Happy Groundhog Day!

Punxatawny Phil made his prediction this morning -- it looks like there will be another six weeks of winter. But like any seasoned weather forecaster, he could be wrong. Or right.

Here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire it is snowing again. Hard to say if there are shadows in a snowstorm. Even harder to say if you're only willing to stand at the threshold of the door.

A Stitcher's Wardrobe:

So here we go, an outfit a day until you've seen it all. 

This is the horse dress. I sewed it last year, but found I was not wearing it. (See it on the sidebar, under Fannie Fouche?) There was something about the color or the print -- I wanted it mellower. I overdyed it pale green/brown, and the results were so sad it looked like a prison dress, or a dress to wear while gardening with my imaginary sister-wives. 

I overdyed it again. Less sad this time, more sophisticated. Sophisticated is not my bag, so I sewed a horse on it. The scarf is from earlier in the year, yarn dyed by me, worked on my knitting machine, and with crocheted felt ball trim.

Enjoy your day!

A Stitcher's Wardrobe: Leggings

These leggings are cut from thick cotton knit with tons of stretch. I dyed them with Pro Chem MX Fiber Reactive dye.

I serged the leggings first with white thread, then garment dyed them in an intense bath of golden yellow plus a little purple in our old toploader. The fabric did not take the dye as well as I hoped. I performed the waistband stitching with matching thread last -- the thread I use does not take the dye at all.

On super cold days I will stay toasty in these with thermal tights underneath.  Everyone needs stretchy pants. And I will be able to pretend I am a bird in my stretchy pants.

A Stitcher's Wardrobe: Cardigan Sweater

Winnie Autumn, named for the shoreline of Lake Winnipesaukee in the fall

One of my hopes with this year's project was to use up some of the materials I had in my stash. Originally I had three skeins of dark blue wool for the main part of this sweater, two variegated blue skeins for the yoke, and a ball of creamy white for highlights. But on second look, the variegated blue was not quite right, so I dyed one, two, three, four more skeins until I had the right grey-blue. 

In the meantime, I dyed four multicolor skeins for the fun of it (herein lies my materials issue). I liked them so well I incorporated them into my design. In case you've lost count, I had five skeins and one ball, and I dyed eight more. I used about five to complete the sweater. There was a net gain in materials.

The construction of this sweater is unusual: I cast on provisionally at the yoke, worked down five rows, split for the sleeves and body, worked the sleeves and body, and then picked up the stitches at the provisional cast on and resumed the yoke in the opposite direction. Why? So the dipped stitches (the points) could reach into the dark blue body of the sweater from the yoke and the hems. And because I'm a knitter.

Checking in on my year's To Do list, I have some work on the horizon: 

Old skills: Hand knit and write patterns, machine knit, screen print, sew on the Bernina, serge with the Husqvarna, serge and mock chain on the Siruba, acid dye, *fiber reactive dye, weave, *spin, paint, full or felt, trim, thrift, reclaim or refashion.
New challenges: Discharge print, design my own fabric at Spoonflower, embroider, crochet, pompom & tassel, applique & patchwork.
Garments: Cardigan sweater, sweater vest, pullover sweater, scarf, hat, mittens, coat, dress, shirt, skirt, *leggings, tee, pants, *socks, slip, undershirt, bike shorts, apron, handkerchief, and brooch.
* work in progress

A Stitcher's Wardrobe: Undershirt

Hunting season is here. Behold my blaze orange undershirt, a Dharma Trading Company bias cut silk camisole. I had worn it many times as a plain white undergarment.  I guess this project can be called a refashion.

I had some dyeing still left in me when I arrived home from Fiber College -- wait, who am I kidding? I could dye all day long. As I was unpacking my supplies I threw this in a Mason Jar with the golden orange I was craving, shook it, steamed it twenty minutes, rinsed, done.

So yes, my underwear is bright, but that's just between you and me. I am going to wear it like this until I tire of the color and then I can over-dye it.

Thanks for all the well wishes, Friends. My cataracts are gone and I am styling two new intraocular lens implants. I choked up a little after acing my eye exam -- I have not been able to read an eye chart without assistance since the third grade. Then I made that awful convulsing sound because I was embarrassed about losing my composure. Then I couldn't read the chart ...

A Stitcher's Wardrobe: Scarf

While staying at Searsport Shores this summer I set up my knitting machine for demonstration. I cast on 120 stitches of stockinette in yarn that I knew would knit up easily.

It turns out having a knitting machine set up with good yarn and mindless knitting is about like having a jigsaw puzzle set up: I'm on my way to something else but ... just a few rows.  I knit four scarves in six days.

This yarn is a cashmere blend that I dyed last year.  The pin is another thrifted find from Thea. Did I tell you we went to see Madeleine Albright's pin collection? Check the tour dates, well worth a visit, and best done in good company.

The crochet trim was completed at home.  The felted balls are from Darn Good Yarn. I used a sharp darning needle to secure the balls as I went along.

I'll be back at Searsport Shores soon with a gaggle of friends for Fiber College.  Come join me for Mason Jar dyeing on Saturday, September 6th, 9 til 5 (arrive by 3:30), and Sunday, September 7th, 9 til 3 (arrive by 1:30).  I'll have plenty of wool for sale, plus premixed dyes and a streamlined set of instructions. And/or you can bring your own skeins of wool. The steampots will be chugging!

A Stitcher's Wardrobe: Slip

If I am wearing a dress I like for it to drape well and not stick to my body. Enter the slip. A slip helps a dress to hang as intended and move freely. But new slips are increasingly hard to find. It seems no one is wearing them.

I purchase slips at thrift stores regardless of their (sometimes hideous) color. They are often in perfect condition ... again, it seems no one is wearing them. Acid dye and an old pot turns a nylon number into something unusual and fun to wear.

This lacy charm was cream colored and identical to another I own. The straps did not take the dye -- they must be polyester. Maybe I'll replace them some day.  Maybe not.

Do you wear slips?

A Stitcher's Wardrobe: Pullover Sweater

This sweater has been 95% done for a couple of weeks or more. Sometimes I stall out at the end for various reasons.  In this case the neckline was reworked several times.  But sometimes I think I am not ready to let go of a project -- that might also be the case here.

I knit this from the bottom up, joined the sleeves at the base of the yoke, and worked the front, back, sleeve caps and saddles all at once. The math was enchanting.  I used standards for sleeve circumference, armhole depth, and shoulder width.  As a gal with non-angular proportions (and I know I am not alone in my figure type), I would like to see the effect of this same sweater knit with a narrower yoke and fuller sleeve caps.

The yarn is from my brother-in-law's sheep and a llama or two, spun into a 2-ply at MacAusland's, and dyed in my basement. This clip is especially hairy, like maybe someone's shipment to the wig factory was misplaced. Which makes me love it even more.

The buttons are vintage, and I am smitten with their largeness and proximity. In my next iteration I will move the buttons alongside the placket and make loops instead of buttonholes. I will also steepen the angle of the neckline where it meets the saddle.

The shaping is located almost under the arms, like a cereal box.

In other news, Project Two-Houses-into-One is progressing beautifully. I am sitting in a newly painted lovely knitter's nest. The sorting, culling, and improvements throughout our home are distracting and liberating.

A Stitcher's Wardrobe: Hat

A scrap happy beret, with a loop-dee-loop on top.  This is one of many ways to use multicolor variegated yarn.  I'll be teaching a Dozen Ways to use Variegated Yarn at Fiber College this year. Class registration opens on April 1st! Do come join me, the class list is fantastic.

In other news, my household is currently a furniture vortex. My Mom downsized to a lakeside condo last year, and we are slowly moving seven lifetimes of goodies out of the family farmhouse and barn. This bookshelf was built for my brothers by my Dad.  It housed books, a potato chip bucket of crayons, and a Habitrail for their gerbils, which was never-ending entertainment for the family dog.

Inky, bad dog.

The bookshelf was eventually demoted to magazine storage in the barn. I recently dragged it home, cleaned and painted it, and promoted it to my bedroom.

And this week we sold our old house/camp up in the Great North Woods, partially furnished (phew).  Still, there are favorite items for which I need to make room.  And when I decide to move a credenza into the house, six other pieces of furniture get moved. And I may as well paint, because moving the furniture reveals grubby walls and inefficient use of space.

Maybe vortex is not the right word.  Furniture Tetris, that is what I'm playing.

A Stitcher's Wardrobe: Mittens

 Well, almost mittens.

I made these two at a time using my pattern for Fried Chicken Mittens (instructions included for the fingerless version).  The wool was dyed by me, including the embroidered detail around the palm.

Lots more happening around here, including five shirts cut and partially sewn, another denim skirt cut, a sweater underway, socks underway, a hat completed, two brooches thrifted, and not one, but two bathrobes thrifted, and bathrobes were not on the list.

And more!  The Common Cod Fiber Guild is holding their 5th annual FiberCamp Boston on March 14th through the 16th.  I will be there with a few of my designs.  From their website:

 As part of FiberCamp, on Saturday at 4PM, we will host

a Designer Fashion Show with classic and brand-new designs from

Julia Farwell-Clay, Misa Erder, Thea Coleman, Bristol Ivy,

Amy Christoffers, Ellen Mason, and Alison Green.
Location: MIT Tang Center, Building E51, register in 3rd floor lounge,

2 Amherst Street, Cambridge

Maybe you will be there too?  

Shearing at Riverbank Farm

Ron the Dog and the goats

Monday was shearing day at my brother-in-law Matt's farm. He had sixteen sheep on Monday, but that number is about to explode, as most of the girls are due to lamb next week. Looks like there are lots of twins, too.

Pauline gently sheared all the sheep in quick succession. Move slowly to keep them calm, she says, but she works at such a steady pace that we were done in no time. And I would bet that most, if not all of the sheep weighed more than Pauline.

Levi was the working dog of the day. He would select a sheep and nudge it out of the sheep pile so Matt could move it along to the shearing carpet. Then he would wait for his next command, perfectly still.

One of the geese is protective of Matt. It bit me in the leg as I closed myself into the same room as him, and then knocked on the door incessantly. I should mention Matt is a veterinarian, so Riverbank Farm sometimes feels like the Land of Misfit Animals.

Dennis is the new barn cat, a return to the SPCA, on clearance. His cat instincts are hilariously screwy. He has no fear whatsoever.
 

But the sheep are not misfits. There are registered Clun Forest sheep, black and white Cheviots, and one Border Leicester cross.  I am antsy to get this wool spun, as we have never had Clun Forest wool in the mix.

Mani\Pedi

Last year's clip was recently spun, resulting in forty five pounds of two-ply for me, and a slew of blankets for Matt. He sends the wool to MacAusland's Woollen Mill on Prince Edward Island, one of very few mills that still weaves blankets.  (Side note: Years ago we received a blanket for Christmas in a stapled grain bag.  I had to step away and pull myself together. It remains one of my most cherished items.)

Five bags full

I could not resist a little dyeing on Wednesday.

So I think I'm all set for yarn. I'll have plenty for sale to dye at Fiber College in September!

Have a great weekend, I know I will.

p.s. - forgot to mention new Aussie puppies on the farm, 5 days old.  g a s p.