making

Whilst doing my best to follow the rules, I have been furiously making in the slivers of time that work and school holidays allow. The making is most definitely for sanity as well as practicality in a house of rapidly growing children and rapidly approaching cold weather.

The hoodie for Wil which started as a 'rainbow' jumper and was downgraded to a 'traffic lights' jumper is done. The boy seems pleased, though is yet to wear it for anything other than a photo shoot so we will see. I figure at the very least the super soft and snuggly malabrigo yarn will draw him in when the weather gets really cold.

This is the third time I've knit this pattern and it's lost none of its charm - quick, easy and a very well fitted and comfortable garment at the end. I used an applied icord edging to the hood instead of having a casing and draw string and I added a pocket to the front for Wil's frozen hands on walks to the tram stop on cold mornings.

This is the first time I have knit a garment from malabrigo and I have no complaints at all. It is stronger and better behaved than I would have expected from a single and the softness and fuzzing up make it a very appealing winter yarn. I have enough left from this project to make myself a cowl and I think I will.

I also finished this felicity hat in gorgeous sublime yarn I received in a swap with Ms T last year. The yarn is aptly named - quite an experience to knit with and the finished product has luster and drape and weight and excellent stitch definition. I will be using this yarn again. The hat is not for me, but the recipient won't be getting it just yet. I immediately cast on a second, also not for me, from the red malabrigo I used on the hoodie.

The hats are a distraction from the much bigger task I have of swatching and planning for a new top for me. I've looked at loads of patterns, and none of them are quite what I want so I think I have to design my own. This is both exciting and daunting. Hence the hats.

The knitting machine has been fairly quiet, though I was very excited to test out this little idea. I had been wondering about the possibilities in relation to seamless construction on the machine but couldn't fully grasp in my mind how it could work. I decided that rather than wallow in my own lack of conceptual design skills I would just try it out. For Wil's teddy bear. Of course the sizing was super wrong (see that fold in the back?), but basically it worked. One single piece knitted and shaped using short rows and cast off cast ons. Also a good sized swatch of a kilo cone of fine denim yarn I picked up super cheap. Now to turn the concept in to garment...

Progress continues on the retro blanket. 3 and a half rows of 23 hexes, only 16 and a half to go! Woot!

Sewing has been focused on kitting up the taller and lankier girl child who has seemingly either out grown or worn out every cool weather item she has. I am enjoying her emerging sense of style and we now discuss shape and fabric choices in a much more sophisticated way when I am making her clothes. Joy.

First up some slightly oversized flares. I admit to shaving down the width a little and adding elastic to the waist but otherwise these are unchanged from the Ottobre pattern Sarita (1/2009 size 128cm). They have a super chunky hem which I quite like and she loves them. The elephant on the pocket is by the ever generous Ms Ric Rac, the left overs of the great undie print run of 2011. The denim is a very heavy weight bought at the op shop for $2 and already half used to make my overlocker carrier. Damn fine value.

 

Then two long sleeve Ts also from stash fabric. The cartoon print came from a destash over at Twiglet's studio and the plain light grey was from spotlight (a surprisingly thick and soft quality jersey). This one is decorated with iron on transfers Amy got for Christmas. Both made using the same basic fitted T pattern from Ottobre's creative workshop in size 134cm with a little shaved off the shoulders.

And it isn't new but I am nonetheless very much re-enjoying last year's prize knit, the enormous stonewall shawl. I'm also deeply impressed with how well this yarn has held up to an enormous amount of wear - not a single pill in sight - which I think for a silk merino blend is quite the miracle.

There's Thai food too - but I'll save that for it's own post (photo courtesy of Turning Japanese).