Fiberly One

Skirts

When I was in high school (lo! those many years ago!) I preferred dresses over pants because my body was never made to fit junior clothes. And though pants were easier to wear, I’ve always loved skirts.

The first skirt I knit was the Luna Flickering Flames from the Elann.com site in their Luna rayon/cotton yarn.  It was probably the first project where I realized how much I like knitting lace.  And although it was a lot of knitting, I enjoyed making it. I’ve since made Sasha,  Elderflower and Indigo Ripples.

I was looking on Ravelry for a new skirt and came upon Wry Punster’s version of the Show-Off Ruffled skirt from Lace Style. I was inspired, so I started the skirt in some stash Elann Luna in red that I’d ordered to make another Flickering Flames skirt (I said I liked knitting it…). Once I got going on the bobbles, I actually enjoyed making them since I got to backward knit and was doing fine till I dropped the stitches that make the “lace.” Luna was not made for the Show Off Ruffle.  I think it is just too fluid.  I didn’t like the look of the “lace” and wasn’t convinced blocking would improve it, so I frogged it and went in search of another pattern.

Indigo Ripples was really a fast and satisfying knit, but I didn’t want to make it again for two reasons: 1) I wanted something different and 2) Evelyn asked me to knit the same skirt for her.  I’m not much for making things multiple times so three just wouldn’t work.  But I did like how Kat Coyle did the shaping, so I did a little math and cast on. I searched several books for lace patterns and settled on “Dainty” from Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns for the main knit panel and “Daintier” for the bottom ruffle. To make it flippy like Indigo Ripples, I used the same cast off, and I have a new red skirt.

It was a pretty fast knit, if you don’t take into consideration how many times I had to redo the lace foundation row, after knitting the second lace pattern row.  There was over 200 sts, so reknitting at least three times was no small feat.  Still it was done in a week, and I wore it yesterday.  It’s a comfortable, “swishy” skirt.  I may have to get more Luna for more skirts.

Shirts

Last year I sewed Tom 25 shirts. The promise was for one a month (I have A LOT of fabric for shirts stashed).  I had hoped to do at least one shirt a month this year, but it just hasn’t happened – only seven so far, with the lastest in July.

It was all about “meeting” friends, fabric shopping and just hanging out. Patti Ferguson organized the weekend in Chicago where Mardel Fehrenbach, Barbara Bell, and Diane Egelston (DianeE on the Pattern Review and Stitcher’s Guild sites) and I headed out, after four quick days at home, on April 25th. It was great to meet Mardel and Barbara for the first time, and see Diane and Patti again. We were missing Carolyn Norman and Marji Van Zile who at the last minute could not join us, but we were thinking of them all weekend.

Friday, we convened at Patti’s house where she served up a delicious dinner of salads and home-baked bread. We had an informal show and tell, where I showed the only piece from my “planned” travel wardrobe I managed to complete. Butterick 4991; Silk Brocade purchased from Mrs Kimura’s in Hawai’i

Saturday began at Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, where we all came away with something. I was surprised to find a dog fabric in silk. And though there was a considerable selection fabrics to tempt, in the end I brought home only the silk dogs, a pretty blue rayon remnant and acetate slinky floral.
  

Cennetta Walker, is a local sewist/blogger that Patti invited to meet us at Vogue. We enjoyed a nice lunch learning more about each other before heading to Fishman’s Fabrics. Their selection of colors in different fabrics was pretty amazing, but unlike Mardel, I had not come prepared with swatches and a plan, so was happy just to enjoy the experience. We said goodbye to Cennetta, but not before getting a quick group shot.

Cennetta, Diane, Barbara, Patti, and Mardel

Next to Hancock Fabrics where Vogue patterns were on sale. Right off the bat, I found the cotton patterns and three dog fabrics for Tom. Then I headed back to patterns, with no intention to buy or look, but because of my susceptibilty to the the power of suggestion (mostly from Diane), I picked out two Sandra Betzina patterns, Vogue 2980, because Diane was wearing it, and 1036, because she pulled it out and I liked it.
  

Dinner at Tapas Barcelona with three of Patti’s friends, Shelia Crumine and Barbara DeCoster, both sewists, and Margie Rogasner (in her words “the outlyer”) was great fun because of the company as well as the food. Post dinner we went back to Patti’s house where three husbands, Norm, David and Bill, were waiting, had some lively discussions, dessert and again, I was the first to fold. Patti planned to stay at the hotel to have a grown up slumber party, which she, Mardel, Diane and Barbara did, as I fell into my bed.

Sunday morning, before we had to bid farewell to Diane and Mardel, we posed for one more Fiberly friends picture.

Afterwards, Barbara, Patti and I took in the Chicago Botanical Gardens, where the bulbs were in full bloom and beautiful.

Patti and I said goodbye to Barbara at the airport and headed to meet Pam Walters for dinner.

What a great weekend it was!

There’s that general premise that as you get older time seems to go by more quickly. Add to that 9 planes in 21 days, of which onl 6 were spent at home and the month of April was just a blink in the proverbial eye. That, along, with a last minute visit from my mom that proceeded the three weeks of travel, in part explains my absence from blogland. I started writing this thinking I’d do one big post, but as I looked at all the unprocessed pictures, I realize my catching up will have to occur over several posts. So here I start in the middle.

I promised some pictures when last I posted:

Dianne’s skirt and jacket
These were finished well before they were gifted to Dianne but, of course, couldn’t be posted till she had them in her hands. It started with the Sandra Betzina skirt pattern, Vogue 2933. Tom found the fabric, at the Mill End Store in Milwaukie and I decided that I need to make something to go with it so we picked a cool eyelet.

The skirt was completed, with the “help” of some Pattern Review-ers to sort out the “wings.” The fabric feels like rayon, but is a poly microfiber (the clerk at Mill End was sure the bolt description was wrong so did a burn test).

The jacket was Vogue 8398. I took my sewing machine and serger up to Puyallup with me and set up a little sewing station at the hotel. I underlined the eyelet with silk organza to give it some body and got most of it completed during the trip, just wanting to use my “good” machine to do the topstitching of the bias tape facing.

Another shirt for Tom
Tom got three new shirts in March – two to take to San Jose and one for his birthday – not that I need an excuse. I managed to post the first SJ shirt, but finished the second on the morning of the trip and forgot all about it.

The birthday shirt and the birthday boy with his second biggest fan.

Alpine Lace Scarf
It’s done. All the time my mom was in town, she said she didn’t think I’d ever finish it. And there were times I didn’t disagree with her. Like immediatly after I made the decision to unknit back 14 inches to correct the mistake in the border that probably only I would see, but I’d know it was there. But I did finish it.

Three weeks ago we all decided that it would be a good idea for my mom to visit us so her realtors could really work on selling her house. The good news is that two offers came in; the bad news is they were really bad offers. So we wait. But having Mom and pooch around has thrown off my routine and I’ve had less time to spend at the computer. That means all the pictures I’ve taken are still in the camera and I haven’t posted for a while. Sorry about that.

But I have been doing stuff and in the course of the next few weeks, hopefully, I’ll get caught up.

Here’s a synopsis:
  Dianne’s birthday skirt and jacket (sewn)
  One shirt for Tom (now there’s a surprise)
  Progress on the Japanese crochet shrug
  Elisa’s Nest Tote
  FINISHED Alpine Lace Scarf (and my mom said it wasn’t going to happen)

Next week, I’m off to Denver to attend the Mile High Lace Knitting Conference and (another big surprise) eat and drink with friends, including one Alpha Phi sorority sister (didn’t know I was in a sorority in college did you?) and three high school friends, including my senior prom date, whom I’ve not seen since the 10 year reunion.

THEN, after spending some quality time with hubby and two silly dogs, it’s off to Chicago for a weekend to meet some Fiberly Friends some of whom I’ve met, more I have not.

By the way, how did it get to be April already?

It’s time for our annual trek to San Jose to take care of taxes. It’s not that we couldn’t just send the information down, but what’s the fun in that. (An “no” the trip is not tax deductible—we asked.)

In preparation, I did a little yarn shop research, found a couple of new-to-me shops to try to visit and posted a list of Bay Area Yarn shops on my website.

In addition to the trusty iPod Touch, I’ll be taking a Herringbone Stitch Chemo Cap, a free pattern from Fiber Rhythm, I’m knitting in Knit Picks Shine Sport. It’s my carry along project so, though it’s an easy project, it may be a while before it’s finished, since I only will get to it when were waiting for something and I need to keep busy. Or I may get it done while we’re away. You never know.
 
And the obligatory lace project: Alpine knit scarf from Victorian Lace Today in Claudia Hand Painted Silk Lace yarn in Pecan.

Tom gets to take a new shirt.

That’s pronounced “pyoo-AL-up. I was immediately corrected by my Seattle friend, so I thought I’d save you the embarrassment.

Sewing Expo
Anyway, that’s where I spent Thursday. This was my first time to the
Sewing & Stitchery Expo and it was quite an experience and I was late to game so didn’t get to do/see everything I wanted, and that in itself makes it a learning experience.

For the uninitiated, the Expo, organized by Washington State University, consists of a very few in-depth workshops, a few more hands-on classes and lots of seminars. Plus there were free style shows and seminars, and over 200 vendors. And though I can find no reference for how long it’s been going on, it clearly has been a long time. The crowd on Thursday by noon was significant. For the in-depth workshops and hands-on classes, the major sewing machine companies have set up rooms so schlepping a machine isn’t necessary.

I ended up with three (instead of the planned five) seminars on Thursday around machine embroidery. I learned something from each, but didn’t quite come away with the inspiration I’d hoped for.

Embroidery Basics was all about threads, needles, and stabilizers. The speaker was a Sulky national trainer, so the focus was on their products.

Embroidery From Perception to Reality was presented by the principal for an embroidery software company on how to use software (in general, her product in particular) to aid in design and implementation of the embroidery. If I ever invest in an embroidery application, I hope I remember her ideas.

Quick Gifts on the Embroidery Machine was entertaining, which was good since it was mid-afternoon – not my brightest time of the day. Bobbi Bullard showed some interesting projects that showcased her embroidery design sets, as well as some of her other products, including spray dyes and Swarovski crystals.

Showplex and Pavilion
There were two venues for shopping and with six hours of free time, I managed to cruise the aisles of both several times. Pretty much anything you could think of around sewing was there; and depending on the time of day, it was just a matter of actually getting to and into any given booth. There was lots of fabric and the independent pattern companies were well represented.

Practicing some restraint, I purchased only 3 yards of fabric, since I seem to have outgrown my substantial fabric/yarn closet and sewing room and I don’t have the option of piling my fabric in the shower like Bobbi Bullard said she does. I found a pretty red linen rayon blend at Dana Marie (formerly Purrfection), but both scanning and photographing didn’t get the color right. Seattle Fabrics had lots of tapestry, including a cute puppy print that I just couldn’t resist.

What I really scored on were notions. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the store, but here’s what I got there for $5 (a bagful of notions).

I found two gadgets at the smaller of the two Pine Needle Quilt Shop booths.
 

And there were a few yarn shops who showed up, knowing that it’s not always about sewing. Because I need more yarn even less than fabric, I again practiced restraint, until I got to the Seattle Yarn, where there bags of discontinued yarn and shawl kits for $40, including the two bags of Noro I couldn’t resist – Gisha and Silk Country.
 

I’m looking forward to next year, now that I know the ropes.

Side Trips
When possible I plan trips around meeting up with friends. And this trip was no different, though I have no pictures to show for it. Wednesday, I lunched with Dave Harms, a work friend, at a downtown Seattle Thai fast food place, and had dinner with Mark Shelton, (has it been 30 years!?) at Indochine in Tacoma. Thursday, it was all about meeting with fiberly friend Diane Egelston for the first time; we had pretty good teriyaki at Ichiban Teriyaki, very near the Red Lion Tacoma where I stayed. Finally, I had lunch with Adobe friends, Fred Hale, Marc Madenwald, and Jud Richards, in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, at the Red Door.

There was time to kill between checking out and meeting Fred, Marc, and Jud, so I stopped at Kinokuniya Bookstore. Parking karma was with me and I found a spot at the door that I didn’t have to actually parallel park into (I’m a terrible backer-upper). It’s hard to compare them to the Portland store because the layout is so different. However, I do think they had fewer books with knitting than Portland. I did find two crochet books, though.
Crochet Accessories (ISBN 9784277430807)

   

Let’s Knit Series 15 (ISBN 9784529043496)

    

I didn’t have any Valentine’s Day fabric, but I did have a dog fabric with hearts, so Tom got a new shirt for the day.

Elderflower skirt is mostly finished. The knitting is done, but my body is such that to fit my tummy, the waist ends up being a bit big. I need to sew in some elastic in the back so the skirt doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall off, which I’m sure would be entirely amusing to some, but no.

New shirts
Although I didn’t gift Tom with the promise of at least one shirt a month for 2008, I’ve just continued the tradition. Considering I haven’t stopped finding new dog fabrics, it only makes sense that I keep making shirts.
 

New Machine
Tom was the first to benefit from my new cover stitch machine, which made short work of finishing the sleeves and hems. I have mentioned that I am susceptible to suggestion and the Fiberly friends has been talking about cover stitch machines on and off for a few months. A couple of weeks ago, I succumbed to the power of suggestion and started researching machines. In the end, with feedback from my Fiberly friends, some local sewing guild members and reviewing Debbie’s excellent Coverstitch FAQ, we headed to Montavilla Sewing Center, where I opted for the Baby Lock Cover Stitch, to sit along side my Baby Lock serger and sewing machine. I think I am set for machines for a good long while.

New Knitting
Although I haven’t posted recently to Ravelry, I have been browsing and among my friends projects, I found the Elderflower skirt by Ruth Sørensen. It intrigued me because I love skirts and it’s knit without a gauge swatch, so it was just a matter of picking out some yarn and knitting away. Here’s my progress from last week. I’m now on the stockinette portion, and admit to being a bit bored, but it is a good take along project since stockinette doesn’t require that I pay attention. The yarn is a sock yarn I picked up when I first started knitting for $1 a ball. Craftmart became Lee Ward’s which became Michael’s. The yarn has been aging in my stash a really long time.

As I finally get back to this thing we call blogging, I took a look at what I accomplished on the fiberly front. I did so many more things in my head than I did for real, I still think I did pretty well.

Last Christmas I promised to make Tom at least one shirt each month. In part, the idea was to reduce the stash of dog fabric. Although I admit I did augment the stash, I think I did put a very small dent in it having made 26 shirts – 11 in August for our 25th Anniversary. I finished the last shirts of the year over the weekend.
 

Although I planned to sew for myself, most of the 15 sewn projects ended up being gifts, including a set of placemats for Dianne, a jacket, top and pants for my mom, and bag for Tom’s aunt Flossie. Tom’s Christmas present was a Simplicty 3890 jacket sewn from wool we picked up at the Pendleton Woolen Mills outlet in Milwaukie. And I made a jacket for one of Tom’s nieces.

McCalls 5479; Fabric Mart wool blend fabric

Mostly I knit–20 projects, in total. I started (and finished) Michelle Rose Orne’s capelet from Vogue Knitting Winter 2006, as a gift, but changed my mind about the giftee.

Instead, I put my newly learned crochet skills to the test and made the Chrysantemum lace shawl from Amazing Crochet Lace: New Fashions Inspired by Old-Fashioned Lace by Doris Chan from Muench Tahoe (stash) yarn.

Looking at the bigger picture of my fiberly pursuits, I guess I can’t complain—but I still want to do more next year! To see all the sewing, knitting, and crochet projects – except shirts – plus a couple of other endeavors click here.

Oh yes and
Happy New Year!

Don’t forget your black-eyed peas.

Dianne (DiannePDX) just got her invitation to Ravelry and commented in a message to me, Suzie (knitnlisten) and Jean (no clue about Ravelry) that she thought the reason I haven’t been posting much here is because I’ve been spending so much time on Ravelry. Not true. It may be worth noting I haven’t posted much on Ravelry either.

Because to me, both are all about the pictures and my recent mantra has been “I’d rather be knitting and sewing than processing pictures”–that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

On my list (without pictures, in no particular order):
1. McCalls 5479
2. Vogue 8162
3. Vogue 7880
4. Vogue 8344
5. Simplicity 3890
6. Ene’s Scarf (Scarf Style)

Since most are gifts, I won’t give details and it’s likely I won’t post pictures of the projects till after the holidays. But eventually I will get to those Hawaii and Jake pictures.

BTW, it may come as no surprise that I’m Fiberlyone on Ravelry.