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It was cold and rainy all weekend, which meant I didn't get to go hiking like I wanted to, but it did mean I got a lot of indoor crafting done. I'm soooooo close to finishing up two projects (including my first sew weekly challenge!) and hopefully I'll tie up the loose ends and get them both posted this week. In the meantime, here's some sneak peaks!
It seems like the sweaters I dislike knitting the most, end up being the sweaters I wear the most. Case in point, That D@#n Sweater, which I wear ALL the time.
This sweater falls into the same category. The pattern is Pas de Valse by Marnie MacLean. The pattern itself is fine, but I really lost my knitting mojo working on this thing. I blame too much stockinette stitch on size 6 needles. I knit the size closest to my actual bust size, with about 1 inch of ease. I wish I had gone one size up, but I thought it would grow much much more than it did when blocking (the yarn is alpaca/nylon sock blend from Snowshoe Farms that I picked up at Rhinebeck). I did end up going up a size on the sleeves, which I'm awfully glad I did.
The finished product is very wearable - I think I've worn it three times this week already, but in the end, it's just not my favorite. I didn't care for knitting it and I think the style of the finished object, though lovely, just isn't me. I'm not really a drapey-style gal. Of course, I say this, but because the color really fills a need in my wardrobe, I will still wear it a lot.
I guess I'll just need to get in touch with my inner Eileen Fisher when I do. :)
It's been two years since my last visit to Fiber Frolic. I've been spinning for nearly two years! I fell for needlefelting! Both of which open my Fiber Frolicking world!
While there were tons of beautiful yarns I didn't pick any up this year (though it was all I could do not to buy this Sweet Bunting Cardigan kit on display at Dirty Water Dyeworks, but since I don't know any babies or soon to arrive babies to knit for I held off).
similarly, I think it was all Aimee could do to not walk off with this 4 week old lamb.
After having been to a number of fiber festivals, it was nice to see some great stuff from vendors I hadn't seen before,like this roving from Purple Fleece, which I didn't pick up and this menrino/tencel braid from Highland Handmades that I did.
I must have been in a whimsical mood on Saturday, because my other two purchases where these charming needlefelting kits Off the Beaded Path (I've already started one) and the frog and bead stitch markers from Enchanted Knoll Farms
Fortunately I still had some funds left over for the superb fair food (gyros and sweet potatoes fries - yes please!!)
After lunch there were more friends and fleeces to snorgle
And look who we found in the rabbit barns!!
Can I say for the record, these fleeces were lovely and make me want to move up to a wheel so I could justify the poundage?? Fiber frolic is such an enabling event, for reals. Good thing I have Tour de Fleece coming up soon, so I can get back into some serious spinning!!
(PS -for another take on this trip, in which my right shoulder makes a cameo- visit Aimee at 52 weeks, 52 hats)
I know I said my next sewing project would be a blouse, but I got distracted and had to make this dress first instead. I feel that the finished project is very Anthropologie-looking, so I tried to do my best Anthro-model impression above.
I've been loving watercolor florals for some time now, and when I saw this silky print at JoAnn's on my last visit I had to pick it up. I combined the fabric with Butterick 5028, a pattern that's been languishing in my stash for at least four years, waiting for the right 6o-inch fabric.
The pattern is all of three pieces, but I made a few mods, including lengthening the hem by about 1.5" and changing the neckline to a scoop neck. Later when I remembered I don't like scoop necks on me, I added the fabric loops to the front straps to change it up just enough to my liking. I still need to tack the loops down so they don't slide up, but I'm very happy with the finished project.
The fabric is nice and drapey, and despite being polyester (lined with yellow gingham in the bodice) it's very breezy and comfortable. I will say that my last two experiences with poly (this and my Lady Grey lining) have not been the best for my machine. They're so tightly woven that a very sharp needle is necessary. Lesson learned: universals no, sharps yes.
I also did my first attempt at a lapped side zipper using the instructions that came with the zipper, which I found very clear. My zipper's a bit wonky at the top, but that's because I didn't line it up the best and this fabric didn't deal well with seam ripping. I'd definitely do it again on another project.
I definitely loved this pattern, and I think if I could find the right white 60-inch eyelet fabric I'd make another in a heartbeat, probably with the original v-neck front and sash.
Another note, I like the drapy-ness of the back bodice on this one, but if you were concerned about bra straps showing, you could tack it together at the cross over point for something more stable. The back hem looks a little weird in this photo, I think because the weight of the fabric isn't enough to counteract the pull of bodice or it's static-y or I could be standing funny- I'm not sure.
Dress: Me-made
Butterfly-Wing Necklace: Birthday gift
Belt: from shirt I no longer have
Sandals: Born Concept
Thanks to taking a few much-needed days off from work and a national holiday, I just wrapped up a 5-day weekend, which was absolutely lovely.
It didn't hurt that after weeks of rain, we finally had a string of sunny and warm days.
Somethings I did
All in all, I feel totally refreshed - exactly what you want from a long weekend.
First, can I say that I am so over this rain? I think we've seen the the sun for a total of three hours in the past week. I know I spent four years in Oregon, so I should be used to the rain, but I'm watching the weather forecast right now and it's showing rainclouds all this week too.
Boo.
At least I have lots of indoor hobbies, right?
And I may have picked up another one this weekend. Knitting is such a gateway craft for me: it beget spinning, weaving, dying, and now, needlefelting.
Meet Hedgie, my first needle-felted creation. When I saw this class offered at the Fiber Gallery, I knew I had to take it because hedgehogs? So cute!!
I found needle-felting to be quite intutive once you get started and I managed to only jab myself in the finger once.
I may have to pick up some more tiny bits of roving and make some more felty-friends!!
I'll admit that post-Lent, I've missed doing outfit posts, so I'm bringing 'em back (albeit not daily-maybe weekly).
I've been thinking a lot about personal style lately and I've been trying to think what, if anything, defines my style. I have a hard time putting my finger on it (though my knitting circle can select with great accuracy, what would be a "Leah sweater") and I thought by continuing to document my favorite outfits, I might be able to get a better grasp on my personal style.
Chambray Dress: Bass Outlet
Forecast Cardigan: Made by Me
Boots: Naturalizers - perhaps unsurprisingly, I've worn a hole in the bottom of these :(
How do you define your personal style? Any tips for pinning it down? Does it help you in any way or do you think it doesn't matter?
This is what a day's worth of dying by a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs (and one real pro) looks like and is yet another reason why I am a part of the bestest knitting group ever.
Because these guys?
Awesome.
One of our members, Bristol, happens to be an all-around fiber pro and locally dyes yarn and fiber for the Fiber Gallery and even made a nifty hand-dyed fiber/yarn calendar for 2011.
As part of one of her bazillion jobs, Bristol also works as Creative Designer and Instructor for SuriPaco farms and she needed a few guinea pigs to test out SuriPaco's facilities for upcoming dye classes. The Portland Knitters on the Town (PKOTT) were nice enough to oblige.
Aside from the usual group we were joined by Aimee's husband and the young Maggie (which was a good thing since our regular Maggie was out of town) and the adorable Sadie.
We measured out the base dyes from powder (and safety first- wearing dust masks!)
Prepped the yarn for dying by tying it (loosely) and soaking it.
We kettle-dyed
And hand-painted
(If only you could see how zombie-like my hands were in color here!)
And we pulled out skein after skein of lovely yarn:
And braids of roving:
And admired our hand-iwork.
Here's my three pieces:
So it's a few days late for Lent, but I finally have that simple neutral skirt I needed for my wardrobe and it only took two days start to finish. So maybe I'm not the slowest seamstress ever.
Of course it helps when you have company for one of those days (though a second ironing board would have been helpful).
The pattern is Burda(style?) 7437 view B, which was the only pattern I could find that had the styling I wanted - specifically having the fly closure. The fly was a first for me - my tip: baste the zipper first - it took a couple of tries to get everything lined up, but was otherwise simpler than I thought it'd be.
I made a few minor mods - namely skipping the pleat in the back and taking in the back waist band/center seam. It wasn't clear if the skirt was designed to sit at the waist or not, but mine does, which may be why the skirt ended up a teeny-tiny bit shorter than I expected (which I honestly didn't notice until I looked at these photos). If I sewed it again, I'd probably add an inch to the hem (and not over-trim the button underlap), but overall I'm very happy with the way this one turned out.
I did flat-felled seams on all the piece to piece joins and top-stitching on the pockets and waistband. I hammered in a jean button for the closure. All told - I think it turned out very professional-looking, like if I didn't tell you, you wouldn't know I made it.
My next sewing project will be a Sunni-inspired sleeveless bow blouse. I feel like I'm on a sewing roll right now, so I'd love to keep the good mojo going!
It was a beautiful sunny Saturday, perfect for a day in the yard, starting my garden. I started off the day at the wonderful Broadway Gardens and after pestering the staff with a few questions, came home with a decent haul.
I transferred my purchases from the car to the potting setup in the garage and got to work.
I put together a pair of hanging baskets for the back porch,
planted some pansies and morning glory seeds around the base of the lamppost out front,
planted a strawberry plant in the backyard barrel,
and spent a ton of time prepping the soil to plant a pair of mint plants next to the back porch. (I don't know what had grown there before, but it left behind quite the root system!).
It was one of those work days where the fruit of the labor aren't readily apparent, but it's a good start and it was nice to finally get something in the ground!! (Next up - picking a spot for the black and raspberries, and tilling the soil for the veggie plot).