Humming along thinking she’d be ready for presentation at our guild Zoom, we ran into a wall of French knots. How could I have forgotten about a hundred French knots? Well, we pushed through only to miss our meeting, but still she’s ready for a bath to remove a decade’s worth of dirt.
The day began with a Colette Myrtle and a Mouse House Creations Julia paired with rtw socks and Kwik Sew 3881. After being out and about I switched to a Cashmerette Turner, Kwik Sew 3881 and the pair of socks I finished this week. This was followed up by a comfy day in Autumn Sky my much loved (and abused) Washi Maxi and another pair of hand knit socks. Not one of these outfits was photographed. Now for the sake of your sanity I’m going to quit telling you that my underwear are all handmade from the same pattern.
Another day of yarn and supervising. Asked O to snap a quick pick of me while they were on a zoom campaign as I forgot my phone when we had a morning walk. Overall my wardrobe choices have been “Why the fuck is it still snowing?”, “Is this comfortable enough?” and “I do so love pockets.”
As for my pledge progress. I’ve finished a pair of knit socks and have backing torn for O’s quilt. Maybe I’ll quilt a few sandwiches (I’m quilting block by block.) over the weekend. My push to make it is currently feeling like, “Sewing up those other two Astorias would be nice…” or “Hey, that waffle knit cowl-necked Turner would be cozy…but first the quilt.” The next time my husband asks me if anything needs to be done before doing his one task for the day, I really need to tell him the house needs to be cleaned. Then I can bake some bread and head up to sew while its in the oven. I mean, if there is a day the kids don’t need me to sit right next to them.
All-in-all life is good. The next in a long line of rainbow socks is halfway knit. Out of a bin of sock yarn, I reach in to grab what’s on top and how is it yet another rainbow skein. Perhaps the kids rearranged the bag with their favorites going back in last?
Part 2: Since no pictures were taken to accompany the above and life has continued to be busy and not photo producing. I’ll just fill in a bit here. I’ve warn my floral Colette Myrtle Maxi dress with the black Julia Cardigan (again), Autumn Sky, Charlotte Turner and Myrtle Muslin (again) and my purple sparkle Astoria, which I never posted.
Today, it is my Dinos Turner (possibly also unblogged). My I’ve an after thought heel to add to sock one, but the toe of sock two was just set aside so I could do this update. As for the other part of my pledge. O’s Quilt now has 11 out of 16 blocks quilted and the other 5 are set for the machine. That leaves just the panel section to do. It did take my spending the hours between 2 and 5 this morning in my sewing room, but now it can progress in bits as time permits.
Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Wow! It’s nice to get dressed. It helps that I’ve had both free time to spend on hobbies and things to tack my days down on the calendar. I finished one knitting and one embroidery project.
Two ‘uniform’ days with Cashmerette Turner, Seamwork Astoria, Kwik Sew 3881, My First Toe Up Sock by Susan Anderson. Sandwiched between them was one of my favorite Washi dresses (Made By Rae), which fits again since I’ve put back on all of the weight I lost. Nightlife was paired the same as the Turners, but with the temperature jumping 30 degrees, I skipped the Astoria.
Admittedly, some of my enthusiasm came from being able to pull out warm weather dresses as we had our first two spring days. I’m even thinking of sewing some a few to add to the summer wardrobe.
Once again it is time for Me-Made-May. Thank you again to our wonderful host Zoe, over on So Zo…What do you know?
I promise to get dressed.
Most of my wardrobe is me made these days. Handknit socks, me made underwear and a me made dress topped with a me made sweater or sweatshirt make up my uniform.
In the normal order of things, I would have made a couple of new dresses, challenged myself to finally make a bra, filled in a few wardrobe holes, tank tops maybe, and finished a summer nightgown. I would be psyching myself up to make a new swimsuit. Since January, I’ve made two dresses for my MIL and a hoodie for O. I also, made a hacked Adrienne dress (Friday Pattern Company), not to be confused with the Adrienne Dress Pattern and finally remade my Adrienne dress top in quilted double knit which had been ruined in the laundry.
Current events upended the queue and the “neat” piles of fabric that go with it. I’m finishing a quilt that got set aside years ago. My Me Made May goal is to clear the WIPs in my sewing room. Giving myself a clean slate to accompany what will definitely be a reprioritized queue. Since a nightgown, 2 quilts and several ornaments are waiting to be finished I’m already feeling ambitious. Organizing the room is a stretch goal, which will be made much easier by clearing the detritus.
To sum it up:
‘I, Logan of https://loganstitches.wordpress.com/, pledge to get dressed (which always involves me-mades) and to work on finishing the WIPs in my sewing room to give myself a clean slate to go with my soon to be revised sewing queue, throughout May 2020’.
If you are feeling up to it and need a reason, other than your children’s zoom classes, to get dressed join in. Be well and be safe.
Scrolling through IG and finding yet another design for the wishlist keeps me going when I’m tired of backstitching or couching endlessly. The next several projects are already determined, but if I keep stitching they’ll go quickly. I may not be able to stitch the latest shiny to catch my eye, but often enough something else by the designer awaits my attention already.
This one is down to metallics and beads. I can’t wait to trade it for the projects left at the framer. I wonder if he’ll be overwhelmed with work when we all come out of hiding. I intend to try.
Obligatory current event paragraph here. (Yah, let’s just pretend that happened.)
What hobby, skill or long lost pastime have you picked up recently? I’ve been addressing long lost WIPs, but I’m about to start a class (EGA lighting round) with Marion Scoular on blackwork.
I’m going to pause briefly for a fangirl moment.
She even traced the design onto the fabric herself and when I saw that, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to wash it, ever. Blackwork isn’t new to me. My journey with it began about a dozen years ago, when fellow stitchers in my chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild pressed a UFO upon me. Marion Scoular‘s instructional books led be into the land beyond crossstitch. That first project still hangs on my bedroom wall.
A few years ago, a chapter (EGA) auction featured another blackwork UFO. This was a cinderella scene. I am a sucker for fairytales (If you are too, try Seanan McGuire’s Indexing). There was fierce competition and it went to another stitcher who had taken the blackwork class with scholar when she taught at the chapter just a year before I joined.
Keep an eye out here for blackwork coming just as soon as I finish the back stitching on my Woodland Enchantress.
Brotchen still haven’t happened as office and school closures have us all at home and my husband seems to have decided to revive and perfect his sourdough skills. Now if he’d just work on his cooking (He’s pretty good, but he’s slow.) to do a few more meals and let me make the brotchen that have been on my list since our December trip to Germany . Apparently bread making is on-trend these days. I wonder if one of the major cultural shifts will be more homemade bread in the future and the demand for tastier bakery breads?
While I’m not making brotchen, I have been working on revisiting old projects. My Woodland Enchantress is heading into the finishing stretch. I’ve plied some yarn and a basket of crocheted rounds have been frogged in favor of simple single crochet rectangles to recreate an afghan A loves in a larger size. 18 blocks down and at least as many to go. Soon I’ll have reclaimed a cubby in the shelf next to my favorite chair. I’ve finished my 4th pair of socks for this year again simple socks with no frills. A bit longer in the cuff this time with a short row heel. The longer cuff inspired by the cuff of the Smocked Guernsey Sock from the Craftsy 2016 sock KAL is a keeper, but the heel seems to give me too many holes along the side that need to be stitched up after.
Speaking of the Smocked Guernsey Sock, turns out I just don’t like it due to its lack of stretch. Now, I’m doing a toe-up sock imitating the design of TinCanKnits RyeLight Pattern for the top of the sock. The yarn and pattern seem to be a match. Luckily the unsightly color pooling has been on the bottom of the sock thus far. Sock happiness levels are thus much higher than for the previous incarnation.
Setting the two socks next to each other offers an nice texture sampler for this yarn. The Guernsey sock has 2×2 ribbing, smocking, a heel variation that features knit on the outside, but with every other purl stitch on purl rows having been slipped it has a slight ribbed texture. The new sock features knit and garter sections. Each section of stitching is lovely, but I’m a practical girl who loves dresses with pockets and socks that stretch.
Stay well, stay home and happy crafting.
The Craftsy 2016 sock knit along seemed to offer a perfect jumping off point for learning more about sock knitting and trying different sock knitting techniques. Besides the Smocked Guernsey Socks are such a goes with anything gorgeous neutral. No guessing about if the yarn is correct with the kit should insure a high probability of success.
Should.
But it really doesn’t seem to. Having measured and found that I was spot on for a size 1 I did the unthinkable and knit a gauge swatch. Things are going well. A nice cuff with an interesting technique and on down onto the time consuming, but not unpleasant smocking on the leg. Being a toe-up sock knitter I thought. Try it on before it goes farther.
Trouble.
It’s too small. Well, that should be easy enough. I’d wondered about being fitted to the smallest size anyway. I went up two sizes to where algebra told me I would get my usually number of stitches after the decrease from 2×3 rib to a 2×2 rib. Repeat and test again.
Steady going. Things look good now. Just before the heel flap, the sock slides on nicely. PIA heel flap to reinforce an area where my socks have not historically worn out. It’s a learning experience. Not hard just dense and time consuming. Really time consuming.
Flap completed, heel turned and sock largely gusseted, I test it again. Well I try. Then I haul on it with great force to get it over my heel. Maximum force and a little pulling down from below (impossible with a finished sock) and it is on. Are my feet that differently sized and I tried it on the other foot? No. Maybe my feet are swollen? Try again in the morning. Same issue.
In between, I did check ravelry where many comments said the pattern led to loose baggy socks, or occasionally too tight socks. A number of people love the socks. What I did notice about these socks is that the distribution of reviews was far more varied. This isn’t uncommon for difficulty, which depends on one’s experience, but just a general rating like that is. Had I explored that previously I might have been warned.
Having looked over the pattern and determined that I’ve completed all of the parts that would be new to me, it’s frogging time. Lucy Neatby’s Windowpane socks have a similar mixed review, while her much simpler and less enticing Serpentine Socks have uniformly good reviews. So much for my heel and toe sampler.
2019 was big and small. Much of my energy was refocused on doing family things and learning skills I’d long sought. My blog caught the brunt of this as regular posts, just haven’t been a priority. Even reading blogs was cut way back.
Instead, I learned to weave having now made 6 placemats and a table runner. learned to knit socks on the loom and then using the magic loop. My serger finally came out of it’s box and found a place on the sewing table. Twin needles are now old hat. I did more pattern drafting and hacking. These were all really good things that make me feel strong, capable and proud.
I completely failed my makenine and felt good about it as I did. It was completely wrong for me. My make nine should have been new skills and new patterns. I met the goals I truly had. This year I won’t be doing a make nine. Excel has a spread sheet of my project goals/plans that is updated each season. It keeps all of my old dreams, while allowing me to reprioritize and to follow sudden inspiration.
What do I want to do this year. I want to relax; to find time and space. Now that both kids are in school. Clean out needs to be a priority for me. We have at least 3 pack rats and it’s more than one individual can keep up with, so it will take a very determined push to get it into a manageable state. In order for that to happen, other projects need to take a back seat. They can be my rewards to myself for accomplishing the things that will make my life better. While I’m doing my cleaning out and organizing thing I will also be thinking about what craft skills I want to work on, more self care and my wardrobe goals.
This has been my first year of moving forward. Between small children and chronic illness life was overwhelming for a while. Adjusting to the later took a lot of time and energy and is still a work in progress, but things are pretty well balanced now and it’s time to prioritize and dream; to decide how to plant our garden, what our dreams are, what to trim away and what to nourish.
No big commitments for January. A few loose goals:
Enjoy What I Have
Learn Something New
Knit Socks
Finish Things
Self Care
Clean Out
2020 Shall be the Year of the Treasure Hunt
I shall seek nine treasures in my home and my life as a maker. Whether they be a pair of hand knit socks or finishing a quilt, I will cherish what I have by using it. I will find the projects kitted long ago and turn them into things of beauty. I will wear clothes that are comfortably me. I look forward to finding out what they will be.
Photo Top: Kool-aid Snow dyed Clun forest roving, a project with the kids
It is a strong year so far for crafting. With my foot heeling up well enough for at least some wheel spinning allowing me to ply two previously spun fibers. These are now waiting for their baths. They pile of spun,but unplied stretches back years now and it feels good to see these move into stash.
My rainbow socks for A were finished and my first pair of traditionally knit socks for me have just come off the needles. The remaining rainbow yarn will be my second pair of socks for me, giving the three of us matching socks.
Darlene O’Steen’s Proper Stitch is the first embroidery finish for the year. It had been waiting since last spring for me to finish the open work, lace stitches and goldwork. This really only took a weekend to finish, but it needed a bit of concentration. I’ll do a post with pics soon.
My second Adrienne Blouse Dress Hack came just as Friday Pattern Company released their new Adrienne Dress pattern, which is essentially the Adrienne Blouse sleeves and neckline with a tent dress style body. I’ve been waiting on a pic of this to post, but even though I wore it again yesterday-no pic.
My monthly mending consisted of 4 socks darned and one rip in a knit dress sewn up. Of course, one new sock has joined the pile.
Definitely an interesting January so far and it isn’t over yet.
