My Wurm Hat

This is the Wurm hat by Katharina Nopp you can find it a a free Ravelry download. This was such a simple knit, yet the results look so much more professional than my usual hand knit stuff. 

I usually shy away from hats which have a folded brim. As my first try at a hat, the brim was just massive and so unattractive. On this hat the brim is formed by working stockinette stitch, with a row of purl in the middle. The brim is then folded at the purl row and the cast on picked up at the top of the brim. Giving this neat edge. I shall defently use this method again for making a brim.

I used some old cheap acrylic yarn form my stash, as i could not find 5 ply anywhere. But the results are just as good as if i had used real wool. I have turned into such a yarn snob. I only cast-on 95 stitches instead of the 100 required to make up for my slightly too chunky yarn. Luckily the number of stitches cast-on for a project like this wont affect the pattern.

Finally, the only problem with this pattern i found is that when you pull at the back slightly it slouches kind of strangely. 

My Ravelry notes.

Getting Wet in the Rain, Orange Cable Hat

As you can see the weather is still just as soggy as ever. I gave up waiting for nice weather and just stood me and my camera out in the rain. Pictures in the rain always seem to come out so well. I just wish that the experience of standing in the cold, wet rain was just as nice.

This is the Quick Cable Slouch Hat by Azure Blue. No joke about how quick this was to make. I must have finished in two short evenings, whilst watching my Mad Men dvd's. I used one ball of Glen by Debbie Bliss (chunky) in orange/red, and size 4.5mm needles for the ribbing and 7mm needles for the main body. This has given me just the right amount of slouch. The pattern said to use between 6mm and 8mm needles for the main body, which is quite a large range of needle size to recommend, so it just went in the middle and used a 7mm needle. I would highly recommend this pattern to beginners, as she gave a really good explanations about the hows and whys of what you do when knitting a hat, which really helped me a lot.

I improvised the fingerless gloves. I used a similar cable to the hat, though not quite that same because i made it with smaller needles so needed at add extra rows between the twists in order to get the loose cable effect.

I know one glove is orange and the other red. When i bought this wool i did not realise it changed colour, so i will just have to live with it.

You can find my Ravelry notes here.

Knitting Obsession

Well i have totally lost my sewing mojo, as of late. I have a half finished dress draped over the back of my sewing chair and i have absolutely no drive to finish it. I also have a list somewhere, of sewing plans that i planned to complete before i go to France in two weeks. I really want those plans to happen, but i just don't think that i have the will to make it happen.

Anyway, what i have lost in sewing inspiration have more than gained in knitting.

Just the feel of having the yarn pass through my fingers, i am totally addicted. I do this though, i obsessed with one thing, and then slowly another. I am not worried that i will never go back to my sewing machine. It is just that knitting has moved back to the front of my mind, sewing will get back there eventually. What bough this knitting obsession on was me thinking about my move to France, and how i better plan and take some knitting projects with me.

So i have planed a number of projects, and have started and finished some of them even before i have stepped on to the plane (this was not the plan). In fact just in the last few days i have finished a hat (and started another) and nearly finished some matching gloves, started some socks (OK, two pairs) and have been working on my Elbow Patch Cardigan.

I am just biting at the bit to buy more yarn and start more projects, but not necessarily finished them . HELP!

What am i going to take with me for 5 months? I don't know, i might have no yarn left.

Cataloguing Unblogged Clothes (Made-By-Me) - Part 1

So I am having a massive clean out, as I am packing up and travelling/moving to the Alps. I've amassed so many things in the 5 years I have been back in the UK, and in the last year and a half with a sewing hobby things have really got way out of hand. So I have been sorting, binning and bagging up for charity. I still have a long way to go, but I have come across loads of handmade clothes that for one reason or another have never been bloggged. Before these disappear I have taken a photo and have written a little about each one, to record them. This is mostly for my own purpose because I am just to sentimental.

From the top, left to right

The Office "Chair" Dress - Burda 8072
My first dress, and probably the most successful yet. I chose a thick scratchy wool/unknown poly. The material reminds me of the sort of fabric that is used to upholster chairs in offices and doctors surgery’s, hence the Office 'Chair' Dress. I loved the shape of the dress on me, thought it was a bit tight. I think I am going to keep this one...

Light Grey Top - NewLook 6807 (view B)

I have made 6 versions of this pattern. This was my first and I think only my second attempt at sewing clothing. It came out satisfactory, though I cut a size 14 when I should have gone for a 12. The next time I made it I cut view C, in a dark blue heavy jersey and it was a complete failure. I also hacked this pattern half to death when I made the Yellow Flower Top and the Yellow Flower Tee with 1/2 Length Sleeves. I wore this grey version several time, but the fabric was very cheap and it soon lost all shape. 

Chevron Tank - Feminine Knits by Iene Holme Samsoe

I knitted this probably a year before I started this blog. I was really starting to get into knitting at the time and this was my first 'big' project. I really liked working the ladder lace to make the chevron pattern. I used Patons Smoothie yarn, in a colour combination which really did not suit me. I also knitted it slightly longer than recommended, but still found that it did not quite meet the top of my jeans (long body syndrome). It was not total failure the biggest problem being my lack of taste when choosing the colour combination.

Lesson learnt: I should really stay away from lime green.

Pink T-Shirt - NewLook 6979 (view B)

This was my first clothing item I ever sewed. I used really cheap fabric from the market and the simplest pattern I could find. I could not believe that I could make my own t-shirts so easily and cheaply. I was hooked on this sewing thing. 

Purple Plaid Top - NewLook 6965 (view A with straps from view D)
I made this top twice. The Purple Plaid Top and a Blue Flower Print Top. I made the blue version first. Making this top really pushed my limits as a novice sewer. I found lots of terms in the instructions that I did not understand, so I hit the Internet and found lots of amazing blogs explaining what to do (this was when I started following blogs). I made lots of mistakes with the blue version: cutting too close to the seams and melting the fabric with a too hot iron. It looked really good once it was finished, but did not last past its first wear as the seam ripped under the yoke. I learnt from my mistakes when making the purple plaid version, but the smooth fabric went really knobbly when it washed and no amount of ironing has gotten rid of the funny texture.

The Aubergine Dress - Burda 7659
This picture really dose not do this dress much justest. I ironed it a little for the photo (not well) and it has some really funny creases in it not present when worn. I used the left over fabric to make the Burda Skirt (my favourite project of all time). It came out OK. The arm holes were a little tight, so I only ever wore it a couple of times, along with he fact is was a little too school girl for my taste.

Burda Front Knot Dress - 3/2012 108b - Take 2

This was the second version of this dress that I made. I blogged about the first one here. The first one looked great on, but it had a few problems with the lining which needed resolving. This second one was made perfectly, only when I tried it on, it looked awful. The fabric was so cheep, when I washed it all the colour ran out, and when worn it made me look very pregnant. Not just a little pregnant, but very, very pregnant. I wore it a few times, because I am stubborn ('I made it, therefore I shall wear it'). Somebody even got up and offered me a seat on a tram, after that I gave up and I shall never wear it again.

Tank - Burda 119 3/2012

This 'kinda' has already been blogged about, but it never got finished (hemmed). It was made out of that really thin material I used to make that failed peter pan tee. Latter I made a scarf out of the left over fabric, which I wore a lot over the summer.