Still knitting: Socks for J

I am still knitting, sometimes. The proof: socks for J.


When he selected these two yarns for his next pair, I really wasn't sure. I should have trusted him: I love the outcome.

My first wardrobe plan item: top

 

It worked out: now everything fits together, after correcting the center pleat on the front. It's just a tad bit tight, which makes me think that I should probably choose a size larger than indicated for my bust measurement and than make a small bust adjustment (reverse process of the FBA). -- so many things to learn. Right now I'm off to battle with my next project: pants, but more about that later.

Vogue pattern 8495 - Review:
Pattern Description:
Pullover tops have self-faced yokes, topstitching details and center front pleats. I made view A: cap sleeves extending from yoke.

Pattern Sizing:
AA(6-8-10-12), EE(14-16-18-20)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?
yes, very complete, detailed instructions (this was my second Vogue patterns, I grew up with Burda, so am used to very scant instructions)

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I liked how easy this pattern is. It makes a semifitted garment, and no buttonholes, out of woven cloth. Not bad for a very easy pattern.

Fabric Used:
I used silk satin: and the slippery fabric meant that I had to do the front pleat twice, because I did it too large the first time around.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
I added fusible interfacing to the yokes, and also to the armholes of front and back (the pattern says to staystitch the armholes). I like how the soft fabric gets a bit more stand from the interfacing.

Also, I tapered the fronts out a bit larger -- I'm a size 14 on top and size 20 at my hips, and cut a size 14. The top is very large at the bottom, but I found that I liked more than the 2 inches of ease I would have had as per size 14.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
No -- I don't think that the style is particularly flattering for me, actually. I'm on the hunt for a V-Neck woven cloth pattern that would be very easy now.
Yes, I would definitely recommend it to others: it's really very easy to make.

Conclusion:
I'm happy with my finished item, but I think I will use another pattern for the rest of my wardrobe building efforts this summer

Sewing: not as quick and easy as I would have hoped for

and in the real fabric: it doesn't fit together
Originally uploaded by Strickanfall.

To start on my grand plan, I started out with the print silk top. The silk has been sitting in the back of my closet for about six years now: I once got 1.5m of silk fabric from a visiting customer delegation from China -- where usually they would go for tea. I really liked it, but couldn't decide what to make with it. So now, I settled on Vogue pattern 8495 -- I liked the cut, and went for View A. Never mind that the pattern suggested broadcloth, faille or brocade, and that I had silk satin.


I was afraid to ruin the fabric, so I made a muslin (yeah, I can't believe it myself: an extra step, and I'm not too lazy to take it). Anyway, the muslin fits nicely, everything ok -- the only modification for fit I decided: a bit more ease at my hips.


So, all confident, I went ahead and cut the silk (and put it on a wool blanket for cutting, which really helped with the slipping!). I decided it needed a bit more stability, so I added interfacing to the outer yoke (does one normally put the interfacing to the inner or the outer or both????, anyone?).
And now, front yoke and front body don't fit together. So I will need to go back and unpick the basted front pleat to make it fit. Note to self: invest into a felt marker pen for fabrics where tailor's chalk disappears as soon as you apply it. or mark with thread or something.

2009: taking up sewing again!

This year, in addition to knitting, I've taken up sewing again. After a first skirt in a fab print, that I can only wear with white T-shirts -- and a second wonderful print (luckily I decided on a dress this time), I thought I'd better look at what I have in my closet, and make sure future projects match. And I googled (instead of "bing-ed" -- doesn-t do it for me, yet?), and stumbled on SWAP, basically coordinating your sewing, so that the outcome are interchangeable pieces that go together well.
The picture shows my plan, let's see how far I'll stick with it. The good news is: there are three pieces in my wardrobe that will work with this color scheme (no other color scheme would have included more existing pieces), and I guess the other good news is that I can sew lots, no?

Two Aran Cardigans for Babies

DSCN0013
Originally uploaded by Strickanfall.

Two Arans in the round -- recipe from EZ --, both originally for my newest nephew, only that the first was way too small for him at 6 months (red). I had fun upsizing my own "pattern" and making what I think is a 18month size, and it fits him perfectly at 10 months old.

Zwei Zopfjaeckchen, beide rund gestrickt, mit maschinengenaehtem Steek, Rezept frei nach Elizabeth Zimmermann. Die rote sollte ungefaehr 6-12 Monate Groesse haben, war aber dann meinem 6 Monate alten Neffen viel zu klein. Also hab ich sie einem Neugeborenen geschenkt, und mein Neffe bekam eine neue, gelbe, in ca. 18 Monate Groesse -- und sie passt ihm perfekt mit seinen 10 Monaten.

Deux fois Aran: deux essais pour mon neveu, le deuxieme est a sa taille (18-24 mois pour ses 10 mois), le premier va tres bien a un nouveau-ne (taille 6-12 mois, trop petit pour les 6 mois de mon neveu). Les deux etaient un pur plaisir a tricoter, et les recettes de Elizabeth Zimmermann sont un plaisir pour imaginer ses propres modeles.

Spring is in the air

Spring is in the air
Originally uploaded by Strickanfall.

Spring is soon to come, at least here at home -- and I thought it nice to knit a cozy for the daffodils, the idea is from Brenda Dayne's Cast On who mentioned it to be in a book (that I don't remember), so thank you, Brenda!

Blumen und ein bisschen Stricken, statt mich ums Aufraeumen zu kuemmern, wo ich mal einen freien Nachmittag habe. Manchmal brauch ich halt ein bisschen Durchschnaufzeit, auch wenn ich das meist erst eine Woche spaeter als noetig merke...

Des fleurs pour moi, et un cache-pot pour les fleurs, fait par moi -- c'est du "cocooning", je me fais du bien.

Sweater and Hat and my favorite colors

J chose the sweater and hat for his Christmas gifts: and I couldn't have been happier to oblige. He chose the set because of two things: the square buttons and the three pompons on the hat. I think he likes the colors, too.
When the sweater was sitting on the couch as a wip, I noticed it had the exact same colors as my on-the-go knitting, socks for mom out of Drops Fabel sockyarn. I heartily recommend the Hanne Falkenberg Ludo: pleasantly easy and mindless knitting in great color and great yarn. And the Garnstudio sockyarn is amazingly soft, and has really nice colors (doh).
Happy New Year to all my readers!
J hat sich den Pulli und die Muetze ausgesucht, und ich habe sie natuerlich voll Begeisterung gestrickt. Und er hat den Pulli auch drei Wochen lang taeglich getragen -- jetzt ist er aber von irgendeiner Schulaktivitaet mit Knete voll, und die eine Aermelnaht hat wohl den Kaempfen im Schulhof nicht standgehalten. Genauso fehlt der Muetze schon einer der drei Pompons, die ganz wichtig waren bei der Auswahl genau dieses Modelles. Zum Glueck hatte mein Lieblingsknopfladen hier ums Eck auch quadratische Knoepfe, denn das war ja auch auf dem Modellfoto drauf, war aber nicht teil des Hanne Falkenberg kits.
Es handelt sich also um Ludo von Hanne Falkenberg, und ich habe lustigerweise Socken fuer meine Mutter aus einer Fabel von Drops gestrickt, die genau die gleichen Farben hat. Falkenberg ist echt klasse, ich bin Fan, auch wenn ich vor lauter Geschenkestricken nicht vorwaerts komme bei meiner Mermaid.
Frohes Neues Jahr Euch allen!
Ce qui parait une evidence me rejouit quand meme: J a choisi le modele, et par consequence, c'est son nouveau pull prefere qu'il a mis chaque jour pendant au moins deux semaines. Entre temps le pull et le chapeau sont victimes de leur succes, ou plutot victimes des bagarres d'un petit garcon dans la cours de recre: le chapeau a perdu un des trois ("Maman, mais tu n'oublies pas de faire trois pompons!")  pompons, et le pull est couvert d'une substance que mon fils declare etre de la pate a modeler, et a une des coutures d'une manche de defaite. Rien de grave, j'espere pouvoir remedier aux maux.
J'ai ete surprise de voir que la laine FAbel de Drops que j'avais utilisee pour les chaussettes de maman avait exactement les memes couleurs que ce pull + chapeau de Falkenberg (Ludo). J'adore Hanne Falkenberg, et je me declare fan, apres un seul objet fini.
Bonne Annee 2009 a vous tous!