Julia vs Vianne

A blogger I like, Amanda from Bimble and Pimble, always starts her posts Amanda vs whichever pattern she's been wrestling with this week.  While my relationship with sewing isn't quite on that combative level, my knitting has been properly rubbish recently.  I think it's annoyed that I'm spending more time sewing and writing, and is in a sulk.

Vianne and I have a complicated relationship.  I started it back in June, and made great progress, until I really looked at the lace and realised that my decreases sloped in different ways and it was just a big hot mess.  Even I can't live with that level of ridiculousness, so I ripped it back, including the bit that was OK, which was a mistake, but I was pretty cross.  I'd already altered the pattern to make it with a plain back, because the lace back didn't look right to me.  It looks nice on other models, but it wouldn't work.  Also, I like to hide the backs of my dresses, because invisible zip nightmare.

So then it waited in my knitting bag while I did other things - mostly the Weather blanket and sewing, and then I took it to Greece.  I don't know if you've ever knitted in 40+ degree heat? It's not a good idea.  Anyway, I got the body finished, and I got one of the sleeves finished, and I got the other sleeve started, and I ran out of wool in the middle of nowhere.  So it went back into the knitting bag until we got home, and then yesterday I finished the cast off on the button band, and today after finishing my essay, I sewed ribbon round the button band and made buttonholes and sewed on buttons, and now it is done.

It looks a bit weird on the hanger, but it fits OK.  Bit big around the shoulders and back, and the sleeves need to get narrower much, much quicker.  I'll try to take modelled picture later. 

Button band looks OK, as does the lace.  I won't tell you how long it took me to make those buttonholes.  Ages.  

Grey and white spotty ribbon to give it a bit of extra oomph.  I like using a contrasting colour. 

I also made Hattie some stripy pants.  

And put a freaking bird on Lucy's.  

So there you go.  It was a tight match, but I won in the end.  Ain't no knitting going to stop me.  Or something.  And only a month late, the outfit along outfit is finished.  I'm going to wear them both tonight and see if Simon can take a photograph that doesn't make me look like an idiot. 

I'll distract the file clerk. Apparently he's really into bird-watching, so talking to a woman should blow his mind. And talking to this woman? It could kill him.

Long time, no blog.  Something to do with the summer holidays, going on holiday (Greece, and lovely, thanks for asking) (no, there was tonnes of money, and the cashpoints worked) (no, no riots in Stoupa, and Athens was a hot shithole, but I suspect it always was), the NASENCO course essay being due in September (nearly 2500 words, thanks for asking) and general STUFF and THINGS happening.  The children are away, and I am missing them a great deal, but also really appreciative of the time without them, particularly on Sunday morning after drinking my body weight in gin the night before.  I passed out in my clothes.  It was not good.

I'm supposed to be going for a run now, but my phone is nearly out of battery and I need to charge it before I go out otherwise I will get in a real snit about not having music, so what better thing to do than update you on all the fascinating KNITTING and SEWING TOGETHER CROCHETED SQUARES that I've been doing.

The list for this Year of Projects is substantially the same as it was when created.  Quelle surprise, so I'm only going to talk about what I have done, rather than what I will be doing.  If you are massively into lists, you can see the whole thing in all its glory here.

Anyway.

Petrie top in Yellow Wool Cotton from Liberty - I've started this.  I used some of the blue wool from my Vianne as a hem facing, and with the yellow of the main body of the top, it looks like a minion.

I might rip it back.  I have to have a long think about it.

Finish the Vianne in time for the end of the Outfit Along - well, I've got the buttonband to do on this one.  I need to use slightly smaller needles for the band, so it's got that sewn on look I like.  I have made mistake after mistake with this one, honestly.  I buggered up the lace, lost my DPNs, ran out of wool half way down the first sleeve; you never stop making mistakes, you just make them faster and more irreparably.

Elwood mittens for Lucy - I've made one.  Look!

Cute, isn't it?  Lucy loves it, which is the main thing.  I've trimmed the ends now, and started the ribbing on the second one.  That's the problem with knitting mittens and socks, the idea of making the same thing twice when there's already a perfectly wearable garment in existence.

Finish the &%^%^&^%&^ing Weather Blanket - there are 19 squares left to go on the Weather Blanket people.  19.  Less than a row.  And there are 21 to sew together, as I had a big push and did a lot of hungover sewing the other day.  Hurrah.

More soon.  And some sewing.  I will finish this essay in time to sew something before the girls come back.  Right.  Running time.  Yay.

Another time I went to a really boring movie with a guy and while I was asleep he tried to pull out one of my teeth. I literally woke up with his hand in my mouth. We went out a couple times after that but then he got weird.

I love sunflowers.  They're one of my favourite flowers, after those big blowsy roses that look like drunk peonies; I had them in my bouquet when we got married.  They undercut the formality of our wedding with their scruffy sexiness.  As did the bride, but that's another story.

Anyway, so it was only a matter of time before I bought some sunflower fabric to make a dress.  Inspired, as ALWAYS, by this dress made by the indomitable Roisin, I got some fabric from ebay some time last year.  Seriously, stalk her handmade wardrobe, it is one of the greatest things ever.  The woman is a machine.

It sat in the stash for a while, intending to become an Anna dress.  

However, I decided to be a bit of a glutton for punishment, and had yet another go at the the sodding Cambie dress, which was the second dress pattern I made, and a massive, massive pain in the bum.  I'm the wrong shape for it.  My boobs are too big, my waist isn't narrow enough and neither are my hips.  I don't have saddlebags, so the damn thing sticks out in the wrong place and I never wear the two dresses I made from that pattern.  The zip being broken on one doesn't help, and the other is just NOT GOOD.

But, this is dressmaking not astrophysics, and I won't let a bit of cloth and some paper beat me.  I made a toile with my cotton lining fabric, made a couple of bodice changes, mostly taking it in here and there so I didn't have to do a full bust adjustment, and went for it.  Well, it was an effing disaster again, so after some mild (bad) swearing and stamping and throwing the dress on the ground and stamping on it, I ripped out the sodding lining and tried again.  This time, it worked.  

I don't like pockets, so I made the skirt out of the lining pattern, and it sort of bulges out halfway down my thighs.  But that's just visible to me, not to anyone else.

A close up of the bodice.  I put a couple of darts in by the zip, and spent a while sorting out the shoulder strap things.  I really like it now, and I might just have another go at the Cambie another time.  Maybe.  It's a lot better without the lining; when we get back from holiday, I'll rip the lining out of the Dolly dress and replace the zip.  I should wear it, I did love it in the beginning.

It also has a bang on trend high/low hem, which was INTENDED ACTUALLY. 

My clothes photos are getting a bit better too. 

I'm wearing a new, um, bra and it closes in the front and it popped-open and it threw me off.

Did you know that hippos can run at a top speed of 30 km/h, and can swim at about 15 km/h, so you really need to make up the time on the bikes if you want to beat them at the triathlon.

I'm running again, if you hadn't realised.  I ran on Sunday, yesterday and today, building up my distance to a mighty 5 km.  I've been avoiding running, then berating myself for not doing it, then getting depressed, then going out and getting furious within 30 seconds, and repeating a pretty negative cycle.  I've decided to go out everyday for a fortnight, alternating my "half marathon training plan" with running circuits of the track while the kids play in the park.  Apparently 3 circuits is a kilometre; I did it yesterday but with just my UP band to track it and it wasn't very good at it.  I might need to read the instructions, because you can get it to time an activity pretty accurately according to the blurb. 

It's all very positive at the moment though, with 4.9 kilometres on Sunday, 1 and a bit yesterday, and 4.85 kilometres today.  I don't run the whole way, because my ankle starts to really hurt after about 2k, and walking helps ease that.  But I am doing it.  Even though I only sporadically enjoy it, particularly going down hills.  

I don't intend to write too much about my "fitness journey" because it bores ME to tears, let alone both my remaining readers, but I will mention it now and again.  After all, it will have an impact on my sewing - less fabric used, more likely to take pictures of myself as I become happier with my body and the way I look, generally happier with everything.   I'm certainly not going to write a daily fitness journal, although I might show you a few post exercise selfies.

Cheers.

Oh, one time I rode in a sidecar on a guy's motorcycle, and the sidecar detached and went down a flight of stairs

The Outfit Along 2015 is in full swing, hosted by the gorgeous Llauren Lladybird and the equally gorgeous Andi Satterlund and I've been umming and aahhing over my dress and my knitting.  I originally thought I wanted to make a mustard coloured Vianne cardigan with a 1970s duvet print Lilou dress, but I decided against.  Weirdly.

I think I'll still make it up, but in the Autumn.  It's not that summery at all.  I don't wear those colours ever, so it's a bit of a brave shot in the dark.  

I ended up choosing a different colour yarn but the same cardigan pattern and a totally different dress pattern.  This is a Francoise, still by Tilly and the Buttons, but a pattern I've made twice before, once badly in purple, once very happily in polka dots.  I used a special fabric, an African wax cotton print that I bought on the Goldhawk Road when Lauren came to visit London, so it's nice to use it for a pattern that has something to do with her.  

It's a lovely print; I was a bit wary of using an African wax cotton, given that my ancestors have not always chosen their best behaviour when dealing with other Africans, and cultural appropriation and all that, but decided not to be so silly in the end, and to celebrate the beauty of the fabric and the skill of the women who make it.  

Nice isn't it?  Bias binding on the neckline and the sleeves, because Julia doesn't do facings. 

This is me with a why the f are you mucking about with my camera face on.  You can't tell from the picture, but the bodice is a bit too big, everywhere but over my full bust.  There are 5 inches between my full bust and my high bust (FFS), so I should really do an FBA and use a smaller size.  Or rip the binding at the neckline out and then put a couple of darts in the back.  Or leave it as the only person bothered by it is me when I look in a mirror and I look like I might fall out of my dress.  

I have worn the dress pretty much solidly since I made it on Friday night;  I know how to live it up.  It's in the wash now so I can wear it again on Wednesday.  It's gorgeously cool and light to wear, I feel like I'm not wearing anything at all, while being perfectly, modestly dressed.  I'm going to buy a job lot of wax print and make a bunch of shift dress, and maybe make an Anna dress with the rest of the fabric.  Should be perfect for our Greek adventure.  

Eagle eyed readers may have spotted the bare bum of my older daughter.  She has a knack for photobombing. 

There's something about flying a kite at night that seems so unwholesome

Those of you who are interested in my knitting will be thrilled to hear that the last Year of Projects is over, and that we are now into the next one.  Even though it's uncharacteristically hot here (warm weather in summer, who knew?), I'm thinking about knitting a lot, and I've got my to do list ready.  Brace yourselves.

Me:

Petrie top in Yellow Wool Cotton from Liberty

Miette cardigan in Lemon

Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top

Rainbow Raglan to replace the one I lost

Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper

This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper

Finish the Vianne in time for the end of the Outfit Along.

Finish the Wisteria so that when it gets cold, I will be warm

Finish the Peacock Mittens, ditto

Simon:

Reknit his Cobblestone jumper

A pair of massive MAN SOCKS

Lucy:

Elwood mittens

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves

Hattie:

Burton Bear cowl

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves

Blankets:

Owl Blanket for Robin's Christmas present

Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy

Minion blanket for Hattie

Finish the &%^%^&^%&^ing Weather Blanket

100 *(&*&*&^*^%&&^%ing Hexipuffs

It looks doable now.  Ask me again in a fortnight.

You see how picky I am about my shoes and they only go on my feet.

A round-up of the last Year of Projects.  It's been fun.  I've not completed everything, and I keep adding to it, which sort of screws up the whole "list" idea.

Things I have finished:

Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan
A pair of simple socks for the children - Lucy, Hattie
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy
Lucy's Cowl
Hattie's Cowl
A Burton Bear Cowl for Lucy
Simon's socks
Boreal
A tiny jumper for Nicholas
Sparkly Owlet for Hattie
Ringo mittens
Aiken
Striped jumper for Lucy
Nicholas' POP blanket

Lucy ripples

Hattie rainbows

Miette for me

Things I have almost finished:

The Weather in the Streets blanket

Lots of progress on this one.  Yay.  Just got to crochet them on to the main blanket, but as it's too hot to have a massive heavy blanket on my lap.

Yellow squares - 134/143 done - 9 to go
Blue squares - 64/72 done - 8 to go
Grey squares - 90/102 - 12 to go
Turquoise squares - 8/11 done - 3 to go
Red squares - 8/10 done
Pinky-Red squares - 8/10 done

Orange squares - DONE

Pink square - DONE
Purple squares - DONE
Dark Green squares - DONE
Pale Blue square - DONE
Pale Yellow square - DONE
Dark Blue square - DONE

Vianne cardigan - Irritated by this.  I had to rip it back, and ripped back too far, so now I've got to start again, and it's taking FOREVER.

Wisteria jumper - Still needing a bloody sleeve. It's too hot.

Hexipuff Blanket - least said, soonest mended.

Peacock Mitten

These are for the next list.

Knitted Coco

Coraline cardigan 

Owls for Robin
Socks for me
Petrie top
Burton Bear Cowl for Hattie. 

Elwood mittens for Lucy.  

Rainbow jumper

A Little Birds jumper with no steeks .

Reknit an unwearably large jumper for Simon

So that's that for last year, and onward into this.  You can pretty much tell what the list is going to look like from reading the list of unfinished projects. 

I know I am but summer to your heart, and not the full four seasons of the year.

Pinch punch and white rabbits and all that, and welcome to July.  It's absolutely boiling here in West London, at least 35 degrees C, and more than that in the Nursery, which is awful for the dear little things, and worse for us.  It should cool down soon, which will be a blessed relief.

Anyway. There's been lots of this:

Tall jugs of iced water with lemon, lime and mint.  Ringmaster Rosie black, red, white and pink tutu. Sweet Williams, on sale in the Co-Op for under £1.  Rainbow dress and matching pants for Hattie.  New paddling pool broken in. 

Pretty busy what with one thing and the other.  

We're going to see a kitchen designer tomorrow.  More on that later. 

My knitting is as boundless as the sea, My stash as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.

What a weekend.  We went to Paris very early on Saturday morning and came back on Sunday night.  I am EXHAUSTED, and the children are foul, as they would be with so little sleep.  It sounds so glamourous, 48 hours in Paris; does it break the spell to say that it was my grandmother's 90th birthday, and we didn't stay in Paris itself but in a small but anonymous hotel in her village, half an hour out of the centre?  Probably a bit, but we had a great time, and I have some photos once I get them off the camera.

Some things from the list:

A FINISHED OBJECT

It's Andi Satterlund's Miette cardigan, which will go with my two Miette skirts.  I made it with the wrong weight of yarn, DK instead of Worsted, which was a bit of a mistake, but it will be lighter weight for Summer.  I wore it today, and it was a bit too warm, but then it's been rubbish and humid in London today.

NB It looks better on than in the photo, but I am having a bad hair day so there are to be NO PHOTOS.

Stuff I am actually working on actually.

The Weather in the Streets blanket

Even slighter progress this week on this one.  I've got 18 loose squares now.

Yellow squares - 123/143 done - 20 to go
Blue squares - 63/72 done - 9 to go
Grey squares - 79/102 - 23 to go
Turquoise squares - 4/11 done
Red squares - 8/10 done
Pinky-Red squares - 8/10 done

Orange squares - DONE

Pink square - DONE
Purple squares - DONE
Dark Green squares - DONE
Pale Blue square - DONE
Pale Yellow square - DONE
Dark Blue square - DONE

Vianne cardigan - another Andi Satt pattern, this time for the outfit along 2015.  Because I am awkward, I am making it with a plain back. It's a good pattern, but I've never been one for masses of lace everywhere.  I knitted quite a lot of it on the plane yesterday, and it's coming along well.  Turns out I only have about 6 balls of the yarn I've earmarked for it, so I will use that up and probably (totally) buy more for the Petrie top.  



Stuff I am not really working on, but saying I am as it makes me feel less like a grasshopper and more like an ant.

Wisteria jumper - Still needing a bloody sleeve.
Hexipuff quilt - least said, soonest mended.
Peacock Mitten

It is doubtful whether these will be started this month.

Knitted Coco

Coraline cardigan 

Owls for Robin
Socks for me
Petrie top

These are not being started until the weather turns crap again.  I have no guilt.

Burton Bear Cowl for Hattie. 

Elwood mittens for Lucy.  

Rainbow jumper

A Little Birds jumper with no steeks .

Reknit an unwearably large jumper for Simon

These are DONE and are therefore my favourite projects

Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan
A pair of simple socks for the children
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy
Lucy's Cowl
Hattie's Cowl
A Burton Bear Cowl for Lucy
Simon's socks
Boreal
A tiny jumper for Nicholas
Sparkly Owlet for Hattie
Ringo mittens
Aiken
Striped jumper for Lucy
Nicholas' POP blanket

Lucy ripples

Hattie rainbows

Miette for me

The new list is shaping up to be depressingly similar to the old one; ho hum. Fewer socks for the children though as they keep on growing, and it wears me out. 

Richard got married to a figure skater, And he bought her a dishwasher and a coffee percolator, And he drinks at home now most nights with the TV on

When life gives you lemon fabric, you make dresses with lemons on.  

Simplicity Blogging Circle had a competition which ended last month to make some version of this dress, which is Simplicity 6145, so I faithfully cut it out, emailed them, entered, then put the fabric in a bag near my sewing machine and ignored it for a while, hoping it would sew itself.

Until last Saturday morning, when, post Rainbows sleepover, sleep deprived and a bit lightheaded, I sewed it together.  Having measured myself, compared my measurements to the sizes, read that even though my waist and hips are about the same as the stated size 16 and my bust is considerably bigger, I decide to cut out a size 16.  Shame I didn't read the finished garment measurements.  

Anyway, the good news is that I totally chose the wrong size, and ended up with a far, far too big dress.  It fits well across my hips and bum, but was so big around the bust, I nearly fell out of it.  It took me a lot of buggering about with the neckline to make it fit properly.  I ended up reducing it by ten inches. I'd like to think I've lost weight, which is why it doesn't fit, but I think it's the whole full bust, hollow chest thing; and will result in masses of fitting changes to all my dresses.  So it's a good job I don't care very much about fit across the chest, so long as it doesn't look too daft.

Next time, I'll choose the 14, and wing it.  Or not eat until it fits.