knit deez

I'm Getting There - Buttericks 5316 & 5351

2010-06-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

This Calc II class is kicking my butt, so these dresses will remain unfinished for at least a week, but I'm getting there!

This is Butterick 5216, a Fast & Easy Chetta B design. Made in view B size 12 with full lining, the armholes are already problematic. I think I should've made a 10 for the bodice and done a full bust adjustment (FBA). Oh well. Another issue is the pleating in the front waist area; I look poofy. It could be the full lining, but I really think it's the waist being too low (I have a short waist). Next time I'll do a petite adjustment.

I've made this pattern, Butterick's 5351,before in view A. Unfortunately, it was waaaaaay too big in the bodice (I initially cut a 14 since the finished measurements for that size aligned with my own measurements). This time I sized down to a 10 in the bodice and 12 in the skirt. Though it's a little snug in the bust, it's a much better fit than before. I did make a different (easier) view this time, C. And I clearly need to fix the position of the straps.

Simplicity 3835 - Built By Wendy

2010-06-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

But I did the hard labor.

Anyway, a quick and cute shirt, the middle view there. Made in a size 14, I eliminated the back seam (I wasn't going to include a zipper) and nixed the elasticated sleeves.

Fabric Haul - Vogue is Threatening to Bankrupt Me

2010-06-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

So even though my car is out of commission and I'm dealing with some money issues, I still had the audacity to go to Vogue Fabrics for their Super Summer Sale! (Capitalization and punctuation all theirs.) I figure spending a few bucks on some fabric is much more responsible than buying outfits. I figure this way I'll save hundreds. Right? (Right?)

Left: Stretch Cotton Print. Will probably become a sheath or dress with pleated skirt.

Right: Jersey Knit. Will become a simple bat-winged dress.

Left: Cotton Knit. Another simple dress.
Right: Jersey Knit. I love this one and will probably meditate on it a bit.

Left: Linen-like print. Not sure about this one either.
Right: Another gorgeous stretch cotton print. Probably another dress, but I'll minimize the print with a solid bodice.

Left: Cotton Jersey. Not sure.
Right: Gorgeous textured clearance fabric. Only $1.29 a yard! I'm already envisioning a fitted bodice and full skirt. Maybe a petticoat or some gold piping to add some interest. We'll see. Either way, I already have it accessorized:

Anyway, I haven't been completely sedentary. I've pretty much finished three dresses. I just need to hem them and add zippers. There's another that needs sleeves attached, and a final piece that I just cut out:

And just to get some instant gratification, I've made a couple of simple skirts:

Straight skirt with side vent in Alexander Henry's Bird Seed (yellow). Forgive the wrinkling; it's been worn.

Basically an elasticated tube made from a very small amount of Ikea's Majken.

And an unsuccessful tiered skirt from Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom collection.

I'm Back: Summer 2010 Sewing

2010-06-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so while I treat blogging in general like a red-headed stepchild (what's so bad about red hair? anyone know the etymology of this saying?), this blog in particular gets the poorly-dressed, humpbacked stepchild treatment. Sorry! I just have one of those constitutions where things go in cycles--lazy on, lazy off.

Anyway, I'm energized. After getting a shot to my sewing mojo via classes at The Needle Shop, I've been making plans, BIG plans:

Cross Over

2009-11-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

My latest interior decoration attempts at Fat Meat Is Greasy.

Headroom in the Bedroom

2009-08-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

So the inspiration I cited here is slowly making a difference.

I made pillows for my now stained, erected, boxspringed, and mattressed bed. Again, Ikea is fabulous. Cheap cushions for covering.

$1.49 and $2.99, 14"x14" and 20"x20", respectively.

Easily turn those into these.

Reversible with piping

I recommend that finished pillow covers are one-half to one full inch smaller than the measurement of the pillow for a more snug, less baggy look. Also, don't bother with zippers. Just make the back panel about two inches wider, cut in half, fold and hem at the meeting points, and sew front and back panels together at all four sides to make an easily removable cover.

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Also made a dress that I won't wear this season since summer was a selfish ass. Plus, I made it way bigger than I am, so it needs to be taken in and hemmed.

Okay, So This Is Sooo Not a Knitting Blog Anymore

2009-08-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

It's more like my hobby-of-the-moment diary, replete with pictures and good-intentioned but mostly unexecuted plans.

Right now my hobby is decorating my floor of the new apartment. The bathroom's done up in a slightly ridiculous luau/monkey theme, and the bedroom is next.

My inspiration? Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom Collection for Michael Miller. Seriously pretty stuff. I love the whole turquoise and red thing. Mirar.

More Skirts, No News

2009-07-27T20:13:00.001-07:00

My plans to make dresses are falling prey to my laziness. I have, however, cranked out a couple of skirts.

I'm So Official/I Have a Serger!

2009-07-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

It's here, my Brother 1034D 3/4 Thread Serger is here, right here ... in this house. My fellow seamstresses have to know why I'm so excited. I mean, I've been sewing on a Singer from the 50s, so I was in the dark about the strides the home sewing industry had made. I can attach a ruffle to another piece of fabric without gathering it myself? I can have finished seams just like the ones on store-bought clothes? Word?

So yeah, real excited about this despite the serious complexity of this machine.

Also, discovered some gorgeous fabrics online. (I'm telling you, Etsy is the spot for EVERYTHING!) Vogue is cool for well-priced, pretty standard pieces and accessories, and Jo-Ann has a few cute patterns in the quilting section, but if you really want something unique, you have to take it to the internet. Peep my latest purchases.

Check out Fabricworm on Etsy for more fabrics.

And while their fabric selection is a bit too pricey and just okay, Jo-Ann has the best pattern sales anywhere. Now I'm not so much into the whole pattern thing, but when a dress is on the agenda, I need some guidance, preferably guidance for $2.99 or less. No matter when you go, you can count on Jo-Ann offering just that, patterns marked way down--anywhere from $0.99 to $2.99. My latest picks are adorable.

Notice that they're all fast and easy. Mmm hmm.

Nothing To Do With Sewing or Knitting/R.I.P. Mike

2009-06-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

Look, I don't pretend to really know Micheal Jackson, but being a 30-year-old whose earliest musical memories were saturated with his glittery gloves and moonwalk and mega hits, it does feel some kind of way to have an icon this big gone.

I don't know what plagued Mike. I don't know why he chose to live his life as he did. As a result, I can't really speak with any type of authority on his motivations. I do feel safe, however, in saying that he seemed to be plagued by what our Judeo-Christian society usually identifies as "demons." Hell, his life certainly looked painful and lonely from the outside. All I can do is say "skip it" (edited for the children) and prance through this trying life with a beatific smile on my face just because. If I look like Charlie during the denouement of Flowers for Algernon, so be it. I'm not letting this world drive me to an early grave.

So what am I saying? I know my message-y post screams incoherent through the six pack of eisbocks I'm drinking. Well, I suppose I'm saying a little selfishness isn't so bad all the time. And I suppose that if you're a cross-dressing fella with a penchant for shiny black Louboutins, you shouldn't be ashamed of that. I'm a heathen. I don't believe in reboots, reincarnation or heavenly rewards. Enjoy what you can now cuz living for other folks won't make you any happier; it'll just give you a heart attack and allow people you probably don't like to spout some comforting lies at your funeral.

Now, to my musical appreciation. Some of Mike's finest moments. (And yes, I did buy the Invincible album; i got the orange cover, so there! I'm a bigger fan than you.)

"I Can't Help It"

"Baby Be Mine" -- My favorite song by him ever!

"Butterflies"

"Man in the Mirror" Monica and I wrote a parody of this in 5th grade.

"Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" The fam and I used to dance like hell to this 12" in the crib.

"Big Boy" The beginning.

Quick Projects

2009-06-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

You know those convertible dresses? The ones that double as both skirt and dress? I wanted one and didn't want to spend millions on it. So ...

It's much cuter in person, but I can't get it to flare out on the dress form.

Also, I wanted to try my hand at the tiered skirt. They're pretty easy. Use the tutorial here, and you'll be set. (Thanks Chica and Jo.)

Curiously, I had to hit up the quilting department to find such cute prints. I call it my Monica skirt. (There, Monica, is that enough of a plug?)

Chunky and in Need of Gear

2009-06-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yep, your girl's been in the house eating and expanding. Now that it's necessary for me to leave the house AND look presentable, I can no longer rely on the three pairs of jeans that still fit. Nope, I had to hit up the Vogue Fabrics for materials to fashion some funky duds for the chunky. In all, I've done some pretty quick and easy stuff, a circle skirt here, a convertible dress there. My dresses are still in progress, as they require a bit more concentration and effort.

An as yet un-hemmed circle skirt made from what Schmoses called,
"your ugliest fabric yet." Clearly, I disagree.

Another circle skirt from cotton damask. The high waistband allows me
to mask my gut.

The first circle skirt I made this summer.
A bit too short, but I'm sure my need for Spanx will
provide some additional insurance.

This is actually a relic from one or two summers ago.
Originally, it had an elastic waist and no net overlay.
The waist band is much better. If you recall, I was trying to
emulate a Martin Margiela skirt:

I think it worked out well. I may even do another is silk.

All styled and pretty.

So ... yeah ... knitting

2009-01-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

Let's just say I've been on hiatus, a very lazy and unproductive hiatus. It's not that I don't want things and that I don't want to make them, I just don't feel like making them. To help overcome this laziness, I've been easing back with some stylish and quick-to-knit cowls. Check it.

But I Have Been Knitting

2007-09-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I was knitting before I went back to work this past Tuesday. School is in and I'm busy as eff. The Saturday before the holiday, though, I sat in bed and almost knit an entire cardigan; all I needed were sleeves and a collar. Unfortunately, I realized it did not, could not fit once I tried it on. That joint wasn't even trying to pretend to work. It was looking pretty cute too. See:

It's knit from that Rowan Big Wool I got on sale. Good thing I have balls and balls cuz it's gonna take a couple more to actually fit. After I took it apart (and I didn't feel too bad about this; it only took one day's work), it looked like this (and yes, that is an Ebony, so what?):

So, I've started the process all over again. I guess I should note it's Twinkle's Best Friend Cardigan, but I re-wrote the pattern to have raglan sleeves cuz I hate the idea of knitting an entire body and then having to go back to do sleeves. Oh, and I also eliminated the reverse stockinette. I think I like the regular stockinette better. The alterations seem to be working out well. I just need to decide which buttons to use. What do you think?

New FO + New Yarns = Excitement

2007-08-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

My title's terribly corny.

Now that that's out of the way, let us view my latest triumph over boredom. Remember that Stephanie Japel Bold & Bulky Mini Cardi from Fitted Knits? Yeah, well I finally finished it. The knitting of the body took no time. It was the picking up of stitches for the button band and actually finding the right sized buttons that was a problem.

Le Front

Le Back

Knit in Lion Brand Thick N' Quick (Pumpkin [MC] & Cranberry [CC])

I do love the shaping in the back and on the sleeves (sorry, no picture of the sleeves), but there is this terrible extra bulk right above the chest area that bothers me. It's not really noticeable when the cardigan's worn open, so that just may be my solution. Cute item, but I doubt I'll make another one.

New Yarn!!!!!!

As a beginning knitter, I've been awfully fond of Lion Brand's Wool-Ease Thick & Quick because it's aptly named and it's cheap. This is kinda funny, as I learned to knit in a store that carries nothing cheap and my first project was knit in 100% alpaca (that stuff was like 13 bucks a skein, whew!). Well, now that I'm convinced that I know what I'm doing, I'm moving up the scale of economy a bit. I like nice things. Why not pay for them? My recent purchases from Jimmy Bean's Wool and Roxy Yarns are moving me along. I'll be purchasing cashmere yarn in no time.

Good ole Big Wool from Rowan. Before, this stuff was out of my league. I bought Thick N' Quick if I wanted to make Twinkle knits without the Twinkle price, but I came upon a load of this stuff markeddown 50%(thank you Jimmy Bean's) and figured the knitting gods wanted me to have something that isn't mostly acrylic. I bought seven balls of this and plan on making them into the Groovy Sweater Dress. Apparently, this color is being discontinued. Too bad, I think it's quite nice.

This is a brand I hadn't heard of until I found it in the store. This is Limari Multy by Araucania, and I love it. It's a blend of merino wool (soft), alpaca (warm), and silk (smooth), which means, of course, that it feels fantastic. I wanted to make Teva Durhams's Bobble U Neck out of this, but my bobble game is beyond sorry, so this'll probably be in the stash for a minute. There's no way that I'm using $17.00 a skein yarn for any ole mess. No, I must wait. Got this from my not-so-local yarn shop, a place called Knitting Workshop on Lincoln & Webster (right next to the Orange Julius/DQ, on the Lincoln side). If you're in Chicago, definitely go; they have a really nice selection of yarns.

Finally, there's my Cascade Lana Grande in colors I call Cookie Monster and Grouch. The first really is the exact color of Cookie Monster, but Grouch is actually a bit more vibrant (like the color of a perfect lawn). These, too, were on sale at well below their regular price ($3.50 a ball at Roxy Yarns), so I had to get them. These colors are a bit much, so they'll probably end up as vests or striped with something; I don't know.

Plans and More Plans

2007-08-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

So I've finally amassed a list of must-have items from my premier fall knitting magazines.

First up is the Kangaroo Tunic (a Wenlan Chia [Twinkle] design) from Vogue Knitting's 25th Anniversary fall issue. It's pretty much a shopping tunic with a buttoned collar and a kangaroo pocket, and I LOVE IT! I'm working on this now in Lion Brand Thick n' Quick.

From Interweave Knits I've selected another Twinkle pattern, the gorgeous Belle Cardigan. It has a cute little peplum and a v front. I love it.

I've also chosen a Teva Durham design, the Concentric Vest. I know for a fact I will be substituting yarn here; I hope it turns out okay.

There's also the Luna Dress. We all know I started knitting strictly for the sweater dresses; however, this is a maybe. There's still the Groovy Sweater Dress waiting in line.

I went to my LYS (Local Yarn Store), Nina, yesterday and picked up two Rowan magazines. One, entitled Newshapes, features patterns knit exclusively on their Big Wool and Little Big Wool, which means (yay!) big needles and fast finishing. The other is the fall issue, number 42. Unfortunately, their Britishness makes the patterns a little harder to understand than the ones I'm used to. They use different terms and insist on knitting portions of garments separately and seaming them together. I hate seaming, so I'll be taking a chance and re-writing them for simple one piece knitting. Anyway ... from fall issue 42.

Dude, I wish I could find a close up. The pattern on this baby is gawgeous.

A cute little cardigan.

I MUST learn to crochet because this shrug has to be mine.

There was also a dress in the magazine that I can't find a picture of, but I may be embarking on a small-needle project. It's just that darn cute.

From Newshapes (They all are named after spices cuz they got mad flavor yo.)

As you can see I'm going to be hella busy upping my sweater game. Stay tuned, I have new yarn coming in, new buttons to show, and a finshed object to photograph.

What Kind Of Knitter Am I?

2007-08-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Adventurer. You are through those knitting growing pains and feeling more adventurous. You can follow a standard pattern if it's not too complicated and know where to go to get help. Maybe you've started to experiment with different fibers and you might be eyeing a book with a cool technique you've never tried. Perhaps you prefer to stick to other people's patterns but you are trying to challenge yourself more. Regardless of your preference, you are continually trying to grow as a knitter, and as well you should since your non-knitting friends are probably dropping some serious hints, these days.http://marniemaclean.com
Take this quiz!

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Another FO (Finished Object)

2007-08-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't finished my Bold and Bulky Cardi. I'm almost done, though. It's just that the whole picking up stitches and knitting the button band is tedious as all hell, soooooo I decided that I'd make another Shopping Tunic. This time, I made a 2x2 ribbed band at the bottom to prevent it from curling. I thought about adding a kangaroo pocket, but the sweater is bulky enough as it is, so I didn't. It only took a day and some change!

Taa Daa!

Close up

This time I made the medium and it's definitely not as snug, but I'm not sure I'm happy about that. I used 1 and 1/2 skeins of Lion Brand Thick n' Quick in Lemongrass and some brown stuff that I had hanging around (pretty expensive stuff, an alpaca super chunky). I like it. Up next is the Steek Tunic that I never finished.

New Stuff

2007-08-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

So I've all but turned my back on my sewing projects. I've finished a few things, simple things (my skirts). They're okay, but I'm not in love with them. I guess I'll have to step up my skirt-making game.

Skirts

I went from this:

To this:

This is the other completed skirt:

So anyway.

I've decided that pictures of me wearing my finished knitting projects look like soft core porn (see here for proof), so I've decided to make use of my decidedly less offensive mannequin.

First up, another Ballet Tee from Teva Durham's Loop-d-Loop.

I used this yarn:

It's 100% extrafine merino wool from Karabella and feels fantastic. It stretches wonderfully and will probably hold up quite well under machine washing (though I won't chance it). The only thing is that it knit tighter than the cheapo Bernat stuff, so it shows more of my belly than I'd like to reveal to the general public.

Here's the new tee:

And I finally made an item from Twinkle's Big City Knits, which I've had since March or so. I decided to start with something simple, the Shopping Tunic. Because I'm cheap, I did not use Twinkle's yarn but Lion Brand's Thick n Quick. I think this may have affected the fit; it's a bit snug. I striped in Fisherman (cream), taupe, and black. I think I like it.

Close up of turtleneck:

Now, I'm working on Stephanie Japel's Bulky Mini Cardi also in Lion Brand's Thick n' Quick. It's the cardigan in the top row, second from the left or right (why didn't I just say, "the one in the middle"?)

This is what I have so far:

I figure I'll be done with it by next Tuesday or so and will be able to move on to a sweater dress.

Well, that's it for now. Progress must be made.

And I Sew Too

2007-07-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

So, about a week and a half ago, I fished my sewing machine out of the throwaway room and decided to start making cute summer stuff since I'm broke. True to my hoarding behavior, I made several trips to fabric stores and have amassed quite a fabric stash. Of course, my laziness and my inability to finish things will not allow me to complete each and every project I have planned for these gorgeous fabrics, but a girl can dream ... and plan ... and draft with the good-natured intention of actually doing all this work.

Since you may never see finished projects, I thought I'd at least share the materials and plans with you.

Lettuce begin (hardy har)

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1. I saw this gorgeous Martin Margiela skirt on sale at aloha rag the other day and immediately decided that I wanted it.

I almost simultaneously decided that I didn't want to pay 400 bucks for it, so I set out to Vogue Fabrics (that place is like crack, so hard to walk out without spending your life [no offense to those struggling with actual crack addiction]) to find suitable fabrics with which to emulate the look. What I found was pretty cute, and I can't wait to make it.

Next up is a journey through my obsession with loud, colorful "African-inspired" prints.

2.

These (the yellow-based prints, exclude the green one) I hope to turn into a cute halter dress, as shown in this cute little Vogue pattern:

I've actually made some progress on this one, so it will probably be worn. We'll see.

3. The next combo will also be a dress, probably of the strapless variety. Since I'm lazy and get frustrated easily, I'm thinking something super simple, like this (the yellow, strapless one):

This will be the fabric; hopefully, they're not too busy. (I may use a bit of black to break the patterns up.)

And finally a few simple straight skirts. I saw this one:

at Nuvany Nice (great blog and shopping site, check it out), and decided to make a few of these since they're simple, cute, and can be made without a pattern. Mine, of course, will be much longer, probably knee length. My fabrics:

4.

5.

6.

So that's six projects to complete before summer (assuming that I'd like to wear them anytime soon). Barring death, I'm really gonna try to complete these. We'll see.

The Effects of Boredom and Idleness

2007-07-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

Since becoming obsessed with knitting, I've bought a zillion books, one of which was this one:

It's by Teva Durham. One of the projects in this book kept beckoning to me saying, "make me, make me." So, after much procrastination and dilly dallying, I finally made it. This is the original:

And this is mine!

It started as this:

And progressed to this:

Then finally became an actual garment, and it only took two days. I'm making another in pink and gray. Stay tuned for pictures.

I recommend the hell out of this pattern and book. I made the small/medium, and though the book states that the finished chest measurement would be 28 3/4", you must keep in mind that it stretches by virtue of being knit on 15" circular needles. The instructions were very clear (unlike those in Twinkle's Big City Knits [see Knitting The Pain Away]) and is super suitable for beginners. You're essentially just knitting in the round and making a few increases (knitting into the front and back of a stitch). The only marginally unsure moment was when I had to cast on stitches at the end of the row using a single loop method. I figured it out in no time despite having never done it. Trust me, this pattern is gold.

I Haven't Knit a Thing

2007-05-22T16:16:00.000-07:00

There may seriously be a smiting coming on.

Knitting the Pain Away

2007-05-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Or something like that. No, actually I learned how to knit because I had just finished my student teaching assignment and thought I'd be unemployed and idle for some time, so I took up knitting. My goal was to make cool sweater dresses. So far, I've actually completed nothing. Just like anything else, I'm a great beginner, not so much a finisher.

Project #1
This

was supposed to be Stefanie Japel's Better Sweater, as seen here:

However, I'm really not a fan of the cropped look, so I attempted to make it longer through rows and rows of simple garter stitch. Unfortunately, the wide curved front looks weird on my boobies. The whole thing will be scrapped.

Project #2
When I first saw the evening shell from Twinkle by Wenlen, I was in love:

I was doing so well (only a few hours of knitting had yielded the entire body) and had almost finished. Then, I hit the armhole and neck shaping and got lost. That was about three weeks ago, and I still haven't tried to finish.
The front:

The back:

At some point, I'll finish cuz it's just too cute. I must remark on how super soft Twinkle's yarn is despite its thickness. Check out the book,
Twinkle's Big City Knits, because the patterns are gorgeous and despite the misleadingly small bust measurements listed everything stretches, so don't be afraid that some patterns only go up to 30 inches. That 30-inch sweater is actually at least a large.

Project #3
After abandoning my former projects, I decided I'd go for something sleeveless and seasonless. I figured I'd do a brightly colored sweater vest that would easily knit up and could be worn with anything. Enter Teva Durham's Loop-d-Loop.
Check out her website here. The Steek Vest

called out to me. It said, "I'm easy and would look great in watermelon," so I bought some of Caron's Simply Soft Quick, and got on it. Unfortunately, I'm easily distracted and have been too busy to make it beyond this:

At this point, I have to finish something. All these unfinished projects are just not cute, so I vow that I will have a finished something ready to post here by May 26th. If not, I'll smite myself.

New Blog (Blog, Blog, Blog ... )

2007-04-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

I've taken up knitting, my ninnies. It tames the savage beast. A lot of you don't know that I have a lot of anger. It makes me say mean things sometimes. So, yeah, I'm knitting now. Just another step in the octogenarian spinster direction.

I'll be profiling my works in progress and my finished works. Chances are, there will be more of the former than the latter. If any of you other knitter (or crocheters) find your way to my blog, fraternize with me. Let us discuss our love of nice yarns and pretty sweater dress (mmm ... sweater dresses). Join me as I knit deez.