Archive for the ‘Sewing’ Category
posted Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
But I’ve at least been busy!
In the past month I knit myself a sweater (Rogue from The Girl from Auntie)
I was a bit overwhelmed looking at the pattern, since it is 19 pages, but it’s all very clearly written out and detailed – which is wonderful when you’re knitting complex cables (especially for the first time – I’ve done cables before but nothing like these). The charts look confusing at first, but if you follow along it all just makes sense when it needs to. I thoroughly enjoyed knitting every bit of the sweater (well, except for maybe the last half of the second sleeve – I was ready to be finished by then!) and I can’t wait to get started on Eris, another pattern she has written. I actually bought the Eris pattern back in June, and was promptly discouraged as I flipped through all 40 pages of the pattern… but now I realize that it’s not really that the pattern is that difficult, it’s just that Jenna is so great at making each step exceptionally clear.
I finished what may be the last pair of longies I ever knit for my kids.. since we’re not cloth diapering anymore and they’re pretty much only for the “cute” factor, I think I will be saving the rest of my “longies” stash for sweaters, hats, and other cool weather woolens. The yarn is my own, dyed in the Red Mountain colorway – I absolutely love how they colorway knit up, and I have more than enough yarn left for a hat to match… or maybe just for a hat for me 
I made my daughter a simple dress to wear on Christmas (and have plans to make many more with my fabric stash), it’s really simple, sort of an adaptation of my twirly skirt with a pheasant top bodice (similar to this tutorial but I cut my peices only about 7″ long to match the 6″ teirs of the skirt)
I’ve been working a lot on my sock machine too, I made about a dozen pairs of socks in December alone for gifts and as some custom orders, which for the most part went fairly well. I didn’t photograph all of them since I was usually in a rush to get them sent off. I have even set up the 1923 Gearhart I added to my collection in August up and have it knitting finally (I needed needles for it), and I even tracked down a 50 slot dial to match my 100 slot cylinder (which is not shown, that’s the 40 slot in the image with the 100 slot cylinder in the machine). It’s in remarkable condition considering it was an ebay bargain, and while it has a few quirks, mechanically it’s in very good shape as well. It makes the weirest sound while knitting though – a solid clicking due to the way the uplift cams are spring loaded, which is mildly amusing.
So far I’m still working out some kinks with the ribber timing and I’d like to find a solution to keeping count of my rows more easily, but I hope to soon be able to make some really fine gauge socks on it.
My two year blogaversary is coming up soon – I might just give away a pair of custom socks and possibly some yarn, so watch for that in the next week or two
Posted in CSM, Knitting, Sewing | 6 Comments »
posted Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
With only 3 days to spare I finished Kaia’s costume yesterday. There are a few things I’d change if I did it over, and I’d probably choose to use some different materials, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. The wings were a total pain and I am thinking there HAS to be a better way – I know I’ve read about people using coat hangers and panty hose, and if I were to try again, I think I’d get friendly with Google and see what ideas other people have.
I did modify the body portion to make it two parts – a top and a bottom rather than one baggy bodysuit, since she’ll be wearing it to school tomorrow and they requested that costumes be potty-friendly, I thought it would be nice if she didn’t have to totally strip down That part worked out really well and I’m glad I thought to make it that way. I even thought to put tags in it to distinguish the front from the back.
Clearly she’s not really thrilled about it though..
And you can see my pathetic, crumpled attempt at some wings. Really, it seemed like such a great idea, but they got a bit mangled when I sewed on the velcro. I think it would be better to make them with elastic loops for the arms – that way they might stand some chance of not looking so pathetic.
Now, don’t ask me what the boys are dressing up as.. I have no idea. Seth has no idea what he wants to be, and I’m kind of counting on Odin’s costume from last year still fitting. Perhaps I should try that soon
Posted in Sewing | No Comments »
posted Thursday, September 25th, 2008
Because a few of you asked for it, here it is!
Owl Hair Clip Pattern – 512KB
Posted in Patterns, Sewing | No Comments »
posted Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Yeah… uh, guess I forgot to post stuff, again I haven’t really been up to a WHOLE lot lately.. honest
I got a new camera as a late birthday present, so I’ve been off taking pictures, not crafting. My son went back to school, my daughter also started preschool, and my youngest is trying his hardest to walk.
After my futile attempt at knitting 17 pairs of socks for the Ravelympics (I only logged 6 of the 7 I know I finished) I finally got the Legare out again Monday, and knit up a couple of pairs.. first a pair from this month’s Yarn Pirate Booty Club
and then some from some Panda Silk I wanted to try out.. I really REALLY like how it works up on the CSM, when it all goes right. There was supposed to be another pair in another colorway for my sister, but um, we had issues and I’m not gonna go there.
I sat down today and made a pair of hairclips.. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, I just didn’t get myself in gear to go get the goodies I needed. I love how they came out, and I’ll definitely be making more 
Posted in CSM, Knitting, Sewing | No Comments »
posted Monday, July 14th, 2008
I got a few cones of yarn to play with… hopefully it will work out better for me than the cheap acrylic I’ve been using has been (it tends to break when I *really* don’t need it to!).
I also got some large hook needles to play with.. I hope these will make knitting with handspun a bit easier
And finally, some cute blue size tags! I can’t wait to make something that I’ll need to use these on
Posted in CSM, Knitting, Sewing | No Comments »
