Eleven Stitches

More Plaid

I've been a little annoyed with January.  David thinks it's funny that I'm mad at a month, but there it is.  January is supposed to be cold and blowy, but we are rewarded for this cold and blowiness with snow.  Which leads to snow days off from school. Instead we've had cold and blowiness, and then the weather warms up just enough to rain and then goes back to being cold and blowy again.  Grr.

Anyway, I took advantage of a slightly warmer day with no rain and tried to take some outside blog photos.  It was pretty cold to be not wearing a coat outside, so I took like three pictures and hurried back in. 

This is the second time I've made Simplicity 2338.  It went together much easier this time since I've figured out how to make the collar.  Oh, and I figured out how to make the pleats on the skirt.  I'm pretty sure I got it totally wrong last time.  I added pockets to the dress because I think it's really important to have them.

I got this purple plaid flannel at Britex Fabrics when I was in San Francisco after Christmas.  It's lightweight, but still a good fabric for a winter dress.

The one problem I have with the fit is that the arm movement is restricted with these sleeves.  I know there's ways to modify sleeve caps to allow for different things.  Perhaps I will research this before I make this dress again.

Overall, yay, another dress.  And I may have satisfied my plaid obsession.  We'll see.

Looking Back at 2011 and Ahead to 2012

Happy New Year!  David and I celebrated by watching the San Francisco fireworks from the top of Twin Peaks.  The fireworks were distant, but it was a great view of the city and a fun way to start 2012.

What a year it 2011 was!  For me, I left this year healthier and happier than I started it, which is always something to appreciate and cherish.  (I'm especially glad this is so because this year had an 11 in it, which is my favorite number.) 

After I cleaned out and rearranged my sewing room, I sewed more than I ever have before.

The tally:

• 9 dresses
• 6 shirts
• 2 skirts
• 1 jacket
• 3 scarves
• 3 pincushions
• 4 napkins
• 4 pillowcases (2 not shown)
• 1 tiny leotard
• 2 Firefly cross stitches (I put this in the sewing category b/c they're my only needlepoint)

I also quilted like crazy this summer.

I finished three quilts and one baby quilt (one big quilt and the baby quilt aren't shown, but maybe in 2012), and made many quilt blocks for my bee assignments.  I also decorated a *lot* of canvas bags with dresden plates, and I still am not tired of doing it!

And finally, I did knit a fair amount.  I know I didn't knit as much this year as other years, and there were several days this summer that I didn't knit at all.  This is a rarity for me, but since I was spending my time sewing, I didn't let it bother me.

The tally:

• 2 sweaters (one will be blogged in 2012)
• 2 skirts
• 10 pairs of socks + 1 single sock
• 3 cowls
• 4 hats (one isn't shown)
• 3 pairs of mittens
• 1 afghan
• 3 tiny bunnies
• 2 iPhone cozies

Looking ahead to next year, there are several things I would like to do. 

• Get better and more confident at using my serger. 
• Actually learn how to put in an invisible zipper. 
• Write the children's book that's been in my head for about 6 months now
• Tackle the Butterfly Vest, since I've had the kit for several years now
• Finish the two quilts that I've gotten from quilting bees
• Figure out a way to sell custom sewing and knitting to others while still feeling happy (and fairly compensated) for the work --- more on this to come!
• Do a better job at keeping up with posting the things I've finished.  I craft like crazy, but sometimes documenting this crafting is difficult!

Have a Happy New Year, and I hope 2012 gives you a fresh start and happy possibilities.

Socks, Socks, Socks, But Not For Me

I knit David two pairs of socks this year, and I've been woefully neglectful telling you about them.  This first pair, I started during the 2011 Superbowl, and finished them up about a week later.  Since then, David has worn them, lost them, found them again (whew), worn two small holes in them (they've been darned), and now he is finally posing for pictures!

The yarns are both Koigu I had in my stash, and I decided it was time to use them up! 

The second pair got started in the spring, and would have been finished in the spring if I hadn't gotten so frustrated at the toes.  I had David try on the socks, and it looked like it was time to start the toe, but we then discovered that after the toe was knit the sock was too short.  This repeated twice more, and then the socks were thrown in a basket in frustration.  This fall, I calmly took them out and finished them up.

The sock stripes between a Koigu and leftover sock yarns, mostly in blue and grey colors.  I used up a lot of bits with these socks, and I had to resort to some other colors to finish off the toes.

And finally, my mother-in-law requested socks for Christmas.  Since we weren't going to be at her house on Christmas, I gave myself permission to finish these up later, and only gifted her a first sock (with a missing toe) on the day we celebrated.  But they were all done 2 days later.  My MIL's foot is larger than mine, so I wanted a stretchy sock pattern.  I chose the stitch pattern from Nancy Bush's Gentleman's Shooting Stocking, but since my stitch count for the sock was totally different I did a 5-stitch pattern instead of a 6-stitch pattern.  Since it was all knits and purls, the pattern was very stretchy and fit very nicely. I was happy with how they turned out, and my MIL is very happy as well.

So that's it for my knitting for 2011!  Look for a recap soon, and have fun celebrating the new year.

Two More Dresses

When looking through my list of projects, I realized that I had neglected to show you a dress that I finished earlier in the fall.  This could be because I feel a little ambivalent about it.  It has all of the elements that I like-- big collar, purple, knit, but there's something that still makes me feel a little unsure about wearing it.

The waist is a little tighter than I hoped it would be, which might be contributing to the uncertaintly.  Unfortunately, the seams are serged, so there's no room for change!  I wore this dress to Rhinebeck (on Sunday) and got several compliments, including one person who stopped me and asked me where in New York I bought my outfit. 

The dress is a mashup of Simplicity 3775 (out of print)  and Vogue 8634, which are two of my favorite patterns.  This is the first time I've heavily modified a dress, and I'm happy with that aspect of it.  The fabric is a stretch corduroy, which is kind of fun.

The second dress I finished up just in time to wear on the last day of school before winter break.

I loved the blue plaid dress so much that I got some green plaid fabric as well!  I finished up the bolt, and there was only 2 7/8 of a yard left.  So I had to find a new pattern -- Simplicity 2174, which is part of their Amazing Fit line.  I had less than the recommended amount of fabric, so I just didn't worry about matching plaids at all, and I barely had enough fabric. 

The ironic thing is that the pattern has a lot of information on how to customize fit, but the biggest problem I have with this pattern is that the neck (and center bodie piece) is too wide, which was not addressed in the pattern.  I think next time I'll cut it narrower and maybe have to compensate with the side seams.

But aren't the pockets on this dress great?

There were 17 pattern pieces to cut out, and I actually gave myself a lower back ache becasue I spent 1 1/2 hours leaning over my table cutting out the pieces.  Next time I'll have to sit down or take breaks. 

And those are the last two dresses that I needed to blog for 2011! 

 

Things from SF

When I was in San Francisco at Thankgiving, I went fabric shopping at Discount Fabrics.  I actually went there on Black Friday, but it was not a place that was crowded with people, and there were no special sales.  It's a big warehouse, and I had to poke around for a while before I decided what I wanted to get.  I came home with three knit fabrics, two of which were from the remnant section.

As soon as I got home, I sewed a new shirt.  I decided to actually use a new pattern, Simplicity 2409. 

It's looser and drapier than I realized it would be, but I've found that I like it.  It's comfortable, and I think the style goes well with the thermal fabric. 

The next day after I got back, I made a second shirt.

This is using my favorite t-shirt pattern, Jalie 2794. 

A week later, I used up the rest of my fabric from SF and made this dress.

This uses my favorite dress pattern, Simplicity 3775, which is sadly out of print.  I had to be careful about the placement of the flowers on the bodice pieces, and it worked out just fine.  I also raised the waist about an inch.  I just love this print, and the dress is so comfortable. 

Now that I've used up my fabric from San Francisco, maybe I need to bring home some more on this trip?

Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas!  David and I were lucky enough to celebrate two Christmases this year, one in Indiana and the other in San Francisco.  When we arrived in Indiana, we found some stockings that my mother made for us.

These are two of the five she made this fall, one each for me, David, my sister and brother, and my brother's girlfriend.  I'm really impressed!  (And she won't knit another stocking for a long time, I think.)  The pattern is Heartwarming Stockings from Knitpicks.

I was very busy crafting for Christmas, and I didn't get it all done.  I think I would have gotten my dad's gloves done in time for Christmas evening, but they're high-tech gloves, and I had an equipment failure.  I'll tell you about them in January when they're done and in the mail. 

This is what I made for my mom.  She requested a cowl, and I made another Wicker Cafe Cowl. 

I got to use more of my vintage buttons, which is always a treat.  This cowl also uses Knit Picks Andean Treasure, so it will be warm for those Indiana winters. 

My sister wins the prize for the best reaction to a handmade gift this year.  The look of happiness and amazement will live with me for a while.  She requested fingerless gloves with a mitten flap, and I knew just which yarn to use for her.

I used my Wollmeise Sockenwolle in Poison No. 9.  My sister is a pink and black lover, and I knew this would be just right.  There's an antique blass glass button on each mitt.  They're mismatched but similar.

The pattern is Broad Street Mittens from Knitty, and it worked out really well.  I think the hand was a little bit roomy-- perhaps I would knit that on a size smaller needles and go up a size for the fingers. 

And finally some cross-stitch.  This summer, I found the Wee Little Stitches
etsy store, and I had to make something from it.  My brother-in-law loves Firefly, so I worked on that for him while we were doing our August road trip.  This November, my brother said he didn't have any specific knitting requests, so I decided to also make one for him.

They were so much fun.  And now I see that the shop has a Buffy The Vampire Slayer pattern and also Big Bang Theory.  I might have to do some more stitching!

Socks, Socks, Socks, Knee Socks

Do you think I could convince the children at school that this is a new way to play duck, duck, goose?  Yeah, probably not :)  I've been terribly neglectful in showing you some finished socks, so here are most of them.

These are Calloway Socks, knit up in Madeline Tosh Lightweight in Filigree.  They were fun to knit, but I think that they might be now a little overly patterned for my general sock-wearing tastes.  But anyway.  They're warm, and I love the color-- like it can't decide if it wants to be green or gold.

I knit up two pairs of stockinette socks.  These were mostly done on my lunch break at work, or whenever I needed to wait a few minutes.

This yarn is Jillybeans Twinkle Sock in Green Envy.  I got the yarn at Get Knitted when I was in England this summer.  I love the bright green, and there's a little bit of glimmer in it.  (You can see it better if you enlarge the picture.) 

This yarn, Berroco Sox in Lollipop, was a gift from one of the children in my classroom last year.   I had taught him (and the rest of the class) how to finger knit, and there was a mild finger-knitting craze last spring.  He asked his mom if he could give me yarn as a gift, they went to my LYS, and the owner helped them pick this out. 

The self-striping yarn was fun to knit, and I made a wavy cuff for a little fun. 

And finally, here's some knee socks.

The yarn is Creatively Dyed Calypso in Tuvalu, and I re-engineered the Delicious Knee Sock pattern to be top-down.  To be honest, I found knee socks to be long and tedious, and I don't think that they were worth it.  These are still too short to wear with my favorite boots and have them be seen.  I think I'd be much happier just knitting a little cuff to peek out over the top of my boots!  But now I know, and perhaps I'll change my mind about them when it's February and really cold. 

Have you knit knee socks?  How do you feel about them?

I still have two pairs of socks to show you, but I need to wait until my husband can model them for me :)

OK, back to Christmas knitting!

Need A Quick Sewn Gift?

Christmas is approaching, and I'm starting to feel the crunch for getting gifts done in time.  Two on my list were pretty quick, though, and I'm very happy with them. 

These are the Figure 8 Scarf made from Anna Maria Horner's kit.  It uses two delicious fabrics:  velveteen and voile.  There's only a couple of seams to sew, and the result is a great infinity scarf.

This is the one I will steal back if the recipient doesn't like it enough.  But since I'm really hoping she'll like it, I made another one for me.  I didn't have any more AMH fabric on hand, so I used some corduroy and some silky lining fabric instead.

Since I didn't have enough fabric to make 18" x 72" cuts, I two rectangles of each fabric, 18 inches by the width of the fabric.  Instead of seaming it so that there would be one red side and one purple side, I had them switch halfway around the loop. 

I had been needing something to wear with my collarless purple coat, and this is a great solution!

OK, back to Christmas crafting!

 

Co-Worker Gifts

I really love making things for my co-workers.  We're always busy at school, and conversations are either quick or interrupted.  But we do get to know each other, and it's fun for me to figure out what to make for a friend, and which colors to use. 

Here's some mittens, made out of a pattern that's in my head for "how to make basic mittens".  I used the leftover yarn for a sweater I haven't shown you yet (wince) and some pretty green Rowan Lima I bought when I was in San Francisco.  The stripe pattern on the first mitten was made up as I went, and then I copied it for the second mitten.  I really wanted to make mittens for this co-worker last year, but I had just had surgery and the thought of it was too much at the time. 

I work with two people I haven't made Dresden Bags for yet, and I was excited to make them again.  I just love making these.  This purple and grey one is difficult to give away-- I love the colors together.  There's one corduroy petal at the very top because I ran out of purples, and I love it.

I really love making these!  One of the girls who got these said she was excited to have one because she felt like she'd been left out of a "secret club" by not having one before :) 

This is the Wicker Cafe Cowl.  I completely used up my skein of Knit Picks Andean Treasure (100% alpaca), and as you can see I was still a little short.  Fortunately I have a few balls of this yarn, so I was able to add a contrasting color for the very end.  This was a great pattern and a enjoyable knit.

And finally, something I made for a co-worker, but not as a gift.  My friend asked for a custom order.  Her daughter is really good at gymnastics (Like, really good.  I'll let you know if she's in the Olympics when she's old enough to qualify!), and she asked me to make a leotard for her American Girl Doll to match her daughter's team leotard. I found Simplicity 4364 to give me a basic leotard pattern, and then modified the front to have diagonal stripes to mimic her leotard.  I added on a felt star and some pink elastic details.  My friend is really excited about the gift, and I'm looking forward to hearing about how her daughter reacts.

Now that co-worker gift making is over, I'm well into family gift-making.  Fingers crossed that I get it all done in time!

Houndstooth Dress

I've been mildly obsessed with houndstooth fabrics this year.  I think it started with a photo of this dress (on Pinterest, of course), which I eventually bought.  And then I saw a great brown/cream houndstooth fabric at JoAnne Fabrics and I had to have it.  This fabric is dry-clean only, and I NEVER buy dry-clean only, but I got it anyway.  And I knew exactly which dress I wanted to make out of it.

This is Vogue 8667, which I have made once before.  It's a great pattern, and came together easily.  I tried to cut out the pieces so the pattern in the fabric continued across seams, and I was somewhat successful at that, although I wasn't able to do it across the princess seams.

I love the collar on this dress.  I guess I have a thing for big collars, huh? 

Enjoy your Sunday!