I think now is a good time to document the patterns that I turn to when I have a gift to knit.   I have knit these patterns multiple times and find them easy to follow.  None of them use a large quantity of yarn and the recipients have always seemed happy to receive them!

Accessories

• Coffee Sweater- Allison Griffith (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/coffee-sweater).  These are amazing for last minute, inexpensive gifts.  They are also fantastic stash busters.  For Christmas, one year, I picked up travel mugs, the Husband’s hot cocoa packets, and an assortment of teas.  Each sleeve took me about 1 1/2 hours to knit.  In total, each gift cost me $5.  I made 7 for my staff and 5 for the Husband’s co-workers. 

• Gramma’s Dishcloths- P.J. Allen (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/grammas-dishcloth-grandmothers-2nd-favorite).  These are knit using any worsted weight cotton yarn.  You can buy a million different colors from Knitpicks, Michael’s, or Joann’s.  These can be made for a gift bag for bath time (scented soap, body wash, and some scented candles) or a prissy dishwashing kit (cute dishwashing gloves, fancy pot scrubber, and decorative dish soap container). These gift bags are great for housewarming gifts.

Wearable accessories

• Everglade Hat- Woolly Wormhead (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/everglade).  This pattern comes in 4 different sizes and uses one average skein of worsted weight yarn.  It is easy to knit, warm, and pretty.

• One Beer- Thea Coleman (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/one-beer).  Thea Coleman always puts out a great pattern.  This hat is easy and has a simple, non-gendered look.  It is all knits and purls with a few decreases thrown in.

• Land of Sweets cowl- Helen Stewart (https://www.ravelry.com/projects/KnittyGoodness/land-of-sweets-2).  You can do anything you want with this pattern.  It was designed to use up yarn advent calendars, so it is excellent for stash-busting.  I have knit 3 of these as gifts, so far.  I love the percentage system that Helen Stewart uses in all her patterns.  I find this to be a very simple and Zen knit, that can use any weight of yarn.

• The Snuggle is Real cowl- Maxim Cyr (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-snuggle-is-real-2). I am addicted to this pattern, both for gifts and for me. They are warm, unique, and are easy to knit. The mosaic knitting looks complicated, but it is really easy to get into a flow. Bonus, you can easily match the colors to your spouse’s motorcycle!

• Vanilla socks, following FLK heel instructions for size (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fish-lips-kiss-heel). I use this method for sock knitting for all of my sock-knit-worthy people. I actually have the cardboard cutouts for Feebs from 18 months to her current old age of 7, and still collecting. I also keep them for the Father, the Husband, and the female O, since they are the most sock-knit-worthy people in my world. If you are a fan of short-row heel socks or haven’t found a preferred sock heel yet, definitely give the Fish Lips Kiss Heels, and pattern method, a try!

Baby knits

• Flax pullover- Tin Can Knits (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/flax). To be perfectly honest, I am not quite sure how many times I have used this pattern. I have knit at least 3 for Feebs, 4 that I can remember as gifts, and I have modified and spruced up the pattern most times that I have knit it. It is a beginner-ideal sweater pattern that knits up quickly. The one pictured is a 2-4 year old size and was completed today. I started it two days ago. Yeah, it’s a fast knit!

• Bean & Olive- Drea Rene Knits (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bean–olive). This is the sweetest sweater if you want a fun baby knit. For some reason, I always struggle with the yolk increase rows, each time I knit it. There is NOTHING wrong with the pattern. I just seem to have some kind of block on non-standard increase methods. Even when they are fantastic and practically invisible increases… My bad, not DRK’s.

• Stacked stag-horn baby sweater- Stacey Cilia (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stacked-stag-horn-baby-sweater-dk-weight). This has been my go-to baby boy sweater for several years. While I am not a fan of bottom-up construction with sweaters, this is such a cute and quick knit. I always forget how quickly the little sleeves knit up.

• Mignon cardigan- Loop London (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mignon-2). To be honest, I have only knit this sweet little cardigan one time, so far. I loved the pattern and the mommy-to-be loved the finished sweater. The reason that it made it onto the Go-To Gift Knits list is that I have every intention of knitting it again for future babies.

• Tweed Baby Blanket- Jared Flood (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tweed-baby-blanket). Again, a pattern that I have only knit once. But again, a pattern that I fully intend to use again. The center was a very quick knit. Picking up the 1,000,000,000,000 stitches around the border was a bit of a slog, but once that was done, the blanket was completed in no time.

• Chevron Cherub Wrap- Lisa Siefert (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chevron-cherub-wrap). This has been my go-to baby blanket since I started knitting baby blankets. It is very quick and can be fancied up if desired. The first time I knit it, I followed the pattern and did it in stockinette. I learned that was not my jam due to the rolling that all good stockinette foists upon you. I have since always knit it in garter stitch.

For some reason, this seems to be a big year for life changes for the people that surround me. I know a lot of soon to be married people, homebuyers, and family expanding people. Now is the perfect time to start cataloging these and planning for the upcoming gift-knit projects.

Loves,

M

This month I have sewn garments for Feebs. I was wanting to use up some fabric in my cubbies, and had my eye on eliminating the food flannel. That fabric was turned into some pajama pants using See & Sew B6613. I have used this pattern for her jammie pants several times and have always used size 6. Since I am a complete heathen, I cut out my patterns, so it was never going to last past size 6. My girl is 7 now, and getting too tall for the 6- 6X size. She still has a little waist though and can fit in her 6- 6X size clothes. To fix the situation I added about 3.5 inches of cuffs using the same fabric in the opposite direction. This worked great and now they will last her at least through the fall (I hope).

Last, and oh my god, certainly least is the DiBY ABB Tee. The pattern was so easy and self explanatory, so do not take any of the horror of the outcome as anything against DiBY.com. The was my first time sewing with jersey material, and my first time sewing a garment on my overlocker. IT CAME OUT SO BAD! I won’t even tell you everything I did wrong, because this would be a few pages long. Instead, I will tell you some of the challenges, new techniques, and positive outcomes.

Challenges:

1. I used a ball point needle and the fabric was still chewed up by my sewing machine
2. Even though I know how to drive both automatic and standard transmission vehicles, I could not figure out how to gently depress the pedal on my overlocker, so it went way too fast
3. I absolutely could NOT make the pocket look right and even, so omitted it
4. I was very careful not to stretch the fabric at all when I was sewing/ overlocking, and all of the hems are still ruffled.

New techniques:

1. I decided to use my rotary cutter and mat, generally I am a scissors kind of person
2. I sewed shoulder, side, and arm seams with my overlocker
3. I used a recycled cotton jersey bed sheet to make this, and was my first time sewing knit fabric

Positive outcomes:

1. Feebs likes it (most important)
2. In the end, I did end up with a shirt
3. I learned to pay close attention to where the blade is when using the overlocker, especially when sewing around curves

Notice, I am only showing a 30,000 feet picture of this shirt? I have decided that this is not a project that I want to document up close. I really feel like any future project I make, like this, will be a vast improvement. I am also going to call myself out for being sloppy and lazy (and just mildly frustrated and tired) on the neckband. I did not follow the directions and mark the front, center, and side quarters. I decided to just eyeball it. Note to self: you do not have an experienced eyeball. While you know how to fudge knitting, you do NOT know how to fudge sewing. Follow the directions, lady!

Loves,

M

I knit a swatch.  And by swatch, I mean I knit the sleeves.  So far so good.  There is contrast between the Moss and the Cloud.  Not as much contrast as I would like, but it is definitely there.  I think the Midnight Heather will really pop against the body colors.  I have made my first error.  The pattern for the cuffs is 6 inches of ribbing, so that they can be folded over.  I am not a fan of folded cuffs, so I opted to knit 3 inches of rib instead.  By doing this I should have shortened the sleeve measurement by 3 inches, which I did not.  As a result, I will have exceptionally long sleeves, which I don’t mind.  Going down from a size 8 needles to a size 7 was a good idea.  The sleeves are snug (thanks to my very tight color work knitting), but not too tight.  I think the overall fit will be good.  Due to some soreness in my wrists and elbows, this is taking much longer to knit that I thought it would.  I am taking more and longer breaks with knitting.  I need my limbs to stay active and able, till death do us part, so I am trying to take it easy.  I hope to start the body this weekend.

Loves,

M

I have a ridiculous amount of fabric for someone that has been scared to death of sewing for the last 40 years.  I have store-bought fabric, sheets, curtains, and upcycled fabric from outgrown or damaged clothing.  I can’t seem to get rid of any fabric if I think I could use it for something.  After I posted my dream sewing, last month, I did a quick inventory of my available fabric.  I also reorganized my patterns and got an idea for some pairings.  I have decided to complete the pairings, and not just muse about them.  My intention is to pull out a few selections of fabric and coordinating patterns and sew them.  I am NOT trying to match every fabric I have.  I want to start small and work my way up.   I want my dream sewing to become wearable garments.  A reason that I selected these is because I already have everything that I need to complete these.  No, scratch that, I need a zipper for the overalls.  I want to have them all cut out and ready to go by the end of the month.  I also want to complete 2 of them in that time.  Wish me luck!

1. Cotton flannel jammie pants for Feebs

Pink jersey t-shirt for Feebs- using twin sized fitted jersey sheet

Summer skirt for me- using stripped seersucker fabric

Light weight overalls for me- using cotton/ linen blend curtains (this will need to be dyed, probably khaki green)

Loves,

M

P.S., in case you are wondering, no, I did NOT sew the white denim skirt.  I am ashamed to report this, but the mojo just wasn’t there.   I will figure out my life at some point, and the skirt will eventually be made.  

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in the office, in the wee hours before anyone else in my house was awake.  I was smart enough to remember my headphones, charger and knitting, but not my robe.  Our heater doesn’t start pulling its weight until around 0600, and I had hours to go before that happened.  I was mildly (read: incredibly) cold.  Luckily the Husband had left his Dude sweater draped over the big ugly armchair, so I put that on.  I got quite comfy and snuggled in.  I started to have visions of having my very own heavy and comfy sweater to wrap up in.  I was dreaming/dreading of future camping trips and sitting as close to a campfire as I could safely get in a bulky and warm sweater of my own.  In that moment, I decided that I am going to take on a full-blown colorwork sweater.  By full blown I mean a FOR REAL colorwork sweater, with steeking and everything.  The Switchback sweater, by Rachel Brockman.  It is a men’s sweater, with the smallest size being a 42-inch chest.  It has an all over colorwork design and a contrasting band.  It has a button band and a shawl collar.  I may try to get fancy and cut in some pockets too, just to be decadent.

• Materials: 

Knitpicks Wool of the Andes- Moss, Cloud, Midnight Heather

• Modifications:  

Pattern calls for size 7 and 8 needles. I intend to go down one needles size to 6 and 7.  

Make the shawl collar smaller.  I am not a fan of an aggressive shawl collar.  I find them too fiddly to wear and they never lay right on me.

Possibly cutting pockets into the contrast band, if I can get them to fit correctly and not obscure the pattern.

• Challenges:

I have only knit one other all over colorwork sweater, Cobwebs by Megan-Anne Llama.  I have also only steeked one project, the Dude Sweater by Andrea Rangel. 

Several years ago, I bought a large quantity of Wool of the Andes in Moss, with intentions of knitting an old man style cabled cardigan.  I changed my mind on the pattern and knit a very basic raglan sweater (only using half of the yarn!). To be completely blunt, the color sucked on me.  It made me look weak and wimpy.  I ended up frogging the entire sweater, and only using bits of the yarn for random things like the Setesdal Legwarmers by Skeindeer Knits.  I still have a very healthy quantity of the yarn left.  I don’t want to waste that yarn.  I want to give it life and enjoy it.  Once I realized that I wanted to knit a bulky, snuggly, luscious cardigan, I realized that it would be the perfect opportunity to use most of that yarn up.  Problem:  The body contrast color, Cloud, is cream/ natural.  I am concerned that a weak and wimpy green won’t show enough to contrast against cream/ natural.  If it doesn’t, I may have to try my hand at overdying.  At the very least I will have to….  swatch…  Oh, horror of horrors.  Mind you, I am not going to do the correct thing and knit an actual 4×4 square swatch in the round, like a good knitter.  I am going to cast on the sleeves and let them tell the story.  I will know about 3 inches up if I like the contrast enough.  If not, I can just rip them out and not too much time and effort are lost.  The thought of overdying 100% wool yarn gives me palpitations.  I have dyed exactly 1 yarn-y thing ever.  It was the Puck top that I knit in Knitpicks Cottlin.  Unfortunately, the yarn was meant to be skirt with a contrasting underskirt, so was a natural tan color.  This color matched my skin tone so well that I looked naked when I put it on.  I figured that I would never wear it, as it was, so I had nothing to lose.  I bought some RIT dye in burgundy and went to town.  It came out great, and I have no regrets.  I followed the directions to the very letter.  But…  That was a top knit out of cotton and linen.  They don’t felt.  I have no idea how on earth I should handle dying wool.  I have already started my extensive YouTube research, watching all videos that I can find, just in case.

So that’s where we start.  I have 1 ½ sleeves to knit on another sweater (Calliope) before I will allow myself to start this.  I should be done this week.  I am very excited to get started on this new knitting adventure.  Wish me luck, Universe!

Loves, 

M

                                                                                      

For my 2022 New Year’s cast-on I chose the Calliope sweater, by Espace Tricot.  It seemed like a very straightforward and simple sweater that I would get a lot of wear out of.  For Christmas, I purchased yarn from Keri’s de-stash and thought it would be a good pairing with this pattern.

• Material: 

Juniper Moon Stargazer in Malachite

Size 7 needles- per pattern

• Modifications:

Only 3.5 inches of yolk ribbing

Decreased 6 additional stitches on the sleeves and only 6 inches of ribbed cuffs, instead of 8

Made the sleeves bracelet length

Overall, I enjoyed the pattern.  It was very easy to follow.  I figured I would breeze through it, but I became disenchanted and put it to the side for a couple of months.  I am NOT happy with the bind off of the body.  Even after blocking, it is messy and doesn’t lay flat.  I still feel that this will get a lot of wear. My review of the yarn is not great.  The dye is not set, and my hands were teal any time I knit for more than 20 minutes.  When I soaked it, the water was completely blue. I recently purchased Rit Color-Fix, a color fixative.  I will use that and see if I can avoid having a Smurf chest every time I wear the sweater.  We’ll do better next time!

Loves,

M

Looking back over this month, I don’t feel that I was terribly productive.  I have been knitting, of course, but while gathering and documenting all my makes I feel like I haven’t completed much.  I finally finished the summer jammie set (I have a separate write up for that project).  I learned a lot from completing those garments and look forward to taking that knowledge into future sewing.

• Finished makes:

Husband socks- 66-stitch socks, toe up.  Patons Kroy (best sock yarn Ever!)

Worsted weight socks for me- 48-stitch socks, toe up.  Araucania Huasco Worsted.

4 charity hats- 80 stitch hats, yarn doubled to make bulky weight.  Used 3 ½ balls of stash yarn

Everglade hat- by Woolly Wormhead, size 20”.  Sea Change Fibers by the Dye Project Neskowin DK.  This is the second time making this hat.  I made one for the mom-in-law back in December and LOVED the pattern.  This is going into the gift box.

Summer jammie set

• New cast-ons:

Bean & Olive sweater for Ahleena.

• Works in Progress:

Calliope sweater

Jameson sweater

Knitting my memories blanket

White denim skirt

• Goals for next month:

Sew the damn denim skirt!

Make wearable toiles for 100 Acts of Sewing top and Simplicity 6446

Finish either the Calliope or Jameson sweater, probably Calliope since it only needs sleeves

Knit swatch for the Switchback sweater- see if there is enough contrast between the green and cream.  If not…  research how to overdye 100% wool yarn without felting it (or royally screwing it up).

Make every recipe that comes in the February Yummy Crate

Oh February, you fleeting month.  A lot happens in February, every year.  Even though it is the shortest month, it is always jam packed with stuff.  We have 7 birthdays, including mine, just in my immediate family.  My dad and I are one week apart, so we always get together to celebrate.  This year we took him to the greatest Eritrean restaurant in Oakland and rocked his meat and potatoes world. That weekend we took off for a kid-free weekend with the O’s in Nevada City.  We got a vacation rental house, and I may have done a quick google to search to find out how to successfully steal a house.  The house was so amazing, and the surroundings were beautiful.  On the last morning there, it snowed.  We sat drinking coffee and watching the snow fall through the wall of windows.  New life goal: find a way to become incredibly rich so that I can retire early, buy a vacation house, and sit for many days watching the snow fall while drinking coffee and knitting.  While in Grass Valley, I found a darling yarn shop called Heathered Yarns.  The shop was joined with another crafty type of shop and was delightful.  I bought two skeins of sock yarn, one for me and one for Feebs, and a pair of leather earrings for the Mother as a thank you for keeping Feebs for the weekend.  Aside from that, I did end up making a birthday yarn purchase and then a non-birthday yarn purchase.  I was able to get in on the Stranded Dyeworks Anti-Valentine shop update.  I have wanted that yarn since Jude first shared it and it is only available during February.  So, I snagged 3 skeins of Anti-Valentine in DK and 3 skeins of Red Velvet in DK. The Anti-Valentine will be used to knit a Paris Toujours shawl.  The Red Velvet will just be stashed and coveted with creepy “my precious” vibes. The shipping from Scotland was cringeworthy, but I have no regrets.  I later went down a rabbit hole looking for a warm and snuggly color-work sweater (after a morning spent wrapped up in the Husband’s Dude Sweater).  I have settled on the Switchback sweater.  I am nervous as there is only 1 completed project and this is a FOR REAL color work pattern.  I am also using this as an excuse to use up as much of the Wool of the Andes Moss green yarn that I have had for a long time.  I had to purchase two contrast color yarns, so went with Cloud as the body contrast and Midnight Heather as the colorwork band contrast.  I will have to knit a swatch to be sure that there is enough contrast between the Cloud and the Moss.  If not, I may need to try my hand at overdying.  Feebs and I made every recipe in her January Yummy Crate.  We made the bibimbap first, and it turned out very good.  Then we did the layered smoothies and realized that recipe yields a LOT of smoothy.  Then we did the salmon skewers. When we make them again, we will cut the salmon pieces bigger and put them farther away from the broiler. Each recipe was very easy to follow and required minimal “help” from me.  With her kid-safe knives, she was able to chop up most of the vegetables (or at least start them, till she decided to move onto something more exciting). The back yard clean-up saga continues.  We discovered at least another 1 ton of buried concrete.  I have never wished a person to hell as much as I have the former owner of our house.  We have started to dig it all up, which completely hijacked our plans to have the yard cleared and done in 2 weekends.  This weekend (weekend #4) will be all about backfilling where the concrete was, and where we removed the bamboo.  Then it is back to pulling weeds.  About half of the yard is done, so it shouldn’t take me too long.  The husband started his certification class, and can I just say, we didn’t read the fine print on this course.  We were both under the impression that he would have a night or two of instruction and a night needed for homework.  It seemed that it would be at his own pace and could be logged into at any time.  This was our mindset in October, when he signed up.  Fast-forward to February 14^th, when the course actually started.  He must log on at 4:00 PM, sharp, and be on the zoom call until 7:00 PM.  Mind you, he doesn’t get off work until 5:00 PM.  He must do this 4 nights per week.  Then he has roughly 6-8 hours of homework to complete on the weekend.  For 8 months.  Yeah, we didn’t read the fine print AT ALL.  This is shifting all of the house needs, Feebs needs, and all other must-dos to me.  It is going to be a struggle, but it will all be worth it in the end.  And the last car on my train of thought is Stitches West 2022.  I love Stitches West.  I have been going for the last 7 years and I love every minute of it.  I only go to the marketplace, as I don’t really enjoy taking large classes.  I either go with Ms. H, or by myself.  This year is the first year that they will be at their new location in Sacramento.  It is being billed as very big deal, since the arena is roughly double the size of the Santa Clara Convention Center.  I was doubly excited to go since it was cancelled last year.  However, I have decided not to go this year.  With Covid still being a real issue, and the mask mandates being lifted, I just can’t justify being a room with hundreds of people all crowding around tables and getting into each other’s spaces.  On the flip side, if they change it to be more Covid safe, that will change the entire vibe of the festival.  I have decided to for-go this year and make up for it next year.  On that note, I am SO OVER COVID.  I want it gone, I want it dead, I want it to be over and done.  That is all, rant over.

Loves,
M

On my sewing table, at the moment, is a white denim cut out that needs to be sewn into a Butterick B5466 skirt.   I have had this cut out for at least a year.  It has been moved around my sewing space no less than 7 times.  Last weekend I pulled everything out, bought the appropriate thread, and it is just lying there waiting for me to sew it.  This skirt must be completed before anything else is pulled out and cut.  I will NOT be defeated by this denim skirt.  I will wear the hell out it (if it comes out half-way decent) once it is completed.  I just need to get off the schtick and do it. 

However,….  Just because I can’t cut out something new and fancy, doesn’t mean that I can’t start dreaming and planning for new sewing projects.  In fact, I have several pairings already in my head.  Two of the dream projects will require a toile, which I will hopefully make into wearable toiles.  Because the toiles will be made from an Ikea baby pink bedsheet set, there will also be some fabric dying involved.  For the most part, I have the necessary supplies for these projects.

100 Acts of Sewing Dress No 1:  This will need a toile and fabric dye (may want to make it into a top instead of a dress)

Toile fabric- Ikea twin size bedsheet

RIT burgundy dye & color fixative

Fashion fabric- cotton fabric with Asian print from Mill End Fabrics, in Reno

*Things to buy- thread, single fold bias tape

Simplicity 6446 short jumpsuit: This will need a toile and fabric dye

Toile fabric- Ikea twin size bedsheet

RIT black dye & color fixative

Fashion fabric- cotton fabric navy with white polka dots from Mill End Fabrics in Reno

*Things to purchase: pattern, thread, 2- 16” invisible zippers

Tilly and the Buttons Stella Joggers:

Brushed cotton fabric

Ribbed cuffs

*Things to purchase: thread, 2” elastic, 1 ¾ yards of cord or cotton tape, small piece of iron-on knit interfacing

Simplicity 1355 long jumpsuit:

Pink garage sale fabric

*Things to purchase: pattern, thread, 3/8” wide elastic, one package of ½” wide single fold bias tape

Sewaholic Hollyburn Skirt:

Black twill fabric

Thread

*Things to purchase: 1-yard fusible interfacing, 9” regular zipper

Helen’s Closet Patterns Luna Tank:

Serger

Baby pink jersey bedsheet

RIT black dye & color fixative

Thread

Hopefully my dreams will come true soon!

Loves,

M

February 2022

I sewed myself a set of summer jammies, consisting of shorts and a camisole.  The fabric is from www.fabric.com, and is a super cute sweater print.  It is a thicker 100% quilting cotton.  I sewed as size 8 top, and size 40” hip bottoms. 

The top:

Pattern- True Bias, Ogden Cami.  This is a hack from www.sewnorthco.com, in which you skip the lining and add bias tape to the neck and armholes instead. 

This is the 4^th Ogden cami that I have made (5^th if you count my Ogden Cami dress hack), and by far my favorite.  I will make all future camis unlined.  This fits so much better and has a much better flowy feeling, even in stiff cotton.  I may even re-do one of the camis in my collection and remove the lining.  For some reason the lining never allows the top to fit me properly, it is always too tight around the bust (and I am NOT busty) and it messes up the shape.  It also causes the front hem to flare out.  I have not had this issue with the unlined version.  I may even go down a size when making the unlined ones.  The fit is loose, but not “too big”.  I forgot to attach the back of the straps before I added the bias tape, and that was incredibly messy.  Thank goodness these are pajamas, so no one should really notice the poor stitching.  I want to work on making the straps neater in the future.

New techniques: single fold bias tape.  This is the coolest invention ever!  The edges are smooth and look so neat.  I need to work on my technique, especially at the overlapping areas (in this instance, the overlap by the straps.)  I remembered to clip my curved edges before sewing on the tape.  I was very proud of myself.  I also want to find a way to finesse the V in the top.  There was a tiny bit of puckering that I couldn’t figure out how to smooth out.

The bottoms:

Pattern- began as the Darcy Boxers from www.peppermintmag.com, but I ended up not wanting functioning boxers with the fly and changed it to plain shorts with an elastic band.

These were pretty standard shorts.  I cut off the flap for the fly and seamed up the opening.  I then made an elastic channel and threaded it through.  My tension was a nightmare on these shorts.  For some reason I could not get the tension on my sewing machine right, so my stitching is very loose.  Again, good thing these are pajamas.  The shorts are at least 1 size too big, and I didn’t compensate with tighter elastic.  They are rather loose on my hips but still wearable.  I hemmed the legs with basic fold over ¼ inch, twice, then iron and sew. 

All in all, I am happy with these jammies.  They are NOT perfect.  They are not even close.  But they are done, and I can now wear them (when it gets warmer).  I want to make ALL the unlined Ogden camis.  I even want to make another Ogden Cami dress hack that is unlined.  I feel much more prepared to do it right and have them fit better.  I want to try to sew one with a lighter fabric.  So far, I have only used quilting cotton because it is easier to sew.  I am not going to go crazy and make a silk one, but maybe a medium weight linen…  I don’t think I will be making the Darcy Boxers again.  I want to find another shorts pattern that has options for elastic and drawstring waist.  I also want to find an athletic shorts pattern that can be made with jersey fabric.  I need to figure out sizing, in general.  I tend to always make a size too big.  This is better than making a size too small, I realize, but I want my garments to fit.  I am a 36”x 29”x 40” and am 5’4”.  I always make the finished garment to be 40” in the hip, but it always ends up being a size too big.  Not sure what I am doing wrong there, but I need to figure it out.

Loves,

M

This month I did a lot of knitting.  Everything that I knit this month has been knit in the past, so there were no new techniques.  I am pretty stoked that I emptied my scrap basket.  That has been a long time coming.  I set a goal this year to knit at least 3 hats per month for charity.  I intend to donate them, and any other useful knitted things, to the Homeless Action Coalition.  I have a lot of yarn that can be knit into hats and a metric ton of classic cotton yarn for washcloths.

• Finished makes:

2 pairs of vanilla socks for Feebs- 52 stitch socks (7 years old).  I used Duren Dyeworks for the body, and Marigold Jen Rainbow Connections for heals and toes.

9 vanilla hats for charity- 60, 70, or 80 stitch hats.  I used scrap yarn held double or triple to create a bulky weight yarn.

1 scrappy cocoon- pattern is Cozy Cocoon, by Kate Jackson.  I used my entire basket of scrap yarn held double or triple to create a bulky weight yarn for this and my charity hats. I love this pattern.  This is the 3^rd one that I have knit.  It is a very easy knit and is warm and comforting to wear.

• New cast-ons:

Calliope sweater, by Espace Tricot.  This was my NYE cast on.

Vanilla man socks for the Husband

Worsted weight socks for me

• Works in Progress:

Knitting my memories blanket- no pattern, simple chevron blanket made from left-over sock yarn.  You will see this on every WIP section till the end of time.

Jameson Sweater- pattern by Baby Cocktails

• Goals for next month: 

Start a gift pile

Use up more stash yarn for gifts/ charity.

Organize sewing cut outs and SEW THEM!!!

Make every recipe that comes in the January Yummy Crate

January was a very weird month.  It definitely felt like a new beginning, but not necessarily a comfortable one.  I think I am going to find myself pushing through a lot this year.  You know what I mean, right?  Like, “I have to do this, but I don’t want to.  So, I am just going to square my shoulders, put my head down, and push through till it’s done.”  I am also trying to adapt to the motto of “done is better than perfect” with sewing.  I have gone through my yarn and reorganized and updated my Ravelry stash page.  That took a hot minute, let me tell you.  I have a…  significant sized yarn stash.  I don’t think I am up to more yarn that I can knit in a lifetime size stash, but definitely a I could knit solely from stash for a decade or two before I needed to buy more yarn size one.  I have also acquired more fabric than I really should, considering how scared I have been of sewing.  I am making a plan to use up a lot of the fabric that I have.  Even it isn’t perfect and beautiful, I am going to make it, and wear it, and be happy with it, dammit.  I also FINALLY pulled out the serger and tried it out.  It is a really cool tool, and I look forward to getting over myself and using it.

Life stuff has been pretty much more of the same.  We survived the holidays, which is good.  School and work have resumed.  Feebs is having some struggles with getting back into the routine and has been very disorganized and sassy.  I’m working with her teachers and school counselor to help her get back on track.  Sadly, the husband’s dad has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  He is stage one, which is good (?).  There isn’t much more info at current.  Feebs and I got to see Sister #3 and her family, which was fantastic.  They are going to come to our house in February, for the first time.  It’s really ridiculous that they haven’t been here before, considering we have lived here for 3 years, and they are only an hour away….  We are planning to attack our incredibly overgrown back yard in the last week of January, before we end up with Audrey 2 taking up residence and eating the neighborhood cats (kudos to you, if you got the Little Shop of Horrors reference).  I am going to weed and renew last year’s veggie box so that the husband and Feebs can plant their new crops in March.  My birthday is in February, so I guess that means I get to splurge and buy myself some yarn (that I completely, totally, 100% don’t need).  We also signed Feebs up for the Yummy Crate (www.kiwico.com).  I absolutely DO NOT cook.  Like, at all.  “Do you cook?” is the first question on the application to date me.  Those that don’t, need not apply.  Luckily the husband is a phenomenal cook, so we eat well.  However, …  it has occurred to me that Feebs should learn how, and it won’t hurt me to learn as well.  So, when her Atlas Crate expired, she asked to get the Yummy Crate instead.  She and I will do this crate together, as we have with all the crates that she has had in the past.  Goal #1: don’t set your kitchen or yourself on fire.  If I can do that, the world/ kitchen is my oyster.

Loves,

M