up next

Now that the Ottawa cardigan is finished, I'm after a new project. I always have socks on the go, so they don't count, but I like to have a biggish project going as well - a sweater or lace project, usually.
And since I have an issue coming up that will allow me (potentially) some increased knitting time, I want to have a good one.
The issue is some day surgery coming up on July 13 - I have a growth on my thyroid (non-cancerous, I've had the biopsy), but it's big, and it's pressing a bit on the vocal chords, so they want to remove it. It's day surgery, but general anaesthetic, so the recovery will be about a week or so. There will be some working at home during that time, but I can still knit.
Because general anaesthetic and I have a history of not getting along, I think I will put lace on the back burner, and keep it simple. I was going to do a Featherweight cardigan with some fabulous Fleece Artist, but I severely underestimated my needs, and don't have enough of the wool to make it. So while digging in the stash, I found the Briggs and Little I bought for the Elizabeth Zimmerman Green Sweater.

I have already made this in red (and I LOVE it...) but the cream grabbed my attention. Rounds of stockinette? Easily done and hard to screw up. Once I get through the haze of the anaesthetic, there's enough shaping to keep me interested. Plus, it's a great sweater shape. But then I saw this,

Vitamin D by Heidi Kirrmaier

and well, a quick swipe of the credit card later, and perhaps another dig into the stash, and well, now I can't quite decide. I mean, I love the cream Briggs and Little, and I know the Zimmerman sweater is lovely, but really, look at the Vitamin D sweater! All those lovely eyelets as increases! That wonderful drape in the front! And some lovely green kettle dyed wool that would really work well. (Or a black linen rayon blend, maybe.)
I think I may just take both of them up to the cottage this long weekend, and decide then...

done!

So just before the Canada Day weekend, I finish a wool sweater.

Whatever, it's beautiful and I love it. It will get lots of wear in the fall, which is what the plan was. Since I don't work in a meat locker, a lofty wool single was never going to make an indoor sweater, so this is a coat sweater, perfect for coolish days. It's long enough to cover my butt, and keep me warm, it has pockets just big enough for my keys,

and antler buttons because I love them. Susan was with me when I bought this wool at the Knitters Frolic, and when we saw the buttons, we knew they would be perfect.

Details:
HandMaiden "Ottawa" wool
92% Wool, 8% Viscose
lofty, single spun think and thinnish wool - super nice to work with.

Pattern is my own top down cardigan, with raglan sleeves, made jacket length. There are seed stitch cuffs and hem and front bands, and an applied i-cord finish around all edges. The buttonholes are worked right into the i-cord finish, a la Elizabeth Zimmerman.

It's cozy and soft and warm, and put away for the fall...

so close...

I'm so close to finishing this sweater. A heavy wool, cozy sweater, just in time for July.

I just need to sew down the i-cord pocket edging, sew up the pockets, sew on the buttons, and give it a steam!

It's my MIL's fault...

She saw the fabric I used for my niece's Restoration Era dress, found out it was tablecloth material, and slyly hinted around for custom tablecloths for her dining room table.

Specifically, Christmas red. Not burgundy, not muddy red, but a clear, blue-red.

She loved this. Her table is oval, and has two leaves, so there are three sizes of tables, and she uses all of them. She was hoping for oval cloths rather than rectangular, so I measured, cut and hemmed for the largest size, and have enough of the red left to make one for the smallest size table.

Then there was this green... I had to get it for myself - not for a tablecloth, but to recover my dining chairs! I've been meaning to do this forever, and I love this fresh green colour, so I bought it. Well. Then MIL saw the green, and I could see the envy in her eyes (green with envy... get it?) SO I caved, and said I would get her some green for a cloth as well... And she really loved the blue... by the end of the conversation, I believe I have committed to make about 7 tablecloths in varying sizes and colours.

I think for Christmas, I might just hem her the matching napkins...

can't seem to resist the linen...

Quick note to Brenda - the Ottawa cardigan is so named because the Fleece Artist wool I'm using is actually called Ottawa...

on to the linen...

2 metres of each of these fabrics...

Must... find... time... to... sew...

Ottawa cardigan

It's further along than this, but I'm working out some details. Just finishing the front bands (attached i-cord? buttons holes?), and then I'll insert the pockets.

I love this, but it's SO the wrong weather to knit with a pile of heavy wool in my lap...

time management

2 carpool days, a school bus field trip, and one baseball game. Add in the final swimming lesson, and add another inch or so to this...

People who say they can't find the time to do things aren't trying hard enough...

New Socks

I mentioned that I was on to the next socks after finishing the last brown pair, and here they are. (I have lots of drive time coming up - I need small, portable projects!)

(side note - this is a preset post - I'm actually off on a field trip today with the boy's class to the Air and Space Museum at Downsview Airport, and I'll be knitting these on the trip!)

My husband adores Socks That Rock, and while at the Knitter's Frolic in April, I picked up this multicoloured skein (ballband misplaced, and name totally forgotten...). The only complaint he has about the STR is that the socks are just a touch short. So I found this orphan ball of green tonal Koigu (probably left over from my Mom's flamingo mitts), and it matched really well. Husband was amenable to green toes, heels and cuffs in order to get a longer sock, so off I go.

Toe is done, and now it's straight knitting without shaping, or thinking until I run out of the STR.

Considering the state of my mind right now, I think I can handle that...

Latest sock blanks

I finally finished the socks I was working on. Most of these socks were knit while a passenger in a car - either to the cottage with my husband driving or to the office while my boss drove.

They are fraternal,

but I was closer to making them identical than I realized. Luckily, this doesn't bother me, but I'm sure my friend Helga is cringing right now...

I haven't put the heels in, and probably won't for a while, at least until I determine who they're for. There is a very good possibility these will hang on until Christmas - perhaps my Father in Law, perhaps a friend.

On to the next ones!

the dress! as far as I can take it...

Sorry for the silence last week - I was busy with stuff. We trimmed a good 4 feet off the top of our hedges all around the property, and there was a ton of cleanup to do after that - every night, we were out bundling and bagging cedar trimmings!

I was able to take a night and finish the dress for my niece as far as I could take it. I finished the over dress and sleeve edgings. All that was left was the zipper, which I needed her for sizing. We accomplished that last night at a family dinner at my in-laws. I brought the dress down and she tried it on. (By the way, side note to my SIL - telling me your daughter is a size 10? In your dreams!) I'm not blind, and just by eyeballing her, I cut a size sixteen, and STILL had to add some fabric on either side of the zipper! Whatever, It's now done. I sewed the sipper in last night when we got home, and the dress will be delivered to Brampton tonight by my husband (his weekly poker game is at his brother's in Brampton - every Monday night, same group of guys since high school! Seriously!)

Jess now has to do all the finishing. She will sew on the trim all along the front blue edge. She will hem the whole thing. (I cut her some slack and gave her a large roll of Stitch Witchery, so she can IRON the hem). She has to find a petticoat or something to give the skirt some width. She's a little nervous about all this, but as I told her, it's her project, and she has to finish it to put her mark on it.

In any case, I have to say, I am inordinately proud of it. Considering all the shortcuts I took, it really turned out well. I didn't invest a lot of time in it, which was the point - it's not an every day kind of thing - it's going to be worn just a few times, in very specific situations. (A short play at school as part of her exam, and probably a few Halloweens).

That's the point of costumes, I feel. Short periods of wearability = short amount of time worked on it.

more sewing...

... but not for me.

When you are the only person in the entire extended family that sews, you can expect to get roped into things like this...

My niece (on husband's side of the family) is in the drama program at an arts high school. She was given a project to create a Restoration Era dress. Yes, that's correct. These kids have to MAKE a dress that would have been worn in the 1700's (or thereabouts). This is not a sewing or costuming class, this is for her drama mark. And it has to be done in three weeks. (I've got to believe there are some families freaking out right about now - if you don't know anyone who sews, you got to be up the proverbial creek...)
Anyhoo, I get a phone call on Thursday, begging for help. (She was put up to this by my SIL, but that's a whole other issue we won't get into. I'm all about helping the kids, parents be damned.)
So to make a long story less tedious, my SIL and Niece come out to my place on Saturday and we take a field trip to Fabricland.

Simplicity 4092,

And all the fabrics, threads, trims etc, that we'll need.

Back to my place, and I start laying things out and get the girl cutting. (It's her project!) She cuts out all the pieces, (thankfully, I have extra fabric, as I have to recut some of the smaller bits...)We start putting some things together, and she gets an idea of the construction techniques. I send them off (they live about 45 minutes from us) with all the trim that has to be sewn together (we're layering some ribbons and ruffles). I start the construction, taking MAJOR shortcuts (no facings - narrow hems, no boning, no lining, nothing extraneous!) It pains me from a seamstress point of view, but really, this is for a 16 year old. As much as I'm doing the basic construction for her, no one is expecting boning and lining!

I've got to say, it's looking pretty good so far! There are still the sleeves to add (with a major flounce and lace trim to the cuff...), and the blue overskirt (you really only see the front of the gold skirt.)
The gold underskirt is a separate piece, and as a waistband, I used the blue satin blanket trim we found - it's nice and soft and very wide, so it made a great waistband casing without adding too much bulk - this skirt is about 16 feet around!

You can see where I took shortcuts around the bodice - the blue upper edge is just hemmed, rather than faced, or lined.

But this fabric is perfect for our needs. At it's tablecloth fabric! Who knew? 60 inches wide, damask detailing, heavy weight (good body), and only $5.10 per metre! How cheap is that?
Of course, I was telling this to my MIL, and she hinted around for an actual tablecloth! Heck, why not? They have a huge table, and she likes the look of tablecloths, so I said I pick some up for her next time I was out - I'll customize the cloth to her table, and for less than $30, her 12 foot dining table will have a custom cloth.
But first,I have to return to the Restoration Era, and get this dress done! (At least, as done as I have to get it. Jess will have to sew on the trim, and hem it. Anything done by hand is to be done by her.

She's already planning on wearing it for Halloween this year...

still sewing...

I love linen in the summer. I know it needs ironing, and as much as I hate ironing, I love linen more, so I do it.
I not only made a couple of tops out of linen, I bought some more fabric.

a beige linen with a black eyelet all over embroidery. This one still needs a hem, but it's a touch snug, so it's on hold for the moment.
Since I love the pattern, I adjusted for sizing around the bust and bicep and came back with this:

Love this. Green linen, gathered neckline, tunic length. Perfect with capris or slim jeans. And the colour perfectly matches a pair of my green flip flops!

So when Fabricland had a sale, I picked up a couple more lengths of linen:

 a denim-y blue for Vogue 8500, a cross over front, asymmetrically hemmed tunic

And a grey/green watercolour print for another summer top at some point.

And then, because I couldn't resist it, this orange cotton with a sparkle sewn into it. I've tried to capture the sparkle here with my star filter. Suffice to say, it's very pretty.

There's more sewing in my future, but I need to confirm some stuff this weekend, and then I"ll tell you all about it!

you knew I'd do it!

(pre felting)

Felted flip flops. You know I'd make some.

They are remarkable fast to knit, and felting takes no time (Cascade 220 felts beautifully).

The fit is almost perfect - the top placement of the thong is a little further down the foot than I would like - easy to fix on the next pair.

And yes, there will be a next pair!

Victoria Day Weekend

Here in Canada, Victoria Day (the de facto celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday) is a holiday and is the unofficial beginning of summer. It's always the third Monday in May, and since that usually hits around the 24th, the usual name for the long weekend is the "May Two Four". (Beer pun intended).

   

While Victoria is not my favourite dead queen, (that would be Freddie Mercury) as a cottager, this weekend means fireworks, friends, beer and good food, all at the cottage.

(the view from our deck - yes we know how lucky we are...)

When you're reading this, I'll be running around, making sure I've got everything we need (sunscreen! bug spray - the black flies are nasty!) and waiting for my husband to get home so we can pack the truck and go

See you next week, hopefully with knitting progress.

Ottawa cardigan

Ottawa is the name of the Fleece Artist wool I got at the recent Knitter's Frolic - the grey/blue/taupey brown blend I wanted for a cardigan.
After the utter fail of the last handpainted cardigan (I ripped it all back, and still have the yarn - I've tried many times to make it work, but Tim Gunn would be disappointed - nothing works...), I've been a little leery of handpaints for cardigans, but this seemed muted enough.
Can I say it?

I. LOVE. THIS.

From a distance, it reads as almost a single colour, but up close, you can see the colour variations.
I put it on a thread and tried it on, and I've got the fit perfect. Now it's straight knitting down to the hem, add some sleeves, then decide on an edge treatment, and if there's enough wool left, make some pockets.

Love it.

unblogged project

I don't think I've ever blogged this project. It's a hooded vest, a Berrocco pattern - Truman - and I used an Australian Merino that I got on deep sale at the Kitchener Knitters Fair a couple of years ago. It's a pretty plain taupe colour.

 Ignore the mess of my sewing room - I'm in the middle of a couple of projects.

 I had just enough wool to make the hood - I would have made it deeper if I had more wool...

The front rib pattern is interesting and adds some interest to the front of the vest, but to be honest, I'm a bit meh about this. I may keep it, I may give it away... It looks OK, but not great. Plus, I think I"m realizing that I just don't wear vests much. It's hanging around, while I decide what to do with it.

Boss socks

A couple of days a week, my boss and I carpool. On the days he drives, I knit. Hey, it's a 30-45 minute drive! that's substantial knitting time!
He gets it, and always asks what I'm working on, and who it's for. I finished up a pair of socks, and to thank him for some flex time off, etc, I decided to give these to him.

He loves them, and is rather incredulous that someone actually hand knits socks. But that hasn't stopped him from hinting for more...

sewing fail

Looks like an ordinary waistband on some summery pajama pants. But look closer - see how it's stretched out completely?
This is a case where marinating in stash is not a good thing. When I sewed up these pajama pants just before Easter, I dug around in my stash of elastic, and came up with a hank that had obviously been there a while. It went in fine. the pants were great. I took them to the cottage for Easter, and the first night, when I put them on, I thought, hmmm, they're a touch looser than I usually make them. Considering the amount of chocolate I'd been testing, (Can't give the kid untested chocolate, now could we??), I didn't think I'd lost and inch or more around the waist. Whatever, it was late, I was tired, I went to bed. The next morning when I got up, I realized it was not my waist. These pants were falling right off me! The elastic I used has lost all elasticity! My husband thought it was pretty funny, seeing me hitch these babies up all the time!
Luckily, it's an easy fix - new elastic, and they're as good as new. Which is good, becasue this cotton seersucker is incredibly comfortable.
The downside - getting rid of a ton of old hanks of elastic that's no good any more. Good think wool doesn't lose any thing with age...

Susan's wedding - my contribution

So the saga of Susan's wedding continues. You've seen the cake topper, and today, I get to show my contribution.

Susan's colour scheme is pale grey and vintage pinks, so I made a Swarovski crystal bracelet in those colours (she bought the crystals and had them sent to me - I made the bracelet and gave it to her when we met at the Frolic).

With the extra crystals, I just strung them on some bead elastic, Susan has the finishing glue for it that I don't have, so she gets a couple of extra bracelets to stack with the hex-weave one I made.

The colours aren't really showing here, and I can't retake the pictures, since the bracelets are in the hands of Susan now.

I'm kicking myself that I didn't take shots in the sunlight with my star filter, so you could really see the sparkle. These babies SHINE!

Susan seemed happy, and that's all that matters. She promised pictures of the bracelets all together.