One person's annoying is another person's inspiring and heroic

I made something from my #makenine2018 list.  And it's only the middle of January.

It helps that I've made this pattern about 15 times already, and can pretty much make it in my sleep.  I still need to do something like a full bust adjustment on it, because there is a lot of fabric across my chest, above my boobs, which is due to the six inch difference between my full bust and my high bust measurements.  Still, that's only really visible to me, so I may not bother.

It fits well, and I'm pleased with it.  Not sure about the cuffs, but I'm going to leave them in place for a couple of wears and see how I feel.  Also, that blanket covering the mess that is the spare room sofabed was the first thing I made, back when I first started knitting, and it's still just about going strong.  It has a couple of holes, cleverly hidden under the cushion, but otherwise looks good for its age.  

You can see the cuffs are quite big, and the sleeves are quite long, and there's then a bit too much fabric under a cardigan, plus I like to have my sleeves rolled up while I'm typing and then unrolled when I'm not.  So fussy.

 

Check out that stripe matching.  I traced the pattern onto newspaper so that I could cut it out flat, which was a pain in the bum, but I'm really pleased with the result.  

I bought a top for myself from Joules before Christmas, which caused something inside of me to die, but it's a nice top, and has some great touches such as the ribbon on the back of the neck band, so I have copied that shamelessly.  I'm thinking of getting some really nice floral ribbon next time I'm in Liberty, and that will please me even more.

Pattern: Coco by Tilly and the Buttons
Fabric: nice thick, heavy jersey from John Lewis
Size made: Size 5, no real modifications

Cos you shine on me wherever you are

Last year, I joined a Linden swap on Instagram.  I bought the fabric and got it all ready and all that, and then spent all of December being ill with a series of coughs and colds, and all things unpleasant, so my poor swap partner got her jumper late.

As you can see, it's a grown up and mature fabric, and I really want one of my own too, but I'm trying to use up some stash before replacing it with yet more stash.

I had enough left to make Hattie a sweatshirt, which she was, at best, lukewarm about.  

Check out my arty work in progress shot.  I'm still ill, and after a month and a half of nonsense, thought I should probably go to the doctor, so I took the morning off work.  Unheard of, but very nice to sew before school.  

Despite my horrid chest infection, and antibiotics to prove it, I finished the sweatshirt in one day.  What a hero.

 

No, I wasn't allowed to iron it.  She went from lukewarm to super excited in the space of about thirty minutes.

This is Hattie sulking about me asking her to take it off so I can put cuffs on it.

The cuffs are unusually long, as requested by the fashion expert.  Apparently they will keep her hands warm at all times, and won't in any way become grey, grubby and unpleasant.

She took it off to go to bed, but it was in the bed with her.  I've wrestled it off her because she got gravy on the front, and the cuffs were mysteriously grey and grubby.  It's drying on the radiator at the moment, because I think she'll want to wear it again tomorrow.

Pattern: traced off an as yet unmade tee-shirt for her and made a bit bigger

Fabric: star-print sweater knit from eBay

Size: 7 year old nutter

#2018MakeNine

Last year, I put up a wish list of nine things I wanted to either knit or sew during the year, and then completely and utterly forgot about it.  That's what happens when you only put things on Instagram and then stop blogging for months at a time. 

I did actually make 3 and 2 halves of the things on the 2017 list, as you can see from my brilliant photo.

I made a Rosa shirt dress, a pair of black Ultimate trousers and an Audrey in Unst.  I cast on a Corraline, and made an Anna skirt after ripping the zip out of the dress in a temper.  

I didn't make the Elizalex dress or the Dutchess jumper, or the Manu, or the Horses jumper; mostly because I forgot about them, or other things caught my eye.

This year, it will be different.  This year, I have allocated fabric to my make 9 sewing projects and photographed them, and put away all other fabric, so I will have to make the things I said I would.  Also, if I do that, I can get some fabric in LA in August.

These are the sewing things:

That should keep me out of trouble.  

I'm refusing to believe that the holidays are over, and am still drinking gin.  Cheers.

A pledge

Me-Made May.  The name still sticks in my throat a bit.

It's a fun thing to do though, and I'm going to make it a challenge this year by:

1. Not wearing the same outfit more than once

and

2. Taking a picture of me wearing my "me-made" outfit every day.  And posting it on Instagram.  And not hating the picture.

I will.  It's decided.

Well, excuse me for having enormous flaws that I don't work on

So it was the Vernal Equinox the other week, and although it is currently pissing with rain and about 5 degrees C, it is technically Spring, and what could be better than a brand new Spring dress.

It started as a dress made by Roisin aka DollyClackett, and a burning desire to have something similar.

I bought the fabric about 18 months ago.  It was one of the things that kept me going as I trudged through the SENCO course (remember those happy days?) and the godawful Nursery years (remember those? Only ever in the middle of the night, and then screaming) .  It's been in the storage unit and then the loft for ages, and I finally got brave enough to dig it out, and wash it.

As Roisin has said many times, there's no pattern for showing off a beautiful print like an Emery Dress, so an Emery Dress it became.  

There's some not quite echte pattern matching, but on a print that busy, I'm not sure it matters that much.

I wore the dress on Mothering Sunday to church and then to Spittalfields market, where I hoped that I would be able to get a few photos of it being worn, but I took it off to try a dress on in Collectif Clothing, and the bloody zip broke.  Fortunately, I was wearing a cardigan, so it didn't matter that much, but SO ANNOYING.  The zip tape got caught in the teeth, and it tore, so the zip then didn't work.  The dress is now in the naughty corner, and I'll mend it when I feel strong enough, maybe in time for the terrific weather we've been promised for the weekend.

Ah well, home sewing may be easy, but it's also frustrating and annoying.  

Where did you go?

Many weeks later, and now it is the summer holidays, the children are away, work is but a happy, middle of the night screaming memory, and we have been to Austria and back again.

There has been all sorts happening: knitting, sewing, running, cycling, drinking gin, making jam, baking bread.  I contributed to the now traditional Outfit Along run by Andi Sutterland and Lauren Lladybird, which involved making a skirt and a cardigan, and a white tee-shirt.

The tee shirt is a Grainline Lark, with a lower v-neck, and cut in a smaller size, which is terrific, the skirt is a "self-drafted" one, where I had about two metres of the cherry fabric, and just wrapped it around my body, gathered the rectangles and shoved a waistband on it with a zip and a button.  I'm calling that a first design, obv.

Not much to say about the cardigan, except it's my third version of the Myrna pattern, and this time has no keyhole.  I altered the design to suit my personality and the v is much deeper than originally written, but it closes over my tummy and doesn't look too indecent, so I'm pleased with it.  Replicating my design change on the left side was a bit challenging, mind.  I wore this outfit to travel to Austria, with my red clogs, and it was very comfy and lovely.  It got a bit sweaty in the cardigan in Vienna, as it was pretty hot, much hotter than here, but I wore it a few times, especially in the evening.  I do really like it, and I've started yet another Myrna, this time in a lovely dark purple.  

I've made some other things, and as it's the school holidays, I might even be able to blog about them.  Who can say?

You know that book I'm reading about getting along with your co-workers? It says that sarcasm is never helpful. I can lend it to you if you want.

I'm full of righteous, rational, if disproportionate, rage, and because, for the sake of my blood pressure, I am only speaking to people I agree with, so is everyone else I talk to.  I don't particularly want to talk about the reasons behind the rage that has led me to pour myself a soft drink, and fill it with gin, that are preventing me from ringing my father and yelling abuse at him down the phone, that has led to me temporarily abandoning the diet (I've lost a STONE people, a whole bloody STONE) and eating all the things in the house.  I'm on the verge of screaming "I BET YOU VOTED LEAVE YOU BASTARD" at anyone who gets in my way, or who looks at me, or who is anywhere within a mile of me.  The only tiny crumb of comfort I can find is that there will be a total destruction of our political system and we'll end up with different political parties and proportional representation, and then we'll have proper, actual democracy; and even though there'll probably be a complete break up of a union that has lasted for centuries and another civil war in Northern Ireland, it's all worth it because we are FREE and IN CONTROL again.  Hurrah.

Anyway, enough of that.  

Things that keeping me sane:

The Sewing Bee

Murder She Wrote

Sewing

Knitting

I've made a Tilly and the Buttons Bettine dress in the same striped fabric I used to make our #teamcarter supporters tops.  It is delightful, even if I messed up the skirt a bit, and had to piece it together.  But it fits well, and is flattering and I love it, very much.

I've also made a Dolores Batwing t-shirt out of a not actually very stretchy jersey from Spoonflower.  It is much, much too small in places and is a pain to put on but it looks fine, so I'm wearing it on Friday for a do. I might have to remake the top for Lucy in the end, as I'm really not sure about it.

The third thing I've finished recently is the yellow Petrie top in Rowan Wool Cotton, and it is lovely, but much too cold here in Poundland to wear.  THIS BLOODY COUNTRY AND ITS STUPID STUPID WEATHER.

I'm in the middle of making a bright red Myrna cardigan as well, as part of the Outfit Along for this year.  So far, it is lovely; I accept it doesn't look like much here, but it is really gorgeous.  I've not made the keyhole this time, which has made no difference to it at all, I just didn't fancy it.  I'm just about on to the sleeves, and I'll make them tighter this time, the yellow one is too loose around the wrists, which is irritating.  The other parts of the Outfit Along will be a cherry print big puffy skirt - so a waistband and a Cambie dress view B skirt, and a Lark tee shirt in white jersey.  I've made one, but I should have cut a smaller size.  WIN.  Even Nigella is bigger than me now.  DOUBLE WIN.  There's still a long way to go, but I'm definitely shrinking.

Hey ho, I'm on strike next week; I can't go on the march but I will DO SOMETHING in order to relieve my dreadful rage.  I think I might join the Labour Party.  We will see.

One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.

It's still half term.  It's still freezing.  People in the North are laughing at us in London, as June comes in with hideous weather.

We went to Northampton today, which was lovely until the last minute, when it took 3 HOURS to get home.  The M1 didn't work, the North Circular was fucked, and it seemed like a good idea to go through Harlesden.  Note to self: don't do that again, but then, at least we kept on moving and we listened to many, many hours of Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  Hurrah.

Anyway, I've spent this evening sewing and listening to knitting podcasts, and I've made two things.

First up, a Delphine skirt, by Tilly and the Buttons.  I really like this A-Line skirt and made a tartan one last year, which I slimmed strenuously to get into, and is now too big on the waist and fits well on the hips, so let's call that a win.

I bought some stretchy sparkly demin from Ealing Fabrics in Hanwell for not very much money, and I cut out the same size as before, which is a triumph of hope over experience, and lets hope it fits properly.

The photo doesn't do the gold sparklyness justice; it is really lovely and shiny and would be loved by the girls, but bad luck, it's mine.  The waist band has a polka dot lining, and I'm really pleased with it.  I've made the waist smaller by an inch by doing a lapped zip, and it seems to look OK, so yay?  I'll wear it tomorrow and see how it fits.

The second thing I made tonight was a Dolores Batwing Tee-Shirt, in a purple strawberry jersey that I bought for a dress for Hattie, and after I'd cut something out, there was tonnes left, so I made something for me and something for Lucy, which brings the cost of the fabric down from a bit more than I should have spent, to the actually quite reasonable, as I've got three garments out of 2 metres.

I think I need to wear them together and get some modelled shots. Or maybe pop them on Nigella and see how they look.  I'm pleased with them both.  Yay for sewing.

Cher, I don't want to do this anymore. And my buns: they don't feel nothin' like steel.

I need this gif again:

I haven't blogged since Easter.  So much has happened, but most of it has been pretty dull and to do with work, so I won't go into details.   The kitchen is completely done, bar a few shelves, and most of my STUFF is back from storage, although there's still a lot of fabric languishing in the unit, waiting for me to get around to it.  I've made lots of things:

a jumper for Hattie,

two identical dresses for the girls for the May Day celebrations at a local tennis club,

a Bettine dress for me,

a plain, dull white tee shirt for me (and cut out a slightly more exciting turquoise one)

 and a jumper for my nephew.  It's all go.

I also participated in MeMadeMay2016, but lost the will to photograph myself daily, so didn't.  I do wear handmade clothes all the time, and using May as a way to work out what I'm missing in the wardrobe, and it turns out that I need more plain stuff.  I've got a denim skirt cut out waiting for me to get on to it, and some more plain tee shirts, and some more things planned as well.

As far as knitting goes, the Audrey in Unst cardigan is MUCH MUCH TOO BIG, which is a combination of exciting and frustrating, so I am torn between wanting to finish it and give it away, or ripping back several hundred hours of my time and reclaiming the wool.  The wool is nice, but not that nice, so I think I'm going to finish it up and try it on and see.  It's hard to second guess the size, and it's too big over my running stuff, but might be OK over something else.  We'll see.

I've run, walked and cycled nearly 200 km in May, which is extraordinary, and I'm very pleased with myself.  I bought some new trainers which gave me sore feet and the terrible grumps, until I replaced the inner soles with Foot Balance massively overpriced, but simultaneously well worth it ones, and ran up a hill without stopping yesterday.

We've been all over the place in April and May - we went down to the Isle of Wight to watch a friend run around part of the island, and Simon and I have been in Chichester watching a VERY MUCH OF ITS TIME musical version of Travels with my Aunt (which is a kind review, as it is a new musical, reflecting the values of 1969) (I really enjoyed the frocks, the shoes, the singing, the dancing and the jokes, the Sierra Leonian accent, not so much) but it was good to go and see it; we've had two teenagers living with us for a few days, which has been an education, and I've drunk an awful lot of gin.

There is no more to say.

Yes, may I please speak to pizza

I love the holidays.  Love them.  So many children.  So many things to do.  So many builders.  Last week, we were in Devon for a few days, more about that later, then back into the children's social whirl; friends round, days out at the trampolining place in Acton, Brent Cross, IKEA (the glamour), sewing, all sorts.  I'm exhausted and I've still got another 3 days to go.  Ah well, the house is quiet, my daughters are asleep and there's two half full bottles of vodka to drink, so it's not all bad.

I did some hand sewing the other day.  I saw this jumper on the internet:

and being a covetous so and so, my first thought was that I NEEDED it in my life.  Of course, there are no more of them to be had anywhere, so my next thought was that I could quite easily make one.  Of course.

I bought six colours of sequin tape on ebay, and searched the charity shops until I found something suitable.  I found a really nice black jumper before the sequins arrived, and I was very tempted to use that, but I wore it with my tartan Delphine skirt, and liked the way they looked together, so that was out.  I then found a superb magenta jumper, but it looked utterly hideous with the red sequins, so that was out too.  A trip around West Ealing the other day, and I found a grey ex-Primark scoop necked jumper, in the right size and absolutely perfect. 

I spent the whole of Friday night alternatively sewing sequins, swearing and drinking, because I know how to live it up.  

By 1:30 am (no word of a lie), I had this.

That took three episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" and a Sherlock.  Also, the best part of a bottle of vodka.

I wore it the next day.  Have a crappy dressing table mirror selfie.

Hurrah for the shiniest boobs in the whole of London. 

It is amazing, and I love it to bits and back. although if I pull the sleeves up, the sequins make my arms itch, and I can't wear it to work as the children will make (even more) grabs at my boobs but details, details.  

Hurrah for upcycling, hurrah for sewing skills, hurrah for everything, basically.  

I have lots and lots of finished things to blog, so brace yourselves, including a progress report on the RAINBOW RAGLAN.

I change my locks every 16 days. That key's been useless since the 2nd Tuesday I gave it to you.

After this week, probably.  It's all a bit much really.  The children are clearly insane, and I'm catching it off them.  What fun. It was Mothering Sunday today, and we spent it in Spitalfields Market, where I failed to buy a little black dress and did buy some star print African wax cotton (5m for £12!) and some posh tea and had daytime gin (the best gin) and a chocolate brownie, and it was great until about three quarters an hour ago when we had the "I'm really tired but I'm not going to bed, I'm going to sit here and make NOISES and kick you and PUT MY COLD FEET ON YOUR TUMMY and whine" time until I gave up on supper and threw them into bed with mild threats.

They are quite cute when they want to be.

Anyway, that was today, but that's not what I wanted to talk about.  

I started a jumper a few weeks ago, part of the Mason-Dixon #bangoutasweater KAL, which was super fun and not hard at all.  A picture says 1000 words; a collage even more, and saves me boring on.

Genuinely one of the easiest and quickest knits I've ever made, and such a great, cosy jumper at the end of it.  This is not my last go at this pattern, and I'm going to use the Lett Lopi yarn to make an owlsjumper soon, as well as two Penguins jumpers for the girls.  

What else is new?  The Knit List is moving along slowly.  Most of the stuff is still in storage, but we're looking at about another fortnight of building chaos until I can put my living room stash back in its proper place.

The following things are being worked on:

Audrey in Unst: I'm at 26/36 rows of twisted ribbing.  I put it down to work on the Stopover and only picked it up today.  I can't say I love it.  I can't say I don't love it, but I don't love twisted ribbing ONE BIT.

NEW: A bright yellow Owligan: I love this.  It's bright and spring-like and will be a great cardigan to wear outside once I don't need a coat.  So, you know, May.

The Rainbow Raglan: huh.

These things are still in storage.

Hexipuff Quilt
Simon's Cobblestone jumper
Simon's massive man socks: I bought the yarn.
This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper
The Yellow Petrie
Rainbow jumper for Hattie

These are things that are waiting to be started.  I've added something.

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy
A circle blanket for Robin

Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top

Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper
Ishbel scarf thing
Waterhouse Mittens

Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy

Burton Bear cowl for Hattie

Minion blanket for Hattie

Finished:

Stopover Sweater
Yellow Myrna cardigan
Vianne
Wisteria
Elwood Mittens for Lucy
One MASSIVE MAN SOCK
Weather Blanket
Separate but matching vests for twin boys
Urchin hat
Peacock mittens

Right, there is gin to drink and the X-files to watch.  Hurrah for Sunday nights.