Week Thirty Five

Almost at the end of school term and crafting time is limited.

I am almost finished with my daughters Polly cardigan. Its in Madelinetosh Vintage. I have a simple plastic button to go on once I've finished the front ribbed edging.

I continued knitting my second Annabelle cardigan in Sundara Aran Silky Merino in the colour Somewhere Out There. The photograph doesn't do this yarn justice. It is gorgeous. Very soft and with lots of silky drape.

I made a quick pair of pyjamas for my boy in this red organic stretch cotton. I am planning a few more plain tops for both kids and then to let them loose with fabric paints in the forthcoming school holidays.

I slipped it onto my dress form (even though its for a nine year old boy) and took a couple of quick iphone pictures.

Finally, I received this sublime Sundara Sport Silky Cashmere yarn in the mail. It was a yarn club issue and came with a scarf/wrap pattern. The colour is called Driftwood. I have bought more however and I'm thinking about making an Emelie cardigan.

School holidays will have started next week. I will be posting my update on Wednesday instead because we're taking a few extra days away from the city.

Week Thirty Four

Its been a very busy week, but most of my crafting has been set painting for my kids school musical.
At home though, I managed to finish a silk dress for summer.

Its my regular Vogue pattern number 8683. which I see is now on clearance.
The fabric is a digitally printed stretch silk from Tessuti Fabrics called Under The Microscope. This dress drapes so much better in a knit fabric.

I cast on a multicoloured sweater using Noro Kureyon yarn. Four different colourways, each strongly variegated. It was either going to be fabulous or a total disaster!
Unfortunately - not so wonderful. I wasn't pleased how the colours were coming out. So I've set the small amount aside for a little craft experiment down the track and I'm selling my unused yarn on ravelry.

I picked up an unfinished knit instead. This is Polly, which I cast on in Week 8. Its a cropped, shortsleeved cardigan I've made several times already. the yarn is madelinetosh Vintage in the colour Lepidotera. I'm hoping to have this substantially finished within a week. I think it will be a good spring cardigan to extend the wear of her sleeveless dresses. Especially the sundress I made in Week 6.

I also knit a little more on my boy's sweater which I cast on two weeks ago. This is in Sundara's merino. The colour is called The Hours With You. I'm about half way down the yoke.

There are only two weeks left of this school term. Its a busy period so I'm hoping just to keep working on the few in-progress knits. I don't think there'll be time for sewing until school holidays start.

Week Thirty Three

My sweater is finished! Its Hannah Fettig's Lightweight Sweater with modifications to change the stitch count and remove the ribbing in place of a curling stockinette edge.

Its made with a lot of positive ease because i wanted a softly draping slouchy sweater.

 

The yarn is gorgeous. It is a special club issue of Worsted Silky Alpaca (70% baby alpaca & 30% tussah silk) and hand dyed. This colour is called Rhythm of the Saints.

I also finished some sewing projects.

This grey tee shirt had been assembled with my overlocker but needed its hems finishing. I whizzed through on the machine with a double stitched edge. As a teeshirt its nothing to get exited about, but it will be a useful basic in the wardrobe. The fabric was bought some time ago from Tessuti Fabrics.

 

Then I quickly made up a pair of pyjamas for my daugter with the same fabric.

I added some organic cotton lace to the bottom hems. Its a very pretty lace from Ecoyarns. (side bar link) Not brilliant white (the manufacturing process) but a soft cream and very soft.

Here she is modelling.

Then a very simple pair of stretch black pants for her. These are for a school musical.
I traced a pair she already had and added a flare.

And then finally I finished a silk top for myself.

This 100% silk is called stretched roses and came from Tessuti. Its Vogue Pattern 8581 and view C. I didn't gather the bottom edge.

Oops! The top right sleeve is very wrinkled. Only noticed now as I'm uploading photographs. Its fine in 'real life'.

In the coming week, I'm hoping to make progress on my boy's brown sweater.

I have some teeshirts to cut for him too. I have lots of organic cotton knit fabric.

Week Thirty Two

It's been a very busy week and not nearly as much craft activity as I would have liked.
I did a very big sort out of the yarn stash in the spirit of spring cleaning and a lot of knitting but on only one project.

Lightweight Sweater has progressed. I've cast off the body now and am starting to knit down the sleeves. This photo is a couple of days old, I'm now about 50% of the way down the first sleeve. I hope to have this sweater finished by the end of this coming week.

I pulled yarn for another Annabelle cardigan.
This is Sundara Yarns Aran Silky Merino in the colour "Somewhere Out There"

And I have set aside the Rowan cotton for my boy's jumper in favour of this Worsted Merino. Also by Sundara Yarn but the colour is "The Hours With You". It will be a plain top-down raglan.

Finally, we made a drive down the south coast and on the way I stopped in at Sew and Tell at Berri.
I bought this skein of Tilli Thomas yarn as a s'souvenir'. I thought I could make a little something for my daughter for Christmas with it. Its pink with sparkly pink sequins. Just her thing.

Week Thirty One

Annabelle is finished. I couldn't be happier with it. I love everything about it and wish I hadn't put it off for so long.
It was a boring knit.. all that garter stitch. But on 6.5mm needles, a fast one.

I will be casting on another, probably in Sundara Aran Silky Merino.

That's my only craft report for this week. It has been a very busy week and lots more to come.

I am commiting to myself to reduce the yarn stash during the rest of the year. This Annabelle cardigan made a good start. With that yarn, plus some destashing on ravelry. I have emptied one big plastic tub.

(You can see it on the lowest level)

My plan is to empty all the side tubs either by knitting or by destash.


No sewing this week and maybe not much in the coming week either. We have a new dog taking up my attention so I am sticking with my existing knit projects.
Also the kids have a Book Week Parade. They need help with their costumes.

Week Thirty

I have made good progress on Annabelle.

The body is cast off and I'm working on the sleeves. It has been a long boring knit (even though its been only a couple of weeks of part time knitting). I'm also finding garter stitch plus 6.5mm needles hard on the hands. It has confirmed my decision to destash a lot of yarn at this gauge.

I bought some carved pearl buttons.

Then I finished the fiery teeshirt.

My boy got his pyjama top finished. Its big on him but intended for next winter anyway as the cotton knit has a cosy brushed reverse side.

Apologies for the lack of detail images and the one with the vacuum cleaner in the foreground. Eight year old boys don't like photographers and I have to take the opportunity when it arises. The fabric can be seen in the post of Week Twenty Eight.

Finally I did a little fabric stash sorting and found two silk lengths perfect for summer shift dresses.

This black and white silk called Hitchcock's Birds (for obvious reasons)

And this too. I can't remember what its called, it came from Tessuti Fabrics some time ago.
It also happens to be a perfect with my new four skeins of Wollmeise yarn. In the new "Ooohm" colorway. I think a fingering gauged cardigan would be perfect.

Week Twenty Nine

I cast on two projects, this Annabelle cardigan in Quince Yarn's Osprey (colour Petal). Its a top down garter stitch cardigan. I have had the obligatory two frogging sessions already, so I'm hoping that I'm now on my way to completion.

I cast on one of the fronts for my Brigid cardigan too to see how the cable pattern would look in this colourway.

Then I assembled the green polka dot cotton knit for my daughters pyjamas. She has two identical pairs in this. The top is a straightforward t-shirt traced from one of her own and cut on the large side for longer wear. The bottoms are as earlier projects cut with a bit of flare to the bottom edge.

I added a ric rac trim to the bottom edges.

Here she is.

I was on a roll and dug into the fabric stash and pulled out two small cotton remnants.
This is a brushed cotton remnant I bought from Kelani Fabrics in this year's Sydney Craft Show. The fabic is called Fresh Cut by Heather Bailey.

I have cut out some more pyjama shorts but in this instance, I didn't have enough width in the fabric for an elastic top so I have left one side as a seam and I will add this wide pink satin ribbon as a waistbad and side tie.

I have this cotton remnant too. Its called Love City by Alexander Henry and also bought from Kelani fabrics. I will do some little button loops for the side instead of the ribbon.

Finally, I have cut out but not assembled, this knit fabric for a long sleeved t-shirt for myself. The fabric is called Under Fire and I bought it some time ago from Tessuti Fabrics.

This coming week I'm planning more knitting on Annabelle and Brigid and to complete the sewing projects.