Tag Archives: Knitting

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Me-Made May ’12 Finale

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Week 4 of MMM ’12 was something of an “off week.” I had field work, which required a specific wardrobe. That said, the pants I wear for field work were acquired during a clothes swap with my graduate school friends. So they are re-used. :)

As I mentioned last MMM post, I had run out of completed handmade clothes. Week 4 ended up being my most productive week. I’ve been taking a pattern making class through the University of Washington Experimental College. This particular class is taught by Pennie (of Simone & Sylvia) and we’ve been meeting in the Pike Market boutique every Wednesday evening this month. Pennie has taught the four of us how to draft and sew garments based on our own measurements. I am now the proud owner of a [close-fitting] knit shirt pattern block, a skirt block, and a [Japanese] bodice block. This class was well timed. With the pattern blocks, I quickly made two more garments for Me-Made May. We wrapped up the class on May 30, during which we drafted the bodice pattern blocks.

I was in the field again for Week 5 and I tried to wear my handmade clothes for my after-work activities, but jet lag got the best of Greg (and by extension me). I was often too tired when I got home to do anything, including change into a me-made outfit. But I did have two items worn in week 5.

The Me-Made Outfits

Goldfinch Sweater: In direct opposition to the early morning clouds and raindrops on Memorial Day, I donned my newly assembled cotton/acrylic handknit sweater. Previously blogged about here, I altered the sleeve pattern slightly–rather than knitting elbow length sleeves, I chose to pick up stitches around the armholes and knit only the lace pattern to make it a sleeveless/capsleeve sweater.

I am beginning to understand why many people prefer to knit sweaters top-down and in the round. This method allows them to try on a garment as it is being knit and adjust the circumference accordingly. I am still not 100% happy with the fit of my summer “Goldfinch” sweater, but it could be worse.

Straight [line] skirt: I wore the skirt out to a friend’s birthday dinner. The pattern was self drafted in my pattern making class.  I found the skirt fabric (mid-weight, cotton blend with some stretch) at Stitches in Capitol Hill, Seattle. I’ve been wrestling with my wardrobe recently, and I didn’t really need another straight skirt. But this was the in-class project, so I set out to find a fabric that would compliment the majority of my existing wardrobe. A neutral color was a given, and the linear texture was a happy surprise when I saw the bolt at the store. I’m tempted to try another skirt with the linear pattern horizontal…if I can justify the addition to the wardrobe.

When I put on this skirt for the first time, a skirt made specifically to my body, I realized that two RTW (ready to wear) skirts I own and often wear are perhaps just a little small. I assumed they rode up because the waist was too loose…nope, the hip area of the skirt is too snug. I will never have to another skirt (unless it is thrifted, and awesome).

Me-Made in May, but sadly not worn

Knit shirt: The knit fabric (similar to swimsuit or yoga pants) was provided by our instructor. The pattern was drafted by me (according to the instructors lesson). I plan to wear this under some of my short-sleeve cardigans or blouses in the cooler months. I just ran out of days to wear this.

Alchemy Top: Looking through my past blog posts, you’ll see that I’ve been messing with this shirt for a while. The purpose of this project was to REUSE an old garment. It started as a pair of jersey gauchos pants. I wanted to turn it into a shirt, and I am generally satisfied with how the body fits, but I am not fully satisfied with the front collar–it needs a more concave shape. I’ll come back to it in a while. I need to focus on other projects for for the immediate future.

To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy’s first Law of Equivalent Exchange. ~ Alphonse Elric, Full Metal Alchemist

In Conclusion

I feel good about how my first Me-Made May went. It forced me to finish a couple of projects that were in limbo. I enjoyed following the Flickr group and seeing the other seamstresses out there blogging their creations. Maybe next year I’ll feel more confident about sharing my photos with the Flickr or Facebook groups.

I learned that…oh. dear. lord….I need a better mirror or at least better lighting.

I learned that even in sewing my own clothes, I am still not seeing the full outfits when I choose fabrics. I think a wardrobe cull is in order before I add more me-made items to my project let.

Thanks to Zoe, for starting this years ago.

And another BIG thank you to my college classmate whose blog last year introduced me to these clothing challenges and inspired me to dive into sewing.

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Me-UNmade May

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The recap of my Me-Made May pretty much exhausts all of my hand-made garments to date, so I’ve also been furiously knitting since mid-April to finish my first sweater before the challenge ends. I bought the pattern online from Craftsy.com, Green T by Holly Priestly (also available on ravelry.com)

While I was sick, I was able to finish the body and get the side seams and shoulder seams stitched together.

I used the pattern instructions for a 32 bust, but I don’t think my gauge was correct. The sweater (assembled without sleeves) fit rather loose, although the photo doesn’t clearly show the excess ease. The structure of the sweater caused it to hang about an inch or two away from my body. It might not have been as noticable if the shirt had been longer, but I was running out of yarn and needed to bind off.

Quick, to the internets! How do I deal with a sweater I knit too big?

Well, most people (blogs, knitting resources) suggest you just take it apart and start over. There were also a few blogs that offered tips on cutting and re-sewing the side seams with a sewing machine. I didn’t feel confident about being able to accurately cut the sweater, and it would have wasted a lot of yarn (and money).

The thought of dismantling something I had spent 2 weeks creating made me a little sick to my stomach (or maybe that was the yet-to-be-diagnosed ear infection). But one of the reasons I have taken up knitting and sewing is to create wardrobe pieces that I love and will regularly wear because they fit me. I knew I wouldn’t wear this sweater in its current state. I’d try to pull it off, but in the end it wouldn’t be as flattering as a smaller size.

I was frustrated. I have always been a perfectionist, sometimes to mentally unhealthy extremes. There were high school art projects that weren’t “perfect” in my eyes and I took those as evidence of my failures. Those thoughts passed through briefly as I was trying on the too-loose sweater, but I am getting better at repelling them. Sewing and knitting are teaching me patience and helping me accept mistakes as learning opportunities. I can always rip out a seam, or unravel a couple rows. Or I can accept a puckered seam as a minor mistake that won’t be noticeable to passers-by. “Imperfection” and uniqueness are part of the appeal of handmade goods.

So, after two days of deliberation I tore out the stitches, rewound the balls of yarn, and started anew.  This time following the smaller pattern size because my gauge was still off.

Now the body of the sweater fits more snuggly. The front cowl does not drape as much as it the pattern suggests it should, but I like boatneck collars just as much. And the tighter fit allows me to layer this under jackets. After a couple experiments with the sleeves (I don’t have enough yarn to make 2 elbow-length sleeves), I think I will keep this sweater sleeveless, perhaps with just the lace trim added to the armhole edges.

I LOVE the color. I chose it because it resembles the coloring of some yellow birds I’ve seen recently on my birding trips with Greg (Common yellow-throat, American Goldfinch, and Yellow-rumped warbler).

One of our backyard visitors–American Goldfinch, male

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Me-Made May ’12 Recap

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I’ve been keeping to my Me-Made May ’12 pledge (at least two handmade items worn each week), but I was slammed by a week-long cold/flu/ear infection and then a second week of frantically trying to catch up on work and on sewing. I’ve only just regained the mental clarity and time required to write a blog post.

A quick recap:

May 1: Floral tunic (Simplicity 2262) w/ jeans and a gently-used apple green corduroy blazer (Theory, shown in May 19 photo below) that I picked up at Goodbyes, a SF consignment store. I made this tunic last year out of a baby bolt of cotton quilting fabric, so the fabric does not drape well. Colorwise, it fits with my default palette: Greens, Blues, and Browns (& grays)…what I like to refer to as my PNW palette. I made it when I was still figuring out commercial pattern sizes, so I had to elmininate at least 2 inches on each side seam, then it shrank (apparently I forgot to prewash the fabric) and now I feel happier with it. It was the only clean me-made garment on the morning of May 1.

May 3: I still hadn’t done laundry, so I wore a hand-knit scarf (yes a warm scarf) all day because it was rainy and cold (thank you, Seattle).

May 8: This butterfly dress (worn over leggings and boots) is one of the first garments I made in late high school. I used one of my mom’s sewing patterns from the 1960s. The fabric was allegedly brought back from India as a gift for my grandma, and then given to my mom who gave it to me. I still have some in my stash. I love the butterflies, and its brightness, but it really doesn’t go with ANYTHING in my wardrobe. It never has. I am thinking about altering it: cut back the sleeves, move the elastic lower so it is at my natural waist. This baby doll dress makes me look too young.

May 12: Hooray for doing laundry. I wore my maroon knit shirt (Simplicity 2261, blogged about here) with khakis for a day’s adventure on the Seattle Waterfront. I ended the evening at the Seattle Sounders soccer game and discovered I had inadvertently worn the colors of opposing team (Real Salt Lake City). Next time I need to do some pre-game research.

May 13: Hooray for warm weather! While I was sick, I finished turning a gray pair of jersey gaucho pants into a skirt. I resewed the inseams and cut off 4 inches from the hem. I ended up wearing this skirt multiple times this week (at work and at home) because it was so comfortable.

May 19: I finished my gray bedsheet, button up pintuck blouse in time for my mom’s visit to Seattle. This New Look Pattern 6104 is available in sizes 10-22, so it was a little loose around the neck line. I may need to learn how to grade down patterns for future uses of the pattern. Even though the sleeves have some pleats, they fit well under a cardigan. I used buttons from my grandma’s collection.

And now I am out of completed Me-Made garments. I do have four pieces in progress, hopefully I can finish them before the month ends.

Me-Made May ’12 begins today!

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‘I, Meris, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May ’12. I endeavour to wear at least two different handmade* garments or accessories each week for the duration of May 2012.’

*Ideally these will be handmade by ME, but in a pinch I do have a couple items (a pair of earrings, a scarf) that were handmade gifts from friends. Handmade can also include refashioned, and upcycled items.

I watched a couple bloggers do this last year when I had no handmade garments on hand. I still don’t have a large number (hence my 2-items per week handicap), but I wanted to dive in this year to give myself a push. To meet my challenge, I will need to finish my three “in-progress” projects before month’s end, and possibly start a couple more. I am also hoping to use this as a means to explore my wardrobe from different perspectives and find more uses for clothes that hide in the back of my closet.

I plan to post weekly updates, with photos of the outfits.

Visit “So, Zo…what do you know?” for more details on this year’s challenge, the Facebook and Flickr pages, and the history of past challenges.

Knitting in a rocking chair in the Sea-Tac Airport food court.

Knitting in the public sphere

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I made an interesting discovery this weekend: knitting in public places invokes social interaction.

I am an introvert, and when I travel my preference is to do my own thing in my cramped little space, be it reading, writing, sleeping, or knitting. In most cases, airplane neighbors are more than willing to accommodate these wishes and will ignore me until one of us needs to use the lavatory.

But when you bring my knitting project on board, a curious thing happens. Airplane neighbors, who otherwise would have likely ignored me, begin asking me about my knitting…

“what are you making?”

“you can knit? that is amazing!”

“my daughter knits and crochets too.”

…and the conversations diverged from there.

Knitting in a rocking chair in the Sea-Tac Airport food court.

On the flight to San Francisco, I chatted with a Bainbridge Island high school teacher (and mother of 3). She and her husband were on their way to Hawaii. We talked about the state of education, colleges, and Washington vs. Oregon (they used to live in Eugene).

On the flight home, I was seated next to a young man from Puerto Rico who had been going to school, working, living, and exploring his way across the United States for a few months. Jose decided to travel to Seattle at the last minute, picking up a ticket for a mere $70 less than 12 hours before the flight. He’ll be working 25 hours a week on a farm, somewhere east of Seattle and exploring Puget Sound on the weekends. Our conversation began with his excited enthusiasm at my knitting; learning to knit was on his short-term goals list. We parted ways with me listing off as many Seattle and Western Washington sites and activities I could think of.

Through it all, I managed to knit at a steady pace.

Although a part of me desperately wanted solitude on the plane rides, it was fun just chatting with people and learning snippets of their stories.

This weekend has shown that I am more approachable when I am intensely focused on not dropping a stitch, as opposed to when I am casually reading a magazine. Is it because these activities, at their core, were often done in groups? Think about your favorite Jane Austen (or period film), with all those ladies knitting or doing needlepoint together.  From my own perspective, when I see someone knitting or crocheting, I find that I can identify with them.

Do you find that being crafty in public draws more comment and social interaction from complete strangers? Do you actively engage others you see crafting in public?