Tag Archive | cardigan

Okay, on the job again!

My order From JoAnn’s with the fabric stabilizer arrived. I never saw anything that said how wide it was so only ordered 2 yards thinking it was probably was wide as the iron on interfacing of many ears ago, but it wasn’t so I just applied it to the top yoke part where I needed to cut. I think that’ll be fine and it really really helped with the cut and sew part! I wasn’t really sure what I was doing to it my all peel off eventually but it seems fine now.

I ran a top stitch around the neckline when i had it sewn together just to make sure noting starts raveling. and then I basted the thing together and tried it on. It may be a little wide across the chest, it’s hard to really fit something to yourself, but it’s not tight, even in the sleeve. I won’t post everything here but if you have any questions let me know and I’ll see if I can answer them. I zigzaged all the seams. One thing I discovered about my sewing, maybe it’s from making doll clothes, but I tend to run my seams too narrow, had to redo a couple.

So now I have to figure out how to finished the neckline. I usually knit or crochet an edging but with the stabilizer that will be difficult. It could be worked separately and sewn on and I am considering that. Or I might come up with a facing for it. But huge steps have been taken today!

But my helper has gone over the Rainbow bridge this week. I’m going to miss him.

It’s happening!

Mar19

I am assembling! If I were not already set on another path, I think this would make a very attractive baby blanket or light weight lap robe, maybe. But made great progress today, I believe. The bed is the only place I have that’s big enough to lay it all out. I got the rest of the strips to length, sorting though the skeins to find the needed colors. They don’t all transition smoothly but I’m satisfied.

Here’s the first bunch of strips sewn together. I really like the way it looks. This is the top, the public side.

And this is the bottom, the underneath. Either side would work but I like the textured side. And besides. I think the smooth side will be better next to me.

More coming! Edited to say: More needed! After sewing the entire thing together I find the seams have taken up a bit more than I figured on so I need to add about 5″. I think two more rows should do it. At least that’s where I am going to start. Pictures are pretty much the same but maybe show detail a bit more. It really is a pretty rainbow, in non-rainbow colors! did I mention that the colorway is called Calming Desert? I guess it’s supposed to be spring in the desert, which is probably timely, tho I haven’t seen spring in the desert in a couple years.

Long projects

Mar7

It truly looks like I am never going to be rich and famous as a blogger. I think those people have to be a little consistent about posting and I obviously am not. Ah well… I hope my 3 fans do enjoy it when I remember! lol I suppose it still counts if two of those are relatives?

But on to the topic of the day. The long in the making Shawl In A Ball project. Quite frankly I, like a lot of others, find assembling all these little squares at bit tedious on big projects so I remembered a male weaver who went to his sewing machine. I rather liked both the idea and the results so!

Remember all those little bags of squares? Got them all into strips in one morning. I think I have just about enough for the bodice of my top. Now I’ve gotten out my 12 inch square and am going to experiment with it for the sleeves. Once I think I have it all figured out it will be back to the machine. I guess I should show you how I’m doing it. I think you can see here. Back to back wrong sides together . This is going to make the total area smaller since it is using about 1/4″ on each side a s seam allowance but it goes ever so much faster and I like the texture it gives to this project. This is really not burlap which, I admit, it does resemble in this close-up. but I think you can see what I am doing.

Oh yeah, I had a helper, an inspector, on the job. He came down periodically to make sure I was staying on the job. This is Robin, he lives in the studio, mostly in his “tree” where he can watch to doings inside and out.

Well, I’m off to weave some 12″ squares. I’ll try to be a better blogger and post some progress a bit more often.

Happy Weaving!

Some progress.

Sep3

I am redoing the diamond skirt for the 3rd.. or maybe 4th time. meantime the Shawl In A Ball skein is woven and I laid it out over my knitted vest which fits pretty well.

One thing for sure, there is no vest in a ball for me here. I’ll need to buy another one. There’s a few leftover from laying out the front. I’m still not sure about the color progression. I laid the tan ones down there for the button band. Well, I expect there’ll be changes on this one as well. What do you think? This is all the colors. It’s just the organization that is the problem.

So I guess I’ll go back to weaving on the skirt while I think about it.

Okay, here it is for better or worse.

Jul9

Here it is in pictures.

This one on the right above requires a bit of explanation. I thought I’d try cutting first and stitching later. Bad idea Even trying to be oh so careful it ended up ruffled. I did mange to fix it but did the other side correctly and you can see the difference. Now you’ve had that lesson with no pain of your own! lol

I started Crocheting around the sleeve and after a couple inches decided that that was not good so ripped and found some bias tape which I stitched on instead to make nice neat hems.

Then I found this lace collar among my ‘stuff’. I soaked it into the left-over morning coffee. What do you think? keep or lose? By the way, the color difference is just lighting.

Happy Thanks Giving!

Nov14

And I hope, for all of us, a grateful one. In spite of our griping, we all have many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for family and for having some of them here this weekend & next. I’m thankful for hubbies swearing away in the kitchen, putting down badly needed new flooring, and thankful for my early xmas present, a new camera! so I can show you all what’s happening. He’s a little blurry since I shot just as he was getting up off the new floor but you can see that he is hard at work. It’s going to be nice! There are occasional advantages to being married to the contractor. 🙂

But I have been weaving, too. My Florida sis and her dh are among the expected guests and I kind of thought they’d be a little chilly up here, even tho the forecast says the snow level probably won’t get below 4000′. But, just in case, I made us all new ear flap hats! If you are on Ravelry you may have seen them already but I am going to share here anyway. Himself is modeling. But I wore mine walking the other morning when it was 24 degrees and I can tell you, they work! And they are all, excepting the maroon one which is handspun wool, at least partly acrylic. All the earl flaps are a thick chenille-like acrylic/nylon and also very warm. If you think you might like to make one, you’ll need two 12″ squares and two 7″ triangles for the flaps, folded in half. The rest is trim.

So I hope this helps you have a warm Thanksgiving walk!

The other thing I am grateful for is having so many wonderful sharing weaving friends! Thank you all!

Hazel & Randy

Looks like Fall

Nov2

We have frost warning’s and the weather page is starting me mention snow levels. The chances of it this week are slim, but it’s encouraging to see it mentioned again. We had some rain yesterday, tho not a lot. But I have been knitting on my 2 year (so far) sweater just have one sleeve to go. And today starting a doll sweater for an ‘Along’ in my doll group.

I have the tunic, previously mentioned as ‘vest’ put together but am having a problem with it. A lot of people have told me they like the colors and the length but I am not happy with either. I think it’s too long and too gaudy. I’m going to try to over dye it to dull it down some and them I’ll consider length. It’s the sitting problem, you know what that does to loosely woven or knit fabric. 😦 Take my word for it that it looks better here than it does on me. Himself was supposed to get a picture for me as my little camera is being contrary, but he hasn’t had time yet, he says. But I have also got started on my Xmas yarn. Progress of a sort… And no presents made this year. Ah well… Hope your November is starting off on a high note!

Tri looming

Oct20

There’s been some discussion on Facebook about making tri jackets and sweaters. I made this one years ago, before it began getting too small, those gremlins will keep doing this! Anyway here’s more or less what I did, using my adjustable triangle. These measurements are taken from the aged and much worn garment so are probably not too close to what it started as but will work as a guide since you’d have to make your own size decision. It will show how I put it together in any case.

Front: The large plaid tris are folded over at the shoulder front and back and the tip is folded back to make a cuff at the sleeve. The lines don’t always coincide with the photo but I think you can follow it. The one marked 10 inch is a small tri folded at the under arm to finish the sleeve. The points of the blue tris are folded under, the hypotenuse of those forming the hem front and back.

Back: The plaid tris are seamed up the back to about 5″ from the fold over, you’ll adjust that to fit you. The front opening and neckline are finished with a row of single crochet and one of reverse sc or crab stitch. This fit me pretty well back in the day. If you have a more rounded figure it may tend to hike up in the back a bit. I’ve gone to using the smaller looms as it gives me a bit more control over fit but this ought to be good for slimmer figures or for children.

I have a photo of myself wearing this but I don’t have a clue where it is. If I find it I’ll come back and add it. meantime, I hope this little bit of info is helpful to anyone wanting to make use of some nice handspun or even nice “store=bought”! 😉

Spring

May8

It’s the 8th of May and the roses are in full bloom. Definitely an early spring. A little cool this week and windy but still getting a lot of gardening done. My Alaskan corn is up and growing. this is going to be an interesting experiment. It is a small corn designed to grow in adverse conditions. I think the weather this year qualifies for that! But I thought that if it is successful in Alaska it ought to produce a couple ears down here. X your fingers!

Meantime,. I have not made any progress on the demo vest. I am thinking I may just give up and do the cut and sew. At least I’d have a vest I could wear. I don’t suppose everything has to be a big challenge, some thing can just be easy, huh? And I got out my bag of squares which I think are wool or silk or…? I’

ve forgotten, only that they are not likely to be machine washable. I am putting a couple things though the gentle cycle this morning and am adding one each of these blocks just to determine what will happen. If they dont’ entirely ruin, I will go from there. I am thinking another vest. This one ought to be lighter weight, tho, more fit for cool summer mornings and evenings.

Meantime back to spring… the rhubarb is also ready! I’m not a fan of strawberries with it but I made it half and half with a couple sweet apples and it is just yummy! Tamed the Rhubarb a bit and gave the apples a little jazz. We’ve made big holes in two pies so far and I have the makin’s for a 3rd! I think I’ll wait until next week with that one as sis is planning a trip down.

On a role!

Apr20

I was hunting something in Le Shed and found a box of demo shapes woven at fiber fairs and am putting them to work. Got out a sewing pattern for a vest and started putting shapes together. Not exactly free form but at least random. It will be another colorful bit of clothing. Got both fronts mostly together and will start on the back this afternoon. Goes pretty fast since the weaving has already been done, just a matter of laying it out. I think this time I’ll just crochet in whatever little missing bits I might need.

But first I have some shop work to take care of as someone is waiting for their looms. Go get out your UFO’s and start putting something together!

Hazel Rose

My Life in the Country