Mrs. Rocky Cole 

Picking music for different parts of the day was so hard.  This was one of the more difficult.  This isn't a song that had any meaning for us before, but seemed to capture so well what this day meant to us. We walked out to Joshua Radin's Brand New Day 

Partners

 

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

Partner and I had a small-medium sized wedding, so the size of our wedding party might seem a little strange but these people mean so much to us we wanted them in our circle on this special day. 

Not a bridesmaid or groomsman, our officiant is very special too.  Bekah is the daughter of one of Partner's closest friends.

 She created a beautiful ceremony that perfectly captured the organic, natural and spiritual feel we wanted.

The best man was Partner's oldest friend from high school.  Jeff was a lifesaver.  He did so much to help before and after.  He also came in 3 days early.  Perfect timing as Partner and I were starting to get on each others nerves as we tried to get everything taken care of before hand! In short, he was the best best man!

Our other groomsmen were Boy #1 and Boy #2.  It was nice for them to stand up with their Dad. And looking so dapper in their tuxedos. 

Boy #2 looked quite smart as he escorted my Mom to her seat.  My Dad was, of course otherwise spoken for for walking duties.... 

Before the ceremony started, our DJ played a medley of Enya. Picking music was a small feat in and of itself.  Music means a lot to Partner and I. Trying to find the music to capture each part of the evening was harder than we'd imagined. 

When it was time to start, my ladies walked in to China Roses, by Enya.

My bridesmaids also wore olive green (our other color was charcoal grey) but I wanted them to wear dresses in which they would be comfortable. Of course, each dress was a perfect reflection of each's personality. 

My sister was my matron of honor.... 

Janice is my dearest friend from college. We have shared so much together - some of which she shared later during the reception to much laughter. She said yes without hesitation when I asked if she' be a part of the ceremony. And she continued without hesitation, arriving early as Jeff did, staying behind as everyone else headed to the wedding rehearsal the day before when I hadn't finished my wedding vows, gamely staying up to make bouquets.... She was, in short, wonderful, as always. 

J is also a dear, dear friend.  As the only friend that lived nearby, she ensured I had a girls night out before the wedding - pedicures, manicures, and a (quite a lot) of very good wine! 

When the bridesmaids had entered, the music changed.

Pachelbel's Canon in D 

I cried a lot when I listened to this song in the weeks before the wedding. I thought I would stop crying, and I did.  Instead, when this song started, I became very, very nervous for the first time all day.... 

Wedding - Decorations and Food and Doing it Our Way

One of the wonderful things about the garden where we married is that we weren't stuck with using particular companies. We thought this might help us save some money by doing things ourselves.  I don't think we completely accomplished the first, but what we did end up doing was creating a space that reflected who we are and our relationship. 

We used a company to get the things exactly we needed for the reception.  We also found a chef and assistant that moonlighted for party prep on Craigslist. They were great and allowed us to just enjoy!  Partner and the groomsmen did end up being the table setter-uppers. And did a fantastic job!

From the beginning we knew exactly what food we wanted. For years we have had a dear and wonderful friend who owns a fantastic Tibetan restaurant. I was so nervous to ask but without hesitation she said yes.  Her nephew and husband banded together and it was wonderful.

We didn't even find out until later that she was very sick the day of our wedding and still it was perfect. I think some guests were hesitant, but everyone loved it.  Of course! 

When I was doing a test run on my wedding hair, Partner wandered around the town.  Did I mention we didn't have a cake and it was two weeks before the wedding?

This taught me that sometimes it's best to leave things to the experts. Oh, and to pay a professional to deliver a cake! We just said what we wanted (a white cake) and some of our decorations (the triskele from my engagement ring).  When they asked us about anything else, we just said to do what we they thought was best.   

Our guest book was made by a friend of Partner's who does her own book binding. Though it was a friendship formed entirely online, she wouldn't accept payment - word artists have the same kinship we do! 

I didn't intend to have flowers at my wedding.  What a waste of money! Until I was trying on dresses and couldn't figure out what to do with my hands.  Bouquets give you something to do with your hands!

But I couldn't bring myself to spend $800 on four bouquets and some corsages! Fortunately, two of my bridesmaids were so game!

I may also have had a Bridezilla moment when I thought they had gone drinking and forgotten to take the flowers out of their car (they hadn't and it was one drink - the best man still likes to tell me about the look on my face.  I calmed down and apologized.

Oh, and Partner and the best man got in on the action. Just keeping us company and taking awesome pictures. 

It made for a late night before the wedding, but we did it! 

With some flower meaning books and a friend having mums as a favorite flower - admittedly one I used to pass over, but she was so excited since autumn is the season of chrysanthemums - we made bouquets that really meant something: 

roses for love, purity, virtue, innocence, reverence and unity... 

chrysanthemums for endurance, long life, health, truth, honesty, fidelity, happiness, energy and bounty 

 

oak leaves for strength and stability 

 

ivy for fidelity and marriage, determination and patience (I was happy the meanings were all positive because it was the one thing Partner wanted in the bouquets) 

We also had larkspur (attachment, open heart, laughter), willow (intuition, vision) and ferns (shelter), but our bouquet skills had their limits!

Partner had a vision for center pieces that I didn't quite get but he asked me just to trust him.

He surreptiously collected drift wood and stones from Stump Beach, candles from a guy along Highway 101 that has been making candles out of his house for over 10 years (no link, sadly). When we were done with the flowers, partner asked for the extras.

He really is an artist.  Partner had a unique arrangement at each table with silvery white or green candles. 

Wedding - Venue

The tardiness of this post should in no way be considered a reflection of my happiness regarding the topic. 

One of the problems with getting married in California is that space is a premium.  And goodness but the holders of pretty places know it. 

We looked up and down the coast, and towards and away from the coast.  The reality is that I really wanted to marry at Stump Beach but practical heads pervailed (Partner's) that trying to get a bunch of guests up and down uneven steps on a beach that frequently - and unpredictably - fills with smelly kelp was not the best venue.

We heard of a non profit environmental preserve that rented out the area for weddings and were quite excited to take a look.  Until the numerous restrictions were outlined.  And then the eye-watering price. Dejected, we went to look at a place nearby.  
The cost was way above budget, but they'd returned our phone call and we were nearby and had driven a fair way already. We would look, just be polite, and leave.
We got there late but that was kind of the time of day we wanted to get married anyway.   

I fell in love. 

The manager mentioned the price cut - half of what was in the guide!

 

I was afraid that Partner wouldn't like the mystical/mythical/new agey element. I thought he'd think some of the statues were too whimsical.

And then I saw Partner.

And he said, "I really like this place." 

It took 30% of our wedding budget. And on our day, it was perfect.

As I was putting this post together and going back through our pictures from when we first looked at the garden, I was brought up short.

Anyone who marries there is invited to leave a bird house, statue, stone or wind chime. When we were first went there, we had Beckerman (a tuxedo) and Sasha (a grey tabby).  Less than a month after we got married, we found Simba (orange tabby). 

I guess when we took this picture and joked about how we just needed to find a third kitty to match the two we had.... well, I guess it was already in the works! This was the place was meant for us....

Money Matters: Change

The enormous bird is cooking so I'm putting the finishing touches on this post.

I know you're eagerly anticipating wedding details, but I've decided to start with the more mundane part of a wedding. Paying for it.

Kate and I have exchanged several emails about money this past year as we've both been watching our pennies.  I've been a bit remiss as I'd said I'd post about my own thoughts. So, stealing my title from Kate, here we go!

When I was seven I bought a plastic bear bank. Unfortunately, I quickly learned how to get the money back out. The bank sat mostly neglected (or robbed by me) until I was gathering money for my initial college money. I cut open the bank and... 80 dollars!

While I was away at college my mom dropped change in the bear and then it moved with me to Alaska. When I was going on a vacation while up there, money was tight so I opened the bear again and... nearly 400 dollars!

About six years ago, when I was really strapped for cash, I realized just how much money we spend in change and never even think about it. A quarter here, a dime there - it's actually quite a bit of money when you add it up. So, when I was back on my feet, I decided that I would stop using change at the store and just use another dollar. I found that if I thought about an item as costing $4.00 instead of $3.59, I was more thoughtful about whether to purchase something.

At the end of each day, the change would go into the bear. I actually use my credit cards quite a bit so I'd estimate that only 1/3 of my purchases are in cash, if that. Two years ago Partner bought me a machine that counts the money and bear has been a bit neglected. [this is all context for later]

With paying for a wedding on our own, money got a little tight and we were (and still are!) minding our pennies. I also mentioned that we were doing an eclectic wedding. Which means we used a lot of non conventional labor (a digeredoo-playing chef, for example). We paid for a lot of things in cash. Good news: no long term debt. Bad news: no way to spread out the cost. With the wedding around the corner, we've been looking for money around us. Hello Mr. Bear.

A couple weeks before the wedding, Mr. Bear and I got started. Years ago for a "guess-the-amount" challenge, Partner weighed one pound of randomly mixed U.S. change (pennies, dimes, nickels, and quarters) and got an estimate of $13.00/pound. So Mr. Bear and I started with a weigh in.

 

So, we have a tentative value of $611.00.

I decided to invest in a change sorter and bought some coin wrappers. And then Mr. Bear and I sorted and wrapped.

And sorted and wrapped.

And then we were done!

 

I discovered that there were very few pennies. A couple years ago I started segretating pennies and would use those so I only had silver change.  And for some reason had quite a few quarters.

In the picture above, is the change from just a third of my purchases over about 4 years.

Mr. Bear's total: 736.50.

When we added in the change from the counter that Partner bought, we ended up with $819.00. We couldn't be happier as this money that would have been lost one quarter at a time, has ended up paying some important bills.

Change matters.

Randomly, at the end of this post, I also found random foreign coins that snuck into Mr. Bear.  It was fun to see several reminders in one place. 

From the top: 1 euro cent (I haven't actually been to Europe since the change...); 5 kopeks from Russia; an old U.S. one cent coin; CAD 1cent; a Finnish coin; a coin from [Western] Samoa; and one more Canadian cent (I've been there several times).

If you're celebrating Turkey Day, I hope that you have a wonderful day.  I'll be back soon with the more exciting aspects of the wedding!

Mystery Proposal (FO)

Seems things always take longer than I think they will.

For example, this is a blog post about 10 months in the making. I took so long to write it that our computer ate our photos and I lost some pictures I wanted to share. Actually, it just ate some pictures I really want, period.

Last October I took part in Through the Loops mystery sock KAL. I used Karin's lovely yarn from Periwinkle Sheep - plum crumble, the yarn that first took me to her website. The same Karin of Sock Summit indulgence.

I started the socks on the flight back from Australia. I'd finished Partner's Christmas socks that morning on the train to the airport. Now, I was prepared to settle in and crank out a lot of sock on the 16 hour flight. I swatched and swatched after screwing up my KAL socks last year. I tried 64 stitches on size 2s. Too big. 64 stitches on 1s. Too big. 64 stitches on 0s? Too small. Finally, 72 stitches on size 0s? How could that be? I've never used 72 stitches or size 0s. I started but couldn't shake lingering fear that I'd screwed up my swatch and my 72 stitch socks would be far too large. I put the sock away when I was about half way down the leg.

The socks languished. I dreaded putting the sock on waste yarn, pulling it on and discovering that - despite my measuring and remeasuring and measuring again – I had screwed up and would have to tear out hours of work. Finally, before Christmas I mustered the courage and... it was almost too tight? How could that be? But it fit, so I knit. And I was working on my socks when Rocky and I drove up north for Christmas.

Christmas Eve we woke up and Rocky said he'd like to take the coast route. I admit to being slightly annoyed that he thought he would mention he wanted to take the 13 hour route and not the 7 hour route on the day we were leaving. I told him it was impossible. He seemed so disappointed that I jumped up, did some quick figuring on the computer and said if we hustled, we'd make it.

We're on the road and he mentions stopping at Stump Beach. Suggests we go for a talk. A talk? Or a walk? Well, despite our timeline, I can't resist a stop at Stump Beach.

So walk we did. And took fun pictures. And watched the crashing waves. And he asked me what my favorite memory was from the beach. And asked me to check our self portrait on the tripod.

And I turned around after checking the camera and there was a box. A little box. That kind of box.

And I said yes.

{insert beautiful, happy picture of the smiling couple here.}

And we kissed and laughed. I cried like a dumb girl. We walked some more and then walked back to the car to keep driving.

{more happy pictures of the ring, the beach, each other}

Well, here is a picture of us at Stump, but not that day.
Rocky drove and I knit on my mystery socks.

I figured if I was going to share the story here it made sense to show the finished socks too. Of course I thought I'd be done long ago. Rmemeber what I said about things taking longer than I think. You saw the first sock before sock summit.

But good news! I did manage to finish them before the wedding!

I'm getting married in just a 10 days.

 

I think the days may be speeding up! We're doing a very eclectic wedding and that takes a bit more effort. It's one of the reasons I've been quiet around here – there hasn't been a lot of knitting lately!

I wouldn't be a knitter if I wasn't going to knit my wedding shawl.

Remember how I said that it seems things always take longer than I think they will? In it's current state it looks suspiciously like a lace choker.

Sigh.

Fortunately I have two knitterly friends attending and both are bringing green shawls “just in case.” They know me so well!

These are special socks, forever linked to the day we became engaged. We've known each other for nearly 10 years. It's been a journey and I can't wait for the next step.

Pattern: Through the Loops, Mystery Sock 2010
Final measurements: 72 stitches on size 0s
Yarn: Periwinkle Sheep, the Old Watercolors, Plum Crumble, 399 yards
Modifications: An extra repeat on the leg
Knitting yardage total 2011: 1924