Sewing set-up

There has been no blogging in a while, but there has been a flurry of crafting. After I finished the cowls, I finished the baby blanket that had sat unfinished for years. Sewed up  4 pajama pants and a drawstring backpack for my nephew, fit a skirt sloper and then altered it to make a full skirt as well, and made muslins of both. Also made a tailor's ham and a roll for pressing. Then started a new crochet basket.While I feel like I like the "making of stuff" is something I can do well enough, the sharing and showing side is not as strong, so I slack off instead of "practicing". I also forgot to take pictures of the pajamas before shipping them which was exactly what I wanted to avoid when making this blog... I wanted to have a record of my crafty products, and by not blogging, I forgot about making one for them!

I still have these two pictures of the making-of PJ's: First, using an existing pair of PJ's to create a simple pattern.

Then pinning and tracing the pattern on the new fabric. Sewing them up, adding elastic and pressing all the seams. BOOM! Done. And well received, by the way, although I have no further picture evidence.

The tailor's ham and roll

For clothes-making, it seems that ironing every seam improves results. I don't have an ironing board, but these will help to press curved seams on any old surface.

I don't have a dedicated craft area. Mostly I sit on my couch to knit or crochet in front of the TV, but for sewing, I need a larger surface. Hence, my dining room table. It makes for a mess that is always sitting there. I would love to have storage for my fabric, machine and notions that made it easy to clean up. But in a one room apartment, this is as much space as I'll have, so I make do, and clean things up as necessary.

I took some pattern drafting classes many many years ago, but I don't remember much of what I learned, and it didn't cover how to modify commercial patterns, so I am trying to re-teach myself from books and internet.

Cowls Galore

After the Kuusk cowl, I cast on the swatch for a new lace shawl, but halfway through I realized I needed an easy knit pattern that didn't require a lot of thought, fiddling and was a quick knit. So I cast on and knit the Grace Jones Cowl with some rough spun single ply yarn I had in my stash of free yarn.


Kuusk Cowl

Before and during blocking 

I don't have blocking wires or a surface, so I just placed a towel over a cardboard box, used cotton thread to straighten the sides and then blocked it aggressively overnight.

Such a wrinkly mess!

 Stretching it out the long way, so that it hugs the neck. I'm assuming it will widen with use.

It turned out light and airy, which I'm sure will be perfect for fall. Then I got thinking about winter, and I cast on for a different one.

The Grace Jones Cowls

Actually, there are two of them. For one I cast on more than was required, as I thought it would come out too skinny and wanted it wider. The second I knit as suggested. I am planning a third in double width, to wrap around the neck twice or let it hang down if it gets too hot.  I used the pink and a dark tweedy blue. I followed the pattern, very simple, just rounds in knits then purls and knit until I ran out of yarn.

This is the stash of free yarn. It is thick and thin, spun unevenly and slubby in spots, which I think worked with this simple pattern. Although it broke off in several areas, it was easy enough to splice it together and avoid knots.

Wide one and a slimmer one.

The cowls all together!

Same color, very different look!