Take that, Rebecca!!

I FINALLY found some clearer instructions on the Craftster Knitalong for the R. Apricot Jacket, and yesterday almost finished the entire back! Yay! LOVE the BSCF, and the color is great! The instructions in the mag are almost useless, but it's finally coming along. :-D

Progress

Since I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get my dadgum progress bars back onto my sidebar, I thought I'd write and bookmark an entry for now to tell my progress. I will continue to update this entry whenever I have more stuff completed, and instead of percentages, I am just going to write how much I have done, which I think will be a little more accurate - I am poor at judging percent. Scroll to the bottom to see my latest progress.

As of beginning this post today, my projects are:

Gatsby Girl - front and back complete. Sleeves remain, not started yet.
Sideways Spencer - Left sleeve complete, getting to the neck shaping.
Lana Grossa Wrap Sweater - Need to frog and start over on size 10 needles.
Danica - Have a couple of the triangles done.
Apricot Jacket - back is almost complete.
Butterfly Jacket - about 1/3 the back is done, but may need to rip, since I think I need a little waist shaping.
Ella Scarf - all the flowers are done and just need to be joined, but I think this project is at home.
Delphine Sweater - bottoms of sleeves are done, back is about 1/2 done, but needs to be ripped and reknit - looks too small.
Butterfly Dress - cast on and knit 1 or 2 repeats for the hem.
Dream Swatch hat - the dream swatch band is almost complete.
Dusty's socks - I finished them, but they still need to be washed and dried, and I need to reknit the toe - the foot is much too long.
Entrelac hat - need to rip entirely, and start trying a different pattern.
Sunrise Circle Jacket - about 1/3 of the back, almost the whole left front, and the left sleeve complete.
Deep V Argyle Vest - started a swatch, but can't get comfortable with holding the yarn in my left hand (ironic, since I am left handed!).

Now, I know most people are doing a "knit only from your stash" thing. I'm not confining myself to stash, BUT I am making a goal to finish at least every thing on this list this year (except maybe Delphine, and I really think I have a better idea now of how to do it, so hopefully it as well). I can purchase more yarn if I want, but I haven't been in the habit of getting yarn with no purpose for it, and don't plan to change that now.

Mon, 01/29: Rebecca Apricot Jacket back is finished!! Yay!

Sun, 02/04: Cactus Mittenettes and Dream Swatch hat are finished! No progress on other projects.

Wed, 02/07: The right front of the Lana Grossa Lacey Wrap Sweater is done!

Sun, 02/11: Only a couple of inches left on the back of the Lana Grossa sweater!

Thurs, 02/15: The back and left front of LG sweater are done!

Thurs, 03/08: One sleeve of the LG sweater is done, and about 3/4 of a sleeve for the GG sweater is done.

Tues, 03/13: The other sleeve of LG is done, and she is now blocking! Once I get it seamed up, I'll post and see what people think I need to do to finish it.

Tues, 03/27: The LG sweater is finished, save finding some way to close it. The end is in sight for the GG, too... I am on the last sleeve, and over half done with it! YAY!

Sun, 04/01: Gatsby Girl is done!

Spring IK preview!

Thanks for the suggestions on the fabric. I love the idea of a halter dress! There were some other really good ones, too. I hope to find a halter dress pattern that uses the right amount of yardage. Suggestions will always be welcome!!

I am a little disappointed that no one really noticed the paintings (not fishing for compliments!). I guess it's not really a style everyone can appreciate, though, and this IS a knitting blog, so it's not too shocking. And I'm such a poor photographer, I had no hope of doing them justice!

Anyway, no fo yet! Dusty's socks are getting there. I am over 50% done, probably almost 70%. I need to figure out how to do the progress bars on the new format.

Question!!: Would one skein of Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock be enough for a pair of ankle socks for size 5, 5.5 US feet? Or for gloves for small hands?

The new IK preview is up, and I think it's gonna be a great one! I'll go over the things I like.

Entrelac socks! Love 'em!I don't know how many times I have said Eunny Jang is a genius, but she really is!

Ribs and Lace Tank looks like a pretty design, but probably not one I'll knit. The photo doesn't really show enough, but generally tanks do not look good on me. Plus, it's really long.

The Green Tea Raglan looks simple, classic, and very wearable! I really like it. Down side is all boring st. st., but will be good for reading and knitting.

I like the shape of the Dollar and a Half cardi, wish I could see the detail. The jury's still out on this one.

The Bonsai Tunic looks like another very pretty design that is not wearable for me.

The Swan Lake cardigan is another of those that I need to see in better detail to decide, but looks promising.

I like the Slanted Neck Pullover, but someone posted on the knitting comm. that people would go around telling you that you'd messed up on it. What do you think?

I love the Clementine Shawlette, and that is also my grandmother's middle name. I've been thinking to knit her a shawl, perhaps this is The One?

Love the Cable Down Raglan!! Stefani Japel is an amazing designer!

The Ruffled Surplice is nice. I like the airy feel of it, and of course, the wrap styling.

I love the Keyhole Top! Love, love, love it! Unfortunately, I don't think it would be flattering on me. But I love it!

I can't tell the stitch pattern on Grumperina's socks, but I adore the color enough to say that it's a great pattern, hehe. I must find a skein or two of LL in that color, just for me!

What would you do with this fabric?

I received this gorgeous fabric from overseas. I am at a loss as to what to use it for! It is almost 40" across, and I have ~2.5 yds of it. It feels similar to a quilting cotton, but I think a little heavier. I don't quilt, and I don't want to use it for a purse, either. What can I do with it?





EDIT: Oh no! I just realized my knitting progress bars have gone away! How can I fix this? Yikes!! Someone please help!

Surprise!

My first ever paintings!

All of these, except the fish, were done on watercolor paper with house paints. The fish is on canvas, and uses house and oil paints. They are posted in the order in which I painted them. I did this in a weekend Watermedia Encounter class offered by M. Douglas Walton.






This was such a great experience, and I can't wait to do it again! Not sure how long it will be, though. I loved every minute, and I am very happy with my first efforts. Hope y'all like, too! :-)

New Blogger Templates?

I just switched my template to the new Blogger stuff. I'm not sure that I should have. I can't figure it out now, and I barely understood the old version!

PS. Stay tuned for something I've been working on that I think you'll really enjoy seeing. Coming very soon. :-D

Gatsby Girl Sleeve Length - Your Opinion Wanted!

I've finished both the front and the back of my Gatsby Girl pullover from IK Fall 2006. Now it's time to start the sleeves. I cannot decide whether I should knit them as is (right below the elbow), or lengthen them to the wrists. I am using Rowan Felted Tweed (50% wool/25% alpaca/25% rayon). I live in Louisiana, but contrary to popular belief, it does get rather cold here! I also get cold easily, and generally have the view that if it's cold enough for a sweater, it's probably cold enough for long sleeves. On the other hand, could this possibly make the sweater TOO warm, due to the alpaca content? And would I be messing up the look/style of the sweater by doing this? What would be the best way to lengthen the sleeves, anyway? I could just make them longer, but cast on the same amount of stitches (so that the sleeves are not fitted at the wrist), or I could figure out how many to cast on, and increase up to the amount of stitches the pattern directs (to make the sleeves more fitted)... what would look better?

Also, I had another question. I generally keep the leftover yarn after a project, in case I ever need to mend it. But I don't want to keep too much... I don't want yarn to take up a ton of space and never be used, because I'm saving it "just in case," for something I hope never happens! Does anyone else do this? How much do you normally hold on to for mending purposes? A few yards? More than that? I want to just measure out (or estimate) some yardage from the leftover skein, put it in a baggie and mark it as being for mending purposes, and be able to use the rest of leftovers for any other little project I might choose.

Ok, finally... if you have what seems to be a great idea, and a wonderful (but possibly delicate) new yarn coming, would you use the yarn for that idea? Or not risk it, and use a different yarn for your design? I've thought of something I just HAVE to try, and I am thinking of using the Kimono Angora Pure for it, but then again, I could just go the Knitpicks route, since my designs never seem to work out anyway.

Update on Gatsby Girl Progress

I've finally completed the front of the GG. That means only the sleeves are left... but I am going to try to get Dusty's socks done before I start on the sleeves. I pinned the front and back together, and tried it on... so far, I am really loving it! I can't wait to have this sweater complete.

Also, which one do you think would be more flattering? Tiffany's or Ginger? Or neither? I think both are gorgeous, but can't decide which, if either, would flatter me.

Edit: Thanks for the comments. stitchywotch says:

It's hard to pull off sweaters with little ties at the waist.

I rather think this is not true for me. I have two sweaters with little ties at the waist (Rambling Rose is one), and I think both are flattering, since they really define my waist. I'm more concerned with the very high neckline of this sweater, since I am rather busty. Tiffany's is a lovely, graceful, and delicate looking sweater, imo, but it might look better on a willowy girl than on a curvy one.

Both comments so far are in favor of Ginger. It's beautiful, isn't it? But I just realized it's for a aran or worsted weight, and I think the Kimono Angora Pure I got for a ridiculously low price is a dk or thinner. I could probably use it, anyway.

I am still interested in hearing opinions, so please keep posting! :-)

More Fabric Questions (Burda 7993)

I thought the Burda 7993 top was definitely one of the cutest I've seen, so I just had to get the pattern. My roommate gave me a Hobby Lobby gift certificate for Christmas (she is so sweet!), and it dawned on me that I will have occasion to wear the blouse in the near future if I make it. So, I was thinking of looking around this weekend for fabric, but I'm not sure what to look for. I have a weakness for fabrics with the sheen pictured in this top, and since I can already see it looks great in such a fabric, that's what I'd really like to find. I'm guess it's probably not something I'm going to find at Hobby Lobby, but it can't hurt to look. What is this fabric? The recommended fabrics are: Cotton fabrics, viscose, poplin. I don't think it's cotton (unless it's some weird satin cotton I've never heard of but sounds nice, hehe), or poplin. Is that viscose? I thought viscose was rayon, and it doesn't really look like rayon to me (speaking, of course, with little-to-no knowledge on the subject of viscose/rayon. I'm talking, of course, about the view with the blue top. Thanks!

FO: Pomatomus SOCKS

Yes, that's right. I knit socks. Pomatomus socks, to be exact. I'd planned on knitting these for a long darned time, but kept putting it off for bigger projects, and the whole idea of "what's the point in spending all that time knitting socks when you can buy a pack for $5?" Learning we were going to Kansas (a very, very cold area, if you ask me), made me think that nice, warm, thick socks might be nice... and I did already have the yarn. Since we drove there, I had plenty of time to work on them, but I didn't manage to finish when I wanted, although I did finish them on the trip. They are the last FO of 2006.

I was originally going to knit them in some Knitpicks' Palette in a lavender color I got on a whim, for socks, but with no pattern in mind. I started on them in that yarn, decided I'd rather have oceany Pomatomus (-i?), so got some Cervinia Calzetteria in the color Capri. Very pretty, and very oceany. I love how this yarn knit up in this pattern.

I LOVED this pattern! I'm not sure whether I've ever actually said I'd knit a pattern again, but this one I WILL. It was fun, I love, love, love the "scales" and have thought to use them in other projects. The only downside is that, as written, the socks are too big around for my size 5 US feet. I should have foreseen this, but didn't think about it until I was pretty far into the first sock, hoped it would come out ok, and kept going. And it did come out ok. They make good, comfy lounging socks, but I doubt I could wear them under shoes, except maybe my cowboy boots. They will be good for very cold weather, in which I need to layer socks, if ever that occurs. Next time, I think I'll try size 1 needles.

So here are some pictures (probably more than post about a finished pair of socks really needs):






Dusty liked these and wanted a pair of socks (plain ones, not Pomatomus - too girly for him). This is a big thing, since he's never really wanted me to knit anything for him before. He asked for black or grey, so I got this:

It's a charcoal grey color, with some specks of white in it. And it feels very nice! I hope the two balls will be enough. Now I need to find a sock pattern for men, in fingering weight. Any recommendations?

I also found this vintage pattern:

Isn't it great? I see it in some kind of stretchy, satiny fabric... what do you suggest?

I've got to start making up some of these wonderful patterns I have. If only I had more time and space!

I also got the pattern for Eunny Jang's Anemoi mittens. I can't decide on a yarn or a color, though I am dying to make these. After Dusty's socks, I may start on these.

I know I'm not supposed to be starting on new projects, but I HAVE been putting a lot of time toward Gatsby Girl, and I think that counts for something. I'm getting close to finishing the front... but then there will be two sleeves to go. After that, it's back to the Sideways Spencer, and I'm going to dig out the Rebecca Apricot Jacket, since it will be warmer then, and a cotton jacket will be more suitable. But I've been dying to try fair isle... so the mittens will come soon!

One of my Christmas gifts was C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. I'm currently reading the second, and I love it thus far. Yay! :-)

I also added Nicky Epstein's Knitting on the Edge to my knitting library. Yay! I have very few knitting books, but I really want to get all of hers. I've thought all the ones I've seen were really interesting.

No longer MIA

Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I've been pretty busy, and actually have some finished projects to show!

First, I want to show off some new jewelry. These are creations of Lauren at Cult Designs. Aren't they adorable?

Kissing Kiddie Earrings


Message in a Bottle pin


I just adore them!

Now, for the things I've been making.

First, for my mom's Christmas gift, a hat and scarf set. The scarf is, I think, Paton's Pebbles. The hat is crocheted in good ol' Red Heart, and edged with the yarn I used for the scarf.


Scarf and hat set for my sister-in-law. I don't recall the name of this yarn, but it is so soft and cuddly. It was hard to give away, but worth it!


I finally tried my hand at making cards. I did some Christmas cards, for Dusty, his parents, and grandparents. I used cardstock, those cute lil scrapbook thingys, and construction paper. I printed words out from my computer. Sorry the pictures suck. I am a poor photographer, and I always seem to have trouble with things reflecting the light from the flash.


This is the one I made for Dusty's parents. I think it's soooo friggin' cute! Yes, I'm that modest.


I did this one for Dusty's grandparents. I just love that Santa!


Here's the one I made for Dusty. I am very happy with how it came out!


I loved making the cards... cute, fun, and not very time-consuming. I can easily see how they COULD be, but these didn't take me too long. I need to work on things to put on the inside of the cards. I had no ideas for that, so I just cut some of the background paper, printed out "Merry Christmas" or the like, and wrote a note in them. I definitely want to make more cards in the future... though I will still buy cards from the store as well.

For Dusty's mom's Christmas gift, I sewed this purse. I think she was pretty happy with it. She didn't realize I'd made it until Dusty told her, so that's good!

The pattern is Indygo Junction's Metropolitan Handbag. I'll review this pattern at PR, and link to it when I do. The fabric is an Amy Butler print I thought would be perfect for her. The fabric flower tutorial can be found here. I love the flower... so cute and easy to make!




Of course, I had to make something for myself, too. I used the cloche pattern from Lion Brand, written specifically for this yarn. Now, I don't know if my head is small or something, but the hat, knit to gauge on the specified needles came out WAY TOO BIG. I wish I'd taken a picture of it... it was really funny! I decided to be lazy, and instead of undoing the whole thing, and re-knitting it, I decided to try felting. I know, stupid. I should have realized that the added structure felting would give would be a bad thing for this hat. Anyway, I felted it and it still sucks. I thought it would be super cute, but it just looks super silly. I think it looks better in these pics than in real life. I have an idea on how to save the hat, but it will be very different from this style. We'll see if it works... nothing to lose now! That will be awhile, since I'm leaving for Kansas soon and didn't bring the hat with me.





I'm still working on Gatsby Girl, and since I only brought that and the Pomatomus, I should start really making some progress on it.

Edited to add: The link to the pattern review is here: Bag pattern review.

Edited again to add: I got the AB fabric from Fabric.com. Has anyone else had problems with their design wall? I got another fabric to use for the band originally, but it turned out to not be a match at all, though it looked very nice together on the design wall. How dependable is it really?

Fabric Questions

So, let's say you had the pattern for this dress and you wanted to make it. What fabric would you use? I am really planning on making up one of my vintage dress patterns soon, and this may be the one. I think it's just fabulous.

No update on the knitting progress, as there has been very little. I did start on a bag for Dusty's mom over the weekend, but I'm not completely happy with it yet, so it's not finished. I'll have pics of it when I do finish, though... fortunately, I never have to worry about her running across the blog, since she doesn't really use the internet. hehe.

Choosing Colors

So, I raved about the Venezia Sweater. We all know it's gorgeous. I've been thinking of it since I got the IK mag with the pattern. There are a few problems about knitting it, namely: 1) I don't recall how much it would cost for me to make the sweater in the yarns called for, but I do remember that it was much more than I can fit in my tight budget for quite a while, 2) That's a lot of colors, especially to someone who has done no colorwork, 3) I don't really wear those colors, and though the sweater is beautiful as is, I wanted to knit this sweater in colors I'd wear often. I wanted to use Knitpicks' Palette, but it didn't have enough colors, and I have no idea about matching/changing colors. Anyway, Superstitch at the Craftster Knit-Along posted the chart she'd revised to fit the colors and yarn she'd wanted to use, fewer colors than originally specified. So I messed around with her chart, and tried out some color combinations I usually like, to see how they'd work in this. I tried to keep my colors as close to the Knitpicks' Palette colors as I could. Not all of these combinations I really love, but here are some I fixed up, and I'd like to hear opinions on whether any of these work. Suggestions are welcome, too. I definitely want the pink in there, as I'm sure is obvious, since pink is the color that flatters me best. Note that these are not in any particular order of preference, and are rather in whatever random order blogger chose to put them. I have been particularly obsessing over pink and brown together, and pink and gray, but I am not sure how they will work in this sweater. The others are just fun color combos I was messing with, and didn't expect to work, but thought they actually looked pretty, at least on the chart... I don't know about a sweater. So, let me know what you think, please!

What would you attempt if you knew you would not fail?

One of my friends posted that quote in her journal a couple of days ago, and I've been thinking about it since. Probably a lot more than I have.

Speaking of attempts, I forgot Christmas gifts! Actually, realizing it's Dec 1 made me realize I have only a couple of weeks to make my Christmas gifts, and I haven't even started yet. Yikes! So now I have to attempt to make Christmas gifts in a hurry.


I posted this at Pattern Review already, but not everyone goes to that site (though they should!). I love this coat. Unfortunately, they don't have it in anything near my size. Does anyone know of a pattern that I could use to replicate it?


Also, I fell in love with this bag:

I think I've posted about it before, but I couldn't find the post, and I can't find the site it was at. Anyway, I remember it was around $300 so there was no chance of my buying it, but I thought I could try something similiar to it. I love the print the most, but of course, I've never seen anything very close to it. I did find an Amy Butler print that reminds me of the fabric, which will work. Then I found this sewing pattern. The shape of the first bag is pretty similar, though I'm sure it's much smaller (which is ok, since I usually prefer smaller bags). I think it would be possible to use that pattern to replicate this bag. I just found the pattern today, so I haven't purchased it yet.

I also want to make the Amy Butler Weekender bag, and I found a great fabric for it, but it's one of her quilting cotton prints. Could I use that for the bag? I like a couple of other of her bag patterns if not.

Gatsby Girl has hit the point of "Omg, this sweater is taking FOREVER." I know it will so be worth it, but with the 29 degree morning, and 44 degree temperature right now, I wish the sweater was already finished!

Just Keep Swimming

That Finding Nemo tune is in your head now, isn't it? You're welcome. Who doesn't love it?

The title is in honor of this:



How cute!! I love the packaging. Pretty packaging makes everything better, even the things you didn't think could be any more awesome, like what's inside this one. Opening presents is such fun! Waiting inside were these:



My Sulu Design goldfish earrings! When I first saw these, I knew I had to have a pair. They weren't left on the cardboard for long. Almost immediately I tried them on.



And loved them so much I couldn't take them off. They are fabulous! I've gotten so many compliments on them today, too.

Go, check out her Etsy Shop! Just don't buy any of the stuff I want. Haha. No, go ahead, otherwise you couldn't buy anything. All of her creations are really beautiful. I definitely see more Sulu Designs in my future!

Larkin from Pattern Review, if you read this, I can't pm on that site... I don't have a paid account yet. You can email me at cnp71201 at hotmail dot com. I left this message on a forum at the website, but who knows if you'll read it there, so I thought I'd leave it here too, in case you dropped by again. :-)

FOs - Glampyre Sweater and Skirt

Well, I promised pictures, and I'm actually delivering almost on time, for once. I am really bad about meaning to update the blog, then forgetting to.

First, the knitting. This is a knitting blog, after all! So I mentioned that I was knitting a Glampyre pattern, but failed to mention which. I didn't mean to break my deal - this started out being an extremely simple, knit-with-eyes-closed thing... the minisweater pattern. Inspired by this beautiful modification, and the fact that I just had to have an entire sweater in this beautiful color, I just kept knitting. I made up an eyelet pattern based on the number of stitches I had left, and used that for the bottom of the sweater and the sleeves below the elbow. I did some shaping for the waist as well, but the sleeves are nearly straight. I planned on (and still do) knitting a flower to wear for the closure, but haven't done it yet. I don't know where this pin came from (possibly a thrift shop), but I've been saving it for something special... I really love it. I like the sweater pretty well, what do you think? Please excuse the lack of makeup, and the couple of pounds I think I put on over my break. I need to get back to the gym asap!!







Oh, and the yarn is Wool of the Andes in Hyacinth, actually a bluish purple (think What Dreams May Come or the purple in the LSU band uniforms). Wonderful color!!

And no, don't worry - I'm not planning on wearing the sweater with that outfit. I was too lazy to find a cute one to model (hey, I just got back to school after a long trip!), so I just kept on the top and skirt. The skirt is the one I just made, and I am pretty happy with it. The waistband turned out lower than I wanted, but aside from that, it fits just right.

The pattern is Simplicity 5914, view B. I lowered the waistband (a bit too much, actually), but aside from that, I made no changes. The fabric is some tweedy stuff that I found at Hobby Lobby. I love it! It is so cute. Several pictures to follow... I don't think I have a pair of shoes that really goes with this skirt, so I tried on two to see how they look.

Here's a close-up of the fabric:









This project also included my first ever attempt at a zipper. It actually wasn't hard at all... just a little tedious.



Next time I get near a sewing machine (sometime before Christmas), I will make my grandma's Christmas gift.



It's an Elvis throw kit. She is a huge Elvis fan. I hope she likes it!

Sewing Talk (pretty patterns)

I did finish my skirt. It is really cute! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, although not completely happy. I'll post pictures soon, and do a review on it as well, and I still have to post the sweater I completed, too. I've also been working on the Gatsby Girl sweater, and have gotten pretty far on the front. I imagined I'd have it done over Thanksgiving break, but it just didn't happen. Ah well. I will finish it soon... I want to get it over with, so I can try to have the Spencer done by Christmas... I think, in the color I'm using, it would make a fabulous sweater to wear on Christmas day (assuming it's not 70 degrees then like it's been here the past several days).

Hey, guess what! Check out these beauties I found. Vintage (and one not-so-vintage) sewing patterns! I really love the styles from the 40s and 50s... and some of the 60s as well.







I'm hoping to figure out how to combine the empire waisted vintage skirt with the ruched bodice of the slimmer pattern, to make something very like this dress. Any tips on combining patterns? Or on making a huge, gorgeous ruffle like at the bottom of the dress? Make sure to scroll down and see the detail. It's divine! I want to find fabric in that deep rosy color.

Edited for ginaT: The first pattern is a Butterick from 2000. The pattern number is 6761. I found it on eBay. Let me know if you need additional info!

Edited again!: ginaT, I just found it on ebay. Dress Pattern. Hope it's the size you need!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Although, technically, it is not Thanksgiving any longer. It was a great day. Much food was eaten and much fun was had. Yay!

I'm checking in to say that I finished the Glampyre sweater, but I'm not sure that I'm happy with it. Pictures and a discussion to come soon... tomorrow? I also have been sewing, and have nearly completed a skirt, so stay tuned for that as well.

I also finally got around to doing a couple of reviews of things I've sewn, so here are the links:

Burda Blouse

New Look Tote Bag

If you are fortunate enough to wear a size 8.5 shoe

I envy you, and I'm about to show you a great deal (at least, imo)!

This eBay auction, for these shoes:



Aren't they gorgeous? They can be yours! Stupid me bid on them, without realizing that the size 6 meant UK, not US sizes, and since I normally wear a 5.5 in US, they are going to be much too large for me. According to various sizing charts online, a UK 6 is equivalent to a US 8.5. I am so heartbroken. I looked on ebay for these shoes for the longest time, finally found them, and now they aren't going to fit.