Overdue October Post

November is halfway done, and I haven't posted my October update yet. It's amazing how quickly time can go by, especially when you don't have a job. That's right, I QUIT MY JOB!! I had a very good eight years working for the library, but it was high time I move along to the next phase of my life. Hopefully you will see an announcement here about the awesome new business I open within the next 6 - 12 months!

So the name of the blog doesn't really fit anymore, what to do??

I did not sew at all last month. I have a few patterns picked out, beautiful fabric, the desire for new clothes, but it just didn't happen. I still want to try the current Sew Retro challenge, and have two patterns that I've already tried to make work. It will take more fiddling, I think.

How awesome is this wiki for vintage patterns? I think it's so very awesome that it's going to be part of my 2008 Uberlist to add a few entries. It could be a corollary to my Sew Retro projects: review the pattern I sew.

I really, really need to set up a sewing space again. Pending renovations, parties, holiday gatherings and general stuff has my whole house in flux. I've been doing laundry for ages, which really cuts into craft time. About the only thing I can focus on now is dishcloths. I'm making a stack and will gift as necessary. They are practical and, I think, cute. Hopefully a welcome gift!






I've done a few other gift knitting projects, but I want to keep them a surprise for now. :)

Yarn School

I just got home from the most perfect weekend in Harveyville, KS at Yarn School. I spent most of my spinning time working on plying with thread. I feel like I'm getting a little better, but the main thing I need to work on is getting more twist into my singles. Part of the problem is my broken wheel. Things should improve once I get the replacement part.





I got to spend some time in the Dye Lab. Here are a few commercial yarns I dyed:




I also dyed fiber. This super bright wool was in our fiber goody bag.


This is a Merino/silk fiber I brought from home. The colors ran together more than I wanted. I need to remember to leave some white space next time I dye!

I made a few batts on the drum carder that I didn't get a chance to spin while I was there. This one is fiber I dyed, which turned out muddy and ugly. I had hoped that carding it would maybe improve it a bit, but I was wrong. It's still ugly. But who knows, it might spin into something lovely.

The other batts are a random mish-mash of fiber that was provided for carding.




I can't wait for next year!

August and September Spinning

Yarn School is almost here! I thought I should get a little practice in before I go, and make room for any new fiber I get while there.

I spun this yarn as a single a while ago, with the plan to ply it with beads. I had a small ball and a larger one, so I practiced on the smaller. Good thing I did, since I totally suck at it.


A few months ago I joined the Hello Yarn Fiber Club, and hadn't actually spun any of the fiber. It's so pretty, I didn't want to mess it up! So here is my first attempt at making a big fluffy thick and thin yarn plied with thread. Colorway is Cricket.


This did not turn out very pretty. I had a hard time getting the tension right on the thread, and it kept breaking.

Next up was a more successful attempt with Thistle. I wanted a stripy, sproingy two-ply with some solid color stripes. This one I am happy with! It's so soft and pretty, if only I had MORE! Like enough for a sweater or poncho!




The last little bit of spinning I did was this tiny bit of alpaca we got at Yarn School last year. It's soft and lovely, but there is probably only enough to make a cat toy.
In other spinning news, my poor wheel is a little broken. The new part is on the way, but as it is I can only spin on the largest whorl of the bobbin, and the new bulky flyer and bobbin set I got is acting cranky with it. Bummer. I really didn't want to spend Yarn School fumbling around with a crap wheel.

September Sewing

I've had this pattern for several years and always liked it's childish looks. Now that I work in the children's department of a library and the most perfect fabric came into my life, I had to make it.

After I got 'help' from my bad kitty
This is how it turned out:

I think it's cute! One thing I didn't realize about the pattern until after I had already cut it out is that the back is lapped, and therefore flaps open when I walk. :o I guess that's why panties were included in the pattern! My fix was to wear another skirt I made last year under it. At some point in the future I'll probably sew up the back seam, but for now, especially in chilly weather, the added layer is okay.

Here's a closeup of the adorable Japanese fabric, sent to me from Jodi:

August and September Knitting

I was busy in August knitting a couple of gifts. The first was a Baby Surprise Jacket for a co-workers baby shower. I used Plymouth Encore Colorspun. I pretty much hated this yarn, it was kind of scratchy or something on my hands. My local yarn store had a very limited selection of washable yarns that weren't cotton, so next time I know there is a baby coming I'm going to be sure not to procrastinate and thus have time to order nicer yarn. I don't know why I always put off making the gift until (in this case) one week before the shower, but there is always next time!

The jacket itself was an awesome pattern, very easy to follow and fairly mindless. I knit most of it sitting at the bar of Vessel in Seattle. We were in Seattle for a conference and it was fortunate to have such an awesome bar right around the corner from the hotel. Also featured on this project were some vintage buttons from my stash.

Another knitting project was a One Skein Wonder shrug for my friend. Earlier in the summer I made this dress

for her and when I visited her she kept shivering the whole time she wore it. So the search for a nice yarn that wouldn't be too hot and would actually match was on. The colors in the dress are peach, pink, purple and green, and it seems like most yarn colorways with pink or peach feature blue instead of green. I finally found a nice ribbon yarn - Filatura Di Crosa "Malva" that was a perfect match.



I think it's pretty cute. I'm still waiting on a picture of the two worn together!

In other knitting news, I'm still working on Sahara. I started this in June, thinking it would be great for summer, but I've been slow to finish it. I've got a few more rows to do on the neckline, then I can start the sleeves. It shouldn't take too much longer if I devote several days to just knitting it.
I also made a scarf from Exquisite Little Knits. I used my own handspun, which wasn't as bulky as the pattern called for, but made a nice lacy fabric. It's still going to be warm, which is the important part! I have enough yarn left to make a matching hat too.
This is what it looks like flat:

New dress

I made a dress using a pattern from 1975. I had to make a couple of adjustments to the shoulders, it was way too big. I'm very happy with it, and will use the pattern again. It has no zippers or buttons - it's very generous in the back and you just cinch it all together with the attached belt.

This is the pattern I used - McCall's 4796

Gift projects

I crocheted this little circle bag for a friend's birthday using a pattern from the book One Skein. I made some changes - added a lining, used a button instead of a zipper closure, and added handles. The yarn is Fiesta Yarns Zia in Coral Reef colorway.

Here is a cute little tank top I made for Jodi. She recently went shopping for me in Japan and sent a huge box of the most exciting fabric ever! I will have to take photos soon to show the fabulousness of it all.


The pattern is the ChicKami, from Chic Knits. It 's an easy pattern and knitted up pretty quick. I used Classic Elite Patina, a cotton and silk yarn. It's so soft and felt really nice on (yes, I had to try it on!)
I also made this cute dress for a friend's birthday. I've been meaning to make her something for ages and never got around to it. She came for a visit recently, so I was able to fit it to her. The strap on the right looks a little wonky, and I hope my measuring was correct and it doesn't fall off her shoulder. The pattern is one I've had for a few years - Butterick 3076 - and I don't think it's still in print. It was very easy to put together, and it has one of my favorite features, pleats!


Now I'm going to devote a little time to knitting and sewing for myself. I have a dress I need to take apart (my math must really suck, it turned out far too large after a few alterations), a skirt to finish and I've started a cute knitted summer sweater that I'd like to finish before summer is over!

Not so good with this blogging business.

It's been almost two months since I last posted. I really wanted to keep this going on a more regular schedule, but I find myself wanting to DO more things in real life, and less on the computer these days.

We've been traveling a lot these past few months, and instead of knitting I've been using airplane time to catch up on reading. Only working part-time has really put a crimp in my reading schedule. It's amazing how many books I used to go through when I had 4-6 hours a day to read at work. Now I'm lucky if I read a couple pages a day.

Now for pictures!
This is a two-ply yarn I spun up from fiber I won as a door prize during Yarn School. It's very squishy, but a little rough feeling. I have about 270 yards of this, plus an additional 94 of the same red fiber plied with blue that I haven't photographed yet. I still have a bunch of blue fiber to spin, and I'm thinking if I spin up the blue and make a two-ply of just blue I might have enough yarn to make a stripey poncho.

I have started a Branching Out scarf from Knitty. I got the yarn from Habu, it's called Frisbee and it's very fine merino. I only have only have one little ball of it, but I think it will be enough for a short scarf. I mainly wanted to practice lace, since I've never made any before.


I started this poncho ages ago using a bulky cashmere from School Products. The pattern is from Vogue Knitting on the Go: Ponchos. I got almost done with the charted part of the pattern and realized I had seriously fucked up a couple of rows at the beginning so I had to frog 4 days of constant knitting. :( But I'd rather do it right than see the mistake every time I wear it. At this point it's a stalled project, it's way to hot to hold that on my lap while I knit. I'll pick it back up in the fall when it's cooler.


This is more handspun yarn, taken in different light. I dyed the fiber at Yarn School. I plan to ply this with thread and seed beads, but first I have to practice plying with thread a little more. I don't want to mess it up!

I also made a cute summer dress in pink, but somehow I miscalculated and it's way too big. So unsewing and resewing is on my agenda for later this month. I have a couple of circle skirts cut out, just waiting for them to hang a few more days since the are cut on the bias before I do any sewing. There is also some secret sewing and crocheting going on - two of my best friends have birthdays this month!

February Knits and Yarn

Look! My first successful attempt at making yarn! Sarah sent me the fiber she hand-dyed. It's South African Fine, and it spun up very nicely. Thanks, Sarah!




I made a capelet. I didn't use a pattern, and its worked out ok. It's not quite what I had envisioned, but it's warm and cute, so I'll try not to rip it out. This is the third try with this yarn I bought from Hello Yarn a while ago. I just could not make anything look good with it.