Category: sewing

Sunday YOP Update

Posted on Posted in art, gardening, knitting, sewing, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , 27 Comments

I updated my list today. I think June is when the Year of Projects (YOP) group starts over, but as I update my list as I go, there won’t be much to change.

Fiber Art

I’m excited to say I have seven completed wool felt pieces for my show. I hope to finish three more before the opening in September. Bob and I visited the gallery yesterday, and we chatted with the owner. I will send him my current list of pieces tomorrow. This is my first solo show in nine years, and my first solo gallery show, although in 2010 I had a combined gallery show with another artist. I’m really happy I asked for this opportunity.

Knitting

I’m focusing on my Milkshake Cardigan, but there’s not much progress since yesterday. Here are two photos of yarn I purchased for projects not yet added to my YOP list. 😁

Shilasdair for the Undulation Shawl
Tukuwool DK for the Straw cardigan.

Sewing

This morning I started working on my Emerson shorts in natural linen I cut out two years ago. It will be good to get those finished, and it will be nice to be able to wear them. I can tell it’s going to be a hot summer.

Gardening

Herb and Bee garden with a Strawberry Border

I think I’ve finally got the garden about where I want it. I planted some cosmos, tansy, oregano, lavender, and creeping thyme this morning. I am trying some short and dirty wool clippings around the transplants. I found slugs all over the baby kale this morning.

My one and only New Year’s Resolution was to listen to more music with intention. Bob and I watched The Leftovers, and Iris Dement’s “Let the Mystery Be” was used for the intro at various times. I’m an Iris Dement fan, but I hadn’t listened to her music in a long time. So I spent a week or two just listening to her music, singing along in the car.

This has been a Year of Projects Update. You can read my updated list here. You can find out more about the group here (Rav link).

Sock It To Me Wednesday

Posted on Posted in knitting, sewing, socks11 Comments

I started some socklings for myself. I’m in love with this yarn which is called Honeybees and Violets Please from Bone and Birch.

I sewed myself some PJ pants. I purchased this fabric in the winter thinking — for some reason — it was cotton flannel and I would make myself the most adorable cozy PJs ever. Turned out it was quilting cotton. I hung onto it and now I have the most adorable summer PJ pants. I’m thinking of sewing a quick popover tee so I’ll have a set. I don’t like fussy PJs with buttons and all that.

I’ll see you tomorrow for Cast On Thursday! Is that a thing? I feel like that should be a thing.

Sewing Follow Up

Posted on Posted in finished objects, sewingTagged , 19 Comments

I did not cast on any new knitting today, but I did sew myself a new dress.

Pattern is Raglan Dress by The Avid Seamstress. Fabric is Kaufman Manchester Yarn Dyed Shirting in Royal. I made this dress for $25. I’m not known for my frugality, but I’m pleased with that. And it has pockets!

This is my favorite pattern to sew right now. I think I’ll sew some summer PJs next, and finish some linen shorts that I cut out a couple of years ago.

Sunday Year of Projects Update

Posted on Posted in finished objects, knitting, sewing, The Just Craft, Works in Progress (WIPs), Year of ProjectsTagged , , , , 16 Comments

I haven’t been keeping up on my YOP updates. Since it’s been a while, I thought I should do that today.

Sewing

I finished sewing my Ophelia Overalls, and I love them. I’m going to sew a pair for each season. These are my spring overalls. I’ll sew a linen pair in summer, a corduroy pair in fall, and a wool flannel pair in winter. Pattern is by Decades of Style. Fabric is organic cotton twill from Koshtex.

Next I’ll sew another Raglan Dress in blue cotton shirting.

Knitting

Water is coming along. I get frustrated with the lace sections, so it’s in time out a fair bit. It’s not that it’s difficult. I think I’ve got it, so I stop paying close attention and then make a mistake. It’s not great TV knitting.

I’ve knit a gauge swatch for an Anker’s Summer Shirt (Rav link). AJ is knitting one, and it was in my queue, so I thought, why not? Impromptu KAL. My gauge is spot on in this Blacker Lyonesse linen and wool, so time to cast on!

I also knit a gauge swatch for Kate Davies’ new long sleeved Treit in Foxglove. I’m having trouble getting gauge so I think I’ll sit on it a bit.

I’m going to let Bob pick out some yarn from my stash, and then cast on a new pair of socks for him. He really likes his Valentine’s Day socks and wears them a lot.

Felting

I have a new piece finished for March, and meant to lay out my April piece today. But I’m tired after all the sewing, so I guess I’ll do that next weekend. I checked my wool colors, and I should be good to go. No colors to dye for the next one.

Design

My cotton and linen slub tee is coming along.

Podcast

My new episode “Grow Your Clothes: Rust Belt Fibershed” is available! I had a great time on this interview and ended up having to cut quite a bit, but may have enough left over for another episode. If you would like to give it a listen, look for The Just Craft on Stitcher, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts, or you can listen at thejustcraft.com.

Baking

I made some banana bread today! I like walnuts in my banana bread, but can’t have them (tree nut allergy) so I added pumpkin seeds instead.

This has been a Year of Projects Update. You can read my updated list here. You can find out more about the group here.

Shout out to Kelley of Ramen Needles / Dye Mad for adjusting my yarn club subscription when I asked her not to send me superwash if possible. She sent me this gorgeous silk and linen this month. 💙

Garden is Ready, Overalls Not

Posted on Posted in gardening, sewing7 Comments

Bob finished adding the rest of the soil to the garden and also finished my snaky path for me.

We’ve really come a long way on the garden. We left the far end as is because there are trees down there and Bob wants to try to pull them out. I can’t wait for seeds to start popping up. Then I’ll have a better idea of where the rest of the herbs and veggies should go.

I made progress on my overalls today. Why is it so tough to get a decent sewing WIP photo? I’m going to have to follow more sewists on Instagram for inspiration.

I haven’t clipped the crotch seam yet, which is why it’s a little bunchy. I hate clipping seams. I may trim it with the serger instead. I still need to add the bib and straps.

Isn’t my orchid pretty? I have no idea how I’ve kept it alive and happy for so long. Benign neglect, I guess.

Water Doings

Posted on Posted in knitting, sewing, shawls and haps10 Comments

I’m getting pretty good at sewing project bags. Only one more to go!

I struggled with the third lace section on Water. Luckily my KAL pals already finished theirs and recommended putting stitch markers at the ends of the short rows. That helped a lot!

Gardening and a YOP Update

Posted on Posted in art, gardening, knitting, life, sewing, Works in Progress (WIPs), Year of ProjectsTagged , , , 20 Comments

This pretty yellow flowering shrub is not Forsythia! I thought it was, but I was told it’s Spice Bush, a native understory shrub, Lindera benzoin. (Someone commented on my Instagram photo and corrected me, thankfully.) We do seem to have a Forsythia on the other side of our property, though. Once everything is in full bloom I’ll do some pruning and take a photo so we can compare them.

This may not look like much, but I spent several hours digging up the weeds in the garden so I could plant the peas and cabbage and kale. Unfortunately, there’s a layer of clay under the top soil, and we haven’t had any new garden soil delivered yet. So even though I went ahead and planted them, we may not have any peas, cabbage, and kale this year. I’m really proud of myself for digging this up on my own and I only had a little help from Bob, who worked for 10-15 minutes to dig up a huge root system of some old ground cover. It looked like tree roots, it was so big! He broke the pitchfork handle trying to wrest it from its iron tentacle grip. Once he got it up, he shouted at it, “I beat you, you ol’ stump!” Which is a reference to my favorite scene in “Drag Me to Hell.” I haven’t laughed so hard in ages.

Fiber Art

I felted a new piece today. This is a peek at some unfelted fiber since I’m not showing the work until the show starts.

Knitting

When I started getting excited about knitting again, in 2018 I went to A Wool Gathering with my friend Sara. While we were there I picked up two hanks of this linen and cotton slubby yarn with the intention of making a simple drapey top to throw over tank tops in the summer. I finally cast on yesterday. I’m counting this toward design since I knit a gauge swatch, calculated the width I want, and cast on the number of stitches — even though it’s literally two squares of stockinette seamed at the sides and shoulders. The most basic design ever. Gotta start somewhere, right?

Other than that, I’m knitting away on Water and my Malabrigo Rikke hat.

Sewing

I don’t have any new sewing to show, but I’ve got Water KAL bags to make and I want to cut out my overalls this week.

This has been a Year of Projects Update. You can read my updated list here. You can find out more about the group here.

Yesterday we met one of our neighbors. He mentioned our lot might have been a cemetery at one time? Which explains the limestone pillars. It’s just a rumor, but hopefully we won’t dig up any old bones! No, our house isn’t haunted. I also got bitten by one of his dogs. This was not his fault, as she was on a leash and I stupidly reached down to pet her. His other dog, though, a bulldog named Hammy, was off leash but friendly and adorable. Have you ever been bitten by a dog? It was my first time. I have a small tooth shaped hole in my arm. I will be more cautious about dogs now!

Saturday Sewing

Posted on Posted in finished objects, sewing, yarnTagged , 23 Comments

I struggled to get good photos today. But here I am wearing the new raglan dress I made, holding the yarn I ordered to knit a matching cardigan. It’s not a perfect match but I think it’s close enough.

Orange zipper for the win.

Pattern is The Raglan Dress by The Avid Seamstress. I recommend this pattern. I was able to sew mine in a couple of hours. It fits really well and I don’t want to take it off. Fabric is Mammoth Flannel in Adventure Blue by Robert Kauffman from Sew to Speak. I did try to match my plaids, but didn’t manage it as well as I would have liked. I’m definitely sewing this dress again. The only thing I didn’t understand is they don’t tell you to use interfacing on the neckline facings, but I did anyway.

My next sewing project will be these overalls in this brushed cotton twill. My goal is to make an entire wardrobe of loose clothing so I don’t ever have to wear anything tight around my waist again.

YOPing on a Sunday

Posted on Posted in art, knitting, recipes, sewing, Works in Progress (WIPs), Year of ProjectsTagged , , 18 Comments

I updated my Year of Projects (YOP) list today, and it felt good — a reminder of why I should keep doing Year of Projects.

Fiber Art

I reached out to the gallery owner to share my work so far, and make sure the show was still on in September. And it is! So yesterday I looked through my photos for inspiration. I think I will spend some time sketching today. I have four pieces completed, although the fourth is in the still-hemming-and-hawing-and-stitching phase.

Knitting

I’ve been working on my Water shawl since I finished Turtledove. I’m almost to the short row panes.

I also need to cast on the Getting Warmer cowl (Rav link) for the silent auction winner for our fundraiser at work This will be a nice mindless knit for when Water is too challenging for my evening brain.

Sewing

📸 The Avid Seamstress

This is the raglan dress I’m making in the plaid flannel, although I think I will make the sleeves elbow length and a little more fitted than these.

📸 The Avid Seamstress

Here’s the short sleeved version which I will make in a blue cotton shirting. They have a tutorial on their website if you would like more information about this dress. Today my plan is to piece the pattern together.

This has been a Year of Projects Update. You can read my updated list here. You can find out more about the group here.

Bonus content: I am trying my hand at making vanilla extract. At work we are developing a partnership with a Fair Trade vanilla bean farm. Extract is super easy to make. I split the beans and dropped them in vodka. They have only been in there 2 days and it already smells amazing!

Happy Water Shawl KAL Cast On Day! 🎉

Posted on Posted in knitting, sewing, Works in Progress (WIPs)Tagged 15 Comments

In other news, I sewed a manatee bag for my sister for her birthday.

I finished knitting my Kenora Toque for The Wooly Thistle’s Colorwork KAL.

I’m quite proud of my floats. It’s blocking now, and it’s a tad large as my gauge is 20 stitches to 4 inches instead of 22, but close enough. I’m waiting for a black pom pom to arrive to sew on. I’ll take another pic once it’s final final.

I recreated the yarn emoji. 🧶

Happy March!