Goldfinch and snap pea handknit sweaters

Somehow, back in December, I got hooked on knitting.  Until then, knitting had been my "craft of last resort", reserved for when I wasn't near my sewing machine and just desperate to create something.  So in December, I started on a hat for my sister-in-law on a flight home from Alaska and from that moment on, I haven't been without an on-going knitting project.  Since then, I've made 7 hats and these two sweaters (with a third about 1/2 done).

I made this first one after discovering Quince & Co yarn company.  Quince & Co is a Maine-based company that sells US grown and spun yarns, and their aesthetic is just right for my style.  After perusing their patterns, I found the Lesley sweater, a perfectly simple pullover by Hannah Fettig, and bought the recommended yarn.  The sweater is knit from the top down in the round, with no seams to sew (wahoo!).  I increased the length of the hem ribbing, but otherwise, I followed the pattern exactly for size 32.

The yarn (Osprey) is an Aran-weight wool, which is super quick to knit (1 week from start to finish on this one).  I chose the "Goldfinch" color because in the depths of winter I was dying for some spring.  The yarn is soft and squishy, and not at all itchy!  So lovely.

The back neckline is shaped with short rows to make sure it goes up a little higher on the neck than the front.  I hadn't knit short rows before, but it was no big thing.

I'm seriously in love with my Goldfinch sweater and have sewn two skirts to coordinate with it!  It has taken actual effort to not purchase all the colors and knit up a ton of these.

For my second sweater, and with only 2 weeks until the day, I suddenly *needed* a green sweater for St. Patrick's Day.  So, I purchased the worsted-weight Lark yarn (in snap pea) to knit up the Petra sweater by Pam Allen.  

Again, this sweater is knit from the top down on circular needles, so no seams at all!  (Seamless circular construction is almost a requirement for a new project now.)  This one took me 1 week and 1 day to finish.  Again I added length to the sleeve and hem ribbing as my only alteration.

The boatneck goes a little higher in the front and lower in the back than I would like, but I've worn it with a button down underneath and that works well.  

These are kind of "faux" cables, made without a cable needle.  So pretty! 

Since these two sweaters almost felt like knitting cheating (it doesn't feel right to knit a sweater in a week!), I tackled a much more involved project for my third sweater.  I'm using a wool-silk fingering weight yarn and lace pattern for the Florence cardigan.  My goal is to be done by Mother's Day, and it will be tight!

Knit slouchy beret

Somehow, knitting got bumped up on my projects list this winter.  I'm not sure what got me started, but over the past month and a half, I've made a hat for two of my sisters-in-law (both unphotographed!), a baby hat for my husband's colleague, a hat for my brother (ungifted at this point, so no spoiler photos yet!), and two hats for myself.  I had to finish those projects before "letting" myself buy yarn to make a sweater (this sweater, from the book Home & Away). 

This hat was made from the pattern "Strawberry Slouch Hat" in Classic Elite Fresco (wool, alapaca, and angora, color Parchment).  I love the simple eyelets throughout and slouchy beret look.  I reduced the length of the ribbed brim, but otherwise stuck to the pattern.  I didn't count the number of hours, but the project didn't take too long despite using sport yarn and small needles!

I made a little i-cord loop at the top, just for fun (it wasn't included in the pattern).

I know I had promised two hats in my last post, but the second hat was just too darn big.  So, I unraveled the whole thing, had to wait a few days for wool wash to arrive in the mail, and today finally washed and hung the skein to remove the "ramen noodle effect" of having been knit and blocked as a hat.  I will absolutely reknit this one, but in the meantime, here's its undoing:

Isn't that yarn luscious?  It's Dream in Color Classy with Cashmere in colorway Milky Spite.  Can't wait to reknit it!

Party skirt in silk gazar with drapey wool top

Back in Paris, I had the opportunity to visit a special Balenciaga exhibit at musée Bourdelle.  The theme was black: the garments were primarily black, usually displayed in black boxes, and some were even behind black curtains that you had to lift to view the dresses.  The pieces were stunning, naturally, but what was particularly intriguing to me was that many of them were made of silk gazar (a fabric invented by Balenciaga).  Despite taking two Fabric analysis course and have decades of sewing and touching fabric experience, I had never even heard of silk gazar.  The instructor in Paris described the fabric as being "silent".  Whether that was a translational issue or truly the fabric made no noise when the wearer moved, I didn't know at the time, but I felt compelled to find out.

A quick search at Mood revealed some options and I chose this deep navy blue silk gazar.  The fabric reminds me entirely of fine linen with it's crispness and hand, though it doesn't wrinkle quite as badly.  It was slightly translucent, but the structure and body of the fabric was lovely.  Apparently, it softens considerably when washed, but I wanted to keep the stiffness for my garment.

Originally, I had planned this outfit for Christmas, but when that didn't happen, I hoped to sew it for my husband and my anniversary on the 28th of December, which also didn't pan out.  I ended up sewing the skirt the day before New Year's Eve (and the top on NYE) for that night out and then for my brother's wedding a few days later.

I went with this simple box-pleated middy-length skirt from Just Patterns.  I sewed a size 36, but I should have cut a size 34 (or maybe smaller).  I ended up omitting the pockets when I had to resew the side seams (poor decision, especially when I had to carry tissues at the wedding!).  Since the fabric was a bit see-through and lightweight for the winter,  I made a simple straight lining (with some tucks at the waistband)  with what I had around that matched, which was a 4-ply silk I've had for a while.  Kind of a decadent lining, but it worked perfectly well.   The pattern was well-drafted and for only $3 for the digital copy, it's a complete steal.

For the blouse, I've recently become a bit obsessed with the color emerald (you know, 5 years after it was the "Pantone color of the year" :) and found the lovely stretch wool jersey.  The fabric was ideal for a drapey top, so I used the draped bodice of the Bronx dress pattern by SBCC, extending the length to hip-level.  I should have made the top a bit more form-fitting, but it works well enough.

I'm pretty much ecstatic about this outfit.  It feels fun and fancy (especially the length of the skirt with some kitten-heel booties), but not too frilly, and the colors are so festive.  One issue though, I can't do a whole lot of eating while wearing the skirt--that waistband is *quite* fitted.  

Oh!  In case you've read all this way to find out if silk gazar is silent....well, it's definitely quieter than you'd expect for a fabric this crisp, but I'm not sure I'd call it silent.  It's still pretty rad, though, and I'd happily work with it again!

Work Uniform, Version 2

Catch-up time!  In the past months in which I've been absent from these parts, I have been sewing (at least a little...) but no time to take photos!  Today, I spent a hour or so documenting most of what I've made since mid-October, starting with a second version of my Fall work uniform.  I got so much use out of these two skirts (grey and tan) and two sweaters (plum and black/white floral), mixing and matching and wearing with other pieces (like a pair of slim black pants made in my Canada College Pants making course).  Unfortunately, my lab is so cold that the 3/4 sleeve tops weren't super practical, so until it warms up I might have to have a different plan (one that involves long underwear, I'm afraid). 

Anyhow, the skirt details are the same as before--self-drafted high-waisted skirt, in a lovely camel-colored wool (of uncertain origin), lined in Bemberg, with a necessary kick-pleat.  I've taken the width in at the hem for a better shape, but it makes walking up stairs "interesting".  Obviously, I need to lengthen the kick-pleat a tad...

The top is the Seamwork Astoria that I've made a bunch of times already.  The fit is great and I like the sleek style, so I can't imagine I won't make a million more.  The fabric is what makes this top more interesting, though.  It's a black knit mesh (so kind of sheer, actually, at least in the black areas) with sort of flocked and fuzzy cream flowers.  It's soft, the print is fun, and it's still available (here at Style Maker Fabrics)!  Here's a closer view:

I'm not sure I need a third version of this outfit at the moment, but you never know.  I'll be teaching a lot more days over the next 3 months, so it's possible I'll need a fresh skirt and top combo!

Work uniform, Fall 2017

So a couple of years ago, I loved the pencil skirt with fine-gauge sweater (with scarf and boots) for work.  This year, I can feel a new uniform developing: the pencil skirt with high-waisted "sweater" (with cute flats and statement necklace or brooch). 

I had to make some fit adjustments to the original pattern, but this skirt is the same pattern I drafted in my patternmaking class several years ago.  It's such a great design and fabulous wardrobe staple.  See, high-waisted = covers my belly button!

A few weeks ago, I went to the "Artistry in Fashion" event at Cañada College (where I'm currently taking a pants drafting and fitting course).  Britex had a small booth there with some discounted remnants, so I scooped up this luxurious Italian wool fabric.  There was only 2/3 of a yard, but with my lack of height, I knew I could eek out a skirt.  And I did, with some inches to spare!

The inside has a self-facing and is fully lined (Bemberg rayon, in the most lovely pale blush color) and there's a back vent (which is completely necessary for walking!).

I used the tried and true Astoria top from Seamworks (with personal fit modifications) for the top pattern.  It's so versatile and comfortable.  Here's the top with a swishy skirt and it works just as well.

For the top, I had a gorgeous plum stretch wool-rayon double knit from Mood.  It's pretty thick with not much stretch, but it's perfect for this type of "sweater" top.  The high-waisted, wide band really works with this skirt, I think.  And there's enough coverage for me to raise my arms (within reason) and not show too much skin.

Since the fabric has very little stretch, the neckline stands up a bit, but I think it gives a bit of a vintage vibe to the garment.

I've already got fabric for three more skirts lined up and a couple more tops.  I'm clearly very excited about my new uniform!  

Tomato wool tweed trousers

Initially, I had envisioned this tomato and pink wool tweed fabric from Britex for the perfect chic work dress, but since said chic dress pattern is not in existence (yet...), the fabric sat for a while.  I've tossed a couple of ill-fitting wool pants recently, so this fabric seemed like a fun option with which to replace them.

The pattern is Amazing Fit trousers (Simplicity 8056).  I like that this pattern series acknowledges that people carry weight differently, and the pattern has three "fits": slim, average, and curvy. Admittedly, I had originally tried this pattern in the "slim" category, since my hip measurement is proportionally smaller than my waist measurement when compared to the "standard".  However, the back waistband would pull downward, so it was clear my bum is (much) bigger than I had thought (hoped!).  I went with the average category this time around and the fit was better, with still some tweaking to do.  I also did a bit of a petite adjustment, which amounted to, essentially, shortening the rise in the front and back.  In previous iterations, fabric in the crotch area was kind of pooling below the zipper.   I am *almost* at the goal of perpendicular side seams.

This pattern does not come with back pockets, so I added some single welt pockets.

With extreme close up, to show the fabric a little better.

I also added a full lining (Bemberg rayon, of course) to these trousers, since it is pretty much unacceptable for me to wear wool without a lining.  I'm not allergic or anything, it just annoys the poop out of me.  

Here's the waistband, with zip fly and double bar closures (+ snap).  I'm locked in there!  

At this point, I may still take the length up a teeny bit (like less than 1/2").  Depending on my shoes, they sometimes hit the ground in the back, but it's definitely a fine line.  

Oh hey, I made the top, too.  This is a self-drafted pattern to replicate a Banana Republic one I wore into the ground.  It's still in the early stages of drafting, but it goes well with these pants (unlike most everything else in my wardrobe!).

And here they are on my mannequin with leg stumps.  I've never used my dressmakers form for pants, and they actually fit!  Of course, it's a fiasco to get them on and off, but once in a while isn't a big deal.

I'm a few critical steps closer to my goal of a perfectly fitting trouser pattern, so I can make a shiny new pair of wool trousers for the start of school each year :) I need to clear up the extra fabric under my bum there, but I have a plan of attack for the next version.  

I'm also working on trying to get a well-fitted pair of cropped slim leg pants, and that is coming along significantly less well...evidence coming up.