A bit of success...

...was achieved this summer making casual tops from patterns created from ready-to-wear items, but now it's time to up the ante -- slacks.

I chose a simple pair of J.Jill slacks whose fit works well for me. Let's hope their simplicity will give me a better chance at success.

As mentioned previously, I decided to try taping off the pattern pieces instead of tracing them. No pockets, no lining, not even a separate waistband, so it's just 2 pattern pieces -- a front and a back. The flat areas (lower legs) are simple. The tape is placed around the entire outline of each piece, and then filled in with overlapping layers. The real challenge comes from the non-flat, darted hip/waist area. This needs to be done with the shape filled in -- preferably while being worn inside out. Darts (there are two on each piece) are taped over, with each apex marked. After removing the taped shape from the garment, the darted area is cut from the center down to the marked apex. When the taped piece is affixed to a flat paper the slits will open up (hopefully!) to proper dart width. It was a real pain to get the taped shape from the garment to the paper -- remember wrestling with adhesive paper when lining shelves? -- but here's what I ended up with:

That's the front piece, and I think you can see how the darts opened up in a closer shot:



Because it seems to me that this method might result in slight shrinkage as far as size goes, you'll note I've given myself wide 1" (2.5 cm)seam allowances. I'll baste fit and make adjustments as needed.

The original slacks are made from a sueded poly/Lycra blend. I am testing in a denim/Lycra blend -- hopefully I'll be able to get a clear idea of the fit by using another stretch woven, although the original fabric has more drape. I'm thinking a stable knit might have worked as a test fabric, but you go with what you have.

Sew, will this work out? Or will it be yet another "wadder"? Stay tuned...

You spin me right round...

So, a couple of years back I decided it might be fun to learn to spin. Took a couple of lessons, and bought a nice little wheel (Majacraft Suzie). Then, as sometimes happens, life intervened and the spinning took a back seat to other things. Lately, the urge has returned, and I've been taking baby steps back into the wonderful world of hand spun. I wasn't that proficient when I stopped, and I'm certainly no better with such a long layoff, but by turning to the spinning newbie's best friend -- that would be Blue-Faced Leicester roving -- I managed to produce some passable yarn. But what to do with it?

Now, in the past, yarn produced generally went right into the stash, with no thought given to any particular project. Since my initial goal was to sample many different types (sheep breeds) of wool, that wasn't surprising -- not too much you can do with many little 50 g. skeins of wildly different yarns. But now I'd really like to concentrate on actually making something from the spun yarn, so I set about swatching.

My first thought was a lacy scarf, and so I turned to "Zen and the Art of Stash Diving" from Crochet Me on-line magazine. I really liked how that pattern was developing, but quickly realized that I wouldn't have nearly enough yarn to make a scarf of the length I wanted. Rip-it!

Sometimes inspiration comes at you in a blinding flash, but usually I experience it as a slap upside the head -- why not make the pattern that most folks are coming to the blog to get -- "Could It Be Any Easier?" neck cozy. And so I did.

The roving is hand-dyed from the folks at Sakina Needles, and purchased through The Loopy Ewe. Colorway is "Mango", and fiber is Blue-Faced Leicester (BFL). Spun to (roughly) a worsted weight yarn, it's soft and absolutely delightful. Won't that be a nice pop of color for those grey winter days?

And since I still would really like a "Zen, etc." scarf, I started one of those in some hand-dyed yarn I picked up at Maryland Sheep & Wool this year. It's 55% mohair, 45% merino dyed with natural ingredients (osage, madder and cutch) by Juanita Breidenbaugh (who doesn't appear to have a website). Pretty, yes?

Last Gasp of Summer Tee

It's late, summer's almost done, and I should be thinking of autumn wearables, but I just couldn't resist one more summer tee. The fabric is a rayon/Lycra blend from Emma One Sock. I'm late to the party as far as working with rayon knits, but once I discovered them I haven't looked back. They are lighter than cotton, and to my mind seem just a bit dressier -- not that they're fussy -- just a bit more refined for those times you want to look a little more polished.

This was another of my 'traced from ready-to-wear' instead of sewn from a commercial pattern. It's a nice technique for duplicating simple styles -- not sure I'd try it with anything too intricate, but it's ideal for tanks and tees. Basically I just fold each garment segment in half, line it up along a line on my 1" graphed paper and carefully trace around each piece, smoothing things out where needed. After I finish my half tracing of each piece I make any adjustments I think I need -- for example, the RTW top had a too wide neckline which I corrected on my pattern pieces -- then I add seam allowances and hem allowances where needed. Voila, a pattern piece. I generally use self binding on necklines, and often on sleeve edges, so for those pieces I just cut strips in the width I need across the total width of my fabric with a handy-dandy rotary cutter. So simple.

Of course, the value of this method depends on you actually having a RTW item that you like and that fits with only minor adjustment, but if you do, I highly recommend trying it.

I'm hoping to duplicate a favorite pair of slacks from J.Jill next. This time though, I'm going to attempt a pattern steal by using painter's tape to shape each pattern piece. I'll be following tips in an article from the Fall 2008 issue of SewStylish magazine, which itself is an extract of an article from Issue 120 of Threads magazine. They are a no-pocket, side zip, faced waist (i.e., no waistband) style, so they should be a good candidate for this -- we'll see!

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood..."

Sunny skies, balmy breezes, puffy clouds? No, RAIN -- glorious, blessed rain! We've had no moisture in August until now, and the parched red clay soil was beginning to crack. You can almost hear it sighing with relief -- here's hoping there is more in store.

On the knitting front, one toe-up, gusseted sock is done, and here's what I've learned: 1)Although a 200 yard skein of fingering weight yarn is slightly less than I usually work with, it is entirely sufficient for socks with the leg length I prefer, and the foot length I need. Ergo, no need to knit toe up again for myself (well, except for the mate to this one!) unless I want to -- which I probably don't. Longer or wider socks, even less yardage -- OK, I'll do it then, but I have discovered that I really prefer knitting top down. The whole time I was knitting this I felt like I was twirling backwards!
2)It is possible to have a bound off edge that is stretchy enough to pull over my high-arched foot and feel comfortable around the leg.
I used this one: Work first two stitches in pattern. *Return these two stitches to the left needle, then knit them together through the back loop. Work the next stitch in pattern, and then repeat from the *. The last stitch leaves a bit higher gap, so take care in attaching it to the beginning when you're done, but there you have it. You'll notice in the photo (click for bigger, if needed) that the top of the sock is ruffled looking when off the foot. This disappears when worn, but may not be due to the bind off alone. I also worked the final few rows (4?) of the leg in garter stitch. And with bigger needles. Yes I know -- excessive, but then I'm a "belt and suspenders" kind of a girl. ("Belt and braces" to UK speakers, although maybe that's not a familiar colloquial expression for you anyway.) At any rate, it worked for me, although if I do another pair I'll try it without the garter stitch, but still using larger needles.

So, I'm calling exercise in toe-up a success.* Now, what's the next challenge?
*Fear not, that second sock will get knit at some point. We will leave no sock behind -- sometimes it just takes a while!

Create-Your-Own Clever Post Title

This has actually been finished for a while, but I tend to procrastinate about sewing on buttons. The spouse never understands how I can spend hours in the sewing room and yet never get around to replacing his shirt buttons, but what can I say? -- I don't like sewing on buttons.

I think I've mentioned the basics before, but here's the specs: Pattern from a Japanese knit/crochet book (Let's Knit Spring/Summer 2008), up-sized (in width) by using a slighter heavier yarn (Elann Camila). Fewer pattern repeats needed for the length. Set-in sleeves, tunic length with vent opening at bottom sides. I made a wider neckband than called for and left off the final row of crab stitch (reverse sc) from the edging. Other than that, I hewed to the pattern charts. I absolutely love the attention to detail in Japanese patterns -- such as the slanted shoulder shaping (done with stitches of varying heights). All in all, I'm pleased with this -- wonder if I'll be able to wear it this season, or will it have to wait for the spring?

Even though we have weeks of hot weather ahead thoughts are turning to autumn knits. I'm thinking of Véronik Avery's cardigan in Vogue Knitting (blanking on the name -- Forestry maybe?) -- love the collar shaping. Or maybe it's time to crank up the Falkenberg Express? Time will tell!

Topsy-turvy toes

So, a knitter walks into a Panera...

Nope, not the start of a joke, but rather what I did a couple of weeks ago -- I finally got around to attending a Knit Night at a local restaurant. I have really missed the camaraderie of a knitting group since moving and leaving my former knitting guild behind, but somehow never made it to the local S&B. It was a nice change to attend a purely social group, although the restaurant setting seemed a bit odd at first. I hope to be able to go again, but it's fairly far away, and with gas prices as they are...

In any event, the fun part of a knitting get together is seeing what everyone is working on. I noticed one knitter working on socks in a yarn I hadn't heard of before -- Rock Creek Yarn. The colors were fabulous, so naturally when I got home I did a little Internet search, which lead me to their Simply Sock yarn in the Koi Pond colorway.

When the yarn arrived, I noticed it has a bit less yardage than the sock yarns I've been using lately. Seemed like a sign that I needed to finally try a toe-up sock, to maximize yardage. I've shied away from that method in the past, figuring that my usual top down socks worked well, so why tamper with success? But a little change can be a good thing, so I started a pair of Fingering weight Toe-Up Gusset Heel Socks -- a free pattern available from Wendy Knits. Just click on the link at the top of her home page for a very nice selection of patterns.

So far they seem to be working out just fine. The true test of a good fit will come when I actually wear them, but I'm optimistic. And here's the heel:












I'm not always a big fan of color flashing and striping, but somehow it seems to work with this combination. Can't you just picture a koi swimming through the pond plants?

County Fair

Once again it's county fair time, and this year I decided to enter four items -- an original design crochet cardigan, a crocheted hat (also my own pattern), a knitted shawl (Leaf Lace by Evelyn Clark) and a knitted beret (Beret Gaufre, by Véronik Avery). I was fortunate enough to come home with four ribbons -- three firsts, and a second for the Leaf Lace shawl. This is just the second year I've done this, and it's a bit of fun -- I highly recommend it for those of you who have the opportunity.

For those who may be looking for a quick, attractive, little knitted project, the pattern for Beret Gaufre is available on Véronik's site -- click on "shop" to find it.

And abruptly changing subjects, I was coming in from the back deck this morning and caught a glimpse of pink and yellow. I thought someone had stuck a bit of candy on the wall, but it turned out to be this:(click for bigger!)



I've never seen a moth that color; hopefully I'll be able to research it and attach a name to it, but I thought it was pretty enough to share.

Editted to add: apparently it's a Rosy Maple Moth (dryocampa rubicunda) -- thank you, Google!