Cakes

Fat free cake!

Sugar free cake!  

I spent a little time today winding some skeins of yarn into cakes.  All set & ready to knit up.  

The grey is a gift project that I needed to get started once I could make up my mind on a pattern.

While I was in the winding of cake mood I picked out a couple of skeins of sock yarn to wind ready for sock moments.  

Dilemma though on which one to do first!  My family were no help whatsoever with each picking a different one.  Which would you choose?  

Memorable Socks

This is some beautiful wool that I bought for myself last year.  

BJ was in hospital & I got to go for a walk into town when Stuart came up to visit for a few hours.  I nearly didn't get this one.  I left the shop but turned back to get it after all.  It is gorgeous.  50% alpaca.  What's not to love right?  

Definitely will be a little bit of luxury on my feet in autumn winter.  

Can you believe it?  I even tried a new pattern.  Fish Scales & Fairy Tales Socks.   (I think I picked them because I liked the name!)   They are not my regular super duper mindless sock pattern.  I did have to think about this one a bit more & ummm...  actually have another pair of socks going at the same time which were my mindless knitting moments.  I hadn't done that before with two pairs going at the same time but it is useful.  Rainy days & movies where all the lights had to be out were definitely the mindless sock knitting time.  That was Monday!  And Sunday!  And Saturday!  

Thursday Thanks

• Lots of family time lately.
• A lovely Easter break.  
• Wellness for a friend who was able to join us at Easter.
• Friends that are as good as family members.
• Catching up with cousins.
• Enjoyable holidays.
• Birthday parties.
• Non busy days.
• Rainy days to enjoy & rest.  
• Play time with newer friends that help to get to know each other better.
• Being able to take some time to just think of my little family unit.  
• ANZAC remembrance ceremonies.

656/1000

Not Always Successes

I am branching out.

Trying new things again.  

I needed a new challenge.

So this time a stretch knit for me.  It's only a t-shirt actually.  But I had to start simple.  I also had some fabric that I got as a remnant from that spotty shop.  Cost of around $2.50 which is good to ruin isn't it!  

Last week I learnt a lot doing that jacket thing for BJ.  

This week I learnt some more.

Don't use this poly-interlock knit fabric is the first & most important.  It ladders.  You would think it was a pair of stockings.  Ladders without even sewing.  The edges just ran.  

No matter what I did I couldn't get a nice edge on it to neaten the raw edges.  The practice pieces went well.  Fortunately I could turn the first 2 sleeves into practice pieces too as there was just enough horrid stuff to make 2 more sleeves.  Sleeves & hem are now not over edged.  Isn't going to matter as I can't save it.  The ladders in the hem were already going around the pressed edge.  (it's ok remember!  It's only $2.50!  )  

I hadn't done a neck bias edge before either.  Looked good.  I think I did a good job of that.  But my head wouldn't fit through.  I did unpick a bit & restitched it with a different stitch to give a little more but that didn't help & the stitches snapped on one attempt over my head.  (2.50!)  

When I finally had all pieces together badly I found I had almost got the sleeves the same length!  Go me!  

So it's a bit tight.  I actually posted my pictures on a sewing inspiration group I am in on facebook.  Well the brains trust there soon had me pointed in the right direction on what the issues were & tips on how to do different things.  Turns out I wasn't imagining how awful the fabric was as it was a common problem with this stuff & one lady even returned all hers to that spotty shop for a refund because the ladders were terrible!  And if I had wanted ladders I would have gone to Bunnings not Spotty! 

Well here is my picture, taken by an 8 year old.  From his perspective it's probably better.  My chins are gone. I think the 8 year old was the most impressed with my attempt.  That's pretty sweet.  

So as a result I will try again, with it's matching pattern.  Just because I have to.  I can't let it win.   I have some more remnants to use, or some super sale pieces to practice on.  Like I say to the boys constantly, you won't get better if you don't practice something & you can't just give up when it is a bit hard.  So I had better make a point of doing what I say occasionally!  

Taking Stock - April

Making :  pillows.
Cooking :  food gifts
Drinking :  less water now it's cooler.  That's bad.
Reading:  Book of Lost Threads - Tess Evans
Trawling:  pattern inspiration
Deciding:  what to make for a friends freezer.
Wishing:  I knew more stuff about stuff.
Enjoying: having chickens.
Waiting: for eggs still...
Liking:  challenging myself to try new things.
Wondering: whether I can do this "sewalong" or not...
Loving:  school holidays!
Pondering:  what to do over the holidays.
Listening: to audio books while I craft
Buying:  not much 
Watching: giving Mad Men a try.  (no, not quite into it at the moment!)
Needing:  some extra enthusiasm when I have the time to use it for the right things.
Wearing: my nice cozy hand knit slippers from last winter.
Noticing: how crisp the days are getting.
Disliking:  snap fasteners on stretch fabric.
Hearing:  some rain at last.
Celebrating:  will be celebrating a little next month so invitations have been written & mailed or delivered.  Yes!  Written invitations!  No facebook event for this one!  :-)  I'm going old style.  

Complete!

Yes, it's finished!  Not well, but finished.  I tried a lot of new things which was interesting.  But really in the great scheme of all the sewing I have done, I have probably done it before but just never known it was a "thing with a name"!  lol    

So I learnt - 

1.  Understitching.
2. Top stitching.
3. Twin top stitching but without a twin needle!   ( I now have a twin needle to experiment with!).
4. Getting to know stretch fabrics.
5. Re-learning how to read dress making patterns.
6. Getting with the new pattern phase of PDF patterns!
7. Snap fasteners are rotten.  
8. The front panel isn't even, but I can see what I should have done to get it all matchy matchy. 
9. This was a project for a sew-along, so lots of people were making it at the same time & it's very encouraging.  
10. I definitely should have done the sleeves in plain black.  
11. The collar in the picture isn't sitting right.  
12. I have an overedge stitch on my regular sewing machine that makes a nice edge not unlike an overlocker.  It does a good job when someone is too scared to learn how to use an overlocker.  
13. Snap fasteners come off & make holes in garment. 

Well that is good & bad.  But at least it wasn't some super expensive fabric.  I had it ready to learn with so that worked out ok.  I expect to make a lot more mistakes if I keep trying.  But that's ok, I have picked up some good remnants from Spotty so it's not going to make me cry if I ruin anything.  As I tell the boys, you have to keep trying so you learn & get better at something.  Once isn't enough.  

Getting Close

It's getting closer to finished.  I am learning a lot in the process.  

Main thing is that stretch sewing isn't so bad.