I did it! I stitched together my first garment from a pattern and in Japanese at that.
I am so proud of myself, I mean the shirt itself is no where near perfect, but it is wearable, just about!
I decided that I should start with something reasonably simple looking and that wouldn't require too much fabric and I only used an old sheet. That way if it did go terribly wrong I wouldn't have ruined some beautiful, expensive fabric.
I am so glad now that I decided to just get stuck in and have a go, because I learnt so so much by actually doing it and it wasn't until I started putting all those techniques in to practice that they started to make much more sense, some a little too late for this garment unfortunately, but that is of course what practice runs are for!
I really struggled a lot with the binding on the neck and the sleeves, it just didn't seem possible! I actually ended up making some larger binding for the neck piece and handstitching the sleeves. I'm not sure how to prevent this from being such a disaster next time, but I'm sure with a little more book reading and internet searching I'll get there.
I also didn't even consider raw edges until I'd finished! For this garment it's not the end of the world, but next time I will definitely consider how to finish the edges.
I used Built by Wendy's sew u book for a lot of the technical stuff, I've had this book for ages and ages, but I've hardly even flicked through it before (I think I may have read a bad review of it just after purchase and it just got neglected after that) however it was actually really really helpful and I had it next to my sewing machine for constant reference throughout.
So next up....a dress! Well maybe anyway. I really want to make a dress to wear for my cousins wedding in April, but I'm not entirely sure I'm brave enough to make that big step of cutting up beautiful, carefully purchased fabric just yet! Maybe another practice run first would be best.
my newest short sleeved sweater is finished! It still needs blocking (which I'm really hoping will give it a bit more length as it's a teeny bit short) but otherwise it's all finished and I'm quite in love with it.
I made a few silly mistakes with the fair isle pattern, but for a first attempt I think I did pretty well.
I have to be honest I didn't knit it all in continental style as I had intended, in order to get some practice, it was too easy and quicker to slip back in to my old habits, but I did do enough to just about justify knitting myself yet another sweater!
last week I attended my first neighbourhood 'knit and natter' gathering, it was lovely and there were fabulous cakes!
Whilst I was there I was taught to knit continental style (essentially holding the yarn in your left hand rather the right). So far, so good, I'm not quite as fast as I am english style yet, but getting close. I'd love to be one of those super speedy knitters, you know where the needles are a blur of motion. I guess it just takes a whole lot of practice. But I'm fairly convinced that I can be a lot quicker with the continental knitting than I am currently. I just need a bit of practice, which is the perfect excuse to knit myself another sweater I feel!
I came across Sarah London's blog and this post in particular whilst reading meet me at mikes, she is calling for donations of crocheted granny squares, which will become fabulous handmade blankets to be gifted to those who have been affected by the Australian floods.
In her words ::
I’m asking for donations of granny squares which I will then make up into blankets to be distributed to those affected throughout Queensland and Victoria, providing comfort and colour and as a reminder that there is always a rainbow after a storm.
I think this is such a fabulous idea and very good excuse to hook up some colourful granny squares and a perfect project for craft night in this coming wednesday.
well maybe not so new, I've been making a squirreling these away for months now! I finally got round to photograhphing them all today.
Hopefully they will be in my shop sometime over the next few days.
I was asked to knit something for a twitter friend. I've never been asked to knit something for someone before (normally I just inflict my creations on others) so I was hugely flattered.
The pattern in question was owls by Kate Davies. I had never heard of Kate Davies and her blog needled before, but my am I glad I now have, she has some beautiful patterns! I completely adore these gorgeous paper dolls.
So anyways...as I have never knitted anything on request before, I thought it a good idea to make one for myself first (just as a practice run of course!). Off I went in to town on saturday morning (sans baby, bliss) and headed straight for the yarn shop!
Since my last visit they have had delivery of some utterly delicious new chunky yarns, which I was oh so very nearly tempted by, but having promised the Mr I wouldn't spend too many pennies and after a quick calculation, 14 balls of beautiful teal tweed at £3.10 each just wasn't going to make its way in to my basket on this occasion when compared to 7 balls of the 100% acrylic, fairly soft, a lovely colour and a snip at £1.99 each.
I cast on Saturday afternoon and I knit and knit and knit, quite solidly, breaking only for a little sleep and to occasionally tend to the toddler. At around midnight on Sunday I was so close to finishing, as I started on the neck ribbing I decided although I was eager to get it completed, I would be furious at myself for making a foolish mistake because I was tired, so I put it aside and headed to bed. I finished off the neckline and stitched the the underarms, plus weaved all the ends in, whilst watching Milo play on Monday afternoon and put it on straight away!
I don't think the pattern is perfect, there appears to be some flaws in the shaping on the back as I have a bit of a back bulge! But otherwise I really love it! The pattern suggests buttons for eyes on the owls them selves, but I have yet to decide whether or not to add these. I'm thinking I may just put them on one?
I'm afraid the photos of the finished item aren't fabulous, I'm rubbish at trying to take photos of myself!
one of Milo's main christmas gifts was a little kitchen unit. It's super special because it was handmade by one of our friends for his son and it's perfect for my boy who loves to help in the kitchen.
To accompany the kitchen we got Milo some of these lovely wooden slicing fruits and just 2 days before christmas I decided to stitch him up an apron, hat and oven mitt!
I used (though really I should say that I glanced at for inspiration) these patterns for the hat and the apron. I really must reiterate that I didn't actually use this pattern, if I had I'm sure it would have turned out a whole lot better, the hat at least I'm sure, I only used it for inspiration. I wouldn't want you thinking badly of the pattern, because of my bad workmanship!
The oven mitt I made all from my head! I might try and post a small tutorial here at some point in the future if I make any more.
Most of the fabric I already had stashed away, the lovely kawaii fabric came from mine and my Mum's etsy shop, and the blue ribbon actually came from my step brothers wedding cake. I suddenly realised this in the midst of stitching it in to the apron!
I wasn't sure at first whether he would actually like dressing up in these bits, but I'm pleased to say he loves it! Watching put his little had in the mitt, declare 'hot' and then open his play oven, makes my heart swell!
I have been admiring Meg's lovely version of the stella pixie hat on her boy for a while now. But somehow it didn't seem right for Milo, plus I think that boy has quite enough hand knits for his head for the time being! But when my step sister went in to labour a little earlier than expected with her baby girl, I knew that this would be the perfect little hat for her.
In retrospect I should have tried to alter the pattern to make it smaller than the 3-12 month size, but at least it will last her a bit (though of course she probably won't fit in to it until the spring!).
I used some beautiful hand-dyed merino from snowberry and lime, I already had. I love the colours and the way it knitted up, plus I still have some left over.
I used one of my own loveheart buttons for the fastener.
welcome to my little (new) creative space. I have been blogging in various places for a few years now, but I wanted to set up a new place to write about and share my knitting, crochet and sewing adventures.
You can mostly find me over here. I've been making beads, buttons and ninjas from polymer clay for about 3 years now and selling them over on etsy, but I have been knitting and crocheting for a whole lot longer than that. As the ninjas started to become my business and main source of income, my knitting and crochet and stitching became more and more part of my leisure time, with the birth of my little boy 2 years ago in April I was drawn further in to knitting. Having the ability to produce soft warm garments to cover that little body is a fabulous feeling!
I set up a shop to sell some of these creations almost two years ago now, though I've never really dedicated much time to it. I feel that with the dawning of this new year it's time to put a bit more in to it all, I don't want to consider it a business as such because I fear I will begin to lose my passion for all that stitching if it started to become a necessity rather than a pleasure, but I would like to spend more of my time, developing my skills, sharing my patterns and if I can make a little pocket money for more yarn in the process then that will be a wonderful bonus!
Welcome! I hope this will be the start of a fabulous creative adventure!
