Tips for Workouts, Sore Muscles, and Pain

~~~~~~~Workout Tips!~~~~~~~~~

Everyone's body works differently, but there are several tips that I believe everyone can benefit from when trying to maximize your workouts.

1. Sleep

Sleep is important for healing your body and keeping you healthy. If you are only sleeping 4 hours a night, you are not getting the most out of your workouts. I like getting between 6.5 and 8 hours of sleep per night. Also, I find that I sleep better if I am in bed before 11:00 PM. If I go to bed later than that, I don't get a good night's sleep and I am cranky and tired the next day. I love the sleep motion feature on my FitBit that lets me know if I am restless when I sleep.

2. Water

Drink water before, during, and after your workout. Not tea. Not coffee. Not juice. Water. When you sweat, you are losing lots of water and your muscles need that water to start the repairing process after your workout. If you drink sodas, you need to drink even more water because they are full of sugars and sodium that can dehydrate you if you don't imbibe the H2O. If you don't like the taste of water, add a few drops of juice into your water to lightly flavor it. (Lemon, pomegranate, orange, and apple juice work well for this purpose).

3. Warm Up

Always warm up before you start your workout. Make sure your muscles, joints, and bones are ready for your workout. Examples of good warm ups: Walk before you run. Do some plies, leg lifts, relevees, and small kicks before a ballet class. Do some light stretches and/ or cardio work before lifting weights.

4. Cool Down/ Stretch

After your workout, make sure you stretch/ cool down. This will keep you from having muscle cramps later. I make sure to stretch my calves and hamstrings because I tend to get leg cramps more than arm and back cramps or pains.

5. Eat Fresh Fruits and Veggies

These are so much better for you than a protein shake. They contain many more vitamins and minerals and are full of water, all things you need to replenish after a workout. My favorites are: Apples, Bananas, Watermelons, Pineapples, Beans, Peas, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Carrots, and Oranges.

6. Take Rest Days

It won't do you any good to work the same muscles every single day in the same way. Let your muscles rest so they can repair before your next workout and you can build muscle and strength.

~~~~~~~Pain and How to Deal With It~~~~~~~

I have tight muscles and tendons in the backs of my legs. As a child I couldn't even touch my knees, let alone my toes. I have to be very careful when I work out that I stretch and warm up properly or I will have horrible cramps in my legs when I go to bed at night. I always start to cramp when I hike, so I make sure to stop and stretch my legs after about ten minutes of hiking to keep them from getting too bad.

I also have a bad ankle from breaking my leg when I was thirteen and several sprains I've had falling down stairs and off of sidewalks (I realize that I sound like a klutz, but I really have fallen down a lot). When I hurt myself, I wear and ankle brace and ice it to get the swelling down.

Best ways to help muscle pain/ cramps
1. Take a hot bath with Epsom salts and soak the pain away.
2. Drink a lot of water
3. Eat a few bananas
4. Use Absorbine, Bengay, Salonpas, Tiger Balm, Icy Hot, or some other form of pain cream, patch, or liquid.

For pain from injuries: RICE
Rest- healing will be done faster when you rest
Ice- get the inflammation down so blood can flow better to the injured tissues to commence healing.
Compression- Also helps with swelling and support of the area
Elevation- Elevate the injury to reduce pain

If all of that doesn't work, take an ibuprofen and go to sleep.

~~~~~~Specified tips for Ballet~~~~~

If you take care of your body, it will take care of you. I find this is true in regards to ballet.
Take care of your feet after class, so they will be ready for the next class: cutting toenails, bandaging and/or lancing blisters, taking care of your calluses.
Eat in time to digest before class so you won't slosh around as you dance.
Drink lots of water after class so you replace what you sweat out.
Sleep well so you won't be tired and hurt yourself in class.
Tiger Balm and AbsorbineJr works the best on sore muscles after class.
Go to class regularly to workout the soreness, and you will have a constant low level of soreness instead of a huge amount every few days.
Keep your shoes and clothing patched up and without holes so you don't get friction blisters.

Those are my tips. This is what I do to keep myself out of pain or reduce the pain that I am in. Let me know if you have any other tips in the comments below.

May Empties 2014

Hi Everyone! Sorry this is a bit late.

May started out warm and it has only been getting warmer. I played a lot more with makeup this month because I had to practice a bit for my ballet school recital. I'm still doing well on my project ? pan, but I did end up buying some things that I had run out of, so I'll talk about those at the end of the post.

A little refresher: I'm trying to use up my products that are tested on animals and are not vegan. I don't like wasting things, so I can't just throw them away. While I'm trying to use up these products I'm trying to not buy any makeup or beauty products unless I completely run out of something essential (like deodorant, conditioner, contact solution) or I have to buy them for a specific purpose (ballet recital= new eyelash glue). Because this is an ongoing project, the numbering is a continuation of last month's products.

* denotes cruelty free
** cruelty free but parent company is not
v vegan product
Bold denotes product I will repurchase

48. Burt's Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate and Soy Shampoo 12 Fl oz (354 ml) *
I had a love/hate relationship with this product. I don't like the smell (really fruity and it stays with you all day). I loved how squeaky clean it made my hair. I loved using this after I had left oil in my hair overnight because it cleaned it out so well without having to use much product. I didn't like the consistency. It was watery and thick at the same time. I'm not sure how that works, but that's what it felt like. It lathered really well and you only needed a little bit to make a whole bunch of suds. This left my scalp feeling really dry so I could only use it about once a week (this is why it took me such a long time to finish this product). I don't like volumizing products because they make my hair knot, so I had to use a bunch of conditioner whenever I used this product. (This was a hand me down from my mom who couldn't use it because the smell was so strong it affected her allergies. I didn't purchase this for myself.) The bottle claims that it is 97.20% natural. What the heck does that even mean? It would be more helpful if they put an asterisk by the ingredients that were man made. Talking about ingredients, this contains honey so it isn't vegan (imagine that, a company called Burt's Bees using honey). I used to love Burt's Bees and I have tons of their products I need to use up, so this is one down and many more to go. I won't buy this product again because it isn't vegan, it made my hair knot, and I didn't like the smell. They are a cruelty free company though, so a step in the right direction! (After looking at the ingredients online compared to my bottle, they seem to have reformulated this product and it no longer contains honey.)

49. Viva La Juicy Noire- Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum Spray .05 Fl oz (1.5 ml)
I liked this scent. It was darker and more fruity than regular juicy couture. According to their website it smells of wild berries, mandarin, strawberry, gardenia, honeysuckle, jasmine, amber, caramel, vanilla, and sandalwood. This wouldn't be an everyday scent for me. It's not my favorite and I will not purchase this in the future.

50. Secret Scent Expressions Ooh-la-la Lavender Clear Gel Antiperspirant/ Deodorant 2.7 oz (76g)
This deodorant worked well. I don't like gel deodorants that much, but my mom bought it for me so I had to use it. I liked the scent because it is like the solid stick in the same scent. It is very fresh and clean smelling and doesn't bother me throughout the day. I did not like the gel consistency. And guess what... it was a double pack! So I have another of these to use. Urg. Not repurchasing.

51. Cocktail Perfume Sample
I think I got this perfume sample in a My Little Pink Box sample about four years ago. It is a combination of jasmine, violet, bergamot, woods, and amber. It wasn't my favorite scent, but it wasn't bad. For $56 for a 1.7 oz bottle, I wouldn't recommend it. I couldn't find any information about their animal testing policy on their website.


52. güd from Burt's Bees- Natural Softening Conditioner Floral Cherrynova Cherry Blossom and Almond Milk 12 Fl oz (350 ml) * v
This conditioner was an impulse buy when I was at target because it was on sale for $5.50 and I wanted to try out this brand I had never seen before. I HATED this conditioner with a passion. It smelled HORRIBLE. It left a very chemical smelling floral scent in my hair that would not leave for days! DAYS! The plus side is that this product is vegan. That's it. Otherwise it was a horrible smelling product that didn't soften or smooth my hair. I'm never buying this product again.

53. John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Enhancing Shampoo for Lighter Blondes 8.45 Fl oz (250 ml)
This, like the conditioner I finished last month, is neither cruelty free nor vegan. Like the conditioner, I have used this product for many years. The "highlight activating" is effective as my hair looks brighter and cleaner when using this shampoo, but the smell is almost worse than the conditioner. It smells overly synthetic like many blonde shampoos and conditioners on the market. I will not be repurchasing this in the future since it isn't vegan.

54. Bausch and Lomb Re-nu Mutil-purpose Solution 4 Fl oz (118 ml)
Again, I bought this when I couldn't find my Bio-Tru solution. It works, but isn't anything special. It is not a cruelty free company, so I will not repurchase.

55. Annick Goutal Quel Amour! Eau de Toilette .06 Fl oz (1.75 ml)
This was another sample I got from either my friend Sara or a Birchbox. This is a very romantic floral scent including Peonies, Wild Roses, Geranium rosa, Pomegranate, Cranberry, Redcurrant, Morello Cherry, Wine Peach, and Grey Amber (according to their website). While I enjoyed wearing this scent, it wasn't really "me". I will not be repurchasing this product for that reason. I can't find their animal testing policy, so if any of you can, let me know!

56. Nelson j Beverly Hills Argan Oil 7- 7 In 1 Non-Foaming Shampoo 1 oz (30 ml) v
Strange is the only way I can describe this product. It is minty, so you feel like your head is tingling and cold while you are working it through your hair and massaging it into your scalp. When the hot water hits it, you feel cold and hot scalp at the same time. I hated the little blue beads. They did not serve a purpose to my knowledge, and they scratched my scalp. They were horrible to wash out of my hair and made my hair tangle where I missed a few and they dried into my hair. However, my hair was beautiful after using this product. It looked and felt strong, healthy, shiny, and smooth. I felt like one of those hair commercial women who throw their hair around because it felt so good. I almost starting singing "I whip my hair back and forth". It felt that amazing. The dried hair scent was great and I felt revived and minty for several days. I would buy this again in a heartbeat if it didn't contain those horrible little blue balls of terror. (These little balls in scrubs, exfoliators, and rubs are very bad for the environment. You can find more information about these beads here:
http://5gyres.org/how_to_get_involved/campaigns/
http://beatthemicrobead.org/en/in-short
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/31/us-usa-pollution-greatlakes-idUSBRE96U03120130731
It is better to use natural products that decompose and disintegrate naturally like fruit pits and nut shells or sugar granuals.) I can't find if this company is cruelty free or not, but this product is vegan.

57. Archive Sheabutter Finest Bathing Soap Relaxing Green Tea and Willow
I love bar soap. I don't usually include them in this list, because I'm usually using soap that I have made (vegetable glycerin melt and pour soap is the base I usually use). I do, however, buy soaps or receive them as gifts and I will include those soaps in this list. This bath soap was from a hotel. These are not available on the normal retail market, so unless you own a bed and breakfast and want to buy lots of little bars of soap, you won't be able to find these. It worked well and smelled great.

58. Folle de Joie Eau De Parfum .06 Fl oz (2 ml)
Sweet citrus, woody floral, cognac, jasmine, rose, and a bit of leather blend effortlessly in this delicate but rich fragrance. I love the transparent complexity of this parfum. I love this perfume, but it doesn't smell "me" enough for me to buy it. Maybe if I were a little more girly and less eccentric in my wardrobe presentation. If I could put a picture to this scent, it would be a living room in an apartment where all the furniture is made of light woods and white fabrics. I'm more Victorian frufru and eclectic antiques. I hope that makes sense. That being said, it is a fantastic fragrance.


59. Lucy B Australian Wild Jasmine Eau de Parfum Sample*
When I smell this scent I smell Jasmine and Magnolia. It is a rich floral that isn't too heavy and still remains fresh. It is a little too floral for me, but I liked it while I wore it. This is an aromatherapy type of fragrance so it meant to be strong and fill the wearer with a certain mood boosting kick. It does this well.

60. CVS Epsom Salt Lavender Scented 1 lb 6 oz (624 g)
I've used another one of these scented Epsom salts. Still not my favorite, but they work well on my sore legs, so I can't complain.

61. Listerine Whitening Multi-Action Whitening Rinse- Vibrant 32 Fl oz (946 ml)
My dentist recommended this to me instead of the whitening strips or toothpastes because she was afraid that those would irritate my gums. I didn't use this whitening mouth wash every time I brushed my teeth, but I did try to use it once a day or every few days. It whitens teeth using hydrogen peroxide, so it isn't the best for you, but it doesn't scrape or scratch your teeth and it works. Johnson and Johnson does test on animals, so I'm trying to find a whitening mouth rinse that is cruelty free.

Wow, I used a lot of products up this month! Here are the products I bought:

biotrue contact solution- this is my normal solution. It was buy one get one half off for the large size containers, so I went ahead and bought two. I have only been able to find cruelty free contact solution online and I'm afraid to buy something when I'm not sure exactly when I will be in town.

alba botanica moisturizing conditioner- I ran out of full size conditioner. Yay! This project ? pan is working! I don't like the smell of this product so far, but it makes my hair feel nice.

Jason henna conditioner- I bought this when I bought the alba botanica conditioner. I haven't tried it yet.

crystal salt deodorant- I've been interested in trying this deodorant for a while. I will start using it when I finish up my current deodorants

mini fingernail polish remover- for the ballet recital, in case people forgot that they are not supposed to have bright green nails on stage. Didn't have to use it.

ardell eyelashes- for the recital. nice and easy to use

duo eyelash glue- my favorite eyelash glue. It always works and doesn't irritate my eyes

makeup sponges- to apply makeup for the recital

eos lip balm in raspberry- an impulse buy when I was in the ulta. Bad Marjorie! Bad!

Stay tuned for June's empties in a few weeks!

Food and Ballet Ramble

Or, Watermelon is the Best Fruit Ever and my Feet Hurt

 

I woke up this morning to a giant crack of thunder.  It has been pouring for hours and doesn't look like it will ever stop. I hope it stops before I have to drive in it so I don't get run off the road but idiot drivers.

 

I haven't done anything too exciting recently, but I did go to ballet for 3.5 hours yesterday. I hurt already. I took the ladies basic/intermediate 1 class first where we did everything very slow and it was painful to stretch out all my muscle soreness from Koko on Monday and Saturday's ballet class. The second class was the kids intermediate 1. One of the girls went on one foot on the barre and two feet on the floor in pointe work. She is doing really well and I'm really glad she is not having knee pains anymore from growing. I never had to deal with growing pains like many people I know did. I did get Charlie horses a lot in my calves, but mostly that was because I was getting dehydrated in the heat and dried out by the air conditioner. Some of the girls at ballet have grown three inches in a month. They have had to buy new clothes and shoes and everything. I just grew all the time. I was always tall and falling down and running into things because my arms and legs were just a little bit longer today than they were yesterday.

 

I wore my pointe shoes for both of the barres yesterday and went up on them about half of the time. My feet are getting stronger and it doesn't feel like they are about to fall off all the time now, just some of the time. I'm going to have to get new shoes at some point soon because these really don't have much life left in them. They are pretty soft and comfortable, which is great for standing in them, but not so great for actually dancing in them. Oh, well. My achy feet mean that I am getting stronger and that is a good thing.

 

Here are some pictures of the foods I've been eating. Since summer is about to hit full force, some of my favorite foods are coming to the stores. WATERMELON! I adore watermelon. Some of my earliest memories are of my grandfather eating watermelon with me on the back porch of our house. I love that it is sweet, juicy, cold, and make the world feel like a better place. All that being said, you will see lots of watermelon in the coming months.

 

Spinach Daahl, Lime Rice, Daiya Mozzarella Shreds, Coconut Milk Yogurt, Watermelon, and a Banana 

I've been really loving this Spinach dish by tasty bite. I've gotten it several times at the store and keep buying it because it is really good. I'm not too big a fan of the coconut yogurt because it is super sweet and I really like plain yogurt, but this is the only kind I could find at the store. Hello, watermelon! You are beautiful.



Millet and Brown Rice Ramen, Tomatoes, Capers, Kalamata Olives, Green Olives stuffed with Pimentos, and Bread!

I really like this ramen. My only complaint is that the servings are ridiculously small. One block is two servings and it isn't even as big as the size of my palm. No one is only going to eat half a block of ramen. Also, you can see here that I love olives. No need to add olive oil when you can just add olives. I've recently been finding that the taste of olive oil has become very off putting to me. It has an almost soapy plastic-y flavor when I've added it to my food in the past few weeks. I've been leaving it out and my food tastes better.




Millet and Brown Rice Ramen with Vegan Pesto, Watermelon, Pineapple, Mango Smoothie (watered down)

I tried a new brand of vegan pesto at the store (I can't remember what kind it was, only that it was more expensive than all the non-vegan kinds, in a smaller jar, and tasted horrible). I'm going to have to go to the other store and stock up on the brand I like because this stuff was bad! It was even organic and free trade. Yeah. Anywho, I water down my mango smoothie into mango juice by only adding the juice to 1/6 or 1/8 of the container and filling the rest with water. It is not as sweet that way and more thirst quenching. Also, enter the watermelon and pineapple spears. Gotta love sweet fruits!

Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich on Oatmeal Bread with Agave Nectar

I don't really like this oatmeal bread. I'm pretty sure it used some fillers because it didn't really taste like bread or oats or anything. It was the only bread left in the house and I really wanted a sandwich for breakfast, so here you go.



Watermelon, Bananas, Lemonade, Water, Blueberry Coconut Milk Yogurt, Kale with Mushrooms and Garlic, Spinach with Garlic and Olive Oil

This is my after ballet feast. I was so thirsty and I didn't want to get up repeatedly to fill up my glass, so I just brought a pitcher of water to the table. You can see my diluted lemonade in the glass in the top right corner. So, watermelon (again) to quench my thirst, leftover greens because I didn't want to cook anything and I wanted something green, and that sickeningly sweet blueberry coconut yogurt. It filled me up for maybe two hours, and then I went on to make my dinner.

Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Capers, Kalamata Olives, and Green Olives with Pimentos

Dinner was pasta, leftover tomato sauce and things in jars that were already open. I was too tired to cook something from scratch, so this is what had to happen. It was super yummy. The sauce was a little too salty for my liking (that's what you get for buying canned sauce), but I only used a little bit, so it worked out well.

And lastly, garlic daiya mozzarella bread. It was cheesy, garlicy, bready, and fantastic. I went to bed full and content. That's all for now peeps! I'm going to watch the rain come down for a few hours. I'll catch you later!

Garlic Daiya Mozzarella Bread

Walk to Mordor 32

Week 32 Update

Week #__32____ Day ___18-19____ WTR Goals: Mileage__20____ Weight __265____
 

Starting Weight	Current Weight	Goal Weight	Projected Goal Date	Day
270	269.7	175	2017	18 -19

Date	Activity	Duration Miles	Beginning Mileage	Ending Mileage	Location*
5/4	walk	1.51	334.93	336.44	Day 19 Continue in valley. Land starts to rise. Can see hills ahead.
5/5	walk	3.77	336.44	340.21
5/6	walk	1.51	340.21	341.72
5/7	walk	1.95	341.72	343.67
5/8	walk	.99	343.67	344.66
5/9	walk	2.78	344.66	347.44
5/10	walk	.63	347.44	348.07
Totals	This week:	13.14	Total:	348.07

I'm catching up, people!

Today I can truthfully say that my legs are super sore. I decided to start wearing my pointe shoes again in ballet class, and my first class in them was on Tuesday. Today when I tried to do anything in ballet, my legs would not move! My calf muscles were so tight and my feet were cramping so much that I felt like I was going to fall on my face for most of the class. By the end, they started to really stretch out and I was able to work out some of the soreness. I'm sure they will still be sore tomorrow, but I'm planning to drink lots of water tonight to keep that from being bad.

I feel so much stronger than I did a year ago and I can do things I haven't done in an even longer time. I was really excited today when one of the ladies in class told me that I looked like I had lost a lot of weight. This makes me feel really happy. As you can tell by my WtM updates, my weight hasn't been changing, but I think my body is getting fit and my muscle mass has grown. I think switching to ballet 3 times per week plus the weight training at Koko has really helped.

I've started reading real books again instead of fanfiction online. I tend to go through cycles of reading where I will read all the time, every day for months, and then suddenly stop reading for weeks at a time. I have been really into Norse mythology recently (when am I not into Norse mythology?) and books about veganism or growing gardens. I went to Barnes and Noble with my mom today and bought Mirrorsight by Kristen Britain. I've been waiting for this book for several years, but I can't read it just yet because I forgot what happens in the previous book in the series and I can't reread it until I get to North Carolina. I wanted to get the new Beowulf by Tolkien, but they hadn't yet arrived at the store. We were put on a list to receive a notification when they do arrive so I can get it :) SOOOO EXCITED! I think my mom is planning to give it to me for my birthday!

YouTube is another time-sucker, like reading fanfiction, and several youtubers have been really fun to watch recently. Here are some of the videos I've enjoyed in the past week:

FullyRawKristina is an 80/10/10 Low Fat Raw Vegan who makes the most amazing recipes. I've tried a few of them and they really are tasty! This is her newest video and looks super yummy. I love mangos!

 

Freelee The Banana Girl is a Raw 'Till Four YouTuber. I have heaps of respect for her and her goal to spread the message of veganism to the world. I think she's one of the best LFRV/ High Carb Raw Vegan/ High Carb Cooked Vegan on the web. With DurrianRider, she has begun daily vlogs during the week and I think they are great! This is the first one.

 

 

VintageOrTacky is a makeup guru extraordinaire. This tutorial is a 1930's inspired look that I think would look great on many people.

 

 

And finally, this song has been stuck in my head for two weeks now. "Yes, We Have No Bananas" is a fun little song spurred by the shortage of bananas due to a fungus (I'm 95% sure it was s fungus, but it may have been a root problem... I'm not a banana expert) that attacked some varieties in the 1920's. This is when the modern Cavendish banana really took off because it was impervious to the blight.

 

 

That's it for today! Look tomorrow for a new Mordor Update and pictures of food! (I made some awesome vegan lasagna today!) Let me know if you would like more of these rambling blogs or day in the life or review blogs.

How to Darn Pointe Shoes

Tutorial: How to Darn Pointe Shoes

Finished Pointe Shoes

I'm gradually getting stronger as I dance more and I would love to start back on pointe sometime in the next few weeks. I'm waiting until after the recital because I want to make sure I don't hurt myself before I have to dance on a super hard floor. I looked at my newest shoes (They are six or seven years old, but they are the newest pair I have) and realized that they needed some love and care and a lot of darning. I still had two layers of darning on part of the toe, but the box was visible near the sole. I decided to make it into a little (but long) picture tutorial, so hopefully you can follow along.

Shoe on left is the one I am about to darn. Just finished right one.

Another view of shoes

Disclaimer: This is just how I darn my pointe shoes. There are many different ways to do this, but this is the way I like the best. My mom does hers in a completely different manner and they still work just fine at the end of the day. I am right handed, so I hold the shoe in my left hand and work the needle with my right. Flip this if you are left handed. Make sure your teacher allows you to darn your shoes before you attempt. I don't want anyone getting in trouble.

Shoes, thread, scissors, and needle

What you need:
Pointe shoes
Darning needle (a large, thick needle that will be able to get through the tough layers of shoe fabric and thread. Can be found at any craft store.)
Light pink cotton crochet thread ( Do NOT get acrylic, nylon, or bamboo. They will be too slippery and you will fall off pointe.)
Thimble (optional, have long hard fingernails that I use to push the needle through the tough places, but a thimble is good if you have weak nails or don't want to chance stabbing yourself under the nail with the blunt end of a needle)
Scissors

Where I really need to darn on this shoe. The fabric is gone!

Step one: Figure out how much darning you need to do. I did just the toe on this shoe, but the other in the pair needed some major work on the side of the box, so I darned there as well.

Tying the knot

The knot. You don't want too much of a tail that will get in the way.

Step two: Cut a long thread. I measure from my fingertips to opposite shoulder three times. This will give you a very long piece of thread to use so you won't have to keep stopping to start a new bit of thread every few rows. It will tangle if you don't drop and spin the needle between every row to get the twists out of the thread, so be careful and work slowly to avoid this. If you get a knot in your thread, don't jerk or yank on it. Gently untie the knot with your fingernails or with help from the needle. Thread the needle and tie the two ends of the thread together so you have a double strand.

 

Step three: Start at the upper right corner of the box and sew into the fabric of the shoe, making sure the knot is firmly in place.



Sewing around previous darning layers

Go around the entire toe area

Get a good anchor in the corner

Step four: Going around the outside of the toe, sew a circle. This will be your anchor to help you keep all the darning from moving around.

Be very careful where there is little fabric to sew your anchors

Back to the starting point. You can see the two old layers of darning on the shoe. We are darning over that.

Tip: The bottom of the shoe will be hard if you don't have any fabric left like I did. Be very careful and gently sew into any remaining scraps of fabric. If you pull too hard, the threads will break.

Starting the vertical threads

Over the bottom anchor, turn around and go back under

Step five: Once you get back to the starting point, bring the thread back and forth vertically across the toe of the shoe, using the anchor points in your circle. I go over the anchor thread, bring the needle under and across the toe of the shoe and repeat on the other side.

Finishing the vertical threads

Tip: Just say "over, under" to yourself constantly and you will be good. Try to keep the threads close together, but not overlapping and keep it slightly loose. If it is too tight, you won't be able to weave back and forth properly later. Also, be careful when you are working with the bottom anchor thread so you don't pull it too hard and rip it out.

Keep threads close together, not twisted, and not overlapping

Make sure it's covering all the bare parts of the box

When you get to the end it should look like you have a solid, flat bunch of vertical threads covering to toe.

Begin the horizontal rows. Over the side anchor thread, turn the other way, and under.

Step six: Bring the thread to the side and bring the needle under the side anchor thread so you can begin the weaving.

Begin weaving over, under, over, under

Try not to twist the threads

First row complete!

Step seven: Weave back and forth across the toe of the shoe, using the anchor threads on the ends to turn around and go the other way. Over, under, over, under. You always want your current stiches to be opposite the stiches in the previous row so that whether you are looking at it right side up or sideways, it is always over, under, over, under.

Weave several rows "under" first row to make a tight weave

It looks messy now, but it will get better! Don't worry!

Tip: When I start, I always end up leaving too much space between the anchor "row" and my first row of horizontal weaving. To fix this, I go back across the shoe twice Under the first row to make the weave tighter. (see pictures to understand this) You want a tight weave, but not one that is pulling too tight or it will rip your anchor threads out if you don't have too much fabric left on the shoe. The best way to avoid this is to darn your shoes before all the fabric is gone.

And another row back across

Tip: Try to keep the thread from twisting as you weave. Jiggle the thread back and forth a little to get it to lay flat. Also, if your stitches are too far apart, push them down gently with your fingernail.

Over, under, over, under

Start back across above the "first" row. Over and under!

Step eight: When you run out of thread, tie a knot, cut the thread, and repeat step two. Start where you left off and cut any excess thread off the end of your knots.

Keep doing this for the rest of the shoe

This is the end result

When it is finished it should look like a rather neat weave. You can see in my shoes where the threads twisted a little bit. This won't matter too much. When you use the shoes, the friction between the floor and the shoes combined with your body weight will make the fibers of the threads mush together slightly (see before pictures to get an idea of what I'm talking about).



The box of the shoe is now covered and protected

I like to keep my old darning on the shoes under the new darning if I can. You can see some of the threads poking through the new layer. This doesn't matter, they will flatten out over time.

A neat weave

I have been darning my shoes like this since I got my first pair when I was thirteen (eleven years). If you do this regularly, your shoes will last longer and you won't have to buy new shoes as often. When I was dancing on pointe regularly (three times a week, barre and some floor work, no turns), I used roughly one pair of shoes a year (with the exception of one pair that died after about three months).
 Be careful the first class after you darn them: they will be slightly more slippery than you are used to. You will have very fast turns!

See where I joined the side section to the toe section? Just wove into the anchors of the older work.

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below so I can get back to you. I hope this was helpful!

It doesn't have to be perfect! Just functional! The shoes are now ready to wear.