Knitting, sewing and future plans

The Unicorn Jumper is now completed, I just have a few ends to sew in. When I'd almost finished knitting this jumper, I was told of a technique called Ladder Back Jacquard for colourwork like this design. You will find a video about the technique here. The knitter who suggested it is really talented and I feel I ought to give it a go if I could just knit as neatly as she does. Can this old dog learn a new trick? I really ought to try.

There was a second completed item too. My green cardigan which has languished forgotten for too long is now ready for some buttons. I could do with wearing this cosy cardigan, especially with the chilly wind we have whistling around the house.

As I write this, I have a pair of shorts awaiting completion on my work table. As I mentioned last time, they are a trial run for a pair of trousers I intend cutting out and making. I needed to get the side seams sorted out to get a better fit. They just need finishing off. The brown fabric for the trousers has been languishing in my to do pile for rather too long. My next job will be to get these cut out.

I managed to get myself up to date with the Design Your Wardrobe course from Seamwork. This has now just finished. As a result I bought myself some fabric. Very naughty. It made me realise just what I found I missed from my spring and summer clothes last year. A nice soft skirt. I had had a beautiful silk skirt bought in Hong Kong. It had to be retired a couple of years ago.

These first two pieces - 3m metres each of Nugget and French Navy Viscose which are intended for two skirts I need to make. The pattern I will be using is the Zinnia from Colette patterns. I will make one of each - the first will have buttons down the front like my original skirt, while the second will have the pleated front. They will both have side seam pockets.

The third fabric I bought was this Trailing Leaves stretch Ponte Roma in a dark navy. I intend making a Neenah dress from Seamwork. You can see the design here. All the fabrics shown came from Minerva. This is rather a challenge for me since I have not made a stretch knit dress before. I think a trial run is required if I can just find the time. I still haven't started that quilt I mentioned last week and that deadline is looming ever closer.......

This last sheet is the collection of designs which I put together during the Design Your Wardrobe course. How many of these will eventually get made is quite a different matter. I think I have fabric for all of these in my stash, or most of them. I need a couple of the patterns too. I don't have the patterns for the Style Arc top or the Hot patterns dress and cargo pants. I also need to get on with designing that dungaree dress. Hopefully I will have made a start by the time I next write a post for this Blog. Wish me luck?

Knitting and some sewing too.

Long sleeved cardigan under way.

The past couple of weeks has seen a lot of knitting alongside a little sewing and preparation for more sewing. I have been concentrating on getting this long sleeved cardigan finished and also starting a pair of trousers. However, I seem to have been getting all sorts of things wrong. I have completed the whole of the large sections - back, fronts and both sleeves - only to have to rip back the left front since I missed out two rows of the first zigzag pattern. This may seem fussy, but it will irritate me when I wear this cardigan, so I really must sort that out now before finishing it. At present I am nearing the section of the right front where I shall be decreasing ready for the collar shaping. Hopefully I shall finish this in the next day or two and then I can rip back the left front and do the same corrections to that. The photo shows the pieces of the cardigan as I completed the second sleeve. If you look at the top left of the photo you will see one of the front pieces. It clearly shows the first zigzag pattern. The section just below the purl rows is the bit which is wrong. There should be a line of five holes at this point and not four. An irritating mistake to make especially since I got it right on the back. Definitely a case of more haste and less speed.........

Trousers

The trousers are now nearing completion and I will post a photo once they have been hemmed and are ready to wear. At present they are waiting for me to get around to sewing the long side and inside leg seams. So not much more to do. The fabric is a linen/cotton blend and I am really looking forward to being able to wear them. It is a pattern I have used before. Sadly, last time I got the sizing wrong and they turned out a little too large. This time I have used a smaller size. The pattern is KwikSew 3363. a simple pair of straight leg trousers. As you see from the photos these should go nicely with the long sleeved cardigan I am also making.

I have been reading The Colette Sewing Handbook and have taken on board some of the advice, most notably the second chapter which is entitled "A thoughtful plan" and details ways to dress for yourself and your shape. This might all sound very obvious, but the advice is timely for me since I really hadn't grasped these ideas before having them spelt out for me in this book.

Skirt

The second item I have prepared for sewing is the Meringue skirt from the same book. I am really not sure about the scalloped edge of the original and also the short length so will probably be modifying this with an underskirt to make a feature of the scalloped edge without having it as the hemline. It also doesn't have pockets which is something I do prefer any skirt I make for myself to have. I may end up adding these to the front since it is a very plain straight skirt otherwise.