Category Archives: Sewing

4:38 pm - May 10, 2014 - AngelaH

On top(s)

This week has been a little all over the place, but thanks to a productive weekend (last weekend) and a lovely meet-up with Andrea and Sara this morning, it hasn’t been a total write-off.

Grace is all wrinkled because I unceremoniously shoved it into a bag and then shoved the bag into my pannier. That’s the price of patio knitting.

I was decidedly behind my self-imposed Grace schedule until today. To get this finished before the end of the month, I need to be finished the body and button bands (I’m worried about my yardage, so I’m leaving the arms until the end) by the end of next week. I haven’t had much time during the week to knit, and now that the weather is improving my weekends have been filling up with outdoor time – I’m not complaining, but it is making it more difficult to get this cardigan finished! Anyway, I’m heading toward the final hip increase now and after that there’s just the ribbing and the body is done. I was thinking about adding length, but the body measures 14 inches now with three inches to go, so I think I’m going to be fine, assuming I can find some knitting time.

Of course, knitting time would be easier to come by if I weren’t distracted by my sewing machine. Something about the warm weather and all the lovely fabric my LYS is now carrying has got my thinking about summer tops and dresses, and while I’m always game to knit some, sewing it so fast! Ahem, that is, assuming you don’t spend an entire afternoon sewing something that is (at least) five sizes too big. That’s what I spent last Saturday doing, and let me tell you, while I certainly learned from my mistakes, I kind of wish I had learned faster.

I really like the test-pattern-ness of this print (Color Me Happy by V & Co.), which gets totally lost if you’re not right up close.

Anyway. I was tackling my third (and then fourth) attempt at the Scout Woven Tee. This is a boxier style than I typically wear, but I like the idea behind it and I think, once I get the pattern figured out for my body, that it’s a top I’ll wear a lot in the summer. This version took me two tries (the enormous one, which did not get photographed, and this one) and I’m mostly happy with it.

What do you think?

Looking at the photos, I think I could take some width out of the waist area and the neckline might be a bit too wide, both of which I think I know how to fix. The pulling at the armhole is another issue. I suspect this means I need to go down a size and do a full-bust adjustment, but I’m not sure (do you know?). I like the idea of this top enough to keep tinkering with it, so if you have ideas/comments about it, please let me know!

Categories: finished, in progress, Knitting, Sewing Tags: Grace, Scout Woven Tee

11:14 am - May 3, 2014 - AngelaH

May in the making

For the last two years I’ve followed along with Me Made May* from the sidelines. I find it incredibly inspiring to watch as women (there may be men who participate, but I’m not aware of any) spend the month showing off their handmade wardrobe. More than anything, I think its these makers who made me want to try my hand at knitting (and now sewing) garments.

This pile of fabric represents (I hope) three tops and a dress.

I love to knit socks and mittens and shawls and whatnot, but for me, knitting and wearing my first sweater felt like a really big deal. A lot of it, I think, is the visibility. I wear hand-knit socks everyday, but in general, they’re inside my shoes and not something people around me are aware of (I do try to wear my fancier ones to parties though). Knitting a sweater, though, or a skirt, is a real statement. When someone asks you where you got it, you get to tell them that you made it, and then it’s out there.

When I started knitting, I was kind of self-conscious about it. I simultaneously wanted people to notice and comment on it and desperately hoped no one would notice. I’m well past that now, and a few weeks ago, when my stylish and deeply talented colleague asked me where I’d gotten my sweater, I was proud to tell her I’d knit it myself.

I sewed this Scout Woven Tee a few weeks ago. It’s basically just a wearable muslin, but it’s so much better than the actual muslin I made that it feels like excellent progress. I’ve even worn it out!

Knitting, and making in general, is definitely losing its dusty reputation, in part because I think people are realizing the stereotypes they associated with “handmade” just didn’t make sense. Events/series like Me Made May help with that, because seeing a parade of beautiful and stylish handmade garments, made by people from all over the place with different body types and differing amounts of “free” time is a statement about who makers are. Which is to say, potentially anyone.

Grace got put aside again in April, but now I’m determined. I even figured out how much I need to knit each week to finish by the end of the month. (For reference, I’m nearly done the waist decreases.)

I had hoped to participate in Me Made May this year, but I’m not sure I have enough garments to properly do so. So instead, I’m committing to spending this month making clothing I can wear next year (and also, I hope, next month!). On the knitting front, I am determined to finish Grace by the end of the month. I cast-on on June 1, and I’m not sure I want this WIP to turn 1, so I’m buckling down. On the sewing front, I have plans for a couple of new tops and, I hope, a dress. Given that it’s already May 3, I guess I should get to it!

*Here’s a great little primer on Me Made May if you’re not familiar with it. You can also search Twitter and Instagram for the #MMM14 hashtag to find people who are participating.

Categories: in progress, Knitting, Sewing Tags: Grace, MMM14, Scout Woven Tee

10:04 am - March 26, 2014 - AngelaH

Learning curve

Still no finished New Girl to show you (maybe this time next week?). I noticed at the end of last week that my hands were starting to hurt. Specifically, my left thumb (which braces my left needle) and my right forefinger (which throws the yarn, since I knit English). Cassy and I were talking about it, and she says she’s having pain in the same places. There are probably a few reasons for this, but I’m sure one of them is how heavy this knitting is. The skirt is well over 300 stitches around, and even when it’s in my lap, my hands are supporting a fair bit of that weight, which is a whole lot more than a sock, or even (for me) an average sweater. So I’ve been taking it slow. I’m getting close to finishing the skirt (two more rows and then I get to the daisy stitch pattern!) and after that I think the pockets will feel very quick.

Anyway, since I wasn’t knitting much this weekend, I turned my attention to sewing. I am definitely, definitely, a beginning sewist. Ahem. I fooled around on mum’s beautiful old Singer when I was in high school, I’ve made a few project bags and last year I made my first garment, the super basic Wiksten Tank. I really want to sew more, so I decided to start early this year in the hopes of building up a somewhat me-made summer wardrobe.

I am so, so desperate for green! This fabric is Vintage Floral, Vine, from Rowan’s Victoria & Albert Museum collection.

I decided to make the Wiksten Tank again, since I already had the pattern cut and felt like I had learned some things making the last one. For example: Last time I cut the largest size, but after trying it on decided it was huge (despite being correct for my measurements) and took it in. This tim, I cut the next size down, thinking that would be a good compromise, since I liked the idea of having a sort of over-sized, floaty tank for the very hot summer days I’m sure are coming (I say this, but it’s -8C today before windchill and yeah, it may be cold forever).

On the right, the piece of the tank; on the left, leftovers. Clearly there’s a bit of a green theme with my sewing tools.

I cut the fabric on Saturday and then sewed it up on Sunday. It’s actually a pretty quick sew until you get to the binding and hemming. The pattern is written for people without sergers (just as well, since I don’t have one) and to keep the seams neat there’s a lot of folding and ironing and pinning, and it’s finicky and time consuming. I got tired and annoyed by all the finishing last time and skimped on it, which I regret now. This time, I took my time and I’m really proud of my seams and bias binding. I also inserted a long box pleat in the back, because when I tried it on, I realized the neckline was sort of puffing out at the back of my neck (there’s probably a technical term for this, but suffice to say, it did not lay flat).

Ta da! There are no pictures of me wearing it (yet) because it is too friggin’ cold to pose outside and I don’t have the patience to pose indoors. I’ll take a picture of me wearing it later.

Probably, that should have been the point when I assessed the fit of the rest of the tank. Turns out, I could probably have cut two sizes smaller than the one I did. I know it’s meant to have positive ease (and perhaps in a lighter fabric it would drape differently) but it is quite huge. I’m not even sure what happened, since I looked at the direction, chose a size, cut that size, sewed the seams as written, and it’s still enormous – in sewing you can’t blame wonky gauge, and deciding on the fly to change the fitting is not nearly as easy, especially since if you don’t like it there is no ripping back.

I’m not discouraged though. There’s always a learning curve, and I’m not afraid of that. Next time I think I’ll try a lighter fabric in a smaller size and see how that goes. I also plan to try making a Washi Dress this summer, but will definitely make a muslin before cutting into anything nice.

Do you sew? Do you have any tips? Are there any good sewing blogs I should be reading? When I started knitting, the world of knit blogs opened up so much possibility for me, and I feel like finding a community of sewing bloggers would help. You can learn so much just by reading about other people’s approaches or pattern modifications or fabric choices. As I said, I’m a beginner, so any advice is most appreciated!

Categories: finished, in progress, Knitting, Sewing Tags: New Girl, Wiksten

9:46 am - June 24, 2013 - AngelaH

Little green leaves

You know, monogamous knitting isn’t so bad when your project is this cute. I was trying to explain to L last night about what makes knitting a little dress so entirely captivating and it’s hard to explain in words. I kept sort of giggling and then showing him the little arm holes and how the back will close with a little button and explaining about the leaf lace trim yet to come and, well, he did not get it (although he did concede that small things are cute).

I’m about halfway through the stockinette portion of the skirt. I love how it bubbles out from the little bodice.

Anyway, if you have a baby girl coming into your life, Sproutlette is the dress to knit. The pattern is straightforward, adorable, and easy to modify. To wit, The baby I’m knitting this for was born in March, which makes her about three months old; the pattern offers three sizes: 0-6 months, 6-12 months 12-24 months. For a three-month old baby (who I have not yet met, and thus don’t have proper dimensions for) this is a bit of a puzzle. I want to knit her something that will serve as a little dress in the summer and early fall, and then transition to a tunic when it gets chilly. Ideally, that’s four to six months of wear, depending on how fast she grows and whether her parents are as entranced by this little garment as I am.

Teeny tiny leaves!

So, I’m changing this slightly to fit a baby approximately 3-9 months old. So far, this has been pretty simple. I normally have to go up a needle size to get gauge, so instead of doing that I’ve gone up a size (I’m making the medium) but used the needle recommended in the pattern, giving me a slightly tighter gauge of 30 (instead of 26) sts = 4 inches. I’m working out a couple of other mods, but I’ll explain all those once this is done and they make sense (and I know they work).

When I cast this on I realized all my project bags were occupied, so instead of taking that as a sign, I just sewed up another one. It’s my new favourite I think.

Okay, if I’m going to going to get this finished by Saturday (which really means Friday morning so there’s time to block it) I need to sneak a few rows in before I go to work. it’s funny, because as much as I’m enjoying this knit, I am already looking forward to getting back to Kit, which Cassy has just announced she’s knitting too and, well, now I really just want us both to be finished to see how they look! Is anyone else knitting this tank too?

Categories: in progress, Knitting, Sewing Tags: baby knits

5:52 pm - June 3, 2013 - AngelaH

Something orange and something blue

This is a new something orange, and it is the reason that I didn’t finish the first of my Willowherb socks this weekend. It’s actually entirely counter-intuitive, because this weekend was so oppressively humid I changed three times on Saturday and I wasn’t doing anything high-energy. Clearly, then, this was the weekend to cast on for Grace. I mean, who doesn’t crave wool cardigans when the humidity is hovering at 100%?

I actually cast on twice. Once, on the needles that my gauge swatch told me were the right size, and then again, with a larger needle, when it was clear my swatch had lied. Somehow, I am now getting an even tighter gauge (!?) but rather than rip out again and start with yet another needle size, I’m chalking it up to the knit-ripped-and-reknit yarn being a little tight. It’ll block out, right?

So that’s the orange. The blue is a bit of a surprise, at least to me. Remember all that time ago when I sewed that project bag? Well, I haven’t sewed a thing since, but last week I got it into my head that I was going to make myself some summer clothes. I don’t know what got into me, but I just decided I could do it, without any sort of evidence backing me up.

Yesterday, I went to The Workroom and picked up some fabric (twice as much as I needed, just in case the first attempt didn’t work out) and the pattern I had in mind: the ubiquitous Wiksten Tank.

I got down to business today (I had the day off) and, after five hours I have a shirt! And it even fits. This is the first piece of clothing I’ve ever made, unless you count the boxers I had to make in seventh grade Family Studies (I do not). L isn’t home yet, so proper finished shots will have to wait. In the meantime, check it out:

Ta da! (It’s hanging on a slight angle, it isn’t actually crooked. Promise.)

Not bad, right? I know it isn’t perfect, but most of the faults are hidden when I’m wearing it. And, that print! I love that print. I have lots left, so short of making the exact same thing again, I’m not quite sure what to with it. I’ll come up with something though.

The print is actually bicycle sprockets! I love it. It’s from the Ride collection by Julia Rothman.

For the top, I had planned to make the XL, but after sewing the side seams I tried it on and it was a tent. I based my pattern size on my bust, but since my waist is 10 inches smaller than my chest, it can be tricky. To fix it, I took 3 inches off the width (1.5 inches per side, tapering up to 1 inch at the armpit). I also took two inches off the back neck by adding a box pleat (totally inspired by Linda). This small success has inspired me to start planning more sewing projects. Although, given how long this simple tank took, it may be a while before any of them are seen here.

Edited to add: L got home right after I hit post, so he agreed to take some impromtu shots. Not the best photos of me (I was freezing, in addition to not styling myself at all), but oh well.

Categories: in progress, Knitting, Sewing Tags: Grace, sewing, sweater, tank, Wiksten

10:27 am - February 21, 2013 - AngelaH

Some new craftiness

Okay, maybe that should be crafty-ness, but whatever. The point is, this week I got out my sewing machine (an amazing Christmas gift from my parents this year) and made something useful. I had been wanting to make napkins for a while, but there wasn’t a pressing need, so I put it off and put it off. Then, my parents visited on the weekend and, since my mum rented a car, I suggested we go to Parkdale, and specifically, the workroom. (My mum also visited the shop, where she picked out two skeins of yarn that I will turn into socks for her.)

It is so fun choosing fabric.

I can 100% get there on public transit without much ordeal, but somehow it always felt like it was going to take my whole day, and it’s been cold, and, well, in the winter you can always find an excuse. We went, though, and I had some fun picking out fabric. I will admit that I expected that fabric to sit around the house for a while before I got around to using it, but then I cast on for a rather overdue baby sweater (the baby has not been born yet, but still) and realized I didn’t have a project bag for it. I know I could have used a Ziploc or something, but I hate doing that. Clearly, this was the perfect opportunity to get sewing.

I was going to wing it, but then realized I could probably do a quick(ish) Google search for a pattern and end up with something useable instead. After going down the rabbit hole of sewing blogs, I came out with this great tutorial by Jeni at In Colour Order. I was a bit nervous, since unlike with knitting, fixing sewing mistakes is not so easy, but I read carefully, measured everything twice, and followed exactly what she said, and, well, judge for yourself:

I am foolishly proud of this. (The lining is royal blue.)

I chose to practice on some fat quarters I bought ages ago, in case it was a disaster, but since it wasn’t I think a few more bags will be made this weekend featuring my new fabric. I also bought some quilt batting, so I can add a needle-proof layer for sock bags. This one is more than large enough for the baby sweater, and would comfortably fit a large shawl or fair isle project. I am quite pleased.

I promise that there is no danger of this turning into a sewing blog, but it might pop up now and again. We don’t live in a big enough apartment for me to get into quilting, but small blocks? Yeah, that could happen… Ahem. Speaking of knitting and baby sweaters, though, what do you think of this? I love the yarn, but I’m worried it’s knitting up too dark (we don’t know the baby’s gender yet). Thoughts?