It’s cold, so I’m knitting some sweaters.
Each Wednesday, I post little snippets about what’s happening, and what I’m working on.
I’ve been wearing my winter coat quite successfully. It still needs a zipper, and some pockets, and a lining. Though it’s proving to be rather windproof (especially when I’m wearing layers), so at the moment the zipper is more of a priority than the lining.
Speaking of layers…
I started a new sweater. It’s another allover slipped stitch pattern. This sweater is a top down raglan pullover, using 5 different colors of yarn, which makes for a very hard to photograph project.
And the purple sweater I started last week is progressing. It’s knit from the top down, and I’m through the decreases to the waist, so I’m hoping to start the increases for the hips soon. Then it’s on to sleeve island.
I pre-washed and ironed the fabric for my first “Archer” button up shirt, and planned to cut the pieces last weekend, but that didn’t happen – hopefully this weekend.
And because I need a project that has nothing to do with the self-made wardrobe, my spindling kick continues.
Also!
Speaking of The Self-Made Wardrobe Project, I posted the 3rd Month Wrap Up over on selfmadewardrobe.com, you can read the post here.
Knitting my “Boring Black Sweater”
I have a love-hate relationship with basics.
I love wearing them.
I hate making them.
This creates a little bit of tension in my self-made wardrobe.
I’ve talked a little bit before about the disconnect between what I love wearing, and what I love making. I love making really complicated & technically challenging, colorful & intricate & interesting things, while I love wearing basics – tank tops, jeans (they’re coming! – eventually…) and straight forward stockinette sweaters.
Sewing basics is pretty boring.
Knitting basics is a nightmare of boredom.
But a nightmare that’s kind of worth it.
I’ve dubbed this sweater the “Boring Black Sweater.”
It’s a solid black, basic pullover, knit in stockinette stitch, in lace weight yarn on a US size 4 (3.5mm) needle. Which, if you don’t knit, is tiny yarn on a not-so-tiny-but-certainly-not-large needles, in a very basic knitting stitch.
The yarn is “Forest Hills” from Cascade in color #3 “Anthracite” (black). I love this yarn for shawls. But I wouldn’t really recommend it for garments because of how much this sweater is pilling.
The pattern is a basic, yoked pullover, worked from the top-down, with a wide neckline, and turned hems on the sleeves and body.
Knitting it was really boring.
It was so boring, in fact, that I knit the sleeves too way short. And once the sweater was all done I cut off the cuff, picked up the stitches on the sleeve, knit a couple more inches, and graphed the cuff back on.
Even so the sleeves ended up being bracelet length, which isn’t what I had in mind, but works fine.
Even though it was kind of a nightmare to knit, I love this sweater. It works with just about everything in my wardrobe, and is the perfect thin layer to wear under or over something.
From now on though, I think I’ll stick to sewing, instead of knitting, my basics.
I just want new clothes – The Self-Made Wardrobe Week 15
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 99 – NOVEMBER 7th
Moonstruck Cardigan
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Black Flats
Princess Necklace
Various Rings
I can never quite figure out how I feel about tights with ballet flats. Some days I think they look fine and keep your legs warm. Some days I think that the combination – especially when the tights and the shoes are the same color – make my feet look oddly long… And yet, in this picture I think my feet look kind of short… I guess feet are just a little weird.
DAY 100 – NOVEMBER 8th
Deconstructed Black Sweater
Boring Black Sweater
Basic Black Tank Top
Black Maxi Skirt with a Slit
Black Tights
Sneakers
Princess Necklace
Various Rings
It’s Day 100!!! Yay! Just 265 days to go…
I spent the day at a spindling demonstration/talk at Gauge & Tension (a popup yarn shop in Greenpoint) and would have much preferred to be wearing an easy button up over my boring black sweater – instead of the deconstructed black sweater – because it would have given me more range of arm motion.
Luckily a couple friends and I are planning on doing an Archer* Sew-A-Long starting in December. I have fabric for 2, so I’m going to jump the gun a bit, and sew one shirt before the sew-a-long starts, because I want to be wearing it now…
*Archer is the name of a basic button up shirt pattern, put out by Grainline Studios.
DAY 101 – NOVEMBER 9th
Perfect Transitional Weather Cardigan
Basic Black Tank Top
Pirate Skirt
Various Rings
It turns out that the Perfect Transitional Weather Cardigan, is also the Perfect Sit-At-Home-On-Your-Couch-Knitting-Your-Winter-Coat Cardigan.
DAY 102 – NOVEMBER 10th
Moonstruck Cardigan
Khaki Scarf
Gingham Skirt
Black Flats
Various Rings
I don’t love how this outfit looks, but it was a day of sitting at the computer writing, and these clothes were cozy & comfortable, so I went with it.
DAY 103 – NOVEMBER 11th
Moonstruck Cardigan
Boring Black Sweater
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Black Heels
I really love this sweater and skirt combination, but it was so warm I ended up taking off the Moonstruck Cardigan, and just wearing my Boring Black Sweater, which was much more boring to knit than it is to wear.
DAY 104 – NOVEMBER 12th
Boring Black Sweater
Basic Black Tank Top
Black Maxi Skirt with a Slit
Black Flats
Long Necklace with Spinning Pendant
Bead Crochet Bracelet
Various Rings
It was 60 degrees (fahrenheit) in the middle of November. WTH?! So I went back to my default blacks, and I realized a desperately want another black maxi skirt – they’re just so easy to wear!
DAY 105 – NOVEMBER 13th
Boring Black Sweater
Blue Kimono
Winter Coat
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Grey Tights
Black Heels
I took my winter coat out for an experiment yesterday. It was chilly enough to need it, but not cold enough to be a terrible mistake.
I’m super glad to say it worked! I only wore a light sweater under it, plus my blue kimono, and I was quite warm, but I definitely want to add a front zipper, and pockets. I wore the blue kimono over the sweater and under the coat to help keep the alpaca fuzz off all my other clothes – which also worked.
