The making of stuff...

The small dressing gown is finished, 2 to go...
Two small frocks are up to the banding around the hem (though some handsewing to finish will be required).
At least 4 small and 2 large chemises need to be made - they will be on the to-do list for a bit.
Another small frock is cut out and needs to be finished.
And the large frock plans need to be sorted, as well as some shirts & trews.

One summer top for work is done, the knitting is progressing very slowly and some small portable projects need to be started so there is less excuse for sitting idle in front of the TV. There are so many things that are just plans in my head which need to end up on the needles or on the machine, not to mention the languishing unfinished bits & pieces.

So off to do some more...

Jacaranda Bramble Beret Finished!

I finished the longer length jaracaranda bramble beret tonight, I'll block it tomorrow. It looks like it will be pretty cute. Now I need to find another portable project - maybe some more socks or back to the garter stitch scarf?

The front of the chaise top is finished, onto the back. I'm hoping I have enough yarn to finish it - I have a plan B, but loathe frogging back & picking up stitches.

Everything else is still on the to-do list with a few more bits added for good measure.

Forgot to post the finished secret plan...

It was a rainbow coloured cardi for a neice! Although I think the pattern would have worked better in a plain coloured yarn.

A couple of berets later...

I did get distracted again. The Brambles Beret from Knitty Fall 2010 was just too cute to go by. A couple of balls of inherited stash later and hey presto! A cute beret for me. And another one on the needles in the leftover jacaranda Biggan yarn. It's nice to have a smaller, more portable project to lug about - and stash being used up instead of more purchased - even better!

The summer top is coming along. The front is finished and the armhole decreases on the back are done. Hopefully only a week or three more before it's done.

3 frocks cut out, 1 bodice and 1 skirt sewn - now both need handwork before stitching them together. Definitely need some gold brocade as contrast for the purple frock, the pink will have black velveteen - just need to find enough in the stash (there'll be enough in there somewhere). One dressing gown all done bar the hand sewing, another cut out.

In my procrastination about what I was going to make with the Desert Aran cotton, I failed to notice until last week that there is a lovely lace jumper in the Jo Sharp book using that yarn. I had it in my head that it used the lighter weight yarn, nooooo - but lo and behold - the answer to what to knit as a navy jumper!

So I have a stack of stuff to keep me going for a bit...

Round and round we go...

So the jeans were mended, the blah, blah secret plan finished and a new project started (and yes there are a whole bunch of wips that still need finishing... back onto the black cloud list for them...).

The new project is a top for me. In dark red cotton from stash, I'm hoping I have enough - it's a sleeveless top, I should just make it, though the back up plan is leaving out the ribbing around the armholes (though I might do this anyway and just crochet the edge) and using 1 strand for the ruffle (I'm working the top with 2 strands to get the feel & tension correct).

It's the Chaise top from Jo Sharp's Summer holiday book and I'm knitting it in the round to avoid seaming up to the armholes. There are only 2 disadvantages to that:
1. working the new thread in is a cow, especially as the cotton seems to have a number of knots in it
2. You start off with 228 stitches, and though it decreases a bit, it still takes quite a bit of time to make it around 1 round of stitches. I probably should have used the 80cm long circular needle rather than the 60cm one too.

It's coming along though, fingers crossed it gets finished in time for summer!

So knitting still to finish:
purple garter stitch scarf
green throw rug
cotton jumper
sew up mittens

Sewing still to finish:
Blue & white cotton top
Teal shirt
Quilt

Stuff not yet started:
another work skirt for me
SCA frocks

I'm sure that there is more on the list... I can't remember - I'll have to add it in later.

A quick sunbeam

In amongst all the stuff on the to-do list (which is still ongoing, though the mending is down to taking up a pair of jeans) I wanted a quick & easy knitting project to finish.
The Jo Sharp Tweed Beret fit the bill perfectly... and used up stashed yarn! Now to find some others that are quick & easy knitting.

Spring knitting

Socks finished and given away - see photo for completed pair.

The book week costume was sorted on time, still need to make dancing skirts, did more of the blah blah secret plan knitting which is now way overdue. The rug has a few more rows completed and I think it's time to start on the next pair of socks. Really should get some mending done this week as well... Then need to get my head around SCA sewing.

Snug as a bug

knitting a rug. Sock still needs turning, the mending pile is becoming ridiculous and a book week costume needs details finalised...

I may not purchase any more stash until significant usage of current stocks has occurred. Need to think about further projects for when I'm not happy to knit under a rug of an evening.

More woolly socks

Well the last pair was finished, and nabbed to wear almost hot off the needles! And the next pair has one sock finished and the other up to turning the heel. The Jitterbug yarn is nicer to work with than the Noir and just seems to have more elasticity. The Noir is much more affordable though... I also love the wooden needles - even easier to work with than the bamboo.

My knitting in the round has definitely improved - no more ugly ladders, seem to have the knack of it now. The socks have been progressing as they are so much easier to transport about. The rug is simply huge, but I may get back to it after this pair of socks simply to get it off the to-do list.

Everything else has been on hold for a while....

Almost a pair o'socks

Second heel turned, on the straight run to the end... shouldn't take too long, but I've only really got the occasional evening for a while now.

In other news I may have accidentally wandered into Spotlight when they had 50% off all their wool. It truly was an accident, if I'd known, there was no way I would have actually managed to organise myself to get there during the appropriate time period. More stash was purchased, but really, truly I was restrained - some sock wool, baby wool for knitting pressies and that's it!

Desperately need to clean up the mess in my room in order to get to the sewing table... and re-think some of the storage so that more of the stuff is easier to access.

Rug knitting

It's been so cold I've been knitting the green throw rug, more for warmth than anything else... It's probably about half-way through now and it does knit up quickly. Everything else is still on the to-do list. I finished the purple Italian frock & the green German. Have done no other SCA sewing and just boring mending & so on when necessary.

And yet more sewing...

The small Ital ren is looking very cute, just need to finish the bodice(1 seam & bodice edge), cartridge pleat the skirt & hem.

The boy german outfit has a skirt which needs cartridge pleating and the top that needs sewing. But it's all cut out & ready to go, skirt is together even...

I have a new italian bodice pattern (thanks to Mz S) which I haven't moved much further on at this stage. The other bits are a higher priority at the moment. So will I get a new frock or am I going to run out of time?

The sewing plans...

All the sewing did get done in time, including a few extra bits. Now, of course, I have come home all inspired and want to do more. So in between housework & grocery shopping I catalogued the fabric stash. It definitely needs using! And that way I get more storage space (theoretically). So the current plan for the rest of April and early May is another small Ital ren frock in velveteen, with bits & bobs to match, one boy German slashed & puffed outfit and something for me (as yet undecided).

Then the knitting can take over again. Having said that, I did get one side front of the blah, blah secret knitting plan finished while waiting for the car to be fixed, and have finished one ball of wool in the purple garter stitch scarf. I have even done some work on one of my ancient cross stitch UFOs....

Still a stack of things on the to do list - though the mending is up to date now!

Progressing slowly

but need to speed up. The green Ital ren is mostly together, just need to cartridge pleat the skirt and attach it to the bodice, do the final handsewing on the bodice and hem it.

My German ren is as finished as it is going to get for now. Sleeves are for later...

Still need another small chemise cut & sewn, though that shouldn't take too long.

So not really any time for knitting lately...

Sewing update

One of the German Ren frocks has most of the dress decoration done - a bit of handsewing to go. Still need to sort out the sleeves though. Still haven't found where I was up to with the hat. Nothing done on other frock.
Green Ital Ren brocade not yet started... this is slightly worrying - maybe next weekend.
Chemise and other bits & pieces still not yet on agenda.
Not much knitting done either...
hmmm

Will finish at least the frock that is mostly decorated - arbitrary deadline next Sat night.

More sewing

The continuing sewing frenzy has seen the following completed:

a hemmed tablecloth
a new cushion cover (what - the cushion's only been in the sewing room for 22 months)
a dance gear bag

So, only 1 thing off the critical list...

Further sewing room organisation has happened - the noticeboard is on the wall and in use, a smallish plant pot was purchased (99c!) for all the scissors etc that get strewn across the table to hide neatly in, storage of sewing bits & pieces has progressed.

Small impulse fabric purchase today (remnants at IKEA, of all places) sparked the cushion cover. And there is enough left over to make either more cushion covers or something else...

Sewing and more sewing

Here's a piccie of the finished sundress:


And lots more sewing has been happening... There is now finished:
Italian Ren-based SCA frock out of red brocade (with small embellishment and pin-in-able sleeves)
chemise to go with frock
another sundress - polka dots
finishing a pair of SCA trews (that I found along the way, that I obviously didn't quite finish years ago)
some mending

Several new patterns have been cut out, one top for me is cut out ready to sew.

Have so many plans - SCA, home stuff, more clothes... now need time to make it happen.

The critical list is:
another SCA frock - Italian Ren - green brocade
finishing the last 2 frocks and the German Ren hat that got put away years ago. The main construction on the frocks is done - need to add the decoration. Need to figure out where the hat is up to.
a couple more chemises and caps
a pouch
a belt
Hemming a couple of table cloths
Finishing the top that is cut out
taking a pattern from my fave denim skirt that really is going to die soon and making a new one
finishing the quilt I started 8 years ago

On the knitting front, the back of the blah, blah secret plan is finished, have started on the front.

I have also done stage 1 of sewing room reorganisation (which means at least that the knitting needles are no longer in a pile on the floor). Stage 2 requires stash reduction or at least a more cunning plan for storage space use.