Knitting victories

As I mentioned in the last post, I decided to participate in the Knit for Victory knit-along that's currently going on, and had chosen Tasha's "Victory" because I figured I was much more likely to finish something small by the deadline than any of the number of sweaters I'd like to make. This pattern knitted up even faster than I had anticipated, and I managed to get it finished in just a few days! I actually (and unintentionally) finished the last few rows on Pearl Harbor day, which I thought was wonderfully apropos.

Let me simply say that I ADORE this pattern. It's very well written, super easy to follow, and knits up so quickly I'm really tempted to make another in different colors at some point. The only change that I made was to knit the body of the hat on 3s instead of 2s, since I wanted a slightly bigger, floppier hat. I blocked it on an 11.25 inch stock pot lid instead of a plate and it fits really well over my hair, even when it's up, with some good "flop" at the sides and back. I've always loved fair isle and am so glad I finally tried my hand at it. As daunting as it seems like it might be at first, the color work was very easy. It took a minute to get myself used to carrying two colors, and finally settled on picking the main color and throwing the contrast. I can knit both english and continental, so it was super quick once I got myself all organized. Since the knit-along isn't over until January 31st, I am toying with the idea of trying to get another small project finished. I'm considering either this snood or this tea cozy from Susan Crawford. I've got some much going on over the holidays though, we'll see if either of those actually happens. 

In addition to my "Victory" tam, I also managed to finally finish this eyelet baby set I've been working on for forever months. I got it finished just in time for him to wear it a few times before the sweet boy grows out of it. I'm planning on him wearing it for our various Christmas engagements. Hopefully it doesn't get covered in spit-up before we get out the door.

Hopefully I'll be able to get back to work on my vest soon, but as usual I've got so many things I want to work on it's hard to keep myself committed to just one project at a time. 

In unrelated news, I was out shopping for fabric to make new curtains for the baby's room a couple of days ago and was recognized by one of my local blog readers! It's the first time that's happened to me while I was out and about and it was really fun to run into someone who recognized me from my blog. If you're reading, Caitlin, thanks for saying hello :)

I hope that everyone is having a good holiday season so far!

-Evie

Knit for Victory

I'm finally getting to participate in something! I have wanted to join in so many of the wonderful sew-alongs and knit-alongs that are always happening in the blogging world, but have never been able to get myself organized enough to do them. First it was school, then it was moving, and now the baby, but when I read that Tasha was going to be hosting a Knit for Victory knit-along I was determined to figure out some way to take part. I've got a zillion and one 1940s patterns I'd love to work through, but since most of them are sweaters I knew there was no way I'd be able to get an entire project finished by January 31st. I've got to finish up the cardigan and pant set that I've been working on for the peanut (which I'm very nearly finished with at this point), and I've also got a couple of sewing projects in the works. I'm trying very hard to finish one thing before starting another because that has been a bad habit of mine for some time. Since I've got a major deadline for completing the baby sweater (It's 6-9 month size and he's only got a couple of months left that he'll sit in that size; i.e.

 Mom needs to get it finished ASAP!), I've been working diligently on that so I can cast on my next project for the knit-along. 

Now, as I said, everything I wanted to make was too large an undertaking for my busy schedule if I actually wanted to be finished by the deadline, but lo and behold Tasha has just released her first knitting pattern! It's a beautiful, 1940s style, fair isle tam called Victory. 

Image via Tasha Moss, modeled by Rochelle

It's a small enough project that I shouldn't have too much trouble getting through it in the allotted time, and I absolutely LOVE fair isle. I've never actually done any color work this complex before, but it's long been on my to-do list when it comes to expanding my knitting skills. It's an adorable hat, it's a small enough project to finally participate in a knit-along, and it's a good sized project to serve as an introduction to fair isle! I can't lose! I had some yarn left from the 1940s pullover I finished several months ago, and I ordered a few more skeins of the same yarn in different color ways to fill out my palette. 

It will coordinate perfectly with my pullover, since it will use some of the same blue, and I'm really excited about the combination of colors on the whole. The orange and red are great for fall, and the green, blue and ecru really round the palette out nicely I think. I've super excited about seeing what everyone else makes for the knit-along, and maybe next time around I'll be able to make one of the sweaters on my list! If you're interested in participating, or just seeing everyone's projects, the knit-along info can all be found here.

-Evie

The Skirt

Progress on this skirt has been slow, but I tried to keep whittling away at it little by little. I finished my seams, then interfaced and attached the waistband before moving back down to the inset. The decorative band for the top of the inset gave me some fits. I measured everything out carefully (or at least thought I had), but when I got it all stitched, turned, and pressed I was not satisfied. One end came out perfectly. The other, however, was a different story. Somehow I managed to let the band taper in across the length and then wound up with a thinner, shorter and less crisp point at the opposite end. I cut another one, made sure to REALLY measure that one carefully as I marked my stitching lines out with chalk, and once it was all pressed I was greeted by a much more uniform, attractive button band.



I put the finishing touches on the skirt last night, after adding the inset and turning up the hem yesterday afternoon. I'm very happy with how the final product turned out. I still need to drop a few more pounds (as anticipated) before it really fits perfectly, but I love the shape of the skirt and the way the pleats hang at the back. I did much of the finishing by hand, particularly around the inset itself in order to keep everything looking clean. I usually do most finishing work by hand, but I was a bit more careful with this than I often am (especially if I'm trying to finish something quickly so I can wear it). Since I can't remember exactly what the fabric content is (a burn test only confirmed that it was a blend of some sort) I had to err on the side of caution and use a slightly lower setting on the iron than I would have if I were working with a pure wool suiting; and the fact that my interim iron is a lightweight p.o.s. that was left in our house by the previous owner didn't make perfect pressing any easier. So far the pleats are holding nicely, though, and I may get a better press when I hit them again with a heavier duty iron.

And a few more details of the pleated inset and button band...
(You can see the slightly pegged hem of the skirt in the first photo a bit better).

I finished the hem with an olive green hem tape I had in my stash (and admittedly could have been a little more meticulous about my hem stitches, but it was late, I'd been alone with a sick baby for three days, and I was tired). I've got a decent stash of hem tape that I picked up on super-clearance at a Ben Franklin's a few years ago. I really enjoy the little bit of contrast on the inside of my hems, and it does help minimize bulk as well.

As you can see in the above photo, after I had cut my fabric I discovered blue manufacturer stamps of some sort all over one side of the fabric. I was really mad at first, but since I only paid a few dollars a yard for it, and online fabric shopping is always a bit of a gamble I did make my peace with it. Fortunately they were all placed in a way that they were easy to hide on the inside of the skirt. Now that I've finished the skirt I can get started on the vest. I've got everything cut, I just need to finish marking everything before I can start sewing.

I hope everyone has had a good week and is enjoying their weekend!

-Evie

A little something for myself

I know that much of what I've posted lately has been baby related, and most of what I do get to work on is for the little mister, but I've been trying to squeeze in some time for my own projects when I can. Trying to make time for myself in the midst of the baby/husband/house/work maelstrom is difficult, but crucial to my sanity. I've actually managed to get a fair amount done the last few weeks, from working on the cardigan I'm making for the wee one, to making his Halloween costume, to beginning the assembly of my grey pencil skirt. I did manage to finish a little something for myself as well! I had so much left of the print I cut my vest lining from I decided to make myself a new apron. I have been lusting after the various retro inspired aprons that have become so prevalent recently for ages and thought it was about time I made one. I needed a new full apron anyway, and what better way to do a little scrap/stash busting! I cut a half circle skirt and a wide, shaped waistband which I attached to a fairly simple bib. The halter and waist ties were cut separately and sewn on afterwards. I kept the shape of the patch pockets pretty simple as well, since the print itself is relatively busy.

In addition to the apron, today I whipped up a quick pencil skirt to help bulk up the "cake" portion of my closet. As many of you are aware, I have A LOT of dresses, and while most of them are practical garments (or were pre-baby), I also tend to go more for the unique and interesting as far as prints and details go, that make it a little more difficult to pair things with other pieces in my wardrobe. Most of my separates are super casual knit pieces that make up in some ways a second wardrobe for me. I have my collection of dresses and slightly more formal pieces that all of my friends and acquaintances associate with my "style", but then there is also the much more casual, simple wardrobe of solid camisoles, t-shirts and knit mini-skirts that sometimes get combined with my jeans or linen pants. Inspired my Mimi, I decided to make myself a couple of knit pencil skirts that will do a little better job of meshing my two "styles". A while ago I ordered myself a very comfy, easy, wash-and-wear double knit in a chocolate brown to make the first one. Because there was not as much stretch to this knit as necessary for following Mimi's simple one-seam design, I ended up cutting the skirt in two pieces with a bit of shaping at the hips. I'm really happy with how it turned out and I know it's going to get tons of wear in the coming weeks, now that the weather has cooled off a bit. It hangs a bit funny on Tabitha since she has no legs, but you get the idea.

And finally, here's a little peak of slight progress I made on the grey skirt/vest project. I've got the pleats for the back basted in and the buttons for the skirt and vest covered. I also put the zipper in last night, so next up I will be attaching the waistband and setting the pleated insert into the skirt.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

-Evie

Project Progress

I've made it beyond planning on this one already! The last two days I have been working on cutting out the pieces for my pencil skirt and vest ensemble. The patterns I decided to use were two in my stash from the 1950s and 1960s. The vest pattern I'm using is one I have used in the past (Butterick 9474 View B), but this time I'll be making View A. The skirt pattern (which I have altered slightly and will explain further in a moment) is from Butterick 6052. (Both images courtesy of Vintage Patterns Wiki)

Of all the 1950s skirt patterns I have in my possession, I finally decided on this one because it was the simplest and therefore would be the easiest to use as a base for alterations. It has no front darts, only one back dart on each side, and no vent or pleat. One of my favorite things about working with vintage patterns is seeing the alterations that the former owners made, giving me a little insight into their lives in a way. This lady (who labeled all her pieces with her name: M. Anderson), was taller than most of the previous owners of my patterns. She didn't have to adjust the skirt length at all (or at least didn't do so before cutting). She did, however, have a little bit of a belly apparently :) She had slashed and spread to give herself a bit more room in the front. It's so fascinating what you can learn about people by looking at their old patterns. 

When using '50s skirt patterns I generally shorten them by a few inches (since I'm slightly shorter than average and also like a bit higher hem than was fashionable in the '50s). For this skirt, though, I chose to leave it a bit longer. The existing skirt length (after hemming) was about 30 inches, and I'm just too short for that length of skirt. I did want to maintain a little more traditional length with this one, nonetheless, so I only shortened it by two inches. I also pegged the skirt slightly, since I like a bit closer fit (more akin to a tight fitting "wiggle" dress). The pleated inset in back will give me enough extra room to move freely even with the pegged hem.

The fabric I'll be using as my vest lining is left from a dress I made a couple of years ago and passed along to a friend since it fit her better. I really didn't want to have to buy anything to line this with, so I went digging through my scrap bin and discovered I had more than enough of this print left to cut the vest lining. It works beautifully with the medium grey of the suiting, and it has plenty of personality to jazz up the garment a bit as well. I'm a big fan of a statement lining, and this one definitely makes a statement, I think. 

The pleated skirt inset will be 8 inches high and 10 inches wide when finished, with a center box pleat and three pleats to either side of that. The top will be trimmed with a fairly narrow band, pointed at both ends and finished with a decorative button at either end. I'm toying with the idea of making covered buttons for the vest and skirt inset, but haven't decided yet. I love the look of covered buttons, very clean and tailored, but I'm not sure if I want to go that route or use something that will contrast (very slightly) with the fabric. I'll have to see how I feel when I get to that stage. 

        Happy sewing!

Out of hibernation, just in time for fall.

First post in two months. Sheesh! I figured once we got through the boy's three month birthday things would start to get a tad easier and I would have more time to keep up with this blog, but it seems like for me month four has been the hardest so far (for a number of possible reasons). I've managed to get a little bit of knitting done, but it's been tough enough just trying to keep up with things like laundry and dishes. It's been really frustrating for me at times, and I feel like I waste a lot of my time sitting on the couch so I want to make a concerted effort to try and get myself feeling a little more normal and productive. Particularly after reading Brittany's post on how she balances life as a wife/mother and a dedicated blogger, I have taken a few things to heart and the last few days have really made an attempt to change my everyday M.O. To a certain extent, what I'm capable of getting done is still dictated by my son (four months old last week), but I have been able to get a lot of stuff cleaned up and better organized, which makes me feel much more human/sane. I've got major knitting plans for the next few months and would like to squeeze in some time for sewing in the near future, so I can have a couple of new things to wear during the colder months. 

About a week or so ago I finished the pants that go with the little eyelet outfit I've been making for the wee one. They look so big next to him now, but he's growing so fast he'll be too big for them before we know it. 

I've got the trim on the bottom edge of the cardigan finished, and will be plugging away at that bit by bit when I have a moment. Perhaps my biggest accomplishment in the past few weeks has been phase one of a major organizational project. I've got about 200 patterns (a large percentage of them vintage originals) that have been previously stored in what was an all out embarrassing manner. For some time I've wanted to get them better organized and more safely stored, but until now haven't had the motivation or focus to get around to it. So, I now have two huge binders that function as my pattern "index", with all of the pattern envelopes (or instruction sheets in some cases) organized by decade in acid free sleeves. The patterns themselves are now in uniform envelopes labeled with the company and number and organized in the drawers and bin next to my treadle machine.

The second phase is to alphabetize the envelopes by company and number. I have no clue when I will get around to that, though.

Up next in my knitting docket is this sweater for my husband. I've got a lovely charcoal-heather, recycled wool yarn for it. It's knit in bulky weight yarn, and the pattern is simple, so it should work up pretty quickly. The yarn I have is about this color, but he wants a funnel neck instead of the rolled collar.

Image courtesy of Skytender

What I'd really like to get done before the weather turns too cool, however, is a new pencil skirt and vest for myself. I've got several different 50s and 60s vest patterns I may use, and I want to do some fun detailing on the skirt, perhaps at the back vent. Maybe something like the pleating on this skirt from Stop Staring. I've just replaced my favorite white, button-down blouses and I really love the super tailored look of 50s women's suiting (not to mention the fact that pencil skirts and button-downs are a stylish, but totally practically alternative to my other nursing friendly clothing).

Image Source

I've got a light to medium grey suiting in the stash that would be perfect for this ensemble. I still have yet to decide exactly what style of vest I want, but now that my patterns are so much easier to browse I shouldn't have too much trouble making a decision! Today has been pretty productive, including getting the dining room table (ie my cutting table) cleared off, so hopefully the little one will let me get started cutting things out in the next few days. It's back to work for me now, but to round out this relatively picture laden post with a photo of something I actually made myself....

Have a good week everyone!

A style question...

I'm just about finished with the sweater I've been working on, and I am at a point where I need to make a style/color decision. I'm having a hard time figuring out what I want to do, so I'd like to hear your opinions. The pattern is from 1951, and this is the photo from the original magazine.

I only had one skein of yarn for this whole project (it wasn't originally intended for this purpose), so I don't have enough to finish the collar and cuffs. So now we come to my question. I have just enough to finish the sleeves and neck with a simple crochet edge....OR, I could use a different color yarn to make a contrasting collar and cuffs. I was thinking something in the white/cream family.

So, should I leave it plain or make the contrasting pieces (and if so what color)?

                                                                                                                   Thanks!

1950s Lacy Jumper Progress

Hello all! I've managed to find a little time during naps to work on my sweater a bit more and finally managed to take a few pictures of the WIP as well, so I wanted to share them with you. I finished the back some time ago, and got the front finished up during sporadic knitting fits while the wee one was sleeping over the last two months. I finally cast on for the first of the sleeves a few nights ago and am about 4 inches into it. Since my yarn supply is limited, I've decided to shorten the sleeves by two inches in an effort to have enough to finish the entire sweater. The yarn I'm using is Jade Sapphire Lacey Lamb, and has been really nice to work with (other than that epic tangle that I spent months trying to deal with). It's extremely soft, and doesn't tangle while I'm working with it (again, that behemoth of a knot was something that happened inside the ball somehow). I'm getting ready to start the sleeve cap shaping on this sleeve, and will then cast on for sleeve number two. I would have preferred knitting them both at once, but since I just have the one ball of yarn to deal with I decided to do them one at a time and just count my rows very carefully to make sure they are uniform. Further project notes can be found on my Ravelry page. 

In other news, as some of you may notice, I've done a little bit of revamping on the blog. I spent a while yesterday reorganizing and editing and have begun to organize archives of my completed project posts as well. Those can now be found under the tabs at the top. I've also uploaded links for PDF files of the two 1930s pattern drafting and draping textbooks I shared with you all a long time ago. I've been wanting to reformat and update my layout for some time, but as someone who is not at all tech savvy it was a bit daunting and so I kept putting it off. Since I was sitting on the couch with a sleepy baby most of the day yesterday I decided it would be a good time to go ahead and start figuring some things out in order to create a cleaner looking, more pleasing blog layout. It's still a work in progress, but it was fun learning how to do some new things with the HTML and so on. 

Hope everyone is having a good week!

New shoes!

So, I was kind of irresponsible recently and bought myself a new pair of shoes (and not practical ones either). I absolutely LOVE Miss L Fire shoes, but they are expensive and I can only justify spending that much money on shoes every once in a while, when I've been saving up for them for months. Recently, however, Gertie posted that My Sole Addiction had the Lolas on sale. That was the end of me. I couldn't resist. They were nearly half off and shipping was free...and my husband said I deserved them (isn't he great?). So, without further ado.....

My new Miss L Fire Lolas in rust!!

Not only do I now have another color gap filled in my shoe collection, these are super comfy. The pirate print lining is really fun, too! I'm not sure when these puppies will make their debut, since I spend nearly all of my time on the couch underneath an infant (plus I still can't get into much of anything besides my yoga pants at this point), but just knowing that they're mine is enough for now. I can't wait until I can wear them out!

In other news, I finally worked out that massive tangle in my lace weight yarn and have since completed the front of the sweater I was working on. Next up are the sleeves. I have a very limited amount of yarn, so we'll see if I can get both sleeves out of it and still have enough to finish the collar and cuffs, but if not I am thinking of doing the collar and cuffs in a contrast color, perhaps white or cream. We'll see how it works out. 

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

My biggest project yet!

While technically far from being big, my sweet little baby boy (born on Tuesday evening) is by far the most important, time consuming, labor intensive, beautiful, rewarding project I've ever taken on. We've been home for just a couple of days now and are still getting adjusted to a new schedule and lifestyle changes, but everyone is happy and healthy (and tired). Needless to say, all other sewing/knitting ventures will be put on the back burner for the next several weeks, but I do have a few things lined up for when I'm back at it (hopefully by later this summer). The blog will be pretty quiet in the meantime, but this little fellow is definitely worth it! 

Baby Finn, several hours old and lounging on his Papa's lap. 

Jumper progress

I got the front and back body pieces blocked and have finished the first sleeve for my So Neat and Sweet jumper. I was going to knit the sleeves at the same time, but since my Lacy Jumper is being held on my favorite wooden #3s, I had to use a much shorter metal pair that made it virtually impossible to knit them both at the same time. I've got the first one finished but not blocked, and the second one is on the needles right now. 

It's currently just pinned loosely onto Tabitha as I haven't done any seaming as yet. It's coming together nicely, though, and I'm very excited about getting it all finished. As I've said before, it's really been a quick knit which has been great. I've been too tired most days to get off the couch for long, but I hate not feeling productive, so this has been a great project to keep next to the couch. I'm using Nature Spun fingering weight wool and I've really enjoyed working with it. It handles nicely, but I am very impressed with how it blocked. I wet blocked the two body pieces after washing/soaking them with a teensy bit of soap and some white vinegar in warm water. It has produced a lovely, lightweight, soft fabric. Once I finish sleeve number two I will be knitting the garter stitch neckband and blocking the two sleeves. I can't wait to have a new sweater to wear next fall! 

In related news, I've started another of my sewing projects as well. It took me a while to get all of the pieces cut out, because measuring out new seam allowances, man handling yards of fabric and maneuvering all the pattern pieces has become a much more tiring process lately than it usually is. 

This is a Simplicity pattern from 1938, that is available as a reprint from Eva Dress for those of you interested. 

I need to mark all of my pieces, and then hopefully will get to sewing in the next couple of days. I toyed with the idea of lining the bodice, but I really love the slight sheerness of this lawn and I think that the floral print will really look lovely with just a hint of lace-edged slip peeping through. Instead, I think I'm going to just french seam the entire thing since I no longer have immediate access to a serger. I kind of enjoy making french seams actually, and I do enjoy the way they look on such light fabrics. 

We've had beautiful weather here for the last two days, which is always nice, and I finally got my new gas range/convection oven installed as well as having our crumbly front steps repaired! Both of those were things I really wanted to get taken care of before the baby gets here. I hope everyone else is having a lovely week as well!

So Neat and Sweet 1940s Pullover

I'm suffering just a tad bit of project ADD here lately, partially self inflicted and partially out of my control, but I have recently started another knitting project (one that is coming along quite nicely so far). I had started a 1940s knitted turban and frogged that project because I didn't have enough yarn left, so instead of that I made a baby hat from a vintage pattern book that a friend gave me. I don't have any pictures of that, but it turned out really cute. I've also been forced to put work on my 1950s lace sweater on hold for a while since I've yet to work out the mess of yarn that developed in the center of my skein. I got tired of trying to fix it and moved on to something else. During my little knitting break I finished work on the 1940s shirtdress I was working on, and have now cast on another sweater project. My mom knitted a cardigan for me from an early 1950s pattern and had TONS of yarn leftover. She was not the biggest fan of knitting with fingering weight on small needles for such a comparatively large project (she's a prolific sock knitter), and wasn't going to use all of the remaining yarn so I took it and started another sweater myself. The pattern I'm using is one from A Stitch in Time Volume 2. 

The pattern is originally from the 1940s, and is titled "So Neat and Sweet in her simple v-necked jersey". 

Source: A Stitch in Time V2 ®Susan Crawford

I don't have any other sweaters in this style, and I thought it would be nice to have a nice pullover to wear with skirts and trousers for fall and winter. I thought about choosing a cardigan pattern, since they are more conducive to breastfeeding, but I really wanted to do something a little different from what I already have in my wardrobe (which includes numerous cardigans). 

I cast on the back a about a week ago and have finished that and gotten started on the front. The stitch pattern is a very simple one to memorize, which is nice for many reasons, and it's really knitting up very quickly. After having read through two other knitters' projects and notes I decided to go ahead and cast on for the smallest size, allowing a tiny bit of negative ease in the bust, instead of the few inches of positive ease and several inches of ease at the waist. 

I found Tasha's version especially inspiring, and as we're very close in size her notes on sizing, etc were very helpful. She's extremely talented, and I've really loved looking through all of her other projects! This is her version of the pattern. Isn't she adorable?

Image source: By Gum by Golly

I've been feeling pretty tired again the last couple of days, so I've spent quite a bit of time on the couch working on this and I'm excited about how it's turning out. 

It's back to knitting and Netflix for me for the rest of the day it looks like. I need to clean up the house and try and reorganize some things. We just got a new gas range delivered this morning and my kitchen is in complete disarray, along with the living and dining rooms, both of which are full of gifts, bags and paper from my baby shower last weekend. Knitting on the couch is a much more enticing prospect for this chilly, overcast afternoon, though, so knitting it is.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far!

I finally finished another project!

The 1940s shirtdress I posted last time is now finished! I attached the sleeves, set the zipper and did all the other finishing work on it this afternoon and evening. It needs some more thorough pressing, but I really wanted to get some photos taken before it got too dark so I could share the finished product. I found two buttons in my (small) button stash that were perfect. They're a plain, dark wood and were the perfect size for this dress. I don't even remember why I bought these, but I'm glad I did. It saved me making another trip before I could cross this project off my list. I went ahead and put this navy belt on Tabitha just to see what it would look like, but it really needs a dark brown belt to go with the buttons. I need a medium width brown belt anyway, because my collection is somehow lacking one, so I will have to pick one up somewhere. 

Just as a reminder, this is the pattern that I used.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, I just wish that I could actually try it on myself right now. Only five weeks to go until my due date, though! So I'm inching closer every day to being able to wear normal clothes again. I hope everyone is having a good week!