Dino shirt for Dil July 15, 2008

I was waiting to have some action shots to post about this shirt, but I actually made it about a month ago before I left L.A.. It was my first venture into the world of knit fabrics and stenciling.This was a complete improvisation (again!) but oh well, it works. I just used the zigzag stitch everywhere, so that the fabric wouldn’t pucker. I probably should have switched the needle of my sewing machine, they make special ones for knits that are probably better. I didn’t bother hemming the bottom edge and the sleeves are just rolled up (How lazy am I?).

I had fun with the collar (I used some bias tape and vintage buttons and sewed on a bit of blue hair elastic to make a button loop) Also, check out my Frogginette labels! I ordered them online. I’m pretty happy with them even though they are quite large.

The stenciling was fun, I found the template online somewhere (I forget where exactly) and used some fabric paint found at Joann’s. I followed Rae’s advice and mixed the very bright green paint with some “Adobe” paint to make it slightly more muted. I used freezer paper to make the stencil. For those who are curious - as I was - freezer paper is not the same thing as wax paper, I think it’s thicker and “waxier” - you should be able to find it in any supermarket.

Here is a close-up of the dinosaur:

On the Road June 30, 2008

Just a quick post from our motel room in Tulsa, Oklahoma…

We are at the midpoint in our road trip to Cape Cod. So far, it’s been eventful: stopped by the police TWICE… looking for our motel in the middle of a storm and a town-wide power outage in Tucumcari, New Mexico… Beautiful vistas, too, of course.

I’m getting a bit sick of eating fried food and ribs but other than that, we are having a blast. I haven’t knit a single stitch on the road so far, but it might still happen!

FO: Punky Brewster skirt June 18, 2008

For some reason this skirt reminds me of Punky Brewster, the main character of this show I used to watch in the 80s. She was this sassy kid who was really into super bright colors and mismatched shoes…

This skirt marks the end of a long sewing hiatus. I’m not too confident about my sewing skills yet, and I think I got Fabric Paralysis, like when you just stare at all this great fabric in your stash, and it’s just too much pressure, as if there was no way you could live up to it?

Anyway, the fabric is a thrift store purchase I’ve been meaning to use for a while. It’s got this great texture, kind of like seersucker, and of course I loved the glorious green color, which is really hard to photograph by the way…

So I sort of made this skirt as I went along, without a pattern. It’s really very simple but I’m really happy about how it turned out and how it fits (in spite of the bad job on the zipper!). I love that it’s so colorful and invigorating.

Silver Lining June 6, 2008

The good thing about needing to find someone to take over our lease is that our apartment is finally clean and tidy! It totally feels like somebody else’s place already.

I’ve been accumulating a pile of clothing, bags etc… that need to be mended/modified to fit right - or just given away. I’m hoping to gather enough determination to just get it done today.

It’s just that I’m feeling mighty lazy contemplative right now, sipping on coffee and admiring my clean and tidy apartment….

WIP: Vintage Knits Camisole May 30, 2008

So this project has a long and painful history. “Vintage Knits” by Sarah Dallas was the first knitting book I purchased when I started knitting in 2002. I loved the Silk Ribbed Camisole so much, and it looked pretty straightforward, so I just went for it. I used this mercerized cotton that had not drape and was just awful to work with, but I kept going. After knitting about 2/3 of the camisole over the span of many months, i though I must have misunderstood the instructions because the top just looked all wrong, and I finally jumped ship.

So why is it that many years later, I felt compelled to start this over, despite the many warnings I saw on Ravelry about the fact that the pattern is really problematic?

This time, I decided to go with the largest size, because I thought I would never wear a clingy ribbed top (not flattering unless you have a totally flat stomach). I also nixed the ribbing at the bottom, because I though the 4×1 ribbing, which is very stretchy, should be allowed to gradually stretch over the hips.

So far, I like the neckline and I really like the drape and softness of the fabric. I’m using this merino/cashmere blend I got in Lille, France, a while back. I should mention that this yarn is really hard to keep into a ball (it’s slippery so the balls tend to fall apart and produce awful tangles) but it’s lightweight, soft and drapey.

So here’s the issue, and it’s a big one, so if you have any ideas, let me know:

As you can see, there is a weird “flap” under the armpit because the seed stitch produces a completely different gauge than the ribbing. I *really* don’t want to frog the top and start over with a bunch of decreases, but I will if I have to.

Maybe if I make the back with decreases (so that I don’t have that flap effect) I could then pretend that the front flap is a cute detail? If I stitched it in place and put a couple of decorative buttons on? Anyway, any thoughts would help, this top is pretty boring to knit, so i’d like to at least get to wear it so it’s not a complete failure!

My reward for finishing the camisole will be to start using up this yumminess:

This is my birthday gift to Moi (well, one of many gifts… )

I am planning to use the Slate (grey) Andean Silk to make the Lush and Lacy cardigan, which I just love. The other two are cotton blends, and I am going to try to use them in a homemade pattern! I’m probably still too “green” to attempt one, but I have to learn sometime!

FO: Elijah! May 21, 2008

This little guy is supposed to be a gift for Dil but I can’t seem to part with him just yet… I keep putting the jacket on, taking it off, arranging his ears, squishing his belly… What can I say, I’m in love!

Since I’m moving soon, I’m all about destashing these days, so I decided to use up the last bit of green yarn that I had… And I thought pink feet and hands would be a cute mod. Then I still hadn’t had enough of this pattern, so I started freestyling a jacket for him to wear. Now I understand why a lot of people go nuts making doll clothing… So much fun!

Here are the specs for my Elijah:

Pattern: Elijah by Ysolda Teague (purchase the pattern on her website here or on Ravelry)

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish (a little less than 2 balls), Online Linie 146 Montana for jacket (1 ball)

Needles: US 4 dpns

Time to complete: about 5 days

Mods: none except for the colored feet and hands.

I think the pattern is very well written, very clear. The important thing is to make sure you’re knitting a tight fabric, especially for the head — my stitches around the trunk are a little stretched out and you can see the filling underneath. I think the pattern is straightforward but lots is happening so it’s a lot of fun. If you’re relatively new at knitting it’s a good pattern to challenge yourself with all kinds of techniques: increases, descreases, knitting on dpns, picking up stitches, short rows etc.

The ears seemed a little trickier than the rest, but that’s just because i still have apprehensions about short rows.

All in all, a wonderful pattern, which I recommend highly!

Road Trip on the horizon May 12, 2008

My days in L.A. are seriously counted…

In about a month and a half, we’ll be out of this town for at least a couple of years, while Gabe completes his post-doctoral research. Did I mention before that he is a theoretical physicist and that he is writing his thesis right now?

Here is an interesting article that captures what it’s like to live with someone like him (Click on the image to get the full size):

So these are uncertain days. Now don’t get me wrong, I am all for change, and I’ve always thought moving was fun (see the “About Moi” section of this blog to understand why I would think that) but this is a little nerve-racking.

As of yet, we are still unsure where exactly we will be moving to - none of the positions that Gabe has applied for are finalized yet.

The only thing that seems certain is that in just a handful of weeks, we’ll be heading East. The various job possibilities are all on the East Coast.

So our goal is to arrive in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, sometime before Independence Day, and spend some time with Gabe’s extended family during the July 4 festivities (and score some New England seafood if we can!) By then, hopefully we will know which post-doc job has congealed and we will just head over there, I guess!

So here I am, really excited to embark on my first cross-country road trip! And of course, I am planning to pack tons of knitting supplies. I’ve discovered that I strangely don’t get carsick while knitting, which is pretty cool… Now i’ve got to think of adequate projects…

FO: his and hers hats May 5, 2008

Even though Gabe objects to this present post’s title, it will just have to do. I thought I’d just write a quick post, let pictures speak for themselves. I just haven’t been very inspired to write lately

Pattern: Jake’s Cable Beanie, available for free here

Yarn: 1 skein Blue Sky Alpaca dyed cotton in Tomato and about .2 in Drift. Knit holding 2 strands to get approximate gauge

Needles: Size US 10.5 double-pointed

Mods: I ran out of red yarn, so I lenghtened the hat with about 2″ of straightforward ribbing (see photo below with unrolled band

Pattern: Banana Republic Hat Knockoff, available for free on Crafster.org

Yarn: Lion’s Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick

Needles: Size US 10.5 double-pointed

Mods: I just added a couple of rounds to make sure the hat was long enough. I think it turned out a little big too big. I sewed on two shell buttons on the band.

FO: Beribboned hobbit slippers April 24, 2008

Gabe kept grumbling that I was stealing his slippers every morning, so I thought Id’ better knit something for myself.

I had some yarn leftover from the Nob Hill collar, and before you know it, Gabe was modeling these puppies for my bloggy-blog (I am mentioning this lest you think French girls have furry legs):

They were a little too massive-looking, like hobbit-feet, so I thought I’d add a bit of ribbon to make them more girly.

Pattern: This is a free pattern I first saw on Ravelry, it’s called “Side Cable Slippers” and you can find it on freepatterns.com - you have to register first to access the pattern though.

Yarn: Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, 1 ball in Taupe

Needles: US 13 circulars

Time to complete: 1hr30

Mods: none

My opinion: I made these so quickly, and they are really comfy. This would be a good way to use up odds and ends in the stash - you can make these holding several strands or yarn. Good gift idea, too.

I’ll leave you with some action shots:

FO: Saartje’s Booties April 20, 2008

How totally adorable is this? I think a newborn would be able to wear these for no more than a couple of weeks, they are so tiny. But why be reasonable and knit bigger ones? These are so quick and easy, you could knit one custom-sized pair every week.

Most of you already know this pattern, I’m sure, but if not, the added bonus is that it’s completely free and readily available here.

These are being promptly shipped to my friend’s brand new little girl, Léonie, who was born 3 weeks ago… I hope they will fit her!

Pattern: Saartje’s Booties (free pattern)

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (Denim and Mauve), leftovers from various projects. Very little yarn was needed, a 3-4 yards maybe

Needles: US 2

Time to knit: a couple of hours while watching TV

Buttons: translucent white from Joann’s