Red, red, red..

Yep.  I'm playing house-model again, poncing about the studio in another knitty viscose dress (and slightly weirdy half-sticky-up hair).

I think I'm getting to grips with this viscose yarn on the knitting machine.  Yesterday, I made this dress as one long rectangle, with a hole in the middle for the neckline.  It's very fluid and RED and feels a bit like a siren dress... even though it's just a rectangle with a few holes in it.

For the knitting machine geeks: It was knit in a fake rib, with every second needle out of work, 90 working stitches, 3 balls of yarn per side (I didn't count rows), with 25 stitches for each shoulder and a quick cast-off-cast-on for the neckline.  Made on Sunday afternoon.  I'll eventually get around to Ravelry with it.

I'm a bit happier with my side seams than I was on the blue version (and would close up the armhole a smidge more if I had a scrap of the yarn left).

 I just have to find a smoother bra and slip arrangement than the one I have right now before I can wear it outside the studio (....she says, posting it up on the internet... ?!).   I kind of figure that I can share it here.  I mean, apart from the psycho-axe-murderers amongst us here in internet-land, we're all girlfriends, non..?  (And I'd actually like some pointers from local girlfriends, if you can recommend a suitable undergarment).

I'm a bit tempted to try a similar thing in different yarns, to get a feel for what the shape (or lack of) can do.... but how many rectangles can a girl ponce about in?

A week of love, loss, resurrection, reunion, reward, triumph and discovery... but not exactly on a Tolstoy-esque sort of scale.

We're talking MY LIFE here, not Anna Karenina.

Of course the love is all about a gadget..... My new Bernina "jeans foot", bought on a whim last week-and-oh-my-GAWD-I-love-it. 

 

Here it is, sailing smoothly over denim, felted jumper, leather and polypropylene webbing. I have NO IDEA how it does it, but it has some sort of built-in stump-jumping mechanism, that guides it over lumps and bumps and thick, thick fabric, far better than the walking foot can manage.

Loss.. well, the latest was $282 on a speeding fine that I had no idea I'd be getting.  Friends who know me were IMPRESSED when they heard that I don't always drive like the Nanna they've witnessed behind the wheel in my car. 

I just can't understand how I managed it.

There was also a loss of hair, which I didn't notice until I saw this photo three days after the haircut.  I told the hairdresser, "Do whatever you like". 

And this photo is an easy segue (as well as a reminder to re-stitch that side seam) as we move on to resurrection. 

This dress began life as a 'little cowl-neck top' that I made on the knitting machine on my weekend break.  As soon as it was finished, it was obviously too big for me.  I tried wearing it one day but it all felt wrong.  It was too loose and floppy and swamped me.

On the verge of giving it to a taller, curvier sister, I made a last-ditched effort, moving a few seams and turning it into a little mini dress.... which grew and grew and grew as the day wore on, reminding me that there is much to learn about gauge and the properties of viscose yarn before I attempt another project in it.

(Apologies to the taller, curvier sister.  I quite like it now and you're not going to get it after all.)

Unable to wait for summer to wear my new knee-length (and growing) dress, I donned tights, boots and cardigan, and headed out to meet old and dear friends at the Shirt and Skirt Market at Abbotsford Convent last Sunday.

  

I went to see my good friends from Nina Wish Designs, who were stallholders for the day,  and took the opportunity to catch up with a bestie of 25+ years. 

It's a great thing, to spend time with old friends, in that easy space where so much is understood without words, and all is judged with love and respect.  The combination of shared history with genuine interest and care for each other in the here and now, gives all conversations a nurturing depth that is hard to define but wonderful to experience.

All around the market, I bumped into old and new friends, customers and students.  'Twas lovely to feel a part of a community.

Today, I was back in the saddle, teaching a Zippers for Bags class.

 

The couple of weeks break that I've had from teaching has certainly recharged my batteries (I had no idea how exhausted I was until I stopped) and I felt back to my old self today.

Teaching people new tricks and seeing them achieve what they didn't think they could do is the most rewarding part of my job.  Thanks for a great day, girls!

After class tonight, I finally worked out how people take photos with their computer web-cams for Skype profile photos and whatnot.  I know. It ain't rocket-science, but there you go... a discovery for me.    Here's the Eureka! moment, captured for posterity ...and then photoshopped to bring some contrast into the dimly-lit graininess of the image.

Apart from the fine line of (mystery) red blobs running through my forehead, nose and chin, I quite like the idea of low-fi image as an everyday look. It hides a multitude of best-overlooked fine details.

Lastly, TRIUMPH.    Those of you who have been to one of my classes (or tried to have any sort of conversation with me) over the last 6 months or so, will know just how obsessed I've been with 6mm Vliesofix tape: my favourite of all the fusible tapes.  I've been using it to hold hems and zips (and anything tricky) into place before I sew ...and endlessly waxing lyrical about it.



It's been like hens' teeth to get at retail level and it was getting pretty frustrating, sending people off to look for it in shops.  Last week I bought a whole box of the stuff at a bargained-down price (it's soon to be rebranded, so this current stock is soon to be "old stock") and I'm able to pass on the discount to customers - it's $7.50 per 15m roll, in the studio-shop only. 

If you live too far from us to come in and you don't see this product in your local store, ASK for it.  Unless the stores know that there is a demand for it, they may not know to buy it in (when it''s rebranded and more readily available).

And that's another week, done and dusted. 

Not an epic week.

Not even vaguely dramatic. 

But stuff happened and I thought I'd record a bit of it.

Hope your week was a good 'un.

There's that (very cheap) fashion model again.

Here she is again.  This time, she's wearing the knitty top of the week... (this week, it's all been about BROWN).

The knitty top was made on the knitting machine last weekend, from freebie wool (from an inherited stash).  The skirt is a friend's cast-off  from a few years ago (made by her - from a remnant, I suspect...).

 The boots were a bargain from an op shop a few years ago and the polo-neck skivvy is from K-Mart (last year).

So here's our fashion model in her $20 outfit.

Smoke and mirrors, dahhlings.

Oh, here I am again...poncing about in my new knitty top....

Say no more.

I'm loving it.

........................................................................................................
PS. I'm also wearing and A-line Skirt made in Ink & Spindle fabric (which was the fabric that inspired the creation of the original A-Line Skirt pattern.  I finally felt confident about cutting into this VERY SPECIAL fabric!)

A knitty sort of Sunday

On Sunday, I had a mostly-kid-free day.  My initial thoughts were that there was a lot that I could do to make the most of the time without distraction.  

Instead of doing any sort of catch-up on things, I made a conscious decision to ignore the impulse to do anything that I felt that I should.... and do exactly what I needed to do. 

RELAX... (knit)

 I caught up with lovely friends for coffee and cake and then spent the afternoon with my knitting machine and an audio-book. 

Heaven. 

I could feel my tired, over-stuffed brain defragging.

There was even time to linger in another little slice of (textile) heaven....

 I'm a bit besotted with my new book.  Teresa Dair's design aesthetic is so completely up my alley, I sighed and pored over every one of this book's silky, matt pages.

Yes... I can totally see me swanning about in all of it, too.... feeling fabulous and textural and ever-so-clever because I made it myself...

 Of course, I haven't made any of it yet....
...but that's hardly the point of a gorgeous and inspiring book, is it...?

And until I can justify any more yarn purchases, I won't have any of the amazing Dairing yarn to create the textures needed for the full effect.  In the meantime, I have pure wool.  LOTS of pure wool.

 I took inspiration and went a bit freestyle with this idea....

As I wait for it to dry, instead of blocking it smoothly, I'm stretching and distressing the edges... messing things up a bit.  There is no steel in the yarn to hold the memory of this torture, but it's creating a lovely drapey shape with tendrilly corner bits.

You'll no doubt be treated to much swanning and poncing when I finally get my body into this one. 

I'm looking forward to seeing Teresa ... and her yarn... (WHO SAID THAT?) at Grampians Texture next year.  She'll be teaching workshops there too.

In the meantime, if you don't hear from me, I'll be knitting furiously, to make room in that yarn stash of mine....

Before another one passes...

I've no idea where time is flying to lately, but it's certainly going fast.  Already, another week is gone and I've failed - once more - to document the goings on.   A quick recap is in order. 

The new dress pattern was sent out to wonderful pattern-testers and the feedback is coming back in. 
I've made more dresses and taken more photos. 
I have plans for tweaking the instructions again. 

I made this dress in gorgeous Saffron Craig fabric, but lacked a child of the right size to try it on.  It's yet to be pressed and has been hanging on the tripod for a few days.  I wish it would fit me.

 The back of the machine-knit jumper was re-worked and I'm happy with it... even if the back seam is a bit wobbly and you can see the line where the yarn got tangled and pulled the tension really tight. 

I gave it a bit of a press and wore it to work.  Nobody asked why I was wearing a toile (muslin).

 Last Saturday after my class, a couple of my oldest and bestest friends dropped around.

 There was wine and pattern-making and good conversation.  Tanya dropped in - since she was in the area - and had a cuppa.  Sensible girl - no wine before her 3 hour drive home. 

What a lovely way to end the week.

 My apologies to the gals in the Purse Frame Class last Saturday.  I promised I'd post this picture so they could show off their purse-making skills.  It's a bit late, but here it is... 6 gorgeous new purses!!

And now we're nearly back to Saturday again.  Tomorrow I'm off to the Australian Sewing Guild group in Essendon to teach a bag-making class.... and then the week is over again.  Who'd a thunk it?

Hope your weekend is a good 'un!

Square

A recent sorting of the yarn stash has inspired a bit of a knit-a-thon in these parts.  It was decided that several birdies could be knocked senseless by the same stone, so to speak. 

THE BIRDIES:

• I want to get to grips with gauge and tension and make the best of my very simple little knitting machine.  It does a mean stockingette.
• I have a ridiculous amount of inherited yarn-stash, which is lovely but not too precious.
• I have a lot of ideas about garments* based on squares and rectangles, which I'm itching to explore. 
• I've recycled lots of clothes into a rag rag and can justify restocking the wardrobe with a whole heap more.

*I also have a lot of ideas for using recycled knits for bags and purses, in the case of unwearable experimentation.

THE STONE:

I've been knitting squares and rectangles with the yarn I have to hand and seeing what I can make from them. The pieces are just machine stitched together with a small zigzag.  It's all about instant gratification and the learning processes along the way.  Nothing to do with finish.

This one is a bit rough.... well, quite rough....with a different size rectangle used for each sleeve (lesson learned about writing notes on exactly how many stitches cast on and how many rows knit).  I like the general look and feel and think it'll be a wearable toile (muslin), in a kind of comfy-around-the-house sort of way.... once I fix up the back a bit....

If all else fails, it's a huge gauge swatch that will be recycled into purses. 

I have ideas for an improved version.

 

 The green scrunchy cotton became a Pattern Magic 3-inspired top.... as planned... only a little scrunchier than planned.

And the grey wrap got a little bit of a re-working at the back.

 Here I am, all grey-ghosty.... to show you the new silhouette....

 (And I'm off for a haircut tomorrow).

In other SQUARE news, I've been sewing squares together to make a new patchworky Petite Bag.

I had a bit of fun making this one.  The back made me smile...

 There will be more sewing here soon.  I went to the GJ's 25% off sale on Friday and bought more dress-lengths for little-girl dresses....

...And yes.  Quilt batting.

Fancy that.

The Weekend of Defragging, De-cluttering, Revamping and Recycling

The Easter weekend was a welcome oasis of family togetherness... mostly because the smallest member of the family had a tummy bug and we were confined to the house, but I'm embracing positives here. 

Instead of visiting extended family on Sunday, I used the time to work a lot on the dress instructions, and in between, I indulged in a bit of zen....

The knitting machine was brought into the loungeroom and the knitting of long rectangles served as a defragging utility for my overstuffed and unsorted brain. 

Two strands of super-fine cotton (or possibly rayon..?) yarn (origin unknown... possibly ex Fibre Red..?) knitted up into the scrunchiest, rolliest rectangle... which wasn't the (flatter, wider) plan, but I'm looking forward to making it into something wonderful.

 A single ball of Bendigo Highlands yarn, knitted on every second needle, made a lovely little shrug (basically a scarf with a few inches sewn together at the back).

By Monday, the girleen was more herself and was able to get knitting.  She was like my own little knitting machine motor... I just did the cast-on,cast-off and supervising.  We both moved the weights and she had the hang of when the weights needed to be moved by the time we were halfway through.

 We made this from a mystery-ball from Auntie Wilma's yarn stash.  It's very soft (possibly has a bit of angora or cashmere....?) and was an absolute dream to wear on a very chilly Tuesday.

Again, It's just a long scarf shape, wrapped and joined at the back.

 And then I thought seriously about how many clothes I need....

A little idea to crochet a rag rug with a few old cotton-lycra tops has since become a bit of an obsession.

 Anything that isn't absolutely loved or absolutely new is being gobbled up into this wonky, unevenly-cut and randomly hooked beastie. 

I. AM. DECUTTERING. MY. WARDROBE.

Who'd a thunk it...?

And yes.. I'm a little embarrassed that I had so many cotton-lycra tops to spare....

We're all loving it.  Even the man of the house has seen the potential for a LARGE rug, and is bemoaning the fact that he threw out all his old t-shirts last week.

And we can't keep the wee girl off it. It's so dig-your-toes-in textural and squidgey. 

(I must have a word to her about yellow nail polish on toes looking like a fungal infection...)

So I'm feeling a bit good about all things wardrobey at the moment, and my thoughts have had time to fall into place in the process.

I'm also feeling a bit excited about the motherload of knit fabrics I bought a little while ago, the new book I have, and the fact that my weekend at Sewjourn is only a month away....