OFF my needles!

My Shalom Cardigan, pre-blocking.

I'm calling it a success, if not an unbridled one.  The sleeves look like something a Tyrannosaurus-Rex might sport -- but they fit over my broad shoulders and that's what matters, right?  It is warm and cozy and will keep my back toasty, but something about the placement of the underarms means that my front may stay a little chilly.  Well, we'll see what blocking can help with and I'll model it for you then.

On my needles -- the Try It On For Size Edition

It's going to fit!

Finished Object Friday -- Wide Leg Lounge Pants

The finished product!

 I have been wanting to adapt my cropped lounge pants pattern to a long-pants version all winter.  (What? I never showed you the cropped pants I made last fall? Shame on me.  I will post photos when I get them out next month.)  Now that Spring is nearly here, I found the time to give it a go.
 
First order of business was choosing fabric for the pants from my vintage bedsheet collection.

Easier said than done.

Then there was the job of modifying the cropped pattern to a long version.  A little tedious but not difficult.  At last I chose a bedsheet, pinned my pattern pieces on and began to cut.

 

 My normal method for making pajama pants is somewhat slapdash, but I had pretty high hopes that this pair would turn out especially well, so I took care with the pinning.

 

 Then I brushed up on my buttonhole-making (okay, I made my first, second and third buttonholes ever) because I wanted to try something new with the waistband:  an elasticized drawstring.  

Here's what they looked like:

 

 Not impressed? Neither was I, but you have to start somewhere.  I had to do a bit of finagling to get the drawstring to come out right, but in the end it worked.  Here are the finished pants:

 

 I wanted to show you a picture of me wearing them, but the truth is they are shaped a bit funny and look more like clown pants than the wide-legged yoga pants that I had been going for.  

I may have to bite the bullet and buy the pair of pants I want to copy in order to get this right, instead of trying to fake it with the cropped version.  

Anyway, they're comfy and the print is cute, and they will make fine pajamas.  I'm calling the experiment a guarded success!

Sweaters on deck

My one fiber resolution for 2011 is to work primarily from my stash.  I have come to an understanding that this will involve a deep and honest evaluation of my yarn and UFO collection, and that some difficult decisions will need to be made.

This first decision was not at all difficult:  Frog City.  I hate it so much I may not even bother to unravel the yarn, I may just pass it on to the Goodwill in vest form.  It was meant to be a Berkshire Sweater from Weekend Knitting like the Violet Beauregarde sweater I made a year or so back, but the gauge was all funky and the yarn was not delicious and the whole thing was just sad.  I will need to think of something to do with the yarn -- it's Debbie Bliss Chunky Donegal Tweed -- or else it goes to someone else's stash, so ideas are welcome.

 

This sweater is another no-brainer.  It's the Millie Cardigan from Vintage Crochet and it's so close to done!  I just need some concentrated quiet time to get the counting right.  I can't wait to wear this!

 

Okay.  This is just what it looks like:  a pile of Lopi yarn in a bunch of colors I thought looked pretty together.  It was way on sale.  I'm thinking of something in garter stitch, maybe vertical stripes?  Input is, as usual, appreciated.

And this is where I broke my no-new-fiber rule.  Because I found the Blizzard yarn that I made my original Violet Beauregarde out of in a warehouse sale for, once again, way cheap.  And I have a bunch of modifications that I want to try with the sweater to make it more attractive and comfy to wear.  Nuff said.

 

Another pile of Lopi yarn, this time destined to become knitty.com's awesome Sonnet sweater.  I'm going to have fun looking for buttons to go with this one.  Have I mentioned that I love working with bulky yarn?

And, at last, my current fave, Madelintosh's tea leaves cardigan, done in Cascade Eco Duo that had been meant for an EZ seamless yoke sweater which I was simply not ready to tackle.

I would love to stay and chat but K's birthday party is this afternoon and I am using up precious knitting moments.  Until next time!

Second Sock Syndrome

 

I started a pair of Cozy Toes Socks on our New Year's trip to visit family in Wisconsin, and knitted the first sock happily by the fire with Aunt Mary.  What a joy, to work up a sock in no time with creamy soft alpaca yarn.  And when I tried it on, it fit perfectly and was cozy indeed!  As we packed for home, I began the second sock with all good intentions -- but since then, have I knitted a stitch on it?  And they're predicting snow for the weekend!  Clearly I have my work cut out for me.  Time to push past Second Sock Syndrome and finish the pair so I can enjoy them (and start a new pair, of course...)

International girl

Here is K getting ready for school on International Day.  She is (sort of) dressed as a "Russian Peasant Girl" in long gathered skirt, peasant blouse and babushka scarf (courtesy of Carefree Clothes for Girls.)  And I have become One of Those Moms who stay up late the night before The Day Of, sewing the costume the child Has To Have and didn't plan ahead for.  I could kick myself for doing it, but at least she looks cute -- if not exactly authentic.  (Her idea was to go in her Sock Monkey Pajamas, because they say "Made in Vietnam" on the label.  Not exactly what the teacher had in mind, honey.  I like your creative thinking, though.)

Smocks and more

K has a birthday party to go to tomorrow. We needed a present and something special to wear, stat. I found the pattern for this "Swing Swing Smock" in Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing and modified it to fit my six-year-old. Thanks to Amy's zig-zag method of applying bias tape, it was a cinch to make -- took maybe an hour, tops. The fabric is Amy Butler from my stash, and I have a yard of that pocket material waiting to become a Lazy Days Skirt (by Oliver & S) -- but we needed something warm enough for K to wear now.

Out there on the Internet are tutorials galore, and I found one to make a child's skirt from an adult's sweater and another to make a child's leggings from the arms and shoulders left over from the adult's sweater made into the child's skirt. As it happened, I had a brown cashmere sweater that I didn't enjoy wearing very much, that was just the size, shape and softness to make into a skirt-and-leggings set for K.

She was delighted with her new outfit when she came home from school today and it was all I could do to get it off of her at bedtime! I'm just relieved that both pieces fit and were comfortable for her.

For her friend's birthday present we found fabric featuring the characters from Disney's The Princess and the Frog -- K reports that the child is Disney-princess crazy -- and I made another smock. I didn't have an appropriate sweater to make a skirt/legging set so I purchased a t-shirt and leggings at Target that I hope will fit her. I am less enthralled with this outfit than I am with the one for K, but if it suits her classmate's taste (which I hope it does), then I'm happy.

Vintage, yellow and roses

What could be nicer to wear to bed? This fabulous pattern from Ducky House uses the hem on a vintage bedsheet to finish a tailor-made pair of pajama pants, and it couldn't be easier.

The pajama pants experimentation continues. I was disappointed, when I tried these on, to find that the too-high-slightly-snug-waist problem had shown up again, but this time I took action. I cut off the waist casing that I had just sewn and sewed one on the now-shorter pants, tried them on and was reasonably satisfied with the results. I'm going to make the waist on the next pair even lower, and I think that will solve the problem altogether.

And yes, for those of you who are wondering, I did iron them before I photographed them, but I doubt if I'll need to do it again as they're made with No-Iron Percale. Definitely a plus.

Ready for winter

K was home from school again yesterday, so instead of starting on the Playing Again quilt I made my version of the Doily Scarf from Handmade Home. It's done in soft felted wool suiting backed with thrifted vintage cotton (anyone recognize it from another project?) and uses doilies that I purchased at the Reuzit Shop in Lancaster for this specific purpose. It was both great fun and really easy to make and I love its fresh, unusual design. Although this one is red and green I will probably not just wear it at Christmas, and I will likely make at least one more to give as a gift.

Felted argyle hoodie

I have been saving the green argyle sweater for just the right project. It was just a little felted when I bought it at the thrift store, a little too small for me to wear as it was but just right for a sweater-collage. I think it's been sitting on my shelf for about a month, waiting for the right supporting sweaters to come along and inspire me. Yesterday, finally, I had the time, the inclination, and just the right materials to forge onward.

It's made entirely of felted lambswool sweaters (except the hood, which is cashmere), hand sewn with Persian wool yarn. The body of the sweater took me one day to complete; the hood took me another half-day. In all, I used four sweaters and have a fair number of scraps to be used, probably, in a wool blanket.

The hood was the hardest part to do because I had to draft a pattern, and my initial pattern was entirely too large; I had to un-sew my first hood, cut it down and re-sew it to fit my head. Then sewing it into the V-necked sweater was challenging, and when the hood is up it doesn't look particularly graceful. It doesn't look bad, but it could look better. It is unbelievably cozy and soft, though, so I'm leaving it in place and I will definitely use it.

I love this project because it is such an easy way to obtain a sweater that is just the right size and shape for my body, in a color and pattern that I love. I will be interested to see what other people's reactions are when I wear the sweater in public -- will they like it, or think it's curious, or shake their heads and smile at crafty Jennifer? I'll wear it anyway, because I like it, but we shall see.

Inaugural project: a felted poncho

This design comes from Betz White's Warm Fuzzies, a book devoted to projects made from felted recycled sweaters. K has been begging for a poncho ever since she opened the volume, and this one seemed to suit her need for bright color, warmth and softness -- the solid bits are made from sweaters with a hefty portion of angora to them, which I hadn't been aware would felt but which in fact worked themselves into a heavenly, fuzzy material that was a delight to work with. I made a size 7/8, which is a little big for K right now, but the way she's growing it will be perfect for the spring.

Summer Pajamas

Success!
Success at making summer pajamas!
Success at making them in a size to fit me!
Success at making the pants from a pattern!

The top comes from Betz White's Amazon Blog and is an adaptation of her amazing Shirred Pillowcase Summer Top. I made it a bit longer than she specified, about 21 inches after hemming to be exact, and I'm a little sorry I did. I thought it would give me extra room to move around but it actually just makes me feel a little like a flowered tank; I may hem it further yet. I made it from yardage rather than from a pillowcase because I had 7 3/4 yards of pretty lightweight cotton hanging around that I'd bought for $7 at the thrift store and crying "wear me," so I still felt good that I was rehoming something. I also left the rick-rack off because who needs all that frou-frou when you're trying to sleep?


The pants come from Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing, which I've mentioned enough in here that you know how I love it. They're her "Pajama Pants for Everyone," and they certainly fit the bill. The adult sizes were clearly made to fit both men and women because they came up to my ribcage, which would have bothered D not a whit but which made me roll the waistband down several times before I was comfortable. Fortuntately after I had done that they were both comfy and presentable, and I was quite pleased with the results. I think when I am braver I will tweak the pattern a bit so that the waistband is lower and the legs are a hair less baggy in the crotch/inner thigh area -- but that's for another time. For now, I have jammies!

I had enough scraps to make a "Jane's Head Scarf" (another project from Weekend Sewing for myself and one for K, and K has expressed a desire to be "Pajama Buddies," so it's good that I had 7 3/4 yards of that thrift store material! I see more PJ sewing in the near future!

Ride 'em Cowgirl!

I'm filing this one under Live and Learn.

K's Spring Concert was last night and she needed an Outfit.

The Rules were: The top had to be white. The bottom had to be Dark Blue or Black (and could have red accents) but Not Jeans. (K also wanted something she could wear for the Fourth of July.) The Kindergarten and Pre-K were to wear Cowboy Hats if they could obtain such.

I looked first at K's wardrobe and found a pair of dark blue stretch pants and an old white t-shirt. No good. I looked at Target and found a soft white smocked blouse. Good. A short black skort. No good. Tight black lacy leggings. No good. K does have a cowboy hat with red trim. Good.

I checked my fabric stash. Many Fourth-of-July novelty prints but nothing suitable. Feeling fairly certain that the local fabric stores would turn up with nothing, I took a ride out to Jo Ann Fabrics. Looked at linen, denim, silk charmeuse, flannel, homespun, gingham, calico, muslin, organic cotton -- back to the linen, which was soft and in a lovely blue, bought 3/4 of a yard of it along with some bandanna print ribbon, an actual bandanna and some black non-roll elastic, and headed home.

I washed, dried and ironed the linen. Started the Lazy Days skirt pattern and worked slowly and carefully. Noticed that the linen was not 45" wide as called for in the pattern, but 60" wide, but didn't worry about it too much -- figured that the skirt would just be fuller. Oh, how wrong I was! When I threaded the elastic through the waistband, I saw that the extra fabric caused there to be less gathering, not more. So I cut the elastic smaller and sewed it back together. And in my haste I cut it too small. So I cut the elastic apart. And in my haste to remove it, I pulled the elastic all the way into the waistband, rendering it extremely difficult to retrieve.

At this point I began to have serious doubts about whether a 5-year-old would even consider a linen skirt to be acceptable Fouth-of-July or Cowgirl attire. I rooted through my stash again and and found some blue starry quilting cotton, not really of clothing quality by my standards but it would do for a cowgirl costume. I began working on the Lazy Days skirt again, slowly and carefully. All the way to edge-stitching the bandanna ribbon to the hem of the skirt.

Satisfied, I began to iron the finished product. And the ribbon began to fray and pull away from the skirt! Oh no! Nasty cheap craft store ribbon! I couldn't cut the ribbon hem off of the skirt and try again with different trim, because the skirt was already as short as I was willing to make it. I looked through my notions bin (a total disaster area!) for some narrow red trim to sew over the edges of the cheap ribbon. I found some rick-rack and some grosgrain ribbon that would work. Not stopping to think, I pinned the rick-rack on, ran it through the machine, and did the same with the grosgrain. The end result was both sloppy and silly-looking. The trims didn't quite match in color, and why hadn't I thought to use the grosgrain twice, which would have given a more polished look? I was really disappointed. But time was running out. It would have to do.

Unless -- I took my loop turner and pushed it through the waistband of the linen skirt, hoping to catch the elastic with its hook. Instead I poked a hole through the fabric. Done! I ironed the starry skirt and hung it up on a hook to wait for K.

The verdict? "It's weird, Mama."

Could be worse!

Making things to wear

I could not be more excited! I have made two things for K to wear on our trip this weekend to E's graduation from college! First is a smocked sundress from Weekend Sewing, which I made at the largest possible size to accommodate my big girl, but which I may have made too short -- we'll see when she gets home from school -- I was too keyed up not to post these pictures now!

Next is the Lazy Days skirt from oliver + s, which Soulemama pointed to in a post earlier this week. I used the Amy Butler fabric that I bought at the fabric store downtown (it's so great to be able to buy locally!) and some ribbon that I picked up there yesterday when I got the bug to try the pattern. I love it so much, especially the ribbon hem binding, that I'm thinking of making a matching one for myself if only K will agree to it!

So tomorrow we're off to Indiana for the weekend, and I need to be thinking about crafting I can be doing in the car, and things to keep the little one busy. Here's hoping the sun comes out and everyone has a good time!