sock knitting – Damselfly's Delights

Sproing!

March 30, 2021 damselflysdelights3 Comments

Spring has sprung in a big way around here, even though we had one more frost yesterday morning one day past our average last frost date. The daffodils are blooming and the plum and cherry trees are covered in pink and white. So pretty! I’ve got my peas and potatoes in. I was happy to finally find the Prince of Orange seed potatoes that grow so well for me at the garden store. They are so good that I didn’t even plant any last year (or the year before, come to think of it) and still harvested an ice-cream bucket full of volunteers! I decided this year to dedicate an entire bed to them. Just because. Meanwhile I’ve been planting wee seeds in the basement Grow-Op.

Now I need to start transplanting these guys into bigger pots so I can put them out into the greenhouse before tucking them into their garden beds. I started to prep the bed for the mustards yesterday but the soil was so wet it stuck to my shovel. Yuck. And today our next door neighbour has workmen ripping things out to put in a new fence between our properties so I’m hiding out where I can’t watch them trample the raspberries. They’re trying to be careful but not really succeeding terribly well. At least we don’t have to pay for the fence. They’re doing some major backyard renovation and replacing all the fences all the way around. Fine by me as long as it doesn’t block any more of my precious light than the former eyesore. Good fences make good neighbours, right?

In crafting news, I haven’t really finished anything at all since last post. I repaired a few pairs of socks. My red kneesocks blew a hole in one heel and the other was dangerously thin so instead of duplicate stitches, my usual fix, I picked up stitches and knit a replacement heel. When I was done I grafted the free stitches onto the sock and then did a bit of freeform stitching underneath to secure the loose ends of the hole.

*Preparing to graft the heel stitches to the sock.*

The other sock didn’t yet have a hole but it was dangerously thin. I decided to make the pair match I’d do the same knit-on patch as the first sock. It feels a little thicker under my heel than the one with the actual hole but it’s not really a problem. Now I can wear them again.

I’m up to the heel turn on yet another pair of socks, these ones for Thom. The knitting is going very slowly but still faster than that last pair! They are very plain but the yarn is so nice I’m almost regretting letting him have this one. Oh well. There’s lots more sock yarn in the stash.

And speaking of Thom, the second version of the Sanders Button-Up Shirt (pattern from Elbe Textiles) in a nice linen cross-dye (darkest navy warp woven with a natural tan weft). I’m nearly finished. Just sleeves and buttons/buttonholes left to go. Meanwhile, Debbie Double is wearing it and putting lady bumps in the front! Yes, it’s truly navy blue and tan but the optical mixing makes it look charcoal grey.

*Shirt in progress, lightened up a bit to show detail*

This time I left myself wider seam allowances so I could do much neater flat-fell seams instead of serging them and topstitching. The look on the outside is the same but the inside is a whole lot prettier. I’ll be sure to show a detail photo when the shirt is completed.

What else? I bought Muna and Broad‘s latest pants pattern, the Birchgrove Pants. These have an elastic waist, tapered legs and slash pockets and are suitable for a wide range of different medium weight fabrics. I have a piece of linen (I think!) fabric that would be perfect for them but it’s in need of a trip to the dyepot first. I was kind of waiting until it was warm enough to do it outdoors comfortably. Which I guess could be very soon, no? I’m trying to become more used to wearing pants made from woven fabrics instead of knits. Unfortunately I still find knits more comfortable! But I like that M&B pants fit me so well with very little tweaking necessary. Their patterns call for 1-1/2″ wide elastic for the easy factor but I need to get some. My local shops don’t have non-roll in this width. And I’m afraid that if I go shopping in a real store, I might lose my determination and buy more fabric!! I’ve been doing really well for over a year of working from the stash. Still not diminished nearly far enough to be reasonable. Too many boxes still lurking about in the attic. It’s a challenge.

Shortest Month

February 28, 2021 damselflysdelights4 Comments

Here we are at the tail end of February and again I’m running behind. It’s not like I’ve got a gazillion things going on in my life or anything! Just a lack of enthusiasm for typing. Or something. Anyhoo, I’ve finished a number of things since last post so here’s the quick and dirty deets.

I had a couple more knit garments that I had cut out last autumn and hadn’t sewn yet. I finally got to it and made a t-shirt, leggings and a short-sleeved tunic in a lightweight green marl. Not sure of the fibre content (possibly rayon/lycra) but there’s plenty of stretch.

T-shirt with curled selvedge neckline and leggings

All three layers can be worn together for the full Sherwood Forest effect! Heh. I still have a couple of t-shirts that I cut out back then but haven’t sewn yet. I guess I have to be in the mood for changing all the threads on the serger and coverstitch machines.

Then there’s a couple of jackets completed:

This is the Pona Jacket pattern from Helen’s Closet in the longer version. This plaid denim was a freebee I picked up years ago but never found a use for until now. It’s a bit thick for the Pona but I think it turned out just fine, especially judging by how many times I’ve worn it since I finished it! I used scraps of indigo blue batik cotton for the bias seam finishing:

The cotton was left over from the lining to my Sewaholic Minoru Jacket that I made years ago, a pattern designed by Tasia Pona for whom this Pona pattern is named. Kind of came around in a circle, didn’t it? Anyway, it took many many yards of bias and I only had less than half a metre left when I was done. Is the game of Binding Chicken a thing? Now of course I want another Pona, perhaps the cropped version in some naturally dyed linen canvas which is also too thick but drapier than the denim.

The most complex project this month was the blue Amy Parka from a pattern by Schnittchen Patterns. I had purchased the dry oiled canvas in 2019 for this jacket but got sidetracked, or maybe intimidated by the thought of sewing with fabric that marks so easily? I luckily had just bought a bunch more wonder clips recently because pins are a complete no-go. At least I was actually able to iron it gently. I used some leftover rust cotton batik yardage in a pinecone design for the lining. And Past-Me was smart enough to have already purchased the long double separating zipper so I didn’t have to go shopping.

The hardest part actually turned out to be the pattern fitting. This pattern comes in two size ranges, regular and curvy, but they are sold separately. As a Betweenie, I always have a hard time deciding which way to go with this since I’m right over the dividing line: get the regular sizes and grade up at the waist and hip if necessary or go with the curvy ones and chop the upper bust, sleeves and armhole down? Neither option works particularly well for my body and I usually have to completely rework the armhole and sleeve cap. I ended up printing out a number of pages three times to grade between the size 40 and 46. And I still needed to do more fiddling after that including raising the underarm seam by a full 2 inches.

So just to be sure I got it all right I decided to actually make a muslin which I never normally do but it turned out to be a great solution. I needed several extra changes on the muslin but only had one tiny tweak to make on the real thing, happily taking in since letting anything out shows needle holes. I also added an interior cellphone pocket and a drawstring on the hood. The finished jacket is darn near perfect except for the lack of seam sealant. It’s pretty water repellant though and will work fine in all but a serious downpour. I almost always have an umbrella with me anyhow.

There’s quite a bit of the oiled canvas left since I’d bought enough to make the longer version and instead made the shorter one which is plenty long enough on me. The long one would have been down to my calf! I’ve been thinking I might make a rain hat with the leftovers but we’ll see if that happens.

One last thing, I actually finished a knitting project! This pair of socks took the longest to finish ever. Since June 2019 which is just nuts.

Don’t know what the problem was really. Maybe Covid stress? The Beaded Rib pattern was just that tiny bit more complicated where I couldn’t easily read at the same time. I also started these for Thom originally but ended up thinking that there wouldn’t be enough yarn to finish them. Turned out I could probably have managed especially after I decided to do the foot almost plain. The rib pattern takes up quite a lot more yarn. Oh well. I started another plain pair of socks for him and he’s happy. They are coming along much faster and yes, I can read while knitting on them. I still don’t really have my knitting mojo back though. Very odd.

Spring is coming here in Vancouver despite the couple of days of snow we got. The crocuses are out and I’ve even seen a daffodil or two. My rhubarb and garlic are coming up. I’ve still got lots of work to do out there but it’s too wet for me to feel inspired. Indoors I have seeds and soil ready to go and will be starting the Grow Op in a couple of weeks so hopefully that inspiration will hit before the baby plants need to be transplanted outside! The year continues to go around no matter what.

Whoosh….

May 31, 2020 damselflysdelights8 Comments

Did you hear that sound? That was May whooshing by. Another month disappearing in the rear view mirror. I wanted to post more this month but obviously that didn’t happen. We rambled about the neighbourhood. We gardened – a lot. We read and read and read. I finished a couple of projects. We wore our masks to get groceries, both for ourselves and for Thom’s elderly mom. We stayed isolated. We stayed well.

When put like that it sounds kind of boring, doesn’t it? It doesn’t feel like that while I’m living it however. We’ve found some pleasant and most of all quiet places to walk. Our favourite is Shaughnessy, that Vancouver bastion of huge heritage mansions and treed streets pompously named after prominent members of the Canadian Pacific Railway board of directors circa 1885. Foot and car traffic is minimal, giant old trees keep it cool and the curvy streets keep us guessing as to which direction we’re going. It’s an adventure every time! I haven’t been carrying my iPad though so I have no photos to show you.

The garden is doing well and we’ve actually gotten quite a few compliments from passersby on how nice it looks. We both enjoy gardening and of course this year we have less alternative distractions, right? Yeah. Thom does the bigger stuff: pruning, mulching, mowing, leaf blowing, the larger weeding, turning compost, staking and tying up plants. I do the more delicate stuff: starting and transplanting seedlings, shaping beds, fertilizing, harvesting, the pickier weeding and plant trimming. We luckily have complementary skills and abilities! The weather has still been mainly relatively cool especially at night and this month it’s been quite changeable too. More like April weather than the mostly sunny April we had. A benefit is we’ve been blessed with enough rain that I haven’t had to water very much at all so far, except in the greenhouse of course. Everything (except the cucumbers which are still in pots in the greenhouse waiting for it to warm up a bit more) is planted now so all that’s left to do for the next few months are weeding, harvesting and watering. And watching things grow. Yes, the hammock is already out and being enjoyed.

Not much exciting has happened in the studio however. I did promise a photo of the finished tea towels:

Towels in 4-block 4-shaft Summer & Winter

I love them so much! And am now encouraged to wind a new warp for more towels in a different weave structure. Maybe there’s hope for me to regain my weaving skills yet? Then there’s the second pair of socks for Thom:

Yes, I wove the mat underneath too. Years ago now and you can see the sheep are losing their chenille “wool”! Poor things. The sock yarn is DGB Confetti from 2009. Working from deep stash these days. Heh. I truly love this yarn brand and am sad that it’s apparently discontinued. It’s very durable and the colourways were attractive. Now that the superwash sock yarns from independent dyers are more popular, they seem to mostly all use very similar base yarns which aren’t twisted as tightly so don’t hold up to wear as well. They’re also twice as expensive, but I don’t begrudge the hardworking dyers their profit. Just that I would love to be able to keep wearing the socks! Also, I do like dyeing my own but it’s hard to get undyed sock yarns for a reasonable price if you don’t have a business. Nevermind. I have enough for the foreseeable future anyway.

Here’s the masks I mentioned in my last post, free pattern from Dhurata Davies:

They fit very nicely:

I have to say the masks have really helped us with the stress of grocery shopping in crowded stores where it’s difficult to maintain distancing. Some shops insist that all their customers should wear one along with only allowing a certain number of people in the store. I think there are actually more people wearing masks here now than there were. On the busier city streets I would say that perhaps 1/3 to 1/2 of the people I see these days are masked but less than 1/4 of them in quiet, low traffic areas. A much higher percentage wear masks on transit. But not everyone. Discomfort, vanity or disinterest? Even we don’t wear our masks on our ramblings but only if we’re forced to be in closer proximity to others.

And I also sewed a shirt:

This is the Tessuti Helga shirt pattern that I cut out of some thrifted poly-something a year ago. And then it sat. And sat. While I proceeded with a whole bunch of other projects. But finally I decided that this shirt had aged long enough. It was time to test whether this pattern fit me well enough to consider making another version from nicer fabric. The lines of this shirt with its clever hi-lo angled hem are quite comfortable. The facings are stitched down so I knew I wouldn’t have my usual fights with keeping them in place. I deliberately chose a size S which surprisingly fit well with enough wearing ease even for The Belly Fluff. Can’t imagine how loose it would be if I went by my actual bust measurement! The only fit changes I made were sloping the shoulders and shortening the sleeves, both necessary on nearly every garment I make. I had some trouble with the collar which somehow didn’t lie properly against my neck. I chopped it shorter and hand-stitched the seam closed and now I like it much better. Lastly I used 5 smaller buttons instead of the 4 larger ones called for. I only had these appropriate ones in the stash.

Hem detail and close-up of the novelty fabric

If/when I make this again, I would consider adding some length to the body of this shirt. It feels a little short in front to me especially when I’m just wearing leggings like I am in the photo. This fabric is a little stiff too (some kind of home-dec stuff?) so it doesn’t drape as well as something like a linen or shirt-weight cotton. It’s more like a jacket. But I think it will get some wear, more perhaps in the autumn.

Moving right along. I desperately need some t-shirts, particularly longer-sleeved ones, since there are obvious gaps in my drawers and several old well-used t-shirts are finally wearing out. After 20 or so years I think they don’t owe me anything! I have plenty of suitable knits in the stash so there’s no excuse really. When I cut garments out in batches I can usually squeeze in a short-sleeved or cap-sleeved t-shirt as well as a 3/4 or full-length sleeved one at the same time. These are all vital for layering with my other pieces in my wardrobe. It turns out that I wear knits far more than wovens or often pair them together. Knits are comfortable and forgiving of fit and lend themselves more to my leisurely lifestyle. Got to get on this, preferably before it gets stinkin’ hot in my studio. Which it will. Very soon now.

Goodbye April

April 30, 2020 damselflysdelights2 Comments

Well that was fast! Or slow. Depends on your perspective I guess! We’re well and still hanging about at home with as many long walks as possible and the occasional foray out to get groceries. The grocery shopping is pretty stressful: attempting to follow the ever-changing rules, trying to maintain 2 metres distance from everyone else, wearing disposable gloves and occasionally a mask, finding out that some important items might not be available and not stopping anywhere for long or touching anything unnecessarily. Ugh. We’re in something like Week Number 8 of this now with no real end in sight. British Columbia is doing very well at “flattening the curve” but finding a New Normal will be slow and cautious. Better that than jumping right back into things and finding out too late that it wasn’t a good move!

My emotional state has been going up and down. One minute feeling my normal positive self and the next just wanting to sit and read fluffy Regency romance novels. There’s a lot to be said for immersing oneself into a story where there are solutions to difficult problems and a guaranteed happy ending! I really didn’t think I was very stressed at all at first. I mean, nothing really has changed that much in our normally rather quiet life. Until my psoriasis flared up the worst it’s been since the horrible Year of the Itchy-Peelies in 2010. (The only good thing I got out of that nightmare was a diagnosis.) Meanwhile, I’m bathing carefully, greasing up well with cortisone and my homemade shea butter-based cream and wearing my softest leggings. I’m practically leaving a slime trail like my wee little friend here.

And I also realised that my reluctance to get back into sewing was because I was feeling guilty for not wanting to sew masks or other PPE for anyone, not even myself. The whole situation just makes me angry that something so inevitable like this pandemic wasn’t foreseen and planned for and that manufacturing of PPE was all sent offshore so that there is no domestic stock to fall back on. Profit over public safety. They’re scrambling now to retool some Canadian companies but too little too late. Better than nothing though I suppose. However I and other sewists like me can’t realistically be expected to make up the shortfall. For some sewists it’s been a way to feel helpful and contribute to their community. Good for them but I still haven’t been convinced to join in. Too stressful.

Instead I chose to go in a completely different direction and weave dish towels. I’m currently on number 5! It’s slow going and my concentration level drops right off after an hour or two. Only one more to go after this one though so I’m sticking to it. Maybe when I’m done this warp I’ll sew something? I need some new basic t-shirts and I’ve got lots of knits. Unfortunately I’ve already started to forget all the great plans I had for potential garments that occurred while I was sorting and inventorying my fabrics and patterns a few months ago. I’m sure if I start somewhere one garment will lead to another as it always does.

Otherwise, I finished a pair of socks for Thom!

These are plain socks on 68 stitches in my own basic pattern. The yarn is ONline Supersocke 100 from deep stash. I probably bought it for me but he needs new socks more than I do. And he is perfectly happy to have them knit in wild and wonderful yarns! They don’t really show under his jeans anyway so they’re kind of like a crazy secret love message from me. Heh. I’ve already cast on another pair for him, this time in a mostly red striped yarn with dashes of charcoal, brown and a bright purple. Knitting them is something I can do while reading at least when my hands are up for it.

Gardening has been using most of my energy. It’s pretty mindless and soothing and I have something to show for all the work. Behold my tomatoes are tucked into their greenhouse.

This will be a jungle of epic proportions in another couple of months! And I got the dye garden finished. Japanese indigo is taking up the most space this year.

And the dyers coreopsis is in, tucked between the single bolting woad plant and the perennial coreopsis. They’ll get a lot taller and bushier and will need string and stakes before they collapse. Those are non-dye-providing Welsh poppies coming up on the left, aka pretty weeds.

The madder is coming up well. I always wish they were more attractive plants instead of scratchy and floppy and covered in black aphids. Right now they look pretty nice though.

And I’ve been harvesting greens and reds from the veggie garden for salads. The bok choy is doing particularly well this spring. Here’s just one pail full of yummy.

Next, I need to plant the beans and zucchinis. They can wait until next week or the one after. The soil needs to be warm enough for them. And also weeding and digging some of the front garden so I can plant the rest of the flowers somewhere. The marigolds are looking especially nice but they’re getting too big for their little pots. I put some in the dye garden but ran out of room. Moving right along. Playing in the dirt seems to be my happy place right now and this is the time of year when the most work needs to be done.

I know I’ve been rather quiet these days. But I’m hoping that feeling is passing. Time will tell. Stay well!