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!
one sweater, one shirt, two shawls – lots of making happened this week
Each Wednesday, I post little snippets about what’s happening, and what I’m working on.
In complete contrast to last week, lots and lots of making happened this week.
My entirely handspun sweater got sleeves! It’s desperately in need of a good soak, but first a new neckline, a looser bind off at the hem, and about a million ends woven in.
I started my 2nd Archer Button Up Shirt, and got through the side seams. Just the collar, cuffs, hem & buttons left. And this time, the buttons shouldn’t take me weeks to put on because I already have them.
I started a new shawl! It’s my own design (pattern coming eventually), knit out of Toil & Trouble’s amazing and ploompy “merino/silk lace”. I’m holding two strands together and knitting on a US size 5 (3.75mm) needle. The colors are “Smoke Signals”, & “Apollo,” I love how it’s coming out.
And I have a new shawl pattern coming soon! It’s called Rosmerta, knit out of Julie Asselin’s lushious “Merletto,” in the color “Anémone.”
The pattern will be available on Ravelry Friday, and I’ll have hard copies & the sample at VKLive on Saturday.
If you’re in or around NYC, I’ll be at VKLive Saturday, and in the Knitty City Booth (#710) at 11am. I’ll have shawl samples, and hard copies of a couple patterns (including Rosmerta, Tumbling Deco, Eirwen & the Shawl Geometry Books). I’d love it if you would stop by and say hello.
7 tips on crafting for yourself this holiday season
Personally, I’m going the “not crafting for other people this year” route, but I know that’s not always an option. And if you’re crafting for other people during the holidays, it can be hard finding time to craft for yourself. So I’ve put together some tips on how to craft for yourself, while crafting for other people, while making it through the holidays.
These are primarily knitting related tips, but they can translate into other crafts.
Tip 1: only craft for people who are really and truly craft worthy. Not everyone appreciates handmade, and that’s ok. Just save handmade for people who “get it.”
Tip 2: put the intricate lace shawl aside. I love my lace, but it does not make for good holiday knitting. If you’re making big & complex things for other people you probably should’ve started in July, and if the project is for you, I say put it away till January.
Tip 3: simple projects. Projects that you can work on while being around people, and projects that you can pick up and put down easily are the way to go. Simple knitting & crochet projects are excellent for this.
Tip 4: carve out time for yourself. Even if it’s just 20 minutes to work on a personal project.
Tip 5: split your crafting time into “time you’re crafting around other people” and “time you’re crafting alone.” This is kind of a combination/variation on Tips 3 & 4. You can designate your “crafting time around people” as personal crafting time, and then work on other people’s gifts during the time you’re alone – this works especially well if you’re trying to keep the projects a secret. OR you can designate the “time you’re crafting around other people” as “time to work on simple projects” and the “time you’re crafting alone” as “time to work on complicated projects.” Which ever works for you.
Tip 6: only craft for yourself. Don’t try crafting for people and jump straight to getting gifts made by other people. This is a sure-fire way of having time to craft for yourself & gives you an opportunity to support independent makers, and small businesses.
Tip 7: decide to make gifts at the very last minute. Every year I say I’m not going to make gifts, and then every year, a week or so before Christmas I change my mind. This means that the week leading up to Christmas is kind of a crafting nightmare, but the weeks leading up to the week before Christmas are all about crafting for me.
This year, the plan is (again) to not craft for Christmas, and instead to focus my crafting time on the self-made wardrobe, (and not being cold.)
But of course, that’s what I always say. So we’ll see what happens.
