More Stitches

Here's what I have on the needles, but not for much longer.  I have about a third of a ball of this Valley Yarn Superwash left, so I'm going to knit until I can't knit any longer.  The fabric will be worked into a shirt dress with some pin tucks and gathers, suitable for this sweater, which I'm hoping is appropriate for the office and over a nighty.

I have been sewing.  This linen dress has been on heavy rotation, as evidenced by the wrinkles.

Good gracious, sewing is satisfying.  Below is a video of my electric rotary cutter, which spins a large octagonal blade.  I am cutting a pile of six sleeves.  Like butter.

Four of those sleeves are now completed shirts (yep, shirts not dresses, I didn't have enough fabric for dresses - that's okay, shirts are handy, too).

I'll be wearing the red one tonight at Sonya Philip's reception at Gather Here in Cambridge, and I'll bring my last incomplete shirt for some hand stitching.  It has shaped up to be a week full of visits with friends, and for that I am thankful.

Hello, my name is Kitty

My dog's name is Katharine Murray Mason, but we call her Kitty. Lots of Katharines are called Kitty. My Mother's second-hand cat came with the name Cinnamon, but it did not suit her or stick. By default, she was also named Kitty. Kitty and Kitty go to the same vet, who happens to be my husband's brother. They are on the same account. And they always go together, which makes for a little confusion, and lots of snickers and sheepish smiles.

After our appointment this week, we went to my brother-in-law's farm, Riverbank Farm, a stock dog training facility with "dog broke” livestock, including Cheviot sheep and llamas.

These are a few of the new lambs. MacAusland’s Woollen Mill of Prince Edward Island custom spins their hardy fleeces along with a touch of llama. The resulting yarn is not for the fussy or faint of heart - it is down home, sticky and practical. Nothing luxury about it, just like me. Perfect for the kind of sweater I reach for every day.

eesh.

Riverbank Farm also fosters rescue stock dogs that have not succeeded as pets. Many thrive when to able satisfy their instincts to herd. But they were all napping when we were there. And the Kittys waited patiently in the car.

For years the running family joke was a comparison of mouths to feed at the farm versus engines to keep running at our place.  Happy to say there are way more mouths than engines nowadays.

From Me to You

Dress + Cardigan: Confessions

I am (a little too) far ahead in the dress sewing part of my Dress + Cardigan Project.   I am nervous that I will somehow lose track of what I have sewn and when, and so I have put together a tidy little system, as follows:

I cut out swatches of the fabric used to identify the dresses.  I worked on CorelDraw making these darling little sticker labels with perfectly aligned descriptors and lines that mimic a 3 by 5 card.  They are little masterpieces, yes?  Yes.

Now, lest you feel a twinge of inadequacy due to my mastery of organization, listen up:  The sticker paper has lost its sticky - might be due to its creation dating back to the dark ages.

It is after 2:00 and I am still in my pajamas.  The dishes are still waiting to be washed.  I had other goals for this day that made way more sense.

And so I am quickly re-evaluating and making a panicky to-do list of shame, that includes suitable clothing, dishes, sweater math, a delicious supper plan that makes me look like SuperMom,

... and reprinting those darling labels onto cardstock and sewing them onto the swatches!

Dress + Cardigan: Installment 3

It seems smock lovers are coming out of hiding these days, confessing their adoration for the smock's simple and timeless styling, its versatility and charm.  And let's face it, a smock is some-kind-of wearable.

Dress no.3 was cut from an inexpensive quilter's cotton using New Look 6871.  I lengthened the body, omitted the notch in the yoke, and added a little more fullness at the gathers.  I also chose to narrow the sleeves and finish them with a fixed band instead of elastic.

My Joan Fuller cardigan is complete, and the pattern will go out for a quick testing next week.  At 16 stitches per inch, this sweater knits up swiftly!

I do believe I am getting closer to the stuff I can wear on an everyday basis - to the post office, the grocery, out to school functions.  This outfit will be completed with a vintage pin, a scarf, cheerful socks and a new pair of Lime Lites (the carrot at the end of my yardstick).

Why Lime Lites?  New England Footwear, the company that makes them, is local to me and special to me. Their mission is to bring shoe manufacture back to New England as soon as humanly possible. Also, the technology of the shoe is very thoughtful.  The grippy teeth on the sole are soft; they absorb the bumps in terrain so one's feet don't have to.

Field Trip

On February 13th my Mom and my Sister and I hatched a plan to go to Patternworks and Keepsake Quilting, and then out for lunch.  Patternworks and Keepsake are just the right distance from my house: close enough for a fun jaunt, far enough for a special outing (and far enough that I am not there twice a week impulsively purchasing things I didn't know I needed).

I ordered some of Patternworks Bretton yarn for a sweater for my daughter, a lovely eggplant she picked out.  We'll be making something with an open front and maybe a rolled collar, suitable for a sophisticated college student.

I am not a shopper.  Until I'm in a fabric store.  I made it out of Keepsake with just a few darling fat quarters, but also with dreams of going back to search out dreamy fabrics for my dresses.  

Surely I will end up there soon for red fabric to go with my latest sweater, named Joan Fuller:

And I know where I'll be next February 13th, and with whom: I am certain this was the perfect way to spend the day.

Oh, and I had a turkey Reuben and bottomless coffee, looking out at our beloved lake. Delish.

Act Natural

Here's a little drawing of my latest work in progress, Joan Fuller. Pull it on over a dress or jeans for a concert at the park, or pair it with pajamas and a good movie (and of course a ball of yarn and your favorite sticks).

I think it's hilarious that I can't pose naturally, even in a cartoon.