Side-tracked

I started 4 projects last week.  Only one was for the Christmas knitting.  Two were poor attempts at instant gratification and one was because it was cloudy yesterday and I wanted a new sweater!  Fortunately, the one for Christmas knitting was one of the bigger projects and it is coming along nicely.  I have almost a whole body and both sleeves.  Soon I will join for the yoke and fell really good about myself.  Want to see the other pretty things distracting me!?

A little baby hood in happy feet, sock yarn, which is why it is a poor attempt at instant gratification.  Oops.

A two tone cowl in some very fantastic local alpaca yarn gifted to me last Christmas by Greg's mom.  It really is delightful and I'm designing this cowl to use every inch of both skeins!!  Also, this too is fingering weight yarn, so, another poor attempt.  Double Oops!

 A sweater with these buttons!

And, Instead of adding my sweater swatches to the stash, I pulled out the swatch stash and started brainstorming what to do with them... 

A Little Cushion

I feel comfortable enough with my knitting skills and obsession to be a self proclaimed "knitter", if you will.  I can understand patterns, read symbol craft and yarn labels, etc.  Sewing, however, is not quite the same.  I have a machine and have made garments, but really, I'm very elementary.  After being inspired by the Seam Allowance Club at A Verb for Keeping Warm, I had another light bulb moment.  I'm still learning.  I need to sew a lot of straight lines before I'm comfortable.  I need to make things from patterns.   I need to plain old practice!  I guess I felt that I should be able to just do it without paying the sewing practice dues.  I mean, not many knitters start with a fair isle yoked sweater with a steek, right!  Then where does it say it is my business to decide to sew and immediately do it well.  With knitting, I made a lot of scarves, a lot of scarves.  So I need to just put in the sewing machine time.  Once I really let all of that sink in.  I felt great. 

Still inspired, but also relaxed with my new self allowed room for growth, I resolved to sew simply to start.  When I get to a hard part, I set it aside in the pile of "get help with the expert, aka Mom" and am OK with that.  So a few nights ago, Instead of spending the evening knitting as usual, I went ahead and spend it in class.  I pulled a wool scarf from the stack, dug out the quilt batting & tin of bindings and trip and started playing.  Playing with color, thread, pattern, until I decided on a combination I liked and decided to make my awesome workbench stool a cushion.  I used an old dress pattern piece and traced around the chair seat, allowing for about 1" of seam allowance.  Then I set to work slowly sewing.  I ripped out some seams, speed right through others, and at the end of my evening, I had this.

It is not perfect.  But to me, and as a learning project, I couldn't be happier.  I gave myself room for mistakes, and calmly corrected them when the inevitable happened.  It was a successful evening and I am encouraged to try again soon!  In the mean time, my butt is really enjoying a soft place to rest as I sit at the workbench!

Best Shop Ever & Seam Allowance

A few weeks ago, Greg and I took a day trip up to Berkeley.  We had plans to meet up with friends for dinner and the Wilco show later in the day, but we decided to head up early and hit a few other spots. My destination of choice? A Verb for Keeping Warm. I had no idea about this shop until recently and had to check it out.   Man, that place is glorious! Yarn, fiber, and fabric.  Holy crap!  That's a dreamland!!

I got some yarn to knit a birthday bandana,

And some fiber for spinning,

And then when the VW didn't start, I went next door, had a Molly Ringwald cupcake, bought more yarn, and waited for the tow truck.  Well, when the driver arrived, Eureka!  The car starts.  I guess I was supposed to linger at the shop a littler longer.  Boo whoo!

The next day, inspired by the shop and show, I lurked around on the Verb website and stumbled across their Seam Allowance group.  A club that members pledge to make (at least) 25% of their wardrobe.  Spin, weave, sew, or knit!  Cool, right?  Then it hit me, I should join!  DUH.  I'm not in the bay area, so i'll be a member at heart, but it made perfect sense to me.  I LOVE making things.  I HATE shopping for clothes. 

So, along with starting the Imogen tee, I gathered a few patterns and fabric and decided to make some clothes.  I'll show you tomorrow!