STOP! Appreciate Your Skills!

Recently I was sitting knitting one evening and enjoying that I could easily knit without looking at what I was doing - I could actually sit and knit in the dark while watching a film. (I should say I can't do this with every project, but knitting stocking stitch in the round with aran-weight wool is no problem.)

It made me think about when I started knitting again 6 years ago, after learning in Primary School. My tension was so tight that I had to push the needles off the stitches with my fingers! I was nearly driven to tears trying to teach myself to do circular knitting.

Fast forward a few years and many knitting projects later, I now am a confident knitter who can tackle most projects. Of course I still have things to learn and I still make mistakes but it's really nice to remember how far I've come with my skills.

Like me, I'm sure that many of you are avid blog readers and are quick to make appreciative comments on the skills of others - that crocheted blanket, tailored jacket or amazingly organised sewing space. But it's nice to reflect on the development of your own skills too. If you have your own blog, it's interesting to look back at early posts to see things you used to struggle with that are now second nature. Or even looking at garments you've made and spotting the things you now know how to fix. It took me so long to get my head around understitching or ease stitch and I've only just hit on my preferred method of setting in a sleeve.

So, take some time to appreciate the skills you have learned and feel proud of yourself.

K x

Enjoying the Process of Knitting

With knitting, I sometimes seem to forget that if you don't enjoy the process, you won't want to knit. I don't know why - it seems obvious, but sometimes the desire for a the finished object clouds my feelings on the process. Knitting a garment takes so much longer than sewing it and if you're not enjoying knitting a pattern, it's time for an evaluation.

I began knitting this pod stitch vintage cardigan in November last year. However once I got into the pattern part, I found that I hated doing the 'Purl 7 Together' which was required at the top of each pod shape. It was so difficult and awkward, and I knew that if I kept going with the pattern I would dread knitting those rows. So as much as I liked the look of the cardigan, it wasn't worthwhile keeping going.

I ripped back the pattern and then continued on with the rib to create this vintage number:

But again, it involved a wide band of rib and although I like the look of this I DETEST knitting rib. As a result, progress slowed and has halted. I've actually nearly finished the rib section for the back but it really sapped my desire to knit. Over Christmas I didn't knit anything at all, but I missed it.

So last weekend I decided that I needed to cast on something new to combat my knit slump. Cue a cute hippo from Susan B Anderson's Itty Bitty Toys.

I've used this book once before to make a rabbit, which I was happy with, and as hippos are cute, I thought I'd give this guy a try. He is knitted with sock yarn held double, and I had some lovely Knitpicks sock yarn in my stash which would do the job nicely. Here's progress so far:

Body complete and head started

I thought that holding yarn double would be a pain or get messy but once you've knitted a few rows it's fine. You can apparently make a centre pull ball of yarn and then use yarn from the centre and the end at the same time but I have never succeeded in making one of these so I just wound another ball from the main yarn that I had and this works fine. I keep them in a bag beside me when I knit so they don't get tangled.

However the hippo has now been put on hold while I knit my Current Husband a hat to replace the 2 (2!) he has lost. His 2 lost hats have been London Beanies, a great (free) pattern for a basic beanie hat. However since he requested something warmer, I am making another free Ravelry pattern, the World's Warmest Hat. I've made this twice before for my Dad and Father-in-Law and it is super warm and knits up fairly quickly too.

How about you? How do you balance enjoying the process with getting the finished object you want?

K x

Pattern Monday #38 Creepy Dolls Special

 "Well well, I've been expecting you...."
Image from here

Who has ever said "Oh I really fancy dressing my doll in the national costume of Belgium?". NOBODY.
Image from here.

Just empty, vacant, staring eyes....
Image from here.

I'd love to know what the standing doll is whispering to the seated doll to make it look like that. 

Image from here.

"I ain't staying in this pram, fool."
Image from here.

A pair of crazy-looking posh dolls - I think they're probably called Amelia and Emmeline and they will eat your soul. 

Image from here.

That doll in the yellow sleeping bag is definitely on drugs.
Image from here.

I think these ASBO Dolls might be my favourite, fleeing from the scene of a looting.
Image from here.

(Didn't mean to feature so many patterns but I kept finding more and more...)

K x

Have you ever lost a beloved handmade?

Just before Christmas I went to the Post Office near my flat, then got on the bus into town. It was only when I got off the bus I realised that my hat was missing. I'm usually careful with my hats and gloves, but somewhere I had misplaced it.

This hat was one I knit last year to a pattern I made up myself, though for some reason I had never blogged about it. I loved it because it was a beret made exactly to my specifications, with just the right fit in the ribbing.

I made my husband walk the route from flat to post office, called the Post Office to see if I had left it there and called the bus company lost property to report it. All to no avail. It would look like an unremarkable hat to anyone else, but it was my favourite and I was kicking myself for being so careless with it.

I did scribble the pattern down somewhere, so when I eventually find my notes I will try to knit it again. At least I do have the skills to make it again, so I suppose I should count myself lucky.

Farewell beloved beret!

Have you ever lost something you made and loved?

K x

Sewing Machine, Sergers and Decisions

THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to comment on my last post about sewing with jersey and what they used, machine vs. serger. It was very interesting to read all of the comments and I really appreciate you all taking the time to write your thoughts. I also read what everyone was saying when Liza Jane asked a similar question. Much food for thought.

So have you all helped me make a decision? Er, not really! I am still swithering between new machine or serger and hope that I will eventually be getting both but am only planning to get one in the immediate future. I have also decided which ones I would like:

For the sewing machine, a Janome 525s:

I phoned my sewing machine repairman for advice and he recommended a Janome as being a good quality and reliable machine. As someone who knows a quality machine, he often buys machines for schools and recommends the Janome 521 or the 525S. This second one would be my choice. I'm reluctant to get a computerised machine as I just feel that there is more to go wrong - and I'm saying this as someone whose car has sailed through its MOT 2 years in a row with nothing needing done because it is a great basic car (who needs central locking?!). I like to keep it simple.

I suppose the recommended approach to buying a machine is to try a few brands and models but this is hard these days as I think there are far fewer shops specialising in sewing machines - I don't think there are any in Glasgow (though please correct me if I'm wrong!).

Personally I find too much choice overwhelming and generally counter-productive, and I prefer to get a recommendation from someone I trust - like my repair man. He can also get the machine for me, matching any internet price, and if it needs any servicing done he can pick it up from my house. Ideal.

Serger wise, I'd go for the ubiquitous Brother 1034D. This model seems to be very popular amongst sewing bloggers but isn't too pricey, as sergers go. And I've got a strong recommendation from people I trust - all of you!

The problem with a serger is that it's another machine to add to my sewing space in the living room and my already hobby-tolerant husband has to put up with all my knitting and sewing stuff all over the place. As you know, that stuff grows arms and legs and as much as I would like a serger (and a dressmaker's dummy - one day!) I wonder if I should wait until I have a dedicated space for sewing (again - one day...) or at least wait for a while. And I have to admit that I am still a little intimidated by the thought of a serger, maybe I should just get a good sewing machine I am really comfortable with sewing jersey on, and then treat myself to a serger later on if I want to take things a step further?

Or then again, will a serger REALLY take up a lot more space? It sounds like the easiness it could bring would be well worth it. Perhaps I should just go for it and buy one.

So thank you again for your input and for reading this latest brain ramble. I'll be sure to keep you updated about what I eventually decide!

K x

FO: Happy Spotty Renfrew

 

(Apologies for the poor quality photos, it was a really dull day. I'm also peeved that you have to now pay for  the Pic Monkey feature that lets you draw on mascara. Now I have to actually put mascara on just for a blog photo?! )

Well, I feel like I deserve a pat on the back for having already addressed one of my sewing goals for 2013 - sewing with jersey. I'm super chuffed to have finally wrestled with my machine's stitch settings and made a top with jersey after my first ill-fated attempt nearly two years ago.

Before I tell you about what I made, I wanted to encourage those people without sergers that you can sew with jersey using just your machine. Even a basic machine like mine will do the job, with some experimentation with stitch type, length and width. Look, my machine doesn't even have numbers on the width dial, just some pictures of progressively wider zig zags. It certainly doesn't have a stitch designed for stretch fabrics either. I have used a bit of tape stuck on to show the perfect width for seam stitching on jersey:

There's loads of advice available on blogs about sewing knits and jersey for beginners, so I won't go into it at length - I did find Steph's posts at 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World, to be particularly helpful. Essentially experimentation and practice are key here.

When it came to finishing the edges, I just trimmed the seam allowance and sewed it together using a zig zag, in imitation of a serged finish. I have no idea of anyone else does this as I couldn't find much about finishing edges without a serger. Hopefully it will hold up to frequent wear and washing ok, and it keeps things nice and neat even though it does use a mother load of thread. 

On to my review of the pattern:  

Pattern Used 

 

Sewaholic's Renfrew. I made the version with the round neck and 3/4 length sleeves

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

Well, since everyone else has been raving about how great it is, the Renfrew definitely has the seal of approval from sewing bloggers for being easy to make, versatile and wearable. I liked the way that the neck, cuffs and hem were finished with bands to give a neat look.

Fabric & Notions
1.6 metres of printed spot jersey from Mandors at £9.99 a metre, purchased when I went shopping with Debi and Kathryn. I liked the unusual colour combination of golden brown on navy.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made
I cut a 10 but graded to a 12 at the back shoulders. I added 1" to the length - I probably could have got away without doing this but I prefer a longer length top.

Would you sew it again and do anything different next time? 

I am DEFINITELY sewing this again - are you kidding me? I 100% love this pattern and it is in many ways the answer to my problem of getting tops to fit me (see here for my woes). I will be making this again and again, I know this for sure. I'm not such a fan of the cowl or V-necklines but I will stick with the round neck and probably make a few variations of sleeve length. Hey, maybe I'll even branch out a draft a boat neck.

Did you use any new techniques? 
Yep, sewing with jersey! This is the first garment I have made with jersey but once I got sorted with what stitch length/width/type I should be using, it was fine. 

It was also the first time I had set in the sleeves flat. This was really straightforward and I was glad to try the technique after having heard about it before. It works well for this pattern as the sleeves are designed to be inserted that way - not sure how well that technique would work for other patterns which often have a ton of excess in the sleeve cap.

This was also the first project cut out using my new rotary cutter and cutting mat. This was perfect for jersey and I'll be making a lot more use of it in the future. I won't be abandoning my shears just yet but it was certainly quick and easy to use the cutter and mat.

Would you recommend the pattern to others? 
Wholeheartedly.

Cost

About £17 for fabric and thread - the pattern was a gift.  

I'm not sure why jersey is so expensive, when it is so widely used in high street fashion I can't see why this should be the case. I am going to be looking out for jersey online that it is a better price - the only issue is that I found that the jersey I've seen in shops varies widely in stretchiness and opacity and this makes me a little nervous about buying it online. 

Kathryn recommended Tissu Fabrics for cheap jersey and I have also ordered some from Croft Mill as an experiment. I love the range available at US-based Girl Charlee, though I'm a little nervous about ordering from the States in case I get hit with a whopping customs charge. Anyone have any experience with these companies or any other recommendations?  

I'm sure getting samples would be really helpful - on their website, Tissu say that they encourage customers to ask for samples but I can't see an easy way to request them through the site and they have ignored the email I sent regarding samples a few days ago.

(Thinking about making more Renfrews)

Conclusion

I'm converted to jersey. It was also an unofficial resolution that I need more polka dots in my wardrobe too, so I am especially chuffed. I was just fantastic to make a top and wear it without having to worry about stupid broad upper back adjustments, which I am still trying to make work for me. 

Doing my round up of last year's sewing combined with tidying my wardrobe and drawers made me realise that I have not sewn a successful top and I dislike a lot of the tops I do have. While this isn't a 'Wow' make that people ask you about, it feels like freedom from tiresome adjustments to have found this pattern and know how wearable it is for me.  Is it too early to have made my favourite thing of 2013? It does feel like that - expect to be bored of seeing my Renfrews in the future...

K x 

EDIT: Since typing and scheduling this post, my machine has refused to sew jersey for my next project. Despite carefully using the same settings, cleaning it and then trying different settings it is now making a fool out of me by refusing to sew jersey without skipping stitches. I am now considering my options - I have limited sewing space but I am wondering if a serger is the way forward.

My options are - buy a new sewing machine essentially to get one with an effective and reliable stretch stitch as my machine is basic but generally fine for what I need or buy a serger which will meet my need and more but will be another thing in my sewing space (the living room). I have used a serger only for finishing the edges of woven fabric (in a sewing class) but from what I understand you can use it to make the seam (and at the same time finish it) on jersey/knits. I'd love to know how you sew these fabrics, (use a sewing machine or serger only or a combination) to help me make my decision!

Review: Simply Crochet Magazine Issue 1

During the weeks leading up to Christmas I began to dabble with a bit of crochet. With the help of a knit/crochet skills exchange with my friend Katy and the Attic24 blog, I had a go at some of the different stitches.

 

Around that time I got an email from Future Publishing to advertise a new magazine, Simply Crochet, at an introductory price of £5 for 3 issues (usual price £4.99 an issue). I thought it was a good deal and signed up, after all who doesn't like getting a new magazine in the post very month? I did have some reservations as it looked to be along the same lines as Mollie Makes (same publisher and style - my thoughts on Mollie Makes are here) but £5 was too good a deal to miss out on.

I got my issue a few days ago, so thought I'd share my thoughts:

What I liked

• Information about different yarn types. As a new crocheter this is useful for me 

• The patterns - I felt it was a good range, from a cardigan to amigurumi, throws and more simple shapes like hearts. Compared to Mollie Makes, there are a lot more projects (I counted 26) and less twee filler.

•  Crochet shown as modern and fashion-related (eg. crochet collars) and not solely twee

• How to Crochet section includes information and photographs showing step-by-step for left handed crochet as well as right. I'm not left handed, but my Mum is, and so I know that it can be very different making the stitches as a leftie.
• The step-by-step stitch guides and Crochet Essentials were good, but I wonder how this will be developed in future issues. There were 10 full pages devoted to that in this issue plus little snippets elsewhere

What I didn't like

•   Some of the language - very reminiscent of Mollie Makes e.g. "If in doubt, crochet a cushion" and "We love a bit of retro styling; a funky vintage accessory or a silk scarf tied the old-fashioned way." I feel this is lazy, poor quality writing with what I call 'empty sentences' that don't really say anything. The word "funky" makes me cringe, and what is the "old-fashioned way" of tying a scarf exactly? However I didn't find the twee factor to be as high as in Mollie Makes, which is a blessed relief.

(This photograph of the magazine makes the picture of this blanket appear lighter than it looks in print)

Would this be enough to encourage you to make this throw? It looks lovely but I'd like a picture that shows it more clearly, not just crumpled on the model's knees!

 This baby blanket looks nice but would you make it, based solely on this photo?

• Some of the project photography is dark or doesn't show the item very well. There's only one picture of the lovely-looking purple throw for example and only one of the baby blanket - I would have liked to see the stitch pattern closer up. A couple of the projects are from books and so haven't been photographed especially for the magazine, but the ones made for Simply Crochet should definitely be a lot better.

 

• Maybe this is a personal gripe but I don't like covering things in crochet/knitting, like this coat hook. How are you supposed to clean it?
• This:

What is this supposed to mean? I thought it was a bit unnecessary, and confusing, especially as it first appears on a page that doesn't have a pattern on it. If you can't work out when to start crocheting when making a pattern, I don't think you should be allowed to wield a hook.

And Another Thing!
 

Have they been reading this blog and picked up on Pattern Monday?!!

Conclusion

I was pleasantly surprised. As someone who has just started crocheting and who crochets as a secondary craft to knitting and sewing, this magazine was at a good level for me. It would probably be too basic for anyone more competent, and the space devoted to 'how to' would be unnecessary. I liked the range of projects included and will be looking forward to seeing how it develops over the next couple of issues. 

I think it's too early to judge it just yet but keep a lid on that twee language, improve the photography, keep up the good range of projects, and I think this magazine would be worth checking out.

K x

Pattern Monday #37

David Duchovny auditions for Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour-zip-up-cardigan

Image from here

K x

FO: The Sewing Bloggers' Skirt

Before I review this skirt, can I just ask, WTF is going on with modern pattern sizing? I make modern patterns from the Big 4 companies only rarely, but previous experience has told me that they have a generous amount of ease. Judging by my measurements I should have cut a size 16 for this skirt but since I knew it would come out massive and had bought the 6-12 size pattern anyway, I was just going to have to make a 12 and hope for the best. According to the packet, a size 12 is for a 26.5" waist - what utter nonsense.

Rather stupidly for a skirt pattern, the finished sizes on the outside of the packet do not include the finished waist measurement, only the finished hip and length. It is only when you look at the pattern pieces do you see that one of them says that there are 5 and a half inches of ease. FIVE AND A HALF INCHES. This is insanity. And at least could Simplicity put that on the outside of the packet so a less experienced seamstress might buy the right size and not slave over a skirt that turns out enormous?? 

It seems that vintage patterns and modern independent pattern companies do not build in this frankly insane amount of ease so why do the Big 4? Is it vanity sizing?

Anyway, rant over and back to the skirt: 

Pattern Used 

Simplicity 2491. I made view D, the shortest length version.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I liked the shapes of at least two of the skirt types, and that they had pockets.

Fabric & Notions
I used a navy printed cotton drill that I got from Laura: in a Tangle at the Knicker Blogger Glory Meet Up in September last year, plus white piping bought at Mood in New York when I met up with bloggers there.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made 
I made the shortest version but added just over an inch to the length and did a teeny hem to make it longer again. I also added piping to below the waistband and the pockets to emphasise the shapes of the skirt.

 
Would you sew it again and do anything different next time? 

Yes I would sew it again and next time I wouldn't mess up the waistband as I did on this one (you can see the side seams of waistband and skirt are not aligned). I would try one of the other views too. 

Did you use any new techniques?
No

Would you recommend the pattern to others? 

Yes, if you're one of the few people who hasn't already made it! It's a really versatile pattern.

 

Cost

Can't remember how much the pattern cost, fabric was free and other notions had a minimal cost. 

Conclusion

This really is a"sewing bloggers'" skirt - made using a pattern frequently used by bloggers using fabric and notions obtained during meet ups. I can see myself making more of these in the future, for sure. I think it's a fun and practical skirt and it is very similar to Sewaholic's Crescent Skirt and I have made 2 of those, which I love. Stupid sizing aside, it's a great pattern.

K x

p.s I hope I have correctly apostrophised the name of the skirt - I mean it to be like 'the skirt of all the sewing bloggers' er, if that makes sense?!