Complete: Kirsten Kimono Tees

Hello again :) It's been rather longer than expected or planned between posts, I'm afraid. Life's been a bit fraught of late; I've had to let go of some of the "plates" I usually try and keep spinning and concentrate on just one or two of the more urgent ones. Things do seem to be settling down now, thank goodness, so here I am with the first of my warm weather projects.

This season I've tried to start on some of the basic plans first; in previous seasons I've raced on to the more exciting projects, and then found I didn't have much to wear them with. I'm hoping this will be a little more practical as an approach.

However, that does mean that this post and the next won't be all that spectacular for you...I've been trying out some different basic summer knit top patterns - not exciting, a big gap in my MM wardrobe I really felt last year - so maybe one of you out there may find the comparisons useful. Hope so, anyway!

First of the patterns I tried is Maria Denmark's Kirsten Kimono Tee, a free PDF downloadable here. This is the only one I'll show this post, because I got a bit carried away playing with it.

Just in case you haven't come across this one, Kirsten is a short kimono sleeve knit top, with boat neck self fabric band. It's just three pieces in total and only uses about 80cm of fabric, so it's a pretty quick and economical option. It's intended to be fitted over the bust and then loose over the waist and hips. Going by the measurements given, I cut out an XS using the striped knit left over from my first Plantain tee.

As muslins go, it's a pretty wearable one which always makes me happy. It doesn't fit on me the way it's supposed to, I think; mine's loose around the waist and a bit snugger at the hips than the pattern notes suggested, but I actually don't mind that - in fact I usually feel swamped in too much volume. This is loose enough to feel comfy without being slobbish.

The pattern itself was very simple to put together, and is finished at the hems with a twin needle. One thing that surprised me was that there's no piece given for the neckband. I confess, I was irritated a little by this at first, but then realised Maria the designer had done something very clever instead. She gives the formula for working out neckbands (and, I guess, all bands) so you can work it out yourself. This came in extremely useful in a make I'll post about next time, where the neckband piece didn't fit well at all. "Teach a man to fish...."

 I've already worn it a bit, but do feel the fabric, which while having plenty of stretch is quite a stiff
knit, is not completely ideal for this pattern. I think it's more suited to a drapier knit. So, having had a look through my leftovers stash, I tried making it up in the black/gold lurex knit I'd used for my queue jumper dress:

This fabric was still having no truck with the twin needle, so once again I did a narrow zigzag stich to hem the sleeves and lower edge. The neckline at the front puckers a little bit, but it's not too dire. (I'll be honest - it's pretty nasty to sew) I definitely prefer the lighter, drapey knit for this pattern; it falls nicely whereas the first version kind of puffs out.

I really like this one - and it's such a comfy way to be a bit dressy! Plus my favourite necklace likes it too...

That success got me thinking. Some may be able to pull off gold lurex for everyday wear, but I'm not sure I'm one of them. Time for an everyday casual version...

I'd noticed the join line where the A4 printed sheets are taped together when I was making the previous two tops, so I thought I'd try using that line to make a colour blocked version:

Incidentally, that's the best neckband and neatest twin needling I've ever done!

Back is same as the front, though now I'm wondering how a solid colour back, panelled front and neckband in the main colour would look...

This is my favourite one actually; it sits well, feels lovely on, and seems like it'll be a really useful wardrobe addition.

I have a few other versions in mind, but they can wait their turn. There are plenty of other summery projects to be getting on with. More on those next time :) And I apologise for all the sunglasses shots - hayfever is at particularly miserable levels at the moment...

In knitting news, I did finish the jumper for my dad's birthday, and, despite some serious doubts to the contrary in the last few rows, had enough yarn. By only 30cm.... My colourwork jumper for me is coming along nicely, if slowly, and I think my experimenting is going to pay off the way I hoped. Just in time for, er, summer :(

Finally, some of the comments last post touched on something that interested me. I'd mentioned that I pretty much keep blog content confined to sewing content, although that's an approach that varies from blogger to blogger, which was reflected in the comments. So, I'm curious - how much of yourself/your life do you share? What are your parameters for sharing?

Blog Hoppery

Hello all!

Something a little different today; last week I was nominated by the lovely Marie of Ree Sewn to take part in a blog hop that's making the rounds at the moment. I've really been enjoying the posts on this I've come across - it's a great way to learn a little more about other sew-ers/sewists (insert noun of choice here), and I'm always fascinated to see how the creative process varies between different people. For those who are interested in mine, read on! (For the record, we're away on a family holiday at the moment, so not many photos on hand, I'm afraid :) )

1. What am I working on?

I have to confess, I typically tend to have several projects on the go at once. Usually there's at least one fairly easy make, whether a simple pattern or one I'm really familiar with, for a fast sewing fix (especially for those times life gets busy). At the moment that's two Maria Denmark Kimono tees cut out and waiting. Both are using up leftovers from previous projects, so doubly satisfying :)

I usually also have a more complicated make in progress also, one that requires more time, thought and effort. Right now that's a Style Arc Ziggi jacket. 

I also often have 2-3 (3 at the moment) that are set aside for Further Thought. I don't think of these as UFOs, though that smacks a little of self-justification, I admit! These are pieces that have hit an unexpected hurdle, and need some reworking. Almost always I find coming back to a piece with fresh eyes after a break means the solution comes much more easily. In this category there's currently a rayon shirt  (supposed to have flat piping, but the fabric is refusing to have anything to do with that) a dress that I cut out last May (!), and actually forgot about (just found it again two weeks ago) and a sari-to-top refashion which has been the most wretchedly uncooperative project I've ever experienced. I've never not finished a garment in the end, which is why I maintain these are not UFOs!

I don't often sew at night, unless there's a looming deadline of course... I love to curl up with a knitting project of an evening; it's more companionable. The only time there's more than one of these on the go is if I'm making something for me, and then decide to knit up a gift - that one takes precedence then.

Right now that's a jumper for my Dad's birthday. (last week, but we're away so I get two weeks' grace...) This is Terry's Pullover by Carol Feller, in Bendigo's Luxury 10 ply Blue Denim. I really like this pattern; it has just enough detail to be interesting, but not so much that too fussy for a man ;) That collar's going to be a shawl one, by the way. It's been a joy to knit, except I'm just at that anxious stage of desperately hoping I've got enough yarn to finish. I bought up the last balls in the shop so it kind of has to be enough...

As for selfish knitting, I'm working on a colourwork jumper, the pattern of which I've kind of designed myself. It's using the yarn frogged from the unmitigated disaster that was my Still Life Tunic below...

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?

To be honest, I've found this a really difficult question to answer! I don't feel it is very different in and of itself, apart from the way that every writer injects something of her/his own style, methods and taste into their blog.

Actually, since I only have one Real Life Sewing Friend, I'm far more interested in the similarities between blogs, the shared enthusiasm and encouragement that the online sewing community generates. I make no claim to be any kind of fashionista, guru or stylist, so I don't aspire to be filling any kind of niche in the blogosphere. I just love to make clothes! 

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

That sounds a two part question to me, so here's a two part answer:

I create what I do because I love the creative outlet that sewing is, the challenge of making something beautiful and functional well, and because I'm fed up with the exploitation and emptiness of the global fast fashion industry. 

I write about it on a public platform like this because 

• (unlike Maree and her fantastic notebooks) I'm usually extremely undisciplined in recording  Important Notes to Remember For Next Time otherwise. It's excellent accountability and I've found it really helpful to be able to go back and check what I did through previous posts rather than relying on memory. 
• I'd found other blogs such a rich source of assistance and inspiration that I thought it was time I actually started contributing also (even though it felt like such an insignificant contribution!)
• I find it's given me a confidence in the garments I make. Before blogging I found it really intimidating to wear my makes in public (someone might see ;) ) The fact that strangers would take the time to comment on and compliment what I've made has given me a pride in them I hadn't experienced before.

4. How does my writing/creative process work?

I feel like my creative process has been very haphazard up till now. Last year, my first of both concerted garment sewing for myself and of blogging, was very much about discovering the online community, and on reflection there was very little cohesion or planning in my projects overall. This year has been quite interrupted with costume sewing, so goals are less advanced than I'd hoped. But I think I'm starting to concentrate more on what I like and what suits me/my lifestyle and have been trying to build up my skills to accommodate these things (eg, sewing with knits). I'm less inclined to be swayed by the The Next Big Pattern, or by how fabulous a particular style looks on another blogger. So my creative process is starting to be informed by that, which can only be a positive thing.

The writing process is very much subject to the creative one. I try now to jot down notes as I go, especially regarding difficulties or problems, since I've found that so helpful on other blogs. I don't include much, if anything, on life outside sewing/knitting/refashioning, since that's not what I started blogging for. I appreciate that some may find that a bit impersonal, but I'm ok with that. Frankly, for an introvert posting photos is plenty personal enough! Plus I assume that the sewing etc content is actually why people are reading this blog anyhow. I guess that's the beauty of having such a varied community; if one blog is not quite to your taste it's easy to find another that caters for it more. Vive la difference!

So, that's me. In turn, the two other bloggers I'd like to nominate to share their take on those questions are Helen of Grosgrain Green and Philippa of Gloria and Me.  Helen's was one of the first sewing blogs I discovered. She makes beautiful clothes (and children!), blogs with real warmth and enthusiasm and her comments on other blogs too are unfailingly generous and supportive.  I really admire Philippa's style and commitment to sustainable sewing. Her posts are always insightful and thought-provoking. If you haven't come across either of these women and their blogs, you're in for a real treat!  

Until next time,

Danielle

Complete: Hudson Pants

Well, after that brief foray into glamour last post, we're back firmly in comfy territory! Here's my version of the Hudson Pants, which I think is the first pattern released by True Bias. These were a bit of a departure for me - I usually have pretty firm ideas about what I think suits me, but sometimes this can get in the way of experimenting with something new. So since I've been seeing some really wonderful versions of these popping up around the place (Nic, yours made me download the pattern immediately!), I thought I'd branch out and give them a go once I found some deserving fabric. 

There are much snazzier versions out there - contrast trims, etc - but when I found this fabric on a recent jaunt to Melbourne, I decided to keep them simple. Which, on me, I prefer. The fabric is from Clear It in Fitzroy which I discovered through the ever-gorgeous Sarah of Fabric Tragic, and is an Alannah Hill wool blend. (A burn test at home suggests it's rather more blend than wool, but never mind...) It feels sublime to wear, SO soft, snugly and luxurious that it's like wearing a cashmere blanket, and has tiny spots (V-shaped, but I don't know what else to call them) that gleam and subtly catch the light. (I'm very excited about my summer sewing haul from that day, and was debating about showing it here; do people mind reading show-and-tell sessions? Or is that only interesting to the show-er?? Don't want to bore y'all!)

The fabric had exactly the right amount of stretch recommended in the pattern, and I made them up exactly as written with no modifications at all. It's a beautifully drafted pattern and the instructions are very clear. Plus there's a sewalong on her blog, so it may well be the easiest pants project ever. I was able to make them up (including taping and cutting out the PDF) in an afternoon, so for a relatively instant gratification project you really can't do better!

My photos aren't sterling, I'm afraid, and I seem to have the big-head-tiny-feet thing happening that comes when the camera's not pointed straight...Most of the time my 13-year-old photographer does a great job, so I shouldn't complain. Maybe I should look into getting a remote and tripod though - I'm sure she'd be thrilled!

I do have a sneaking suspicion that these will be one of those makes that in a few years I'll look back on and think "less than flattering", especially from the back, but given it's a pretty current style I think I can get away with it for the moment. (Favourite Anne of Green Gables quote: "I'd rather look ridiculous with everyone else than plain and sensible all by myself.") Besides, they just feel so unbelievably lovely to wear! And I love them with my Rowe tops.

The importance of pockets really can't be overestimated... These do look great in the pictures I've seen as a contrast trim with matching cuffs, but being a good foot or so off being statuesque I'm always a bit leery of anything that visually cuts off leg length. I'll leave that to the amazon-proportioned of you out there....

The only thing I'd be watchful of next time I make up this pattern is where the elastic overlaps at the back. I didn't stretch the fabric over this slightly thicker section enough when I sewed the casing for the drawstring, so there's a 2cm or so part that doesn't gather as tightly. It's not a massive issue, especially since a top will usually be covering it when I'm wearing them, but when the rest of the pants went together so nicely it just niggles at me a little.

 It's just occurred to me how much of my sewing for me this year has been with knits. So I guess we can tick the become-more-confident-with-knits goal off the list for this year. Mind you, there are several outstanding goals on that list....I may have been a touch over-ambitious. Or blindly optimistic. So many projects, so little time!

I'm trying to decide whether to finish off a couple of unfinished projects or move on to my new exciting ones....What do you typically do? Finish the old or usher in the new?? I'm curious!

Complete: Queue Jumper Dress

Hello all! I have to confess, it's going to be a bit of a rush job of a post this time, since life is pretty frantic at the moment (three days till school production...). But what with the show, and two weeks of family holidays starting next week (hurrah!!), if I don't sneak a post in tonight it's not going to happen for ages.

I've dubbed this my Queue Jumper Dress for good reason - it inveigled its way up the sewing and bloggy queues. Last week we had the chance of a night out at the theatre, and after three solid months of very unselfish sewing, I grabbed the opportunity of a free evening to sew purely for moi. Plus, all my recent (well, recent-ish) sewing for myself has been purely practical - it was time was for a bit of fun!

Enter Burda 6919. A (to my mind) 70s inspired, drapey, blouson, batwing sleeved knit dress. With, I admit, very little hanger appeal...

I found this black and gold lurex knit at my local favourite fabric store. It's lovely and sparkly, without being too much so - maybe "gleamy" is a better word. (Albeit a specially coined one.) I cut out the size 10 without any alterations, but I think next time I might size down one size.

Since I didn't have a belt to wear with it that really suited, I made up a self fabric tie to sit over the elasticated waist; I just think it looks a bit more finished that way.

 There does seem to be a bit of an odd fold at the back lower waist, but I'm not sure whether that's because the fabric is sticking to my tights... It doesn't seem to happen when I'm wearing heels, but it's still boots-and-tights weather here at the moment!

It went together very easily, almost all of it done on the overlocker, although despite several attempts this fabric was having nothing to do with twin needle stitching of any kind. I got around that (on sleeve cutouts and all hems) with a zigzag stitch.

As much as I like the design, I do have two niggles with the pattern as drafted. Firstly, the neckband piece is the same length as the neckline itself. Now, this had me a bit concerned as I came to sew it - surely that would make the neckband stick out?? - but thought I'd follow instructions and see whether I couldn't learn something new. So I did it as per the instructions, and guess what? The neckband stuck out.

This stuff is beyond hideous to unpick, so after a bit of thought, I folded the band down over the right side of the neckline and top stitched it down.

 
It's still doesn't sit perfectly flat, but it's a huge improvement on what it was! And with my new my-present-to-me necklace sitting over the top, no one can tell anyway ;)

The second thing that puzzled me about the pattern was the waistline. It has diagonal pleats extending up over the bodice and down the skirt, which I really liked. But I think they get a bit lost when the elastic is sewn to them on the underside. I'm wondering whether it wouldn't work better to have the elastic begin and end either side of the pleats instead? I'd like to try this pattern again in a more casual fabric and see. I'm thinking a navy jersey would make a pretty nice comfy-but-presentable spring weather dress.

I still have enough fabric over for a MariaDenmark Kimono Tee, which I've been meaning to try out for a while now. I'm fairly sure it won't happen before holidays next week though....

To be honest, I don't know just how much wear this one will get - there's not a lot of call for sparkly dresses in day to day wear. But oh! it felt good to do some selfish and frivolous sewing for a change!

What's your current project? Purely practical or frivolously fun??

Complete: Two Plantains

I know, I'm pretty late to the party on this one! I feel like just about everyone in the online sewing world has made and blogged Deer and Doe's Plantain Tshirt. Confession: whenever I hear the phrase "must-have", the can't-make-me gene I inherited from my mother's side quietly kicks in. But I've seen some lovely versions of this, on very different women, and so this pattern has been growing on me for a while. Plus it's free...

For those who haven't come across it, it's a basic scoop neck tee with the option of either 3/4 or full length sleeve (with elbow patches too, if that's your thing). It's an A-line shape, as you can see below, and that's partly what made me hesitate when I first saw it. Most of my life I've been fairly straight up and down, (a Column, minus the height, if you're into Trinny and Susannah) and so felt that defined waists were most flattering on me. Any tops or dresses that flowed from the shoulders or bust made me look about twelve - and an underdeveloped twelve, at that. But the last year or two have seen things, er, redistribute a little, so I thought I'd give it a go!

I'm glad I did! I really like the way this sits on me - below is the would-be-muslin-but-now-promoted-to-fully-fledged-wardrobe-member. It's a fairly stretchy but very stable knit without much drape that I picked up on sale at Spotlight about eighteen months ago (bought against the day I'd get over Knit Intimidation). This was sewn together almost entirely on the overlocker, which is what I'll be doing with ALL knit tops from now on. I just had to be careful I pinned it well so that the stripes matched neatly (which they do!) - and of course ensure that I didn't run over any pins (doooooom!)

The sleeves and hem were done with my twin needle, which I also used to top stitch around the neckline seam. 

I love how relaxed the fit is, without being sloppy. The pattern is drafted really well; the neckline especially went in bee-yew-tifully.

 I actually made this back in May, and it very quickly became a staple. I think I got lucky with this pattern - which is not to take anything away from the design/drafting. I just mean the neckline is exactly the right depth, the ease is just as I'd like it, and the shoulders are in precisely the right spot to stay put and not pull. And I just sewed up the pattern as is! It's actually the best fitting knit top I've ever worn - including RTW. So much for Knit Intimidation! If only every sewing challenge was as easily to overcome...

The neckline isn't flawless - I tried to keep it completely on the white stripe, but there's a tiny bit of navy in there that I didn't notice had slipped in until after I'd sewn it. I can live with that more easily than taking it apart and trying to fix it though...

Like I said, this became a staple favourite right away. But I was curious as to how the pattern would behave with a really drapey knit. I found some at our local gem of a fabric store not long afterwards, and as I was admiring it, and wondering how it would look, I noticed the sales assistant was actually wearing a top in the same fabric! Sold me :)

This muted green in one of my favourite colours to wear - and it's really hard to find in fabric or RTW. I decided to go with the long sleeves for this version, and since it was so drapey, tried adding 12cm to the length to make it more of a tunic style. I really like wearing it with my ponte leggings...

The colour's really intriguing when you look at it. I tried a close up to show - it's woven (knitted?) in teal and magenta threads. I love seeing the way colours mix together.

So there you have it - you can add my name to the long list of Plantain Lovers! I'm thinking merino wool for next time...

On another very happy note - all the school production costume sewing is done. (Satisfying, but I don't remember ever feeling so tired before!) The show's in two weeks, so the proper countdown is on :)

I did take one day off from costume sewing a few weeks ago, and had a blissful time fabric shopping in Melbourne with a friend. I'm trying to buy fabric for the next season or so of sewing in one big go, rather than bits here and there. I'm finding this a) helps me buy for items that will end up coordinating with each other, and b) means I'm actually spending less overall, since it's more considered, planned and non-impulse. Mind you, a few other purchases slip in occasionally, but even they tend now to be really satisfying finds rather than spur of the moment and swiftly regretted buys.

On the way back, we were talking about clothes we loved when we were little. It occurred to me how unrestricted we were as kids when it came to what we liked and didn't like in terms of clothing, and how typically our opinions gradually become increasingly defined and controlled by society/the fashion industry/ RTW. Here's what I'm trying to work out - is this just a result of getting older, or is this connected to the general loss of personal dressmaking skills nowadays?? Sure, there were definite "looks" in the 60s and 70s, but I think choices within those looks were more varied when you knew you could make it (or have it made) in any colour or fabric or print you liked. Non-sewing people today are completely controlled by what's on offer this season, whether it suits them or not... and I know how I would let myself be dictated to in that sense before I started really sewing for myself.

Does that make sense? I'm just musing over it. What do you think? Do you think being able to sew your own clothes enables a more definite sense of personal style? Do share!

Complete: Willow Pants

Yup, that's right....PANTS!! (Or, for all you Northern Hemispherites, TROUSERS!)

I have a confession to make before we go any further: I started these hoping to wear them through Me Made May...2013. I got discouraged at the first fitting though and they've been sitting on my desk looking reproachfully at me ever since. (You know how sometimes you just want everything to go right the first time, effortlessly?)

They fit pretty well around the waist, crotch and hips (which is actually pretty amazing, come to think of it...), but then got kind of baggy in the legs, especially the thighs. Think jodhpurs. Unflattering, old-style ones. So they got ditched until May this year.

Here they are, the Style Arc Willow Pant - with the two-fold realisation that a) black pants are actually really hard to photograph well, and b) these have zero hanger appeal!

More impressively, here's the original illustration. They're slim fitting, cigarette style trousers, with a side invisible zip and button closure, intended for woven fabrics. They sit right at the ankle, which means they can be worn with heels or flats (that's actually what sold me on the pattern in the first place).

I used a black cotton sateen for this pair, which was really nice to work with. But then, cotton sateen pretty much always is. Fairly ordinary photos, I'm afraid. :/

Really tricky to show up any kind of detail in these shots, sorry.

 It actually didn't take much to make them wearable. I think part of the problem was that, not having really worn this style before, I didn't know exactly how cigarette pants should fit. I'm used to skinny jeans, wide leg trousers, or a boot cut when it comes to bottoms, so I wasn't quite sure just how tight these needed to be. In the end, I just took them in gradually until they seemed to sit well. They may be slightly too tight for true cigarette pants, but that could be partly because the material I used - even though lovely to work with - is possibly not quite heavy enough for pants. I think something with a bit more weight to it would work better, or maybe even something with a little bit of drape to help them fall nicely. The sateen does relax and bag a bit over a day of wear, I've noticed. I'd love to try this pattern in a heavier damask or brocade...

Since these were successful in the end, I celebrated by getting some more sateen - printed this time - for another pair. Again, no hanger appeal...

 I've found I'm happier with and wear these far more than the black pair. For one thing, they're not a magnet for dust and fluff (although they may actually be - but how could you tell?!). It's funny, black pants are supposed to be a staple or basic of every woman's wardrobe, aren't they? I read a great post earlier this year by Emma of This Kind Choice (excellent, thoughtful blog) in which she defined her own basics, rather than allowing herself to be dictated to by magazines/stylists/the fashion police. Now, she's a fashion student and so has more style and flair in her little finger than I'll cumulatively have in my entire life, but it was excellent food for thought. These pants/trousers, being a style and in colours that I love, actually go with way more in my existing wardrobe than the "staple" black ones.

Have you ever found that in the garments you sew? Are there styles/colours/silhouettes that you return to as staples because they just work for you?

A few detail shots - here's the side closure.

And even though I could probably lose about 1cm of length in the leg for these to sit perfectly, I really do like the split hem feature of this pattern:

As for actual sewing at the moment, it's all still school production (The Sound of Music) costume sewing at the moment. I mentioned last post that I'd been working on Maria's wedding dress, so I thought I'd share the progress shot:

I don't think you can tell it was made from a tablecloth, so I'm happy! There's still a bit to do on costumes overall, but the end is in sight. I'm hoping 3-4 more weeks will see them finished. Can't wait - I'm itching to start spring-summer sewing!

Complete: Aidez Cardigan

Wow, where did June go?! I didn't realise it had been quite so long since I last posted. I remember after Me Made May last year feeling a bit over computer time too - all those Flickr posts! - and maybe the same thing's happening this time around too. I have been keeping up with other people's posting though - which is inspiring and effortless. 

While I think of it, can I ask a question of those of you who follow blogs through Bloglovin? I've been finding that every now and then BL will stop notifying me of new posts by some of the blogs I follow. I still get a daily (or almost daily) update email, but it seems to randomly omit some, and it's only when it occurs to me I haven't heard anything from so-and-so for a while, and look them up, that I find two/three/four posts I've missed. It's not all the time, nor it always the same blog, and the blogs in question is always still on my list there (ie, BL hasn't unfollowed it), so I'm a bit flummoxed by the whole thing. Has anyone else experienced this? Have I missed something that I should have done? Advice, please!

On to completed projects! I have a feeling that the next several are going to be "catch-up" ones; I'm a bit behind on that front. But that's probably a good thing, because I've been so busy sewing costumes for the school production that I don't have anything brand new anyhow. (On that note, today I made Maria's wedding dress...out of a tablecloth. Hey, if you can have play clothes made of curtains...) 

Here's my latest knitting project, that you may have noticed during May. It's the Aidez Cardigan by Cirilia Rose.  I've done a bit of gift knitting this year (will lump all of them together in a later post sometime) and I did one of these for my niece's birthday in March. Loved it. Wanted to keep it. Didn't. So I made one for me, to fill the wardrobe gap that last year's disastrous Cozy Cardi was supposed to fill and failed to so dismally.

Knits don't seem to photograph well on a hanger, huh?

This is Bendigo Woolen Mill's 12 ply Rustic in Radiant. I love this red. The colour's not a flat solid colour; it's got a lot of depth to it. When you look closely (really closely) it seems to be a mix of scarlet, burgundy, purple, navy ( I think) and a golden yellow. It's got me thinking about dyeing wool once I master spinning (which is not coming to me as easily as I hoped it would...). My mum just gave me a beautiful book of patterns using handspun yarn - with commercial yarn substitute possibilities for those times you give up in disgust - and one green shade I was admiring was apparently reached by blending wool  ( 3/4 of it forest green and 1/4 lime green) with five different shades of mohair - royal blue, dark purple, magenta, bronze and yellow mohair. I'm intrigued by the whole process...

Enough of theory though - here's reality. Aidez has got four different cable patterns, two on the back and two on the fronts, and the larger front one is repeated down the sleeve. The sleeves are raglan, and the front bands (knitted as part of the main front body) extend up to form a higher collar at the back. It's definitely cozy! I'm finding wearing anything with a longer sleeve than a cap underneath it makes me ready to melt. One just for the coldest days or nights - or maybe camping, come to think of it.

I'm always happily surprised by how quickly a project knits up the second time around. Familiarity is a wonderful thing :)

 I LOVE the back cable panel...

You can see how high the back neck is here. The instructions said to cast off and then seam at the end, but I've made other cardigans like that before and have never been really satisfied with the finish. So I kept the stitches on a holder until I was sewing it all together and did a three needle bind off instead. Worked a treat.

The weather's taken an icy turn recently (well, what we in Australia term icy, anyhow!), so this cardi's getting a lot of love. I think next year I want to add an oversized, boyfriend-style jumper into the mix. I've seen a stripe patterned one I really like the look of. It's one that uses two stands of wool at a time though, so quite a lot of yarn is needed for that one. Might have to save up a while, I think!

In the meantime, in obedience to my 2014 goal, I've started work on a colourwork jumper/sweater, and I've upped the ante and designed the colourwork pattern myself. (Well, I've reworked a cross-stitch pattern to suit, so semi-designed.) It's fingering weight (4 ply), not bulky (12 ply), so it's not a quick project. But I think it's going to work out pretty well. Plus, since I'm re-using the yarn, it's redeeming the horror that was my Still Light Tunic.

Speaking of the 2014 goals, I'm not doing too badly:
Ziggi jacket - cut out, though I ran out of time before costume sewing started in earnest.
Shirt? Check.
Tailored pants? Check.
 Blazer? Er, no, but I bought a pattern last week.
 Underwear? Still excited to try, but no actual progress yet.
Spinning? Attempted. Not great at it yet.
Gaining confidence with knit sewing? Hurrah!
Colourwork knitting? See above :)
Wardrobe plan? Definitely written down, although not actually followed....

Did you plan any goals for 2014? How are you going with them?

Now, off to check that Bloglovin hasn't jibbed me out of any posts recently....