Third week of MT class
Just got back about two hours ago from MT class, the third week. All I can say is 'OOOOOOWWW....!'
Apparently, the first Sat of every month is just this one gal's. She does dance instruction, so instead of 45 mins of dance, then 45 mins of vocals, 45 mins of drama...we had about two hours of JUST DANCE. There was the Thriller stuff first, then some painful warmups and stretches, some ballet/jazz mix, then another dance routine to fry my brain with, then tap dancing. The last bit was the only part I didn't do, because I don't have shoes, and I had brought sandals, so..yeah. I went barefoot for most of it.
It's spirit month or something, so this week we had to wear crazy socks and hats to class. Obviously, MtM brought out her fedora, and I snatched the old worn-out witch's hat I snagged from gramma's stock of Halloween stuffles. Yeah. I wore a witch's hat for the first part. The socks were a bit more difficult to acquire. I chose to knit myself a pair of 'Wicked Witch of the East' socks, despite never having completed a single sock yet(those heels are twisted, yo. Difficult the first time), AND I only had a week to make them in. My grandmother has knit for years, and she said she wouldn't be able to do it. Knowing me, this was a silly thing to say. I took it as a challenge, and got myself some black and white yarn, and set to striping it.
Okay, when you knit socks, there are several ways to do it. You can knit it from the top down - more commonly - OR you can knit from the 'toe up'. I chose toe up. Then, with circular needles(two needles with a cord-type thing between the two. Used for things made in round shapes, like hats, socks, sleeves, etc) you have the option to do them one at a time - more common - OR you can use this method called 'magic loop' where you can do them at the same time, on the same set of needles, taking turns on each row between the two. Doing them in magic loop would have been fine, fine, fine. I could handle that. BUT I added stripes, so I have to carry around the two different colored skeins, and switch between the two.
So, doing stripes AND doing two at a time, I was untangling four different yarns, all tangled around 40" circular needles. On a timeline I was told I couldn't pull off. On my first set of socks. AAAARGH. I must be a twisted kind of masochist or something. I bring this upon MYSELF.
But I pulled it off, despite all. Kinda. I did it from the toe up(argh!), which I actually think is easier, since you can just keep knitting the leg for as long as you wish, or until your yarn goes out. With top-down, you go until the toe, and decide how long it is to begin with. Anyways, since I did toe-up, I was able to just barely finish the heel part, and bind off(finish it), and made a nice little WWotE ankle sock set. Which was pretty okay, all things considered. I finished them in four days, on the side, and have ripped out my work more often than knit it. I've learned a lot, and I can now go back and leisurely redo the leg part, making them stockings, instead of ankle socks. Yay! *waves a little flag*
So, I wore WWotE ankle socks(crazy!) and a witch's hat to the crazy hat and sock week. Boy...most of them decided to pull a Dobby and wear one short pink sock and one long orange one, or something like that. Most were just colorful mixed up socks, is all. None of them were knit. Some didn't even do the hat and sock thing. And I totally PWNED them with my witch hat. Everyone else had beanies or berets or something. One kid had a bowler, and a couple had fedora-types. The dance instructer(our normal one, not the once-a-month-gal) looked at mine and told me, "I'm loving that...awesome..."
I grinned.
But, I had to take off both socks and hat for the actual dancing, since the hat is lightweight and liable to fall off with bouncing up and down and zombie-acting involved in Thriller. And I can see myself slipping all over in socks that aren't broken in yet.
After Thriller, which I handled much better this week, despite not practicing all that much(I was afraid of practicing it wrong. We started from the beginning for the newcomers, so I was able to keep up). I liked how that went. I was looking forward to vocals and drama, since I focused on them, and I like them best. Dance is okay, but I was REALLY looking forward to our monologues from 'The Importance of Being Ernest'. I <3 the accents involved. Even working on making some home-made corsets, which will ROCK THIS WORLD.
Buuut..we moved on from dancing to...what? More dancing. A new lady came out after DI(Dance Instructor) and introduced herself. I was in a bit of awe when she said she had been on callback from BROADWAY. Not once - not twice! BUT SEVEN TIMES. Sheesh...she rocks. And she's not a light-weight gal, so I'm sure she made some of those in the group that are not stick-thin feel better. I'm skinny, but I'm not overweight. Just...thick-built. Mom says I'd be more 'in shape' if I worked out more - another reason I'm OK with the dance. It'll get me off my bottom at least once a week, then there's rehearsal and all that jazz, so...good, okay.
But two hours got me a little thrown. We did some warm-ups that had many of us cringing. Seriously - I'm sure it was at least half an hour of our time. I stretched muscles I didn't WANT to use. Plus, I had additional difficulty than most of the others. In searching for something to go with my hat and socks, I had worn a black shirt and black SKIRT. I NEVER wear skirts, except for this one really loose and light-weight, dark-colored one that I enjoy wearing. Otherwise - you won't get me into a skirt, let alone one that's kind of tight round-wise. But...yeah...the ONE day I wear one, I have to do exercises involving indian-style sitting, and stretching my knees. Of course, that's just my luck. But I survived it, sore along with the rest of us. I wish I could remember things better - I want to make up for my lack in this one, and be able to do the warm ups with excellence. Additionally, I think they'll help me SO much, it should be worth it.
Then, we had another routine thrown at us. Now, I'm slow already. My body doesn't move with my thoughts. I can take in each movement as it comes, move my arms close enough to pass. But my legs. just. won't. MOVE. I've found I do better if I double-make-sure of which foot moves first. Then, my weight is even and prepared for the movement. And even if I'm not moving correctly, I won't be entangled by my own legs trying to get the part AFTER that. So...yeah, that was the routine that got MtM sitting out. She looked at me, frowning, and said she was going to sit down. I kept going for awhile, but left when it got to the tap dancing, since I didn't have any shoes. I was supposed to talk to SOMEONE about a boxful of used shoes, and try to find my size, but the lady said that she had forgotten to bring it this week, though she usually does(again - my luck!), and that she would remember next time. So, I sat down and drank tons of water and tried to assure MtM that it wasn't SO bad as to be pouting on the sidelines. She did this with ballet, too. Also, that GS performance where she had this little simplistic jig-dance thingy. She bows out too easily, IMO. But she's getting better. The VT(Vocal Teacher) dude came over and talked to her a bit, but she was still looking upset when the class was finished. We were both deeply peeved at no voice stuffles, but that's the thing she looks forward to most. I left feeling worn out and a bit annoyed at having no warning about it(if I had known, you think I would have worn a skirt?!), but satisfied that I had done my best.
*sigh* Now I'm extremely hungry...I had no breakfast...mmm...leftover Chinese calleth my name.
Apparently, the first Sat of every month is just this one gal's. She does dance instruction, so instead of 45 mins of dance, then 45 mins of vocals, 45 mins of drama...we had about two hours of JUST DANCE. There was the Thriller stuff first, then some painful warmups and stretches, some ballet/jazz mix, then another dance routine to fry my brain with, then tap dancing. The last bit was the only part I didn't do, because I don't have shoes, and I had brought sandals, so..yeah. I went barefoot for most of it.
It's spirit month or something, so this week we had to wear crazy socks and hats to class. Obviously, MtM brought out her fedora, and I snatched the old worn-out witch's hat I snagged from gramma's stock of Halloween stuffles. Yeah. I wore a witch's hat for the first part. The socks were a bit more difficult to acquire. I chose to knit myself a pair of 'Wicked Witch of the East' socks, despite never having completed a single sock yet(those heels are twisted, yo. Difficult the first time), AND I only had a week to make them in. My grandmother has knit for years, and she said she wouldn't be able to do it. Knowing me, this was a silly thing to say. I took it as a challenge, and got myself some black and white yarn, and set to striping it.
Okay, when you knit socks, there are several ways to do it. You can knit it from the top down - more commonly - OR you can knit from the 'toe up'. I chose toe up. Then, with circular needles(two needles with a cord-type thing between the two. Used for things made in round shapes, like hats, socks, sleeves, etc) you have the option to do them one at a time - more common - OR you can use this method called 'magic loop' where you can do them at the same time, on the same set of needles, taking turns on each row between the two. Doing them in magic loop would have been fine, fine, fine. I could handle that. BUT I added stripes, so I have to carry around the two different colored skeins, and switch between the two.
So, doing stripes AND doing two at a time, I was untangling four different yarns, all tangled around 40" circular needles. On a timeline I was told I couldn't pull off. On my first set of socks. AAAARGH. I must be a twisted kind of masochist or something. I bring this upon MYSELF.
But I pulled it off, despite all. Kinda. I did it from the toe up(argh!), which I actually think is easier, since you can just keep knitting the leg for as long as you wish, or until your yarn goes out. With top-down, you go until the toe, and decide how long it is to begin with. Anyways, since I did toe-up, I was able to just barely finish the heel part, and bind off(finish it), and made a nice little WWotE ankle sock set. Which was pretty okay, all things considered. I finished them in four days, on the side, and have ripped out my work more often than knit it. I've learned a lot, and I can now go back and leisurely redo the leg part, making them stockings, instead of ankle socks. Yay! *waves a little flag*
So, I wore WWotE ankle socks(crazy!) and a witch's hat to the crazy hat and sock week. Boy...most of them decided to pull a Dobby and wear one short pink sock and one long orange one, or something like that. Most were just colorful mixed up socks, is all. None of them were knit. Some didn't even do the hat and sock thing. And I totally PWNED them with my witch hat. Everyone else had beanies or berets or something. One kid had a bowler, and a couple had fedora-types. The dance instructer(our normal one, not the once-a-month-gal) looked at mine and told me, "I'm loving that...awesome..."
I grinned.
But, I had to take off both socks and hat for the actual dancing, since the hat is lightweight and liable to fall off with bouncing up and down and zombie-acting involved in Thriller. And I can see myself slipping all over in socks that aren't broken in yet.
After Thriller, which I handled much better this week, despite not practicing all that much(I was afraid of practicing it wrong. We started from the beginning for the newcomers, so I was able to keep up). I liked how that went. I was looking forward to vocals and drama, since I focused on them, and I like them best. Dance is okay, but I was REALLY looking forward to our monologues from 'The Importance of Being Ernest'. I <3 the accents involved. Even working on making some home-made corsets, which will ROCK THIS WORLD.
Buuut..we moved on from dancing to...what? More dancing. A new lady came out after DI(Dance Instructor) and introduced herself. I was in a bit of awe when she said she had been on callback from BROADWAY. Not once - not twice! BUT SEVEN TIMES. Sheesh...she rocks. And she's not a light-weight gal, so I'm sure she made some of those in the group that are not stick-thin feel better. I'm skinny, but I'm not overweight. Just...thick-built. Mom says I'd be more 'in shape' if I worked out more - another reason I'm OK with the dance. It'll get me off my bottom at least once a week, then there's rehearsal and all that jazz, so...good, okay.
But two hours got me a little thrown. We did some warm-ups that had many of us cringing. Seriously - I'm sure it was at least half an hour of our time. I stretched muscles I didn't WANT to use. Plus, I had additional difficulty than most of the others. In searching for something to go with my hat and socks, I had worn a black shirt and black SKIRT. I NEVER wear skirts, except for this one really loose and light-weight, dark-colored one that I enjoy wearing. Otherwise - you won't get me into a skirt, let alone one that's kind of tight round-wise. But...yeah...the ONE day I wear one, I have to do exercises involving indian-style sitting, and stretching my knees. Of course, that's just my luck. But I survived it, sore along with the rest of us. I wish I could remember things better - I want to make up for my lack in this one, and be able to do the warm ups with excellence. Additionally, I think they'll help me SO much, it should be worth it.
Then, we had another routine thrown at us. Now, I'm slow already. My body doesn't move with my thoughts. I can take in each movement as it comes, move my arms close enough to pass. But my legs. just. won't. MOVE. I've found I do better if I double-make-sure of which foot moves first. Then, my weight is even and prepared for the movement. And even if I'm not moving correctly, I won't be entangled by my own legs trying to get the part AFTER that. So...yeah, that was the routine that got MtM sitting out. She looked at me, frowning, and said she was going to sit down. I kept going for awhile, but left when it got to the tap dancing, since I didn't have any shoes. I was supposed to talk to SOMEONE about a boxful of used shoes, and try to find my size, but the lady said that she had forgotten to bring it this week, though she usually does(again - my luck!), and that she would remember next time. So, I sat down and drank tons of water and tried to assure MtM that it wasn't SO bad as to be pouting on the sidelines. She did this with ballet, too. Also, that GS performance where she had this little simplistic jig-dance thingy. She bows out too easily, IMO. But she's getting better. The VT(Vocal Teacher) dude came over and talked to her a bit, but she was still looking upset when the class was finished. We were both deeply peeved at no voice stuffles, but that's the thing she looks forward to most. I left feeling worn out and a bit annoyed at having no warning about it(if I had known, you think I would have worn a skirt?!), but satisfied that I had done my best.
*sigh* Now I'm extremely hungry...I had no breakfast...mmm...leftover Chinese calleth my name.