doublepointed

Finished socks - old and new

I finished up my Algona Socks yesterday, and realized I never posted a finished photo of my Little Buttercup socks from last year.

So here we are, from old to new:

Little Buttercup Socks

Pattern: Hourglass, by Bev Elicerio (from the Fall 2008 Knitty.)

Yarn: Knitivity Down Home Art Yarns Sock, in the specailly-dyed-for-me coloway "Kendra's Buttercup"

Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)for the ribbing and US 0 (2.0mm) for the rest of the sock.

These socks are a souvenir for me of my role (the aforemetioned Little Buttercup) in H.M.S. Pinafore.  I'm very pleased with how these socks turned out.  They're a great match of yarn, pattern and theme.

Algona Socks

Pattern: Nine to Five Socks (Ravelry link) by Nicole Hindes

Yarn: Schoeller+Stahl Fortissima Socka in the oh-so-descriptive colorway "6340", which Lisa gave me several years ago when she discovered Buntec was allergic to some natural fibers.  (Score!) (Sorry, Butec.  Have a kitty treat.)

Needles: US0 (2.0mm) DPNs.

I started these socks back in June, on a family reunion trip to Algona, Iowa.  I got through one and a half socks and ended up putting them aside for a couple of scarves and then for my production of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.  But now the show is over (sigh), and I was able to wrap these up in a matter of days.

New yarn!

There has also been some stash enhancement:  Lisa bought me this Done Roving Fundee Footsee in the Harbor Haze colorway on her recent New England/Canadian cruise.  I had told her I would pay for some yarn if she saw some that she thought I'd like - I like souvenirs even when I didn't go on the trip! - and she ended up trading me this for some red and green Rauma Finullgarn from my stash.  Good deal for both of us!

These colors are very me.  I love, love, love them!  Lisa did a good job picking out the yarn.

The yarn is 75% superwash wool (a must-have for any socks I make) and 25% nylon.  I can't wait to choose a pattern. 

The colorway of my Fundy Footsee looks rather similar to some other fingering-weight yarn I recently bought for myself, some Dream in Color Smooshy:

I had the yarn requirements for the Jeanie stole (Ravelry link) by Keri Williams in my head, and while on a trip to Knit On! for something completely different, found three skeins of the Smooshy in the most gorgeous colorway I'd seen, Purple Paisley.

I wasn't intending to buy anything else on that trip, but I couldn't resist.  So now I have Jeanie in my queue.

The colors of this Smooshy aren't quite as light or bright as in these late afternoon photos.  In real life, the yarn is darker, a rich gorgeous melange of colors you might see in a Victorian piano scarf.  (Sorry, Steinway, I'm going to be wearing this stole, not you!)

And I'll have Fundy Footsee socks to co-ordinate!

Making a Victorian Corset, part 1

As Mrs. Lovett in an upcoming production of Sweeney Todd, I will be wearing a corset.  The costumer would have provided me with one, but I want it early, so I can get used to moving in it.  So I've decided to make my own.  (I'm already rehearsing in the boots I will wear for the show, and a rehearsal skirt; there are a lot of steps built into the set, and I'm less coordinated than I'd like.)

To start with, I'm using the Truly Victorian TV110 1880's Late Victorian Corset pattern.  I used this pattern last year to make a corset to wear as Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore.  However, I'm 52 pounds lighter than I was then, and that corset was already slightly too big for me as it was.  So I've ripped out the busk and boning to reuse in a new corset.  Unfortunately, I couldn't reuse the fabric, a pretty yellow damask brocade, or the corset coutil.

Below are some of the supplies I'll use, including new corset coutil, fashion fabric, the busk, boning, bias tape, grommets, thread for sewing and for flossing, and possible trims.

In reality, no one will see this corset on stage, so I could have made a plain white one.  But where's the fun in that?  The corset is made from two layers of cotton coutil from Tutu.com, with a layer of fashion fabric on top. The paisley fabric I chose for the fashion side is from Hancock's of Paducah, a place Lisa recommended for quilting fabric.  I could have used a silk or a brocade fabric, but I like the cotton, and I think it will stand up nicely to the wear and tear of being in a show.  (Plus I've always been a fan of paisley.)  And, although I didn't realize it when I ordered the fabric, it coordinates exceedingly well with the dark red wig that I'll wear in Act II - also reused from Pinafore.  Not that anyone will see it!

The corset is constructed in two halves, a right half and a left half, that will be joined in the front by the busk and in the back by lacing.  Each side is made of six pieces, in three layers (two coutil and one fashion fabric.)  Prior to cutting out my fabrics, I drafted a personalized pattern per the TV110 instructions, and made a mock-up from an old sheet, so I could be (reasonably) sure I was making the correct size.  Here are the 24 pieces of coutil and 12 of paisley, all cut out and ready to go:

Next I tried some machine stitching on the bias binding I will use on the top and bottom of the corset.  It's one of several trim possibilities I'm considering.

 

Next, I flatlined the outer layer of coutil by basting the fashion fabric to it, so they can be treated as one layer.  On the last corset, I didn't do this before assembly, and I think it will make the finished project nicer.

This is  a corset busk.  It's a little curved and won't lie flat on the mat, because I wore it in H.M.S. Pinafore, and it's kept some of the curve.  It's made of steel and is pretty sturdy.  I believe I got it from Farthingale's.

Next I joined each Front section and Front section lining, inserting the loop side of the busk in the left front (as you see it; it's on the right when I wear it) and the knob side in the right.  I tried to balance the look of the two fronts; the fabric isn't a symmetrical pattern, but I think it came out pretty well.

Here are the Middle Fronts joined on:

And the Side Fronts:

And the Side Backs:

I've got two more sections on each side, and then I can start preparing for the boning.  I don't have rehearsal this evening, so I'm hoping to make good progress, and be able to finish up over the weekend.

And then I had a great idea for other some pantaloons with trim I can switch out at intermission, and then there's the scarf I'm knitting to use in a scene in Act II...

Mid-nap report

 

Buntec here.  Lisa is too busy at the sewing machine trying th finish something to come to the blog, so I thought that I would take care of the job,  She is just about finished putting together the blocks for a quilt top, and then has to sew them together.  I helped her for a while, but she didn't seem too appreciative - she kept moving one foot, which moved her leg, making it uncomfortable to sleep on her lap.  And every time she did, there was this humming noise.  So I decided to leave the room.

At least the fabric has the good taste to have cats on it, even if somewhat improbably colored.  I don't think Lisa appreciates it as much as she should, as the keeps snarling about how much she dislikes putting together Square in a Square blocks.  The partially-made blocks have only been waiting about 3 years.   But she should be done with this one soon, and will hand the top on to her friend Kat (good taste to use that nickname) for Azleway or Boys and Girls harbor.

Now that I've finished this blog business, I'll go back to my real task for the day - an afternoon nap.

August challenge

I set a goal on August 2.  I decided to see if I could finish one craft project a week for each of the four full weeks in August.  There is certainly no lack of projects that could be completed - in knitting, sewing, quilting, and even counted cross stitch and needlepoint.  But the goal is one a week.

Presenting...

August Finished Object Number 1 ...

The Spiral Cowl.  The pattern can be found here.  It is fairly easy and fast to make, but I ended up having more yarn than I thought, and wanted to use all of this DK wool that was a present from my parents from their trip to New Zealand.

 

The above is a picture of the cowl one week ago today, being blocked.  The pattern is designed to have straight sides, but with my extra yarn I decided to widen it as it got longer, to fit better over the shoulders.  It is also wide enough to pull up over my head like a hood, if I should suddenly need a hat.

I don't have a picture of it on, because I will need help getting a good one.  I do have the following picture,which gives a closeup of how the colors work together.  This is a preblocking picture, so the eyelets along the ribs have opened up a bit more now.

 

On August 2 I also started the Short Sleeve Ribbed Cardigan from Fitted Knits, out of the wool that was a present from Mom and Dad from their trip to Chile. A few mods to date: I did four sets of short rows in the back just below the edging, to vary the height of the back from the front; I did four sets of short rows to create a bust dart in the front, and I knit fewer rows before I began the back decreases.

 

The next picture shows the neck bank, which I really like, and another variation - I changed the increases at the raglan areas from yarn overs (leaving a row of eyelets) to knit front and back, to make it look more solid.   This increase leaves subtle horizontal bars, which I think go well with the subtle shaping that shows at the back.  I also changed the rate of raglan increases to every other row until the piece was the width of my shoulder, then every fourth row when it was the length of my arm pit, and then every other row for one inch to ad ease, as per Maggie Righetti's Sweater Design in Plain English.

 

I'm not planning for the cardigan to be my second finished project for August, but it is progressing rapidly.

There has been a little stash enhancement here.  The following two photos show yarn that was technically my Christmas present from Kathryn from last winter, but we just exchanged gifts this past week.  Mine to her had been riding around in the back of my car for most of January and February, until the gift sack split at the seams and I put it in the house.  The Bamboo & Ewe looks like something fairly new - there are not many listings of it on Ravelry.

 

 

And the following is an indulgence.  I have been looking at the Windandsea hat pattern for a while, and when Yarns2Ewe put their summer weight yarn on sale last weekend, and I had a reason I just had to be in that part of town, I stopped by and picked up the two skeins of Berroco Seduce needed for the hat.  Now I just have to order the millinery wire and elastic needed for shaping - oh, and finish a few more projects before I can start something else.

Celebrations

The beginning of August marks several celebrations in my house.  Yesterday was Morgen's birthday.  She is now 7.  We celebrated with a greenie (I opened it and she ate it - I thought that was a fair division of labor.)  Next Wednesday is Mom's birthday.  Though she won't be here, I'll still celebrate.  Two days after that will be the fifth anniversary of my adopting Morgen from the local Scnauzer rescue.  She can be a scamp and a troublemaker, but most of all she's a dear, and I couldn't do without her.

I seem to have startitis lately.  I haven't actually started everything but I keep thinking of things I want to knit.  Mostly three-quarter-length sleeve cardigans (probably brought on because it can get chilly in my office) or long-sleeve cardigans, getting ready for the fall.  But my queue is growing!

I did finish a project:

 

It's the Back to School U-Neck Vest from Stephanie Japel's Fitted Knits.  It fits pretty well -- I'm a little bigger than the dress form -- and I expect I'll get lots of use out of it this fall.  The yarn is Cascade 220 Heather in Garnet (#9341), and I knit it on size 5 Denise interchangeable needles.  I did make a few modifications based on others' that I'd seen on Ravelry; I lengthened the body by about an inch, lowered the neck a bit and narrowed the straps.  I think it came out well and I'm very pleased with it.

After my size 5s (lately busy with the above vest) were free, I did start one new project, the Lupin Scarf by Dale Hwang.

 

I am a fan of Harry Potter, both the books and the movies, but I didn't choose it for that connection.  I was just looking for a nice masculine-looking cabled scarf to knit for someone in particular (who doesn't know about it, but then I don't think he knows about my blog either.)  I'm using Cascade 220 in color #8400, a nice medium gray, and it's turning out well, I think.  It will look even better once it's blocked.  But this is easy knitting - I can look at the scarf and see what I need to do to continue the pattern, so I don't need the actual printout with me.

I've also made some progress on my Algona Socks.  The first one is finished, other than grafting the toe, and the second one is well underway:

 

And lastly, my first pepper is growing!

Missing Person?

No, contrary to the evidence, I am not a missing person.

Since I last posted (far too long ago), I have:

• Applied for, interviewed for, got and started a great new job
• Had my roof replaced
• Music directed a very sucessful production of Gypsy after almost eight years away from music direction
• Rehearsed a Gypsy excerpt and taken it to the Southwest Ohio Community Theatre Festival
• Agreed to music direct a production of Curtains next spring
• Gone to a family reunion
• Done far too much yard work (thanks for the help, Mom and Dad!)
• Continued my weight loss (41.2 pounds so far!) and
• Auditioned for and been cast as Mrs. Lovett in a production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (my favorite show and most-wanted role)

But you don't care about any of that, do you?  You're just here for the yarn.

And there's been plenty of that. While on a long weekend trip to Iowa for a family reunion, we stumbled across The Yarn Basket in Okoboji, Iowa.  (I believe it went something like this: "Dad!  Yarn store!  Hang a right!")  There I purchased two skeins of Mini Mochi in color #108, a lovely mix of blues, greens and purples.  My intention is to make a lacey scarf of some sort with it, maybe the Seafoam Scarf (Ravelry link.)

Like Lisa, I also benefited from Mom and Dad's South American cruise.  My souvenirs: two yarns from Chile.  First, two skeins (200 grams) of minty-pistachio-colored worsted-weight wool from Santiago:

 

and a big bundle (493 grams) of heavier-weight gray yarn from Punta Arenas:

In non-vacation-related yarn acquisition, I purchased three skeins of Cascade 220 in color #8400, a nice medium gray, to make a cabled scarf for my former boss.  I cast on on the Iowa reunion trip, but decided I needed smaller needles, which were at home in another project, so I temporarily abandoned this project.  But it's next on the list.

The project those needles were in?  The Back to School U-Neck Vest (Ravelry link) from Stephanie Jape's Fitted Knits, a pattern which I'd wanted to make for a while, but had put off because I'd need to upsize it.  Now I don't have to do that any longer, and this should be ready for cooler weather in the fall.  I've finished the front and am working on the top of the back.  The yarn is Cascade 220 Heather in Garnet (#9341), which I purchased from Webs a year or so ago.  It's turning out quite well.

And, of course, there are socks on the needles:

These are the Nine-to-Five Socks (Ravelry link) by Nicole Hindes, in Schoeller+Stahl Fortissima Socka (three skeins of which Lisa gave me, along with other yarn, when she first found out that Buntec is allergic to natural fibres, so she didn't want to knit anything that contained wool.  She has since relaxed on that restriction.  Please note that I have not returned any of the yarn she gave me.  Please also note that it wouldn't fit in her yarn closet, anyway.)  I'm calling them my Algona Socks since that's where the family reunion was: Algona, Iowa.

And most importantly of all, there's Morgen, looking cute:

Vacations

One way or another, the past month or so vacations have impacted the creativity here at this half of doublepointed.  Early in June my parents dropped in for a long weekend to bring me the results of my Dad's creativity - the two towers for my entertainment center. 

My living room looks so nice now, and all of my electronics and audio/video media fit in the cabinets.  Thanks Dad!

While they were here, the parents gave me this - yarn purchased in a town square in Punta Arenas, Chile, during a trip they made this past winter. 

Content is unknown - and I will have to run it through the yarn meter that Kendra made/gave to me last Christmas to know how much there is before I plan what to do with it.  It appears to be heavier than worsted weight, but I don't know yet if it is aran or bulky weight.

I took a long weekend vacation to meet up with Kendra, my parents, and a bunch of relatives at a family reunion in Iowa over Father's Day.  Keeping to the knitting news from the trip, I "gave" my father the following not-yet-completed socks for Father's Day.  They are knit as a part of Socks For Soldiers, and will be going to a soldier overseas once I have finished them, in Dad's honor.

While in Iowa, I did a little stash enhancement - two balls of white Panda Wool purchased at The Yarn Basket in Spirit Lake.  I plan to try to recreate a favorite pair of purchased socks with this yarn.

My parents also gave me more yarn they bought for me on their trip to South America - this time purchased in Santiago, Chile.  200 grams of raspberry worsted-weight wool.

In other knitting news, I have sock number one underway using the Lace Wings Fixation Socks pattern that can be found for free on Finally Waking Up. 

This too fits today's vacation theme in that the yarn was a gift from Kendra, purchased on a trip to Florida in March 2008.   Wasn't I clever to think of a theme to connect all of these disparate photos?

Flowers for Mother's Day

In honor of Mother's Day, and with love to Mom, here are some pictures of some of what is blossoming in my garden.

The first ginger ever.

I was just planning to pull out these plants, and then after several years they decided to bloom.

Hibiscus.

Crinum lilies.

The blackberry lilies bloomed for the first time this year,

The rocket larkspur have taken off like rockets, as have the daisies and the salvia.

The pansies are still in bloom, but will soon die out from the heat.  

 

The Persian Shield, while not blooming, is very colorful.

Alas, that this last flower is not yet in bloom. 

 

Sorry, Mom, that I didn't get it to you yet.  But I'm glad that you love me anyway!

Happy Easter

The cats celebrated Easter with new clothes in spring colors, and an Easter basket with a fuzzy donut-shaped toy and some kitty treats.

 

Here Buntec is checking out Tocohl's new turquoise collar, while Tocohl inspects Buntec's pink one.  Buntec had a choice of pale pink or hot pink, and she purred for the pale pink one, so that's the one she got.  Tocohl didn't get a choice.

I celebrated Easter with the morning at church, my traditional shrimp and feta cheese omelet for lunch, and a lamb chop and a homegrown salad for dinner.  With a Cadbury orange creme egg or two.  After all, it is Easter.  And the cats got extra treats.

It has been a while since I have posted, so I will bring you up to date with my knitting.  I could say that I gave up blogging for Lent, but that's not true.  I did participate in a Lenten knitting project: 8" squares for Knit-a-Square, which makes blankets for kids who have been orphaned by AIDS in South Africa.  I started with 2 balls of Lion Brand Magic Stripes, purchased at Big Lots, and made the following, using two strands of yarn held together:

 

Basic garter stitch square.

 

Stockinette and reverse stockinette squares, 5 stitches and 7 rows per block.

 

Swedish Block Patter from Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns.

 

An attempt at a mitered square, that I hope will block out square.

 

A mitered square, knit on double pointed needles from the center out.

I then progressed to one ball of Paton's Kroy Sock, purchased as a clearance at Michael's.

 

Entrelac pattern, based on this scarf pattern, using two strands of yarn.  Now finished, but I haven't taken a completed square picture yet.  I also completed one more square, and have one partly done - I may show them later, or maybe I won't!

The knitting for the Todos scarf that I began in the Christmas holidays is done.

 

But it's not finished yet, as I still have all of the ends to weave in, from where the yarn changes.  The kit, by Painted Sheep, comes with six different yarns in similar hand-dyed colors.

 

No telling when this will be finished, especially as we're getting a little warm to wear scarves here in Texas.

A birthday shawl

Recently, my aunt celebrated a significant birthday.  Since I'd knit a sweater for my dad when he reached that age, I thought I'd knit something for Aunt M. (Okay, I was also looking for an excuse to knit some lace.)

On a visit to Cincinnati last year, Mom helped me go through my stash for a good yarn for a shawl for Aunt M, and we picked a skein of Zephyr laceweight in Marine Blue.

There was much consultation back and forth on the pattern.  I wanted something simple but elegant; my aunt is petite and I didn't want her overwhelmed with pattern.  Finally, on Mom's recommendation, I chose Seraphim (Ravelry link.)

The Zephyr knit up beautifully on size 3 needles, and made a lovely fabric with a nice drape. I would definitely use this yarn again. (I am pleased that I have another skein, in Chanel, to knit Heere Be Dragone for me.)

Project details:

Pattern: Serpahim Shawl by Miriam L. Felton

Yarn: Jagger-Spun Zephyr Wool-Silk

Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm)

I used the instructions in the pattern to add two extra increase sections since I was using thinner yarn and smaller needles than called for.  It turned out to be a nice size, though I forgot to measure it before I sent it off.

My aunt was very pleased (not to mention surprised!) to receive the shawl. And I have 34 grams of yarn left, enough to make a scarf for me!