Patterns and Planning; Oh My!

I got back in town Friday night, and was without sewing mojo. I'd started a new hat during my 6 hour airport stay and was eager to finish it. I knit a little on Saturday and Sunday morning and realized I really could finish it if I pushed. So I did. Yay!

The pattern is Boardwalk, free on Ravlery.

I made this one before and chose it because I remember it being really fast. I made it up in Paton's classic wool in this deep berry color. 

Sewing plans!

When I planned on making the S2311 coat, the plan was caramel fashion fabric and a 'very berry' pongee lining. Well...the new Simplicity patterns were released and I was all gaga over this Leann Marshall coat and S2311 got shelved. I mean...SWOON

This coat will be main focus for November. I think it is absolutely beautiful. I will be cutting it close, squeezing it from 3 yards but I think I can do it!

My second big focus for November will be my first quilt. I know I said I had no interest in quilting. And people keep telling me I'm going to become addicted (I will try not to!). I really want to make a full-sized quilt for DD when she leaves for college and I have just under 2 years to do so! :) I'm taking it easy this time and making my own jelly roll strips to do a "Jelly Roll Race Quilt" in baby size. It looks easy and fun and I don't have to worry about a pattern. 

The fabric on top is the backing

Lastly, I have a couple of cuts of fabric that want to become blouses. These are the patterns I'm considering.

Simplicity 1253, McCall's 6898

Vogue 1387, In-House Belle Bow blouse

 I may be able to eek out S1253 plus one of the others since it's a simpler style...we will see. The McCalls pattern has 813 pieces and I unfolded it to cut it out and put it right back in the envelope! The Vogue seems really scary and complicated and the In House blouse is a wildcard because of fitting (although they draft for a D cup - YAY!)

As for the rest of October...I will be making a quick & easy knit dress for myself - I'll pass out candy as a witch! And a dress for my daughter for Halloween. So that will definitely consume the rest of the week.

Confession

About 2.5 seconds after I sewed my first wearable item, I decided I needed a serger. Not wanted - NEEDED. And I was determined to get one. If you know me, you know what it means when I become determined to do something. There is NOTHING that will stop me.

So I did it. I made enough side money to buy my serger - yay me! It was delivered last Thursday. I took it out of the box and admired it. I sat it on my table

Next to my sewing machine

And there it has sat. For a week. I even sewed last weekend...but I didn't use it.

I'M AFRAID OF IT! lol!!! I don't know why but it has already intimidated me. I know that it shouldn't - it is my friend. My sewing friend. I have to tackle it, read about it, heck at least turn it on...

I have some gift items to sew up and I refuse to without serging them. I can deal with weird insides (for now) on my own items...but not items that I give away!

Friday night - it's on!

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In other news...the peurperium is moving right along! I want to make eleventy of these sweaters.

I don't have any other DK yarn though!! I'm not supposed to buy more yarn - I'm not...I do have tons of Caron Simply Soft which is tagged as worsted but it isn't...it's probably a 3.5 if there were such a thing. It's between DK and worsted. I could probably use it but the sweater wouldn't be NB, maybe more like 0-3 months...but that's ok too. NB babies grow so dang fast. Gah.

Look - it's a SWEATER! HA! It makes me think I can work the top-down, raglan sweater in Ann Budd's book (which I checked out from the library). A Twisted Little Raglan. It's basically the *same* as the Peurperium...just bigger. And I'd have to learn to knit in the round to make sleeves. But that'd be a real sweater that I could wear! That I would have made myself!

Ahhhh....

FIRST Finished Knit Item! Fingerless Mitts and project #2!

I had the pleasure to take intro knitting lessons from Rox Richardson at a lovely LYS here in Minneapolis, Needlework Unlimited. You get two 2-hour lessons for $20. Did you *hear* that?!?!? 4 hours worth of goodness for $20!!!!! And she's a great teacher too!

The project for the course was an easy-peasy pair of Fingerless Mitts. I've made this kind in crochet before...you are basically making a rectangle, slight smaller than the circumference of your hand, and sewing it up the side...leaving a 2" opening for your thumb. The skills learned were casting on, garter stitch (all knit stitch), stockinette stitch (alternating rows of knit and purl), using stitch markers, maintaining tension and casting/binding off.



Rox's Finished Mitt

 

Mine!



 

 

 

What I learned:

1) Yarn matters. I used Lion Brand Wool Ease worsted. It was okay, but it was kind of splitty and fuzzy. Knitting with the nice cotton I got from the LYS and the Knit Picks Chroma was sooooo much easier. FYI I'm making another pair with Chroma Regency. Very pretty stuff!

2) I learned to tink! (Which is knit spelled backwards!). I purled when I should have knitted and had to fix it.

3) I am developing my own way of 'throwing' my yarn that is comfortable for me.

4) Knitting does not aggravate my tendinitis/carpal tunnel the same way that crochet does. I have to figure out why.

5) I am going to love knitting even though the length of time it takes for some projects is going to drive me crazy. I like instant gratification. :)

 

So, I had already started making dishcloths but got bored with it (see?). I am learning to knit to make wearable things - like sewing. I didn't want to sew a tote bag or a placemat...I wanted to sew garments! And I do. And I shall knit wearables. So there.

"I" have a lot of babies due this year. No, not me. My baby-having days have sailed bye-bye in the wind. But I'm in that age group where folks are having babies left and right. And I like to make baby things. They're cute and tiny and faster than adult things. People oooh and ahhh at them. :) FYI: If someone gives you a handmade gift, you'd better know that they must really, really like/love you. I don't make gifts for just anyone. If I know you won't or can't appreciate the time and money that goes into it (making something is NOT necessarily cheaper than buying it!), then I won't waste my time.

I'm making the Puerperium, a popular and absolutely adorable little cardi for newborns. I'm making it with a DK acrylic and since it seems to be going just fine, I'll make my gift sweater in a nicer DK yarn. There's some things that I'm already a little hung up on (reading ahead in the directions) and I might have to go to the clinic at N.U. to get some help. But I'm excited. I could probably be further along if I stopped admiring my work every few rows. LOL! Also, I missed the whole "circular" needle bit. So uhmm, yeah. Rearranging my 100+ stitches on the straights constantly is also a time drag. At least they're 14" needles...Next time I'll be ready.

 

 

 

Aga2md's version - ADORBS!!!!

I can't wait til I learn to do color work!

 

 

My progress so far :) It's worked top down - so on mine you're seeing the neck (to the right) and the beginning of the shoulders/chest.