Planning and Plotting

Still no actual sewing going on, but planning for Spring proceeds. First up: what to make for a bottom layer.  So far I have decided on (and purchased) two pant patterns and one skirt pattern.  

For warmer days - a culotte pattern from Itch To Stitch

And for a little more coverage -- the Clare pant from Style Arc 

For days when a skirt is wanted -- Ravinia Skirt from Love Notions

Probably the midi length, but I'd love to swan about in the longer length too. Love that it has pockets!

I'd really like to make a casual dress too, similar in style to this one except with shorter sleeves and a little more fullness to the skirt --basically I just want the small shawl collar! Haven't yet found a pattern that I could adapt, although the dress itself is fairly simple I suspect the collar would need to be self drafted. I've done a passable job of doing that in the past, so within the realm of possibility.

And plotting? Well, all of these patterns are PDF purchases and need to be printed out. In the past I've taped, trimmed and sworn, but recently I heard about a printing service that was reasonably priced and had fairly quick turn-around. I'm probably the last sewist alive to hear about it, but if not -- they are PDFPlotting in the Richmond area (VA, USA). Ordered my copies on a Monday morning and had them delivered by mail on Wednesday -- not too bad at all. Price varies by pages needed (and there is a reasonable shipping fee) but it was worth it to me for the total lack of pattern piecing aggravation.  As an example, the Gobi culottes were printed on one large sheet and cost $1.39 as opposed to printing 21 pages at home (just the pattern - instructions are separate). I'm sure my cost at home (paper, printer ink) probably works out to be cheaper, but sanity -- priceless!

Little knitted things and a class

Sewing seems to have ground to a halt -- probably because no new cold weather items are needed, and it still seems a bit early to start on spring wear. Planning is underway however, and I'm thinking of doing something similar to The Great Module Sew Along by TomKat Stitchery. 

In the meantime, a couple of small knitting projects have been completed -- the first a hat from the December FIFC (Fall In Full Color) club (2013, I think?) by Knitspot and Anne Hanson.  "All Boxed Up" in a yarn listed as FIFC Festivus (special edition). An easy knit, and this one will go in the donation box.

 

The other project is a scarf -- "Punch and Judy", also by Anne Hanson -- and this one was knit in Everlasting DK (Amethyst colorway) by Dream in Color. This one is heading to my scarf drawer, as I think it will add a nice purple pop of color to my grey leaning wardrobe.

I do hope to soon start sewing again, and one of the things I hope to start is a "cut and sew" top made from machine knit yardage (made by me, not purchased). To that end I bought an online course by O! Jolly! on "How to Cut and Sew a Sweater". Olgalyn Jolly teaches machine knitting at Parsons School of Design in addition to courses  at FIT. I'm finding it full of great information, and look forward to trying out her methods on my own project.

A Flight of Butterflies

Still many days until the butterflies return, but how about a few beaded ones to brighten a wintery day?

The first three shown are from an ebook, Brick-stitch Beaded Butterflies by Karen Parker --

a Crimson Callicore:   

a Blue Morpho:

and lightly tacked down on my straw hat -- an Apollo butterfly:

So far, as you can see, I've only managed to put the Apollo to good use.  The Blue Morpho has always been meant to be transformed into a necklace -- but I have been stuck in a design rut as to how to finish it off.  My first thought was a silk ribbon, but then doubts crept in and there it sits.

The Crimson Callicore may end up as an ornament on a clutch, similar to how I used the last butterfly -- an anonymous figment of my imagination:

This one has been embroidered onto a backing of wool felt and sewn on to the flap of a little raw silk clutch I made. I'm sure I had some type of pattern (at least for the shaping) but I no longer remember where it might be from. 

I have beads to make a couple more -- there's something very relaxing and meditative about making them -- but I'd really like to find a better way of admiring them than atop a thread cabinet in the sewing room. Still, they do spark joy!

The miracle of blocking

I'm in the midst of knitting up a lace scarf - Star and Pine, by Anne Hanson - which is done in two separate pieces and then grafted together in the middle.  Yarn is a lovely blend of Blue Faced Leicester, silk and cashmere from Yarn Hollow in the White Pine colorway. It was one of the November projects from Knitspot's Fall in Full Color 2013 - and yes, it's taken me a good bit of time to get around to it!

It's taking me a while to finish up the second half, so I decided to do a little blocking of the first half to get a better idea of what to expect of the finished size.  If ever there's a type of knitting that transforms with blocking it's lace.

The first (out of focus) pic shows just how crumpled up and hard to visualize the pattern that unblocked lace can be.  In the second pic I have soaked (in Eucalan) and spun out the scarf half and pinned it out on a couple of foam blocks.  Mine aren't "official" blocking squares, but some I picked up at Costco many years ago.  Work just fine for blocking. The process would have been easier if I had been able to find my blocking wires -- I would have run a wire through each edge point instead of laboriously pinning everything, but can't find them since our move. Sigh. When I block the other half I'll probably run a sturdy crochet cotton cord through the points if the wires still haven't appeared. It won't be as easy as using the more rigid wires, but will be easier, and probably more even, than pinning.

And here's a closer look:

It transitions from tree shapes to a different pattern as it approaches the back neck.  I suspect they appeared star shaped to the designer (hence the pattern name), but they look more flower like to me. Regardless, I think it will be a lovely scarf when I finish!

Teesdale scarf

Another little crochet project -- this one made in Sundara Yarn Sport Merino that's been marinating in the stash for a good bit.

The pattern is by Rebecca Velasquez and was a quick and easy project.  Once I had the pattern memorized it went quickly and could be done while conversing or watching TV. Just the thing to take the sting out of my previously mentioned failed knitting project.

It's scarf sized, rather than a full on shawl, which was just what I needed for the two skeins of Sport Merino (100 g, 225 yards each) that I had.  I think the yarn I used was just a bit heavier than called for in the pattern, and I went up in hook size to account for that.  I ended with a few yards to spare, so that was a relief.

Here's another closeup look: 

Lovely yarn in a scrumptious color (Reaching Out) and a fun to make pattern -- just what the fiber doctor ordered!

A Little Crochet

I needed a quick and easy project after hitting a major roadblock in my knitting, so I dug out a skein of luscious baby alpaca and silk (Lorna's Laces Honor) and whipped out the Iced Ascot by Rebecca Velasquez from the book Simply Crochet by Robyn Chachula. I liked Rebecca's pattern enough to do a pattern search of her other designs on Ravelry, and ended up purchasing her Teesdale small shawl/scarf pattern which I'm working on now.

The colorway is Loopy Ewe Shuffle, which leads me to believe it was a one off from The Loopy Ewe, no longer available I'm sure, as it's been in the stash for quite a while.

It was a nice palate cleanser after the heartbreak of running out of yarn for a sweater from a kit, purchased a while back, from a merchant that is no longer in business, and a yarn made specifically for that designer...well, you get the idea. I've been working on it for at least a year, and I was gutted to be unable to finish it off. Sigh.

There has been knitting though -- of the machine variety -- several hats for donation which were knitted on the LK-150. No photos, as they're pretty Plain Jane, but I did have a "D'oh" moment when mattress stitching them up.

I was having trouble seeing where to place my sewing needle to continue a straight seam after pulling the working yarn taut to snug up the stitches.  So I had the bright idea (or so I thought) to put a little marker in the place where I needed to place the needle after snugging up -- like so:  

Worked a charm, but the clever among you will grasp the "D'oh" reaction -- I could have simply placed my needle there before pulling the working yarn taut and been ready for my next stitch in the proper position. Oh well, I felt smart for a moment, anyway!

Beading progress

Taking a little break from fabric and fiber to play with beads. I'm waiting for findings to arrive in order to finish them up, but progress so far is pleasing to me.

Both patterns are from Deb Roberti's Around the Beading Table and both are free patterns -- Petite Paisley earrings and Astral bracelet. There are many attractive patterns on her site, both free and to purchase. I have made several of the free patterns, and purchased a couple of others, and what stands out to me about Deb's patterns is the clarity of her instructions. The written instructions are clear and concise, and her diagrams help even a beginner beader like me achieve good results.

I used Zoli Duo (both right and left facing) in Pastel Purple for the earrings and the seed beads are silver-lined crystal. Ran out of jump rings in the size/finish I wanted to use to attach them to ear wires, but it should be a quick finish once they are in hand. 

The bracelet is made with CzechMates 2-hole 7mm beads in Metallic Aurora Red, with 11/0 seed beads (Miyuki Silver Lined Grey) and 3mm fire polished crystal beads.

I was trying for a look of antique silver with the grey seed beads, and I think it comes fairly close. This one is waiting on a clasp.