OhSewCrafty

2012 WIPocalypse: May Update

My first update since the last WIPocalypse update... life has been crazy.  Let's just say shopping/ buying/ moving house is practically a part time job.  

I like to work on one stitching and one knitting project each month, but I didn't get around to much knitting.  At least I made significant progress on the Rose Fairy.  She is stitched on 36 ct Edinburgh linen dyed by Silkweaver in "Mountain Mist".  With hand dyed fabric, I opted to skip the chart background.  I had about 15% when I started after the last full moon and now she's about 60% finished, I estimate.  The top half of the chart has less stitching since there is empty space at the top.  Previous progress:

The chart is by DMC's "Ultimate Cross Stitch Collection", printed around 1996 and long out of print.  There are many of these flower fairy designs adapted from Cecily Mary Barker's artwork; chart numbers beginning "PC".  I have been on a little quest to collect as many as strike my fancy.  The detail is fantastic; Rose Fairy at least works up so pretty and delicate on 36 count fabric over 2 (18 count).  I also like that the charts are fairly small, and fit on a fat eighth using 18 count.  The old photographs on the chartpacks are rather faded but the colors work up so vibrantly.  What's left is the upper stem, top rose bloom, her head/arms, wings, and simple border.  The close up scale of this design makes for an immersive stitching experience and a welcome escape from stressful times.

If I want to continue rotating through my WIPocalypse projects, next up will be something for Christmas, either Royal Holiday or Twas the Night.  I'll probably see how far I can get on Twas the Night... it's an easy stitch on 14 count aida.  As for knitting, I need to work on the Nespelem cardi and get it into my wardrobe!  

2012 WIPocalypse: April Update

Another full moon!  I have made good progress.  I finished proj no. 10, the Carnaby Skirt.  I'm quite proud of my finishing on this... not that you can see it from the outside, but I used my sewing machine; added a lining, a waistband, and functional snaps as closure.  I don't have to worry about it stretching out of shape and the skirt is just as good as anything R-T-W in my opinion. 

I also spent quite a bit of time with the Dimensions Gold knit, Woodland Enchantress.  I started with about 50% stitched.  Progress as of March 9, 2012:

I hoped to get to the 75% mark, but I reached that at least 10 days before the full moon.  Though I could have moved on to another project, I opted to keep going.  As you can see below, the skirt is mostly done.  Most of what is left is background, which is mainly tent stitch.  It shouldn't take too long and I'm definitely hoping for a finish this year.  This is kind of a challenging stitch, it's rather dense with high thread counts on 16 ct aida and I've broken a few needles.  The chart is in color, which is not my preference.  I love how it's working up though!  It's based on the artwork of Ruth Sanderson, "Christmas Fairy", but she seems more like a spring fairy to me. 

Next up, I will work on proj no. 7, the Nespelem cardi.  I fussed with the finishing, then ultimately decided I don't like my mods.  So I basically need to rip and redo per pattern.    I will also work on proj. no. 5, the Rose Fairy Cross stitch.  It's only 15% complete but it's a relatively small project, stitched on a fat eighth.  That will be nice after working on some rather large projects....

 

FO: Ribbon Trim Cardigan

• Pattern by Sylvia Hager for Blue Sky Alpacas
• Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light, Lavendar mix, 1317 yards
• Size/Needles/Gauge: to fit 34", 6 spi on US 4's
• Time to knit: 4 weeks in January 2012

I've had my eye on this pattern for a long time, so I cast on immediately after the SKC chose cables as the theme of our first quarter KAL.

The pattern is brief, and it has some errata.  The pattern gauge is weird bordering on impossible IMHO.  I thought I got gauge in my swatch.  The sizes are written with about 8'' negative ease unstretched or 2" negative ease stretched, so I decided to go up a size (to medium), which in theory should have given me zero ease with a moderate stretch.  Well, the medium was coming out with tons of positive ease, which does not work for this design, so I ripped and started over with the S size.  It was quite small, but blocked to a nicely fitted 34-35".  I missed the errata until after completing one side, so I just did the other as a mirror image.  The sleeves I shortened to 19" as 22" is hand-swallowing length.  The pattern requires lots of sewing/finishing, so I wouldn't recommend it to those without patience for that sort of thing.

The Ultra Alpaca line (50% wool/50% alpaca) is one of my favorites.  It's soft and warm with a "cushy" feel and the heathered "mix" colors are to-die-for.  The "Light" sportweight is lightweight and lovely with good yardage (144 yards/50g).  Lavendar mix is a good example of it's chamelon qualities, looking purple/pink/blue depending on the light.  Overall it's just a gorgeous purple.  Copius guard hairs can be a drawback of Ultra Alpaca, but this batch had only a few.   Happily I've got lots more UA Light in my stash! The snaps and ribbon are from G Street.  I also shopped for a ribbon at M&J Trimming in NYC, but even if that palace of accoutrements, I didn't find anything just right.  I'm pleased with the violet flower/diamond pattern on matte white. 

Something about this sweater feels regal to me.  I love the snaps, the ribbons, and the deep ribbing.  It's soft and light yet cozy and feels luxurious against the skin.  I'm happy to have finally knit this sweater and it was a great stashbuster too.  

FO: Rolling Cable Socks

• Pattern: by Mari Muinonen for Vogue Winter 08/09
• Yarn: Valley Yarn Northampton, dark green heather, 287 yards
• Size/Needles/Gauge: as written to fit size 8.5, 5.5 st/" on US 5's
• Time to knit: 9 days in March 2012

My first socks!  I never really wanted to knit socks before (I prefer going barefoot, and when socks are required, I prefer the utilitarian), but these serve a paticular purpose....

The pattern is great, concise and perfectly suitable for a novice sock knitter (as long as you are comfortable with cables).  I wondered about the directions for the heel flap/gusset, but followed along and it turned out fine.  One issue: the pattern gauge (4 st/") is nonsense.  How would you get that with a size 5 needle and worsted weight yarn?  You need about 5.5 st/" to get the 9.5" foot circumference over 52 stitches after gusset shaping.  The socks knit up quickly with relatively thick yarn and big needles.  They are a bit thick to fit into shoes, but I knit these as bed socks.  I wanted a pair of wool socks to wear in my sleeping bag when I go camping this spring, but didn't feel spending money for them when I have so much wool lying around around the house.

The yarn is Valley Yarn Northampton, 100% wool in a light worsted weight.  The pattern calls for Cascade 220, but I had this yarn leftover from a sweater project.  I really love Northampton; I expounded upon that recently.  These socks are warm, cozy, and super comfortable for padding around the house, but they are wicked slippery on wood floors!

I am quite pleased with these socks, but still, I don't think I'll be knitting socks on a regular basis. Never say never I suppose!

FO: Royale

• Pattern by Glenna C. available via Ravelry
• Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, "Winter Night", 1004 yards
• Size/Needles/Gauge: 33", 5.25 spi on US 7's, 6's for trim
• Time to knit: 5 weeks in February/March 2011

I've lusted after this pattern since it was first published (I love a shapely, s*xy, aran sweater) and thought the KAL would be a good opportunity to tackle a challenging pattern.

The pattern is fine, no errata, written with lots of detail.  It's not actually that difficult, and it's addicting to watch the cable pattern emerge.  However, once I had the cable pattern memorized, it became a bit tedious.  Between the copious cabling and background twisted moss stitch, progress felt slow.  I shortened the hem-underarm length to avoid "big butt length", added short row shaping for more room at the front bust and moved up the deep scoop neck, beginning the neck shaping at the same as the undearam.  I ignored the instructions about picking up certain number of stitches for the neckband, instead using the ratio method.  I did a sewn tubular bind for the neckband.  The scoop neck is front and center, so it must be pretty. 

I used Knitpicks Wool of the Andes.  It's a basic yarn that I chose mostly for the color.  Winter Night is a deep royal blue, sophisticated and perfectly regal in my opinion, just right for "Royale".   The yarn is an economical choice, 100% wool, medium worsted weight, four plies with moderate twist, reasonably soft, improves with washing, and spit-splices perfectly.   I've used it before and will likely use it again, though as Knitpicks keeps jacking up their prices, who knows.  I spent $17 on the yarn for this project last fall, but if I ordered it today, it would be $25.  I acknowledge that even $25 is still fairly cheap for a handknit wool sweater, but Knitpicks is no longer quite the bargain it used to be.

My favorite aspects of this project are the lovely color, deep scoop neck, and delicate, intricate cabling. I'm not entirely thrilled with the fit.  It's rather loose in the stomach area and the shoulders are a bit too wide.  Still, I like it.

 

FO: Kathryn Margaret

• Pattern: by Becky Herrick, available via Ravelry
• Yarn: Fibratura Sensational (wool), "Leek", 430 yards
• Size/Needles/Gauge: As written, 4.25 spi on US 8's
• Time to knit: 2 weeks in March 2012

I wanted to cast something green in March for St. Patrick's Day.  Alas, I did not finish quite by then, but close enough!

The pattern is fine, written in a clear, pithy manner than I appreciate.  It's mostly charted. You begin at the center of the base with a provisional cast on, work the cables out to one edge, then pick up stitches from your cast on and work out the cables to the other end.  I even learned a new trick, invisble provisional cast on with waste yarn.  I normally like to use the crochet method, but I didn't have a hook handy at the time. There is short row shaping to create the rounded bottom, but those are placed strategically (ie, no cabling while short-rowing).  Then you pick up stitches from the top edge and work the stockinette, with an ever increasing number of stitches each row.  It's a lot of stockinette which is either relaxing or boring depending on one's perspective.  The first few rows are annoying, where you have to count large numbers of stitches.  I suppose I zoned out a bit while working the stockinette, and my edges were a bit uneven, towards the end.  I fixed that problem simply by working my turns either sooner or later.  (Hint: the "unworked" stitches on your needle should always be a multiple of 4 plus 1 extra, and the number of unworked stitches on each side should be equal after each RS row).  The top of the shawl is finished with an applied i-cord.  While not the fastest way to bind off, it does create a nice edge.

Fibrnatura Sensational is 100% superwash merino made in Turkey; I got this batch from Webs on closeout, specifically for this project.  It's very soft, with round, springy four ply construction.  The fabric is warm, soft and feels great against the skin.  The color, a light spring green, is pretty and understated.  The yarn relaxes a lot when blocking, as is typical of superwash.  Superwash isn't my favorite and I don't often knit at this gauge, but I'm happy with its performance for this project,  However, if I were knitting the pattern again, I'd want something more rustic and definitely something that would spit-splice.

 

I love the Celtic knot cables and the luxurious wingspan of this shawl.  The short row shaping makes it perfect to wrap around the shoulders, but the size is even sufficient to cover the head and neck as as a hooded scarf.  I have worn it that way, in a misty rain.  The muted green is perfect for St. Patrick's day and celebrating one's Irish heritage.  Spring came early this year, but it's still great for a little extra warmth in in a cool breeze.

FO: Carnaby

• Pattern: by Nikol Lohr, available free in Knitty
• Yarn: Valley Yarns Northampton (wool), "Chestnut", 741 yards
• Size: as written; 32" waist
• Time to knit: About 2 weeks in Jan/Feb 2011

Yes, I knit this more than a year ago.  My glacial pace in finishing can be attributed to the decisions involved.  More on that below...

 

The pattern is great.  It's quite ingenius and easy actually, you work a simple repeat, shaped with shortrows, until it's big enough to wrap around your hips.  It's really cute, but knitted skirts have an inherent problem... sag.  That same stretchy, drapey quality that can be so flattering on one's upper half can sag and droop on the lower half.  Hence, I decided to install a lining, a length of a silk habotai.  I used a grosgrain ribbon to stabilize the waist and sewed the lining to that.  You can see a little peak of the interior here.  I skipped the button band, sewed up the seam about 75% of the way and used snaps as a functional closure.  The buttons are decorative. With this finishing treatment, I think the skirt will last a good long time and look just as good at the end of the day as in the morning.

The yarn is Valley Yarn Northampton, my favorite worsted weight 100% wool.  The put-up is great and I got this skirt out of 3 skeins; the cost is quite economical to begin with.  It's soft, and pilling is minimal.  The fabric is warm and light and drapes nicely.  The chestnut color, a deep brown, is a great neutral and will be perfect for fall.  Too bad it's nearly spring!  Abstaining from the recent "deal of day" on this yarn was a challenge (I am "cold sheeping").    The buttons are dark wood, a perfect match for the yarn, from G Street.

This skirt fills a hole in my wardrobe, and it was also one of my 2012 WIPocalypse goals!  Though spring is just around the corner, I'm excited to have it done and very happy with the finished product.  Now I have another skirt in mind... Midtown.  Maybe next fall!

WIP Update: Ribbon Trimmed Cardi + Royale

The knitting on my Ribbon Trimmed Cardi was finished in January, but I only recently finished the seaming, which is extensive, and blocked it.  I estimate another 2 hours maybe, for the ribbon and snap application, depending on whether I use my sewing machine or do it all by hand.  I am leaning towards the sewing machine...  Sorry for the dreadful iphone photography.  The color is so off in this, but it's beautiful IRL.  You can see a blurry little peek of my ribbon in the upper left.  It's a purple flower / diamond design on bright white matte.

I'm also working on Royale.  In the beginning, I was speeding along, the pattern has an addicting "just one more row" quality.  After a while, however, I lost steam.  This pattern requires a lot of attention. Pictured is the second sleeve.  All the knitting is done now, but I need to seam and block.  The pieces are knit in the round.  All I really need to do is weave in a few ends and sew in the sleeves, so there's no excuse to drag my feet.  More bad iphone photography- blurry and too bright, but you get the idea. 

March is for finishing!  I'm trying to get these two projects, plus the Carnaby skirt, done by the end of the month so I can count them for the first quarter KAL's.  I'm also working on another project, the Kathryn Margaret shawl for Becky Herrick with a deadline of April 2nd, but I'm hoping to finish way before that.  

2012 WIPocalypse: March Update

Well, the full moon was a few days ago, but here goes...

Project No. 3 - Athena - received many hours of work.  She is stitched on 32 count belfast linen dyed in the "Blue Dynasty" colorway by Silkweaver.  Stitching on this fabric is pure joy.  It's a really fun piece with many different colors, including some Waterlilies silks, and not too much confetti stitching.   I worked up to the top right corner of the chart and across to the horizontal midpoint.  I'd say the cross stitching is about 66% complete, but there will be lots of beading to complete later.  The "before" shot (February 2012):

As of March 10, 2012 (the whole piece, and detail of my latest work):

Project No. 10 - Carnaby - also saw a long evening of attention.  This is a cute skirt knitted in Valley Northampton (100% wool).  After much deliberation, I cut some brown silk habotai into a lining, and installed it along with a grosgrain ribbon as waistband.  Some hand sewing remains, but I"m hoping to finish this by the end of March so I can count it for the first quarter stashdown.   Here's the inside of waistband and lining; also the exterior waist.

For next time, I think I'll work on Woodland Enchantress - a Dimensions Gold cross stitch kit- and my Nespelem cardi, which will be perfect for spring.

Sewing FO: Kindle Case (with Tutorial!)

 

I was the happy recipient of a Kindle Touch wifi on Christmas day, so I decided to sew up a case, using Chica and Jo's tutorial as a starting point.  My case diverges from theirs in a few ways, being thinner, with elastic straps to secure the kindle rather than a pocket, and velcro as closure.

It took a few tries for me to get it just right- good thing it doesn't require much fabric!  The challenging aspect was the straps.  One must consider stretch, seam allowances, screen size, etc.  I finally got it right- as you can see above, the straps pass the gravity test.  The case has been accidentally dropped a few times on a hard floor and the kindle stays put.  My first prototype was made with striped quilting cotton.  It was cute but had a few functionality flaws.  Once I'd made a few decisions re: improvements, I got this faux soft skin silver leather (100% polyurethane). I love my case- it closely securely and cleanly, has a slender profile that fits easily into my bag, and can be comfortably held in one hand while standing and reading on the subway. 

Another nice feature is that it will stand up on its own for a comfortable reading position while propped up on a flat surface.  The faux leather fabric can easily be wiped clean, which is nice since the Kindle goes most everywhere with me, and I often prop it up on the table while I'm eating lunch.  Here's the tutorial, have fun!