Sunday, April 29, 2012

Week Fifteen

This is a very short blog post because I have been a very loyal knitter this past week and only worked on one project.

More focus means I have finished the back of Emelie and blocked it and picked up the neck band stitches with the ribbing.



The Madelinetosh pashmina yarn really does look exactly like its colour name of malachite.

My next step is to knit one of the front bands (the button side) so I can go shopping for buttons this week, then the band with the buttonholes to match and then finally the sleeves which will be knitted from the shoulder down to the cuff.

I have done no sewing this week (I'm not counting the repair to the torn school blazer or the replaced buttons). I am still without my sewing machine.


This week I might see how I feel about casting on a new project, I'm in need of something requiring more attention. Straight stockinette is great for kindle-reading but I need variety. (Like a colour work yoke sweater.) Or I might dig deeply into the hibernating projects and see if there is a project which I could finish quickly.

I also want to finish the black and white 'Roses' t-shirt from last week. I have some great new vintage fabric to make into cushions too.


Monday, April 23, 2012

Week Fourteen

Week fourteen now with photographs! I managed a little work-around. The laptop is still iffy but I managed to extract my camera pictures another way.

This week I made a new dress for my daughter. The same principle as the red polka dot top, but longer and better gathered. It's in a turquoise and again with the Oliver + S cotton interlock.





 I also made two teeshirts for myself. One a blue grey wool jersey from Tessuti called "Clouded Water Snakes" and a second 100% silk jersey in a natural taupe. Here are the fabrics.





Since I was on a roll with the tops,  I also cut into a fabulous black jersey with cascading grey rose motifs running from one selvedge to another. It was unfortunate to find I'd cut the sleeves upside down to the pattern direction. But, thankfully, I was on the phone to Tessuti straightaway and they were quick to send me additional fabric. Hopefully I'll finish this top next weekend. This photograph was taken before I cut into the fabric. I was trying to decide which way to run the pattern.



I'm still without my beloved 25 year old Elna sewing machine. It's been away now for almost five weeks. I am promised its return next week. This break we've been on has been good for getting to know the overlocker machine. I am embarrassed to say I've had it for quite a while and it took an enforced separation from my regular machine for me to try it out.

I've still been knitting and making progress on Emelie, the green malachite cardigan. I've finished both lace detailed fronts and am working on the back. This is plain knitting and I hope will go quickly.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Week Thirteen

It was only a few days since my last craft update and we're still on school holidays. But there are two new sewn items and quite a lot of knitting (although not much of that to show)

I pulled from stash a lot of pure cotton interlock fabric. All are by Liesl Gibson for Oliver + S and purchased online at ZigoZago (link on the side bar).
Firstly this pink and this green polka dot.



I traced one of my daughters tee shirts to make a simple pyjama top. My love affair with my overlocker continues and it made smart and neat internal seams. I hand finished the hems and sewed pink lace trim.


And ended up with this.


I will be making more tops and also matching pyjama bottoms in both the fresh green and pink floral.

I then looked at my favourite Japanese sewing book and made a top with more of the Oliver + S fabric.



I had very little of this red and white. I had to make it a bit less gathered that I would have liked and my next version will be longer too.
I pieced together every little snippet to make a decorative neck tie.




Finally I mentioned knitting. This Emelie cardigan front may look familiar. But it is new knitting. I frogged my work of last update because there was an error and started again. I'm hoping to finish this front in the next day or so, the left hand side by the end of the week and then (I hope) it will be plain sailing for the plain knitting of the back and sleeves.














Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Week Twelve -Update

Home from the Easter Weekend.
This weekend I did both more and also less of my craft goals. Less knitting (I had hoped to cast on four new projects and only managed three) but I hadn't counted on a little sewing and I made two new tops.

My regular sewing machine is still with the repairers but I got to know the new overlocker and whizzed through the assembly of two stretch fabric t-shirts. I hand finished the edges with a rolled hem.

Firstly this 100% stretch silk. From Tessuti Fabrics. I can't remenber what its called (and it's no longer listed in their online store) but I think it might be called "Gangland".





Feeling happy with this, I quickly made up a second also from old fabric found deep down in the stash. This looks like it is a lightweight wool knit.




I think they will wear well this autumn with jeans and a colourful wrapped neck scarf.


I cast on three knitted projects.

Firstly this Emelie cardigan in Madelinetosh Pashmina yarn in the colour 'Malachite'.

I had a lot of trouble with this project. Having completed the bottom edge ribbing, I was knitting across both fronts as well as the back. The lace pattern charts mirror reverse and I made error after error by reading one chart mistakenly for another and then having to unravel my work.

I knew I should have knit this cardigan in pieces and seamed (as I usually construct garments). My final effort retained the ribbing and I am working on only the right front, straightforward with only one chart to refer to. After which I will knit up the back and the left front and seam before the armholes (when I'd be divinding my work anyway).


Here's a close up of the lace panel.



My next cast on is another 'Lightweight Pullover'. Like the pale angora sweater of a few weeks ago, this is also in a heavier gauged yarn than the pattern normally calls for. The yarn is hand-dyed 'Worsted Silky Alpaca', dyed by Sundara Yarns and the colour is called 'Rhythm of the Saints'.

This is about half the cowl after which I will be increasing the circumference as I knit downthrough the yoke before dividing to make the sleeves and the body.



Finally, I cast on 'Larch', a cardigan also in Sundara's yarn. This is a sport weight merino yarn in the colour 'Arabian Nights'. I have the bottom ribbed edge done.


It's Tuesday morning, and I have a head cold.
So I'm not sure what craft goals I have for the rest of this week.
Certainly to continue on my knitted works-in-progress. I haven't forgotten about Lotus Tee. I would like to complete the second sleeve and get back to working on the front.

The weather has turned cold and I need to make some more pyjamas for my kids. I have some sweet Oliver+S cotton knit which would do well for my daughter.
I'm going to have to be on the lookout for nice cotton in appropriately boyish colours too. And with no prints. My boy's fussy.






Thursday, April 5, 2012

Week Twelve

It's Easter Weekend and we're all escaping the city to enjoy some quiet family time. (Hopefully with lots of crafting.)

I won't be able to post pictures while I'm away but will be back online late next week. Hopefully with a camera full of images to download.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Week Eleven

Its been the last full week of school and 'full time work' for me. Plus a young six year old girl turned seven and we held a party for her school friends. It was great fun, but exhausting.

I managed a little knitting on Lotus Tee. I finished one sleeve and cast on a second and at the same time worked on the body.


I really love the armband detail. The leaves are stranded knitting and the stems are embroidered backstitch. I made a mistake with the colour of the stems (they should be the same as the leaves) but I still like the result so I won't be unpicking it. I'm doing the armband detail on one sleeve only.


A new cushion joined the Family Room sofa. Not my crafting, this Sydney Map cushion came from MyBeardedPidgeon from her Etsy shop. It is a great companion for the two other older cushions (which I did make up). The one at the back, is in "Fuukei Blue on Natural Linen" by Nani Iro and the cushion in the middle is made in Cloth Australia's "Fern Blue and Green".


I have a cross stitch kit started. This Love kit from Emily Peacock will eventually become a cushion. At the moment its fixed in a frame next to my favourite sofa position and I do a few stitches here and there.

Having photographed cushions and the stitching frame this is also an opportunity to show the kids/craft coffee table. This came about when I refurnished the room. Having spent on a new leather sofa, blinds and a lovely rug I was reluctant to go overboard on a coffee table whilst the children were so young and there is a threat of glue, paint and textas. (I'm still grieving the permanent ink on an original plywood Eames table).


So I found an Ikea TV stand. I oversprayed it and fitted a sheet of glass to the top. Kids pictures are under the glass for a colourful surface.

We keep paper, colouring books and textas in plastic tubs on the shelf below. I keep my favourite knitting project here too, as well as the cross stitch frame. I like to sit here whilst the kids do homework (or just colouring) and it also has a nice view to the garden.


School term finishes next Wednesday. (Hurray)
My crafting plans are:
  • Keep working on Lotus Tee. Its small and an easy carry-around project for when I'm waiting.
  • Cast on three new knitting projects. Two cardigans and a sweater.
  • New fabric has arrived, if I can retrieve my sewing machine from the repair shop, there will be lots and lots of sewing.