sam lamb

joining the bears

2012-01-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

Even though it isn't really cold out there, January still seems like the right time to hibernate. To help fuel this belief, I accidentally knit up the perfect hibernation sweater. My intentions were to use my favourite Debbie Bliss Luxury Donegal Tweed to make a slightly longer, open cardigan that I could wear to work. But instead I went overboard with the length (one small fault with the wool - it grows substantially in length when blocked) and the collar, so much so that the sweater is more like wrapping yourself in a blanket which doesn't really scream business casual. It only screams "go hibernate on your sofa". I've been closing it with a kilt pin (how lazy!) and with so much wear I am already rolling up the cuffs. The stitch counts were from Leaflet, though I ignored the lace panel at the back. If I were to make this again - in a wool that might be more suitable for work - I would try some short rows in the collar for a better fold over at the neck. But with Leaflet as a base, there are so many simple modifications you could make that would result in a very versatile sweater, hibernation style or not.

To go along with wearing blanket sweaters and knitting daily, I have been devouring books lately (winter just may be my favourite season). I enjoyed A Student of Weather so much more than the better-known Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay. There was a moment in the story involving a baby and a snow storm that made my heart pound; I couldn't breathe properly until it was resolved, it was so intense. And I stayed up very late every night last week because I couldn't close The Weight of Silence. Now I'm reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog and it's delightfully different from the other two and intriguing in its own way. I'm slowly reading In Defense of Food because I don't want to stress too much about how awful my own diet is, but it's still a great read. It's just that while I'm in this comfy, hibernating mood I'd rather avoid food guilt. Life is too short and there are way more rewarding ways to enjoy this dark month.

For more knitting and reading recaps visit this week's Yarnalong over at Small Things.

hideaway

2012-01-22T15:01:00.000-05:00

Classic foolishness: I complain about having a small house and then make something that needs a lot of room.

My big Christmas project for the kids - the one that I finished at 2am on Christmas Eve - is this teepee. Large sewing projects like this are especially daunting to me because I never have enough space to really know if I've cut the pieces properly. This partly explains why I was still sewing before Santa arrived; until that point I couldn't even set the dowels up where the teepee was going to live to make sure I had the right shape. But I'm also a procrastinator, so that explains the rest.

The bulk of the fabric is from a painter's drop cloth and I used homemade bias tape for all the edges. The opening flap is a little small but luckily the kids don't close it anyway (phew). We put a yoga mat at the bottom and then set four 24"x24" cushions inside to make a big a square floor which also keeps the dowels in place. I've piled a couple of quilts on top, creating a soft haven for the cats. Cats? Yes - I never quite realized they would think this new fort was for them. Again, more foolishness.

So all in all, this wasn't an idea totally thought through, but the result is pretty cute. And loved - by creatures big and small. I think that's enough reason for me to live with some extra clutter for the time being.

love vs. list

2012-01-11T21:47:00.001-05:00

Oh sure, this is not a new debate. And yes, everyone goes through it at some point. But knowing this doesn't help me sleep at night. I've been agonizing in the wee hours for the last half year trying to figure out if we should stay in our current house or start over. Just writing it makes me freak out a little inside.

For anyone who watches Love It or List It (which I have to admit to watching, even though it's on a competitor station - sorry work!) we are basically any couple they follow. We've been in our house 10 years this summer, it's mostly good but there are shortcomings. It would be a stretch to afford a bigger house in our neighbourhood, if a house even came up for sale (it doesn't happen regularly). The renovations we'd need to tackle scare the bejeezus out of me, and I'm not convinced they'd turn this into our "forever" house anyway. Change seems like a nice idea, yet there is so much effort - and cost - associated with moving. And I value being able to live in a small space, finding creative ways to make limited space work for us instead of just going bigger. We've invested a lot of love and labour into this house and our location is hard to beat. But the house is dark and no amount of white paint is ever going to change that. See? Perfect Love It or List It content, though I'm not entirely sure which side Jay and I would be on. He mostly wants to stay, but is leary of renovating and has an easier time falling for other houses. I seem to be leaning towards moving but I am incredibly picky about other houses and so far we've seen about 10, none of which I feel are worth the move.

Here's what we need to do to stay: dig out and finish our basement. This would get us a second bathroom, handy for a family of 4 (though 1 bathroom hasn't been terrible), and also a larger work/studio/craft/play space for all of us to share. Even though I moved into the basement last spring, it hasn't been ideal. All summer it smelled bad and I'm storing my fabrics down there which isn't a great combination. Plus it's still a rough space; all we did was paint one corner for me but I'm always surrounded by piles of boxes, stuff on its way out, Jay's wood and tools and paint, hanging laundry...and on and on. Oh, and the cat litter boxes. It doesn't make me feel creative, you know? And if we took on this ginormous reno we'd finish up the rest of the list: install new hardwood floors upstairs to match what we did on the main floor, figure out air conditioning, redo the linen closet, replace the front walk and fix the concrete down the side of the house and probably change our oil to natural gas to gain more space in the basement and be able to turn our fireplace into something functional. Not a small list by any means.

To move, ideally we need the space above ground to handle our studio needs including an outdoor garage that's either insulated or easy to insulate. I don't think I've posted about Jay's awesome garage studio (another reason that makes this house hard to leave). We had it built in the fall of 2010 and it's perfect for the toxic part of his process (mainly, epoxy) while also being a well lit, comfortable working space that I envy every time I walk in. It's a single car garage that fills the back of our yard, the length of the garage being the whole width of our yard.

So it's a plus. And even though our backyard is teeny I actually really like it. It feels private, we have a 150 foot pine tree and vines that take over the yard all summer, which somehow makes up for the lack of grass. We built the deck and Jay laid a recycled brick path. I love walking right from our pantry onto the deck, reading in lounge chairs on a warm day, and watching the kids water the flowers while I'm at the counter making sandwiches. Sure, we share the backyard with a family of raccoons every summer but what Toronto backyard doesn't?

Hmm, I think I just fell into an "I love my house" tangent. I could go further and add to the love list being able to walk to the subway, Loblaws and No Frills, Shopper's Drug Mart, Starbucks and Tim Horton's (that's for Jay, not me), a knitting store (that's for me), the library, an LCBO, Goodwill, Salvation Army, a number of sit down and take-out restaurants (the Stockyards, anyone?), a kids shop for last minute birthday gifts, the revamped Artscape Wychwood Barns with its Saturday Farmer's Market, Cedarvale ravine, at least four parks with kid equipment, and finally Sadie's school, which is a whole 2 minute walk from the front door (yes, we've timed it...chronically late people tend to know these things). Did I mention this is all by foot? I'm not sure I could ever give it up.

Basically if a detached 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house with a separate garage and at least one more room on the main floor came up for sale within a 4 block radius of where we are now and it didn't need renovations but was suitable to our style and also affordable...that would be ideal. But likely impossible. Sigh. I'm open to any and all advice. Yesterday I felt staying here was right, and then today someone told me we only live once and change is good.

I guess a few more sleepless nights are still to come.

no. 85

2012-01-07T22:51:00.001-05:00

For some reason I've been having little to no luck making clothes this past week, either knit or sewn. Maybe it's a post-holiday crash. Or maybe it's just a symptom of being a confirmed over-achiever; any time I'm away from work I feel I should be super productive on the handmade front. For goodness sake, my last post had me stating that all I want to do in 2012 is make more things. Umm, how about relaxing a little? Is that such a crazy notion?

One small success was a sweater for Milo. He doesn't like zippers near his neck and hoods are a bit cumbersome with parkas and scarves right now. So I figured a couple of crewneck sweatshirts shouldn't be too hard. I didn't have quite enough navy fleece to make the entire body for one so I improvised with a band of red fleece left from Ragdoll's pants (already used to make this sweatshirt). Since this made for an overall sporty look, it seemed to make sense to use the cute "no. 85" patch from the pants too (plus, when Ragdoll's little man gets this sweatshirt next she'll get an extra kick out of the addition).

Oh, and this is Milo's new camera face. It goes along with saying "cheese" - which is not only a fun word for him to say, but also his favourite food choice. He's a pretty simple guy, hanging out in his new sweats, no pressures on the horizon other than naptime.

Clearly I could learn a thing or two from him.

hoot-y new year

2012-01-01T19:03:00.000-05:00

In the blink of an eye, it's another new year. And my only resolution - if it can even be called that - is to continue making things. Fun, handmade things that are meant to be used. Owls to be loved and clothes to be worn. This gentle activity keeps me sane as the days and years speed by and the most wonderful bonus is that a love for making has already migrated to Sadie. I think the highlight of my holidays was taking Sadie to the Museum for Textiles here in Toronto and watching her fall in love with the weaving looms. I sat across the room knitting with their sample needles and wool glancing secretly at her while she sat at the loom happily moving the shuttle back and forth while alternating the lever and beater (and I may be getting these parts wrong - I know very little about weaving). She has knit and done a little embroidery, but she simply fell into a rhythm while weaving and it was so amazing to witness. She's been talking about weaving ever since, a conversation I'm more than happy to be a part of. And so we may start the new year with a cardboard loom project. New year = new textile craft.

The owl above is from the Purl Bee's free Big Snowy Owl pattern. As simple as the pattern was, I used lighter weight wool and smaller needles and had to rip back twice because I was making him way too big. Then I think I made the eyes one round too large but I just went with it. He was finished up the night before Christmas Eve, so at that point I couldn't be too picky. I used Berroco's Vintage Chunky to make him extra durable since I read that this owl often doubles as a pillow (he's been hanging out in Milo's crib since Christmas so I can already vouch for that claim). Oh, and I also ignored the stitch pattern in the body. I wanted to keep everything simple before Christmas, especially in my knitting. But now it's a new year and I can get back to small challenges in my making. Like attempting a sliding cable in this Graystone sweater pattern. That and some weaving and we're all set to begin 2012.

Happy New Year!

mmmm, malabrigo

2011-12-21T23:59:00.003-05:00

Haley, my awesome local yarn shop owner, introduced me to Malabrigo Chunky for this hat a while back. I believe she described it as "yummy" to knit with - or maybe I'm making that up - but it really is the best word for it. Malabrigo is soft, squishy and wonderful to wear. The colourways have such subtle and irregular changes of colour that it makes almost impossible to choose just one skein. This colourway is called Polar Morn, a lovely blue-gray that I again have to give credit to Sadie for picking. I had held up this and a brighter salmon option for her advice and she hardly paused. She pointed to the Polar Morn, and she was so right.

The hat is a slightly modified Ariosa Hat by Hannah Fettig (a free pattern). I started with 63 stitches, made a deeper band and then increased to 72 stitches. My cable section was only 14 stitches with 3 purls on each edge and 8 stitches in the centre. I didn't love the pinching effect in the original pattern's cable so I did a straight up cable instead. But otherwise I followed the decreases and finished it off with a big pompom. Two skeins made this hat and a pair of Instant Mittens with absolutely nothing to spare. Hmm, maybe the 30% off Boxing Day sale at Knitomatic is my chance to pick up more Malabrigo?

On the reading front, I finished up Galore by Michael Crummey, and it was another great East Coast read. Set in Newfoundland the story spans generations of families living in a tiny coastal village. It begins with the discovery of a man from inside the stomach of a beached whale. He is alive, mute but instantly accepted by the local wise woman (known as Devine's Widow). Intriguing, right? Man, I love these stories from Newfoundland.

If you need a moment's pause from the hectic lead-up to the coming holidays - I know I sure do - visit Ginny's Yarnalong for more knitting and reading inspiration.

loose ends

2011-12-09T22:27:00.000-05:00

December is a funny time of year for posting. Suddenly I'm making things in every spare moment I've got, but I can't share any of it because the intended recipients visit this little virtual space regularly (or, in the case of the 7 year old, she looks over my shoulder quite a bit). And the kicker is that I have forgotten almost every year to take photos of what was made after I have gifted it. What can I say, I love wrapping just as much as I love making and I'm a forgetful photographer.

Anyway, before I dove into the holiday knitting list I had an urge to tidy up my sordid corner of wool and half-done projects that lurks behind the chair in our TV room. The vest above has been knit for AGES and was simply waiting for me to weave in the ends. How does 10 months go by before I get around to such a small task? Crazy. This is the other test version of my Toddler Snappy Shoulder Vest, but sized for a 4 year old (okay, that's why I've been lazy...Milo has a while before he will even wear it). I used Dream in Colour Classy for the body and some scrap Rowan All Seasons Cotton for the saddles. A more conservative colour combo, but the grays are nice. And this is going to sound bonkers, but Milo doesn't seem to have many vests these days (this from the obsessed vest knitter) so finishing this up made me excited to make a couple more in the 2 year old size. Which is on the list, after all the holiday knitting.

But for now, I'm working on a Big Snowy Owl for Milo. The 2 year old may look over my shoulder, but thank goodness he can't read!

little bits of knitting

2011-11-30T08:17:00.002-05:00

Lately my knitting has been all about adult-sized sweaters, so I have had very little to show. But luckily a friend is about to have a baby, which means I got to do some newborn knitting. I'm pretty sure it's the best kind of knitting. I mean, who can argue with something quick and utterly adorable?

The little hat shown above is knit with Willow, a bulky yarn that is a merino/cashmere blend. It's quite soft and the palette is very suited to babies. I didn't follow a pattern - and I may have overdone the pompom size - but overall it should keep the new baby's noggin' warm.

As for my reading these days, I just finished Come, Thou Tortoise which I loved. It turned out just the way I was hoping (resulting in tears of joy, and I'm not even kidding) and I was thinking about the characters for days after I finished. The voices of the characters were so comical and quirky, making them incredibly loveable. And in my non-fiction world, I've been working on The Servant Leader and so far it is really resonating with me. The books I read for my work life always take me longer because I read them in small moments on the subway, but even at 2 pages at a time this book is powerful. And the knitting sitting on top of my books is the finished, now-blocking sweater that's been on my needles all month. Hopefully I'll have pictures of that next!

More knitting and reading inspiration over at the Yarnalong.

crossover crazy

2011-11-19T22:19:00.000-05:00

I do not need more hoodies.

And yet, I keep making them. I'm up to three now - there's a black fleece one too but I know black is pretty impossible to photograph (and I've been wearing it the most, meaning it's always covered in cat hair). It took a couple of tries to get the crossover hood just right, but now it's working and it seems foolproof even when using different fabrics. The geeky sewer in me loves the resulting shape of the pattern piece because it has this great swooping line. The gray hoodie was my first, and the inspiration for the front pockets is from Norah Gaughan's Kaari sweater. Although I'd like to knit it someday, I prefer the stiffness the pockets get when it's made from jersey (but don't get me wrong, it's great knit too). The pocket design is fantastic - they hit at the perfect spot and it feels so right to plunge your hands in there. The overall body for these sweaters is still from my basic-but-altered t-shirt pattern from Wendy Mullin's Sew U Home Stretch. It works every time - her book is so worth the investment!

For a bit of contrast I tried gingham bias tape to edge the hood and pockets on this navy version. It might be a bit too much, but I like the idea of having different bands of colour, especially around the hood. I guess I'll just have to try another sweater to really work out the ideal combination.

Because everyone needs a closet full of hoodies, obviously.

purple forever

2011-11-12T22:32:00.000-05:00

At age seven, there is no way I can knit something for Sadie without her choosing the wool. So on a recent trip to Knitomatic, she spied a VERY BRIGHT purple Cascade Luna cotton yarn that she fell in love with (after I had shared my blasphemous opinion of not liking Cascade, no less). I had lots of other options at home and I'm pretty sure we were there for some other reason, but she was just smitten. And she's a clever girl who knows my weakness: I am easily convinced to purchase wool.

We had already picked a hat pattern for her - Little Pip's Acorn Cap by Kyrie Mead (Ravelry link because I can't seem to get her personal link right now). It's a very fun pattern with bobbles and it suits a solid colour wool nicely. I had tried one for myself in tweed but the bobble pattern effect was completely lost. Sadie has been wearing hers non-stop even on our lovely warm fall days, and although I still had a slightly icky feeling while knitting it, Sadie tells me it's very soft on her forehead.

Score one for neon purple.

resourceful

2011-11-02T21:56:00.000-04:00

We were having a shoe dilemma, but a dilemma like that is always a fun challenge around here. It means we get to brainstorm ideas and start searching for bits and pieces that may end up as a shoe shelf. Armed with measurements we spent a few weekends looking around our favourite second hand and antique places in the city (so, Queen & Roncesvalles, Guff etc. in Queen East, Dundas Street West...if you live in Toronto, I highly recommend checking out Smash). But we came up empty handed and realized that we'd probably have to make something.

At this point I forget how the idea actually came together. Jay always has house-salvaged wood lying around waiting for a new purpose, so that part was easy (the pieces he ended up using were once a shelf, circa 1923, from our basement). The sides were more of a struggle to figure out but we knew that a wood + metal combo would suit the space, which is beside an old rad and under a wooden console table (the picture above is deceiving - I had to move the shelf to a new spot to photograph it, it's just too dark where it really lives). Luckily we somehow remembered these black metal grates Jay picked up at the ReStore years ago. We've been using them decoratively on shelves but we actually had 4 - the perfect number for a two level shelf. So after maybe an hour of work, Jay had the shelf built and all our shoes finally had a home.

Organization sure feels good.

skinny minnie

2011-10-25T00:33:00.000-04:00

Life got in the way of blogging last week so I missed including my last bit of sewing for KCWC. Truthfully, it wasn't the most exciting project but it was very practical. At 7 years old (umm, when did that happen?) Sadie has long enough legs for the size 6X, but her waist is teeny weeny. Not surprisingly, I've been having trouble getting pants that fit her because to make sure her ankles are covered means the waist - even if it's elasticized - is ginormous. I've had two pairs of cords sitting on the sewing table for ages and she needed them made wearable more than she needed a new sweatshirt (which would have been more fun, I mean look at how great Trula's hoodie is). But sometimes practical just has to win. I had some striped jersey that worked with both purple and pink, so after a little cutting and a few lines of serging, Sadie had two new pants to wear.

Verdict: easy solution, happy girl.

more for milo

2011-10-14T15:49:00.001-04:00

Sadie has very distinct tastes these days, so sewing for Milo is much easier. Less to think about and the only pattern I ever have to consider is stripes. In the last KCWC I made Milo a hoodie and I dress him in it every chance I get. Making another seemed like a no-brainer decision. I was totally inspired by this awesome jumper in the Flickr pool so I added some graphic lines to the sweatshirt body for fun (they aren't ribbon though, just scraps of the grey jersey). I used the same pattern as last time which was drafted from a raglan sleeved hand-me-down (thanks Jill!). It's roomy enough without looking too big so he should be able to wear it for quite a while.

I also finished up a t-shirt that has been sitting on my table half done since July. The hold-up was choosing the colour for the bands. I probably could have decided on the red in my sleep, but I think making decisions this summer was a particular weakness for me. The black striped fabric is the very last of a thrifted man's t-shirt which has made two other pairs of shorts and various bands for things. It's such a good way to buy knit fabric - $3 ended up making 3 garments for the kids.

And I want to thank everyone for their super kind words about Milo in my last post. He's generally a very funny little guy but that photo just captured an image of him that makes my heart melt. In a hilarious contrast, here is the full photo of the image above. I've cropped it for the KCWC purpose, but his rockstar hair is so him I just had share. Happy Friday!

snappy cables

2011-10-12T13:40:00.001-04:00

Anything that can be knit in one day certainly deserves to be called Snappy.

I was so excited when I came across this free, yes free, hat pattern (Ravelry link). It's perfect for someone new to cabling (like me) because you get just enough practice with the cable needle and a quick reward that is undoubtedly cabled. Oh, and amazingly cute. I mean, could a toddler look any cuter? For Milo's hat I used Debbie Bliss Rialto Chunky which was pretty dreamy to knit with. The blue/gray colour is perfect for my little guy, though there have been some comments from the husband peanut gallery about me dressing Milo like a girl. Boys can pull off cables, right? This quick hat was well timed for KCWC too since there are very few garments that can be knit without dedicating the entire week (or month) to the endeavour. And Milo needed a hat for the fall...well, sort of. I think what I just wrote is called Knitter's Justification.

Before Milo's version, I did make one for myself using Malabrigo Chunky. This wasn't as dreamy to knit with (the Rialto just glides) but it was still pretty nice and I'm quite happy with the colour. After trying to add aqua or pink or purple to my life, I accepted that gray just works better for me. The wool was chunkier than the Rialto so I went up a needle size and used the same stitch count as Milo's which worked out and the fit is pretty good. And a great bonus to the whole project is that I now have a nice photo of me with Milo, as taken by the burgeoning photographer Sadie. (It's the unfortunate fate of the family photographer to never be in any photos with the kids.)

During this cable craze I have been reading Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay by Beverly Jensen. The first half was wonderful, but I'm not enjoying the second half as much. Perhaps I'm so addicted to Canadian East Coast stories that as soon as the characters left New Brunswick for Maine I just wasn't as keen to follow them. Oh well. I have another East Coast novel lined up next which gives me just enough impetus to finish.

For boatloads of knitting, reading and sewing inspiration visit today's Yarnalong and KCWC's Flickr group.

kcwc: fall edition

2011-10-11T16:42:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Meg at Elsie Marley, yesterday marked the beginning of another Kids Clothing Week Challenge. Lucky for me I have just started a vacation - the kind that involves Jay and the kids doing their normal thing while I stay home all by myself and make stuff. It's selfish, but oh-so-heavenly. I'm trying very hard not to write a list of what I should make during my two weeks, but instead I hope to simply head downstairs and sew for a while until I've had enough and then move onto knitting. Like I said: heaven.

Hopefully knitting counts for the challenge though, because the first garment I've finished is another Girls Cap Sleeved Sweater for Sadie. I started this two weeks ago but actually finished and took photos yesterday (thank you Canadian Thanksgiving!), though the weather was far too warm for Sadie to wear wool. I used Araucania's Milodon which, while not great to physically knit, looks quite amazing when knit. Sadie seems really pleased with her new sweater and the flecks of purple. I did modify the sleeves by making 3 pairs of decreases and then adding a 6 row ribbed cuff. It makes a cute sleeve with more shape than the last version I knit. It's a great pattern overall and a really wearable sweater.

More sewing and knitting to come - but for now I'm off to see what great things have been added to Meg's Flickr group. Talk about inspiration!

order

2011-09-28T21:55:00.000-04:00

Suddenly the fiction on my bedside table has been replaced by books meant to inspire sense and order in life. My life, that is. For starters, I purchased a physical weekly agenda because although I have a Blackberry for work (which desperately needs a new handmade case), I seem to be forgetting all the non-work stuff. Like cross-country practices and birthday parties, doctor appointments and library due dates. Real stuff. The agenda makes me happy - it's red with embossed cherry blossoms and even though it's larger, it weighs less than the Moleskine version I almost chose (this is very important when you happen to walk everywhere). Dorky as it sounds, I already feel more organized, not to mention I love using a pencil again. You don't have to re-charge a pencil every night.

Next up, Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. I haven't totally forgiven myself for delving into a pseudo-self-help book, but I have to admit - I'm enjoying it. Yes, it's entirely anecdotal and unscientific. But her experiences are relevant to me at this stage in my life and I appreciate the bite-sized amounts of research she peppers into her prose. There's no way I'm going to start going to bed early though, even if that would result in more happiness. Those hours after the kids are in bed are simply too precious.

The book that has me making notes like a fiend is In-House Design in Practice by Cathy Fishel. This is completely for my work life, but it has needed some organizing - or maybe vision - for some time now. I try to keep the "work" me out of this blog, and I'm not about to break that rule now, I only want to say that it's amazing when someone can capture all the bits and bobs of what you've been struggling with at work and then inspire you with case studies and practical advice. Reading should equal inspiration, fiction or not, right?

And I have to thank Ginny for her Yarnalong post last week - she inspired me to start another Girls Cap Sleeved Sweater for Sadie. I had just enough Milodon wool and the colourway is fantastic (though my poorly lit photo is not). Hopefully next week I'll have a little person to model the finished garment. For more reading and knitting inspiration, hop on over to this week's Yarnalong.

golden red

2011-09-21T09:51:00.001-04:00

Two weeks of knitting, one week of button choosing and now I actually have a finished sweater that I love.

I've had 3 different sweaters on the go since January, each one unravelled after so much time invested because it just wasn't working out. But I started this one a few Fridays ago and it came together quickly. I enjoyed every single minute of working on it. The pattern - the Golden Wheat Cardigan - is fantastic and easy, and I've learned once and for all that I need to stick with the yarns I love. For example, I started a new pattern with Cascade 220 a few days ago and it was making my hands raw so I'm calling it quits with that workhorse wool. If I don't want the wool sitting in my lap then the project is doomed. There's still plenty of colours left in the Luxury Tweed that I can try, although I'm also getting pretty close to ordering Quince & Co because knitters have been raving about it (and the colours are great).

I did make a couple of modifications to the cardigan. I'm not a huge fan of reverse stockinette, so I used regular stockinette instead with KFB increases on either side of the 2 st raglan seams. I didn't make any decreases in the sleeves and used the larger needle for the garter cuffs and bottom band. I ignored the waist shaping; with no chest to speak of, it's better for my sweaters to be straight or they hang funny. And I forgot all about the pocket! I think the Luxury Tweed was a good yarn for the pattern because it's drapey and so the neck is flexible, looking more like a cowl. With stiffer wool it might retain the boxy shape and give the cardigan a whole different look.

And during this time I finished a really delightful book, Vaclav and Lena. Not that it's a light story, but the characters are really well developed and a pleasure to witness growing up. They are both Russian immigrants and the dialogue of children learning the English language added to the overall charm. I'm almost finished Half Broke Horses but I'd have to say it's not my favourite. At times I don't really like Lily Casey Smith and in order to fit her whole life into one novel, experiences are just touched on and for me, it lacks the depth of experience that would make me really understand this woman. Every read can't be amazing, and I'll happily finish this one and move on to the next.

Happy knitting and reading, and don't forget to check out this week's Yarnalong.

the almost cables

2011-09-19T21:43:00.001-04:00

For no specific reason, I have avoided trying cables. But then I came across the Frog Tree Cabled Tam (this version in particular is amazing) and thought it would be fun to try something new. I'm easily excited, it turns out.

Here's the verdict: cables aren't scary, the third needle makes the knitting interesting and I'm still in love with Debbie Bliss Luxury Donegal Tweed. But even with gauge, this hat is huge on me. I could store another whole head of hair inside that thing. I haven't even finished the hat in these photos (there aren't any decreases yet!) and it's already big. I have had this problem with hats before...so perhaps I just have a ridiculously small head. Jay had a few choice descriptions for the overall look, all voiced through rather uncontrollable laughter. I haven't unravelled it just yet but when I do, it will in no way be related to the cables. The cable thing was definitely fun.

With the change in weather, I still need a hat though. I'm trying the Big Blue Beret with my one remaining ball of this wool instead. If it goes well, hopefully I can summon the courage to undo all that virgin cabled knitting. Better luck next time.

stitches to live by

2011-09-09T22:12:00.000-04:00

This summer in the tiny town of Bloomfield, at a little antique shop called Dead People's Stuff, I found a sampler that I just had to have. Even though this was made from a kit, I love the tone of the saying and it seems unusual for something that looks vintage (sure, subversive cross-stitching has become popular in the last decade, but I'm used to finding sincere sentiments in older work - not something that would make me laugh). The pinks, purples and chocolate brown are pretty sweet too. We don't add much to the house these days, but it was fun to squeeze this find into the kitchen. And hey, it helps me feel way better about any indulgent baking that may occur in there.

productive pause

2011-08-31T08:45:00.001-04:00

Amid a predictably busy summer at work, I was given a tough suggestion to deal with the stress: temporarily give up all my hobbies except one. Sure, I was terror-stricken at the thought, but it only took me half a second to choose which one I would keep. It's the one that slows my mind down and helps me breathe deeply. It's tactile and full of possibilities and has taught me the wonders of patience. So while everything else is put aside, my knitting needles will keep me company.

What's amazing is how much knitting has happened since that decision one week ago. I finished these legwarmers - something I had started months ago after a failed attempt at a Citron Shawl using this purple Koigu wool. The pattern is Some Cloudy Day by Tiny Owl Knits and I love the simple lace effect, which was a really easy set of stitches to memorize. I may try a modified version (basically a smaller multiple of 6 stitches) in a worsted or aran weight to get chunkier pair for really cold weather. Or perhaps a tinier version for Sadie because it's possible that wearing legwarmers is more appropriate for 6 year olds anyway? (Though the same could be said for wearing bright red Mary Jane shoes, but that has never stopped me before - thank you Trove for having such an excellent summer sale!)

And as Milo napped Friday afternoon I also started the Golden Wheat Cardigan using my all-time favourite wool Debbie Bliss' Luxury Donegal Tweed, in the very same colourway as the Mara Shawl I knit last year (it's just that awesome a colourway). It's a top-down, seamless pattern and I'm already 3 inches into the body. Clearly this focusing on one hobby has productivity going for it...not that I should be focused on being productive (actually, that's exactly the opposite of the intention) but it's been a pleasant outcome so far. I am still reading though, because I think reading is more like breathing and eating, and not really a hobby at all. Although it's not in the photo, I finished up The Girl Who Fell from the Sky. It was swift, haunting and thoroughly engaging. I haven't been able to finish The Illumination (sorry Ragdoll!) but it does boast an amazing premise and an awesome cover too.

For more stories of knitting and reading loveliness, check out this week's Yarn Along.

knitting, for real

2011-08-16T22:29:00.001-04:00

Lately there has been very little knitting represented here. Now, no one is really holding me to showing only knitting, but perhaps it's time I change my little description off to the right. Clearly my addictions are not limited to wool and I no longer sew things from wool blankets. But this would involve writing a new description which takes...time. And thought. When instead I could be sewing and knitting some more. For now I'll add figure-out-what-my-blog-is-for-and-if-it-needs-a-facelift to my to do list. At least today I have a knitted vest to show.

It feels a bit like cheating to use my own pattern, but here's the sad part: I had to print myself a copy and I also had to restart the vest twice because I goofed up. Using my own pattern. Hmm. But I still love making this wee thing and I used Cascade Superwash to make things easier on the new mommy. It's been a while since I've had a baby gift to make and it was such a perfect reason to get knitting (and get me out of my knitting funk which involved three separate attempts at adult-sized sweaters - so much wasted time!)

I worked on this vest while while we stayed at a cottage two weeks ago in Prince Edward County (we stayed there a few summers ago as well). Before leaving I wanted to order some new books for the vacation, but I struggled for a moment trying to figure out what to pick. Then I remembered small things' Yarn Along. This is the beauty of community that the internet allows: in this case, those of us who count knitting and reading as favourite pastimes have a place where we can ooh and ahh over lovely photos of yarn and books while also getting reading recommendations from similarly minded people. Amazon will never peg my "likes" as easily as this group of knitters. So here is my first knitting-with-novel photo, taken on the cottage deck when I was about halfway through Annabel by Kathleen Winter. I haven't reviewed novels in a while, but other than the abrupt ending, I loved the world this story inhabited and the characters I met along the way. And now a trip to Newfoundland has moved to the top of my wish list. It happened to start on a wintery scene, but it was a lovely, engaging summer read.

Happy knitting.

little black dress

2011-08-08T23:27:00.000-04:00

More Sadie-shot photographs, more me looking like the world's most awkward model. But I think this dress turned out really well, so they will have to do. I picked up a DKNY Vogue pattern (V1179) in the spring even though I've had bad luck with commercial patterns over the last few years. At this point I can't even remember why I started cutting out the tissue pieces. Whatever the reason, I'm glad I did. Other than the fiddly pleats (I mean, imagine trying to get pleats in knit jersey to be spaced evenly - it's pure torture) the dress was really easy to make and the resulting shape is comfortable and cute. It has the shape of the Mociun tie-front dress, minus the whole tie feature of course, but I like dress shapes that are snug where you are small (for me = bust) and roomy where you are...less small (ahem). So, great pattern and highly recommended. As for fabric, a lightweight jersey with drape would be perfect - my cowl is a bit heavy because I used a t-shirt weight knit but it's totally passable.

(Note to self for the next photo shoot: stand in front of the dimmer switch.)

the boy's version

2011-07-29T23:35:00.000-04:00

Still loving this pattern for shorts - quick to make, and so cute on kids. I used leftover jersey for Milo's pair and put elastic around the whole waist (as opposed to Sadie's more stylish, flat front shorts). The green trim is the very last of a t-shirt I cut up and I just love the colour combo. Who knew Milo would have the perfect t-shirt to match?

It's also possible he thought our photo shoot was for the toy bus though. Oops.

apron skirt

2011-07-22T17:57:00.001-04:00

A while back when I cut up an old maternity dress to make a tank top, I still had plenty of fabric left over from the skirt. The happy accident that led to this skirt's design was when I stepped into the bottom portion of the cut up dress and tightened the fabric around my waist just to see what shape skirt I could make. It turned out that I liked the shape when I tightened it; it was A-line, it flared nicely at the back, and it was pretty much the right length too. So I decided to go with it. I have always loved big, unnecessarily wide (or long) ties and that's pretty much all I had to add to it. In my ongoing clothing strategy known as "operation: hide belly" there is just no better feeling than tying fabric tightly around your waist. The jiggly parts all get held in place - awesome. The chambray is 100% cotton, but it has just enough stretch to make the wrap over parts fall nicely. I have tried to remake this with two other less flexible cottons and it just doesn't fall the same. But I like the skirt so much I'll continue to hunt for another fabric that will work (as if I need reasons to shop for fabric). Now that I look at the skirt in photos, it really reminds me of a cafe apron I made a few years back for Tie One On. I should have realized ages ago that a skirt could follow that design!

Sadie took these photos, so I may have figured out a new system for documenting the clothes I'm making for myself (I swear there is knitting happening too, but since I got the basement studio set up I can't seem to stop sewing). They aren't totally in focus yet - the camera is a bit heavy for her 38lb body - but she seemed to enjoy being a photographer. As long as she can choose what shoes I wear, that is.

And totally unrelated to sewing, but so worth exploring for all the inspiring images this designer has collected in one place, visit Stuff Avery Likes. I'm smitten with her "Cool Dwellings" category right now.

fat quarter shorts

2011-07-13T22:58:00.000-04:00

I love these shorts, I mean LOVE them. I drafted the pattern from a pair we picked up at Value Village last summer and I've already scaled it down so that Milo has his own pattern (and a sewn pair too - I just need to get him to sit still for some photos). Not that they are super unique, but the bias tape edges curving up at the side seams remind me of the shorts I wore as a kid, and I'm a sucker for nostalgia. But the really great part is that I only need a fat quarter's worth of fabric to make them. It's such a small piece of fabric that I end up making more daring choices when I purchase them - which explains how I ended up with the fabric above. I wasn't sure if Sadie would go for it but when I held the square of fabric up she was smitten. The bias tape is the chocolate jersey I've been using which is a nice, soft edge to the heavier cotton. I only put elastic on the back so that the front lays flat, but that's only for Sadie's "girl" version (Milo's pattern uses elastic all the way around the waist). I've got an Amy Butler fat quarter and some gingham bias tape lined up for Sadie's second pair.

Not that she needs more shorts. I'll admit it - sewing clothes for my kids is mostly an anti-laundry tactic. An avid washerwoman I am not.

comfy clothes

2011-07-10T09:28:00.000-04:00

Sadly, the Fabricland across the street from where I work is closing. No more emergency sewing needs easily solved, no more lunch hour sprees on t-shirt jersey ends. But as I mourned this loss, I stocked up on their more expensive fabrics since everything was 50% off. Mainly activewear terry/jersey that would usually be $29/metre.

The fabric washed up wonderfully. It drapes well because it's heavier than t-shirt jersey so I decided to make a skirt. I used an old American Apparel skirt I have as a guide, but I put a 5" waistband on it that I can wear either up or folded over (so far, I've only been wearing it up). Then I took my boatneck pattern from Wendy Mullin's Sew U Home Stretch to make a tank top. I finished the armholes but left the hem and neckline raw because the fabric curls nicely, and I had already left the skirt hem raw too. All in all, both garments took under 90 minutes to make and I've pretty much had them on ever since. In hot weather they are super comfortable, though as I looked through the photos Sadie took of me (we're testing out Sadie with the camera) I'm not sure that they're very flattering. Not that I care much - comfort is way more important in this weather and chocolate brown is a nice break from the usual black.

the reds

2011-07-02T20:06:00.000-04:00

There is one problem I have when sewing for myself: I get stuck at the picture-taking phase. Luckily my friend Catherine has let me off the hook - she claims that photos of the garments by themselves are completely acceptable. So here is another tank and a sundress using the same pattern I've been using for a few months now. Although adjusting the strap style changes each piece a little bit, I may be nearing the end of using this pattern - I still have two other garments to share...so that's 6 in total from one basic shape. Probably enough.

The tank is made from chambray I bought last year to make the tie-front style Mociun dress from, but it never really worked. I think the tank will get much more use, plus I had enough fabric to also make a wrap skirt (again, not photographed yet). The sundress is from a second batch of Anna Maria Horner's voile I bought. I love the pattern, but boy, it's expensive fabric. And so far, I haven't even worn the dress. It's almost too lightweight for me, but I haven't figured out what else to do with it. Now that I think of it, I should have tried the Mociun style dress out of this fabric, it's exactly the right weight.

Oh well.

hoot hoot

2011-06-26T00:05:00.000-04:00

With thanks to some instructions from here and a certain six year old who took care of 100% of the decorating, Milo got owl cupcakes for his birthday. I'm not sure that they really look like owls - maybe that has to do with peach slice eyes (hey, we improvised with what we had) - but Sadie told Milo they were owls and then all he kept saying was "owul, owul, owul!"

Sounds like success to me.

the boy loves owls

2011-06-14T20:58:00.000-04:00

Hilariously, when I went looking for inspiration to make a stuffed owl I came across Meg's post from 2007 that jokes you aren't officially a craft blog until you've made a stuffed owl. Clearly I'm incredibly behind the times on this one and had no idea that owls were such a craft staple. And since my blog has a personality disorder already (is it for knitting? for sewing? random musings on my boring life?) I'm totally okay with the lack of official status. So that being said, back to owls.

Milo has a real love affair with owls. He spots them in every book, loves saying "hoot, hoot, hoot" and asks Jay to watch videos of real owls on the computer (videos which kinda freak me out - barn owls are surprisingly alien-like). With his birthday coming up, I figured making him his own stuffed owl was a slam-dunk. So over one nap this weekend, I used some fleece scraps and made this funny guy (using this image as a guide). It's not the best looking owl, but Jay assures me that Milo will love it regardless. It's soft and squishy and I'm trying my best not to start all over again.

Hoot, hoot.

this moment

2011-06-11T00:02:00.001-04:00

The idea behind {this moment} - courtesy of the always inspiring Soulemama - is just so lovely. There haven't been many pauses around here for a few months but today I took a deep, relaxing breath. Outside with Milo, on a Friday without plans, we played with his train. The breeze lifted the edges of our blanket. It was the perfect temperature for socks, bare legs and a sweater. We laughed, I gazed at the blooming peonies and we ate pickles and cheese, which is Milo's idea of the perfect picnic food. It was exactly what I imagined {this moment} was meant to capture.

(The only real distraction was the actual camera, but without it how could I get such a hilarious, too-close shot of my fella?)

let me explain

2011-06-02T18:11:00.000-04:00

A while ago Sadie was planning a costume for a birthday party she was attending (a "halfway to Hallowe'en" theme - awesome idea!). She wanted to be a lamb, which somehow meant she needed a bolero, and after telling her I couldn't possibly knit one in time she agreed that a sewn bolero would be perfect. I had a Fabricland errand anyway, so I figured Sadie would enjoy coming along and picking her own fabric. We had discussed the bolero being pink and I imagined finding jogging fleece or jersey in a solid pink. Perhaps you can already see where this is heading.

We get there and I spot jogging fleece ends that are perfect. Trouble is, the bin right next to the ends is full of hideous crushed velvet bolts, all with horrid patterns - the kind that are burned into the velvet if you know what I mean. This is fabric that doesn't even register in my vision as I walk past it...but it stopped my six year old right in her tracks. Any thought of pink flew out of her mind as she fixated on silver. With snowflakes. In crushed velvet.

I tried a few tricks I'm not so proud of. Worst was telling her it was too expensive (while I'm loading up on fleece ends with no destined purpose), and I kid you not, a sales lady walked by at that exact moment and said, "oh, it's on sale right now too". Defeated. But there was a moment when I heard myself forcing my own style and wishes upon my sweet little girl and I stopped. Grabbed the bolt and said we'd make this work. Not surprisingly, Sadie was super excited.

On the way home we brainstormed how snowflakes might work with a lamb costume until we landed on Sadie being a Snowflake Fairy. So by the time we walked in the door, my unfortunate reaction was forgotten and Sadie was thrilled with her costume idea. Sewing with the fabric was absolutely awful, but the resulting bolero is what Sadie called "the most favourite thing I've ever made her". This whole episode made me appreciate my own mom all over again, because even though her style is far more in line with Sadie's, she accepted my plain and simple tastes while I was growing up. We may have had moments like Sadie and I just did, but my overall memory is that she never forced her styles on me which allowed me to be confident in my own opinions. And Sadie should feel proud of her love of all things sparkly and silver, just like her grandma.

This mothering thing sure isn't easy. And I should say, Sadie was a beautiful Snowflake Fairy.

kcwc: the end

2011-05-15T22:43:00.000-04:00

Okay, for the sewing that I did manage, this is absolutely my favourite piece. Sure, it's just a sweatshirt but it's red and white - and it has red and white stripes in the hood! I would wear this everyday if it was my size. And I made it using a pair of pre-loved sweatpants from my dear friend Ragdoll, so as long as Milo doesn't stain the bejeezus out of it, her little baby boy will be next in line to wear it. It's funny, I love raglan sleeves in knitting, but this is the very first time I've sewn a raglan sleeve. I didn't use a pattern but drafted a pattern from an existing hand-me-down. I know I will use this a few more times.

As soon as I finished the sweatshirt, I took the inspiration from this skirt (oh my goodness, it's awesome) and pulled out a thrifted shirt hoping to cut a few triangles out of it. But the shirt had these crazy diagonal sleeves and I realized I could make the whole skirt out of the two sleeves cut open. Fifteen minutes and three serged seams later and Sadie had a skirt. She wore it instantly (yes, over top of rainbow leggings).

Almost forgot this shirt! I made this on Tuesday with the same jersey as Sadie's pants. Easy style and it seems anything with a ruffle gets a thumbs up from my girl.

So another KCWC week done. I may not have sewn as much as I'd hoped, but no matter - I got to make a few wearable pieces and have some fun photo shoots with the kids. I know I've already said it, but this last photo reminds me even more - there's sewing and then there's spending time with my little people. I'll take a laugh-off by the blackboard anytime.

kcwc: a bit more

2011-05-15T10:32:00.000-04:00

This funny romper was supposed to be my big plan for the week. I had sketches, I drafted pattern pieces...but it has ended up as a so-so experiment. The whole layering-for-pockets is what had me excited, and I suppose that worked (even though Milo was much more interested in dropping toys down the inside of the romper so that they fell out onto the floor - I guess pockets don't excite him yet). And I did like attaching the ribbed edging on the inside and then turning it to the front to top stitch, so that's a good lesson for the future. But as for the wearability and look of the romper? Not sure.

What will get worn is these shorts. Funny how thirty minutes of investment can be so much more useful. And now there's no more gray fleece left (points scored for using up every little scrap of this fleece) so I've moved on to other colours. More to show later today!

kcwc: the beginning

2011-05-13T15:22:00.000-04:00

So far, this week hasn't gone as planned. Double shifts at work, hardly seeing the kids...so sewing has taken a total backseat. But on Monday I accomplished a little, starting with a quick kerchief for Sadie - pretty scraps of fabric to help keep hair from her eyes.

And then a pair of desperately needed pants (well, that's according to Mom, because I'm not a fan of her all-tight-pants wardrobe, but I'm trying to be subtle about it). The fabric is a lightweight, almost pique jersey so they should be great in warmer weather. I used some older pants as a guide and dressed them up with the ruffle cuff. There were two tiny holes in the fabric so I covered them with the blue heart above and Sadie seems pleased with her "peek pocket". Already they've been worn twice and washed once, so I think they're a success.

Hopefully more to come, but I'm predicting a blow-out single post late in the weekend. My fingers are crossed, hoping for sewing time to magically appear (and work related projects to magically disappear). But I'm also overdue for some serious kid loving, so we'll see. Kids beat out time at the sewing machine any day.

adventures in fleece

2011-05-01T19:47:00.002-04:00

How is it that you can have shelves of fabric but still realize you have nothing of something-or-else? For me it was fleece. Now that I'm comfortable sewing with knits, fleece seemed like a natural next step and wouldn't you know it, Fabricland had a pile of awesome jogging ends for $5/metre. So I stocked up even though I have nowhere to pile it and already way too much fabric in my stash.

At least I have a plan - sew through the pile quickly. Everything got washed right away and my first experiment is this cardigan. I used my adapted t-shirt pattern for the basic shape and then copied a fleece cardigan of Sadie's that I love. Hers buttons all the way down but I'm a sucker for comfort and I think the single button is a little more sophisticated - if that's at all possible with a fleece garment. To break up the all gray look, I added striped cuffs (better photo below) which are actually attached on the wrong side of the fleece and then folded up. Then one pocket, a little striped loop and a button from Paris finish it up.

It's probably not one bit flattering, but I love wearing it - it's really comfortable and the striped cuffs make me smile, so I've got a black version planned next. As long as this spring stays cold, I'll have plenty of chances to wear it. But then again the Kids Clothing Week Challenge is coming up soon, so my sewing should switch over to Sadie and Milo. Hopefully I can make a dent in my stash for that.

colour wonder

2011-04-25T23:16:00.000-04:00

Warning: my little friend firmly believes in modelling and I have a hard time editing the photos that he's in. This dilemma ends with having more than the necessary amount of photos in one single post. Pretend that I'm writing about a quilt and not an almost-two-year-old.

It feels good to finish a quilt - especially one that has been kicking around for over a year. I must give credit to Amanda at Soulemama for the inspiration; surely if she can finish a twin size quilt while 8ish months pregnant with her 5th child, I must be able to get mine done, right? But let me at least lay blame in the size of my house because for the longest time I just couldn't figure out how to baste the layers together. There is no floor space big enough in this small dwelling...and it's not even a big quilt. But then one night I realized I could take this to my father-in-law's and baste it on his empty, spacious tile floors. Next hurdle - remembering to do this when a visit was looming. Finally, I had everything ready and two weekends ago I selfishly used a visit to pin everything together. Then I spent this past Thursday machine quilting and binding it. Things are wonky - for instance, I chose turquoise thread for the quilting (what was I thinking?), the lines aren't very straight (umm, should have paid attention to Soulemama's trick for that), and there's a host of problems with my binding, but overall it's done. And it's usable. And Milo loves to lay down on it because the extra thick batting (again, what was I thinking?) makes it really puffy and comfy.

And in the spirit of adding colourful blankets to the house, my Mom made me an awesome granny square lap blanket for my birthday. I feel really spoiled. She did a fantastic job and I just love the palette. There's something so timeless and so fun about granny squares. If you're a fan you should check out this Flickr group, and if you're in Toronto I think this workshop would be amazing.

It's definitely a colourful spring around here.

dinner music

2011-04-22T22:07:00.001-04:00

One quiet Friday Jay, Milo and I visited the local Salvation Army. Jay has the better eye and he soon spotted some Disney records circa 1967 that had the most wonderful covers (and the Jiminy Cricket one above had never even been opened!). We debated for a moment whether Sadie would be interested in records or not, and then purchased six. Basically we figured she would enjoy them for about a week, and that a week of fun was worth the cost. Clearly we know nothing.

Both Sadie and Milo are addicted to these albums - and we're at least a month past that fateful day. Jay has an old Fisher Price record player (the full plastic deal with speakers built in) and it has been sitting on the kitchen table reliably playing an album during every meal...or any time we're in the kitchen. The house favourite is Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day: Sadie has every word memorized, Milo has learned to ask for "wiyo oooh oooh" and I can't stop humming Tigger's song. We actually avoid Disney most of the time, but I find these recordings incredibly charming and I can't complain that the kids have forgotten all about TV during their vinyl addiction. I've figured out how to set the table around the player and I don't think I could tire of watching Sadie carefully place the needle down or Milo flipping through the gigantic pages inside the covers.

Oh yes, it was well worth the investment. Lesson most definitely learned.

the one hour shirt

2011-04-19T22:11:00.001-04:00

Oh sure, it's snowing outside, but that doesn't mean we can't think ahead to better weather, right? I had another week at home and decided to use the time to sew some clothes for the it-must-be-coming-soon spring.

Way back when I was pregnant with Sadie I used this McCall's maternity pattern to make a couple of dresses. But the style is very simple and it doesn't scream maternity so I've been wearing one of the dresses ever since. I figured this would be a good base pattern for a few shirts and dresses however I must have given away the real thing in a ruthless purge. Thank goodness for the class I took last year at the Workroom - all I had to do was draft a new pattern from the existing dress and make some necessary adjustments to match my still-shrinking chest. Then I set about making a few garments, starting with these two little tops. Easy bust darts and an A-line shape mean these sew up in no time, and for variety I tried making straps with an inner facing on one and then bias tape straps and edgings for the other. Both are quick and easy options.

I simply adore this polka-dot fabric though. It's a linen/cotton blend from this Etsy shop, but I only ordered half a yard thinking it would be great for crafty projects. Turns out it was JUST enough for this top. I imagine it would make a great dress because the drape is lovely, but there may be a limit on how many polka-dot garments I can own. Maybe.

love is...

2011-04-13T22:04:00.001-04:00

Lemon cupcakes, for starters. But not just any lemon cupcake - only these moist, delicately glazed morsels will do. Using Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe I simply filled 18 muffin cups instead of a loaf pan and halved the glaze. They are heaven, plain and simple. Something about the fresh scent of lemon seems perfectly Spring-like.

Love is also having a new workspace, and one that isn't stuffed into the corner of a bedroom. Sure, maybe some people wouldn't love the idea of working in the unfinished basement of a house built in 1923, but I'l take anything that allows me to put two tables back-to-back. Finally my sewing machine and serger don't have to jockey for space and I can lay fabric out without having to move furniture out of the way.

It's amazing what a few coats of paint can do for freshening up old cinder block and concrete. The bare hanging bulbs aren't the best, but a sisal carpet and hanging pendants add some warmth and I'll figure out better lighting later. The curtains on the left are hung on cast iron plumbing fixtures and slide aside easily to reveal the unsightly laundry area. They create a clean, ivory wall that defines the space - which measures close to 8' x 14'. With all this work space, I'm addicted to spending time in the basement. Finally I can sew (or paint, or draw, or whatever) at night and not wake the little people.

But there is one thing that tops all this in the love department: Jay brought home 48 boxes of chocolate raisins for me the other day (umm, that's 2 cases). He's worried that Glosette's may be phasing out my absolute favourite candy, so he stocked up. For me. Not only am I set for a 6 month sugar high, but I seem to have the best husband ever.

Ah, love.

toddler snappy shoulder vest

2011-04-05T21:19:00.001-04:00

Honestly, I think vests are a marvellous invention. Not only are they fun to knit, but because there is no sleeve length to worry about, they tend to fit a growing toddler for at least two seasons. That's quite a feat for a single garment.

This new pattern has a sportier feel but still fits my lazy-knitter requirement: there are no seams to sew. Using a saddle shoulder construction this comes together pretty easily and the shoulders are a great way to use up scrap yarn. I've knit three versions of this and basically chose a different close-to-worsted scrap yarn every time and although it made tiny differences in the size of the saddle, it didn't affect the final size of the vest much. Gauge is only important for the main yarn which is Dream in Colour Classy again. What can I say, I like a washable yarn that has interesting colour affects - I mean look at those blues! So awesome. And I've worked out two sizes this time, 2T and 4T. Keeping our little guys in sweater vests until they are school age sounds like a nice idea to me.

What you will need:
Worsted weight wool (I used Dream in Color Classy, Midnight Derby colourway, 1 skein for either size)
Worsted to Aran weight wool for shoulders, 50 yds (great use for scrap wool)
4.5mm needles (16” circ)
extra 4.5mm needle (for holding stitches)
4mm needles (DPNs - for neck and armhole edgings)
1 stitch marker

Gauge is 19 stitches over 26 rows = 4” square. Size is 2T [4T] with finished dimensions of: 10.5″ [11.25”] wide, 14.5” [16”] long (or longer – the body is up to you!)

SHOULDER SADDLES (make 2)
Using 4.5mm circs and shoulder wool, CO 20. Knit in stockinette for 14 rows and bind off on RS row.

FRONT
Using main wool, pick up 12 stitches along vertical edge of a shoulder saddle. CO 15 [17], then pick up 12 stitches along vertical edge of the second shoulder saddle (39 [41]stitches on needle). Turn work and purl to end. Turn work and knit to end. Continue knitting flat in stockinette for 3” [3.5”] ending on a WS row.
Next row (RS): Knit to end, CO2.
Next row (WS): Purl to end, CO2.
Next row (RS): Knit across 43 [45] stitches and transfer to spare 4.5mm needle.

BACK
This time, it’s much easier to see where you are picking up stitches, because the shoulder saddles are already in place. So, using your main wool, pick up 12 stitches along remaining vertical edge of a shoulder saddle. CO 15 [17], then pick up 12 stitches along vertical edge of the second shoulder saddle (39 [41] stitches on needle). Turn work and purl to end. Turn work and knit to end. Continue knitting flat in stockinette for 4” [4.5”] ending on a WS row.
Next row (RS): Knit to end, CO2.
Next row (WS): Purl to end, CO2. Turn work.
Now you’re ready to join in the round.

BODY
Knit across 43 [45] stitches, CO 9 [11], knit across the FRONT 43 [45] stitches from your spare needle, and CO 9 [11]. You should have 104 [112] stitches in total. Join in the round and sit back for some relaxing, mindless knitting. The body length is truly up to you – I knit in stockinette for 6” [7”].

BOTTOM
[K2, P2] ribbing for 2.5” and bind off loosely.

NECKBAND
You can easily tell the front of the vest because the neckline is lower. Using 4mm DPNs and your main wool pick up 17 [21] stitches across the back neckline of the vest, 17 across one saddle, 17 [21] across the front neckline, and another 17 across the remaining saddle (68 [76] stitches total). PM and [K2, P2] for 5 rows. Bind off loosely.

LEFT ARMHOLE
Using 4mm DPNs and main wool, determine the bottom center of the armhole and pick up 18 [21] stitches from this point until you reach the shoulder saddle. Pick up 17 stitches across saddle, then 21 [26] stitches along the back. PM and [K2, P2] for 5 rows and bind off loosely.

RIGHT ARMHOLE
Using 4mm DPNs and main wool, determine the bottom center of the armhole and pick up 21 [26] stitches from this point until you reach the shoulder saddle. Pick up 17 stitches across saddle, then 18 [21] stitches down the front. PM and [K2, P2] for 5 rows and bind off loosely.

Weave in all ends and block if desired. Find your favourite little person and keep them toasty warm in their newest vest!

(Pattern is for personal use only. Please do not use for commercial purposes.)

lists

2011-03-29T20:58:00.000-04:00

To make up for missing an adult party I hosted, Jay and I told Sadie we would have a Family Party the following day. She was super excited (as any 6 year old girl probably would be) and the next thing I knew there was a list on the chalkboard. Turns out all you need for a Family Party is a few key essentials - so it was easy to fulfill...and I love that baked goods is a separate item from desserts (aka daserts). We put together a Sadie and Milo playlist, danced around the house with balloons, and ate sushi and sweet things. It was awesome.

And speaking of lists, now that I'm back to reading regularly, I feel like I need to document what I've read because it would seem that I've hit that embarrassing age where you forget if you read that book or not. Also, sometimes it's nice to see a list to know that losing sleep for the sake of wonderfully written words is worth it since the sheer volume can be satisfying. But I don't want to do that here, and thanks to this post I've just learned about Shelfari. Anyone out there use it and like it, or is there a better, less social-media like option for cataloguing such lists? Clearly I could just make an Excel sheet but that seems so dull. And colourless. And practically anti-technology.

Hmmm.

test vest

2011-03-22T20:54:00.001-04:00

Ever loved a test version better than the real thing? I think that's happening to me right now, or maybe I just think Milo looks extra cute in these colours. But regardless of my test version love, one thing is true: I am almost done a new vest pattern! I wanted to offer more than one size this time, so I'm currently on my third version of this vest. The bonus to all this knitting is that Milo will be well stocked for at least the next two winters, but next time I'm working on a pattern perhaps I'll enlist a couple of test knitters. There are plenty of little guys out there who could use a vest or two, right?

As for this garment, I used wool from the sale basement at Romni - Rowan's Harris Aran, now discontinued. It was bargain priced, so perfect for a test. I don't remember what the aqua wool is, but that's the idea of this vest - using little scraps to make shoulder saddles. I'll save the rest of the vest details for the pattern post though, which should be written as soon as my blocked vest dries and a little boy I know survives another photo shoot. Stay tuned.

9 years later

2011-03-13T11:36:00.002-04:00

Before we moved into our house, we tore apart our one and only bathroom. That was 2002, and although it hasn't been a construction zone for these past 9 years, we never actually finished the room. The paint job was half done, one wall needed repair, and the first sink we installed kept rusting even though we'd had it reglazed.

I should stress that this is a very small bathroom (and yes, it has to work for 4 people). We don't have room for a regular size sink so the replacement search took a while. But we finally found a new sink that was small in depth, but nice and wide. There was no counter in the original bathroom so we installed an 8" deep chunk of pine (it had been a friend's outdoor step) that works very well as a surface for "things".

Another space saving trick was recessing a medicine cabinet into the wall before the drywalling was done - we can hide oodles of junk in there. We then hung a real cabinet above the toilet for more storage, painting it the same colour as all the woodwork so that it takes up less space visually. In the mirror in the photo above you can see a wall next to the cabinet that has a window in it. The original bathroom had nothing to enclose the bathtub - just a wraparound shower curtain. We put up this wall instead, adding a window so we could get light through and also make the tub space feel a bit bigger. Oh yeah, we have a smaller than normal tub too. Thank goodness we have shops in Toronto that carry small size European products.

The curtain panel is my most recent sewing project. I used the same linen that I'd made the shower curtain out of, but I really wanted to add a bit of colour since the whole room is basically white (Para New Cameo white for the woodwork, Benjamin Moore Collingwood for the walls). The single line of patches is just enough colour and it doesn't cross the too-cute line for Jay. But I think the key decision - the one that pulls the whole room together - is painting the door black. We intend to paint all our upstairs doors black, but this is only the second one we've completed. But wow, does it ever make a difference. I think the paint guys were afraid when I said the black oil paint I was buying was for our bathroom, but I'm so happy with it.

So there it is, a finished bathroom. So finished we can even have a little fun decorating. After staying at the Farmer's Daughter hotel in LA Jay was smitten with their vintage Kleenex boxes. Ebay to the rescue and now we have one which not only looks great, but keeps a Kleenex box off of our limited surfaces. All in all, a bathroom that I'm happy to keep clean.

And let's face it, at only 4 1/2 feet across, it doesn't take me that long.

the car hoodie

2011-03-05T14:06:00.002-05:00

Ordering knit fabric over the internet is a little hit-and-miss. Luckily my "this isn't what I expected" moments are generally offset with squeals of "this is way better than I imagined!" The mini car fabric is just one of those wonderful surprises. Ordered from this Etsy shop, it is SO soft, quite heavy and unexpectedly double sided. Perfect.

I only ordered a half yard, so I really had to make it stretch. Because the reverse side is the solid car background, I couldn't resist using it as the cuffs and bands. I had thought I would use contrasting colours for the bands, but nothing seemed to look better. So I ended up with a fairly plain hoodie, but it seems so right. And I made it quite roomy so that Milo can get another year's wear out of it. It's too soft and sweet for only a handful of wearings.

Now on to some girlie things. I've been told cars don't cut it, but pink stripes just might.

perspective

2011-02-22T20:36:00.004-05:00

My little girl rocks. I was sad about something that happened today and so Sadie left me a note next to my knitting. Thank goodness I have a six year old in the house to remind me of what's really important. Like heartbreaking messages in funky handwriting on miniature tablets.

And in other interesting Sadie news, this was just sitting on our desk:

Do you think someone might have an early love of shoes? I know one thing for sure - I have got to get myself some "high hell" shoes.

vest envy

2011-02-17T14:24:00.004-05:00

My secret is out: anytime I make clothes for Milo, I want a version for myself. It's just that the shapes and styles of menswear appeal to me, and always have. When I think of outfits I've loved in movies, I picture what Annie Hall wore when they were in the theatre line, or Meg Ryan as she walked through the park with Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally. Both inspired (or even borrowed) from menswear. So it was only a matter of time before I made myself a vest. Milo has a growing pile of them (and a new pattern in the works!) and vests are just as practical for adults as they are for kids.

I used Alison Hansel's Leftovers pattern, which is free from Knitty. It's a great pattern for using up scraps of wool, but even without the stripes the shape is perfect. There is enough negative ease to give the vest a flattering fit while still being the classic v-neck style. Not only was the vest a quick knit, but by using Cascade 220, it was also a very economical garment. With one already knit - and worn to work a few times already - I think I will make another but splurge on some more exciting wool. And by more exciting I probably mean my favourite wool, Debbie Bliss' Luxury Donegal Tweed, because I am actually quite boring and prone to habits.

(Side note: the vest also looks great with a tie. But I'll have to sew my own because Jay's collection is a little too 1970's for my taste. And then Milo might need one too. Of course.)

hoodie explosion

2011-02-10T00:43:00.001-05:00

Suddenly I have more hoodies than I need, but that doesn't mean they aren't getting worn. Or more made. It's quite satisfying to see my knit fabric stash getting smaller and I love that Sadie is now requesting a hoodie collection of her own. She may not wear what I knit for her, but hoodies are a sure thing.

On the theme of knitwear, Sascha from Piccoli Piselli has a great post about sewing with knits. I had a eureka! moment reading her blog back in the summer and basically I use her cuff technique for just about every garment I make. This post has also led me to a great new hoodie pattern. The ruffle detail will be perfect for Sadie and so my hoodie love can continue. Belly pockets can work for adults too, right?

growing boy

2011-01-31T12:49:00.001-05:00

It was hard to have Milo move out of our room. I loved watching his sleeping face and being greeted every morning - plus I adore being in bed and don't like having to leave it in the middle of the night. But just as Sadie did (I swear, these kids are carbon copies of one another), he eventually craved some private space and I found two consequences that made me feel better about the whole thing: 1) I got to read again, which has been amazing, and 2) we could have fun putting his room together. Now, this all happened months ago but I took today off work and I'm home alone. The sun was shining and I finally was able to take photos.

It's our smallest bedroom, which used to be our bedroom, but the shape makes furniture layout easy (odd, because it's really hard in the bigger rooms). And by small, I mean this room is under 8' wide by just over 10' long. The sun streams into this room (it's above our kitchen and together they make up the only rooms that ever see natural light) and it has the best radiator in our whole house. It's aqua. It's awesome. So when I moved out my sewing stuff, I needed to paint but I knew I had enough cans in the basement to make it work for free. The result is 3 walls of Creamy White (kitchen paint) and one wall of Stoneware (our bedroom). I bet I would have chosen the same thing even if I could buy paint - it just feels right. Being a toddler, Milo doesn't have too much "stuff" yet, so it's easy to set up his shelves and keep things generally tidy. Jay got the Canadian pennants from Ebay and a little CN train car too so there's a wee bit of an old Canadiana theme going on. It should last until Milo drags his Bob the Builder toys upstairs.

The little bunny wall hanging was made by Jay's mom for Jay, so it's pretty special to have. There are a few special things in here (my Dad's childhood copy of Peter Pan for example) but Milo is so careful and gentle that I don't worry. He's 19 months old now and I keep expecting a rambunctious boy to emerge, yet every day he continues to be like Sadie. Again, it's so strange how alike they are.

I'll post the rest of the photos on Flickr, but I had to include the shot with Glen Miller. He sat ever-so-perfectly for the camera, right next to that rad. And the rocking chair (from my parents, it was in my house growing up) sees a lot of use. Luckily Milo is starting to sleep through most nights even though he isn't completely weaned, but this rocking chair certainly makes the visit more comfortable.

So there it is - a room fit for a growing boy. Sigh.

berry happy

2011-01-28T22:43:00.000-05:00

Jay and Sadie make frequent trips to the local Goodwill and Salvation Army because: 1) my thrifting husband believes that frequency results in better finds, and 2) it's basically become their father-and-daughter thing. So although I would never buy merchandised clothing new, lately such stuff has been coming home with them. The story I get is that for $1, it's hard for Daddy to say no. And we're not talking Princess or Dora clothing (phew) but behold one example - a Strawberry Shortcake shirt (and the "after" shot is first, purely for aesthetic reasons).

I don't know about other Dads, but Jay isn't the best for gauging size and Sadie will say anything fits if it means she gets to carry it home. So this shirt was WAY too big and suffering from that unfortunate style of being really wide in the body but also quite short. Using my current shirt pattern for Sadie as a guide, I cut off the sleeves and a good chunk of the sides. Then I inserted new pink sleeves and added black cuffs to match the neck ribbing. A quick serge of the trimmed bottom and voila - a brand new shirt that actually fits my girl. With an added investment of, oh, less than 50 cents.

The husband is very proud.

girlie hudson

2011-01-26T22:18:00.000-05:00

Hands down, earflaps are a necessity this winter.

As I was finishing Milo's Hudson Hat in November, Sadie decided she wanted a matching version but it actually took me three tries to get the colour combo to work (umm, I may be a wee bit picky about colour). The purple/blue/pink stripe suited Sadie just fine and she kept reminding me to work on the hat even though I had holiday knitting to finish. Eventually I got it done, wove in all the ends, and she has been wearing it ever since. It makes her especially happy when we can convince Milo to wear his too, but being a toddler - this doesn't always happen.

Would it be wrong to make one for Jay next? I'm already pretty close to unravelling my own (very pink) hat to make an earflap version (basically I heart the Hudson Hat pattern). We've been ice skating a few times every week and the wind masterfully sneaks its way into my ears, so a hat that ties under my chin sounds perfect. An ice-skating family of four wearing matching hats may be a little much though.

Or just about right.

an ode to shawls

2011-01-14T20:58:00.001-05:00

So easy to knit. So satisfying to wear. And they look great draped over just about anything.

Sure, sometimes I wonder if I'm dressing old before my time, but I just can't help it. It started with an embroidered shawl I bought from Carriere, and then last winter I knit the Mara shawl. I wear both all the time so when I found two skeins of some lovely gray alpaca/merino/cashmere wool, I figured another shawl was the obvious choice (I had knit my Mom her own Mara shawl in a similar colour, and it was pretty hard to part with).

Stephen West's Boneyard Shawl pattern is perfectly simple. The ridge of purl stitches is just enough detail to make it interesting and the garter border looks so nice in this wool. I don't know that I'll ever have the focus to try a lace shawl, but we'll see. For now I'll probably start another simple shawl (a gift perhaps?) because it is the ideal knitting project for the car. Oh, and I'd like to spread the shawl love around.

movie mania

2011-01-10T23:49:00.002-05:00

As the year drew to a close and we cozied up in our wee tiny abode, Jay and I started a movie marathon. Not that we meant to start a marathon, but after 10 straight nights of movies I think we'd have to call it a marathon. Even tonight we have number 11 picked out to the delight of our local video store (which is actually new to us because our beloved Video 99 closed down and we went on a long movie hiatus as the loss sunk in). Let's see if I can remember the list:

1) Cyrus

2) Winter's Bone

3) The Kiterunner (our own, purchased from Video 99 when they were closing)

4) Greenberg

5) Crazy Heart

6) Shutter Island

7) The Kids are Alright

8) Kick Ass

9) Scott Pilgrim vs the World

10) Easy A

Obviously we were catching up on new releases, but there was a clear front-runner for both of us...and it wasn't a new release. The Kiterunner was absolutely excellent and the story - oh, and the characters - stayed with us both for days. The biggest disappointment? Winter's Bone. It got fantastic reviews but we both found we were confused most of the time and the dialogue was hard to make out. And really, wouldn't someone just ask the main character what she wanted? Just one simple question? The others were generally entertaining and Scott Pilgrim holds a special place, but for an unusual reason which I'll save for another time. Overall, a fun way to start the new year. I've needed an escape from thinking because work is weighing heavy on my mind these days and watching movies means popcorn and knitting. Win-win.

And inspired by Soulemama's {this moment} photos, I snapped a few photos from inside this cozy abode. First a glimpse of our wall of art and photos and then Sadie's latest family portrait complete with explanatory note to Daddy. Hibernation certainly has its benefits.

pink prototype

2010-12-31T10:18:00.002-05:00

More sewing, more casual clothes. I must have been jealous of Milo's hoodies so I finally tried one for myself. The body of the shirt was copied from my favourite t-shirt (purchased at Target years ago), adjusted to swing out a bit below the bust to keep "operation hide belly" intact. Boy, did I ever learn a lot from the "Knock it Off" class I took at The Workroom last year - all I do now is draft patterns from existing clothes. With this technique I can finally sew for Jay too. I've made him a perfect-fitting long sleeve shirt and then a pair of longjohns for Christmas, not to mention all the easy drafting from Milo and Sadie's clothes. Anyone interested in copying your favourite clothes, I highly recommend taking a class like that! If you're in Toronto it looks like February 13th is the next session at The Workroom.

But back to this pink shirt. I thought I would use this fabric for Sadie but she seems to like hot, dark pinks better. I wasn't convinced the shirt would work out, so I used the slubby pink as a true prototype version, knowing that at least the charcoal grey would make a nice contrast. Worse case - I could dye the shirt afterwards. But I've worn the shirt since the minute I finished it (okay, it's finally being washed now) so I don't think pink is a problem for me. It fits great, it's really comfortable and I love the hood (drafted from an American Apparel shirt). So the prototype worked and I'm itching to make another one. All I need is one long nap from Milo and my order to come in from this Etsy shop (her striped knit fabrics are amazing).

Oh, and here's the silliest part: my favourite detail of the whole shirt - and of this knitwear sewing in general - is the tiny polka dotted label. Sure, it's only for my benefit (or for Jay's because he would never get Milo's clothes on the right way otherwise) but it's cute and makes me love the inside construction just as much as the outside. Plus it's a perfect use for ribbon scraps!

elf wear

2010-12-26T20:34:00.000-05:00

Not only have I been meaning to re-take these photos (they're horrid!), but I have also been meaning to write this post for weeks. So a stomach flu and an entire Christmas bonanza later, I have finally found a moment on the computer. Oh right - there's also the part about our main computer kicking the bucket which means I have been sharing the laptop with Jay. Which means that he has the laptop. All. The. Time.

But enough whining from me. In anticipation of the Christmas season it would seem I went through an elf-inspired sewing binge. First, a pair of comfy pants for Milo made from the sleeves of a thrifted shirt. He's been wearing them a lot since he can carry the elf look quite well. And then for me, a cowl neck shirt made from red t-shirt jersey. To break up the red I opted for striped cuffs and waistband. This pattern is a slight revision of the boatneck pattern I've been using, but I could still refine the cowl neck a bit. Regardless, it's really comfortable and has become my constant around-the-house attire. This time of year (and certainly after a stomach flu) wearing black makes me feel about 20 years older, so the red has been a welcome change.

Like mother elf, like son elf.

wee baby bolero

2010-12-15T22:31:00.001-05:00

Ahh, the season of poor photography is back. This photo was taken close to the window that gets the most natural light but November would simply not cooperate.

I struggled with deciding what to knit for my cousin's new baby girl Evelynn. Perhaps I had hat fatigue, but as a knitter, that sounds outrageously blasphemous. Or perhaps it seemed the perfect opportunity to knit something girlie, and nothing says "little girl" more than ruffles, right? The wool is Classic Elite's Waterlily which has subtle and unpredictable variations in colour. It is very soft and very beautiful but hopefully it is baby-friendly too. The pattern is Stitchymama's Blossom Bolero - easy to follow and conveniently knit in one piece. With this weight wool, it is a fairly quick project.

As usual, now I have a six year old who is convinced that a big girl version is in order. Oh well, she'll just have to wait until her hat is finished.

Clearly my hat fatigue has passed.

scrappy hudson

2010-12-08T23:57:00.001-05:00

Whoa, where did November go? Finally everyone is healthy in the house and I can put a business trip to Calgary behind me. Luckily I've still been able to find pockets of time to knit - and pockets are just how a Hudson Hat comes together.

It's a very simple pattern, but sometimes you just need to be reminded to use up scraps of wool. I had a good range of soft greens and blues which made a sweet stripe pattern that really suits Milo (not that it matters, but I've been choosing all the wrong, too-bright colours for him lately). The pompoms are a super cute touch and Sadie has already made a request for one of her own. They may be five years apart, but she loves the idea of having matching clothes with her little brother.

And now I also have a pile of grey and brown wool scraps set aside for a pattern idea I've been kicking around. Hopefully I can find a few more pockets of time during the holiday season to make that happen.

fuzzy and warm

2010-11-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

When I first started planning this vest I imagined making it in red. Or purple. Or even orange. But after an hour in Romni, I made the same boring decision I always make: black. Which means it is very hard to photograph, but very easy to wear. And wear it I have.

The yarn is Naturally Sensation, a wool/angora blend that is very warm and super fuzzy. The pattern is a free Drops design which was easy to follow. It is written to be knit in three pieces but it wasn't hard to convert to knitting as one piece, so now there are no seams adding extra bulk to the sides. I didn't knit a belt because I had one from another sweater that was just the right black, and I've also worn it without, pinning it closed with a brooch. One of the times I wore it belted the lady at the bagel counter asked if I was pregnant, so I've been a little hesitant to sport that style again. But even still, I'm pretty happy with the pattern and I could see knitting it again - but next time I would make a few decreases to bring the shoulders in just a touch.

I actually finished this vest a while ago, but November has been quite a month for sickness around here. There are projects sitting around waiting to be photographed and my sewing machine is gathering dust. Hopefully we'll all recover in time for some holiday crafting - I even have sewing plans for Jay this year!

favourite things part 2

2010-11-08T21:56:00.000-05:00

This is only the second post about my favourite things and already there is a trend: ceramic and Canadian. It's clearly a combo I'm fond of.

So: Lotte lamps. This pair took us a few months of sourcing, involving a series of random visits to the only place in Toronto you can buy them new (there is another place where you can get refurbished vintage ones which we also visited more than once). Designed by Danish-born Canadians Gunnar and Lotte Bostlund in 1957, they are now made in the US but the original molds are still being used. Each lamp is completely handmade and the shades are fibreglass, so the quality of light is really warm and inviting (we've since picked another shade for a different lamp we had). Originally we imagined getting a matching pair, but when we finally saw them in person it didn't seem necessary because the style is so singular that all the shapes work beautifully together. Sadie told us the whole lamp searching endeavour was capital B boring, but it was so worth it to us. Great lighting = happy home.

(Though clearly we're nearing the end of including Sadie in our obsessive design journeys. At least we still have a few years left with Milo, right?)

hoodie part 2

2010-10-28T22:56:00.003-04:00

Another $3 sweater, another track suit for Milo. This hoodie was my second try before realizing that I should adjust the neck to decrease bulk - but now that he's worn it a few times it doesn't seem to make a difference once it's on. I may be being too picky, so we'll see if the whole re-drafting thing actually happens. What I do need to pay attention to is Milo's growing body. The pants had to be re-done with a panel up the center and a band around the waist because they were WAY too tight on him the first time around. I liked the fleece so much it seemed worth getting them right and now I have no scraps left to speak of. Truthfully the hoodie could have been a bit longer too - it sticks to Milo's generous belly and would show some skin if I didn't put a onesie underneath.

Lesson learned. Here's some other boy clothes for sewing inspiration: great vest (and wallpaper!), more 90-Minute goodness complete with elephant, be-tassled hoodie, awesome chambray shirt, and a one-piece jumpsuit. Hmm, I think I've already forgotten about fixing my hoodie pattern so I can move on to that one-piece jumpsuit thing. A toddler would love it, right?

lucky day

2010-10-22T23:29:00.001-04:00

Fabricland is not known for having good knit fabrics. But every so often, on a very random day, they have a bin of ends that are just perfect.

I was debating ordering from this Etsy shop (I mean, white stripes on black? red and white stripes? sailor navy? awesome!) but these knit ends were very soft and only $3 a meter. Which means I spent way less money and lugged a whopping 17 meters of the yummy stuff back to the office after my lucky lunchtime errand. And look at those colours! Red and white stripes too! Oh yes, I am a fabric geek. A fabric geek who's having a hard time not going back for more.

Everything is washed and my head is swimming with garment ideas. After having trouble with the neckline of another boatneck (using the coral red) I switched gears and made Milo a ringer shirt. It's handy to have a no-fail project to help keep momentum - plus, now that I see these two colours together, I think I should make a similar shirt for Jay. With 16 1/2 meters of fabric left, he should probably get a garment or two.

Which would be a first.

first hoodie

2010-10-17T08:27:00.001-04:00

After making these pants, there was just enough of the $3 men's sweatshirt left over to try a hoodie for Milo. Correction: there wasn't quite enough so I had to add in brown jersey left over from this romper. Suffice to say, I made Milo a hoodie. And it won't be the last.

I've been known to own up to 5 black hoodies at one time - they are just that versatile and comfortable (the "in action" shot of Milo makes me think he feels the same way). What I quickly learned about sewing one is that attaching a hood means less finishing of the neck. So putting one of these together takes pretty much the same amount of time as a shirt, but I have to say the result is way cuter. I do have to figure out the front neckline though. It's a bit bulky, but I've slept on the dilemma for a few nights and I think I know how to re-draw the pattern (though I have one more bulky version to share first). The wide band was an accidental design feature but I quite like it and it led to adding the front pocket which is open on both sides in case Milo ever figures out he can put his hands (or random small toy) in there.

Overall, another garment that is quick - and totally satisfying - to sew. And this was a fun photo shoot with Milo even if he couldn't sit still. The best shot doesn't even show the hoodie, but it's a definite keeper. What a funny little guy.

mime wear

2010-10-08T23:04:00.001-04:00

My first attempt at using the t-shirt pattern from Wendy Mullin's Sew U Home Stretch was a failure, but finding this striped jersey was enough to inspire another try. The jersey came from Nature's Fabrics and it seemed perfect for the boatneck variation of the pattern. I made a few adjustments - the pattern called for the sleeves to be wide and there was zero waist shaping. In the end I kept the 3/4 length sleeves but made them more fitted and I took the sides in quite a bit high up in the waist to make the shirt more snug around the chest. So with a huge thanks to Wendy's book I now have a wearable shirt. I love it, even if Jay calls me a mime every time I wear it.

There's just something about the boatneck style - isn't is flattering on all body types? Am I making that up? I have a shirt from almost a decade ago, back when the fashion world thought revealing glimpses of your belly was a good idea. Being a beloved boatneck, I've held on to it thinking I would alter it someday. So today was the day. First, the before (note the ridiculous shortness of it) followed by a happy after thanks to some remaining striped jersey:

Thank goodness I can make my own knit shirts now because if fashion swings back to short lengths I am going to be way too old and conservative to show off my had-2-children-and-a-gallbladder-surgery bellybutton.

Two shirts, striped jersey completely gone. Now I just need to start working on my mime act.

(P.S. Check out the Built by Wendy collections - so many awesome designs!)

six on the sixth

2010-10-06T23:48:00.001-04:00

Six years ago today I fell in love with a baby girl named Sadie.

Then a minute or two passed and suddenly she turned six. Six! We're in a bit of shock today, way more than when she turned five. I guess I should have seen this coming because turning 36 this year was similarly shocking (as the saying goes, I'm on the wrong side of 35). Being on the other side of five means I have a daughter who is in grade one, joined the cross country team at school and sings "feeling so fly like a G6" while she draws. It's crazy and beautiful all at the same time. Oh, and she lost her first tooth on Monday, just in time for picture day. See? Totally crazy.

All that being said, today's festivities were low-key, ending with six crimson, strawberry-topped cupcakes all for the birthday girl (luckily, she was in a sharing mood). When I asked her what the best part of being six was, her answer was immediate: she's taller.

Goodness, how I love this girl.

recovery

2010-09-30T11:19:00.000-04:00

It's not much, but I did finish a pair of pants for Milo on Sunday - the very last day of the Kids Clothes Week Challenge. They are made from the sleeves of a $3 man's sweatshirt and I added pockets to make them feel less pajama-like. The big sleeve cuffs work nicely as pant cuffs, and I have so much sweatshirt left that I'm going to try and make a hoodie for Milo too. I'm totally inspired by Trula's foldover hoodie, so that will be my starting point. When I can sew again, that is.

Since Sunday, I've been slightly distracted by my surgery. It all went fine, but recovery is recovery - you can't speed it up and there is no such thing as a to-do list. Taking these photographs is probably my output for the day. Luckily I have some novels to enjoy (I just started Tinkers by Paul Harding and I'm loving it, plus The Laws of Harmony had me bawling yesterday) and a trusty laptop to keep me entertained.

But I do have one to-do that I recommend highly: visit the Elsie Marley Flickr group and check out all the great kids clothes that were made last week. What a talented bunch of sewers out there.

stripe roundup

2010-09-26T10:48:00.002-04:00

Now I understand the dangers of slippery jersey: when you least expect it, the fabric moves around while you're serging and suddenly you've cut a hole where you really don't want one. And this is after you've spent too much time adjusting the gathers of the skirt and attaching it twice. You'd think it would be the sign to stop sewing right then and there and call this week's challenge a bust, but somehow the little children playing restaurant and serving me fake food while sewing was just enough distraction (or rather, reason to censor any cursing) to make finishing possible. The dress became shorter and the gathers a little less uniform, but at least I had no more serger mishaps.

I based this dress off a cute velour Gap dress with a cowl neck, but I love how this jersey drapes. It changes the dress quite a bit and makes the cowl neck acceptable to Sadie. The aqua stripes are a bit metallic (which I wasn't expecting when I ordered from here), and the gray stripes are heathered, so it's quite a nice combination. It's very easy to sew - serging disaster aside - so I think I'll make another one this season. I've got some gray jersey with black hearts all over that would be perfect.

But next up, Milo. We walked down to Goodwill on Friday night and it was 50% off all clothing, so I picked up some men's shirts to make pants (and hopefully a hoodie?) from. It didn't dawn on me until I was loading them into the washing machine that everything was stripes. And then I realized that even Sadie's dress is striped. Oh, and the waistband of Milo's pajama pants. Looking back, all the knits I have been using are about 95% striped.

Oops. My love of stripes is officially official.

kids clothes week challenge

2010-09-24T21:47:00.002-04:00

Thank goodness for some late night surfing because I almost missed Elsie Marley's fall edition of the Kids Clothes Week Challenge. But I haven't been nearly as active this time around for a variety of reasons. First, the only time I have during a work week is post 9:30pm and generally I'm feeling pretty wiped by then. And second, when I have dragged myself upstairs, I'm extra conscious of the noise I'm making and sure enough, the serger woke Sadie up one night (clearly sewing in my bedroom is not the best idea.) Then today, when I could have had Milo's nap to myself, I was hanging out in a hospital for my pre-op appointment...'cause I'm having my uncooperative gallbladder removed on Tuesday. Boo.

But being the Queen of Excuses is a drag. I have made some things, and so far I'm most pleased with these pajama pants for Milo. The nights are much cooler now and he needs his feet covered but he's outgrown all of his sleepers. Instead of investing in new ones that he would outgrow tomorrow, I thought pants would have a longer life. I drafted a pattern from an existing sleeper and these pants sewed (or rather, serged) up quickly. He wore them last night and they seem to do the trick, so I've lined up more jersey for other pairs.

Not as successful though, or more like what-on-earth-was-I-thinking, is an outfit I finished up for Sadie. Behold:

Okay, the cuffs are cute, but a full Hello Kitty outfit? Did I want Sadie to look like she's wearing pajamas to school? Didn't I realize she'd wear both pieces together? And what is with the garish pink? Oh well, at least I finished them. And Sadie thinks they are great. I just need to make a rule for myself about buying less prints...and stick to it.

Two more days to go. And check out the many, many cute garments already made on view here.

chalk love

2010-09-17T17:50:00.001-04:00

Fact: Sadie draws a lot. Another fact: we never have enough paper in the house. So, when a corner of the living/computer/front room became empty - and there were holes in the wall that needed repainting - we decided to make it a chalkboard instead. Obviously this is not a new idea at all, but it was totally fun and had us questioning our sanity when I started rolling the inky black paint on the wall Sunday night at 10pm. Two coats and a thoroughly aired out house later and Sadie LOVES it.

As a before and after (above), it's quite a dramatic improvement in an awkward corner space. So far, we have played many games of hangman and the drawings change daily. Even Milo has been at it, though he's really only drawing rain and most of the time we find chalk in his mouth. Sadie has tried to make him her student (the child's desk pretty much screams for that kind of role-playing) but he doesn't sit still for too long.

Overall, it's a total winner. And for now, we'll just have to figure out how to live with a whole lot of chalk dust.

gnome attire

2010-09-06T15:42:00.000-04:00

This past week was a holiday from both work (for me) and summer camp (for Sadie). Our goal was to spend some quality girl time together, something we haven't really done since Milo was born. And as I had hoped - it was lovely. Sadie's new favourite place is the ROM, she has a cute haircut from the salon, and in general we simply reconnected because there wasn't a little boy needing our attention.

So why the little boy photo? Well, whenever I have time off work I imagine all the things I can make, but I knew this week would be different. I tired really hard not to dwell on what wasn't happening in favour of enjoying what was. But in the evenings I did manage to make a hat for Milo that is ever-so-cute (I've learned that little projects go a long way - because as much as I told myself that making things this week wasn't important, this tiny garment helped my inner productivity need). The pattern is from this adorable book, and although it's a bit snug Milo can't get it off - perfect for this fall. The yarn is Koigu Kersti which washes well and has some subtle colour changes. Hopefully it looks manly enough, but I sure love the vintage look. Oh, and the fact that Milo looks like a little gnome in it.

Little gnomes and growing girls. It was a lovely week indeed.

back to school skirt

2010-08-30T22:13:00.003-04:00

My 5-year-old is an incredibly reluctant model. It took a lot of coaxing to get photos of her new skirt, but there is one thing I don't have to convince her of: a deep love for school. The thought of school starting next week has Sadie in a constant state of glee, and when I asked her what we should name her new skirt the answer was immediate. Meet the Back to School Skirt.

This is a simple pattern and it makes for a very wearable wool skirt (note the dancing shot above). Noro is such a unique yarn, and this skirt allows the inherent striping to really show off. It is so fun to watch the colours appear and reappear in different widths - something you just couldn't plan with individual yarns. As for garment details - the waist is folded inside to create a casing for elastic and there is a true hem to help weight the skirt properly. Blocking would make the hem behave, but Sadie started wearing the skirt before I had a chance to whisk it away. I figure it's a small price to pay for knitting something Sadie loves. Of course, the skirt is small potatoes compared to starting Grade One next Tuesday.

You will need:
3 balls Noro Kureyon
5mm 16”-20” circular needle
1 stitch marker

Gauge 18.5 stitches over 26 rows = 4” square
Size is roughly for a 4-6 year old. Sadie’s waist is 20”, so using negative ease I ended up with a finished waist that is roughly 18” (smaller once the elastic is in). From waist to hem the length is 13”. Overall the pattern is basic enough to adjust to other sizes – simply increase or decrease the number of CO stitches to an amount divisible by 4.

CO 76, join in the round. Place marker to mark the beginning of the round.
Knit for 7 rows.
Purl 1 row (this makes an edge which folds over neatly).
Knit for 11 rows.
INCREASE ROW 1: [K19, M1] 4 times. (80 stitches total)
Knit for 3 rows.
INCREASE ROW 2: [K20, M1] 4 times. (84 stitches total)
Knit for 3 rows.
INCREASE ROW 3: [K21, M1] 4 times. (88 stitches total)
Knit for 3 rows.
INCREASE ROW 4: [K22, M1] 4 times. (92 stitches total)
Knit for 3 rows.
GATHERED ROW: [K1, KFB] to end of row.
Continue knitting until desired skirt length is reached.
Purl 1 row (again, this makes an edge which folds over neatly to create the skirt hem.
Knit for 7 rows and bind off.

To finish, using lengths of Noro yarn (or other, stronger yarn) sew the hem in place using a whip stitch. Do the same for the waist until you have 2-3” left open. Cut a piece of elastic and feed through the waist casing. Join the elastic and finish stitching the waist closed. Weave in ends and block if desired.

(Pattern is for personal use only. Please do not use for commercial purposes.)

lucky boy

2010-08-22T22:18:00.000-04:00

The quickest sewing jobs are always for Milo. And since he's a boy - a 14 month old boy to be exact - he gets his clothes dirty. Instead of doing laundry, I just make him more shirts. Seriously.

This shirt was made during another Friday afternoon nap sewing bonanza. The fabric came from Nature's Fabrics and it is wonderfully soft. The green ribbing is from an old maternity shirt of mine (which I have now completely used every scrap of). I went back to the tried-and-true 90 Minute Shirt pattern because I am always inspired by Sascha's garments (not to mention her lovely blog has taught me a trick or two). I still have 3/4 yard of this fabric, so I guess Milo will get some matching pants, or maybe a hoodie like this awesome one? We'll see what next Friday brings.

But first some leggings or Sadie. Girls need clothes too.

phew

2010-08-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

It is surprisingly hard to live without a sewing machine. Or maybe hard is the wrong word - let's say it is somewhat disheartening. I was feeling lost without a work space set up, but finally I have a temporary desk in our bedroom. It's not ideal, but it's something. And while Milo napped today I sewed him a new t-shirt and the whole world felt right again.

I don't work on Fridays, but so far it has been hard to stay away from emails and general contact. Today I actually checked out though, and while Milo napped for a whopping 3 1/2 hours, I watched 2 Mad Men episodes, sewed a t-shirt and finished knitting (and weaving in all the ends!) another toddler vest. Accomplishment and entertainment - it was heavenly.

The vest is knit with Manos Cotton Stria. It's soft and light - perfect for the fall. I'm not wild about the colour and it turns out there is a noticeable difference between the two balls I had, so I may dye the whole thing anyway. And on a recent trip to Cambridge I picked up the little blue hanger above which is a great improvement on my usual plastic white number. It makes for a better photo for sure, handy when you're knitting in the summer and don't feel like torturing your son by forcing him to wear wool.

Fingers crossed next Friday is as productive.

deconstruction

2010-08-06T23:45:00.001-04:00

Four years ago I knit Sadie a Swing Thing cardigan using colourful Noro wool. She wasn't even two, and the sweater turned out ginormous so I put it away thinking she could probably wear it when she was five (which, of course, seemed far, far away). In what seems to have been a minute or two, Sadie is now almost to six but the sweater was close to forgotten. Luckily I'm moving things around these days as we get Milo's bedroom ready, and I came across the unworn Swing Thing. Unfortunately it doesn't fit any better with the extra years, and Sadie thinks it's scratchy to boot.

I guess Noro was too stiff a yarn choice because the shoulders resemble those of a football jersey (see center photo for proof). The colours are wonderful though, and even Sadie could see that. So after some brainstorming we decided a skirt would be a nice garment choice - the striping should be similar and it will never be right next to her skin. Win-win all around. I'm currently without my sewing machine, or even a work space, so unravelling a project is about as creative as I get. And winding balls of Noro is more than pleasant - it's like watching a moving mosaic on your lap. I can't wait to start her skirt.

Speaking of skirts, my renewed love for Noro had me poking through Ravelry patterns today and I came across this new skirt pattern from the current Knitty issue. It is downright awesome, and I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from grabbing some more Noro this weekend. I'll call it my treat for having no work space, or more like, something to distract myself from dwelling too much on Milo moving down the hall.

Knitting therapy strikes again.

toddler t-shirt vest

2010-07-23T22:40:00.003-04:00

Oh yes, I'm knitting more vests. And yes, Milo will probably own more vests than any other boy out there. What can I say? It's an addiction.

I started out wanting to add a toddler size to my baby t-shirt vest pattern, but instead I found myself drawn to 2x2 ribbing, so I made a few design changes while also removing the button closure. Toddlers are too interested in buttons anyway and it makes the pattern quicker as a bonus. Milo can still wear his baby t-shirt vests even at 13 months, so I think this size will fit most toddlers up until their 2nd birthday. Wool is nice and stretchy, and a form fitting vest is over-the-top cute in my opinion.

What you will need:
Aran weight wool (I used Dream in Color Classy, Grey Tabby colourway)
5.5mm needles (16” circ and DPNs)
9 stitch markers (1 marker for beginning of round, 8 markers for raglan increases)
2 lengths of scrap yarn (for holding stitches)

Gauge 18.5 stitches over 26 rows = 4” square
Size is roughly 12-24 months, finished dimensions are: 10″ wide, 12.5” long (or longer – the body is up to you!) Luckily toddlers don’t grow as fast as babies, so this vest should fit for a whole season.

YOKE
CO 64, join in the round (if you place a marker to mark the beginning of the row, use a different colour than your next markers).
R1-6: [K2, P2] ribbing.
R7: K6, pm, K1, pm, K18, pm, K1, pm, K12, pm, K1, pm, K18, pm, K1, pm, K6
R8: (increase row) *K to 1 stitch before marker, KFB into this stitch, slip marker, K1, slip marker, KFB into next stitch* repeat until last raglan marker, slip marker, KFB into next stitch, K to end.
R9: K all stitches.
Repeat R8 and R9 until you have 112 stitches on your needle.

DIVIDE FOR BODY
K43 then turn work and P30. Turn again and continue in st st for 5 more rows (ending on the right side). Break yarn. Place the next 26 stitches on scrap yarn. Start with vest yarn again and K30, turn work and continue in st st for 6 more rows. DO NOT break yarn, but place the remaining 26 stitches on scrap yarn. With your vest yarn (that you have not broken!) CO16 stitches and continue knitting across the next 30, CO 16, and knit across the next 30. You have now joined the body with a total of 92 stitches. I would suggest removing all your stitch markers except for the one that marks the beginning of the round. Now simply keep knitting in the round until you have the length of the body you want. For Milo, I knit about 6.5” of st st before I started the bottom band.

BOTTOM
[K2, P2] ribbing for 1.5-2” and bind off loosely. I really like the look of a deep band on this vest – it gives the garment a nice balance.

LEFT AND RIGHT ARMHOLE (both are the same, and knit in the round)
Place all 26 stitches from scrap yarn onto 2 DPNs. Determine the bottom center of the armhole and start picking up 13 stitches from this point until you reach the first DPN. Knit across all 26 stitches and then pick up another 13 until you meet up with where you started. PM. [K2, P2] ribbing for 6 rows and bind off loosely.

Weave in your loose ends and place on the nearest toddler you can find!

(Pattern is for personal use only. Please do not use for commercial purposes.)

tasty and blue

2010-07-20T22:01:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness for the therapeutic nature of baking. Over the past week we have been a house of poor health: Milo got measles and an ear infection while also getting an allergy test (he is allergic to avocados and bananas), Jay has strep throat and I started the week with two gallstone attacks. Sadie has been spared any sickness - knock on wood - but that is thanks to her grandfather, who whisked her away for a weekend of swimming. Luckily, yesterday was the start of a new week, which we celebrated with a fresh, delicious, heaping mound of Ontario blueberries. Food of the good health gods.

I have been avoiding baking lately for two reasons: it's way too hot and because most baking is loaded with fat. Not that I'm usually concerned, but until I figure out what to do with my gallbladder I am sticking to a pretty low-fat diet. Thankfully my Joy of Cooking has a Reduced Fat Muffin recipe and boy, is it yummy. I added 1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries and not only did they smell fantastic in the oven but even Jay devoured them (generally he believes in the rule of all-baking-must-have-chocolate). I even channeled my inner 50's housewife by freezing 6 unbaked muffins for later enjoyment. And by later, I probably mean tomorrow.

Thank you blueberries.

knit bits

2010-07-14T22:04:00.000-04:00

Honestly, I would be happy making a baby gift every week. Quick, small, adorable - and the perfect sense of accomplishment when nothing else is getting done. This little hat is for the expected baby girl of my cousin, and should fit her in time for the colder weather. I used Sublime Organic Merino Wool so it is very soft and squeezable, but as much as I love plain ivory, the hat really called out for a bit of embellishment. I couldn't decide between buttons or applique, so in the end I did both.

In other knitting news, I have finished a toddler version of my Baby T-shirt Vest, but with the steamy weather we're having I am hesitant to force Milo into a photo shoot (or maybe I'm just procrastinating since my quick moving toddler seems like a photography challenge). But I'm really happy with this version - it has a few design tweaks and I loved the wool choice - so I'll have to figure out the photo thing soon. Sweaty, energetic toddler and all.

favourite things part 1

2010-07-12T06:14:00.000-04:00

As my making pace slows down, I'm spending a bit more time noticing the things in my home that inspire me. And so begins a tiny little series where I write about these things. It's like Show and Tell for adults, with a heavy focus on handmade goodness.

So for Part 1, two handmade vases by Heydey Design. My inner country self loves old mason jars (I mean, what can't you store in a mason jar? Could buttons look any better than inside vintage glass?) These vases were cast from old Canadian mason jars in the most perfect, most ivory porcelain. Most of the finish is matte, but the inside and the outer threading has been glazed, giving a wonderful change in surface. I would have fallen in love with these vases at first sight, but what makes them even more special is that they were handcrafted by a childhood friend. Oh, and I don't even consider them vases - they really are sculpture, and they sit proudly on our shelf, not a flower stem in sight. Claire Madill, the artist behind Heydey Design, studied ceramics at Emily Carr in Vancouver and now creates sculpture and jewelry inspired by vintage housewares. It's an ingenious pairing, and I'm still trying to figure out the perfect knit garment to showcase one of her buttons.

The fact that Claire and I share a bunch of embarrassing highschool stories together is simply a bonus. Her work is awesome, and for anyone in Toronto, Heydey is part of Bent Out of Shape: Canadian Design from 1945 to Present at the Design Exchange right now.

secret knitting

2010-07-02T09:46:00.000-04:00

When your Mom is the most regular reader of your blog, you really can't post about what you are making her until the gift giving is completely over. Finally the day has come for this shawl.

I loved knitting my own Mara shawl and my Mom liked the pattern so much she tried her hand at knitting it too. But I think I sabotaged her project telepathically so I could have the chance to knit her one. On a cold day in January I took my trusty yarn assistant (Sadie) to Romni and she picked a shimmery silver Debbie Bliss Cathay for Gramma's shawl. It was an excellent pick - easy to knit and the silk content makes the shawl drape just so. Again I loved knitting the shawl and the only modification was knitting stockinette in the main body instead of garter stitch. I used every single inch of the 5 balls I had, making a size that seems suited to summer nights.

Happy birthday Mom!

quick fix

2010-06-25T16:16:00.001-04:00

Thank goodness for baby gifts. Two nights on the sofa and voila, a baby hat for a friend's baby boy. I used Dream in Color Classy, which comes in a 250 yard skein so I have plenty left over to make Milo something (a vest, of course). The colourway is called Gray Tabby and I love how subtle the variations are. It never totally dips to black, and the gray is the perfect charcoal shade. I can imagine knitting lots of garments from this colourway - I mean, how perfect a cardigan would this make? Or a man's rollneck sweater? Or a toddler's hoodie? So many options.

The pattern is a variation of the Simple Hat in Debbie Bliss' Baby Knits for Beginners. It's easy and quick - basically the perfect go-to pattern for baby gifts. I just hope baby Dexter likes this little hat by the time the cool weather comes back.

juggling

2010-06-20T09:24:00.000-04:00

It is going to take me a while to figure out this whole being-back-at-work thing. Two weeks in and I only have remnants of energy after the kids are in bed. The sofa calls my name (along with a bowl of popcorn) and I ignore even my knitting needles. But on the weekend I squeezed in a little sewing for Milo because having extra summer clothes for him means less frequent laundry for me. I re-drafted Milo's pants pattern for woven fabrics though I should shorten the rise for the next pair. I had some denim scraps from shortening jeans for myself and I thought they made cute kneepads, plus the colour looked great on the gray linen I had. And the t-shirt is the craziest Father's Day gift out there: Jay found this vintage t-shirt last summer and requested that I make something for Milo out of it. A year later and the request has been filled and being Father's Day today, Milo is going to wear it for his Dad, even though it sort of implies that he is a Dad. That would be the twisted part of the gift, and hopefully we'll get some unusual looks when we venture out in public.

Fingers crossed that my body and mind adjust soon to this new schedule. Time spent making is just way too important to lose.

right now

2010-06-06T00:09:00.001-04:00

Right now a shawl is slowly taking shape. This pace is something I will have to get used to.

Right now words are finding their way back in to my days. Whether it's inspiration for work or a novel I've been meaning to read for years, words are always a wonderful way to find perspective.

Right now sewing is a joy. I'm pretty sure I have Kids Week to thank, because suddenly I am having success sewing for myself, which is just in time for a much needed back-to-work wardrobe. I guess I can ditch my army-pants-and-random-t-shirt look once and for all.

And right now I am thankful that a little boy's fever finally broke. After two "transition" visits to daycare, some form of sickness was practically expected, and I doubt this is the last of it. Extra cuddling was all he wanted, and I was more than happy to spend my final days being a doting mom.

Next up, a whole lot of change.

lonely needles

2010-05-24T07:01:00.001-04:00

I think my unattended knitting was starting to feel like I was having an affair with my sewing machine. Okay, I was, but I'm pretty sure all that sewing gave me new energy when I picked up my needles again. And that energy finally got me to finish what should have been a very simple project but one that hung around too long, hurting my fingers along the way.

This shrug is Stefanie Japel's Two Tone Shrug from Fitted Knits. It's the second pattern I've tried from this book and I'm happy to report that there were no errors with this one (the first one was a serious lesson in patience). I modified the approach a wee bit by knitting the sleeves in the round instead of flat, because seams would have added unnecessary bulk and it's just plain easier that way. As for the painful fingers, it's entirely my own fault - I used sale bin Cascade Cotton Rich which is bulkier, but I stuck with the pattern's recommended needle size, which meant the ribbing was done on 3.5mm and man, was that a chore. I could only do a couple of rows at a time which is why it took my so long to finish. In the end, it's a cute little sweater but I'm not entirely sure if I'll feel right wearing it. Jay already made fun of my "miniature thing" and it looks very strange lying around (hence the modeled shots). But it's done and my needles are happy again.

Perhaps I'll knit for the kids next. Like sewing, it always works out better.

the last day

2010-05-17T21:27:00.000-04:00

The final day and I'm sad to see the challenge end. Staying true to the deal I made with Sadie, here is her new romper/pajamas that are like Milo's. I used white snap tape and just gave extra room around the legs to make it comfortable. Sadie wore them to bed last night and her verdict was quick: this is her favourite garment I made this week (seriously? not even the rainbow leggings?). When I was putting Sadie to bed I started the little pair of pants, and amongst the teeth brushing and book choosing, I had them done 5 minutes after she fell asleep. Funny how you can fit sewing in when you really want to. They are for Milo, but when he's a bit older. I had the sleeves left from the thrifted shirt and didn't want to waste the length on his currently short legs.

I really have to thank Meg of elsie marley for motivating me this week. In all, I sewed 15 garments for Sadie and Milo and I learned SO MUCH about my serger and sewing with knits. I really don't want to stop, but at least I'll slow my pace and move on to something adult size because there are only so many shorts and rompers the kids need. I felt like I was in a sewing rut before this week and this totally cured it. I'm also thankful to have been in the company of so many creative woman, and I now have new blogs to check in with for inspiration. All in all, an awesome challenge and a perfect last sewing "hurrah" before I go back to work.

Oh, and for anyone thinking of trying out knits I really can't recommend Wendy Mullin's Sew U: The Home Stretch enough. It's a fantastic resource that gave me the confidence I needed to tackle an all-knit list of sewing projects.

day six

2010-05-16T21:21:00.000-04:00

It's definitely harder to sew on the weekends. Luckily Sadie was very patient and hung out with me during Milo's nap long enough to make him another romper - but the deal I had to make was that I would sew her a romper on the last day of the challenge. With snaps. She really has this thing about matching her clothes to Milo's, and I couldn't argue with her that it would be comfortable. But as for this romper, I used an old t-shirt of mine because I think babies look way better in horizontal stripes than I do. Plus the sailor look should work for the little man and he is now officially set for summer clothes.

Back tomorrow with my last day's efforts. More fantastic kids clothes here, here and here. Not to mention here!

day five

2010-05-15T22:55:00.000-04:00

Another day, more rainbow clothes. This fabric is the only new fabric I've used during the challenge - a friend had given me a sample (used for Milo's sleeves on his Canada shirt) and because I loved it so much, she generously grabbed me another yard of it. So, from one yard I made Sadie's leggings and now a shirt and pants for Milo. Not bad for $5! Oh, and I must explain that Sadie loved the idea that she and Milo would have matching pants, and I loved the idea that I could send the kids out with Jay while wearing matching rainbow pants. Good times for all.

I only had 90 minutes yesterday during Milo's nap to sew, so I lazily decided to use only the serger - which meant I deviated from the 90-Minute-Shirt style I've been making over and over again. This quick shirt, complete with green collars and cuffs, is a cinch to make in roughly 40 minutes. But I may have to start calling my little man Ernie because I think I've ripped off his look entirely. Or maybe it's Bert? Either way, I'm totally out of rainbow jersey for now. Back to the t-shirts for Day Six.

day four

2010-05-15T00:28:00.000-04:00

What can I say - I'm addicted to sewing for Sadie and Milo. First up, I finished a pair of leggings for Sadie. They were made completely on the serger, which means they were FAST and I'm really happy with the split cuff. Sadie is a bit disappointed that the buttons are only for show but I'm doubtful that she would actually do them up and I didn't want to get frustrated trying a buttonhole on knit fabric. Oh, and the fact that she got to stand on the table to model made her disappointment pretty much disappear. The "Gumout" tank is from a t-shirt that I wore at the end of both pregnancies when nothing else would fit me. I think a friend gave it to Jay for the whole gum mention, but neither of us even know what it means. It just seemed fitting to have the kids wear it, so for now it's Sadie's and when Milo is ready I'll just chop off the bottom band. And then I got a sleeveless romper finished, inspired entirely by Meg's version. It's a perfect hot weather garment and easy to get Milo in and out of (thank goodness). I'm going to try to get another one done tomorrow from the last t-shirt in my pile because I think Milo could just live in these all summer.

There are so many great clothes being made and the Flickr group is growing every minute. Only 3 days left to go...

day three

2010-05-13T20:43:00.000-04:00

Recycling old clothes continues. This pink tank for Sadie is made from an old Gap shirt that I just couldn't part with, but if worn, seriously looked like I was wearing pajamas. I kept the neckline intact and then tried a different style of edging which is done only with the serger. I think it's my favourite edging yet or the knit of this shirt was just the right weight to make it work. And Sadie debated for 24 hours whether she wanted shorts or a skirt out of the fabric Milo's shorts were made of - and I think she's pretty happy with her skirt choice. The t-shirt was quite wide, so I made use of the original hem and let the skirt be really full. Sadie tried both pieces on as soon as she got home and she wouldn't take them off until bedtime, so you may notice a spaghetti stain on the hanging shot. Oh well, at least I know she likes them. I'm pretty fond of the whole look she had...why can't they make red shoes like that for adults?

Next up, Day Four. I may not be as prolific (I'm battling a determined plugged duct - ouch - and I had to go to work this afternoon) but the day isn't over yet. It's amazing how 10 minutes here and there can add up.

day two

2010-05-12T17:10:00.001-04:00

Day Two of the challenge and I managed more clothes for Milo. I'm a lazy mom and don't mind my babies wearing only onesies in the hot summer, but it's probably more acceptable when the legs look a bit more like shorts. So with that in mind I made the 90-Minute-Shirt into a onesie with longer legs and room for snap tape (I just don't trust my application of real snaps, especially on knit fabric). I used a men's golf shirt (these shorts were from the same shirt) and the green edging is from an old t-shirt of mine. The result is an outfit that's more 1920's era bathing suit than shorts but I love it on Milo...that is, when I managed to wrestle him into trying it on (getting him dressed is a real sport, hence the lack of modeling shots). And I got one more pair of shorts made out of the sleeves from the t-shirt I made this shirt from - now I don't have a single swatch of that fabric left. They are a bit too short in the rise, but are nice and snug so they totally stay on. I bet Jay will put these on Milo any chance he gets, probably with the matching shirt.

Day Three is more focused on Sadie and girlie things. Be back tomorrow!

kids clothes week challenge

2010-05-11T13:36:00.000-04:00

After Day 1, I'm shocked to have 3 garments done. I have Wendy Mullin to thank - after reading through Sew U Home Stretch I have figured out how to make knit clothing fast using my serger. Both pairs of shorts were 100% sewn with the serger, and I love the waistband on the blue pair. I didn't plan it that way, but I was using the sleeves from a men's t-shirt to make the shorts and I had limited height, and so a deep waistband was necessary (now Sadie wants a pair just like them, because the blue ones are for Mr. Milo). Actually I've added a little extra challenge to my challenge - I did not buy any fabric and am only recycling t-shirts (mine, Jay's, big ones from Goodwill) to make all these clothes. The ruffle skirt - which I'm super happy with - is actually the t-shirt I tried to sew for myself but now salvaged into something way better. I'm going to try one more ruffle skirt from another t-shirt and then maybe post the how-to info after the week is done. It takes no time to sew and hey, little girls love ruffles. And I love shirring.

Next up, Day 2. I've got a romper and some snap tape waiting. For more Kids Clothes Week happiness, check out the Flickr pool here.

mums for mom

2010-05-09T13:31:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about this post for a long time now, and I still don't know where to start. How can you ever say enough about your mom or put into words the effect she has had on your life?

When my brother was only 17 months old, my mom gave birth to me. I have no idea how she coped with two small children, but I do know she fostered a wonderful sense of play in my brother and me. If I pulled out a suitcase of dinky cars right now, my mom would still be the first one to dig in and start playing. We played board games, card games, made puzzles, turned cardboard boxes into spaceship command centrals...all the good things that developed creativity and imagination in us. Sometimes I hear myself hesitating when Sadie asks me to play and I remind myself that my mom never said no, and it helps me find the energy I need.

My mom loves to laugh and she came from a family that enjoyed jokes and joking around with each other. Watching Naked Gun with my mom is an experience everyone should try at least once - you'll never be the same afterwards. Humour was so important growing up, and my mom taught me how to laugh at myself, which I'll always need because I can sometimes take things too seriously. Not surprisingly I chose a partner who makes humour part of our everyday life, and he was the guy my mom approved upon first sight. All he had to do was make her laugh.

There is so much to say about my mom, but there is this one thing that makes her so special to me, and that I am thankful for every day. My mom is my number one fan. She believes in me and everything I do. I don't know who I would be if it weren't for her. And the crazy part is that her mom was the opposite. Don't get me wrong, I loved my Gramma and my mom was crazy about her, but perhaps it was part of that generation. However it happened, she didn't instill a confidence in my mom or her sisters, especially when it came to being creative. But instead of repeating behaviors, which is the norm, my mom chose her own path and cheered me along in whatever interest I chose. Confidence, self-esteem - how can I thank my mom for such gifts? And here is the moment I'll always remember: right after graduating university I exhibited my art at the Toronto Outdoor Show in Nathan Phillips Square. I was a student, but won the "Best Mixed Media" award for that year's show. After packing up I found a payphone and called my mom to tell her the news. She started saying something and then went silent. And when she next tried to speak through her tears, it was the most wonderful message a mother could share. In her mixture of joy and pride, she wanted me to know that my journey to that point was so worth the effort. Words like that, and a daughter can take on anything.

I feel I'm only scratching the surface, but now I have tears in my eyes and am having trouble typing. So to my co-quilter, co-knitter, popcorn-loving mom, thank you for being my friend and my fan. I love you.

Happy Mother's Day.

(P.S. here is a message from Sadie, typed by Sadie: i love you gramma youre the best gramma ever. maybe i'll have a sleepover at youre house.)

now the hard part

2010-05-01T14:25:00.000-04:00

On my list of things to finish before I go back to work is a quilt for our sofa - which is to protect the slipcover which is protecting the sofa itself. Babies and cats make messes and I think washing a quilt will be easier than the slipcover, but I may just start piling up quilts as time goes on. I do have more than enough fabric to make that happen plus the whole "Princess and the Pea" thing could be pretty comfortable. But anyway, here is the finished top. I did a simple 7" square patchwork and it's rather bright, bringing together all the colours in the main floor. It should work well with he black sofa, red walls and super-bright-yellow painting. I didn't buy anything new (well, not for this) so I'd like to think this is use-what-you-have kind of quilt. So, now the hard part: quilting.

My mom has a long-arm quilting machine in her basement and has been clearing out some room to see if we can get it working. Space is an issue whatever the quilting method, but I like the idea of not having to baste this. Hopefully I can find time in the next 5 weeks to spend a few hours with her to see how far I can get. The list is so long and I'd really like to cross at least something off.

Quilting inspiration a plenty here, here and here. Oh, and of course here.

knicker redemption

2010-04-30T09:49:00.001-04:00

Amongst all the sewing for Milo, I really tried to make a shirt for myself for Spring Top Week. I even took a course a few weeks ago at the workroom to learn how to knock-off your favourite clothes - so I felt more than prepared. I could accept that the first try at my knocked-off pattern didn't work, but I felt like I'd solved the problems and I even made a muslin copy to be sure it would work before cutting into the grey shirting I had chosen. But after 4 precious Milo-is-napping-Sadie-is-at-school sessions, I had to give up. The shirt is officially "frumpalicious". Jay quickly agreed, after first asking if I had meant the shirt to be "pilgrim" style. All in all, a total failure on top of the many clothing failures I've had this past year. And so I started to think that I should stick to sewing for Sadie and Milo and just give up on myself.

Enter...knickers. Yes, knickers (hey, that's what the pattern calls them, and it sounds way better to say, "I made a pair of knickers today"). After a post on Angry Chicken a while (maybe years) ago I bought this awesome pattern off Etsy and even though I'd read it through and decided it wouldn't be too hard, the pattern still sat around. But in a last ditch attempt to sew for myself, I figured I'd give knickers a try. And it was just what I needed - they were quick, fun to make, and I learned something new (ahh, the magic of fold-over-elastic). I used hemp jersey in the bikini height version, and the retro pattern means that they have ample bum room, which is perfect in my book. Since I could order more hemp jersey in any colour I want from here, and get matching fold-over-elastic from here (both are Canadian companies) I now have the urge to make a whole bunch of these because the utilitarian in me loves the idea of having a drawer full of matching underwear.

So while I may take a break from sewing woven fabric garments for myself, I am going to keep going in the world of knit fabrics. I picked up Wendy Mullin's Sew U Home Stretch and I'm pretty excited to try a boat neck t-shirt. But since sewing for Sadie and Milo always works out, I've joined Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week Challenge. What can I say? Sewing an hour a day for my little people sounds like a great way to spend a week. I may even make Sadie some knickers of her own.

umm...

2010-04-24T18:55:00.000-04:00

Did I say I was going to make Milo some "plain" garments? Well, it looks like I totally lied. Something about finding a mens t-shirt at Goodwill and having just enough rainbow jersey to make sleeves won me over. Now my little man is part Mork and Mindy, part Canadian patriot.

The 90-Minute-Shirt is all kinds of awesome, eh?

oh boy

2010-04-19T09:16:00.002-04:00

I am smitten with the 90 Minute Shirt. There is just something about making clothes from knit fabric that feels so good. Plus, this pattern is totally helping me conquer my fear about knit fabrics, while helping me learn a thing or two about my serger and sewing machine. (For instance, I found out that I have a stretch knit stitch. Who knew?)

The tutorials for this shirt and making-a-pattern-from-existing-clothes are excellent and just what I needed to get started (how did I miss this great site for so long? Thanks to Meg for showing me the way!) I still had some shirts from Jay that were earmarked for clothes for Milo, but I also love the idea of making some PLAIN garments too. Don't get me wrong, the Mr. Rogers and the snake graphic above are great - it's just that most boys clothes have "stuff" on them and it would be nice to simplify Milo's wardrobe. I mean, check out these options - how cool are they?

It wasn't easy to get shots of these clothes in action - because Milo is always in action and also in low-light situations. But here is one anyway. The onesie is only going to fit him for about one more week, so I've since adjusted my pattern to make bigger shirts. What can I say - he's a robust little boy.

One thing's for sure - there's more of these shirts to come.

deja vu

2010-04-16T17:29:00.000-04:00

It's happening. No matter how hard I try I can't stop dwelling on my dwindling time with Sadie and Milo. And then that feeling bleeds into sadness for a disappearing babyhood. Just yesterday we took Milo's infant carseat to Goodwill and it was the last large-ish baby item we had - both Jay and I took a longing look at it when it left our hands. When Sadie was this age we were holding on to everything, knowing that someday we might decide to have a second child. But this time is different and it's harder than I imagined to say goodbye to all things baby. Luckily, one look at these big 9-month old eyes and I can forget all my trivial troubles. He's pretty magical that way.

And this photo in particular was kind of familiar to me. It turns out that I wrote a post, 5 years ago, talking about my sadness for being separated from Sadie. Perhaps I just need to stop taking pictures of my children looking up at me when I'm so struck with back-to-work anxiety?

Yeah, that sounds like a smart idea.

(And here's the pic from that post, Sadie, circa 2005. About 9 months old. Umm, is she storing nuts in those cheeks?)

delivery by foot

2010-04-10T22:49:00.002-04:00

If you saw a family of four walking on a Toronto street the other night, baby on the dad's chest, mom and dad each holding one handle of a massive green trunk, and the 5 year old daughter carrying a large bag of take-out food, that was us. Let's just say it's our idea of a family outing.

When Sadie was a baby we carried a whole desk home by foot. At least this trunk was lighter, and now our files are happily hidden away. I'd have to say that three thrift shops within walking distance has served us well.

a happy after

2010-04-05T19:12:00.002-04:00

Have I ever mentioned how awesome Jay is? If not, here is a reason why. He salvaged wood from our attic floor and an old shelf in the basement to make this shelf for our "Office Valet" cabinet. And it's absolutely perfect.

We've had this piece of furniture for a while now, but Jay always intended to build a shelf for it. Once Milo became active it was a true necessity. It's a simple design and we found baskets to maximize space and now the piece really works, both aesthetically and practically. Milo's toys are hidden (though as I type all 3 baskets have been toppled over - the little boy can pull them right out and loves all the toys falling to the floor) and we don't have to see the tv equipment so much.

Like I said, he's awesome. Now if I were a better stylist I might have removed a few more tchotchkes before taking a photo, but I'm not a better stylist. Clutter is the way of the world around here, and for now, we're a tiny bit more organized.

Oh, and here's the "before". (You have to start with the "after" shot, right?)

nine patch

2010-03-26T21:31:00.001-04:00

This quilt top was finished quite a while ago, but I wanted to see what it was like to get it quilted by someone else. I think you need space to be able to properly baste and quilt anything bigger than a chairpad. And space is something I'm very short on, not to mention time. So this top went home with my mom and she generously took it to a quilter she had used before.

Now, I have to admit I am a girl of simple tastes. But I often ignore my gut choice in an effort to branch out and try something new. In this case, I set aside my preference for quilting in the ditch (which I like because it allows for the fabric to be front and center) and requested a "meandering" pattern. I suppose "meandering" is open to interpretation and in the end my little quilt has more of a leafy pattern. And I'm sad to say that in my surprise, I didn't react well to it in front of my mom. I hope she believed me when I said I would get used to it, because now that the edges are bound (with continuous binding tape from this Etsy seller) I really like it, leafy quilting pattern and all. It's super cute and has plenty of uses (for example, right now it is folded up on the coffee table keeping Jay's feet comfy). And really, it's red, black and citron green with lots of polka dotted fabric - what's not to love?

angora lady

2010-03-20T21:54:00.000-04:00

I heart sale bin yarn, and it is so worth the trip to Romni's basement - especially when you get an extra 20% their already discounted prices. This yummy pink cotton/angora blend is Artful Yarns Serenade and it was dreamy to knit with. Sure, it leaves a bit of fuzz on Sadie's shirt but she seems pretty happy to wear angora and I would happily knit with it over and over again.

The pattern is Shellee Floyd's Cap Sleeved Spring Shirt and it is super simple. I made some minor modifications to the sleeve bind off, body shape and bottom band, but still it was an easy knit. I've already cast on for another - this time with long sleeves and chenille yarn I've had forever - because it's a guaranteed reward for the time invested. And I think the style really suits my girl (I mean, check out how she dressed with it, not to mention how she accessorized with hair ribbons and sunglasses). Also I love how it hugs her belly in the second photo, showing a small hint of her recent toddlerhood. So, plenty of reasons to knit it again.

Like I need any more reasons to knit.

solution

2010-03-16T21:54:00.000-04:00

Or more appropriately, Soule-ution. Because a quick visit to Soulemama solved my most recent sewing disaster by offering the perfect project for my Anna Maria Horner voile fabric. The colours of the fabric are beautiful and it feels wonderful, but it is quite pricey so I only bought enough to make a little tank top. I tried a version of this top from Simple Sewing with a French Twist, but the gathers made my milk-filled chest look ridiculous and then anything I tried to essentially re-design the top failed miserably (surprisingly, I never once cursed). Enter Soulemama's timely post and voila! I had just enough fabric left to make a super cute little scarf. It took about 15 minutes to sew and made me feel so much better about the time spent.

And really, it's pretty bold fabric. I think a scarf is just enough for plain old me.

timing is everything

2010-03-12T21:39:00.001-05:00

For any moms who work outside of the home, this excellent post is for you.

What a great reminder and exactly what I needed to hear. Because when I go back to work and start dropping Milo off at daycare every day, I know how I will feel. I've been through this before, and it is incredibly hard. But the author is so right: Sadie talks about my office like it's the coolest place she's ever been to and I know she understands that "work" is something that makes her Mommy happy. I hope to catch her playing "office" someday and more than anything, I hope she grows up believing that she can be and do anything. And for my littlest baby, I look forward to a couple years of TTC rides together at the end of every day. It was such a special time with Sadie and I can't wait to see what it's like with Milo. Can he top Sadie saying out loud, "I'm peeing right now!"? The possibilities are endless.

(And for a more literal link to the topic of timing, here's a little pic of an old GE school clock we recently got through Ebay. It's one of the finishing touches for the kitchen and although it arrived not working, my rather amazing husband fixed it. Awesome.)