FO: Patou tunic

This is the Patou tunic from Knitscene Spring 2013. My yarn is Cascade Cash Vero DK. I put a bit of waist shaping into the sweater and I made the neckline a bit narrower since I don't like sweaters that fall off my shoulders. I also made the armholes a bit narrower. For the front panel stitch pattern, I alternated the direction of the shells. I didn't do it for the style -- I was worried that having all the shells facing one way might cause some biasing and uneven stretching in the front panel after some wear.

I'm very happy with this tunic. The weather is too warm for it right now, but fall is coming. The color is a spring/summer color, but I'll wear it in the fall and winter anyway. I think it will be perfect for wearing on a long plane ride that I will be taking in the near future. Maybe it will he;[ me look chic as I'm drooling while sleeping with my head slumped over my chest!

Sewing FO: V1329

This is Vogue Patterns V1329, a Kay Unger design. I didn't sew this pattern with the color blocking look -- I just decided to go with one print fabric. This is a linen/cotton blend from Jo-Ann's. I really like linen/cotton blends because the linen has a great texture and cotton prevents it from wrinkling as much as pure linen does. I lined the dress with a turquoise cotton lawn fabric that I purchased from Denver fabrics online.

I really liked this pattern when I first saw it, but I wasn't sure it would fit right because I didn't believe that having the waist line pleats on just one side in front would provide good bust line shaping and ease. It actually worked out very well, and it's one of the best fitted woven fabric dresses that I've sewn for myself. It has a fitted shape with but enough ease to make it comfortable, especially for casual summer wear. In fact, it will be perfect for my summer garden party.

FO: Dolman sweater

This sweater is based on the High Relief Dolman from knit.wear spring 2013. I've been wanting to try knitting some of these more boxy pullover styles. I had the Cascade Pima Tencel yarn in my stash for ages, and each of the two colors was not enough for a full sweater. The yarn is really drapey (is that a word?) to the point of being droopy so I figured it would be great for this pattern. I made mine a little narrower than the smallest size, so it has a less pronounced dolman look. I also created a lower neckline because I don't like necklines that cut across my neck. For the top part, I did a simple 2x2 diagonal rib pattern.

I'm happy with the end result. The cotton yarn and the colors are great for spring and summer. It's a loose fit, but the draping prevents it from looking bulky.

FO: Whiteness of the Whale

This is Whiteness of the Whale by Ann Weaver. My yarn is Simply Shetland Silk & Lambswool, which is a tweedy blend of silk and wool. It's very lightweight and perfect for the cooler days of spring and summer. The best part of this sweater is the back -- I love scallop-like stitch pattern. I made mine a bit shorter by eliminating one of the scallop patterns. I added on about 1.5" after the last scallop and flattened the curve by doing my decreases next to the yarn-overs. I also changed the placement of the bottom hem cables. I only did two on the back and one on each front. The back ones are located at the edges of the last scallop.

There are other pattern mods here and there. I used a provisional cast-on for the shoulders so that I could use 3-needle bind-off to attach them. I narrowed the shoulders a bit and made other sizing adjustments. For the bottom and sleeve hems, I did four rows of purl stitches and bound off in purl and just let the edges roll inward. I wanted a sturdier front edge so I applied a 5-stitch I-cord and left openings for the small button holes. I only wanted buttons on the top front and my sleeves are 3/4 length.

I'm very pleased with the end result. This might turn out to be one of my favorite lightweight cardigans.

Sewing FO: Vogue v1352

This is Vogue Patterns V1352, and it's a great summer dress. I wanted to make this as soon as I saw the pattern, even though I think it sort of looks like a nightgown as it is shown on the pattern envelope. The pattern recommends a knit fabric, but I wasn't going there because I figured that it would just look too droopy with a knit. Also, I didn't want the long length, which probably contributes to the nightgown look. Instead, I used a linen-cotton fabric to give it a crisper look, and I shortened the pattern to knee length. The fabric is fairly lightweight, so I lined just the skirt with some cotton lawn cloth. I made the smallest size and I gathered the neckline a bit more to bring it in. The only surprise about the fit was that the waistline came up higher than I expected. From the pattern photo, it looked like it might be loo low. Perhaps using a knit would have made it fall lower.

I love this dress because it's really easy to wear and ultra comfortable in warm weather. It sews up really fast because it only has five pattern pieces. The most annoying part of the sewing was gathering up the neckline to fit within the neckline band.

Scenes from the Maker Faire

I finally went to a Maker Faire this weekend. It's been on my bucket list to attend one. I know, it's not an exciting bucket list item, but sometimes you get that. This one is held in San Mateo, California, and it is indeed chock full of interesting show-and-tell.
Here's some sort of ginormous Lego ship

And here's a Lego microscope

I should have taken a video of this one -- the fish and lobsters all move




The stuff on the wall are hangers. The stuff on bottom is made of rolled up masking tape

These are air filled and blown

Paper clothing (I wonder what happens if you get wet?)

Crafty zone -- there was some knitting and spinning in this area

More of the hanger art

WIP: Whiteness of the Whale

I've finished the body of the Whiteness of the Whale. The photos don't do this sweater justice because they do not show the back detail clearly. I made mine shorter by doing only five of the vertical repeats. I added a bit more length to the bottom by continuing the yarn-over increases but doing the decreases right next to them. This smooths out the tail a bit. I also put just one set of cables on the bottom and I placed them at the edge of the stitch pattern after the last repeat. For the bottom, I added four purl rows and just let it curl under.

For the fronts and neckline, I applied an i-cord instead of picking up stitches. I wanted a firmer edging and the i-cord allows for easy and sturdy small button holes.

Everything is finished on the body and it fits beautifully. I've started on one sleeve and it shouldn't take long now because simple sleeves go very fast for me.