Wednesday 30 July 2014

Several years after everybody knitted a Hitchhiker Scarf, it's finally my turn. Yarn is very very soft and fuzzy and was a present from my friend Mandie. Even though a Hitchhiker is supposed to have 42 points, I'm going to knit 43 as that is how old I am at the moment! Not really a Hitchhiker anymore then, I do realise that... It's the perfect TV knitting project. Not that we're watching much telly at the moment as the remote control for the freeview box has given up the ghost and now the telly is stuck on Radio 4. I guess it could have been worse, like Dave or Channel Five.

In the background a pile of fabrics from Crafty Baba for new sewing projects: top fabric is for a sleeveless top for 15yo, middle fabric is for a skirt for me, and bottom fabric is for a skirt for 15yo, who liked mine so much, she wants one of her own. She'd better wear it, because she's two sizes smaller than me so if she ends up not liking it, I can't wear it myself!

Wednesday 18 September

With a return to more regular blogging I want to revive my WIP Wednesday too. I make a LOT more than I show on this blog. In fact, it started as a craft blog, but has slowly evolved into more of a general diary. I would quite like to be better at recording my makes - in fact, every year I have a New Year's resolution to keep my Ravelry project page up to date. In reality I find I want to do a photoshoot, the weather's never right or I forget my camera or it's got dark, I'm already three projects further along and I lose the urge to post about it. Maybe my WIP Wednesday will help - or maybe I should start a FO Friday...?

Anyway, enough rambling, onto my project. It's not really a WIP anymore, as in fact it's blocking in my conservatory and all that's left to do is sew the three buttons on. But I haven't got anything else on the needles right now, so this is what you're going to get!

It's been a little warmer here today than in the last few days (brrrr it was cold in the evenings, specially as I'm resisting turning the heating on for a few more weeks yet) and the jacket is probably almost ready to come off the towel.
The pattern is Harriet's Jacket by Elizabeth McCarten, a Canadian designer whose designs I'd seen before and always liked. For years I haven't knitted a full garment as too many times I'd spend months and months on something, only to find that I didn't like the finished sweater as it wouldn't fit quite right or didn't look as I'd imagined. I followed Liz's blog as she designed this cardigan and liked it so much that I couldn't get it out of my head. After knitting my Gladys cardi, which was quite successful (and needs another blog post!), I bit the bullet and bought yarn for Harriet's Jacket. I started back in August, in fact, I knitted lots of it on the ferry back from Holland, and cast off last Monday during 14yo's ballet lesson. It was a very quick knit and I enjoyed every moment of it. The construction is very ingenious - you start at the cuff and work your way up the sleeve on a circular needle. In the past, circular needles and I haven't been on the best of terms, but I looked into the magic loop method and once I'd mastered that, I was away. Actually, you can hardly say 'mastered', as it is so simple. When the sleeve is the right length, and the great thing about circular needles is that you can try it on as you go, you increase stitches for under the arm and from there you knit the front and back half. You knit another sleeve just like that, then attach the two halves in the center back. Next up is the collar, and then the peplum. I knit mine a little longer as I'm tall (almost 6ft).
As I said, I cast off on Monday night and all that was left to do was sew in ends - no sewing up at all! Brilliant...

Looking at my photo and photos on the pattern I realise I've blocked mine a little wrong, as the bottom needs to be at an angle. I may just re-block it, because the increases at the side sit a little oddly at the moment.

I've tried it on and it's slightly bigger than I'd hoped (despite getting perfect gauge) but it's very warm and comfortable and I'm looking forward to wearing it. It looks fabulous on 14yo, so I'm hoping she'll be willing to model it this weekend for some proper modelled photos!

Now what to knit next... I've got a little project lined up - a crochet pincushion on the top of a jar for 14yo's Fashion and Textiles lessons, but after that - definitely another full garment, but what...? 

Thursday 20 June

I wanted to do my WIP Wednesday yesterday but had used up my computer time - well, I've got to set the right example to the kids don't I! And tonight's not much different, so only a short post.

Colours aren't very good as I took the picture last night as the light was fading (even though the days are very very long at the moment - love it!). The pink is really bright pink and the lilac is more lilac, but you get the idea of the ruffles. I still want to add a few more but to be honest I'm getting really bored with it. One ruffle row takes a couple of hours at the very least, and as it is something I'll probably only wear once, I don't want to spend so much time on it. It's turning out more frilly than I had imagined but I'm quite pleased with that.

Again the colours aren't perfect, the shirt isn't orange but pink! It's a lovely pink seersucker which I've had for a long time. I've been trying to get back into sewing and when I do, I really enjoy it. I used to sew a lot for the children, but I seem to have lost my confidence a bit. Every time I get to a new step, I procrastinate over it. All that's left of this shirt is the band around the edge of the right sleeve, the hem and the buttonholes plus buttons, but the buttonholes are scaring me. I've never been that good at them, they always have that homemade look. Plus I haven't got any buttons for it at the moment. I should finish it off though, we finally had some warmer weather in the UK this past week and I could have worn this. If I wasn't so scared of buttonholes that is!

Wednesday 5 June

Although I'm always knitting, crocheting and/or sewing a project, I don't often show them on here. Not sure why that is - I think often I don't have the patience to take beautiful completed project photos and write up a post about it. So, in order to show a bit more crafting, which was, way back, the original reason for starting this blog, and to post a bit more regularly, I'm going to try and post every Wednesday about my Works-in-Progress or WIPs as they're known in the crafting world.

I can't tell you too much about this crochet project, as it is my outfit for the Ladies Tractor Road Run in July. Yes, it is pink and garish and hideous, but that is the whole point of it. It is ruffly and silly, it is eating up yarn and it seems never ending at the moment. But I tried it on tonight and it is looking good so far. I'm hoping to have all but finished it by next week.

And that reminds me, I must get a JustGiving page up for the road run. This year is the 10th anniversary and I've heard we've got more than 160 entries so far - last year was 120 or thereabouts. I can't wait!