My blog host recently added a mobile posting feature, which is awesome, because, currently, I'm pretty mobile. Last weekend, I headed westward for a visit with my bestie/"sister by a different mister". Long story short: she fell in love with a boy...they got married... And they're living, happily ever after, in Wyoming. You might be thinking, "¿¡Wyoming!?", which basically sums up the reaction I had when she told me her plans to relocate from sunny San Diego to... the second least densely populated state in the nation (Alaska is first). To say the least, I was skeptical. Turns out, it's pretty beautiful. The scenery is incredible. And, downtown, while small, is charming; there are lots of small businesses and neat old buildings. Most importantly, there are TWO yarn shops! Apparently, the town she lives in shuts down on Mondays, so we were only able to get into one of the shops. It's a new addition to her area. They, unfortunately, didn't stock any, "Wyoming" yarn. But, the owner and shop attendees were completely sweet and very friendly. I left with some goodies for the flight home, and I'm pretty sure my friend found her new favorite vice; she also left equipped with yarn and needles. ;-)
There is more trip-related knitting content to post. But, it's all trapped on my SD card until I get back to my computer. Here's a tease:
I'm up and running, err knitting, rather. Last night, while Mike was engaging in ritualistic activities with the guys, I took advantage of having the house to myself. I curled up in bed with my laptop, Netflix, and a hank of 'uneven' sock yarn I purchased a while back at a Dream in Color Seconds Sale, and I cast-on a Serina cardigan. As you might be able to tell, we're getting along quite well.
It's May. Already. Where did the time go? I don't feel I had a very productive April. I did finish a pair of socks. I also managed to get a sweater FINISHED ( Hallelu!!). I am, however, shy of my monthly goal by a sewing project due to laziness and/or complete lack of motivation. If you're keeping track of the score: SOCKS: 4 pairs (5 if you count this re-knit), SWEATERS: 3, SEWING:3 I've got some catching up to do if I want to stay in the game, but with 2/3 of the year remaining, there's time for a come-back, right? I should probably pick out and start some May projects so I don't contribute further to the deficit. There is no pattern to this sweater. It was just something I needed to work out of my system.
Is it me? Do you see it? I'm thinking this dress is ultimately more ' Betty' than ' Betty', but that print... it's impossible for me to not have the theme song to the Flintstones cartoon in the back of my mind while I sew. How horrible is it that I remember the theme song lyrics, entirely, to a show I haven't watched in close to 20 years but can't recite the preamble to the US Constitution I learned at approximately the same time... Don't answer that. After overcoming the initial fit obstacles I had with the bodice, things seem to be going smoothly. Still, I never really know how a dress is going to fit until after I get the zipper in and try it on properly. Having Mike hold my zipper opening closed helps give me a rough idea (I could probably get a clearer picture if I trusted him with pins), but it's more approximation than precision. Barring unforeseen disaster, the dress will be finished by Friday, so long as I can put my sweater down, that is.
| | There wasn't a process of progress to these socks. This was my first time knitting 'plain' socks, and I didn't realize how much faster/easier they materialize than their lace/cabled cousins. I think these could easily be accomplished in a single sitting, given the right motivation. Kinda cool. And, definitely a useful tool to have in the toolbox for those months when time is less than readily available. I'm trying really hard to work from and make room in my stash. It's not easy, but it is educational. For example, I've learned I definitely have room for sock yarn expansion. I'm down to the bottom of the barrel on sock weight yarn. The two skeins I combined to knit this pair: unmarked and acquired during a swap two years ago. I can't be 100% sure, but they both feel like wool. The grey is a coarse and raw feeling strand. And, the red had a lanolin-like quality to it. To accomplish the pattern, I used Kim Haesemeyer's Striped Alpaca Socks. I made it from cuff to toe using only pattern 2, so I didn't get the full effect of the original striping, but I think I squeezed in enough to get adequate visual appeal from the gradient patterning. It was awfully refreshing to finish these socks. Having them done means I have one fewer project to divide my attention while I try to hop back on the wagon. | Also, I want to extend a HUGE THANK YOU! to Natalie for giving me a second Versatile Blogger Nomination. I posted my acceptance previously, here, if you're interested. Please hop over and see Natalie's noms!
Do you ever get a craving that you can't quite put your finger on. It's like, you know you're hungry for something very specific, but nothing sounds good. You try eating a variety of things that might be comparable, but they don't do the trick. Before you know it, you've taste tested the entire contents of your refrigerator and pantry, feel slightly uncomfortable from having over indulged, yet still can't quite figure out what it was you really wanted in the first place.... This parallels my current relationship with sweater knitting. It started when I didn't finish my March sweater. When I first bit in, it was good; after a while, it wasn't very appetizing. I decided to save it for later, but I haven't thought about picking it up since. When April started, I tried a project with a different flavor. It was delicious but not satisfying. There I was... the middle of the month with another partial sweater I didn't want to work on. It was like being deep into a pint of ice cream. Do I finish? The damage is already done. Maybe if I stop now, I can avoid the stomach ache that's sure to follow; who cares if you're sweater-less two months consecutively? Neither option solved the problem: I just didn't know what I was hungry for. This has never happened before. I've been knitting for 3.5years, NON-STOP. 30+sweaters, nearly 20 pairs of socks, mittens, gloves, scarves,hats, blankets, and other misc. odds/ends, still, my Ravelry favorites overflows with sweater patterns I adore and would love to knit. It's not the season change. The season has changed 14 times since I started knitting, half of which are spring/summer shifts, and I knit through them all. True, sewing is making more of a presence in my life and free-time these days, but sewing is my silver, knitting my gold. It had to be something else. After some internal debate, I frogged the April jumper and started combining ingredients to make my own recipe. A pinch of this, a dash of that and ample amounts of EVERYTHING I thought might quash the craving. It's a very "pickles and ice cream" remedy, but it seems to be working. It's been two days of consumption via HEAPING spoonfuls; I can't get enough. Fingers crossed, this is what I needed.
I am very flattered to accept The Versatile Blogger award! Natalie, of Buttons and Beeswax, very sweetly nominated Will Knit For Food as a recipient. Thank you, Natalie for your thoughtfulness! I love being an interactive part of the blogging community and think these awards are a fun way for us to all gain exposure to each other and new blogs! Here are the conditions of The Versatile Blogger Award: - Thank the person who gave you this award. - Include a link to their blog. - Next, select 15 bloggers that you follow regularly or have recently discovered. - Nominate those bloggers for the Versatile blogger-award. - Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself. Nominees: 1. Sue @ Granny's World, who shares her adventures in crafting for her family. She creates beautiful hand-knits, and you can count on lovely photographs of her finished projects, modeled by her darling grandchildren! 2. Anji @ Knitting, Reading, Photography and Maybe More, who posts gorgeous photos of her knits. She juggles an interesting variety of projects and also provides an occasional laugh intermixed into her posts. 3. Sarah @ On Being a Knitwit, who shares her lovely knitted projects and designs! Also, I expect to see some sewing in the near future, because she recently purchased a new sewing machine! 4. Pumpkin @ Pumpkin Spins, who amazes me with her productivity juggling the demands of higher education, spinning and knitting. 5. Opal @ Celebrating Life, who writes about crochet, cooking and quilting. 6. Liz @ YarnBerry, who is knitting up a storm and KILLING IT on her "year of projects" goals. 7. Erin Kate @ {ERIN}, a blogger of many talents who posts about her array of projects and DIY endeavors. 8.Tanya @ My Grandmotherly Ways... who blogs her crochet and kitties. 9. Willow @ Kittens with Mittens, a passionate knitter with a particular fancy for sock knitting. 10. Sudden Expression, a talented dyer and knitter who generously shares the occasional adorable baby photo! 11. Christina @ Just another Creative Blog who blogs about knitting, crochet and sewing in addition to providing a weekly dose of Man Candy, for your viewing pleasure. 12. Carla @ Tiny Angry Crafter, who dazzles with her awesome embroidery skills, knitting, and sewing pojects. 13. Erin @ Creating the Day, who, espeicially lately, creates the most adorable knit animals! She also shares her knitting designs and beautiful photography from her adventures! 14. Paula @ Knit and Seek, who blogs her (mostly)ups and downs with knitting and Mr. Right. 15. Cheryl @ Elephant Juice Knits, whose posts are FILLED with gorgeous photos! You can expect to find a wide array of interesting content here: knitting, embroidery, baking, etc... 7 Things About ME: 1. Every dog who has ever been a member of my family, past and present, has a name that begins with the letter 'd': Daisy, Dama, Dory, Doogan, Diva, Doc(tor), Dulce and Danger. 2. Being a contestant on a televised game show tops my list of life aspirations, legitimately. My top three choices, Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right and Family Feud. 3. I randomly burst into improvised song during the course of daily activities. 4. I am terrified of BUGS! Worst offenders: Grasshoppers. 5. I always sleep with one foot out from under the blankets. 6. All but two pieces of furniture in our house are either upcycled vintage or handcrafted, and we're working on the rest. 7. I am left handed, but can only use scissors with my right hand.
It likely goes without saying, but I didn't come close to finishing my March sweater. In fact, it looks identical to the way it looked a week ago. We need some time apart. I think it's definitely a situation of distance/heart fonder. In the meantime, I'm charging forward into April. For whatever reason (the weather?), a lace-weight sweater seemed an appropriate palate cleanser. It was difficult to settle on a pattern. I really, really, really, wish Kim Hargreaves would make her patterns available for purchase online. She has the most incredible lace weight sweater designs... le sigh. ANYWAY, This bad girl is knit on US 7 needles and, I'm hoping, is going to be a breeze. April socks are still a twinkle in the eye; I haven't settled on a pattern or yarn yet but promised myself I would start them before the weekend. I have my next sewing pursuit picked out and cut-out! Last night I started sewing the bodice together. Tonight, I will be practicing my seam-ripping skills and undoing the progress of the previous evening. I have some unexpected fit issues to deal with. A dress form would really be handy (hint, hint, dear husband. My birthday is quickly approaching).
That's what I'm working on. How's your project progress?
The good: I have made progress on my March sweater project. If this was 50% of a sweater, I think it's safe to say I'm at roughly 70%. The body is done, and I cast-on a sleeve. The bad: I'm working on the first sleeve. Of two. I could just throw caution to the wind and make it a sweater vest. It might be sexy. What do you think? The ugly: there are only three (and a half if you count tonight) days left to the month. Two of those days are work days; that's 16hrs gouged out of potential knitting time. I'm not down for the count, not yet, but it's going to take a miracle, at minimum, obscene amounts of coffee, to have this sweater steamed and seamed (dare I even mention the ends that need to be woven in? Look at them, sweater guts, spewing out.) and ready to wear before bedtime Saturday. And, well, I'm just not sure I have a photo finish in me this month. It's probably time to start exploring my project options if I plan to have a sweater before April.
The day has come! It's time for the Mad Men Premiere and, the debut of my Mad Men inspired dress for Julia Bobbin's SAL. What do you think? I had a lot of fun with this project. My inspiration was the floral sundress Betty wears in season1. I used McCall 5842 to sew my version. The dress I sewed doesn't look anything like the dress in the show, but it definitely carries a Betty aesthetic with its full skirt and bold floral print. I modified the bodice to accommodate zero ease throughout the torso and whacked 6 inches from the skirt length, but, otherwise, stuck to the pattern. The skirt length isn't authentic to the era; it's an editorial modernization that I took liberty with based on my own preferences. The dress fits, nearly perfectly. I'm beyond thrilled with the finished project and see myself wearing this dress TONS this summer.
I had a complete blast photographing this dress, (if you couldn't tell by the obscene number of photos), and trying to "get into character'. Truth be told, I'm just too happy to pull-off a believable "Betty Draper" . To date, this is my favorite dress I've made. After a success like this, it's hard not to dive head-first into the other projects I have picked out for the sprint/summer season. Meanwhile, I'm trying my hardest not to toss in towel on my current sweater project... but we're growing apart; I'm not sure if we can make things work. If you've made it this far into the post, you're probably sick of pictures, but I couldn't resist a twirling series. No matter how old I get, swirling skirts is always fun. That's it for me. I'll be impatiently waiting for itunes to download tonight's episode so I'm able to get my fix; the anticipation is agonizing! :-D Be sure to tune in to Julia Bobbin's on April 1 to see all of the amazing creations contributed to the MadMen Dress Challenge!
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