Yarn Crawl

Another Ravelympics Sweater: Slanting Gretel Tee

This WIP Dancing event for the Ravelympics has really been great for me in motivating me to get unfinished projects DONE. I had only really wanted to finish Mirepoix, and anything else is gravy. Well, so far I finished not only Mirepoix, but also the sweater I'm about to show and my orange Leaf Yoke Top (I'll model that one over the weekend.) I also am almost done with another White Lies Designs camisole project and hope to complete it by the end of Ravelympics on 2/28.

Here's Slanting Gretel Tee:

Overall first:

And closer up:

Pattern: Slanting Gretel Tee from Fall 2009 Interweave Knits
Size: 32.5
Yarn: Araucania Atacama (hand dyed variegated alpaca)
Needles: 5s
Mods: zero, zip, nada

I really like this! I didn't shorten this at all, just let it be tunic length on me, which I like. The Atacama made my nose and hands itch a little while I was knitting with it, but after I washed the finished sweater it really got softer as well as (seemingly) washing away the alpaca allergens. I tend to get a little itchy/sneezy with anything fuzzy like alpaca, angora or mohair, but not so much that I can't work with it except for angora, which really bothers me.

I like the layered "skater look" and I dressed it up a bit for work today with a skirt and heeled boots. I work in a business casual headquarters office of about 30 people (finance, tax, legal, HR) and people dress pretty much any way they want without any attitude, which of course I love. I am rocking the big hair this week as I'm trying to color my hair every four weeks instead of every three, and the volume hides the (mostly gray) roots better. See, you get all my secrets here. I'm always flabbergasted by (and envious of) people that are ten years older than me and just starting to color their hair, as I've had a few grays since my early 20s and needed to go to an all over base color instead of just highlights at 30. But hey, we all have our "issues" and challenges to deal with!

Another Sewing FO

Here is the B4976 Chetta B wrap dress I just made for a friend at work. Patti has just lost a significant amount of weight on the Weight Watchers program and she asked if I would make her a knit dress. We decided on the Chetta B wrap dress and I made it from a slinky print fabric I had in my stash. Instead of taking measurements, I guesstimated the size and my intuition was right on. I think it fits her very well and she loves it!

New Fabric!

First off, thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes!! It was a very nice weekend. We went to Parker's for dinner on Friday night (love their 3 oz. wine selections as I can try a few that way! and the Lake Superior Whitefish Wellington was amazing), Benihana on Saturday night, and I tried a new yoga class Sunday morning with Heather and then went to my parents' house for a late lunch that afternoon. (Heather - I have to tell you - despite the general weirdness of that class and instructor, I am feeling it everywhere today so it was damn effective.) Jim had gotten me a special gift last month when it was on sale (a new coat) and that was my birthday and Valentine's Day gift!

Today I decided I needed to buy myself a present and I went for some new fabric over at denverfabrics.com. Still waiting for my New Look patterns to arrive from sewingpatterns.com - two weeks later when I ordered them priority mail - not the first time this happened....I emailed them and got absolutely no response and they don't answer their phone. That is my last order with them no matter how cheap they are selling their patterns.

Anyway, on a positive note - here are my new fabrics - all knits except the last one, which is stretch charmeuse. I thought I'd try making a top out of that for a change.

LOVE this one -I think this is my favorite:

and a nice teal print:

a grass-green solid - always a staple color that works on me:

Surprisingly, I'm also liking the cooler, but vibrant, blues and pinks these days:

You know I love a good paisley print:

and here's the stretch charmeuse:

Birthday FO: Birgitte Lace Pullover

Maybe at the age of 38, I shouldn't be announcing my birthday (or my age) to all and sundry, but I'm fine with it. The years keep getting better and better!

Here's my latest FO - Birgitte Lace Pullover:

And all the info:

Pattern: Birgitte Lace Pullover

Size: 31"

Yarn: GGH Soft Kid - just over 4 skeins (so buy an extra "insurance skein" if you make this as it said it would take 4, and I usually always have yarn left over)

Mods: made the sleeves 3/4 length instead of full length because of their width. Shortened body by 2". Also skipped the crochet edging at the neck. Some people have said that the stockinette section at the chest does not cover their chest, but this worked out perfectly for me without mods because usually necklines are too low/hit me too low on the body.

Verdict: love the pattern, love the yarn - the first mohair I've gotten along with!!!

Mirepoix - Finished and Modeled!

Without further ado, here is my long-suffering former UFO, Mirepoix Bodice!

Doing the happy dance...

All the Info:
Pattern: Mirepoix Bodice, from Fall 2007 Interweave Knits
Size: 35
Yarn: recommended yarn and colors (Louet superwash worsted)
Needles: 5 for fair isle, 3 for ribbing
Started: October 2007
Finished: (after much time languishing in a bag in my yarn closet) February 2010

Verdict/Final Thoughts/Lessons Learned:

I like this - though it is a little big on me. Usually even when I weighed more I still usually didn't knit the 35 as that was 0 ease and I usually went for negative ease. Now it is about 1.5" of positive ease so it is a little gapey at the neckline (hence the cami so that my mostly male co-workers can't see half my chest if they're standing next to me.)

I actually am liking the pink accents on the sweater, and after trying multiple camis and necklaces with it this morning, I decided that playing up the pink was the best look. I am even liking pink/cooler makeup lately - with the (bad I know) once-a-week tan I can pull off the cooler colors actually better than the warm ones I usually do.

Anyway, I am soooooooooo relieved just to be DONE with this! Next time I make a fair isle garment, I will go for zero ease. Negative ease doesn't work so well on fair isle (in my opinion) as it doesn't stretch, but the largest I should go on anything is zero ease. I also will not ever let a UFO languish that long again. Now I have nothing that is older than a year going.

Next up, Birgitte Lace Pullover!

My Productive Weekend

I haven't been blogging as much as usual, but I am sewing and knitting my heart out!

First up, I made the Kwik Sew 3554 slip (designed for knit fabrics - not many out there are - and it only takes a yard) for the lingerie contest at Patternreview. I've decided it's not indecent, after getting a lot of comments over there that I should put a hem on it and wear it out, so I'll post a pic directly on the blog instead of just linking to the review.

Next, I finished most of the New Look 6912 dress. The stretch cotton twill I chose for it from my stash is a bit of a fail though. The gathers are too bulky. Also, I think it's too strong of a print for all over the dress too. I look a little bit like I've been swallowed by fabric when I put it on. It is wearable, but I want to make it again in a lightweight fabric. It looked great in muslin, believe it or not - so I think it will look great in a silk or rayon.

I've just pinned up a piece of the hem, that's why it's sticking up in the front.

For my Ravelympics "WIP Dancing" event, I had said I was finally going to finish Mirepoix. Well, yesterday I sat down and did it - all of it. I 1.) did the remaining two steeks 2.) picked up around the neckline and did the ribbing 3.) set in the sleeves and sewed the sleeve seams and 4.) wove in 1,000,000 ends. Here it is, but I'll model it later this week when I wear it.

I also finished Birgitte Lace Pullover, except for the weaving-in-the-ends part. I'll wear that one later this week too. I love it and it fits PERFECTLY. I officially am not p&ssed at mohair anymore, as long as it's GGH Soft Kid.

Oh, and a gratuitous picture of meat for you carnivores out there (vegetarians avert your eyes) - from last Super Bowl weekend - an 18 pound prime rib roast. This was delicious - Jim and his friend Tim cooked it. Surprisingly, when cut in half, it only took like three hours to cook. I'm not usually into prime rib (I know, I'm weird) but I loved this.

That's pretty much it, for stuff going on. Oh, I did get commissioned to make a wrap dress for another co-worker who has just lost a lot of weight (maybe 40 pounds or so). I will probably start that in the next few weeks.

Valentine's Day Pattern Review/FO

For awhile I have been thinking about entering the Lingerie Contest on Patternreview and I finally did today, with a better-sewn version of that knit fabric slip I made last month. Tomorrow's the last day so I guess it was better late than never! Here's a link to the review.

Other than that, not much going on. Have one underarm to graft on Birgitte Lace Pullover and I'm done with that, finished the body on Shirtwaist Pullover, am done with New Look 6912 but I think it is too "starchy" looking in the cotton twill I used, and now I plan to go out for dinner with Jim tonight (Orchid, sushi) and enjoy our day off tomorrow! I haven't started any of my Ravelympic UFOs yet but I plan to...sewing is not clicking with me today so I think I'll just focus on knitting.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

New Pattern Purchase!

I just bought all of these patterns at sewingpatterns.com as they are on sale for $2.99 right now! Over the weekend I also muslined (new verb) two patterns - one was a fail (shift dress -I think I've finally figured out that these will NEVER work on my body) and the other was a definite WIN and I cut out the fabric for that one after the muslin. Pics of that to come soon!

New Knit Fabric Love!

I just got an email from Gorgeous Fabrics saying that many knit prints were on sale for 20% off - so of course these three had to jump into my cart. I just bought 2 yards of each as there are a number of dress patterns I can use those for - including the two new Butterick patterns that I'm obsessed with. JoAnn's didn't have them in time for the sale they are having, but I'm hoping Hancock will next week when they go on sale Thursday there.

Anyway here are the fabrics:

A subdued work appropriate one:

Another work or play one:

And one that's nothing about work and everything about being wild and crazy:

New Project - Shirtwaist Pullover

Yesterday I was feeling "blah" and the sleeves on Birgitte Lace Pullover were getting boring, so I cast on for a new project: Teva Durham's Shirtwaist Pullover from the new Knitscene. I know, I usually shy away from her patterns as they tend to have, um, "technical difficulties", but I really thought the pattern was cute and worth it. I like Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece for lace patterns, especially at a looser gauge than it's normally knit, so I swatched yesterday and decided to cast on. It's working up really nicely and quickly so far.

The yarn is BSCF "Jungle Green" from my stash. I'm already done with the peplum and eyelet round and am a few rounds into the bodice.