Showing posts with label completed project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label completed project. Show all posts
Monday, 3 May 2021
A few recent projects
Here are some items I got done in the last year
They are both the same octagonal bag. I made another two, I must check where I put their photos.
A skirt I shortened from a dress WIP that didn't work out:
There are more, I just need to take proper photographs. But I have been busy sewing.
Sunday, 22 March 2020
Before and after... the moths got into my new shawl
Thankfully these before and after pictures tell a nice story. I fixed those holes made by the little blighters. Amazing what a bit more time at home can do.
This is before with all the damaged areas marked by a pink thread:
I'm very glad I was able to get to it so quickly. Within one week.
I only discovered the damage those blasted moths did when I came to block the shawl in the last week.
I thought that the pattern for this was called Vintage.. something. Turns out its name is actually Semco Fairy Knitting Design Number 9, very fetching! Here's the link to the Ravelry page. I seem to remember that the instructions were written out, row by row. I don't usually like those patterns because I find it cumbersome to have to read out what it says. I usually draw in pencil lines to set off the different elements from each other and make it easier to find my place again.
I prefer a good chart. You can see what stitches build on stitches in rows below and you can often tell what the motifs are going to look like. I find them easy to read because I have a very visual approach to things in general.
This has quite a large number of rows so when I started this I decided that it was going to be the project that would keep me entertained for the however many years it would take to get through it if I only picked it up every so often. I had a look: I started this in 2010, so it's been almost ten years.
The actual knit itself did not take years, but I only picked it up here and there. I should have known that the knitting part of this would go relatively fast: I know what I'm like with lace knitting. I get absorbed! I get obsessed with trying to find out what the next row is like. That's what I love about lace knitting: pretty much every row is different from the one below. There's always something a bit different to keep it interesting. It took me a number of months to knit it, but the edge loops took a long time too. I had to rest it often and for a long time in between. My Ravelry notes say that I did the first version of the edge treatment in 2014 and then those loathed crochet loops in 2016. I really drew this one out...
I do like wearing these over-sized doilies as shawls. I fold them in half and sling it over my shoulders. Very nice'n'cosy for the back of my neck that gets painful if cold or in a draft. My shawls are a well-being necessity for me.
This yarn is very gorgeous: soft, scrumptious, with that sort of plumb, satisfying feel to it. The moths must have thought so too. I can't believe they got into the zipped freezer bag that I stored this in as a WIP. I found a small hole where they could have chewed their way out. Who knows how they got in. It was very upsetting when I discovered the damage. I was even considering ripping this down and starting over.
The one thing that stopped from doing that was the hundreds of crochet chain loops that form the edge. I nearly lost the will to live over them. I really hate doing them. They take so very long and are so annoying to do. Again and again the crochet hook will slip out of the loop and I have to carefully spear the thing in the right place to avoid twisting or splitting the yarn. That just invites breaks and is a big no-no.
Still I got there. First hundreds of crochet chains, and then a multitude of moth holes all fixed. I think I did a pretty good job on the fixes. I didn't pull the thread tight enough in a few places so you can still see bigger holes, but I'm not losing sleep over that. Some of the fixes are almost invisible, other places I can still find. Oh well. Mustn't have presumptions of perfection.
This is one area that doesn't look too bad. Just a bit of unevenness left:
PS: The actual colour is a bit more aubergine rather than this violet. Shame that cameras don't always render the colour as the right shade.
I'll make sure to double bag the shawl and I've shaken it very well!
This is before with all the damaged areas marked by a pink thread:
I only discovered the damage those blasted moths did when I came to block the shawl in the last week.
I thought that the pattern for this was called Vintage.. something. Turns out its name is actually Semco Fairy Knitting Design Number 9, very fetching! Here's the link to the Ravelry page. I seem to remember that the instructions were written out, row by row. I don't usually like those patterns because I find it cumbersome to have to read out what it says. I usually draw in pencil lines to set off the different elements from each other and make it easier to find my place again.
I prefer a good chart. You can see what stitches build on stitches in rows below and you can often tell what the motifs are going to look like. I find them easy to read because I have a very visual approach to things in general.
This has quite a large number of rows so when I started this I decided that it was going to be the project that would keep me entertained for the however many years it would take to get through it if I only picked it up every so often. I had a look: I started this in 2010, so it's been almost ten years.
The actual knit itself did not take years, but I only picked it up here and there. I should have known that the knitting part of this would go relatively fast: I know what I'm like with lace knitting. I get absorbed! I get obsessed with trying to find out what the next row is like. That's what I love about lace knitting: pretty much every row is different from the one below. There's always something a bit different to keep it interesting. It took me a number of months to knit it, but the edge loops took a long time too. I had to rest it often and for a long time in between. My Ravelry notes say that I did the first version of the edge treatment in 2014 and then those loathed crochet loops in 2016. I really drew this one out...
I do like wearing these over-sized doilies as shawls. I fold them in half and sling it over my shoulders. Very nice'n'cosy for the back of my neck that gets painful if cold or in a draft. My shawls are a well-being necessity for me.
This yarn is very gorgeous: soft, scrumptious, with that sort of plumb, satisfying feel to it. The moths must have thought so too. I can't believe they got into the zipped freezer bag that I stored this in as a WIP. I found a small hole where they could have chewed their way out. Who knows how they got in. It was very upsetting when I discovered the damage. I was even considering ripping this down and starting over.
The one thing that stopped from doing that was the hundreds of crochet chain loops that form the edge. I nearly lost the will to live over them. I really hate doing them. They take so very long and are so annoying to do. Again and again the crochet hook will slip out of the loop and I have to carefully spear the thing in the right place to avoid twisting or splitting the yarn. That just invites breaks and is a big no-no.
Still I got there. First hundreds of crochet chains, and then a multitude of moth holes all fixed. I think I did a pretty good job on the fixes. I didn't pull the thread tight enough in a few places so you can still see bigger holes, but I'm not losing sleep over that. Some of the fixes are almost invisible, other places I can still find. Oh well. Mustn't have presumptions of perfection.
This is one area that doesn't look too bad. Just a bit of unevenness left:
PS: The actual colour is a bit more aubergine rather than this violet. Shame that cameras don't always render the colour as the right shade.
I'll make sure to double bag the shawl and I've shaken it very well!
Saturday, 31 August 2019
Follow my Arrow shawl
Looks like I never posted about my pretty grey shawl:
This is from the Follow My Arrow 2 pattern by Ysolda Teague. It offers two patterns for each of five sections of this shawl. So there are 25 different ways of knitting this.
I really enjoyed it!
I loved the edging a lot - this is what attracted my attention to this pattern in the first place. That one was a must. I think that the other four sections go realy well with the edging, it was almost like they picked themselves and I just had to listen to what they were telling me: pick me, pick me!
This is from the Follow My Arrow 2 pattern by Ysolda Teague. It offers two patterns for each of five sections of this shawl. So there are 25 different ways of knitting this.
I really enjoyed it!
I loved the edging a lot - this is what attracted my attention to this pattern in the first place. That one was a must. I think that the other four sections go realy well with the edging, it was almost like they picked themselves and I just had to listen to what they were telling me: pick me, pick me!
Sunday, 6 January 2019
Latest projects
How long didn't I blog and how much did I do? Quite a bit.
I don't have photos of everything so just a small selection:
I really enjoyed making these socks, in a leaf pattern - great knit. I gave them away, the colour is a little bit bright even for me.
I seem to be the only person who knitted these socks. The original ones were done by the designer in blue and her theme was Heatwave. I thought my colour fit very well into that!
The only photo of the blue socks was a little blurry, so perhaps people couldn't see how fantastic the pattern is? It looked complicated, so I wanted to knit it.
The pattern is a bit crazy - it gets you to knit two stiches together that feel like they shouldn't. In fact, the stitch pattern isn't at all intuitive, I had to refer back to the pattern all the time. Which doesn't happen very often to me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of knitting these and I am delighted with the result! They look gorgeous and I love wearing them.
I called them Cereza socks after the colour.
I loved making these Rock'n'Roll mittens as well. I enjoy colourwork and don't do it often enough. I changed the pattern on the inside of the mittens and didn't want a skull at the top of the guitar either. I really don't enjoy them as a motif.
The pattern is from the Big Book of knitted mittens.
More to come when I can dig up photos.
I don't have photos of everything so just a small selection:
I really enjoyed making these socks, in a leaf pattern - great knit. I gave them away, the colour is a little bit bright even for me.
I seem to be the only person who knitted these socks. The original ones were done by the designer in blue and her theme was Heatwave. I thought my colour fit very well into that!
The only photo of the blue socks was a little blurry, so perhaps people couldn't see how fantastic the pattern is? It looked complicated, so I wanted to knit it.
The pattern is a bit crazy - it gets you to knit two stiches together that feel like they shouldn't. In fact, the stitch pattern isn't at all intuitive, I had to refer back to the pattern all the time. Which doesn't happen very often to me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of knitting these and I am delighted with the result! They look gorgeous and I love wearing them.
I called them Cereza socks after the colour.
I loved making these Rock'n'Roll mittens as well. I enjoy colourwork and don't do it often enough. I changed the pattern on the inside of the mittens and didn't want a skull at the top of the guitar either. I really don't enjoy them as a motif.
The pattern is from the Big Book of knitted mittens.
More to come when I can dig up photos.
Sunday, 20 May 2018
A pretty addition to my wardrobe
I made a garment bag for my wool skirts!
I suffer from quite a plague of moths in my room and have been able to decimate their population by using the diamond traps with the glue strips. In my experience lavender and cedar wood do not help. The traps cut down on the male moths but can't catch the female ones.
I made this bag out of polycotton, a cut up bed sheet if I remember correctly, that I wanted to use for toile material. So far the moths had not gone for polycotton so I hope that this will continue.
I measured the fabric by laying the wool skirts on their hangers on top of the fabric. I found that I didn't have quite enough width of the pink polycotton fabric so I had to use strips of this lovely patterned quilting cotton. I am really happy that this gives the whole project a great look.
Plus: I've again made a feature out of a bug - that pleases me very much!
I could sew the invisible zip to the cotton strips first which made handling the whole thing easier. I overcast the raw edges after sewing this together. Luckily it was really easy to turn inside out through the zip opening.
I left the sewing threads long and pulled these ends onto the right side with the help of a hand sewing needle. You get great sharp corner with very little effort when you just pull on those threads to pop out the corners. No poking or pushing required!
I re-inforced the central seam above the zip and then only poked a little bit of it open so that the hanger fits through. I am fairly certain that no cheeky moth can crawl through.
To make the garment bag that little bit safer I also included a piece of anti-moth paper - though I am not at all sure that these work. Still, I had some left so why not.
That's two wool skirts that are at least zipped into a bag that moths would have to eat through. I hope they don't.
Sunday, 7 January 2018
Grey lace blob - progress!
So I was knitting this in January last year - I might as well blog about it, finally! Even though it is now way after the fact. Oh well.
I am getting on very well with my grey lace project:
I've got the flower done, but I can't believe how much there is still left to do:
I thought this would be finished when I reached the part that shows just a top right hand corner under the pink Post-it. My first photocopy didn't cover the whole chart, this second copy captures the top.
Once I get to the top of this third row of flowers, then I should be done!
And would you believe it: even though I had a full two skeins of this Fyberspates lace yarn, I still ran out. Gah. The colour name turns out to be nothing like steel, or grey or silver and whatever I had fondly imagined, nope, it is water. 'Water'. Oh. Okay.
I bought the two skeins at Alexandra Palace at least three years ago, probably longer. I couldn't get the same dye lot anywhere. So I had to go with a contrast.
I chose the dark blue colour which is called 'midnight'.
Here is the final project photo:
And it is a really, really big size. Almost too large to wear as a shawl - it's more of a table cloth. Hm. Not much use to me right now but at least I had lots of fun knitting this.
I am getting on very well with my grey lace project:
I thought this would be finished when I reached the part that shows just a top right hand corner under the pink Post-it. My first photocopy didn't cover the whole chart, this second copy captures the top.
Once I get to the top of this third row of flowers, then I should be done!
And would you believe it: even though I had a full two skeins of this Fyberspates lace yarn, I still ran out. Gah. The colour name turns out to be nothing like steel, or grey or silver and whatever I had fondly imagined, nope, it is water. 'Water'. Oh. Okay.
I bought the two skeins at Alexandra Palace at least three years ago, probably longer. I couldn't get the same dye lot anywhere. So I had to go with a contrast.
I chose the dark blue colour which is called 'midnight'.
Here is the final project photo:
And it is a really, really big size. Almost too large to wear as a shawl - it's more of a table cloth. Hm. Not much use to me right now but at least I had lots of fun knitting this.
Monday, 20 March 2017
One red top: modified!
I am so very pleased! I altered a red top that I had for some years and I still love, love, love the colour, but the fit is much too tight over the bust and I got bored with the overall look.
My good friend Tash unwittingly gave me a great design idea. She was going to use a scallop hem tutorial and this made me think about what other shapes you could do.
This top makes a great project to try out my shaped hem idea. If it works then great, but if it doesn't then I can either chop off the hem and straighten it back out, or just let this go.
It worked out well!
This is what I started with:
It was only when I looked that I realised that I already had to do a repair job on the top of the side seams. I hadn't worn this in a while so I didn't recall that there were holes, - and my hand sewing wasn't all that great either:
I machine basted the hem to turn out and press (I pressed to the inside first but realised that this wouldn't work. Lucky escape!). Then I drew the pattern on and started to v-e-r-y slowly stitch it. It wasn't as easy as I expected:
My shape is a bit overly complex. But I like it a lot.
I then turned this inside out and prodded and poked until all the little corners and peaks looked okay. Again not as easy as I blithely assumed: my scissor tip method did end in a couple of frayed tread ends poking through. I ruthlessly cut those off. This isn't a high value item - I just want to enjoy it while it lasts.
Then I edge-stitched this to retain the shape when I wash this next time:
I also ripped the long sleeves out and inserts wedge shaped gussets into the top of the side seams. This way I could make the top big enough to fit at the bust, and it also had the added advantage of getting rid of those pesky holes. Win-win!
I scooped the armholes out a bit to make a pleasing shape. That ended up being a bit of a problem: the armholes probably gaped before but this emphasises it. So I sewed bust darts in, longer ones at first but these looked awful, then shorter ones. I am still not over the moon with this area, but I think top is wearable.
Here it is:
I think this is a successful project that I hope to get lots of wear out of in the summer!
Thank you Tash for the inspiration!
My good friend Tash unwittingly gave me a great design idea. She was going to use a scallop hem tutorial and this made me think about what other shapes you could do.
This top makes a great project to try out my shaped hem idea. If it works then great, but if it doesn't then I can either chop off the hem and straighten it back out, or just let this go.
It worked out well!
This is what I started with:
It was only when I looked that I realised that I already had to do a repair job on the top of the side seams. I hadn't worn this in a while so I didn't recall that there were holes, - and my hand sewing wasn't all that great either:
I machine basted the hem to turn out and press (I pressed to the inside first but realised that this wouldn't work. Lucky escape!). Then I drew the pattern on and started to v-e-r-y slowly stitch it. It wasn't as easy as I expected:
My shape is a bit overly complex. But I like it a lot.
I then turned this inside out and prodded and poked until all the little corners and peaks looked okay. Again not as easy as I blithely assumed: my scissor tip method did end in a couple of frayed tread ends poking through. I ruthlessly cut those off. This isn't a high value item - I just want to enjoy it while it lasts.
Then I edge-stitched this to retain the shape when I wash this next time:
 |
| No idea why this is upside down |
I also ripped the long sleeves out and inserts wedge shaped gussets into the top of the side seams. This way I could make the top big enough to fit at the bust, and it also had the added advantage of getting rid of those pesky holes. Win-win!
I scooped the armholes out a bit to make a pleasing shape. That ended up being a bit of a problem: the armholes probably gaped before but this emphasises it. So I sewed bust darts in, longer ones at first but these looked awful, then shorter ones. I am still not over the moon with this area, but I think top is wearable.
Here it is:
I think this is a successful project that I hope to get lots of wear out of in the summer!
Thank you Tash for the inspiration!
Monday, 6 March 2017
UFOs finally finished
I finished two different UFOs in the last couple of days!
I am utterly delighted.
So I knew I was going to post about these two and only had a look through my blog to check what other completed project I blogged about in the last few months. It seems that I say quite a bit about the process of sewing and ongoing projects, - but not as much about those that I finished?!
How odd is that?
I'll need to go through my completely items and blog about them soon. Or update my blog about what project I got stuck on and why. Plenty of material in both these categories.
So here is my silver grey wrap skirt that took me years to get done.
The problem is that this is only the 8th project since I started sewing again after a long gap. This was a good 5-6 years ago. I am up to 67 projects now, so it really has been a while.
Which is probably the explanation for why I went wrong with this skirt: I thought a nice bright pink lining was a great contrast to this grey fabric, - and I do love the combination. Unfortunatley I chose a satin like material that's much too thick for the fabric weight. I'm not so sure that this will be good to wear.
I am really happy with the shaped ties that I came up with. The whole skirt is self-drafted - the idea was that a wrap skirt would fit me easier even if my weight goes up and down.
This teal coloured Lekala blouse ran into a huge problem. The website made this look like a great standard long-sleeved blouse pattern, - except it was listed under 'stretch' fabrics?
Sorry, what?
It has bust darts, a button front and sleeve plackets and cuffs. All hallmarks of a pattern for woven fabrics and the opposite of what you find in jersey fabric patterns. Really odd.
Then it turns out that the fit would have been perfect if I were to put a zip in instead of buttons - there is no overlap. I solved this by sewing a gape guard behind one of the fronts, attached buttons to this seamline and thread button loops on the edge of the other front. Not ideal though.
Here is the graphic from the Lekala site:
It does look like a great pattern, but the lapels are very, very small. That makes me think that the pattern was incorrectly drawn without the overlap needed. It's easy enough to fix so I might make this again in future. Not in a polycotton though, the sleeves wouldn't go in without puckering.
What I got stuck on was the sleeve plackets that I wanted to put in. They turned out awful. I must made a few mistakes cutting out the placket pieces and then couldn't overcome my revulsion at having to fix it. It just wasn't happening and I'd rather not have this hang around for a few more years. It's been too long and it was too difficult. Plus I had to chop off quite a bit of the length because that looked awful on me too.
So today I chopped off the sleeves and made it into a short-sleeved blouse. It was the quick-fix-solution that I needed. So there. Done.
I might now give it away to a charity shop because I am fed up with the thing.
Here's the better news:
Not a long-time UFO, this is a current sewing project that I am delighted to also have finished (SP64). I also started another skirt, in a reddish-pink heathery wool fabric (SP67), where I only need to deal with the lining then this will be done too.
This isn't as A-line as it looks lying flat. It is much more straight on me when I wear it - funnily enough. I really must get someone to take a photo of me in this.
SP stands for sewing project.
So onwards and everything!
Happy sewing.
I am utterly delighted.
So I knew I was going to post about these two and only had a look through my blog to check what other completed project I blogged about in the last few months. It seems that I say quite a bit about the process of sewing and ongoing projects, - but not as much about those that I finished?!
How odd is that?
I'll need to go through my completely items and blog about them soon. Or update my blog about what project I got stuck on and why. Plenty of material in both these categories.
So here is my silver grey wrap skirt that took me years to get done.
The problem is that this is only the 8th project since I started sewing again after a long gap. This was a good 5-6 years ago. I am up to 67 projects now, so it really has been a while.
Which is probably the explanation for why I went wrong with this skirt: I thought a nice bright pink lining was a great contrast to this grey fabric, - and I do love the combination. Unfortunatley I chose a satin like material that's much too thick for the fabric weight. I'm not so sure that this will be good to wear.
I am really happy with the shaped ties that I came up with. The whole skirt is self-drafted - the idea was that a wrap skirt would fit me easier even if my weight goes up and down.
This teal coloured Lekala blouse ran into a huge problem. The website made this look like a great standard long-sleeved blouse pattern, - except it was listed under 'stretch' fabrics?
Sorry, what?
It has bust darts, a button front and sleeve plackets and cuffs. All hallmarks of a pattern for woven fabrics and the opposite of what you find in jersey fabric patterns. Really odd.
Then it turns out that the fit would have been perfect if I were to put a zip in instead of buttons - there is no overlap. I solved this by sewing a gape guard behind one of the fronts, attached buttons to this seamline and thread button loops on the edge of the other front. Not ideal though.
Here is the graphic from the Lekala site:
What I got stuck on was the sleeve plackets that I wanted to put in. They turned out awful. I must made a few mistakes cutting out the placket pieces and then couldn't overcome my revulsion at having to fix it. It just wasn't happening and I'd rather not have this hang around for a few more years. It's been too long and it was too difficult. Plus I had to chop off quite a bit of the length because that looked awful on me too.
So today I chopped off the sleeves and made it into a short-sleeved blouse. It was the quick-fix-solution that I needed. So there. Done.
I might now give it away to a charity shop because I am fed up with the thing.
Here's the better news:
Not a long-time UFO, this is a current sewing project that I am delighted to also have finished (SP64). I also started another skirt, in a reddish-pink heathery wool fabric (SP67), where I only need to deal with the lining then this will be done too.
This isn't as A-line as it looks lying flat. It is much more straight on me when I wear it - funnily enough. I really must get someone to take a photo of me in this.
SP stands for sewing project.
So onwards and everything!
Happy sewing.
Thursday, 2 February 2017
A pretty crochet border
...or how good it feels to complete a long-time UFO. Damn good!
I started this project, a nice, cool summer top, so many years ago that I don't remember when. Judging from intervening house moves it was at least three years ago, but could be longer.
It is finished!!! Ta-da!
I am so pleased. The feeling of satisfaction at completing something that was cluttering up my space: it is a priceless, unbeatable feeling. To no longer come across it and having to think: "Oh yeah, I need to finish that at some point, soon, whenver...". Such a relief!
I do have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy too many unfinished projects hanging around like a bad smell. Triggering uncomfortable, opppressive vibes.
I want to no longer contribute to even more of them. It has to stop: either complete it, throw it out or do something (whatever it is) with it. Give to friends, to a charity shop, rip it back down if it's knitted, throw it in a clothes collection bin for making blankets out of or whatever they do...
I don't intend on exposing myself to the disheartening pressure of wanting to go through everything I have lying around and get this fixed right this minute, if not yesterday - I will take my time over it. I am able to do this on a gradual basis, I don't have to stress myself out. I will look at a few projects at a time, both knitting and sewing or quilting projects, and decide on which one 'grabs' me the most. I like using spontaneous urges that have me pick up one specific thing - it usually means that I successfully deal with it.
As I mentioned, my sewing group is having a two-part sewalong on looking over UFOs, one was in January, the next one Part 2 is in March. This proved extremely beneficial: I got the urge to look at just this or that UFO, and had started to do a little sewing here and there too.
Then I came across some of my knit UFO projects that are too numerous to mention - this is just the first one I was able to do something with. I had absolutely no idea how I was going to deal with a gaping big neckline, the thought of knit ribbing was a bit offputting.
Seeing how pretty this crochet border looks, I am extremely glad that I looked for something else. I do save a lot of photos I find inspiring. One of them was of a page in a Japanese book, an edging there inspired the top half of my border. I improvised the other part at the bottom:
I put down a foundation row of double crochet stitches.
I was able to go 'around' the corners by not crocheting into every stitch. The top part of the pattern then also missed out a stitch here and there to make it lie flat.
Same at the back. You can also see that my "seam line" between sleeve and body looks a little odd. I used the seamless method* by decreasing at this point in every second row. The kink in the line comes from switching from decreasing in the body area to decreasing at the sleevehead.
This method is probably a bit better for fibres that are smoother and will pull into place a bit better than this cotton yarn.
I made the ribbing in a K2 P1 pattern.
This photo shows the problem of the neckline very well: not only is it too big, the fabric also rolls in as well as out in several places. This would have never looked good or felt comfortable if left like this - I was really unsure what to do with it for a long time.
I can also see now that I could have decreased between sleeve and body a little more further down. You live and you learn!
Overall I am content but not ecstatic with how the top looks on me. I am utterly delighted in an over-the-moon way that I finished it!
Yay me.
Now where is that other WIP where I need to do my magic with the squashed sleeveheads? Lemme at it!
PS: The seamless sweater method* has been explained by Elizabeth Zimmermann in at least one of her books, and also by Tuulia who developed a pattern that you can buy.
I started this project, a nice, cool summer top, so many years ago that I don't remember when. Judging from intervening house moves it was at least three years ago, but could be longer.
It is finished!!! Ta-da!
I am so pleased. The feeling of satisfaction at completing something that was cluttering up my space: it is a priceless, unbeatable feeling. To no longer come across it and having to think: "Oh yeah, I need to finish that at some point, soon, whenver...". Such a relief!
I do have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy too many unfinished projects hanging around like a bad smell. Triggering uncomfortable, opppressive vibes.
I want to no longer contribute to even more of them. It has to stop: either complete it, throw it out or do something (whatever it is) with it. Give to friends, to a charity shop, rip it back down if it's knitted, throw it in a clothes collection bin for making blankets out of or whatever they do...
I don't intend on exposing myself to the disheartening pressure of wanting to go through everything I have lying around and get this fixed right this minute, if not yesterday - I will take my time over it. I am able to do this on a gradual basis, I don't have to stress myself out. I will look at a few projects at a time, both knitting and sewing or quilting projects, and decide on which one 'grabs' me the most. I like using spontaneous urges that have me pick up one specific thing - it usually means that I successfully deal with it.
As I mentioned, my sewing group is having a two-part sewalong on looking over UFOs, one was in January, the next one Part 2 is in March. This proved extremely beneficial: I got the urge to look at just this or that UFO, and had started to do a little sewing here and there too.
Then I came across some of my knit UFO projects that are too numerous to mention - this is just the first one I was able to do something with. I had absolutely no idea how I was going to deal with a gaping big neckline, the thought of knit ribbing was a bit offputting.
Seeing how pretty this crochet border looks, I am extremely glad that I looked for something else. I do save a lot of photos I find inspiring. One of them was of a page in a Japanese book, an edging there inspired the top half of my border. I improvised the other part at the bottom:
I put down a foundation row of double crochet stitches.
I was able to go 'around' the corners by not crocheting into every stitch. The top part of the pattern then also missed out a stitch here and there to make it lie flat.
Same at the back. You can also see that my "seam line" between sleeve and body looks a little odd. I used the seamless method* by decreasing at this point in every second row. The kink in the line comes from switching from decreasing in the body area to decreasing at the sleevehead.
This method is probably a bit better for fibres that are smoother and will pull into place a bit better than this cotton yarn.
I made the ribbing in a K2 P1 pattern.
This photo shows the problem of the neckline very well: not only is it too big, the fabric also rolls in as well as out in several places. This would have never looked good or felt comfortable if left like this - I was really unsure what to do with it for a long time.
I can also see now that I could have decreased between sleeve and body a little more further down. You live and you learn!
Overall I am content but not ecstatic with how the top looks on me. I am utterly delighted in an over-the-moon way that I finished it!
Yay me.
Now where is that other WIP where I need to do my magic with the squashed sleeveheads? Lemme at it!
PS: The seamless sweater method* has been explained by Elizabeth Zimmermann in at least one of her books, and also by Tuulia who developed a pattern that you can buy.
Thursday, 8 December 2016
Simplicity 8523 changed to bias cut
This was a very interesting learning exercise: you can change a simple top from a straight fabric grain line (as intended by the pattern company) to one cut out on the bias.
It actually works!
I happened to come across an intriguing YouTube video (by Kair Bjordahl at National Sewing Circle) that discussed this, and even suggested Simplicity 8523 as an example. Which reminded me that I own this pattern and could go and have a look.
I did, I found it, and I had a go! Nothing better than taking advantage of the sudden urge to sew. You have to go with the momentum of your sewing mojo. It would be criminal not to.
I did a full bust adjustment so it's interesting that the bias cut fabric does drag a bit at the bust. I reckon I used the wrong fabric: a polycotton that's a bit thicker than the usual thin polycottons. I also didn't prewash the fabric so I have yet to see how the top looks after the first wash.
There is also a whole lot of bunching going on at the front of the upper arms: there are drag lines towards the apex. I often get this with pretty much everything I wear: whether shop bought or made myself. I have a feeling that I need a second dart.
I also want to see what difference another type of fabric makes.
I often have problems sewing the sleeves in. I managed a bit of puckering on the sleeve on the right.
Modern fabrics are not truly evenly woven so warp and weft behave slightly differently. That's the reason why a bias-cut garment will not hang and drape completely symetrically. You can see this in the photo above.
Because of this bias-cut patterns often suggest a centre front and back seam, but you use up lots more fabric that way because the two pieces need to be laid so they form a V or chevron shape. That produces lots of fabric remnants in awkward shapes. You might be able to use them in applique or for patchwork.
I may also have cut the sleeve from the lower fabric layer at not quite the correct 45 degree angle. I have a feeling it may have shifted a bit. I really need to watch this more closely next time. I lenghtened them by an inch to avoid that chicken wing look that I hate, but now realise that I could have gone with the original length.
I also had to adjust the point of the V-neck a little bit, it looked off by around 7-8 millimeter or so (just under a centimeter). That was no problem because the pattern's V-neck was a little high and I wanted this to be lower.
The back doesn't look too bad but it is also slightly asymetrical. I may want to cinch in the waist a touch more. I graded this out to a bigger size according to my measurements but think I overdid it a bit.
This was supposed to be a muslin to try this out and I will probably not wear it a lot because of the colour. I bought the fabric online with the intention of using it for patchwork but the colour is lots lighter than I expected.
This top is quite comfortbale despite the issues I described, so who knows.
I did not expect this pattern to fit me without adjustments but I had hoped it would be closer to a better fit. I knew that I might need a swayback adjustment but didn't want to bother at this stage. It was an extremely useful learning exercise and I am pleased this fits as well as it does, even though that fit is not great.
Next time I want to use my own body block pattern to try another bias-cut top. In another fabric, hopefully something more drapey (it depends on my fabric stash: I have to use up what I've got as much as I can). And slightly shorter sleeves than these.
I will report my findings!
It actually works!
I happened to come across an intriguing YouTube video (by Kair Bjordahl at National Sewing Circle) that discussed this, and even suggested Simplicity 8523 as an example. Which reminded me that I own this pattern and could go and have a look.
I did, I found it, and I had a go! Nothing better than taking advantage of the sudden urge to sew. You have to go with the momentum of your sewing mojo. It would be criminal not to.
I did a full bust adjustment so it's interesting that the bias cut fabric does drag a bit at the bust. I reckon I used the wrong fabric: a polycotton that's a bit thicker than the usual thin polycottons. I also didn't prewash the fabric so I have yet to see how the top looks after the first wash.
There is also a whole lot of bunching going on at the front of the upper arms: there are drag lines towards the apex. I often get this with pretty much everything I wear: whether shop bought or made myself. I have a feeling that I need a second dart.
I also want to see what difference another type of fabric makes.
Modern fabrics are not truly evenly woven so warp and weft behave slightly differently. That's the reason why a bias-cut garment will not hang and drape completely symetrically. You can see this in the photo above.
Because of this bias-cut patterns often suggest a centre front and back seam, but you use up lots more fabric that way because the two pieces need to be laid so they form a V or chevron shape. That produces lots of fabric remnants in awkward shapes. You might be able to use them in applique or for patchwork.
I may also have cut the sleeve from the lower fabric layer at not quite the correct 45 degree angle. I have a feeling it may have shifted a bit. I really need to watch this more closely next time. I lenghtened them by an inch to avoid that chicken wing look that I hate, but now realise that I could have gone with the original length.
I also had to adjust the point of the V-neck a little bit, it looked off by around 7-8 millimeter or so (just under a centimeter). That was no problem because the pattern's V-neck was a little high and I wanted this to be lower.
The back doesn't look too bad but it is also slightly asymetrical. I may want to cinch in the waist a touch more. I graded this out to a bigger size according to my measurements but think I overdid it a bit.
 |
| Oops, all bunched up |
This was supposed to be a muslin to try this out and I will probably not wear it a lot because of the colour. I bought the fabric online with the intention of using it for patchwork but the colour is lots lighter than I expected.
This top is quite comfortbale despite the issues I described, so who knows.
I did not expect this pattern to fit me without adjustments but I had hoped it would be closer to a better fit. I knew that I might need a swayback adjustment but didn't want to bother at this stage. It was an extremely useful learning exercise and I am pleased this fits as well as it does, even though that fit is not great.
Next time I want to use my own body block pattern to try another bias-cut top. In another fabric, hopefully something more drapey (it depends on my fabric stash: I have to use up what I've got as much as I can). And slightly shorter sleeves than these.
I will report my findings!
Friday, 8 July 2016
A quick project: one shoe bag assembled!
I can't believe how quick this came together, I am really pleased.
I read a Facebook post by a friend on a bag with drawstring top she made recently, and bemoaned the fact that I intended to make a bag for a pair of suede shoes I don't wear often (to prevent them getting dusty) and that I just hadn't "gotten around to it" yet, which set off alarm bells: I do that all the time, plan something so that I can firmly see it in front of my inner eye, and that seems to satisfy my creative urges: imagining things.
That's not good enough. So I thought I'd have a quick look in my mahooassive stash, and promptly found this pretty crafts fabric that I bought to make a knitting needle container (one day). So I'd rather use this now and look for another fabric that I like better for all my knitting needles. The thing is that I really love all those cute square motifs but I so beyond not fond of the green of the background colour, that I just couldn't face using this. Which was the problem.
I now realise that the fabric motifs would be great cut out and then sewn onto other fabrics so I am sure that the remainder of this fabric will serve me well. There is nothing better then getting stuck into a project because it will tell you something you didn't know before. And no amount of imagining can replace the actual doing and achieving. I ought to hang that on the wall! As a motto.
Back to the project at hand before I get even more excited about the potential of this fabric:
I put the pair of shoes onto the fabric in a position that I thought they would naturally fall into when in the finished bag. Then I measured across and up and down to make sure the piece would be large enough.
Then I sewed this into a tube, flatted that so the seam would sit at the back centre and sewed across the bottom. Then I overlocked those exposed seams. I folded the top raw edge under twice, pressed and then made the one error of the project (mistakes are great for learning, I can recommend that) - I sewed a buttonhole through all the layers of the tunnel - which of course means that I can't feed a string through the button hole opening into the tunnel: the buttonhole edges are keeping it closed. Duh.
I helped myself by threading a needle with the length of embroidery thread (for the string) and poked that through the button hole sides. Which makes the button hole completely redundant, but hey. Let's not be pernickety.
One shoe bag done and dusted. So to speak.
I might make more for other shoes, but just using a motif or two on different colour fabrics. It'll make a nice set without being too samey. I'm happy!
Saturday, 25 June 2016
I've done a sewing bee!
Well I did. I made this skirt in a Sunday morning - and to be honest I'm not quite sure how I managed to finish it within a relatively short amount of time.
I am always amazed at the short time available to the candidates on the Great British Sewing Bee and that most of them rise to the challenge - it would take me at least three times as long. I really don't understand how you can anything in a few hours.
But this time I actually started: picked the fabric, adapted a skirt pattern that fits me by making it the length I wanted, cut out, sewed together, inserted the zip (not necessarily in that order) and did the other bits: hemming, putting a facing in.
And it came together really well!
I thought I might have to cut out the pieces while overlocking them but the fabric turned out not to fray much like the crazy fraying fabric that I used for another, slightly longer skirt. It went well.
The only thing that didn't go so well is that even though I stuck a pin in the length of the skirt back panel to one side of the centre vent, checked it twice to make sure the other side would be the same length... I still managed to get them different lengths. By a few millimeters so it's quite a bit off.
Not really sure how that happened.
I also need to let out the hem towards the side seam, it's just a bit crooked, which is again rather strange, but because I can do these things at the next sewing meeting I'll leave them until then.
Apart from that it's finished. And yes, it's not lined which definitely accounts for the fact that I got this done in a morning. With lining, all bets would have been off!
What helped was that I knew the order I wanted to sew this in, and that this order suits me. I knew what needed doing and didn't have to figure things out in the middle - but the one thing that helped me the most: I didn't stop.
Which sounds obvious but it isn't to me - I often stop right in the middle because I have to figure out a complicated bit, or I feel that my focus and concentration have taken a break, so I stop to not mess up. I reckon that's a good thing but I could be getting back to it quicker than I do.
Let's take now: I got quite far with a long silver boucle skirt and could be sewing the lining hem, but I set it aside and I'm typing this instead. That's my problem: I always find something else to do that's also worthwhile.
Oh well...
I am always amazed at the short time available to the candidates on the Great British Sewing Bee and that most of them rise to the challenge - it would take me at least three times as long. I really don't understand how you can anything in a few hours.
 |
| The back needs to be a touch longer when I make another one like this |
But this time I actually started: picked the fabric, adapted a skirt pattern that fits me by making it the length I wanted, cut out, sewed together, inserted the zip (not necessarily in that order) and did the other bits: hemming, putting a facing in.
And it came together really well!
I thought I might have to cut out the pieces while overlocking them but the fabric turned out not to fray much like the crazy fraying fabric that I used for another, slightly longer skirt. It went well.
The only thing that didn't go so well is that even though I stuck a pin in the length of the skirt back panel to one side of the centre vent, checked it twice to make sure the other side would be the same length... I still managed to get them different lengths. By a few millimeters so it's quite a bit off.
Not really sure how that happened.
I also need to let out the hem towards the side seam, it's just a bit crooked, which is again rather strange, but because I can do these things at the next sewing meeting I'll leave them until then.
Apart from that it's finished. And yes, it's not lined which definitely accounts for the fact that I got this done in a morning. With lining, all bets would have been off!
What helped was that I knew the order I wanted to sew this in, and that this order suits me. I knew what needed doing and didn't have to figure things out in the middle - but the one thing that helped me the most: I didn't stop.
Which sounds obvious but it isn't to me - I often stop right in the middle because I have to figure out a complicated bit, or I feel that my focus and concentration have taken a break, so I stop to not mess up. I reckon that's a good thing but I could be getting back to it quicker than I do.
Let's take now: I got quite far with a long silver boucle skirt and could be sewing the lining hem, but I set it aside and I'm typing this instead. That's my problem: I always find something else to do that's also worthwhile.
Oh well...
Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Too big
I was complaining about how my Lucca shawl keeps coming out way too small, and I mean wayyyyy too small? Here's the opposite problem:
I made another curtain, gah! All that work and I can't really do anything with the finished item?
This was meant to be a shawl that's up to 100cm across. Instead it's a good 150cm diameter!
I can't wear that!?
I made another curtain, gah! All that work and I can't really do anything with the finished item?
This was meant to be a shawl that's up to 100cm across. Instead it's a good 150cm diameter!
I can't wear that!?
Just look at my tippy-toes at the bottom edge of the photo, for size comparison (okay, you don't see much of my foot, you'll have to imagine it - each foam tile is about 50cm across). I could have easily stretched this to even bigger, my constraint was the foam tiles. The area where the middle flowers are is a bit dense - I could have pulled this further on the outside points.
It is a pretty pattern though, I got lots of enjoyment out of knitting this. Except when I ran out of yarn. And that should have tipped me off about just how big this was going to get: I had two massive Fyberspates Scrumptous lace yarn skeins and got too close to running out - I used the dark blue yarn (also Fyberspates lace, this colour is called Midnight, my main light grey colour is called Water).
I wanted to switch to the contrast colour at a point in the pattern where it wouldn't look too horrible - this seemed as good a place as any.
I was glad to use up a stash yarn that I've had a number of years, so long in fact that I couldn't get more in the same dye lot and had to buy yet more in this dark blue. So I am left with the rest of that.
I was thinking that it might be nice to make a shawl like this in a few colours: different colorus for the centre and for portions of the outside. Not in stripes or rings of the same width, perhaps one ring that's just an inch or so if it's a good spot between two other portions of the pattern? It could look really good.
But that means that I would have to buy even more! Yikes.
But I like the idea of a shawl in different colours: I would love to use this dark blue, a light pink, a small area in white and then some other colour for the rest. I even saw a Niebling pattern that would be suitable.
But let's be honest: should I be buying yet more yarn? I mean really?
The answer to that has to be no.
But I am still tempted now that I had the idea!
It's being able to see the finished product in front of my inner eyes, that's the problem. I see something I like and I want it.
Thursday, 4 June 2015
Turquoise jumper
I completely forgot to post this draft, oops! I finished this jumper a few months back. I just want to stitch down some excess fabric at the front of the neck, to stop it pushing forward. But then it'll be completely done. I wonder if that's what stopped me from posting this?
Well, here goes for now:
I am so very happy, relieved and delighted: I finally got my turquoise jumper done! Yes, actually finished. After I had marked it complete already on Ravelry, and then decided that the rolling down funnel neck looked a bit like the tightly rolled lip of a balloon, the bit that you blow into if you know what I mean? It looked exceedingly odd around the base of my neck - as if it was trying to squeeze my head out of the jumper. Not a good look any way you consider it. At all.
I went from this - i.e. just having to knit a bit of a facing down from the cast-off stitches:
To this - the finished product:
...in 18 months! What the hell took me so long? I just don't get it.
I mean, look at it, it was almost completed, finished, done:
I had to go back a bit further than I realised because the neck opening was too tight to get the jumper over my head. Such a common mistake, a bit of a rookie mistake to make. Just goes to show. So I picked up lots of stitches every here and there - and if I remember correctly, I also opened the shoulder seams a bit and picked up stitches in that area too.
It worked well.
It is just that the front of the jumper at the top, in front of the neck, - it's a bit loose sitting and baggy. The Alpaca yarn is quite springy and holds the shape more than merino would. The eyelet funnel pattern is just a bit too stiff to relax into a better fit. I'll have to look at that and see if I want to make some post-completion change there. I'll see.
Well, here goes for now:
I am so very happy, relieved and delighted: I finally got my turquoise jumper done! Yes, actually finished. After I had marked it complete already on Ravelry, and then decided that the rolling down funnel neck looked a bit like the tightly rolled lip of a balloon, the bit that you blow into if you know what I mean? It looked exceedingly odd around the base of my neck - as if it was trying to squeeze my head out of the jumper. Not a good look any way you consider it. At all.
I went from this - i.e. just having to knit a bit of a facing down from the cast-off stitches:
To this - the finished product:
...in 18 months! What the hell took me so long? I just don't get it.
I mean, look at it, it was almost completed, finished, done:
 |
| An almost completed jumper - in limbo for about 18 months, or so |
It worked well.
It is just that the front of the jumper at the top, in front of the neck, - it's a bit loose sitting and baggy. The Alpaca yarn is quite springy and holds the shape more than merino would. The eyelet funnel pattern is just a bit too stiff to relax into a better fit. I'll have to look at that and see if I want to make some post-completion change there. I'll see.
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