thornberry

We’re back!  Did you notice that we’d been away?  We missed out on the blustery storms in Melbourne and spent the last week staying with my in-laws on the Sunshine Coast.  What beautiful weather, superb beaches, tremendous hospitality, and adventures to the Ginger Factory at Yandina and to Eumundi Markets!  It was lovely for the girls to spend time with their grandparents; we don’t get to see them very often.

While we were away I had my crochet with me, of course!  And boy, did I churn out the pieces of Clare’s cardigan!

This is the Sweetpea Cardigan from Interweave Crochet, Spring 2006.  I am using Harmony yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills rather than the yarn specified in the pattern.  And this is where learning the hard way comes in.

I did do a swatch, and chose which size pattern to do accordingly.  First step okay.  Back done, fronts done, sleeves done.  One sleeve done twice.  The instructions were a little ambiguous at one stage, and I chose the wrong way to interpret them.  Okay, pull it out, do it again. 

Time to sew the pieces together!  Shoulder seams together fine, then picked up a sleeve to set it in.

Did you notice that the sleeve head is about two inches too short for the armhole?  I certainly did!  What did I learn here?  When substituting yarns, READ THE SCHEMATIC.  I hadn’t been measuring finished dimensions as I went.  So when I merrily crocheted along, making sure that I crocheted until the piece measured 7″ long (for example) I didn’t take into account that I hadn’t corrected the width as well as the length.

So now what do I do?

Do I unpull a few rows from the top of the sleeves, and do increases every second row or so until I get it wide enough?  Which is also going to make it longer - potentially too long?

Or do I just pull both sleeves out completely (there goes four hours of work) and start both sleeves again, chaining on more beginning stitches in the first place to get the width correct AS PER THE SCHEMATIC?

Opinions welcome!  I strongly suspect that I’ll be frogging both sleeves are redoing them completely, dammit!  If only I’d realised to check width as well as length as I went along!

And if you’re wondering, the fronts and backs are possibly (who am I kidding - definitely) going to be narrower than the schematic as compared to the lengths (because once again, I did as the instructions said with continuing until each piece measured a certain length).  I don’t think that it will matter too much in the body of the cardigan though.  I’m still kicking myself.  At least I’ll NEVER make this same mistake again!  Moral of this story - check the schematic when substituting yarn!  Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggh!

By the way, thanks for all the positive feedback on the wrap skirt!  I wore it while we were away - it’s super comfortable.  And it even got featured on the Craftzine blog - thanks for the heads up on that one Jodie!  I’m very flattered (and a little astounded).

I’m still working on Christmas presents, but have a few other bits and pieces that I wanted to share.  I embroidered these Christmas ornaments when I was in primary school.  The little house is still waiting for a ribbon to hang it with!  Clare found them today when we put up the Christmas tree.

These fabrics are all by Lara Cameron of Kirin & Co.  They’re original designs hand-screened here in Melbourne, on beautiful fabric.  I’m saving them to use in something special.

And lastly, I am working on some crochet.  I started this little dress for Stella some time ago, but I’m getting a bit stuck in the textured pattern used for the skirt.  It is easy to lose where I’m up to due to the yarn texture - I think I’ve introduced a few increases where there shouldn’t be any.  The pattern is the Baby Blues dress from Crochet Today.  Once the skirt is done I’ll work an edging around the neckline, sleeves and hem.

It’s probably a really bad choice of colour for a red-head.  I keep on forgetting Stella’s hair colour when buying yarn/fabric - at least she doesn’t have much hair yet, so will be able to get away with it!

Oh wow, I really meant it when I took that Handmade pledge (see button in sidebar) this Christmas!  I have NINE THIRTEEN (I just recounted and had missed four) projects cut out ready to make.  And that’s not all I need to make!

Whatever was I thinking?  How many weeks left until Christmas?  It’s been a cutting out marathon, and now I have a LOOOOONG list of notions to buy today so that I can get to work on these (you know, zips, more interfacing, buttons, thread, etc etc etc).  I reckon that when making bags I spend more on the wadding, interfacing, zips, clips etc than I do on the fabric!

Speaking of fabric, this lot arrived this week (edited to add: from Z&S Fabrics again).

At this rate of online shopping I will have to return to work from maternity leave earlier than I’d like!

I have recently become a member of Ravelry - for those of you who crochet and/or knit and don’t know about it, it’s the most amazing resource!  It’s also another way to spend WAY too much time on the computer.  Through it I have discovered crochet washcloths and dishcloths.  Why on earth would you crochet a washcloth or dishcloth, you ask?  Because it’s quick and functional and a great way to use up otherwise “waste” cottons.  It’s also a terrific way to learn new stitches and to check gauge!  I’ve just started this one:

It’s a Sedge Grit Stitch washcloth (a free Lionbrand pattern available from their website) and I’m using Anchor Magicline cotton.

Have you noticed how much the Australian dollar is worth compared to the US dollar at the moment?  I certainly have - on comes the online shopping!  My latest purchase from Amazon:

Just arrived and not even browsed through yet - I’m dragging out the excitement of anticipation!

Also, check out the Sew Mama Sew blog for their November Handmade Holidays month with 30 days of links to tutorials for things to sew.  Just click on the button in the sidebar!

The blog has been a little quiet over the past few days - crochet is much slower than sewing!  No finished objects to show off, so here is the work in progress - the seashells and posies dress.  Skirt complete, waist trim done, working on the bodice.

It’s coming along much more quickly than I anticipated, and I’m enjoying working in the finer yarn.  I may be converted to fine hooks and 4-ply or less!  It is challenging (I’ve had to frog a few sections at times) but satisfying.  I am learning and improving all the time! 

I took my crochet along to a party on the weekend, so that I could hook as I chatted (is that a weird thing to do - it’s probably taking multi-tasking to an extreme).  There were many bemused expressions as I crocheted away happily and lots of crochet and craft related questions.  Better than talking about politics!

I’ve made a start on the Seashell and Posies Dress from Spring 2007 Interweave Crochet, to fit Miss Stella next summer (giving myself over a year to complete it)!

I’ve never crocheted something like this before.  It’s started quite well though, and I’m enjoying the challenge of following a more complex pattern and of making something to fit a specific size (unlike scarves).  The yarn is 4 ply cotton from Bendigo Woollen Mills, in lavender, and I’m going to do the trim in the rose pink cotton in the photo.  I wonder how long it will take me to finish this?  The blog may be quiet in the meantime!

In the past few days I’ve made a start on the Boteh scarf from Interweave Crochet Spring 2007 .  The yarn is Lincraft Bamboozle, which is a bamboo/cotton mix.  It has taken me a little to get used to (I’m used to wool) but is nice and soft and I think that it will make a great scarf.

It’s taken me a little while to get the hang of the pattern, but I think I’ve finally got it sussed now!  There was an error in the pattern description (but not in the diagram) which was published on their website.  It’s a good thing that I check websites!

I picked up a copy of the latest issue of Adorn at the newsagent.

After browsing the last couple of issues, I don’t think that it is a magazine that I’ll get regularly.  Craft: was there, but at A$24 it was way too expensive!  Maybe I can subscribe (I love the current exchange rate with the US) - I’ve been busy perusing US fabric sites as well.  Fabrics that sell for A$24 per metre are less than US$9 per yard!  I haven’t made any purchases though.

Thanks for the suggestions on lining for the Larger than Life bag.  I think I might go for plain purple, in a similar shade to the sides of the bag, since the handles will be made out of this fabric.  But I may go wild for the inner lining and pockets!

I have finally finished the sides and bottom of the bag, and have attached them to the front and bag panels.  The crochet part of making this bag is now complete!

This was really difficult to photograph, but these should give you an idea of how it is coming along.  This bag is HUGE!  Now I need to line it.  What colour fabric should I use?  I’ll make padded handles from the same fabric for it, and do lots of interior pockets.  This will be my first effort at fully drafting a lining myself.  But don’t hold your breath!

I came across this beautiful cream shell stitch scarf by bella dia, and simply had to make one for myself.  Do you think that I’ve got enough scarves yet , well at the very least they are good crochet practice!  I promise that I will eventually make some to give away!  I haven’t got very far with this one yet; it took three false starts before I found these excellent instructions for solid shell stitch, and also worked out that I needed to do my foundation chain row on a larger hook.  Learning by trial and error is time consuming, but hopefully I won’t make the same mistakes twice!

The Patons Jet yarn is courtesy of a Lincraft voucher - I’m a member of the Lincraft club, so earn points with every purchase, and every now and then they send me a voucher - worringly, I’ve received quite a few vouchers, which indicates to me that I must be spending far too much money at Lincraft.  It’s my local fabric/sewing shop, but there are definitely others that I prefer!  So I am considering this scarf to be “free”.

I have finally joined the squares together, so now have two sides for the Larger Than Life bag.  The sides and bottom gusset are in progress.  I was a bit naughty and rather than blocking properly I just steam ironed the sides - gulp!  Very lazy, but I figured that once the entire bag is constructed it will all fit together nicely.  Here are photos of each side:

My aim for the next few weeks is to finish off incomplete projects before starting something new.  Well, it’s good to have an aim . . . I wonder if this one is realistic?  That means that I have to finish these:

* Larger Than Life bag

* pram rug

* embroidered dress for Stella

* embroidered dress for Clare

* blouse for me

* and I suspect that there are a few other incomplete sewing projects somewhere hiding in the cupboards.

By the way, my sister-in-law really liked her slouch bag!