Friday, November 13, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
My Retro Skirt!
Allow me to finally display.. My first sewn skirt!
Terrible photo - at night with a mobile phone - bad combo!
But I didn't have time to take a better one at the time, and now I have washed the skirt and discovered it DEMANDS ironing after a wash! Ah well...
The gorgeous monochromatic retro flower print was actually nestled in amongst a scrap grab bag of fabric I snatched up when I first bought my sewing machine. My shweetie suggested a grab bag of fabric practice on, and lo! This fabulous fabric (I keep almost typing 'yarn' I'm so used to always utlising THAT craft material!) was in amongst the mish mash, in two long strips.
I took the pattern from my favourite skirt, but had to adjust it to suit to strips of fabric - hence the black panels!
Over all I'm very happy with it, the only downfall being the recently discovered high maintenance nature of the fabric! Ah well, a quick ironing and I'm off! Promise to take some better photos once the iron has been wielded ;D
Terrible photo - at night with a mobile phone - bad combo!
But I didn't have time to take a better one at the time, and now I have washed the skirt and discovered it DEMANDS ironing after a wash! Ah well...
The gorgeous monochromatic retro flower print was actually nestled in amongst a scrap grab bag of fabric I snatched up when I first bought my sewing machine. My shweetie suggested a grab bag of fabric practice on, and lo! This fabulous fabric (I keep almost typing 'yarn' I'm so used to always utlising THAT craft material!) was in amongst the mish mash, in two long strips.
I took the pattern from my favourite skirt, but had to adjust it to suit to strips of fabric - hence the black panels!
Over all I'm very happy with it, the only downfall being the recently discovered high maintenance nature of the fabric! Ah well, a quick ironing and I'm off! Promise to take some better photos once the iron has been wielded ;D
Sunday, November 01, 2009
NaKniMo 2009!
Can it truly be November already??
Yes it seems to be, and that means all the NaMos are out!
I like the freedom NaKniMo gives me, which something like NaKniSweMo can't offer - I'd have to knit ONLY the jumper and that won't work with me, since I've several gift knits and things to work on, plus my own personal knits.
This is the second year I've signed up for NaKniMo and I am PUMPED!! Very excited to crank out the stitches and achieve the goal of 30,000, an average of 1000 per day.
I'm not off to a great start since I've had to rip back my cast on and first rows of the I Heart PomPoms hat I've just started, and also the beginnings of the Girasole blanket! DRAT!
I had finished chart A of Girasole and had pressed on for the next 6 rounds to then realise I had HALF the stitches I should have! Gah!
Nevermind.. I'll sort out these fiddly beginnings and then I'll be on my way. I find the start of projects, particular circular ones, the most time consuming. Once the knit is on the go it's much easier to zoom along and tally up those stitches!
If you'd like to join us in our NaKniMo adventures, head on over to the group on Ravelry HERE. You'll find guidelines, tally posts and so on plus MUCH enthusiasm, encouragement and good times :D We'd love to have you join us, and you can still jump in now! Of course if you're not a Raveler you can always tally your own stitches in a wee notebook or some other method. It really is a great way to bust out a project or two you've been having trouble committing to or getting done.
Not a knitter?
What over 30,000 tally will motivate you to meet a goal and achieve something big and satisfying?
Cross-stichers - A 30,000 stitch cross-stitch design?
Golfers - 30,000 golf swings?
Gamers - 30,000 point score, or 30,000 slain zombies?
Yes it seems to be, and that means all the NaMos are out!
- NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month (30,000 word novel in November)
- NaKniSweMo - National Knitting of Sweater Month (30,000 stitch sweater (American, hence 'sweater' not 'jumper') in November)
- NaKniMo - National Knitting Month! (30,000 stitches knit in November)
I like the freedom NaKniMo gives me, which something like NaKniSweMo can't offer - I'd have to knit ONLY the jumper and that won't work with me, since I've several gift knits and things to work on, plus my own personal knits.
This is the second year I've signed up for NaKniMo and I am PUMPED!! Very excited to crank out the stitches and achieve the goal of 30,000, an average of 1000 per day.
I'm not off to a great start since I've had to rip back my cast on and first rows of the I Heart PomPoms hat I've just started, and also the beginnings of the Girasole blanket! DRAT!
I had finished chart A of Girasole and had pressed on for the next 6 rounds to then realise I had HALF the stitches I should have! Gah!
Nevermind.. I'll sort out these fiddly beginnings and then I'll be on my way. I find the start of projects, particular circular ones, the most time consuming. Once the knit is on the go it's much easier to zoom along and tally up those stitches!
If you'd like to join us in our NaKniMo adventures, head on over to the group on Ravelry HERE. You'll find guidelines, tally posts and so on plus MUCH enthusiasm, encouragement and good times :D We'd love to have you join us, and you can still jump in now! Of course if you're not a Raveler you can always tally your own stitches in a wee notebook or some other method. It really is a great way to bust out a project or two you've been having trouble committing to or getting done.
Not a knitter?
What over 30,000 tally will motivate you to meet a goal and achieve something big and satisfying?
Cross-stichers - A 30,000 stitch cross-stitch design?
Golfers - 30,000 golf swings?
Gamers - 30,000 point score, or 30,000 slain zombies?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Plied!!
Despite some tangle-tastic frustrations yesterday (which I wisely stepped away from to sit on the couch with my sweetie watching a ridiculous hollywood action flick instead).... the madras spritzer is Navajoed!! (can that be a verb?)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Hard Core Fibre Pr0n!
Madras fibre - Treetops Colour Harmonies
I loved Bon's comment on the last spinning post so much, I had to name a post after it and dish out some more!!
Separated/pre-drafted and balled up
Mmmm... the colours conjure thoughts of pina coladas, lolly water and tasty fruit spritzes....
Sunday spun singles
Monday, October 26, 2009
Baublery
I picked up this tackle box for a wonderful bargain this weekend from the local camping and outdoors store.
It may seem a little odd for a vegetarian purchase.. have I truly taken up fishing?
In fact no, the case isn't for organising fishing hoo-hahs but to finally put my baubles in order!!
Previously they were in such a state I barely wore any of my lovely things because I couldn't find them, or forgot I had them. So I did a complete re-evaluation and laid everything out...
But now look at the wonderous order of the baublery display!
Hurrah!! :D
It may seem a little odd for a vegetarian purchase.. have I truly taken up fishing?
In fact no, the case isn't for organising fishing hoo-hahs but to finally put my baubles in order!!
Previously they were in such a state I barely wore any of my lovely things because I couldn't find them, or forgot I had them. So I did a complete re-evaluation and laid everything out...
But now look at the wonderous order of the baublery display!
Hurrah!! :D
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The Tale of Two Fibres
Recently I made a purchase of some wonderful fibre from Treetops Colour Harmony, with gifting in mind!
This lovely merino in Rhubarb from Treetops Colour Harmonies came in to my world with some other fibre destined to be shaped and moulded to be gifted to my lovely Mum as part of her birthday gift this year. Though Mum has knit in the past the skill has long been in hiatus until recently, when she has once again taken up the needles! *crowd shouts 'Hurrah!!'*
So this year for her birthday I wanted to gift her some handspun, and spin some of it in her presence so she could be part of the process :) We would have loved to do some spinning together, but time didn't allow this visit, but next time I hope we will have a craft fantastica with loads of time for spinning, quilting, knitting, crochet.....!!
I digress...
The first yarn spun for Mum, and spun while staying in her gorgeous home, was the Gypsy JamBerry - of which I have only progress shots to share so far (though I'm sure I can grab some finished shots from Mum!)
I wanted a very exciting, alternative feel so spun a thick & thin, then plied with a thin golden thread to give a very corrogated and textured, wild looking yarn.
The rich magenta, purple and red with little flashes of gold here and there made the yarn seem like a Gypsy woman's hair, wild and curly, with the rich colours of her silk scarf and the golden glint of her hoop earrings...
The other fibre I took back home with me and have just now wound it up into an edible looking cake ready to send off!
This Rhubarb is my second experience of the Navajo ply (which I LUFF) and I'm so happy with how it's turned out :D
It feels like a nice medium weight yarn to my hand, but I'm not a terribly good judge, so I'll do my best to measure it up before I send it off to Mum! But it looks to be just the ticket for a born-again knitter ready to hit the needles again after some time off - enough yarn to make a decent accessory (hat, scarf, cowl, mittens, cushion, cozy of some sort..) and with personal interest and colour but not too daunting - hurrah!!
This lovely merino in Rhubarb from Treetops Colour Harmonies came in to my world with some other fibre destined to be shaped and moulded to be gifted to my lovely Mum as part of her birthday gift this year. Though Mum has knit in the past the skill has long been in hiatus until recently, when she has once again taken up the needles! *crowd shouts 'Hurrah!!'*
So this year for her birthday I wanted to gift her some handspun, and spin some of it in her presence so she could be part of the process :) We would have loved to do some spinning together, but time didn't allow this visit, but next time I hope we will have a craft fantastica with loads of time for spinning, quilting, knitting, crochet.....!!
I digress...
The first yarn spun for Mum, and spun while staying in her gorgeous home, was the Gypsy JamBerry - of which I have only progress shots to share so far (though I'm sure I can grab some finished shots from Mum!)
I wanted a very exciting, alternative feel so spun a thick & thin, then plied with a thin golden thread to give a very corrogated and textured, wild looking yarn.
The rich magenta, purple and red with little flashes of gold here and there made the yarn seem like a Gypsy woman's hair, wild and curly, with the rich colours of her silk scarf and the golden glint of her hoop earrings...
The other fibre I took back home with me and have just now wound it up into an edible looking cake ready to send off!
This Rhubarb is my second experience of the Navajo ply (which I LUFF) and I'm so happy with how it's turned out :D
It feels like a nice medium weight yarn to my hand, but I'm not a terribly good judge, so I'll do my best to measure it up before I send it off to Mum! But it looks to be just the ticket for a born-again knitter ready to hit the needles again after some time off - enough yarn to make a decent accessory (hat, scarf, cowl, mittens, cushion, cozy of some sort..) and with personal interest and colour but not too daunting - hurrah!!
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