laying low...

is anyone else getting their a$$ handed to them this allergy season?! ugh.

apparently i'm not the only one who is feeling extra sensitive to the excess pollen and other allergens floating around at higher levels. i was wiped out the earlier part of the week... feeling sluggish, achy, almost feeling like i was getting sick. and then there is that feeling of being out of sorts and in a fog from pressure in my sinus cavities. then i realized, it's been mad windy and i've been outside like a moron appreciating nature's wonders: all the trees and plants on the hillside in full bloom and all the birds and butterflies stopping by for a visit, all the while inhaling all kinds of gunk that has been flying around in the air... perfect recipe for a sinus infection! i never learn. what can i say, i'm a sucker for spring.

------- weekly wrap-up/finished object(s) current projects -------

on/off the needles
still working on my socks. i'm on repeat 8 out of 10. these make for good celebrity apprentice knitting! the pattern is really lovely and i love how impressed non-knitters are with it. there were lots of "oohs" and "ahs" this past mother's day weekend. both my parents were like "wow, you did that?" just totally impressed. i love that. after i finished my fiber show-and-tell and shared the time frame some of my projects take (i'm at a little over a year on my first sweater!), my dad made an interesting observation. he said something to the effect of, "for someone so impatient, it's amazing that you have the patience to work on this stuff for as long as you do."

well... it is a labor of love. and this type of thing doesn't annoy me. i'm working on it alone, with no deadline other than ones i may set myself, and it's no one's fault but my own if i screw something up. i accept everything that comes along w/ the territory of handmade, the good and the bad. i guess this goes back to when i first really got into sewing over a decade ago. i quickly realized that preparation was as important, if not more than the final product, and i learned the importance of measuring twice, cutting once. i also learned that when you are stressed out you are more likely to make a mistake that you make not be able to fix (this speaks specifically to cutting fabric). so i don't sew when i'm upset. last, my hobbies are extracurricular activities for me. they are a way for me to get out pent up creative energy, what i do to relax and i enjoy the entire process from start to finish, despite my complaints. if at any point they are not relaxing to me, i will stop doing them. life is too short to allow oneself to be beat up by a hobby!

so in addition to working on my sock, i also started the lauren sweater. it's a quick knit so far... well, when i am knitting. i spent about 2 hrs yesterday ripping back about 9 rows because apparently, i still do NOT know how to read and follow patterns *sigh* i totally missed the mark on making the first cable. i may have been a little caught up on how quickly knitting goes when you are using larger needles and thicker yarn! or it could've been how totally distracted i was as i was knitting this during knit night :D typical. i knit like the wind on knit night, and spend the next day ripping back and fixing mistakes hahahhaaaa!

 

i decided this time around i would not yank my needles out of my project, rip back to the correct area and fumble aimlessly to pick up each live stitch, but i'd try to stick the needles where the section was correct and then rip it back to where my needles were and continue the pattern. well... that didn't work and what a p.i.t.a.! there is a reason why i don't do this. so i went back to the tried and true method (of fumbling aimlessly) and got back on track in a fraction of the time. lesson learned again. sometimes it's best to stick with what you know! every moment, does not need to be a teachable one!

on/off the spinning wheel
finished my first traditional 3-ply. i'm saying "traditional" for the often smug technical folks out there who are quick to be condescending and ask "did you navajo-ply?" to which i would reply, no jerkface that's why i said TRADITIONAL 3-PLY *side eye* traditional 3-ply = three strands plied together. that's what it is! and here are 4 snapshots of the wrap-up below.

on/off the sewing machine  
don't get too excited. but finally i am motivated. this is what i'm thinking about right now...

funny, all the blue sketches on the patterns are the items i am planning to work on. of course i'll do some tweaking here and there to get a custom fit, but it's easier to do this w/ a base. and less time consuming than me finishing my block! and even funnier... all the fabric i have set aside, of course, is blue! *sigh* i need more color in my life! hahhaaaa

i've been hanging out on the burda style website all week, filling my mind up with inspiration. and boy is there lots of inspiration on this site! there are so many talented people out there and i love to see what gets uploaded each week. i frequent this site, as well as the colette patterns site and flickr regularly. i probably spend more time add items to my favorite list then making them... but in due time.

 ------- odds & ends  -------

what i love this week/who's inspiring me
i've been getting the crap scared out of me this week. i like to knit outdoors in full sun and part sun when the weather permits. it's a great way to recharge. i'm solar-powered, remember? the past couple of days, the strangest sounds have been coming from the neighbor's palm tree, and when i'm zoning out on knitting, these sounds scare the bejezus out of me! i'm usually on edge when i'm outside anyway, because there are all kinds of weird noises and strange activities going on around me (probably why i seldom get tons of knitting done outside because i'm easily distracted!) - hummingbirds scaring the crap out of me because they sound like large flying bugs, birds dive bombing me because i'm in my backyard but too close to their nests, my dogs making snorting noises as they are sniffing out vermin that have scurried under the deck for safety, lizards shuffling across the top of our fence.... anyway, today my newest visitors decided to show themselves. and this whole time they have been watching my every move. and now it's me watching them, watching me. is that a lyric to an awesome song? can't remember.

barn owls. aren't they lovely? so peaceful. so mysterious. and the best free vermin control (aside from mini schnauzers) a person could have. i have half a mind to climb up that palm tree and deliver both owls the biggest, eyeball popping out of the sockets, gasping for their last breath, smooshy hugs ever!

i'll be good and resist the urge, and just admire them from the distance. honestly, they kind of spook me out a bit. i can't stand being watched. it feels like an invasion of privacy. who knows how long they will stay... i know there are good eats on the hillside and in the backyard. on the wiki link, i love this note: "Contrary to what is sometimes assumed, the Barn Owl does not eat domestic animals on any sort of regular basis; it might snatch a young chicken or guinea pig once or twice in its life, if at all." good to know. and you know it crossed my mind ;) i'll be the first to admit i should brush up on my bird knowledge, but damn, we can't be experts on everything! my mom and i were joking about riley being picked up as an early thanksgiving meal, dangling from the talons of these 2 owls, because you know it'd be a team effort to pluck her up from the yard! now i can rest easy knowing that my small dogs will be safe hanging out outside.

on another note... the backyard is doing really well. the ice plant is really starting to take off after 2-3 weeks of babysitting and deep watering. it's about 2-3x it's original size and getting ready to spread. the bell peppers, which were about 4" tall in the beginning, are now a foot tall. the tomatoes are also doing really well in their pots, almost quadrupling in size from 2 weeks ago, with lots of blooms, and for this i have the bees to thank. it's sad that some people really don't understand the importance of bees and don't work harder to protect their habitats and provide them with a safe environment to thrive in *sigh* well... at least some of them have my yard :)

 

this is why we seldom hedge our wall of privet in the backyard during spring. [you love how i'm acting like it's all about the bees? :D] it allows this shrub to bloom to full capacity and in addition to how nice the blooms smell - very soft and sweet - the bonus is that the bees can hang out and collect pollen to their heart's desire and we benefit from their visits to our plants regularly and in turn we get an abundance of plants throughout the year. of course, all the blooms (and pollen!) are an allergy/sinusitis-sufferers nightmare. i mean... there is pollen everywhere! and it has been windy as hell too! whoooo! needless to say, i spent the earlier part of the week with my 3 best friends around this time of year - neti pot, steam and hot compress!

  

websites/blogs  
bringing it back to sewing... here are 2 of my most frequented sites for all things sewing: colette and burda

and my head is feeling like i'm underwater again, thanks to my earlier photo session of owls and bees, so i'm going to chillax now and get some knitting in :)

until next time...

rainy days/boosting productivity

greetings to all on this cold, wet weekend in southern california!
it is a whopping 45° here (38° by the time i'm in bed) and i'm bundled up in layers trying to stay warm. i look like the stay-puft marshmellow man. you know you like that visual.

i knew the good weather wasn't going to last too long. it is in fact still winter! even when it was sunny for the past couple of weeks, it was still nice and chilly outside. one of the nice things about the rain (besides not having to water the plants outside, the free car rinse, and the good sleep it gives you) is how it makes it so much more inviting to cuddle up with a nice hot cuppa and a great book (or book of word puzzles!) and/or jump into a project that you have been putting off.

***quick side bar: i'm finally attempting a "format" on this blog. hopefully it will be a little easier to read and follow. mostly, it should keep me a little more focused as all i'll have to do is just plug in my updates. no this isn't going to make my posts shorter! *side eye*

so, onto the first new section...
week[end] wrap-up/finished object(s):

holy bat wings, a sock! 

awkward foot shot. no pain, no gain!

and i'm on my way with the second sock! i will not be plagued by the dreaded "second sock syndrome" that so many sock knitters discuss ad naseum on many o' online forums. i'm currently 1/2 way through the cuff of the second sock; great dvr catch-up project! for the record, the color of the sock is closer to the top picture. you know i don't know how to use my camera ;)

current projects:
broken down by hobby. how clever ;)

on the needles...
check the side bar!

still plugging along on my first sweater, the panelled effect lady's jumper from a stitch in time, knitting and crochet patterns, 1920-1949 vol. 1. this book is now available on amazon us (don't know when this happened!) but i got mine on amazon uk because i couldn't wait. imagine where i'd be on this sweater if i waited! *gasp* so i'm on the last repeat on the sweater (for real this time) before i start decreasing to make the top portion of the sweater (including the neckline). once the top portion is done, then i'll just have the sleeves to knit up and then seam it all together! can't wait to see that finish line.

other items that are still in rotation: second pair of socks, slouchy hat, jr's xmas hat, and knitted donuts for a friend :) i rotate heavily because some of these projects hurt my hands a little more than others. ok... partly. some of the projects are absolutely mind-numbing to say the least, so having at least 3-5 projects in progress at all times is a must to keep the sanity things fresh!

on/off the spinning wheel:
yay! an update. below, the evolution of fiber in 4 shots.

from this...







to this!!!

blarney yarns: 60% merino/20% silk/20% yak

the above fiber is from blarney yarn in the colorway "chianti". each bobbin came out to 1.1 oz which I don't understand at all (considering I started out with 2 oz of fiber?!), but it is what it is. what, was I shedding or something while I was spinning? did i end up grabbing some dog hair? i'm just not understanding that, sorry. anyway, both bobbins have "rested" and are ready to ply together. 

This roving was a total dream to spin. I really, really, really enjoyed how smooth it was in my hands and how easy it was to draft. very nicely dyed with subtle shades of maroon, chocolate brown and creamy beige and very nicely prepared. the silky beige parts were the best - drafted like buttah!

on the sewing machine:
as i mentioned, rainy days have the ability to revive old projects. so as i was digging through the sewing graveyard (the basket that sits next to my machine where i bury works temporarily on hold) i managed to pull out 2 projects and got inspired to start a new one. the 2 old projects are jackets for the dogs that were already prepped and ready to go. i guess my eyes got crossed with all the instructions, so i instantly lost interest. but, the time is perfect on these little jackets. all the cool dogs at the dog park are sporting their winter attire and i will not allow my dogs to be shown up! what kind of pet parent would i be?! the coats will be made out of a soft mystery fabric that has a tiny houndstooth pattern on it (how appropriate) and will have a cream faux sherpa lining. there is also a little patch pocket on back of the jacket; perfect size to stick in a couple poop bags! i hope to have photos of this soon to share. finished photos, that is ;)

odds & ends:
stash enhancement (aka more of the good clutter)...

isn't this lovely?

my valentine's day surprise. well, there were a few v-day surprises, but the timing of my first shipment from the february sweetgeorgia yarns fibre club could not be more perfect! this is my first year EVER doing a fiber club, but I was really in love with all the beautiful colors that I've seen produced by sweetgeorgia. check out the site and feel free to drool. one of the main reasons i decided to sign up for a fibre club was to try new fiber and try interesting colorways that i would probably never pick out on my own. the colorway above is a great example. for those that know me, you know i don't wear the above colors. until now! ;) i think it's a great, fun way to introduce a little more color into my wardrobe. my hope is that i can get enough yardage to make a pair of socks out of this. come on, baby steps... ;)

the above fibery goodness is 75% bluefaced leicester and 25% tussah silk in the colorway "sticky jam" which is described as "bruised berries and purple grapes." and now, i'm officially hungry (again).

over the weekend, i acquired two new sock yarns...
the hubby took me on an impromptu yarn crawl :) this is why i got married. he's so thoughtful. anyway, we visited 3 shops in a record 2 hrs (including travel time) and also visited a very charming garden that was in the area. i took a gazillion photos of our visit, so feel free to check the blog and leave a comment. there is also an accompanying flickr photoset for the garden with a few more descriptions.

madelinetosh sock in "maple leaf"

malabrigo sock in "candombe"

i already have a project in mind for the madelinetosh yarn, but i told myself i can't start it until i finish that second sock! i'll give you a hint though... the pattern is from the book knitting vintage socks by nancy bush!

and last, but certainly not least (although i nearly spaced on this), i scooped up on thing!

 corgi hill farm merino/bombyx silk!!!

this is my color right here! these photos do not do these colors justice, trust. this is 50% merino and 50% bombyx silk (not a typo). this colorways is called "gin fizz" and it's a mix of turquoise blues which blend into peridot greens. and it's a 50/50 blend! i don't know if i'll be able to handle it! gorgeous colors per usual, i've come to expect nothing less from corgi hill farm. this is probably close to my 5th purchase from this vendor... excellent service, fast and free domestic shipping (love!), beautiful, saturated colorways, free samples (love!!), and candies with each purchase (love!!!). damn i love me some good freebies! seriously, i love when a business kicks the customers down with the extra love, it makes supporting them that much easier. it's nice to feel appreciated :) the shop is here! please don't give me too much competition.

i'm really wanting this to be a shawl in 2-ply... i'm saving this for after i spin up the sweetgeorgia. discipline!

what i love this week/who's inspiring me/helpful links:
this is the last section which is going to be dedicated to sharing links to websites/blogs, flickr photos, books i'm using, youtube tutorials, really anything that i found helpful during the week (or from the past). i'm learning a lot with each project, especially with my knitting and spinning since i'm new to both. a little over 2 yrs on the knitting and 7 months on the spinning. the learning never ends. and as always, i'm so glad to share and pass along any information that i've found helpful! sharing is caring, right? :D

since i'm already in this blog over an hour now (and this chair is killing me softly), i'm going to cut my losses, and hook you up with links on the next post. but for now, i have some dvr and socks to catch up on! until next time!

2010 [long-winded] Wrap-Up

It's been a few months. Sorry for the few month hiatus!
So lets dive right in... grab some snacks cause this is a long one. 

Apologies in advance to any grammar sticklers out there for any typos/run-ons/incomplete thoughts... you know, the kind of stuff you expect from my blogs! Hahahaaaa Oh, lighten up, geez!

[sewing]

2010 was not a particularly productive year in terms of sewing. I really wanted it to be, but you know how it goes. As you might remember, I started the beginning stages of my own personal block (pattern), in hopes that eventually I would get around to making myself some clothing this year, but I ran into a few snafus regarding fit (around my bust!). I'm on draft #3, and this feels like it's the one, but this is something I'm never too sure about. Next year, I will finish the 3rd draft and if it works, I will be on my way to a new wardrobe!

Besides my own wardrobe enhancement, I'd also like to work on sewing some organizational items (read that as quick, non-commitment type projects) like storage cases for all my knitting needles and accessories that are all over the place. 

This brings me to the latest (holiday) fabric stash enhancement, brought to me, courtesy of my thoughtful husband who finally got the hint after all my yearlong complaining about not having enough cute fabric to make projects from the "I Heart Patchwork" book. Complain enough, and you shall receive!

Hubster also picked me up a copy of "The Practical Guide to Patchwork"  Which I LOVE!!! Looks like I can't complain now... must get busy next year on cute projects!

This is one of the projects from the "I Heart Patchwork" book that I was able to complete this year. It was part of a holiday gift swap that my knitting group has every year. I thought it would make a nice little project bag. Because the weather was funky, I was unable to get a picture of what the bag looked like out of the pouch, but just imagine a small cloth grocery bag, with striped handles, that folds up into its own pouch, and I'm sure you wouldn't be far off.

[crocheting]

That one thing I was working on... you know, that blanket that I started at the end of '08 because it was so cold in the house? Yeah... it's still there. I got an electric blanket in the meantime. I'll get around to seaming this blanket... eventually :D Damn you seaming!!!

Some finished stacks of crocheted granny squares... ugh!

[knitting]

My knitting definitely took a turn for the best! The old saying is true: Practice makes perfect :)

I completed (2) pairs of fingerless gloves, (1) toy, (3) hats (which included one for myself that FITS which was made from re-purposed yarn from another hat that I didn't like) [see photo below], (1) shawl (that I managed to knit about 3 times!). I learned a new technique with each project (and a lot more patience) which was a goal I set for myself at the beginning of the year. 

 [knitting highlights] 

 A successful year of hats (and a cute bunny for good measure)!

 This hat was the biggest sigh of relief this year... 

The dreaded "Jacques Cousteau Hat" which I knit (no exaggeration) 4x at various times throughout '09 and '10! Third time was a charm, and I proceeded to end the year out by knitting one more as a xmas gift for my dad :) Masochist, much?

Another Christmas gift - the "Saroyan" shawl for my mom.

 

And yeah... there is a story here. There is always a story, right? Well... basically I knit this [damn] shawl about 3x. See a pattern here? It takes about 3x before something actually works out properly for me! Whether it's me misreading a pattern, or tripping up on a new technique, or me needing to go down a needle size or 2 because I'm not liking how an item is knitting up/loose knitting, it's always something. I don't even get mad about it anymore, it's just something that I've accepted as coming along with the territory. 

 

Anyway... the original pattern I attempted was called the "Cedar Leaf Shawlette." The pattern I actually completed is called "Saroyan." Both patterns are the "same" in the fact that both finished shawls look almost identical once completed. The only visible difference is the way the stockinette stitch is positioned on the body of the shawl - horizontal (left-to-right) on the CL and vertical on the Saroyan. The construction is also much different on the latter. And by different, I mean easier! Easier for me, at least. ;)

 

The CL uses short row shaping to create a gentle curve along the body of the shawl (so it fits nice and smooth over the shoulders), and then you pick up stitches around the edge of the body and knit the leaf border onto it; the Saroyan uses increases and decreases for it's shaping and uses a series of increases and decreases to create the leaf border, but it's done in one swoop. No picking up edge stitches! I was so committed to the CL, I really didn't want the pattern to defeat me, but it did. Ugh. Lesson learned. I should have known better when I had to cast-on over 100 sts (twice, might I add) for the CL that it was going to give me heartache! I worked on the CL way too many hours. On the flipside, I finished the Saroyan in about 3 days which was about 9 hrs total (including blocking) without focus. Just picked it up while watching various tv shows (Young & the Restless, anyone?). This is a pattern I will absolutely do again. My only change would be to make the body much larger. Instead of the 10 leaves shown in the pattern, I would probably do almost twice as many (depending on how much yarn I had) so I could really wrap the shawl around like a scarf and have it really drapey. The yarn I used for this project is Malabrigo Silky Merino in the Purple Mystery colorway. Very, very pretty. The pattern ate up a skein and a touch of new skein. Wish I would've made it longer... oh well.

Another win was this fabulous specimen of Malabrigo Worsted with the color name of "VAA" or what I'd like to call "very amazingly awesome" which is a mixture of beautiful, deep teal blues/greens.

The skein went from this...

To this...

And then to this - A cute little cloche :)

You may call this determination, and it is. My husband just calls it being Kim (neurotic). I'm not neurotic, I just like to do things right, even if it takes me a few tries. This is how we get better, no? I did have to make a few minor adjustments on this hat, to fit my wild woman hair into it. I picked up a ton more stitches (I think 114 total) and then had to recalculate the decrease rows (which was a pain), but it worked out! Ok, I'm not even going to front, I had my husband figure that mess out cause I just didn't want to be bothered. I showed him the original and broke down what I wanted/didn't want and let him plug it into an Excel spreadsheet, and boom, magic! The hat is still "puffy" but not slouchy. And because I knit on US 5 needles the fabric is a lot stiffer and less drapey then it would have been if I used size 7 needles. So more warm (hopefully) and less pilling (please?). Time will tell. I will say... I have worn this hat at least 5x since I made it... so in my book that is successful!

Oh, and the bunny...

This little guy was just in time to meet it's new recipient who was born in September :) What a fun project.

Mr. Bunny. So cute :D

Next year I will have realistic knitting goals. In 2010, I really wanted to push myself, so I set high goals like "knit 4 sweaters" but the reality here is, if this was a goal I wanted to accomplish, and I actually had experience making sweaters, things would've worked out much better! But I have not made any sweaters and I have an affinity towards finer gauged yarn, retro styles that are typically done in finer gauged yarn, and hard to memorize patterns! So, I probably should've known how this resolution was going to go! You live, you learn, right? Anyway... my sweater is almost there. I was on a roll before I got caught up in holiday knitting, but more than likely, this will be something that gets finished up in the earlier part of the year, rather than the last week of the year. Luckily, I'm still in love with the pattern and the color, so I know that once it's done, I will love it and cherish it (if it fits)!

Speaking of my sweater, here's a little refresher on what it's turning out to be...

 From this itty bitty thing earlier in the year...

 To this piece that is a little bigger, by the end of the year...!

Talk about progress ;) 

It should be done by the early part of next year. This picture was taken towards the end of Summer... so my future sweater is actually a touch larger than it is in the picture above, and the color from the first photo is more true to what the yarn looks like. I'm at repeat 11 on the body out of 12, after round 12 I work on the chest decreases and then the sleeves. Final step is seaming it all up and blocking! Whoo hoo! The end is almost near! Sheesh.

BUT, since I am a planner... I will say that I'd like to do another sweater (or 2) in 2011 as well as a number of hats for myself! Sweater or two, because I already purchased the yarn and patterns months ago for said items. The sweater patterns these times are clean, simple, and on worsted weight yarn ;) Emphasis was put on "myself" because I've been knitting stuff for everyone else since I started knitting at the end of '08, and now that I'm better ;) it's time to reap the benefits of all that practice! Ok, that's my 2011 resolution. Be more selfish with my knitting!

[spinning]

I've spun 3 skeins so far since acquiring my new buddy Renaissance for my birthday. Well... one still needs to be plied, but I'm still counting it as I plan on having it plied this week! With each try, my spinning is looking better (thank God!!!). Talk about a relatively short learning curve. I'm not one to follow technique much, so I'm just doing what feels right, and if what I'm doing looks okay, I keep doing it. I definitely want to condition myself to work more on my technique and learn more about the wheel mechanics. My approach has always been if it looks like yarn then does it really matter what I did to achieve it? But yeah... it kind of does. The more I know, the better and more efficient I will be at producing the yarn I really want for specific projects.  

[fiber highlights]

aka... 3's a charm!!!

 This soft, fluffy Polwarth... [above]

Became this lumpy/bumpy skein of thick and thin mess :\ Ugh!!!

This luscious, black BFL... [above]

 

Became this, pretty good looking skein! :D

And here is the last item that will be completed before the year is out (better hurry!).

It's already off the wheel and very well rested. Just needs to be plied.

This is merino that I purchased earlier in the year. It will be plied and is more than likely DK weight (what, are you surprised?), and will possibly be made into a shawl/neckerchief depending on how much yardage I have. If it's too much teal (is there such a thing?) then I may just mix it with something else... who knows.

Next year I want to spin the fancier (more expensive) stuff from my fiber stash which I was competely intimidated to use because I'm still a newbie at this spinning thing. I didn't want to mess my fiber up, or waste it, especially considering that a lot of the vendors tend to do one-off colorways. I'm continuing to enhance my fiber stash (love Etsy!!!) with lovely colors that I would never dream of wearing in real life... that would mean, anything that is a color. But I've realized, I'm not one for spinning with the "natural" colored stuff. I was much happier the 3rd try when I moved to teal. Spun 4 ounces while watching season 1, disc 5 of "Brothers and Sisters."

Quick side bar regarding black... I'm an all black, all day, everyday kind of person. Not goth at all, I just usually default to black. I occasionally step outside the norm and toss on a colored t-shirt (usually a dark color), but my hope is that through my hobbies, I will branch out and enjoy the rest of the color spectrum. It is working, because I actually can't stand knitting with black at all! I only really enjoy knitting (and spinning) with the vibrant, saturated colors. I will always love black. I won't use the "it's utilitarian" reason, although it is. Honestly, It's easy, always looks sleek and polished, and allows me to get dressed quickly without having to worry about matching! So anyway... what was I talking about?!

[teachable moments]

Last, least, all that good stuff. Ok... so what have a learned? In short, I've learned a lot.

I learned that there is a color I prefer almost as much as black (is it possible?!)... and that color is teal. If you are on Ravelry and you look at all my stash (fiber and yarn) that I have recently acquired, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. It may be seasonal. Around the holiday season, our palette changes, and suddenly there is an over-infiltration of jewel tones in the market place, so more than likely, I'm just vibing off this. Around this time, I also tend to like anything in rust tones... similar to the changing Fall leaves. I love these colors. During the Spring/Summer... I don't know... nevermind, maybe it's not seasonal for me :D I like jewel tones year-round, and I'm always like, why is there no copper available! Where is all the teal?! Ooh, a black t-shirt! :D

Regarding stash... I'm learning that I prefer not to use singles to knit with. Plied yarn is the way to go for me. Unfortunately, that means after I use up what I have (which is at least 15 skeins), I more than likely won't purchase anymore Malabrigo Worsted or Silky Merino. I know, I know... it gives me the sads too, but the pill factor drives me up the wall. I feel like singles just aren't as durable as I really want them to be, and I like to knit items that I know are going to wear well, considering how much time it takes to make them! BUT thank you Malabrigo for introducing your new Rios line :D Best of both worlds, worsted, plied and superwash! My next sweater will be out of this. More on that later ;)

And, last, regarding stash... I'm finally at the point where I've settled on what type of yarn I prefer to work with (DK) and that helped me significantly when I went through all my yarn bins and de-stashed. I was able to get rid of 1 large bin of yarn, and another large garbage bag of yarn that I donated to a thrift store. I vow to only buy yarn in colors I absolutely love, to knit from my stash as much as possible, but to also allow a splurge every now in then if I have a specific project in mind for it! I think that's totally reasonable.

Oh... last word...
Under each photo, I've linked each project to their respective page on my Ravelry project page. All the handspun is there too if you'd like more info on that. No links, because... yeah, I'm tired!

So... until then, I wish you all a very happy, healthy, productive new year!

The best is yet to come :)

I'm still standing...

Yeah, yeah, yeah...
I didn't forget about that little patternmaking project that I was working on eons ago. It's still there. On my drafting table. Totally out of site :)

Here are some updates...
I'm on part 3 of the muslin-making process - making the 3rd muslin and praying it fits! Three's a charm, right?

I've done 2 fittings so far, each producing more work after it was all said and done. These are not the kind of weekend projects I typically go for. It's supposed to be stress-relieving, not stress-inducing! I'm not sure what's going on, but it was like I was doing alterations on a garment 2 sizes too large. I've been pinching out fabric like crazy, and the excess fabric still keeps coming. Where it's coming from, I have no clue! Honestly, it's probably still the leftover bust adjustment from the first draft. But I refuse to be defeated!!!

Anywho... I've ignored this project for a couple of months now, and this week, I plan to wrap it up, so I can move on to other things! The weather has been all over the place, and I'd like to have a few garments done by the end of the year. Wishful thinking maybe... but I have to set a goal for myself or I'll never get anything done!

More to come...

So far, so good... kind of.

I made it to the next level. Now onto step two!
[Sorry in advance for typos/grammar probs. I'm friggin exhausted!!! Patternmaking is no joke!]

Step Two - Developing the Block -

I don't want to spend a lot of time detailing patternmaking. I know it's not for everyone, which means this post will probably bore many to tears. Feel free to ask questions along the way though if you'd like. I'll do the best I can to answer. I'm giving myself a bit of a refresher course at all this as well, so we'll re-learn together.

Really quick, let me explain what a block is. A block is an original pattern (minus seam allowances) which is used to develop all other patterns. A complete block includes (but is not limited to) a bodice (front and back) and a skirt (front and back). Only one side is made (typically the right side), and you'll cut 2 of that piece or cut one  on the fold (fabric is doubled, folded at the center front (CF) or center back (CB)). From these basics blocks, you can manipulate them into just about anything your mind can imagine.

Here is draft one of my bodice (remember "we" only do 1/2 the body): [paper does not photograph well!]

Ok, so everything looks good on paper. It always does. But before I cut my pattern onto muslin, I had to make an extra adjustment - a bust adjustment. This is the part I've been dreading. I tried to put it off for a few days because I knew it would be drama... but, it wasn't too bad. I followed the bust adjustment below:

And again, it always looks soooo easy on paper. Just a little nip here, and a little tuck there, just follow the formula and it's all good, right? Wrong. It's never that simple (for me).


So here is my adjustment. It was a little wonky at first, as I slashed and spread in the wrong direction : | In my defense, I had total pattern overload when I was doing this, and I should've stopped once I felt the drowsiness coming on, but of course, in typical me fashion, I kept going until it was done! What a massive dart! :O

So, everything looks good on paper... but the reality is, I have to put it on muslin and test it *sigh* So here that is.

And again, the above muslin is only 1/2 of me for right now.
The next round will be a full mock-up which will look like a top (that ends right at the waistline).

And here that is - a view from the side front, and back:

I skipped the photos of the non-marked up muslin, because it was HUGE. Seriously overshot.

Even with the minor "tucks" made above, you can see it's still hella bunchy. Again, paper is one thing; 3-d is a whole other monster. There are all these ridges/hills/mountains, etc that need to be accommodated. When I took my measurements I tried to be as accurate as possible, and I had the d.h. re-check most of the measurements, but of course, there is always room for error. I re-checked measurements again while I tried on the muslin (the d.h. helped, took the above blurry photos lol, as well as did his best to pinch in my back adjustments - what a trooper!) and the #'s were still pretty spot on after the adjustments, so I think all the extra fabric came from the bust modification. Something didn't quite work out right on that lol. We overshot my waistline, which is why you see me wearing the tape. I just grabbed whatever was around for that. That tape will be my new waistline, so all the fabric below that will be trimmed off.

So to sum it up, what you are seeing above is additional adjustments (pinching out the excess fabric) and red lines which should help smooth out the final mock-up, fix my armhole and neckline. The key is getting a well-fitting bodice without it being too tight. My bodice has about 1/4" ease all around which felt relatively comfy, but I still tried to make it fairly snug around the bust area. I stretched and flexed as much as possible while wearing the muslin, paying close attention to how the back of the bodice felt. I do love tailored clothing, but I love breathing just a bit more ;)

Now here's the thing... I've never done this before on myself. I've done this on mannequins (easy!) and on other people before (not too painful), but NEVER on myself. This was a very trying process. I mean, I drafted the damn thing up after spending a fairly decent amount of time on just measuring alone, and then I spent another hour or 2 (or 3) translating the measurements and hoping and praying that they would work out on paper and they did, kind of hahahaaa But my reality check was sewing it up, per usual. I know I will end up sewing at least one more muslin before it is just right (yes, I'm one of those people), but that's why I took extra time with this step, pinching out fabric to make sure it was as close as possible.

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My next step is to take these adjustments, re-draft them on paper, and cut/fit another muslin. I will also re-work my darts in the front and back to make sure they are symmetrical and look good aesthetically. After the bodice is done, I will work on the skirt. I was going to cheat and use the skirt block from my last patternmaking class, but I felt guilty and decided to just do the whole thing myself.

Once all the adjustments are made, if everything works out correctly, then the paper pattern can be put on a harder/stiffer paper. I think it's manila paper, but I'm not quite sure. Anyway, that hard pattern is the final block, and that will be used to make everything else. I can't wait till I'm there!!! I want some clothing STAT! I'm having a good time though. This whole process is pretty exciting :D I'm totally dorking out over here on this!

So until next time!

Pattern #2, or more prattle... you decide.

Second assignment - Shirt
I'm just gonna toss this out there...
I have a tumultuous relationship with making shirts.

They feel tedious and monotonous to me... there are so many friggin' pieces that you have to remember to make, and of course, there is so much double and triple checking or 'trueing/truing' that you have to do to make sure the pieces fit together. Not to mention all the possible lumps and bumps that you have to remember to adjust when you are fitting - that is, unless your chest and back are the same (if you are 13!). And don't get me started on sleeves.

The finished product, if it works, makes me warm and fuzzy for a hot minute, but then I remember all the drama it took to get to that point, and I start hating shirts all over again. Same goes for pants.

So for our final project, being obtuse as hell, I picked the red one to duplicate because it's got lots of stress-inducing nonsense beautiful details on it:



The image is from an old Glamour magazine (I think Fall '07 or '08) and the dress is Gucci. Actually, both dress are Gucci.

I'm gonna skip showing you the pattern on this one.
Who cares anyway?! We want to see the end result! It's the American way!!!

Here's the muslin... (which I should've ironed)
Tweaked just a bit from the above image - same pleated front but wider pleats, tweaked collar, omitted the ruffles/pleats within the collar (I'm a masochist... but not THAT crazy), widened the placket, added additional fullness in the puffed/gathered sleeve and a similar yoke. The back has pleats and a yoke as well (was that redundant?).

 

Because I get really nitpicky *cough((anal))cough* when things I've made sit in front of me too long, I had to tuck this away after my teacher saw it and approved it. She liked it more than I did, but that's how it always is for me.

But I will STILL be making a few 'minor' corrections to the pattern. For sure on the sleeve, it's just too much/too big, even for me ;) When I tried the muslin on, it reminded me of a leg of mutton. That's totally NOT the look I was going for. And the collar/placket area is kind of [really] bugging me... I really want to extend the collar all the way to the waist and just add buttons or hooks to the bottom portion of it and belt it (like in the original picture), but I know in my head at least, that it won't lay right. And I'll get docked for not having both elements... like I care!? ;) I also have to remember, if it comes out ok, that I will probably wear it [in the privacy of my home, of course ;)]... so I have to pull back in the modesty department ;) I keeps it PG-13.

I'll be working on this, this week(among what feels like 300 other things) in a lightweight cotton fabric as it's due on Friday. And of course, I'll post pictures of it when it's finished [3 months after the fact].

PCC Fashion Revisited...

I wanted to post this earlier... but I got sidetracked.

Anyway... Here are a few snippets from some of my Junior College projects that were done somewhere between 1998-2002...

I was (and still am) interested in Costume Design...
So this particular project was from a class I picked for my elective. This is still one of my favorite projects!

Historic Costume:
There is very little machine work on this jacket. The majority of the jacket was done by hand, which makes it that much more special. I used a different mannequin so I had a little trouble fitting this on my mannequin, but you get the idea. We ran out of time as this project took a bit more time than anticipated (as usual), but there was an option to make a ridiculously large gathered skirt to accompany it. It required a ridiculous amount of fabric, so I passed.

   

Interior Details:
Lots of handwork (stitching, tubing, pleating, adding bones and bone casing).

  

Advanced Clothing Construction:
Corset. Included design and construction. My final design (I designed 4) included grommets/lacing, hidden boning, reversible back zipper and the corset is reversible. *Sigh* Gotta love the ambitious student. The pinning is for future bust modification.

  

You can see more of my fashion projects here (with full descriptors).