a broken curse and back to sewing

After this summer's sewing extravaganza, I took a little break from making anything. Only it wasn't planned and I didn't know I was taking a break while I was doing it.  I think I got a little burned out.  I didn't even feel like fabric shopping when I had the opportunities!  I decided to give myself a goal - once I finished knitting a pair of socks I've been working on for almost two years, I would start sewing. 

This is not the pattern I originally wanted to knit with this yarn.  Unfortunately, I ended up ripping out the first five patterns I started.  That's no typo - *five* patterns.  A couple of the patterns weren't well written, another was far too complex for the self-striping pattern, and another pattern had too much, um, user error for me to finish.  So I went back to my trusty toe-up magic loop socks and finally finished them!  I'm going to wear them around the house and to bed so they're cute, but not complicated. 

I finished the socks last night and immediately took out all my fabric scraps and sorted them by color.  I had a LOT of scraps crammed into a very small space!  This picture doesn't do the mess justice - there are a lot more piles of fabric on my living room floor than it looks like. 

I've been feeling like I need to stretch myself with my sewing and learn something new so today I decided to tackle some scrappy log cabin blocks.  I thought they'd be really challenging, but they were really fun to make.  The most challenging part was measuring correctly - go figure.  My plan is to make a bunch with all of the scraps and then figure out a way to put them all together. 

I am so happy to be sewing again!! 

catching up

Things have been a little hectic around here lately, thus the lack of posts.  I've been knitting and sewing but I just haven't been in the mood to post.  Spring is coming so I'm emerging from my winter funk, so I hope to get back on track soon.   

I'm happy to report that since January I've finished two (yes, two!) knitting projects.  My knitting goals for the year included actually finish a project or two and to learn how to knit lace.  I took a into to lace class in February and learned out to make this scarf/shawl:

I used less yarn than the pattern called for so it's not quite shall-sized.  I kind of like how it looks all bunched up around my neck (unlike in this photo which reminds me of an Egyptian headress).  

I also finished Madelinetosh's Honey Cowl.  I loved this pattern - so easy and fun to make.  It came out super soft and squishy and cozy.  I've been wearing a lot at work as kind of a shoulder shrug. 

My knitting streak ended here.  I got about a quarter of the way through a new project and dramatically frogged it over the weekend.  I might try to figure out the gague and adjust the pattern and give it another go.  It's a cowl with great potential.

During Friday's lockdown, I had a lot of nervous energy so I whipped up another Colette Sorbetto tank top.  If only it were warm enough to wear it!  Spring has been very slow to come to Boston and I am itching to break out my summer skirts.

I think that's about it . . . next up on my sewing agenda is to finish my second attempt at Colette's Peony dress.   I just need to put in the zipper and hem the dress.  My mom helped me re-fit the top of the dress to avoid the "wonky boob chest area" of my first attempt :-)

And lastly, but certainly not least, I'll put together this quilt that I made for a friend of a friend.  She wanted University of Illinois colors.  I was a little unsure about combining orange and blue but I think it works.  It's super bright and cheery!

Until next time . . . xo

2012/2013

Happy New Year!!  I don't know about you, but I feel like 2012 flew by.  In so many ways, 2012 was a great year - I got my MBA!  I got a new job! - that I feel a little sad to see it go.  I've been looking over my posts and pictures from the past year, I can't believe how much I've learned, creatively.  I'm happy to report that I've mostly aced the creative goals that I set for myself in 2012:

1. Sew a dress. In December I made Colette's Peony dress.  This was a huge learning curve for me - I figured out how to insert sleeves and connect a skirt to a dress top.  I haven't shared any pics yet because sizing is still an issue for me and I need to adjust the top so the bust isn't so weird. 

2. Learn how to properly bind a quilt.  I am not sure there's a "right" way.  Sure, I could learn to sewing bindings on better, but I don't think what I'm doing is all that bad.  I had thought that machine sewing bindings was a sure sign of a novice, but it turns out that lots of quilters machine bind.  I'm generally happy with how they come out; I think I'd just like to feel more confident in my skills and make them a little neater.

3. Knit and sew (at least) one (each) quilt for Project Linus this year. I gave four quilts to Project Linus this year.  Four!  I absolutely loved working on these quilts and am so happy they are keeping kids in Maine warm this winter.  I didn't end up knitting a quilt this year - hopefully next year!

4. Knit something. I've really grown in my knitting confidence this year.  Though I haven't actually finished many project, I've started lots (and subsequently frogged them all) and have really learned how to read my knitting, unknit, and take chances with new patterns.  I finished two pair of socks this year (and started about three others) and learned how to color block.  Sometimes I think I like the process of knitting more than I like the actual making of things so I'm not all that worried about all my half-finished projects. 

5. Investigate the feasibility of a sewing-related entrepreneurial idea that I've been thinking about . . .  I'm still working on this one :-) 

As for 2013, my goals are fairly simple:

1. Use up some of the fabric I have!  I have a lot of left over fabric from finished projects; I need to use this up before I think about bringing another piece of fabric into my house!

2. Sell something I make: a quilt, a bag, a potholder, something.  My friend T told me all through grad school "I want to bring something to market."  Well, I do too. 

3. Continue to work on garment fit issues.  One of the reasons I like making clothes is because store garments are not necessarily meant for my body.  I struggled for years with store bought clothing, always buying the wrong size because I didn't know how anything was supposed to fit.  I'm finding that that same paranoia has transferred over into sewing clothing.  I need to learn that the body measurements I take are correct and that if I use them, I can avoid the wonky bust issues on my new dress. 

4. I'd like to learn to knit lace.  I am intimidated by lace!  I know it's just knitting, but the cast on seems so alien that I haven't been able to wrap my head around it.

5. Learn to take better pictures.  My apartment has very little (good) natural light.  I am also an impatient picture taker.  I can do better. 

6.  Make some quilts for Project Linus.  I don't know how many I'll make this year, but I know I'll be sewing at least a couple and I'd really like to stretch myself and knit a blanket too. 

I love the new year.  I love having the entire year ahead of me, full of possibility.  May 2013 be amazing!  xo

knitting love from Santa

My various Santas were very generous in their gifting this year. It's almost as though my entire family got together and thought, "Knitting supplies for Natasha!" I couldn't be happier :-)  I've been a very frustrated knitter lately and have frogged nearly everything I've tried to make due to yarn frustration, pattern frustration or simply that I just don't know what to make. I am so excited to improve my knitting skills this year and get started on some new projects!

A set of knitting needles.

My mom made me this super cool needles storage/carrying case!  I might modify it slightly so I can put some circular needles or dpn's in the smaller pockets.  I'm a huge stripe fan, so I love the fabric!

My brother gave me some yarn. 

Hand-painted silk - gorgeous, right?  I am dieing to learn how to knit lace this year and this is going to make one beautiful shawl!

A hilarious (and practical) book!  I love cats but I'm very allergic so a knit cat is perfect.  Besides, what knitter doesn't want to knit an entire fleet of cats!?

I love this little guy - so cute!!!!  The patterns seem relatively straight-forward so I suspect I'm going to have a bunch of new "pets" by the end of the year :-)

I am so grateful to my family's generosity and I can't wait to start some projects!

xoxo

Swedish Fish socks

I (finally!) finished my Swedish Fish socks (by spillyjane knits)!  After a summer of sewing and the arrival of fall, I'm back knitting, starting with some unfinished projects. 

This pattern is so adorable!  This project was a big learning curve for me.  In addition to learning color blocking and getting more used to picking up stitches and turning the heel, it was also my first time using 100% cotton yarn.  I wish I had known how little stretch cotton yarn has (or doesn't have) and how little stretch color blocking has.  I got half-way through my first sock and realized I couldn't get the sock on my foot.  I frogged the whole thing and started again with size 3 needles instead of the size 2 the pattern recommends (and with which I had gauge!).  I tried the socks on obsessively and ended up not needing to have to decrease until the toe (I have a very high arch).  On the plus side I can get the socks on my feet; on the down side they're a little baggy everywhere except when I get them on over my heel.  They'll be great for wearing around the house, wearing to bed and wearing in winter boots. 

Not to steal the thunder from these awesome socks but I've already got another pair of socks on the needles . . .  And I am determined to finish a pair of two-at-a-time leg warmers I started last year before the first snowfall!  Fall is such a great time for knitting :-)

In progress: Swedish Fish Socks

I don't know what it is about socks, I have fallen in love with knitting them!  I started these awesome fish socks over a month ago.  I would be further along had I not failed to adjust my needle size for my non-stretchy 100% cotton yarn.  Lesson learned.  It was a little tricky at first to get the hang of  managing so many darn yarn pieces but since I had to rip out the first version of the sock (which was too small), I'm starting to feel like a pro.  I'm just about to turn the heel so I'm hoping to have the first sock done by the end of the month. 

 I can't stand how cute these fish are!!!

Pattern: spillyjane Knits - Swedish Fish Socks
Needles: size 3 circular
Yarn:  Knit Picks Comfy Fingering in Lilac and Semolina

I heart you striped socks!

Is is wrong to say that you're in love with a pair of socks? I have fallen head over heels with these socks! I took a class on Judy's magic cast-on in February and just finished the second sock last night. I was really intimidated with this technique at first but once I figured out the cast-on and the toe, the rest was well, just knitting. I used self-striping yarn so the socks are fraternal twins rather than identical twins but their mis-match-ness makes me love them even more. These socks make me so happy!

stripes

I'm in the middle of making a pair of very happy socks. I love a good stripe!

The Superbowl Cowl

I got it in my head that I wanted to make a cowl. A cowl is one continuous scarf loop, like the neck part of a turtleneck. I'm still working on my knitting skills so I figured a cowl would be a good way to figure out circular needles. I bought some yarn and then searched high and low for a pattern. There's a good reason why knitters find a pattern they like and then buy the yarn! I don't really understand the whole "gauge" concept so I took a stab in the dark and bought a pair of size 13 circular needles. I took another stab in the dark and came up with an arbitrary number of stitches, 130, and made what could be the longest cowl known to man. Seriously, I could wrap it around my neck twice with lots of room to spare! (Yes I'm pale, but not that pale - I was standing in front of a white wall.)
I was psyched about my new circular needles skillz but disappointed with the size of the cowl so I ripped the whole thing out. This is where the whole understanding gauge thing would come in handy - gauge is the way to figure out how many stitches you need for the size needles and yarn you are using. I decided that since I was using a bulky weight yarn that if I reduced my stitches by half than not only would my cowl be smaller in circumference but it would be taller too, a bonus for my long neck!

This ended up being such a mindless, easy project that I knit nearly the entire thing while watching the Patriots lose to the Giants during the Superbowl, thus "the Superbowl cowl." I'm a lot happier with my cowl now that it's a smaller size. If I had to do it again, I'd probably make it a little smaller but for my first go on the circular needles, I'm sticking with what I've done.
Pattern: 60 stitches, size 13 circular needles, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick yarn.

knitting socks

For my second-ever knitting project I knit a pair of socks. I took a class in September or October and it took me three months to finish them. These socks are a HOT MESS. Dropped stitches, extra stitches, knots, wrong stitches - you name the error and these socks have it. On the plus side, this was the perfect project to really learn how to knit. This pattern had it all and I learned how to increase, decrease, and use double pointed needles. I also learned how to read a knitting pattern and "read" my knitting. I even took them to pints 'n purls where I confidently was able to chat and knit at the same time (a huge step for me!). I feel a lot more confident about knitting after making these socks!
I used worsted weight acrylic yarn and size 7 double pointed needles.
They might not be pretty but they are very cozy and I'm looking forward to wearing them around the house, to bed and inside my winter boots.

my first scarf

I've been busy so I haven't been posting. I've been creating but haven't been finishing much. I'm embarrassed to admit how long it took me to knit this scarf. I finished it last week and think I started it this summer? Oi.
This was my first ever knitting project. I picked a scarf for my first project because I wanted something simple where I could just knit and familiarize myself with the stitches without having to get too fancy. I'm pretty pleased with the results although there are a number of errors that hopefully no one else can see. While I was knitting the scarf I took a class in sock knitting (another unfinished project). Between the two projects, I figured out how to "read" my knitting and can now tell a knit from a purl. I feel a lot more confident in my knitting now.
The pattern came from Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook and it was as simple as could be. Two skeins of mohair yarn, knit 2, purl 2 for a total of 32 stitches. Repeat until you run out of yarn. This was also my first attempt at blocking and had mixed results. On one hand, I'm glad all the excess dye came out when I rinsed it but the scarf lost all of its fuzziness.

I still have a bunch of things left to do for the end of the semester and some super secret holiday things to make but I'm looking forward to many long hours of creating during my break. Stay tuned!

knitting frustrations

I'm not sure if you can see from this picture but there is a mistake in the scarf I am knitting. It's not a huge mistake; it's just one stitch, but it frustrates me just the same.
I went to my first Stitch n' Bitch (or in my case, Pints 'n Purls) last night. The idea behind Stitch 'n Bitch is that knitters come together to knit and gab - a community knitting event if you will. I had been looking forward to attending one of these events the entire summer (summer classes kept me too busy). I wanted to meet like-minded crafters and feel part of the knitting community.

I was not at all prepared for the sensory overload of being surrounded by 50 loud, chatting knitters! It was really overwhelming. I was likely one of the most novice knitters there. I wanted to be social, to chat and learn from the others and maybe make some new friends. I found that I am not yet at the stage where I can talk and knit at the same time; I can barely listen and knit at the same time. Most of these knitters didn't even have to look at their work!

I've been knitting my scarf for about a month and I haven't made too many mistakes. As soon as I joined the knitting circle last night, I made about a zillion mistakes and ended up having to learn the fine art of "un-knitting." It was really really frustrating! But as these kind knitters told me, "We're not solving world peace, we're just knitting." So I kept doing my yoga breathing, taking out the bad stitches and trying again. I'm making a scarf. I'm the only person who's going to see the mistake. It's not the end of the world that there's a mis-stitch. I'm leaving the mistake in the scarf as a gentle reminder to let go of knitting perfection. After all, I'm just a beginner with a whole lifetime of knitting ahead of me.

knitting 101

There's a new stitch 'n knit lounge in town called Gather Here. Gather Here is cool and funky and filled with beautiful fabrics and gorgeous yarns. Gather Here offers a number of classes and "stitch 'n bitch" drop-in type sessions. A couple of weeks ago I went to their drop-in Quilting Bee. I whipped up something to hand sew and then suffered the whole time I was there. My stitches were a mess, I broke the thread and I got an inexplicable number of knots in my thread. The Quilting Bee was great; my hand sewing project, not so much. I've been looking for opportunities to become more social, particularly with my sewing. On a whim I signed up for Gather Here's Knitting Basics class, mainly so I could attend some of Gather Here's social/creative events have have something to work on that wasn't hand sewing.
My grand-mother, the namesake of this blog, taught me to knit when I was 9. I was very ambitious and knit a scarf. The result was very much a scarf that a 9-year-old would make! Uneven, messy, dropped stitches, extra stitches, ugly - you get the idea. I think I actually liked the knitting but I never picked it up again after the scarf. My mom knits and several friends knit. While I've always admired their work, I wouldn't say it's always been a dream to start knitting. I am finding with sewing that I'm loving the creative process and "making stuff" is kind of becoming an addiction. After the Knitting Basics class, my feelings have changed and it's possible that I am well on the way to becoming a crazy craft lady.
I loved the knitting class! There were just three of us and the instructor so we got to ask a lot of questions and get a lot of personal attention. The instructor explained how to select yarn and needles and how to read the yarn label and then we got a lesson in casting on, knitting, purling and casting off. We made a very small square which was great practice for knitting, purling and counting. Honestly, the counting was the hardest part. It's hard to keep track of what row you're on when you're having such a good time and laughing with your classmates! My creation isn't perfect - I can see all of the mistakes - but it was a great learning experience and a lot of few to create with some like-minded new friends.
I've already picked out a pattern for a "beginner scarf" - so many crafty projects, so little time!