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Saturday, January 31, 2009

Only 66 days left..and so on

There are only 66 days left til the Connie Crawford advanced fitting workshop. Yippeee! I can't wait. I think it will be the final piece to my problem fit puzzle. I can't wait. Until then...
I think this is going to be an unofficial craft weekend for me. I stayed up until 3 am doing all things crafty. I transferred some more VHS sewing tapes to DVD. Multi-tasking as I usually do, I also knit the pieces on my 950i machine for a jacket with my TNT pattern. I used 2 strands of Rayacril from my stash. Was only going to knit the fronts then decided I could hammer out the backs. I was on such a roll that I finished the sleeves as well! Later today I plan to start blocking the pieces out to size.

I also dragged out some fabric from my stash for a pair of slacks to match a cut and sew jacket from TNT pattern. Would like to be able to wear those some time next week. Hope to cut those out later today. Have a swatch in the dryer, knit on the DM80, for my Passap Red Sweater Knitalong. The sweater needs to be finished before Valentine's day.

Last but not least I am on my dishcloth kick once again. I love dishcloths made out of Sugar and Cream yarn and while I can make one in only 8 minutes on the Studio 155 bulky, it's not portable. So far this year I've cranked out three by hand and am cranking out number four. Check out the pics. My sweetie really loves the dishcloths and I try to make them to his specs since he is the only washer or dishes around here. Check out his pic too...Doesn't look like a guy that loves washing dishes does he? LOL.





Thursday, January 29, 2009

Sewing and Pattern alteration

I spent this morning putting the sleeves in a jacket that I have been trying to iron the bugs out of since mid-December. I still don't love it. I then cut out a couple of patterns that I entertained doing some fitting on. Then I smacked myself (you know that "I coulda had a V-8 " smack) for wasting more time on that which is not working for me. Finally I dragged out the pattern I've used for my favorite cut and sew garments. It's an OOP McCalls pattern, 9523.





I'm trying to figure out what it is that I like so much about this one in particular. First, it's super comfy. Mainly, I think it's that I made the front armhole extremely shorter that I ever have on any garment. I can move my arm without hiking up the entire garment! After watching the Connie Crawford fitting DVD for the millionth time, I think the only thing it really needs is to balance the front and back armholes. I'm going to make a muslim later and see if that works. If it does I would like to make a few design changes and knit it on the 950i with a yarn I hope I can locate again in my stash! I was taking a break because I thought I'd been in my craft room since before 8 a.m. but it seems that the clock down there is an hour ahead! Yikes.

Monday, January 26, 2009

First finished project for 2009


Well I finished my first knit garment of the new year and before the end of the month. Whoo hooo! I absolutely love it. The only problem is that it is a design I charted myself and while the fit is wonderful...I'm not exactly sure what I did with my schematic and instructions! Yikes! I want to make it again. Going to have to make an all out search. I also have to find the perfect button/fastener to top it off with.

Yesterday I was very productive. While finishing the lace duster, I thought I would get some sewing done but instead I decided to transfer some sewing and exercise videos to DVD with the video to DVD recorder I got for Christmas. I had sewing videos I didn't even know I had. In between running up and down the basement stairs no less than 25 times, while recording, I knit a couple of swatches on the Passap DM80. I have a KAL going on my Passap list so need to get a red sweater knit by Valentine's day. I'm on a natural fiber kick so the swatches were knit with 3 strands of 14/2 cotton. Incidently the lace duster was knit with 2 strands of 14/2 cotton on the Studio 700 punchardcard with LC2 lace carriage. Here's a couple of pictures of me at my Passap E6000 knitting machine and a better view of my totally trashed craft room!


Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Finally....2009 Craft Goals

After bowling today (I'm turning into an alley bum) I practiced few a techniques on my Passap DM80. In particular a technique I accidently stumbled a few years ago. I made sure I got it on my computer this time.



I also got out the g-carriage. I want to knit a plain sweater but with a really cool yarn of which I don't know the fiber content. I despise ribbing so am trying to find an alternative. Since I don't have a ribber on my 950i (it's packed away) I looked through the stitch pattern book and think I like #469. The first swatch came out really good. I only need about 12 rows. After the intial swatch I'm trying it again with no scrap yarn. Have to see if it curls or not. The purl side of the plain sweater is going to be the right side.

Anyway...

My 2009 goals.

1. I want to try and knit at least one garment a month. Since this month is half over the lace duster will have to surfice. I have six knitting machines so that means about two garments per machine. I should be able to do that. Barbie outfits don't count!

2. Sew and knit better fitting garments. For right now I'm just sort of stumbling my way through the better fitting sewn garments. Last night I cut out what I hope is the final attempt of mine to fit Vogue 8161. It's an easy pattern...I'm not an easy fit. Hopefully after the Connie Crawford workshop in April that will be easier.

3. As with my knitting, I want to sew at least one garment a month.

4. Do not buy any fabric I do not LOVE.

5. NO plastic fabric. You know...cheap, not to be confused with inexpensive. I've found fabric in my stash that I can't acutally believe I bought. Thank goodness I've give most of it away. Saved some for trial garments.

6. Don't buy any patterns I am not absolutely sure I'm going to use even if they are only .99! Get rid of some of the ones I'm sure I'll never use.

7. As much as possible use fabric or yarn I already have. I've been doing pretty good with this for the last few years so it shouldn't be a problem to keep it up.

8. Try to keep my craft room a little tidier! It's look pretty bad right now!










9. Work on keeping my website (http://www.smokingneedles.net/) up-to-date.

10. Don't spend more time on the computer blogging and keeping my website up-to-date than I do knitting and sewing!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Rambling Along

I stayed up until 4 a.m. watching tv and ripping out a dishcloth that I keep screwing up. I like hand knitting dishcloths because they are usually fast and easy but this one has me stumped.

Only got a few hours of sleep because I had to be at the bowling alley at 9:30 this morning. I bowled okay but realize that my new bowling ball was drilled wrong and whether he realizes it or not, the proshop guy in going to catch hell when I seen him!

Got home and had to spend a couple of hours doing snow. I didn't mind because I was able to zone out thinking about a couple of sweater patterns I want to design. Have got to finish the last sleeve and the trim on the lace duster I'm knitting and want to start on another. For some reason I'm really drawn to the longer cardigans that I call dusters.

Suddenly need scarves around my neck when it's cold and diva that I am, I must have one to match my dozen or so coats. Hope to crank out a few tonight.

For now, gotta stop blogging and start knitting!

Friday, January 9, 2009

Rambling

Today didn't start out very good. Somehow for the second day in a row my clock had the wrong time on it when I woke up. Yesterday I woke up an hour earlier than I thought it was and today I woke up an hour later. What is going on? Darn atomic clock!

No time to exercise cuz I had to be at the bowling alley. That was a bummer because I bowled like crap. Didn't get any sewing or knitting done because I had to go back to the bowling alley at which time I bowled like crap again! The one bright spot in my day was that I got my confirmation to go to the Connie Crawford Advanced Project Class -- Fitting and Design in April. Yippeee! I have basically given up on doing any serious sewing (including cut & sew garments) until after that time because I am just spinning my wheels trying to fit myself. Even with my fabulous duct tape form, Dolly, I don't quite know how to get the fit I want. If I'm going to put the time into sewing, I want a custom fit. I didn't say I wasn't going to sew, I said no serious sewing. Going to concentrate on knitting.

Currently I'm working on a lace cardigan/coat. I'm knitting it on the Studio 700 and using two different lace patterns. Take a look at the stitch design so far. Just need to knit the other sleeve than add the binding.






Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Not enough hours in a day.

The last week has been very interesting. My power was out for a couple of days but I did get my Studio bulky knitter set up. Now I have six knitting machines set up. I started a hand transferred lace with beads and cables top on the Passap. Had to do a very intricated "map" in Excel to help with that. It also has vertical darts on the back. Haven't started the front yet.

Started a lace coat/duster on the Studio 700. Am using 2 strand of 14/2 cotton. It's a pattern I charted. Am trying to perfect the pattern. Made one but think the v-neck was much deeper than I wanted.

I'm taking a break from fitting the sewing pattern I was working on because I'm either doing something wrong or just being too picky. It's probably mostly being too pickey. I think I need to made a wide back adjustment and possibly reverse the neckline gaposis adjustment I made. Going to work on that some more next week. I did make some pajama pants and fashioned a sweatshirt into a matching top as a belated birthday/Christmas present for a friend. It was fun and easy.

In the meantime I'm only working part-time now so I need to get on some kind of schedule and not lay around eating bon bons all day. Have been going to the bowling alley and subbing but if I keep doing that it will be like going to a job everyday and if I'm going somewhere like that everyday I need to be getting paid for it!

I've got to figure out what time I need to get up to have time to workout, bowl, knit and sew all in the same day!