First off, I would like to thank everyone for the awesomely sweet comments that I’ve been getting here. You have made me realize how much I miss blog interaction and how rewarding it is to post here and receive your feedback. So, thank you!!

And now, the sweater!

I am not wearing Vogue 8280 in these pcitures.

That was the birthday outfit of choice. But after a failed Built By Wendy shirt, I was gun (sew?) shy and never made it past cutting it out.

This sweater is more than awesome enough to make up for that

Pattern: Francis Revisited
Yarn: Crystal Palace, Creme
Needles: Size 9 and 7’s for the collar. I never changed back to 9’s because I didn’t have them with me.
Love: A LOT!!!
This sweater fits like a glove!
It was a little snug pre blocking, but afterward it it draped like a dream. And grew a TON! Like so much that I was ready to try it on wet just to see how ruined it was.
But once it dried, it was fine. It was still much longer, but with the right jeans (non bulky in the waist) it looked great!

After blocking, I was worried that the shaping would be in a new location and would therefore look like ass, but it worked out great. I even included some hip shaping, which I will include in everything fitted from now on. It’s just enough. You know? To accent the hips not squeeze blood out of them
This collar does not follow the directions at ALL. I didn’t have them with me and I didn’t want to waste the subway knitting time. It worked out just fine.

In other news, I finished 365 with a declaration of never doing it again. Only to miss it terribly, well my fellow flickr peeps anyway, and start again. On the eve of my 30th birthday. Who knows, the start date may be auspicious. This could be a truly eventful year that I will be grateful for documenting.

I will be back shortly with the Rhinebeck post!!! It was so great to see so many familiar faces in person. I was so overwhelmed and so happy. I can say, for certain, that I will no longer miss any opportunity to be amongst my knitters. I will hopefully see them all, and many more, at Maryland Sheep and Wool next year.

At this rate, I may not have to buy new clothes this winter.

I am stunned at how this came together.
I was fearless because the shirt was free and unworn for over 10 years. I figured I would just cut it up for the fabric if I ruined it too much. This one was given to me in high school. At a time in my life when a huge mens shirt was my idea of heaven. And plaid, too. Let me have it!

In the end I only cut the bottom of the sleeves and the curved bottom edge.
Everything else was achieved with pin tucks. I took in the sleeves, but opted not to cut off the excess. The inside of this shirt is finished so beautifully. All french seams. I couldn’t bring myself to have it all raw and jagged inside. I just folded over the extra when making the new hem.

Before:

I have had this dress a loooooong time.
So long, in fact, that it is a size 4.
I have not been a size 4 since before I had Missy.
She will be 9 in March.

The funny (read-tragic) thing is, this dress was too big for me when I bought it! Which was why it has never, not even one time, been worn.

I have a hard time with dresses, especially shirt dresses, because my upper and lower halves are two very different sizes. As you can see this size 4 top is perfect, but the ‘before’ pic shows you that there was no hope of this EVER buttoning all the way again. Ever!

So, I chopped the sleeves.
Very carefully picked out both cuff seams.
Very carefully picked out the hem seam.
Spilt the side seams up to the fifth button from the top.
Split both sleeve pieces in two where they were already cut for the sleeve detail.
Sewed each set into two longer pieces.
Pinned the hell out those pieces into both side seam openings, tapering towards the top.
Sewed the bits in.
Made some adjustments.
Re-hemmed the bottom.
Made new sleeve hems.
Shortened button tabs and reattached to each sleeve.
Marvel at the fact that I have another dress to wear in my quest to look my age and pretend that I have style ;0)

Before

What started the day as an old, too small, moth eaten in places Banana Republic sweater dress has become one kick ass cardi!

If I do say so myself.

And I do.

I am insanely pleased with it. That dress had been in limbo between “denial that I still looked great in it” and “disgust at the realization that it was too small and should go in the trash”. I think it will love its new lease on life!

Shortened.

Collar removed.

Split down the middle.

Edges folded under and sewn down.

Curse and cut off messed up edge.

Recut edge and try folding and sewing again.

Successful.

Cut strip for a belt.

Realize that you hate belted cardi’s when you try it on.

Decide to make it a ruffle instead.

Make and sew on first ruffle in record time.

Swear a lot as you pick out the stitching on the second, less easy, ruffle.

Stitch ruffle on.

Make a button loop and covered button.

Attach them.

Wear while smiling like a fool.

The edging was royally effed up the first go round and another trim was required. I now have an unhealthy love for my rotary cutter, without which this project would have ended up a big FAT fail. I could never have cut so straight with a scissor.

I decided to save my sanity and leave off the pointed edge of my Aestlight shawl. That birds eye lace nearly did me in. I had misread the instructions so badly that I kept ending up with, like, 52 million stitches on the needle. When I got my head on straight and worked out what I should be doing…I started to run out of Koigu (AND started to run out of my back up yarn that was inconveniently attached to the project below). 

So, a pointless Aestlight it would be ;0)

Pattern: Aestlight, Gudrun Johnston

Yarn: Koigu, unknown color way 2 skeins

Needles: Size 6

Love: A LOT!!

It is so light and airy and marvy and gorgy :0)

Then, this shawl…

I am so proud of this, I feel that it’s somehow wrong. This shawl really, really, rilly challenged me. Knitting lace does not come naturally to me, and I struggled with my stitch counts throughout the entire experience.

I ran out of motivation several times.

I ran out steam after tinking back rows.

I ran out of patience when tinking didn’t solve the problem.

I ran out of yarn and almost called the whole thing off.

But, she is finished now. Bound off on the subway. Like the true subway knit that she was. I don’t know if it was the lovely kidsilk night, or the vastly different needle sizes at each end or the rhythmic motion of my hands will working, but I had the attention of everyone standing and sitting near me on the train that evening.

Maybe they were feeling the love coming off of me. The JOY at being done with this crazy making knit and the anticipation of blocking it to full size. She is a big-un! 

Pattern: Ishbel, Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Zwerger Garn Opal and Kidsilk Night edging 

Needles: Size 7 (and a larger size for the kidsilk night and bind off)

Love: There aren’t enough words.

Just look at it!! I made it!! Lol

Rebecca knit this for herself, but upon finishing, decided that it didn’t suit her. At knit group, she asked if anyone wanted it. Uh, YES!! How freakin’ awesome is this? Pretty fucking awesome is the answer!

That night we also gave Sara this!

This is the first time I’ve contributed to a group project like this. What a wonderful feeling! It was so awesome to see Sara’s little guy photographed lying on it. I can’t wait until someone else has a bun in the oven

Remember the awesome handspun from a recent post? I knit it into this!!

I cannot possibly accurately express what these shawls and blanket mean to me. The knitters in my life are truly some of the best people I know. Julia parted with this beautiful yarn at a difficult time in my life. It cheered me in a way that I still can’t fully express. Angela orchestrated the knitting of the baby blanket and expertly seamed it together. She was the glue that held the project together and she did so flawlessly. I think Rebecca knits more for others than herself. Even when knitting for herself she parts with such beautiful stuff as this Ishbel without hesitation.

 I don’t know if there is some magic in knitting. I don’t know if there is some innate goodness in the knitters that makes the magic. All I know is, I am better for knowing these knitters.

                                      I thank you ladies!!

The card was handmade, just for me, by Missy.

Apparently, she worked on it Friday afternoon before I came in from work, hurrying to finish so she could hide it

She hid it in my mom’s house and when we went next door to wish her happy momma’s day, she pulled it out and gave it to me.

It was so sweet!

It’s this kind of thing that makes the really hard days, like the ones I’ve been having lately, so worth it!

The card was handmade, just for me, by Missy. Apparently, she worked on it Friday afternoon before I came in from work, hurrying to finish so she could hide it She hid it in my mom’s house and when we went next door to wish her happy momma’s day, she pulled it out and gave it to me. It was so sweet! It’s this kind of thing that makes the really hard days, like the ones I’ve been having lately, so worth it!

Happy Mother’s Day, ya’ll!

I had been coveting Julia’s handspun for a while, so I asked her what she would like in return for parting with some of it.

My end of the deal, provide several skeins of Cascade 220 which is apparently pricey in Denmark (???).

The deal was made, and off I was to WEBS to get Julia her yarn.

Little did I know the awesomeness that I would receive in return.

I only expected that purple skein and a skein of Danish yarn.

I opened the box to discover TWO(!!!) skeins of handspun and two more honkin’ big skeins of yarn!!

The purple skein is an insane 500 yards! The pinkish one, which she also handpainted, is 289. All together, I’m holding over 1700 yards of yummy yarn!

What on earth to make?
A little shelf to perch it on while I worship it?

To combat the bad news blues, I popped over to Pearl Paint (aka the most awesome craft store evah) on Friday. I spent $30 in the blink of an eye and walked away with 5 sets of watercolors, brushes, water color pencils and a canvas. 

 
These:

Combined with Bristol paper, resulted in these:

 
 
I also got the chance to work on two things I’ve had in mind for a while. Dolls and transforming Missy’s art into other projects.

I combined the two
I have another, nearly finished, doll to show off, too. My own design, therefore not nearly as interesting or cute as those based on Missy’s work
Right now, her hair is wrong. Very, very wrong. Once she’s been back in the salon chair she can be debuted.

My friend Rebecca from my knit group, reminded me (in her signature way) that I hadn’t posted in a while. Hi, Rebecca! ;D

I could give you all that normal blog jazz about why I’ve been absent, but I’ll let you exercise your mind by remembering it from all the previous times that you’ve read it.

Instead, I will update you in the form of pictures.

Click the photo for deets over on flickr. I hope to be back with a real post as opposed to a half-ass one

First, swap mittens of awesomeness ;D

Much better photos to be found in the Sit n’ Knit flickr group.

Mitts knit for my partner, who unfortunately was not as the party.

Pescovegetarian mittens

Raverly Details

No one guessed the correct pattern. All….three of you that guessed anyway

In other swap goods, my yoga swap haul!

My compensation for participating in an NYU study.

And a really good read!