New York, Neeeew Yooooooooork!

I was in New York City over the weekend and as usual, I absolutely love the city - the energy, the shopping, the bright lights, the abundance of beads/fabric stores, Purl Patchwork, the Christmas lights... A complete sensory overload.

At my friend's apartment, we watched the American Music Awards where Alicia Keys + Jay-Z performed Empire State of Mind. I was in New York, listening to an anthem about New York and I had a *moment* where I just oozed love for the city (and the song). Alicia Keys has her own version (without Jay-Z) and it's so much better.

In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
These streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you,
Let's hear it for New York, New York, Neeeeeew Yooooooork!

At Purl Patchwork, I bought some oil cloth/laminated cotton. I was afraid to fold it so was going to carry it onto the plane. Unfortunately I forgot to bring them home!!! Stupid me! It's now gathering dust at my friend's place and me, all I can do is stare at the swatches from Purl's website. :(

Here are some of my favorite bits of the big apple!

All you need is love...

The famous gold guy

My haunted hotel - Hotel Chelsea

Large Lacy Shawls

I've made a few lace shawls in the past and there was a common problem. They were all so much smaller than expected! The Flower Basket, Swallowtail, Little Arrowhead...

So, I was determined to make shawl-sized lace shawls!

Flower Basket Shawl (again)

I finished knitting in October but took a while to block it. Here it is!

It's big enough to just wrap around my shoulders with room to spare. I love the peacock pattern, the pointy edge. You can even add or subtract repeats without the need to recalculate the edging. I may have to make another one...

Ene's Scarf

I casted on the same time as FBS, but haven't really worked on it since. Now that FBS is finished, I will tackle it. Aiming to finish it before Christmas but there still a long way to go!

Objects of Desire Sequel

Several months ago, I made this quilt from the Moda Objects of Desire collection.

Because my on-line retailer accidentally sent me 3 yards of the backing fabric instead of 1.5 years, I had enough fabric to make 2 blankets and here's the second one!

In total, I used the following to make these two quilts:

- 2 packages of charm squares (40 X 5 inch squares per pack)

- 3 yards of backing

- 1 yard of solid ivory

Same fabrics but the two quilts completely look different! I love them both!

Green/Blue Traditional/Modern BB Blanket

For this blanket, I used some scraps left over from the hot green boy blanket and some other scraps I found at Fabricland. On hindsight, I think the blanket is a bit too busy and serious (un-baby)... perhaps it would've looked better if the panels were a solid color instead of damask. Yet, at the same time, the colors work well together.

Originally, I sewed on damask print binding but the blanket didn't quite look right. There was too much going on with nothing to ground the blanket. I since ripped apart the binding and replaced with a more baby-friendly blue patterned binding. It completely pulled everything together.

For this quilt, I experimented with quilting in a zig-zag pattern on the damask panels since I was bored with straight lines and terrible with free-motion quilting (plus my machine is too small for it). I quite like the result! It serves the purpose of basting the layers and looks modern.

This blanket measures the same size as all the other ones I made (approx 35 X 45 inches).

It's kinda boy-ish in a traditional yet modern french-flair-ish way.

And then there were ...

Two baby blankets!

One is for the dude's sisters's baby-to-be and one is not for any baby in particular. I just felt like making them together because they use the same collection of fabrics and I wanted to make sure I had enough for 2 blankets.

I used the following Moda Sleepytime fabrics :
- 1 printed panel
- 2 packages of charm squares (each package includes 29 X 5" squares)
- 1.5 yard of fabric (type-face print)
- 2.5 yard of fabric (colorful dots) - there is still about 3/4 yards left.

Blanket 1: Sleepytime Panel (for dude's sister).

Blanket 2 - Sleepytime Charm

Ah.... I love them both. If the dude's sister had twins, I would gift them both... but luckily for her sanity, she doesn't have twins!

Summer Basket of Flowers Charm Quilt

This was a quick quilt and I had finished most of it some time ago but it took forever for me to sit down and attach the binding. Although only 35" X 45" in size, this is not intended to be a baby blanket, but perhaps a picnic blanket for an adult.

I thought about giving it to sister B, since I was planning to gift the Easter quilt to sister C. However, I'm not sure these muted country colors are really sister B's "THING". Might have to go back to the drawing board!

I used 2 packages of Moda Summer Basket of Flower charm packs for the quilt top. Each package includes 40 X 5" charm squares. It's perfect (no scraps left! yay!!). For the backing, I found a piece from my stash that had matching colors and also excudes a country, wholesome feeling. Although Moda calls the fabrics Summer Basket of Flowers, I think the colors remind me more of Autumn, perfect for now!

Creative Festival and Quilt Bottleneck

I went to the Creative Festival on Friday night and bought myself a bunch of fat quarters, charm packs and layer cakes. It was quilt fabric heaven! I was equally impressed with the yarn booths (versus a few years ago) but didn't buy any yarn. For me, yarn is easily accessible - there are 5 yarn shops along Queen Street, and 2 near work. On the other hand, all the Toronto quilt fabric stores are inconvenient for me to get to and expensive too.

Although I do not have much to show, I am in the middle of finishing five 35"X45" blankets. 1) Why five unfinished quilts? 2) Why 35"X45"?

1) Why five unfinished quilts?

I used to finish one quilt before starting a new one. However, there are very distinct stages of making a quilt and each requires different mindsets and tools:
i. Design and estimating fabric requirements - math, research, inspiration. Needs a sharp mind to do all the calculations and maximize every piece of fabric!
ii. Cutting fabric - clear the table for cutting mat.
iii. Piecing top piece of quilt - snap on the 1/4" foot on sewing machine. Lots of sewing & ironing.
iv. Making quilt sandwich - find lots of floor space and pins
v. Quilt the sandwich & attach binding - install the walking foot
vi. Finish binding - hand sew. Need to be in the mood.

I find it much more efficient to make multiple quilts at once. eg. If I have the walking foot on, it makes sense to do all the sandwiching in one go before switching feet.

Currently, I have 3 quilts in stage vi (hand sew binding), and 2 in stage v (look for binding). I also have 3 unstarted quilts in stage i (design).

2) Why do I like making quilts 35"X45"?

The main reason, is that batting comes in this size. The size is perfect for a baby blanket or a picnic blanket for adults. It is small enough that it doesn't require too much fabric (cost effective) and is easy to maneuver with my sewing machine.

Speaking of sewing machines, I test drove a few quilt machines at the Creative Festival. I was in love with the Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0, until I went home and read the online reviews. It apparently has some technical problems. Still, I love the IDT (Integrated Dual Feed - don't know why it isn't IDF instead), which basically turns the standard foot into a walking foot with just a click. No more screwing and unscrewing feet!

I also tried the Bernina Aurora 440 QE. The major selling point is the stitch regulator for free-motion quilting. For this machine, you don't even need to use the foot pedal. You just move the fabric and it sews by itself! But again, reviews reveal technical problems.

While tempted by the bells and whistles from these machines, I really don't have $2500 to spend. My current sewing machine can perform the basic tasks. Eventually, I will want a machine that can accommodate a larger sized quilt and can stitch letters/words... but that can wait.

Christmas Gifts Done (plus a back-up too!)

Every year, not matter how early I start, I have trouble finishing my Christmas gifts. So, this year, I followed these rules:

1) To be unambitious this year - pick simple but equally beautiful projects to knit
2) To find mobile projects - pick small projects that I can take with me on the TTC
3) To start early - I did!
4) To knit things that are enjoyable - they are!

It's been successful so far.... as I've already made the following:

For my sisters - the yellow/gray and blue/purple claoptis from the last post

For mom - I finished the cashmere fingerless mitts.

The yarn is really soft and the pattern enjoyable… but I ended up with quite a bit left over. I have another 2 skeins for another pair, but next time, I will do a few more cable repeats in the beginning to use up more of the yarn. Cashmere is too luxurious to waste!

For ? (back-up) - this chunky spewing two skein scarf

I just wanted to quickly get rid of chunky stash. I received two skeins of this Long Batik BBB yarn from a yarn swap. It's 90% wool and 10% acrylic. I crocheted One-Skein Scarf but didn’t follow the pattern exactly, especially the scallop edging. My scallops were smaller as I was worried about running out of yarn but it turned out OK!

Finished all the crocheting in one night! The only step from this being officially finished is a dye job - I find the white/orange mix too much of a contrast (looks like someone/something spew blood on it). I would like to make this more harmonious and less disturbing. Considering whether to dye this red or brown.

I wonder if anyone has dyed a project (after being knitting up) with success? Would the dye become blotchy?

Clapotis Stashbusting

The Clapotis is an interesting pattern.

The first time I knit it, I HATED it. It was interesting at first, but by the time I got to the nth repeat, I was bored out of my mind. I thought I would never knit this pattern again.

The thing is, the end product is so versatile - a bunched up spiral of stitches that can be modified to be a scarf, a shawl or a wrap.

Then a fellow knitting told me to replace a knit stitch with a purl stitch for keeping track of repeats. Wow, what a difference a stitch makes!

When I found myself with random balls of ribbon yarn, there was no other pattern than the Clapotis to use up the stash. I even frogged some old ribbon scarves (they kept stretching when worn) to make mini-claps.

I've made quite a collection of clapotis! Some will be gifts.

Clapotis scarf from Berroco Zen Colors (Nippon Blue - 3 skeins)
Claoptis scarf from Berroco Zen (Hot Pink - 2 skeins)
Clapotis scarf from Berroco Zen Colors (Shandong - 2 skeins)

In addition, I previously made these:

Original Clapotis shawl from Handmaiden Lady Godiva (2 skeins)

Clapotis shawl from Mirasol Hacho (5 skeins)

I think I'm clapped-out but who knows? I might make more later.

Sew Random

Here are a couple of things that I made over these few months in an effort to stash-bust my fabric collection. I actually finished them a few months ago, but haven't had a chance to blog them.

Top - Simplicity 2594

I finally found a suitable pattern for a checkered piece of remnant that I've had for ages!

Tunic - Simplicity 3539

This pattern is an oldie but a goodie! The pattern had a belt, which I found to be too stiff and too insignificant so I ditched it and used a real belt instead. I screwed up with the cuff button holes. Note-to-self: one-step button hole doesn't work too well with knit/stretch fabrics! So, I ended up removing the buttonhole cuff since I screwed up the holes and replaced it with elastic. Now it's more flowy and casual. Unfortunately, the dress is baggy and makes me look pregnant (which is not a good thing when one is not).

Barcelona

Back from my Barcelona trip!

I went to one yarn store... I'm not sure what the name is. On Knitmap, it's called Persones Llanes but the website is called All You Knit is Love and in the below picture is something in Spanish. It was steps away from my hotel and the Picasso Museum.

The store is small and carries Drops yarn, some local Spanish wool (very scratchy), a little bit of Filatura di Crosa and Lorna's Laces. The store person kept ignoring me and was too busy chatting with other customers so I didn't end up buying anything. Plus, my shopping exploits already put me in the $750 danger zone. (Canadians travelling abroad over 7 days are only allowed to bring $750 worth of goods tax-free back into the country).

Barcelona is a beautiful city but my friend had her purse stolen. Luckily I made the choice to NOT bring the big camera!! Here's a few shots of beautiful Barcelona with my Canon SX200IS.

(starting from top) Buildings along Passeig de Gracia, Park Guell, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila (La Pedrera)

Happy knitting!

Blue Period

In the spring, I bought 3 meters of navy jersey to make the Convertible/Infinity Dress. The idea is great - a dress with 2 long sashes that you can wrap/twist/wear anyway you want. I was particularly inspired when I saw this and this. Apparently, it's a popular bridesmaid dress since bridesmaids can customize their own look with the same fabric.

And so, I started. The pattern was easy... Unfortunately, I accidentally cut the waist opening too large and had to insert elastic to keep it up. I followed the pattern but I think the convertible sashes/straps were too long because they were long enough to mummify myself with 3 wraps around my chest/body, which meant bulk, which made my waist looked huge. That was the strapless dress look, so I tried the halter look. The straps were not sturdy and I suffered from a wardrobe malfunction. To solve this, I made a boobtube with leftover fabric.

Still, it was not flattering. The dress has a full-circle skirt and I should've known better. Although I am petite, I have an ample behind and full-circle skirts don't exactly help. I decided to recycle and make something else with the fabric. Coincidentally, the fabric was now on sale (3 months later) for $5 a meter so I bought another 3 meters.

And what can one make with a total of 6 meters? Quite a few items.

1) A top - Simplicity 4020 (1.5 metres)

Off the shoulder bubble tops are all the rage but I don't like such large necklines. This pattern is perfect! I love the bat sleeves and it was soooooooo easy to make.

2) A skirt - Simplicity 2608 (1 metre)
Same pattern as the 2 prints ones and still love the ruffles. I'm getting better doing the gathering. Again, I hid the ruffle seams on the inside.

3) A top/mini-dress - Simplicity 2554 (2 metres)
It only took me a few hours, but making this top was torture. That pattern was not difficult, I just accidentally serged the ruffle inside-out, which led to ripping (serged seams, which is NOT fun), accidentally cutting a hole in the ruffle (have no idea how that happened), re-cutting fabric, re-basting, re-attaching pieces... etc. Luckily I do love how it turned out. Upon closer inspection of the ruffle/gusset construction, the finishing is a little bit rough but who's going to lean close to me and stare at my underarms?

4) A bubble skirt - Simplicity 2608 (1.5 metre)
They are all the rage this season too. I like how this skirt is VPL-free!

I have an entire new blue wardrobe. I think this is my blue period.

Coincidentally, my hotel in Barcelona is very close to the real blue period masterpieces. My flight is later today! Although I'm not terribly impressed by Picasso's work, I'm soooo excited!

Cashmere and Me

I remember my first cashmere sweater, a burgundy boat-neck from Aritzia. It was sooo soft. I remember someone telling me "cashmere is so luxurious, once you start, you can't go back to wearing wool." I even remember reading an interview of Reese Witherspoon "I can't stop buying cashmere sweaters, I have one in every color!"

Unfortunately, I think I have picked this up this habit over the years. I still wear wool nowadays... but it can be scratchy, despite the many recent technological advances to make wool softer. I just adore my cashmere sweaters.

So when Elann had 100% cashmere skeins on sale... I hesitated. Price was one thing... but what would I be getting myself into? What if my hands get used to knitting in cashmere and rejects everything else? But I bit the bullet and made a purchase.

I started knitting fingerless mitts for my mom. The pattern is from Elann (designed specifically with the yarn in mind) and requires 2 skeins, so it's not expensive. I read the pattern wrong so it's missing a few cables but here's one finished mitt.

It's soooooooooo soft. Once I cast on, the yarn and pattern were such a joy to work with that I could not put it down. Surprisingly, the yarn did not shed.

Now I am grateful that I grabbed as much cashmere as I could afford in that transaction... it's not a lot but every stitch was and will be a delight.

Another Clap

And so the TTC Clapotis knitting continues.

Here's one in hot pink (my favorite color!). This one is also made from 2 skeins of Berocco Zen.I haven't really been playing with my camera lately but I took this shot before going to work. The lack of sunlight actually makes the aperture pop! I love my camera so much. It's old but reliable. I took this pic with my Canon EOS 300D and Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens.

I'll be heading to Barcelona this weekend. Gaudi! Miro! Javier Bardem! Unfortunately, I have heard MANY stories about purse snatchings, theft, swarmings and gypsies. To the point that I have decided to abandon my DSLR camera. My travel lens (Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM) is quite big and screams "mug me". Instead, I'll be bringing my compact ultrazoom point and shoot, which looks much more discreet. I'm quite sad about it. The picture quality won't be the same but I'm trying to balance safety with acceptable looking pics.

Has anyone else had this dilemma?

Still Knitting!

Seems like I've been sewing like crazy lately (which I have) but I haven't neglected knitting. I've been working on the VK Lace Dress, which has been a very slow process.

The skirt portion has been completed! I've already started the bodice but starting to plan how to modify the neckline. The original pattern is sort of like a mock-turtle neck but I prefer something a little lower.

This is not the first dress I've knitted and although it is taking a lot of time, I quite enjoy the pattern. The lace panels keep me intrigued! And the changing of needles sizes keeps me on my toes!

Bags for my Sisters

Had some denim remnants and made some bags from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing. It was super easy to make.

Because the bag does not have a zipper or any closure, I added a small detachable change bag. Inserting the zipper to the pouch was the only frustrating part of the project but I found a great tutorial, which helped a lot. There's also this and this, which are different versions but seem equally easy and helpful.

One bag for Sister B...

You won't believe it, but the lining is actually a rice bag. Once upon a time, rice came in fancy fabrics before transitioning to nylon.

and one for Sister C...

Next, I want to make one for myself!

Ribbon Stashbusting

My obsession with (mostly red and pink) ribbon was mentioned here.

Since then, I made the Water Lily Top with Needful Capri. My math was horribly off because instead of 6 skeins, I only used 3.5 skeins!... which means I have 2.5 skeins left in the stash.
And so, I decided to look for scarf patterns that were suitable for ribbon yarn to stashbust! A pattern that didn't require a lot of yardage and a stitch pattern that showed off the ribbon texture. I previously made drop stitch scarves with Berroco Zen but they kept streeeeeeetching when I wore them, to the point they became very skinny and very looooong.

This time, I decided to make clapotis scarves. This project is perfect for knitting on the TTC in the summer. I already finished making one ribbon clapotis (yellow) using Berocco Zen Colors ribbon yarn and already on the 2nd one (pink).

STASHBUSTING METER

Waterlily Top - 3.5 skeins Needful Capris

Yellow Clapotis - 2 skeins Berroco Zen Colors in Shandong

More Skirts!

Knit fabric was on sale for $5 a meter so I bought a few meters of various prints. I made more skirts!

Skirt - Simplicity 2608

I made these ruffle skirts and I love it!!! I modified the ruffle a little bit, it took a little bit of work to do but the skirts turned out great! They graze just above the knees. Loved it so much I made 2!! I will definitely make this again in a solid color.

I'm going to sew dresses next.

Reversible Skirts/Dresses

One of my favorite Lululemon items is the Beat the Heat dress. I bought one last summer and it's great, you can wear it as a dress, flip the boob tube down and wear as a top or a skirt, plus it's reversible so there are a total of 6 looks!

Every year they introduce new fabrics so I often go the store and get tempted to buy more but it's not cheap.

Why not sew them?

ONE

On my first try, I just used the actual Lulu dress to trace the pattern and made this. For the bandeau, the Lulu dress is shaped in such a way that it fits the boobs better, but to make things simple, I just used rectangles.

Reversibility seems like a challenge but it was actually not difficult at all. I decided to swap the boob tube/waistband fabrics so the printed patterns matched when in top/skirt mode.

Dress Version 1:

Dress Version 2 (reversed):

Skirt (with boob part folded down):

TWO

Then, I remembered I found a free pattern here and made a version with these fabrics. One side a floral and one side dots.

Here's a pic of the dress with the floral pattern.

I love them. They are versatile (6 looks in 1!), comfortable, convenient (no ironing) and cheap (uses less than 1 meter of each fabric). With some jersey fabrics selling for $4-7 a meter, that's less than $15 for each dress!

THREE

Previously, I made another reversible skirt using the Simplicity pattern 2608 and replaced the waistband with a simple elastic. This one is more suitable for work (when it's worn as a skirt).

I must say, the serger has made my life easier!

Um.... I don't want to hear what you think.

This morning I was riding the TTC as usual and knitting away. I like spending my morning commute knitting to ease the brain from sleep to work mode.

I'm always a bit self-conscious about knitting in public as I do not enjoy attracting attention but it's 40 minutes everyday which would otherwise be wasted. Most of the time, people just ignore me but occasionally I get the following:

• Older woman who compliments my work and reminisces about her past knitting experience
• Younger woman who is in awe and has interest in learning how to knit
• Man who is in awe (especially when I knit socks).

Although I am a little shy with this attention, it does make me feel good.

But this morning, I received my first unwanted, unsolicited judgement from a stranger on my knitting method and habits.

I was knitting with some ribbon yarn on bamboo needles. A complete stranger, sitting 3 seats away from me, started yelling (at me) in an obnoxious tone:
"Don't you find bamboo needles too sticky? I find it too sticky and slow to knit with cotton yarn. What yarn are you using? Is it cotton? Because I prefer metal needles for cotton. Bamboo needles are too slow. Bamboo needles are too sticky. Yarn just slides off better using metal needles, which makes it faster to knit with. You should use metal needles."

Then she got off the subway.

I was so mad!

1) Is it any of your business what needles I use?
NO! I don't care what you think! And I don't want to hear what you think!

2) What makes you such a good judge about what needles I SHOULD be using with my yarn? Do you even know my yarn?
I'm knitting with shiny ribbon yarn. RIBBON. When is ribbon 100% cotton? If you were such an expert, you would know that shiny ribbon yarn (like the one I used) is composed of nylon, which makes it very slippery, which makes it difficult to control using metal needles!

3) Do you think I don't know metal needles are faster?
Well I do know that, but this yarn is more suitable with bamboo needles. And maybe I just PREFER bamboo.

4) Did I ever complain that I was knitting too slow?
NO!

5) Did I ever ask you for your advice?
NO!

Bite me.

Stashbusting Rowan Membership Gifts

I've been a Rowan Member for a few years now. Every year, they send you free yarn - which is a good thing but sometimes this leads to buying more yarn in order to use up the free yarn, which is a bad thing.

In the past month, I've been coincidentally working with (almost) all the free yarn I've received:

2006 - 2 skeins of Rowan Hand Knit Cotton - Cannes

Two skeins is not a lot to work with. I doubled it up and bought some Cotton Braid to make Cannes. I don't really swatch and for some reason, Rowan patterns are always on the large-side for me. Unsurprisingly, it came out large and I tossed it aside.
Last month, I made some modifications to the fit. Cotton Braid does not frog well. In fact, it almost disintegrated when unraveling… so I gave up frogging and re-knitting the entire thing. Still, I was able to take out the neckline and reknit it with 10 fewer stitches (5 on each “sleeve”). In addition, because the sweater was knit in the round, I sewed a "seam" on the sides that ultimately took out 2 stitches on each side seam.
It fits much better now!

2007 - 4 skeins of Rowan All Seasons Cotton (2 sets = 8 skeins)

This was the year Rowan opened up an office in the US to service North American accounts. Due to a mix-up, I was sent 2 gifts! With 8 skeins, I hope I have enough to make the Mirabella Cardigan. I just started a few days ago.

2008 - 6 skeins of Rowan Denim - Indigo Ripples Jean Skirt

I just finished the skirt this weekend. I had to buy 2 more skeins to make this and unfortunately, the 2 extra skeins I bought were of different dyelot and the color differences were quite obvious. So, I used the gift denim to knit the main stockinette section, and alternated rows of gift and extra denim in the lace section.

I knit the smallest size using 3.75 needles. I like the pattern… simple but therapeutic (knit all rounds)... until I got to the ruffle. There's a lot of comments on ravelry "the ruffle was a pain to knit/bind-off took hours/but worth it" and all those comments were 100% true. I spent 3 different nights on the ruffle but I LOVE the end result! However, I wouldn't go through it again!

Modifications:
- Used smaller needles - 3.75 instead of 4.0 (tighter fabric so can’t see through it)
- Knit 2.5 more inches of stockinette (I’m conservative).
- Knit 1 less repeat of lace - 50 rows instead of 60 rows (I’m short and worried I would run out of yarn). Phew I cut the lace short. I only have 2 loonie-sized balls left.
- Used twill tape for the waist tie/belt as I ran out of yarn and didn’t even have enough for an i-cord! I hate knitting i-cord anyway.

2009 - 6 skeins of Rowan Pure Wool 4-ply

I have not received the yarn yet but I already have a project planned - Flo or Rosa. I have some KSH in my stash so I don't have to buy any yarn this time!

Woo hoo!

Lace Mania

My sister C and friend LL are both getting married next year. Both have chosen purple as their wedding colors.

So, when I saw this sampler (Deep Sea), I went mad and bought 2 packages. Figured that 400m of lace yarn (per color) was not a lot and limited the pattern choices so I bought 2 = 800m of each color. So many possibilities.

Before diving into the wedding presents, I was trying to choose patterns. Swallowtail Shawl is a possibility, plus Ene's Scarf and Flower Basket Shawl. And so, I started test knitting them (for myself :) ).

Ene's Scarf (in Little Knits Indie II lace yarn)

This scarf/shawl starts bottom up. So you start with a whole lotta stitches and decrease as you go. The lacy bits haven't really started yet.

Flower Basket Shawl (in Fleece Artist Sea Wool)

This shawl is knit top down, so you start with 2 stitches and increase as you go.

Top up or top down? Pain now or pain later? I can't say which method I prefer... yet.

Other Lace

Meanwhile, the VK lace dress is coming along quite well.

The lace pattern is not difficult; however, I wanted to shorten the length and got stuck with the calculations. Instead of cutting out repeats, I decided to use smaller needles to achieve the effect. Don't know it if works, but I'm plowing through it!

Serge it!

I love working with jersey fabrics but I'm tired of popping stitches and sewing the same seam 2+ times to finish it. So I bit the bullet and bought a serger.

The unfortunate thing is that there's not a lot of choices to choose from here in Canada, especially entry level ones.

I wanted the Brother 1034D due to great reviews, the price and my sewing machine is the same brand. Although it's available in the States (Walmart), it's not available here. I emailed Brother Canada and was told "I’m afraid we no longer sell the 1034D serger and thus why none of our retailers would still carry it. We have updated that line and the current model offered is the 3034D." How convenient, because the 3034D happens to cost at least 50% more than the 1034D. Grrrrr. Although I didn't mind paying shipping from the States, I didn't know how much duties and UPS "fee" would amount to and didn't want to risk it. I previously had a bad experience with UPS, where I bought a pair of shoes for $20, paid for shipping and the UPS bill cost me an additional $40!!

I called up a few sewing shops but was told an "entry level" serger costs $500+.

I tried Craigslist but all the good ones were either snatched up right away or lived in far away towns. I think sewing stores hoard the downtown ones.

In the end, there were only a couple of choices and I picked up the Singer 754 from Walmart. Although it didn't come with an instruction video, there are a few videos online.

There were some reviews about how the threading is difficult but the machine came pre-threaded! It's just a basic machine but does all I need it to do - finishing raw edges and sewing knit fabrics.

It's so fast!!! I love it but I just wished the Brother one was available too.

And now, I'm looking at the dresses I made before... Being a perfectionist, I am really tempted to re-finish the seams with serging but I know I could potentially ruin the dresses... what to do?

Shetland Chunky De-stash Round 1

When I first started knitting, I made a few multi-colored sweaters/cardigans from Patons (Beehive) Shetland Chunky. They didn't work out and throughout the years, those sweaters have been frogged and I tried buying new colors of Shetland Chunky to complement the old colors. After much designing, knitting, frogging and more buying, I ended up with a bunch of random balls of Shetland Cunky in pinks, purple, blue, green, cream, and other colors.
It became so ridiculous that I had collected a minimum of 5 generations of Shetland yarn. If you look closely, you can even see Eaton branded yarn. For those of you who live in Canada, you know this stuff is vintage.
I FINALLY found a perfect project for these random balls - granny square!! Or as Soosan calls it, a SCRAPGHAN. In the end, I decided to exclude the creams from the project and bought 10 more mini-skeins of wine from a fellow raveler to make borders and tie the project together.

The blanket measures approximately 46X46 inches, consisting of 49 squares in total (7X7). The border is 4 rows of single crochet with picot edging. I joined the squares using a slip stitch which showed the seams on the front of the blanket.

I had a bit too much purple left so I made this. I previously made a pair and they are great for wearing at home. The pattern is from Patons Next Steps 4 - Socks and Slippers.

Except for some purple, little bit of wine and the creams, most of the yarn was pretty much used up.

Yay for de-stashing! And now... what to do with the other 26 skeins of Shetland Chunky in my stash....

STASHBUSTING METER
Granny Square Scrapghan - 15 skeins Patons Shetland Chunky (various sized skeins @ colors ) @ 6.0mm crochet hook
Purple Chuunky Cabled Slipper Socks - 1 skein Patons Shetland Chunky (various sized skein)

Chunky in the Summer

It's summer, but there were a few loose ends I wanted to complete from the winter:

1) Coffee Cup Cozy

My sisters seldom request knitted items. I just push things onto them. So when sister C requested a knitted coffee cup cozy, I was all excited. I spent a lot of time thinking about it. I wanted something with ribbing (to better fit the cup), a few cables (for aesthetics), bulky yarn (thicker) and super soft. It would be a great way to get rid of leftover yarn!Easy peasy! I used a very small ball of leftover Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky. Casted on 36 stitches with the following stitch pattern: K1, P2, K4 (6 row cable), P2

2) Concentric Vest

Last year, I used Rowan Linen Print to make Sloane. The original pattern was too loose and had no shaping. I attempted to deisgn my own pattern but it looked terrible.

Then I found the Concentric Vest from Teva Durham. I had 4 skeins and it was perfect - the gauge, the twisted ribbon effect, the amount of yarn I had (I have a small ball left). It's the first Teva Durham pattern I've knitted and she's absolutely brilliant! Due to the creative construction, it was not the easiest to understand and there is an errata on the interweave website. But the design was just brilliant.

I made a few modifications: I knit both the 2 fronts in one piece. It took a bit of trial and error (at least 4 times of ripping it out) to figure out the mirroring of short rows. But I got it!!

I love the cables. And it's so warm!

STASHBUSTING METER
Concentric Vest - 4 skeins Rowan Ribbon Twist (100g/60m) @ 10mm

Neutral Uncomplicated BB Quilt

My friend, M, just had a baby girl! Before Chloe was born, she warned me "The doctor isn't 100% sure that it will be a girl (the pictures could possibly hide something). I hope the pink things I'm getting will work out!" In the end, the pink things are indeed useful but I made a neutral blanket "just in case".

The baby quilt has the illusion that it is complicated but it's not. It is Moda fabric called Objects of Desire. The stripe border and backing is stripe-printed fabric and the squares in the middle were made from 2 packages of pre-cut charm squares (5" inches). I love making baby quits!

Noro De-stashed: Granny and Scrappy

GRANNY: One Big Granny Square

It's finally completed! I added 4 rounds of single coloured border. I found one ball from my stash (Galway Diamond Yarn @ $3) but actually needed 2 skeins to complete the 4-rounds. Picked up one more skein at the TTC-knitalong this weekend. It was worth the trouble as granny now looks finished!

It was also worth frogging Lizard Ridge!!

SCRAPPY: Noro Leftovers Scrappy Scarf

I felt bad, actually GUILTY, for investing all 20 skeins of Noro Kureyon in the Granny. So, I saved 1.5 skeins for something wearable outdoors. Found the pattern "Scrappy Lengthwise Scarf" on Ravelry and knit away. I actually cast on with softer wool (Rowan Designer DK) and ended up casting off with some of the leftover Galway from Granny. Because it was knit length-wise, I was never 100% sure how long it would be. After blocking, it turned out great!

It's the same colorway as but "the look" is completely different!

And last but not least, the damage from the TTC-knitalong and a re-stashing of more new yarns. Originally, I had 3 must-buys on my list:

- 1 skein of Diamond Galway to finish Granny

- 2 skeins Rowan Denim so I'll enough for the Indigo Ripples Skirt. (I already had 6 in my stash from Rowan membership).

- 3 skeins of Needful Capri to make Waterlily Top. (I already had 3 skeins in my stash).

The following picture documents yarn that was NOT on my list but ended up in my shopping bag:

- 1 skein Cherry Tree Hill supersock (over 50% off)

- 2 skeins Fleece Artist Sea Wool (over 50% off)

- 8 skeins Rowan Felted Tweed ($5 a skein)

- 2 skeins Noro Matsuri (40% off)

Yarn heaven!

Obsessed with Ribbon

While looking at my stash, I noticed a reoccurring trend.

Ribbon yarn.

Red/pink tones (with hints of gold).

Random balls.

Clockwise starting from top left: Berroco Zen scarf, Rowan Linen Print, Louisa Harding Kimono Ribbon, S.R. Kertzer Sari, Needful Yarns Capri, Berroco Zen, Online Linie 96 Cascade.

With the exception of Rowan Linen Print, all of the ribbon yarns were supposed to be made into ribbon scarves. How many pink/red ribbon scarves does one really need?? Well, at least I consistently know what I like. :)

So after stalking on ravelry, I am hoping they can become the following:

Berroco Zen - Scarf or mini clapotis! I already knit a dropped stitch scarf with this yarn before. However, they stretch and get longer and longer as I wear them. I plan to frog and re-knit using a vertical dropped stitch method (i.e. clapotis)

Online Linie 96 Cascade - Crochet scarves?

Louisa Harding Kimono Ribbon - I don't know what to do with this. I'm just going to leave it in my stash but take it out once in a while to stare at it.

Needful Yarns Capri - Plan to buy 4 more skeins to make Waterlily Top

S.R. Kertzer Sari - Might abandon these.

Rowan Linen Print - Cardigan in mind.

No more red/pink ribbon yarn!!

Frogger

Thanks for your comments. The verdict is: Granny won hands down! And so... I bit the bullet and unravelled all 3.5 skeins of Lizard Ridge.

Luckily I don't feel too sad because the big Granny is progressing quite well! (It's still growing)

Unfortunately, Lizard Ridge is not the only recent frogging incident.

As I was knitting Ivy League, I always thought it looked a bit tight and small from the very beginning. Previously, during the ribbing stage, I had tried it on and it fit nicely. I thought things would work out and continued knitting to the v-neck opening before trying it on again. It still fit onto my body... but very snug. I could hardly move or breathe. I think I'll have to frog this back to the ribbing, then switch to a larger sized needle. BOOHOO!!!

There are also a few other projects that have been hibernating or failed miserably. I am going to give up on them too and start fresh!! Here are the pre-frog pics.

1) Jeanie

It was love at first sight, so much that I went and bought the suggested yarn. But the infactuation quickly fizzled. Numerous stichmarkers and figuring out a bunch of charts... I only got to the 3rd row, I don’t like this anymore.-> Plan to make Thermal.

2) Maldi's Shawl

Love the pattern, but the yarn choice was a bad one. I haven't fully frogged this but took the needle out.

-> Plan to make a sweater instead.

3) Twinkle Groovy Sweater

Fun, fast but terrible fit. Looks hideous on me.

-> Plan to make Kangaroo Tunic or a cardigan.

4) Chunky Print Yoke Vest
Also looks hideous on me.

-> Plan to make the same deep-v vest I made for my sister, but for myself.

5) Cannes

Too big.
-> Plan to reknit the same pattern using a smaller size.

It's like Spring cleaning!!

Vote: Lizard or Granny?

Some time ago, I bought 20 skeins of Noro Kureyon to make Lizard Ridge.

I started making one big Lizard Ridge... here it is. I'm not keen on the bright orange, the way the colors pool together and the short rows.

So next, I started experimenting with crocheting granny squares.

So...

which one do you think looks better?