recovery

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.)