Category: sewing

Sunday Sunday 🎵 Bah-da Bah-da-da-da 🎶 a YOP Update

Posted on Posted in knitting, sewing, sweaters, Works in Progress (WIPs), Year of ProjectsTagged , , 22 Comments

Knitting

I’ve made progress this week on Powdermill. I’m enjoying this knit. Nothing like straightforward, repetitive colorwork to keep you going. (I’m giving Arrowhead side-eye.) Also, this yarn is scrumptious. I’m glad I have a stash full of it!

I’m also up to 12 inches on the body of the purple Lodge Sweater. It’s my mindless knitting. However, spring is coming, and I’m starting to shift my focus to sewing.

Sewing

Ottobre Casual Cotton Pants

This week I finished sewing my Ottobre casual cotton pants. I can’t wait to wear them. It’s still too cold for this cotton twill, which is a medium weight. I’m planning to sew another pair in navy stretch twill, and then Simplicity s9376 in black brushed cotton twill.

The new Ottobre has a lovely summer top pattern, and it only takes 1.5 yards for my size. I have some cotton prints in mind for this from stash. The polka dot was a gift from BonnyKnits, and the batiks are fair trade from Global Mamas in Ghana.

I continue to alter my sewing plan (see what I did there?) as I assess my wardrobe needs.

Spinning

I finished spinning my Pumpkins for Sale BFL fiber. This was my first time chain plying, and I enjoyed it. My spinning is getting more even, but I still have a long way to go.

It looks good with the yarn I spun from the same fiber, and dyed orange. (I was exhausting a dye bath.) These plus one more color will knit up a nice Shift cowl in the fall. I have more BFL fiber in stash to spin. What color should I dye it to go with these? Maybe russet, or olive green? I’d like the cowl to be made completely from hand spun. Let me know your opinions on the color in the comments.

DIY Hair Care

I thought I was on the right track with my homemade hair care products. But after a few weeks, my hair started feeling like straw. I’m back to purchasing products. Maybe if I get a good crop of soapwort this year, I can try again with that.

Gardening

It’s still too cold to start seeds or plant peas. I hope it warms up soon!

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

Friday Finish: Casual Cotton Pants

Posted on Posted in finished objects, sewingTagged , 24 Comments

I finished sewing my cotton pants, and I have to say, I like them. These turned out more like old school chinos instead of jeans, which I’m really happy about. I skipped the belt loops, as I never wear a belt or tuck in my shirt (except here so you can see the trouser top).

I cut a size 48, and I should have gone with a 46. I had to take in an extra centimeter on every seam, but made it work. They are still a little loose, but it’s a good thing since this fabric is 100% cotton and has no elasticity. Next time, though, I’ll cut the same pattern without a seam allowance, and sew a 1/2” seam allowance.

The rise came out well, as did the fly. My only complaint is the instructions said to cut a bias binding for the inside waistband edge. This was unnecessary and, in fact, made it too long. I ended up having to hand stitch it down. Next time I’ll omit this step and top stitch the serged edge of the waistband through the seam on the outside.

Pattern is Casual Cotton Pants from Ottobre Autumn/Winter 5/2021. Fabric is gray cotton twill from stash. I’ll make my next pair in some navy stretch cotton twill, also from stash.

It’s nice to have woven pants that fit. I was getting tired of wearing joggers, or dresses, or overalls. Okay, who am I kidding. I never get tired of overalls.

ScrapHappy March: Birthday Book Gift Sleeve

Posted on Posted in scraphappy, sewingTagged 19 Comments

This is my first time participating in ScrapHappy. I’m really excited about this group, because I think it will help me use up materials I have rather than buying new materials I don’t really need. I decided to ease in with something simple.

March is a big birthday month for us. All in total, we have five birthdays to celebrate this month. It’s common for me to sew drawstring gift bags for gift wrap. Here is my post from December when I sewed gifts bags for everyone from a yardage of quilting cotton I had in my stash.

My oldest turned 26 last week. Our plan was to go to Perkins Observatory on Friday, but the birthday kid came down with Covid, so we’ll try again another time. Here is our gift, wrapped and ready for next time. (It was an overcast day anyway. Maybe next time we’ll have clear skies and get a look through the big telescope!)

When trying to come up with gift wrap for this, I thought about reusing a paper bag and decorating it, or wrapping the books in fabric. However, knowing my oldest would not have any need for a scrap of fabric, I decided to try something new. A gift book sleeve!

This sleeve has clean lines and makes a great pouch not only for gifting books, but also packing a lunch, or holding a journal, pen, and pencil. The fabric is leftover from my Winter Solstice Project Bag made in 2020. I was thinking about purchasing a piece of space fabric, but I thought, “Let’s just look in the ol’ stash first.” When I found this star fabric, I thought it was perfect! It’s two rectangles of fabric the size of the largest book, plus a couple of inches on each edge for seams, gussets, and top hem. If you want to add a drawstring and casing, you’ll need a couple more inches on the top side.

ScrapHappy is open to anyone using up scraps of anything – no new materials. It can be a quilt block, pincushion, bag or hat, socks or a sculpture. Anything made of genuine scraps is eligible. More information can be found here. Contact Kate or Gun to join. Here are the links for everyone who joins ScrapHappy from time to time (they may not post every time, but their blogs are still worth looking at):

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy,  Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Jule, Gwen, Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, Edith, Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv, Karrin, Amo and Alissa

Another One Posts a YOP

Posted on Posted in knitting, movies, sewing, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , 11 Comments

Sewing

I’ve got a good start on my Casual Cotton Pants. Right now I’m waiting on a matching zipper to arrive to sew the fly. I had a gray zipper that was too light, and a black zipper that was too dark. I could have tried to make do, but zippers are under $2 and I know I will use those other zippers some day. Normally I serge the seams, but in the interest of being able to alter these should I lose any more weight, I decided to serge the edges of the waistband pieces and stitch them together. They will be easier to unpick that way.

Knitting

Clue 3 dropped on Who Ya Gonna Shawl? but I’m still knitting Clue 1. I love these colors together. I’m not sure I’m knitting the stitches correctly, and they don’t look like the spoiler pic. It may be because I chose a dark contrast color instead of a light one. Ultimately, I don’t think it really matters. Ghosts or Galaga? Who cares, right? I’ll keep working on this as the mood strikes. I honestly don’t know how people keep up with mystery knitalongs like this. There are some fast knitters out there!

I’m a little down on knitting right now. After finishing Arrowhead (which I ironically call “my opus” to myself) I guess I need a little break. I’ve been thinking about picking up a long languishing project, or even casting on something new from stash. Or, I might spin for a while.

Have a great week, YOPpers! Sorry not sorry about the title. Bob and I watched Weird: the Al Yankovic Story last week and I can’t stop thinking about it.

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

Wednesday WIP: Casual Cotton Pants

Posted on Posted in sewing, Works in Progress (WIPs)Tagged , , 8 Comments

I spent some time looking over the Audrey Pants sewing pattern, and it needs a more drapey fabric than what I have in stash. The pattern recommends gabardine or wool melton fabric. (Melton seems a little heavy to me for trousers.) The pattern also includes tuck pleats, and I think making this pattern in cotton twill would make my already poofy belly look even more poofy! I will make this pattern someday, when I have the appropriate fabric.

In the meantime, I dug through my old Ottobre Magazines, and found a more appropriate pattern for my fabric from the Autumn 2021 issue. It’s designed more like a jean than trousers, but I think it’s a good style for me. I’m going to make my first pair in gray cotton twill. It’s not my first time sewing jeans (I made a pair back in 2019) so I’m not daunted. If these turn out well, I have some navy stretch twill that might also work.

I have only been knitting stockinette as a palate cleanser since I finished Arrowhead. I’ve been working on the purple Lodge Sweater. Not much to show, though.

Year of Projects: Week 9

Posted on Posted in knitting, sewing, sweaters, Year of ProjectsTagged , , 23 Comments

Sewing

This week I sewed an outfit from lightweight merino wool jersey. I got this fabric for a great price on Etsy. I think the seller was clearing out the 100% merino, or maybe because it’s lightweight. Anyway, I knew I wanted some black wool wide-legged pants for spring. I only needed two yards for that, and I still eked out a Tekura Tee to match. The pants are from the Ottobre PJ pants pattern. I think one leg may be just a skosh longer than the other, but I’m not sure I care enough to do anything about it.

A few new sewing patterns have caught my eye, and I’ve updated my project list with them. I’m also losing weight (not intentionally, just happening from medication and diet changes) so I’m pushing back any tailored pant sewing until my weight levels out. But I’m already excited about sewing new linen garments from my stash.

Knitting

I’ve finished knitting the sleeves on Arrowhead. I’m ready to knit the armhole facings, and then I can pick up and knit the collar. After that, just the collar facing to go! I can’t believe I’m nearing the finish line on this project.

Other than that, I’ve started The Who Ya Gonna Shawl knitalong, and am nearing the end of the hem ribbing on Freya’s Lodge Sweater.

DIY Hair Products

My homemade shampoo is working great. It’s a simple recipe of water, Castile soap, and argan oil. The conditioner is also working, but I think I may be able to skip this step and simply use a little argan oil on my hair after towel drying, at least while it’s this short. I may also experiment with an herbal hair rinse, possibly with marshmallow root since it’s emollient. (Cue to me looking in the garden for someplace to grow marshmallow. I’ve always loved the look of the plant. Now I have a reason.)

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

Valentine’s YOP

Posted on Posted in dyeing, gardening, holidays, knitting, sewing, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , , 18 Comments

Knitting

I’ve progressed a few inches on my Arrowhead sleeves. I try to knit four rounds on each sleeve every day, which is a decrease repeat, but missed the last two days. I’m going to try to make it up today.

Freya liked my Lodge sweater so much, she asked me to knit her one with a few modifications. I told her it would have to be her birthday present. She wanted purple yarn, so we picked out this Cascade 220 superwash together in Purple Heather.

Dyeing

I wanted to join in on the Who Ya Gonna Shawl? knitalong, but needed the yarn to come from my stash. I decided on 80’s neon with this skein of black and red variegated, which I overdyed to be solid black, for the contrast.

To exhaust the dye bath, I grabbed a variegated skein from my stash which I’ve never liked. I think the resulting yarn is lovely: a deep charcoal with hints of the blue, yellow, and pink showing through. I see a beanie in my future.

Sewing

I did sew my PJ pants in the floral flannel I shared last time. They came out great. I only had flimsy elastic, but in the spirit of using it up, I serged the elastic directly to the fabric edge to prevent it from rolling. I also sewed this gift bag for Bob’s Valentine’s Day present.

DIY Hair Care

I like natural skin and hair care products, but they are so expensive. I decided to start making my own. Today I made a natural conditioner from avocado and argan oils, emulsifying wax, and water. It seems good, but the real test will be how it performs on my hair tomorrow. I also made some beard oil for my middle child (another March birthday gift) based on his favorite kind, which he says is too expensive. This is a mixture of avocado, jojoba, and argan oils, which was easy. I scented both with bergamot and amyris essential oils. Next up is shampoo with Bob’s homemade castile soap, argan oil, and water. I found this website with some great recipes. Once I get the basics down, I’ll start experimenting with other ingredients, like aloe gel from my aloe vera plants and soapwort from my garden.

Gardening

Gardening is hard work.

We had a couple of nice days this week, so I spent some time in the garden. I made a dent in the weeds and managed to get daikon radish, lettuce, kale, broccolini, and mustard planted under the greenhouse. Today, Bob and I moved the Elderberry bush out of the garden and into the yard. It was getting too big where it was, but not getting enough sun to flower. Hopefully it will do better in the yard. We picked a place where the drainage will keep the ground moist like it likes.

Yesterday, Bob and I had our Valentine’s date. We went to our favorite theater to watch Saturday Morning Cartoons: Cupid Edition. It included old cartoons from our childhood plus old commercials. Some were before our time. Included were Underdog, Pink Panther, Popeye, Schoolhouse Rock, and an oldie from the 1930’s. This one made me cry nostalgia tears. It was fun seeing them on the big screen. Then we went out for Thai food. I just received my gift, which is an Addi Express knitting machine! I’ll play around with it and report back later.

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

Year of Projects

Posted on Posted in books, gardening, knitting, sewing, sweaters, Works in Progress (WIPs)15 Comments

Knitting

I cut the armhole steeks, seamed the shoulders, and I’m now on the sleeves of Arrowhead! I’ve decided to knit them two-at-a-time to make the colorwork a little easier. It will keep the chart fresh in my mind, and won’t be like starting over from scratch on the second sleeve. This is definitely a product knit for me, and I’m looking forward to finishing it.

I’m nearly to the toe on the second Merry Krampus sock. Maybe I’ll have a sock it to me Monday finished object tomorrow?

Sewing

Joann Fabrics was having a big sale, and I picked up this springy cotton flannel for $2.99 a yard. I’m always running out of flannel PJ pants in the winter, and decided to sew another pair. Sometimes you can save money sewing your own!

Baking

Someone recommended I try making gluten-free sourdough snickerdoodles. They are delicious! I cobbled together a recipe, but it’s easy to find one online. I’m not a big snickerdoodle fan, so next time I might try gluten-free sourdough chocolate chip cookies instead.

Reading

I’m nearing the end of Barkskins. This means I can check off my book for the month, although I might also finish Keeper of the Queen’s Jewels. My bedside stack is still growing. I’ve promised myself to only blog about books that I’ve read recently, as my memory has proved fallible. These are my go-to titles right now.

Gardening

I sketched a garden plan. It looks so neat and tidy on paper, but I know it will be a jungle anyway. It’s supposed to be nice this week, so I may start weeding and plant some greens under the little greenhouse.

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

Happy New Year! Year of Projects (YOP) 2023

Posted on Posted in holidays, knitting, sewing, spinning, weaving, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , 35 Comments

I’m ready to start the New Year right with an impossible list of items I will never accomplish. At the same time, having a list ensures I will be somewhat productive. I do love the feeling of checking items off a list. Perhaps I will start adding gold stars next to completed projects. Plus, it gives me an excuse to blog weekly when I can’t think of anything else to say.

From the Wool and Fiber Arts group on Facebook

I’m grateful the Year of Projects group is loosely organized, and I was able to take a break last year. My approach this year is to divide and conquer. I’ve divided my full list of knitting projects into separate lists for 2023 and 2024. 2023 (below) includes works in progress (WIPs), and new cast ons I hope to complete this year. Add to this list socks, since my plan is to knit a pair of socks every month this year. That’s not realistic, but that’s never stopped me from trying. Some of these WIPs probably won’t make it this year. There’s a reason I’ve set them aside, but I’m not ready to rip them out yet.

Knitting To Do List

Arrowhead Cardigan
  1. Powdermill (New Year’s cast on)
  2. Who Ya Gonna Shawl? KAL
  3. Willow in Moonstone Arcadia
  4. Super Simple Summer Sweater in Cestari Ash Lawn
  5. Hansel Hap in Ramsay Farms fawn katmoget Shetland with Jamieson and Smiths for trim colors
  6. Summer Solstice Wrap
  7. Knitter’s Dude in Knitpicks Comfy for Bob
  8. Auchnaha in Schiehallion in Mooring
  9. Fall Favorites Sweater in La Bien Aimee Merino Sport (short-sleeved purple cats version)
  10. Cozy Autumn Socks
  11. That Old Christmas Moon Shawl in In Betwixt Yarn Advent (I want to be wrapped up in this by December 1.)
  12. Christmas Pudding Socks
  13. Streely Maid Trigger Mitts in Holiday Doodle Cowl colors
  14. Stash Aurealis
  15. Alaska Hat in Knit Circus kit
  16. Spisa Oven Mitts from stash (gift for Freya)
  17. Advent Scarf

Completed Knitting

Sewing To Do List

Ottobre Casual Cotton Pants

I’ve noticed my approach to sewing is to make a pattern to see if I like it. If I do, I make multiples so I don’t have to learn something new every time I sew. It’s more enjoyable for me if I can skip the instructions. So my plan for 2023 is to mostly make multiples. Also, I’d like to sew a trench coat, but I don’t have the fabric for it right now. Maybe next year!

  1. Rachel Shirt in apricot linen
  2. Rachel Shirt in Liberty blue paisley lawn
  3. Ottobre casual cotton pants in navy stretch cotton twill
  4. Pull on trousers in black brushed cotton twill
  5. Ottobre summer tops in cotton prints
  6. Ophelia Overall shorts in Virginia cotton canvas with black walnut ecoprint accents
  7. Another Logan Shacket in grey Shetland flannel
  8. Pym Pants from Lotta Jansdotter’s Everyday Style in deadstock denim
  9. Rui Shirt Dress from Lotta Jansdotter’s Everyday Style in Essex linen
  10. Forager Vest in olive linen
  11. Lichen Duster in floral linen
  12. Studio Tunic in yellow linen
  13. Ophelia Overalls in navy wool flannel
  14. Audrey Pant in Heavens to Betsy plaid wool, color Sophia
  15. Martina Coat in black wool floral embossed coating

Completed Sewing

Weaving List

I wove this scarf!

Spinning List

I’ll finish spinning my Pumpkins for Sale BFL and maybe participate in Tour de Fleece. I think I would also like to dye my natural rovings and spin skeins for gift giving this year.

Happy New Year! We’ve had a lovely weekend, with a gathering at a friend’s in Canton, then an overnight stay with kids in Cuyahoga Falls. New Year’s Eve was spent eating pizza and watching Bloody New Year and Terror Train. Neither of us had ever seen these, but they were an enjoyable diversion. I impressed even myself with my facial recognition gift by pointing out John from Shaun of the Dead in Bloody New Year. (I have a gift for pattern recognition. I am currently using this gift in my role as part-time Remote Bookkeeping Elf — title my own. I log in to computers remotely early in the morning and work on other people’s bookkeeping while they are still asleep. They wake up and their bookkeeping is all done for them! I would love to have an afternoon job that is more creative, and I’m thinking about knitting pattern tech editing.) Today we’re going for a New Year’s hike. Bob will make black eyed peas and collards for dinner.

I usually choose a word for the year, although I don’t think I chose a word for 2022. I spent most of the year focusing on my mental and physical health, and made some progress. I was able to stop taking medications. I was able to get off social media except Facebook. I think about closing my Facebook account, but there are connections with family and friends there I would miss. In fact, a friend recently shared this article that plays into my word for 2023. My word is Voice. The goal is to recognize and reaffirm my own voice, and share it if I want to. No pressure, though, if I don’t feel like it. My resolutions for the year are to knit from stash and have more fun. We’re also having a “no buy” year, as we have a new furnace and electrical system to pay off. This means we can buy food and necessities, but not anything else. Bob pretty much lives like this, so I think we all know who is going to be struggling the most. This was my idea, by the way.

Also from the Wool and Fiber Arts group on Facebook. I’m in it for the memes.

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can find out more about the group here (Rav link) or here: Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list.

Boxing Day Round Up

Posted on Posted in dyeing, holidays, knitting, sewingTagged , , 15 Comments

I can now share my other gift make. This is yarn I knit into Rose City Rollers and a shirt we picked up while in Pittsburgh for Nova Scotia Nana who is a Steelers fan. Hi Nana! Yarn is Fibernymph Dyeworks Inversibles in black and gold.

Rather than list all my makes for 2022 — since I shared most of them on my Year of Projects Finale post — I thought instead I would share my totals and favorites.

I knit 15 projects and 8 miles of yarn in 2022. This is down from around 24 projects in previous years. It was a rocky year. My favorites are, below, Ocean Moon Shawl, Pumqueen Cardigan, Ghost Knitter’s Shawl, and Holiday Doodle Cowl.

Favorite Knitting Makes

I completed around 30 sewing projects in 2023, if you count multiples of the same pattern. This number includes project bags and shopping bags made as gifts or for sale in the shop. My favorites are, below, Plaid Flannel Shacket, Clare Coat, Spoopy Project Bag, Zero Waste Gather Dress, and Felix Dress.

Favorite Sewing Makes

I dyed fabric and yarn this year — some naturally, and some with low impact dyes. My favorites are the colorways for Chestnut Hills Farm and Fiber, the black walnut fabric with iron mordant, and the wool and cotton yarn dyed with tansy that is complemented by the Hi Summer colorway. (I’m going to knit a Visser or Halvis out of these, as they look so good together.)

Favorite Dyeing Projects

I did manage to improve my spinning this year, and just started with weaving. Not much to show right now, though.

Hand spun local Blue Faced Leicester (BFL)

I will blog about 2023 plans in another post. I miss Year of Projects and am considering rejoining, even though I needed the break. If you are still with me — either on this post or as a subscriber — thanks for reading and sticking with me this year.

We had a lovely low-key Christmas Day with all the kids and Granddog Cannoli. I hope you enjoyed your day!