A ta-dah moment if I may?

The very colourful thing is complete. And time is short so here we go, a reveal in one:

(The shoulders are even really, this is just a bad photo!)

This was a work and a half, I can tell you! The bodice was great, worked up really quickly in dc. The skirt.......well, what can I say? The original pattern called for much greater gathering than I did here. But then it was a pattern for a ruffled baby dress, and Heather is not really in the category of cutesie frilly baby. So I followed the pattern for a few rounds, realised it was far too ruffly for my liking and ripped back. Then I worked out how I could make it less ruffly, that took some thinking, crochet and knitting are far different in that I can tell you. And so I continued, group after group of little v-shaped clusters. 490 clusters in total, not that I was counting them down.......

But the end result - well what can I say? I love it. The big girls love it. Dad loves it. Well worth the time, and the effort, and the headache. 

So that's it, crochet and me are definitely an item now. Poor old needles, pushed out by a little tiny hook. But don't fret, there's knitting on them needles in a bag somewhere here.......

Technical details:

Hook size - 4mm

Yarn - Anchor Magicline 100% cotton DK thickness 7x50g. (in a sale at Abakhan 2 years ago!)

Pattern - here.

Inspiration - here.

Size - the largest size from the pattern 9-12m but using a larger hook and thicker yarn so fits a dainty 2 year old.

So what next? Knitting I think......... Or maybe another quick dishcloth.

-x-

Recycling..

I've hit a snag with the rainbow bright. I am trying to decide which of two paths I should follow to compensate for the rapid decrease in yarn to finish the project.So to take my mind of that, or to await a flash of inspiration, I decided to have a play with the sewing machine. I came across a ring sling I made a couple of years ago (an easy make - just straight lines and a couple of pleats) and decided to re-use the fabric for a new make.

I'm definitely getting the hang of this sewing lark as it only took me two hours and one footstamping episode before I came up with this:

It's even got buttonholes that match each side! Go me!

I haven't tried it on Heather yet so it may well end up going back in the cupboard and being long forgotten about. Or pressed upon some poor unsuspecting mum to a smaller girl. But it looks about right. Hopefully.

And in other news - still no gift knits! I'm rubbish at being organised. So now it's February and I should have two items tucked away and waiting to be gifted and another two should at least be in the planning stages. Well actually I'm ahead on that side of things. I have a neverending list of things at the planning stage. It's just deciding what to make next. And of course knowing that I have the stash to work through and plan to.....

So how you all doing with the gift makes? Or the scrap busting? Better than I am, I hope :-)

Off to have another long stare at the rainbow bright and hope for that flash of inspiration to strike.

-x-

PS - And now I'm looking at this post I'm wondering if maybe I should have made the dress so that the straps went under the bodice rather than over.......... although I did think I preferred it the way it is at the time.

-x-

Sewing machine love at last!

OK knitting is obvious, I've been doing it for 30 years on and off.

Crochet - fairly new skill but if there's a pattern to follow it's kind of like knitting I suppose.

But sewing...........right!

Great for curtains, pillowcases, slings etc, anything that needs a hemmed rectangle. But actually making stuff from fabric that is wearable, now there's another thing altogether. But after the breakthrough with the leggings the other day I was itching to find time to get back and have another go. This time I cut the fabric carefully, followed the instructions to pin the dress together.........and then got all confused when adding the yoke and kind of bluffed my way through! Still turned out pretty well and fits just right. Now as long as she doesn't have a major growth spurt before the summer as this dress looked pretty neat over leggings but will be perfect for summer days.

I know - it's not a great photo, but I just wanted to share my first "proper" wearable make, with a pattern and interfacing and buttonholes and everything!

Right, back to the yarnbusting, and back tomorrow with the finished tank top. Bring your sunglasses with you, you're going to need them!

-x-

I found my mojo!

Well my crafting mojo anyway :-)

I posted a picture of Heather's new dress over on the other blog but thought I would show a bit more detail here as this is supposed to be a place to record and share my creative journey. So here's a little more about the dress, which I think is rather lovely and would love a big version for over summer trousers.
The pattern itself was pretty easy to come up with. For the back I just cast on a random number of stitches as I wanted a full skirt but as I wanted to incorporate a lace pattern the number of stitches had to be divisible by eight. I then worked a picot hem before beginning the diamond lace pattern.


I worked straight until the skirt was the desired length and then worked a decrease row of k1, k2tog repeating across the whole row. This pulled in the skirt to create a tighter yoke. I then changed to the lovely purple yarn and worked in stocking stitch until the piece reached where I would need to decrease the armholes. The armhole shaping was a classic shape created by casting off 4sts at the beginning of the following 2 rows and then decreasing 1st at each end of the next and 3 following alternate rows so 16sts cast off altogether. I then worked until the yoke was the length I wanted. All that was left then was to shape the neck and create straps which was done simply by working 6sts, casting off the following sts until 5 sts were left on the left needle and then knitting across these 5sts so that I had 6sts altogether. I then worked across these 6 sts in stocking stitch until the straps were the right length and then cast off. The yarn was rejoined to the remaining 6sts and these were worked in the same way as the first strap.


The front was worked in the same way until the yoke was 4 rows shorter than the back yoke where I then created the buttonhole row. This was done by working 3sts, casting off the following 2sts, continuing until 5sts remained, casting off the following 2sts and working to the end of the row. On the next row I worked 3sts, cast on 2sts, worked until 3sts remained, cast on 2sts and then worked to the end. I worked a further 2 rows and then cast off. All that was left to do was sew the sides together and add the buttons. I'm not sure I like the buttons and will probably change then for some wooden ones in the next day or two. I thought the dress would be pretty enough so could carry the plain black buttons but I think maybe they are a bit too bland?


The yarn is Wendy Supreme 100% cotton DK. Worked on 4mm needles throughout.

Next project on the go is a pair of socks for John. Well actually there's lots on the go, some in my head, some eager to get going and some already started but these socks are the ones I've decided to finish next. I started over a year ago and then got bored halfway down the first sock, never even getting to the heel turning, how fickle was that? But I came across it lingering sadly at the back of the drawer a couple of days ago and finding a renewed love for the colours I carried on where I left it. Only two days later and the first sock is complete and the second is begun:


This time I will get to the end ;-)