what’s in the works
Each Wednesday, I post a little snippet about, the projects I’m currently working on. This week I’m…
: knitting some new swatches, and playing with subtle striping.
: putting the button on my jeans. This button is being a pain in my ass, and I currently want to set it on fire. (the button, not the jeans.)
: secret knitting that I’m hoping to finish this week.
(and just in case we all thought winter was finally properly over – there are snow flurries out my window.)
two sleeves, some yarn, new jewelry, and a shawl
Each Wednesday, I post little snippets about the projects I’m working on.
I spent most of the weekend working on projects that were very much not my secret project – yay! – and that ended up being quite productive.
Sleeves!!! My purple sweater has two of them. Now I just need to figure out the neckline situation, and I’ll have another sweater.
I finished a spinning & plying a skein of handspun yarn that has been sitting on my desk for months now – so finishing this feels amazing.
Back at VK Live in January, I learned how to bead crochet bracelets, but hadn’t learn how to close them. This weekend I learned, and how I have a pile of new jewelry! What’s not to love about that?
And finally, I took photos for a new shawl pattern. (Was the last shawl I finished, really Rosmerta?)
The design is a circular shawl, with a pretty complex, geometric, lace pattern – though I think my favorite part is probably the sun at the center.
I’m at the final stages of pattern editing, I think it came out beautifully, and I couldn’t wait to share some of the photos – so these are some of the outtakes that probably won’t find their way into the final pattern.
The yarn is Toil & Trouble’s merino/silk lace weight, two strands of yarn held together throughout the shawl, and knit on US #5 (3.75mm) needles. The colors are “Smoke Signals” (the light grey) and “Apollo” (the beautiful yellow/orange.)
PS! if you’re in the Boston area, Ana (the proprietress of Toil & Trouble yarns) just opened a new yarn shop in Salem – called Circle of Stitches. The grand opening is this weekend – March 7th, so stop by, say “hi,” and squish some yarn. Here’s the link to their website with the shop hours & address.
sweater amnesia, cold weather & a new shawl pattern – The Self-Made Wardrobe Week 24
The Self-Made Wardrobe is a project where I only wear garments I’ve made.
It’s sort of a year long experiment in getting dressed without clothing labels.
DAY 162 – JANUARY 9th
Versio Sweater
Black Scarf
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Various Rings
How do you guys store your sweaters?
Prior to this wardrobe project, I didn’t knit sweaters, so I didn’t need to have a storage system. My sweaters currently live in half of a drawer in my dresser, there are two problems with this 1) they no longer fit in half of a drawer, and 2) some sweaters end up at the bottom of the drawer, and then I forget about them.
The obvious solution is to rearrange my dresser so the sweaters get a full drawer, however I’m not sure that’s going to prevent sweater amnesia. Anyone have a better way of storing their sweaters, and avoiding sweater amnesia?
DAY 163 – JANUARY 10th
Moonstruck Cardigan
Boring Black Sweater
Black Maxi Skirt with a Slit
Black Tights
Brown Boots
This is one of those sweaters that got stuck at the bottom of my sweater drawer for awhile.
DAY 164 – JANUARY 11th
Hand Knit Sweater Dress
Basic Black Tank
Black Tights
Various Rings
This is the outfit I wear when I don’t have to leave the apartment, and would have preferred staying pjs to getting dressed. Like on Sunday, I spent the day hiding from the cold, knitting, and cutting fabric.
DAY 165 – JANUARY 12th
Not-So-Straightforward Basic Purple Sweater
The First of Many Archers
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Long Spinny Necklace
Various Rings
I added the buttons to my first Archer button up shirt last week, and posted a full post about it yesterday! You can read the saga of the mismatched center fronts.
I love this pattern, and am already working on my second Archer. Though, next time (for my 3rd) I’m not doing a plaid. I love a good plaid, but I want to sew a shirt that involves no pattern matching.
DAY 166 – JANUARY 13th
Deconstructed Black Sweater
Not-So-Straightforward Basic Purple Sweater
Basic Black Tank Top
Black Maxi Skirt with a Slit
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Various Rings
When I was designing this Not-So-Straighforward Basic Purple Sweater, I wanted a sweater that would work on it’s own, over a shirt, or under another sweater, and I’m delighted to say this sweater does all three wonderfully.
DAY 167 – JANUARY 14th
Not-So-Straightforward Basic Purple Sweater
Black Tank Top
Black Scarf
Khaki Scarf
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Various Rings
And the purple sweater has ended up at the top of my sweater drawer, so I’m wearing it all the time. As for the bi-color scarf, I just took two scarves and twisted them together, I like the contrast against the purple sweater, and love the idea for adding more scarf variety.
DAY 168 – JANUARY 15th
Deconstructed Black Sweater
Basic Black Tank Top
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Pocket Watch Necklace
Various Rings
Surprisingly enough I didn’t freeze when I stepped out the door in this. It’s always a tricky balance between not boiling in my overheated NYC apartment (with heat don’t control), and not being cold the minute I step outside my building, and not freezing when walking around on streets that quickly turn into wind tunnels. A tricky balance indeed.
PS. Rosmerta is now available on Ravelry! Rosmerta is a new shawl pattern that I designed, with a mesh & diamond trellis type pattern. It’s knit using Julie Asselin’s lovely Merletto.
I’ll also have hard copy patterns of it at VKLive in NYC this weekend. I’ll be at the Knitty City Booth (#710) Saturday morning at 11am. If you’re in the NYC area, and planning to go, I hope to see you there!
