Teaser

I'm currently working on a new pattern and am deep in the editing process. This involves making the written pattern accurate and readable, as well as knitting up a second sample of the pattern. As I haven't written up a pattern in many months, I'm rather enjoying the process.

While I'm doing a lot of number crunching on on my end, I thought I would share a couple photos of the pattern with you:

Have you figured out what it is yet? Would another photo help?

Okay, so I totally admit to teasing you. I will say that the pattern is written for DK-weight yarn and that the prototype (the first photo) was done in buffalo yarn and the test knit (second photo) is being worked in handspun. These are going to be some very special handknits when all is said and done.

Sew Lovely

I wasn't joking in last week's blog post when I said I've been bitten hard by the sewing bug. Though I started with a simple bag project, I've quickly moved onto clothing and I don't anticipate putting away my sewing machine anytime soon. Thankfully, I found a cute and easy pattern to help with the transition from a small bag to a wearable object.

I made this dress in the two days following my adventure with the box bag and I'm super pleased that it looks decent and actually fits! I was lucky to have the pattern (Vogue V8184) and the fabric (Betty Dear "Aqua Floral" cotton print by Robert Kaufman) already on hand, so I could easily satisfy my growing desire to sew. Too bad we just got about 5 inches of snow, so I won't actually be wearing this dress for a while.

Perhaps the best part about this project was the process, which refreshed my memory on how to cut pattern pieces, follow an easy-grade pattern, and insert a zipper (thankfully, I finally found my sewing machine's zipper foot but not until after I put this zipper in... oh well). I also learned how to insert boning (to support the bodice) and experimented with detailing on the seams (shown above). I'm now feeling more comfortable with the whole process and I'm ready to tackle a slightly more challenging sewing project.

I've already bought fabric for this next project (another dress) and have plans to do a lot more sewing in the future. Don't worry, I'm also working on an exciting knitting project which I'm looking forward to sharing with you soon. Just don't be surprised if you see more sewing projects along with knitting projects in future blog posts.

Bitten

I was bitten by the sewing bug this week. Sewing is something I've been thinking about for a good while now but I've never been motivated enough to actually dig out my machine. Two things changed this recently: (1) I cleaned out my crafting area which freed my sewing machine from behind a pile of books; and (2) I received this beautiful little sewing book, Everyday Handmade, from my mother-in-law for Christmas.

This book has a variety of cute projects in it, from a jackalope (on the cover) to a messenger bag to a Kindle cover. Many of the projects caught my eye, but I settled on making a box bag because it seemed very achievable for someone who hasn't done any serious sewing in years. And it turned out to be a very fun back-to-sewing project, even if my corners didn't end up completely square.

Part of the appeal of this project is how little fabric it required--only 2 fat quarters plus a little more for the zipper edging--allowing me to use up some anchor-themed fabric I've been hoarding since college. I even had some nautical fabric on hand for a perfect inner lining. Between the fabric, the red and blue thread, and all of the little details in the pattern, this project is a winner.

I've already followed up on the box bag with a second sewing project, but I will save that for a later post. Until then, I want to thank my mother-in-law for jump-starting my motivation to sew!

The Big Holiday Project Revealed

I'm finally back from all the holiday travels and have settle in enough to start thinking about knitting in the new year. But before I start blogging about knitting, I want to show off the big holiday gift that my husband, brother-in-law, and I made in December!

Husband found plans for this lamp in his woodworking magazine and somehow I got roped into doing my first attempts at stained glass in the week before Christmas. (Next year, I really need to get my husband to not wait until the last minute to make huge gifts.) Still, for a last-minute venture, I think this lamp and its partner turned out very well and I think my sister-in-law and her husband really like them.

As interesting as doing stained glass was, I'm excited to get back to knitting, especially now that I've cleaned off my craft desk and stored all of my yarn in its new home. I'm also hoping to do some sewing in 2012, so I look forward to blogging about lots of interesting projects in the future!

Let it Snow!

I woke up on Saturday morning to discover a winter wonderland had sprung up overnight. It's only a of couple inches, but considering it's a week before Christmas, this snow is long overdue. It wouldn't be Wisconsin if it didn't snow from December through March.

Along with the first snow of the season, I put my bicycle away for the year and checked on the status of my heavy winter gear. My hats, gloves, scarves, and long johns passed muster, but my mittens are in a sorry state. As I wear the mittens over the gloves, it is important that I have a hole-less pair to keep my fingers cozy this winter.

I'm looking forward to knitting myself a new pair after I finished the Christmas knitting. And can I say how challenging it is to write blog posts in December because of said holiday knitting? Quite challenging. There is so much going on but so little to talk about! I'm looking forward to showing off those projects after the holidays, along with, hopefully, a new pair of mittens.

Christmas Catalog

Between the craziness of end of the semester projects and preparation for the holidays, my craft area exploded this week. I'm a little embarrassed to show you all just how bad it is.

To be fair, it's only this bad because my usual craft storage area was displaced by my early Christmas gift, this lovely piece of furniture:

The main library at my university is retiring the last of its card catalogs and they're all going up for sale at the university surplus shop. I'm lucky to own this little piece of university history, especially because I've wanted a card catalog for a long time. Plus, I now have new storage space for my craft supplies and other items.

So in addition to homework and shopping, I now have to find time to reorganize my craft supplies. And I'm hoping to find some time in there to actually craft! Thank goodness I'll have some days off over the holidays.

Meet the New Coraline

I finished my Coraline sweater over Thanksgiving weekend and I'm extremely pleased with the results. I think it was worth all of the ripping and reknitting, as it's now stylistically akin to some of my very favorite sweaters and much more flattering than the original cardigan version.

The rework wasn't an entirely smooth process; I ended up knitting the hem about 3 times before I got it right. I finally settled on a [K1, P2] rib on needles 2 sizes smaller than what I used for the body. I've never used smaller needles for a hem before, but they made a huge difference in terms of fit and crispness of the rib. I don't think I'll ever go back to knitting sweaters with only one needle size.

Overall, I'm glad I was able to find extra yarn to rework this sweater, especially because the sweater now features my favorite 3/4-length sleeves. Still, I need to be more careful in the future about picking flattering styles to begin with. From here on out, I'd like to avoid the guilt of never wearing a handknit sweater and the hassle of reworking said sweater into a better style.