Day: June 16, 2011

crafts · knitting

In my knitting queue

stitchywitch11 Comments

I’ve been trying to organize my knitting queue, without much success!  I missed a good year of new releases, so now that I’m knitting again my to-knit list is out of control!  I thought I would share some of what I’m obsessed with this summer.  Seeing them together helps me to decide which I really want to make!

Top Row L-R:

Sabbatical by Connie Chang Chinchio (Twist Collective Winter 2009) – I have loved this sweater since it was first released.  The long length and the lacy pattern both appeal to me – but I do like the other two long cardigans better(I find them to have more current shapes,) so this one may be pushed back in the queue.  See?  Seeing them all together is helpful to me!

Lace Cardi by Courtney Kelly (Vogue knitting Summer 2011) The shaped hems are super fun, and I like the magazine styling with the skinny little belt.  I’ve been wanting to try the yarn it calls for as well (Savannah by the Fibre Company)

Peterborough by Norah Gaughan (Norah Gaughan Volume eight)  I love every sweater in this book!  I plan to make this in a wool or wool blend for fall.

Middle Row:

 Edda by Kim Hargreaves (Whisper)  This is my top pick from the latest Kim Hargreaves book.  You can’t tell in the photo, but it has a great textured pattern, and cables down the fronts.  Rowan all-season cotton is a great yarn for cables.  I want to make this sweater in pure white.

Dockside Cardigan by Amy Miller (Interweave Knits Summer 2011) The dolman sleeves and shaped hems are interesting, but I think I need to see some completed versions before I commit to a fingering weight cardigan!

Nespelem by Norah Gaughan (also Vol. 8) My other favorite from the book.  I’m thinking of a silver gray.

Bottom Row: Kirra  (Berroco 294, Origami) The waffle pattern on this is really neat – like a thermal sweater!  I want to use the called for yarn, which is unusual and really pretty.  Berroco has some great yarns right now!

I own a lot of Japanese craft books.  I can’t help myself – the designs and photos are so lovely!  Japanese patterns are very different from US patterns – they are fully charted, usually in one size only (around a 36″ bust,) and the styles are generally a bit different as well.  In particular, there are lovely crochet patterns, and you know how hard it can be to find nice crochet here!  I haven’t made anything harder than a doily from these patterns (well, doilies are hard, but they are at least a predictable shape!)  This year I want to conquer these patterns.

The shawl on the top left is very popular on Ravelry, so I plan to make it first.  It calls for a sportweight yarn, and I plan on either white or gray.  I will probably need some hand holding!  The bottom right cardigan is crocheted, and uses fingering weight stelf-striping yarn – Noro might be a sub, or I might use a more subdued hand-dye, like Madelinetosh merino light.  The other two cardigans are knit, and they both look pretty simple to figure out.  Both have multiple completed versions on Ravelry, so I have more reference than just the chart and the photos (which are more arty than helpful sometimes, when it comes to details.)   The top right cardigan is here, and the bottom left is here.

And finally, the list of shawls I want to make at some point:

Top row: Figurehead shawl by Alexis Winslow (Knitscene Spring 2011)  – I’ve already started this one!  Mine will have red and aqua stripes (it is terribly Dr. Seuss looking – I love it!)

Whose Shawl Do You Think This is? By Carol Sunday – a shawl based on a design worn in a TV show that I’ve actually not ever seen, but I adore the stripes and general shape!  I plan to order a kit, because I don’t want to alter the colorway.

Cambridge Shawl (also Carol Sunday) – Some of the ladies on Ravelry have been obsessed by a shawl that the Duchess of Cambridge was photographed wearing out.  There must be five different patterns for it, but I like this one the best.  I’m undecided on a color – perhaps a nice navy?

Litchfield Shawl by Laura Aylor – just released, I love the uneven stripes, and the neutral colors.

Bottom Row:

Stripe Study by Veera Välimäki – yes, more stripes.  I have a problem.

To Eyre shawl by Carol Sunday – this shawl is based on one in the move Jane Eyre.  I haven’t seen the new movie, but Jane Eyre is my favorite book.  Naturally I need a shawl!  I want to use a dark blue tweed, maybe Berroco Blackstone tweed.

Lake of the Woods by Ilga Leja – I bought the kit for this ages ago, in the colorway pictured.  I still love the colors and design, so I need to get on that!

And this isn’t a fraction of my queue – problems I tell you!

crafts · finished objects · Sewing

McCalls 6069

stitchywitch14 Comments

Pattern: McCall’s 6069 View A

Fabric: Rayon Jersey from Sawyer Brook fabrics (originally from Milly)

Notions: 3/8″ elastic

I think I might recommend this pattern to knit beginners.  There are 6 pieces, but I only used 5 (I left out the pockets – they would have shown on this fabric.)  The only tricky bit is sewing the optional shoulder strap in the back, but even that is easily gotten past.  I don’t really know how long this dress took, because I only worked on it in short little spurts.  I really wanted an easy to wear summer dress, and with a few minor issues I think that’s what I got!

Issue #1 is the back.  Even with the guard strap you can still see my bra!  I do have an extender to lower my bra, which is probably what I will do.  I didn’t see anyone else having this issue, so it may just be me.  I thought the bodice was maybe an inch too long for my torso.  I think it’s blousing a bit more than it’s meant to, but I like the look from the front, so I’ll just make the bra adjustment!  I would not recommend leaving off the strap – you really need it to hold the shoulders up!

I cut a size 8 on top, and a 12 on the bottom.  I would watch the ease on the skirt – if you are like me, you won’t want it too clingy, and it’s designed to be about the same width as the bust measurement.  I did not hem the dress, and as yet I haven’t hemmed the armholes either.  I may actually go in with binding on the armholes – this knit does not take to hemming well,  I will probably leave the skirt unhemmed – I like the length where it is, and I don’t think a hem would add anything to the look of the dress.  I occasionally leave a knit unhemmed – I find that even with stabilization, knit hems sometimes look off.

The rayon knit was lovely and soft, but I have to confess that I perfer ITY and poly knits – rayons are just too soft for my machine.  This one wasn’t too bad – the last one I used kept skipping stitches, no matter what setting or needle I tried!

Other things to note – the instructions for the strap were odd.  I wouldn’t clip to the triangle for the strap until you are ready to sew the shoulder seams – otherwise you may be off.  You should also note that the waist has a 3/4″ seam allowance, and that the elastic casing is sewn through all layers, not just into the seam allowance.  It should show both lines of stitching on the outside of the dress.

I’m seeing this style everywhere this year.  I’m a fan – it’s cool and easy to wear, and it looks great on almost every figure!  I did not make the self-belt, and as yet I don’t have an “optional purchased belt” that matches.  I want a white belt, but I don’t have one.  A dark color cuts me in half too much for this dress, so I’ll have to look out for a white one – nothing too heavy looking.  I highly recommend the pattern to anyone who is looking for an easy summer project (or looking to start out in knits!)