A Little Bit More About Socks...

Thanks to everyone who's been sending photos of their finished socks (or posting them on their blogs). I'm thrilled by all of your beautiful efforts! I do intend to do a follow up post with pics, closer to the end of the month, when more folks have had a chance to finish the Two Socks, One Week KAL (see the sidebar if you'd like a pattern and road map for making a simple pair of socks). (Hey Barb - I couldn't reply to your email because your anti-spam software doesn't like my email program. But I did get your photo of the lovely socks!)

Anyway, today I must send you over to Clio's blog where she shows her own KAL efforts-to-date and provides a self-drafted, toe up, simple sock recipe.

I totally want to learn toe up socks, though I don't have any challenges with toe-grafting or Kitchener stitch lumps and bumps (which Clio says she struggles with sometimes). I just like the idea of knowing another method - one which is better to work if you have limited yarn. Thing is, I haven't really been motivated to learn a new method in the context of a complicated pattern.

I do love sock recipes (the likes of which A Simple Sock is). I just want to know the gist of things, and the steps (and some links to the techniques required to do the steps) so that I can feel comfortable giving it a go.

Let's say some of you are interested in the KAL, but not in my pattern's cuff down method, well, Clio's pattern is a great alternative.

Finally, check out the colours of her sock - knit in ToshSock - seriously the most delicious yarn on the planet. Those Tosh peeps really know how to dye.

Travels With Friends

Hey peeps, a bit under the weather here (and not entirely psyched to go back to the regular pace of life) but I thought I'd post a photo from a wonderful day yesterday:

Crazily, given that I don't tend to leave the central west urban core (unless I'm getting on a plane), I made my way to Kitchener on VIA with Sara and Andrea, to meet up with Gillian. (Unfortunately, our other partner in crime, Anne, was unwell and couldn't join.)

Regrettably, not that we let it wreck our good time, the return train was 90 minutes late so we didn't get home till the middle of the night. Oh, and the reason for the delay? The train waited 90 minutes, elsewhere, for connections. WTF?! Gotta say, VIA is going to be hearing from me about the stupidity of that decision. Apparently, they never do this and, in truth, I've never experienced a time delay on VIA of any sort. But that shit is not ok.

But back to the fun: It was a truly delightful day, the highlight of which was going to this superior knitting shop. Honestly, I've never seen such a place. I got a few skeins of novelty yarn (will discuss more in another post) but I could have bought the place. We all did pretty well there, even Gillian, who doesn't currently knit!

And, amazingly, this is one of 7 boutiques (and the only on in Canada) that supports Custom Fit onsite. I spent quite a while discussing the mechanism by which one creates a Custom Fit pattern for oneself, as that's the way the majority would do so, and I have to say, I'm not convinced that the system is adequately integrated at this time to make it functional for the wide variety of knitters who might otherwise be interested in it.

It's a complicated, convoluted process that yields a pattern and a recipe, via two different sites, for two separate charges, which one must view simultaneously in order to create the garment in question. Furthermore, there are practically no actual pre-designed patterns uploaded into the wizard at this time, so effectively, you must design your own sweater from a bunch of templates.

Seems to me that one has replaced the "math portion" of making the sweater of ones' choice with the "design portion" and I don't know that I'm interested in that trade-off.

Sure, if you've never been able to make a sweater that fits you, and you want a very simple sweater, then I think it's a good plan. The results do appear to fit the testers and early users very well. But if you want to make any of the zillions of cool sweaters that someone's designed, this isn't going to get you there easily - if at all.

Final word on this for now: I'm not slow on the uptake. It shouldn't require an email exchange with the Custom Fit people (very nice and helpful, fyi), a 20 minute conversation at a yarn store with an expert on the system, and rereading website/promo material in order to gain some firm understanding of the basic logistics of the process, never mind the hardcore specifics.

I think Custom Fit, at the moment, has a small core market (which doesn't bode particularly well for quick upgrades to a system with a ton of potential). I hope the people who can benefit from it are not put off by its relative unwieldiness and that they flock to the site so that the future incarnations will be supported.

I probably will design a simple sweater via Custom Fit, at some point this winter, because of my interest in fitting, and the potential of this format, which I'd like to support. But I sense, it's not going to be my new go-to platform anytime soon.

Winter Sewing: The Janet Jacket Intermission

OK, I'm going to aim to be adult about this, the fact that my "finished" Janet Jacket is most definitely a muslin, and not the wearable kind. (Note: No photos at this stage. When I photo it next, it's gonna be done.)

The good news is that I've learned many things, most germane of which is that, if you use stretch charmeuse when lining a (drapey) woven, do not make the lining larger than the jacket. Lining patterns are drafted slightly bigger than the shells they line because one needs a bit of extra give in under-layer when both fabrics are woven.

Alas, when the lining is stretchy and, trust me, this stretch charmeuse has a reasonable amount of width-wise stretch, whilst sewing it gets MUCH bigger than the shell - especially if it starts out bigger to begin with.

I should have stopped, taken out the centre back seam of the lining, and cut off 2 inches of width. It probably would have been a reasonable work around. Instead, I persisted - wasting time in an effort to save time - and the finished garment is a mess.

And, just as relevant, let's be reminded that the upper back thing was a deal breaker at the outset. I knew that 2 days ago; I just opted to ignore it. I mean, seriously, the back neck is veritably sharpei.

I need to let this be for a week or so. I need to consider things with fresh eyes before I start again. And when I do start again, my plan is to:

•  Treat this "finished garment" as the muslin it is - I'm going to triple check my measurements and pin etc.

• Trace all of the pattern pieces again - the ones I worked from are a dog's breakfast.

• Redraft the lining pieces - or simply decide to use the shell pieces to produce a lining that's the same size as the shell. Note: when cutting, I'll shorten the lining pieces slightly so that it will bag to the correct length.

On the plus side, I think I've got enough of the lining and wool crepe to give this another go. I was intending to use it for a matching bottom, but I guess that's not to be.

Live and learn people - time to follow my own advice and make that garment again.

Two Socks, One Week: Block Those Socks

Baseline: Sock 1 and 2, Day 7
Timeline: 20 minutes / Step 9

The great thing about socks is that, if you work from one continuous ball of yarn, you'll have but two ends to weave in on each sock - the one at the cuff and the one at the heel. I'm sure you'll agree, it doesn't get much less fussy than that.

Here is a tutorial about weaving in the ends, though I'm sure you're old hat at it...

And here's a photo of sock blockers, the likes of which I use:

Clio got me into these... You know how I love a gizmo.

After weaving in the ends, I like to block my socks once, by hand washing in Soak. I use the scent-free kind and add some lavender essential oil for a bit of anti-bacterial fragrance. After washing and rinsing, I roll the socks gently in a towel, first shaping them, and then pressing firmly with my hands. After this, I unroll the towel and slip the socks onto the blockers and I place them, vertically, over a heat vent. They'll dry to perfect shape in under 3 hours this way.

 
Mind you, you can almost as easily lay them out, carefully shaping so that they're exactly the same size and shape, on a dry towel and leave them overnight. That does a good job too.

From here on in, I'll put these babies in the washer and dryer.

But let's cut to the chase. Here's a shot of my finished, blocked socks:

While it doesn't look it in real life, these socks seem quite distinct from one another in photos.

Pretty cute, huh?

(In truth, this yarn, while fantastic to knit with, didn't produce the tightest fabric for me - it's perhaps a bit soft for my loose gauge. My rib is not ribby enough for my liking, though I'm sure, when machine washed, the socks will shrink a bit in the cuff area. Furthermore, now that I'm moving from British style to flicking, my gauge is much firmer. I've just bought another skein of this yarn, in a new colourway. I'm looking forward to applying new knitting techniques to this wool.)

That's the beauty of every pair of hand knit socks - they all have their own mind and hand. From now on, per my results with this sock (actually knit after the one shown in the photo above), I'm definitely going down a needle size in the ribbing, and will continue to make the rib with K2P1. I'm in the mood for a tighter cuff.)

So that's that. I'd love it if you'd link me to photos of your finished socks, or flip me a pic. I would love to see - and profile - your fabulous handiwork!

And, next time you make socks, whether you're a convert to the magic loop method or no, I hope you will bring some of the tips and techniques we've discussed over the last week and month. As always, feel free to leave any outstanding questions in the comments.

Peace out Knit Alongers. Way to start the new year :-) xo

Winter Sewing: Armsyces and Sleeveheads (And Why Grading on Multi-sized Patterns Isn't Helpful)

I don't even know how it's possible, but Lord, I have to alter the armscye and the sleevehead to get it the unit to fit my shape.

Original armscye - prior to altering:

See how round and relatively symmetrical the armsyce is? There's no dart on the side front piece, as yet, to skew the length and depth of the front armscye.

New armscye - plus sleeves (admittedly, the lining pieces, but proportions are basically the same):

Note: I closed the dart on the lining piece before cutting out the fabric, so that is the"darted side front" on the left...

And there's my adjusted armscye - it's at a completely different angle. Doesn't look like anyone could actually wear what comes of sewing this up - but I swear, it works on me?! I have a super high front armhole but the boobs really complicate things?!

I sense, this is why every time I do a "regular" darted FBA it's a mess. The way I'm shaped, I need sharp, forward projection at the centre bust but I can't take it anywhere else or it gapes (under the bust, in the waist - and, most notably, at the side of the breast at the front armscye).

For kicks, check out that sleeve head. I wish I still had the original to show you but, trust me, it's an entirely different shape. The original looked like a bell on the front (right side of the right piece)and a steep slope on the back (left side of right piece and the piece to the left of it). My version, as you can see, is like a bunny hill on the back and a very short jump on the front. I removed 3 inches of depth from the apex of the sleevehead.

I couldn't have intuited this. I had to drape it. (Well, my super-smart fitting friend S. taught me how to do this and has helped me to accomplish it in the past. This time, I'm just starting to feel alright about completely changing the shape of everything.)

This is why I'm really starting to question the value of multi-sized patterns, for me. I can never simply grade between sizes. I have to do surgery on these pieces. Seriously, EVERY piece (save interfacing) has at least one alteration and most have 2 or 3. If you multiply that by 12, you're looking at 36 minor to significant alterations, to get this pattern to fit. The only ones that grading might have helped me with (but not adequately, given how short in the waist I am), are length of pieces and width in the waist. Peeps, I can shorten a piece and narrow a waist, practically by eyeballing (ok, not true! I don't eyeball!). It's the ready-made FBA I want.

No one's ever going to design patterns with my bust shape, dimensions and arms in mind. They'd be stupid to. I'm one in a million, from the pattern drafting perspective. (Oooh, that makes me sound so good!) Chances are, you're one in a million in a totally different way.

While I'm not suggesting that they don't work for some, my emerging opinion is that multi-sized patterns give people a false sense of security. They make you think that you can go from one size to the next, with the help of a curved ruler, and fitting will miraculously occur.

Fitting is a freakin' production. Oh, and while we're at it, so is tailoring. So is sewing beautifully. And don't forget about that truly nuanced and delicate art - choosing which fabric will work with what pattern on what shape of body. This is why it takes years to become an expert. You'll flirt with one element, only to let another fall by the wayside. This is ok, in my opinion. I love the complexity of sewing.

I do think that, if you want to get good, sewing the same pattern again and again and again - in different fabrics having different properties, using different techiques and methods, refining fit each go round - is a fairly solid approach. Of course, it's not high on the novelty scale.

But I guess you can't have everything all at once.

Winter Sewing: Janet Jacket Takes Shape

But not without incident. Of course.

For starters, in case you think I'm always organized (my great goal in life, which generally I don't suck at), behold a photo of my head space a mere 30 minutes ago:

So many things to trip over...

Mind you, I've been quite productive already today. This thing took 3 full days to prep and one day of sewing to get to this point (very sketchy photos of the "in process" moment to follow):

I've pinned it closed (as it will hook together at the centre front.

Remember that my body is not the same as my dress forms (will I ever stop saying this?) My boobs are bigger (hence the gaping around the bust seam). My shoulders fit this better too. Do you see the vertical bust dart? Not so noticeable...

Of course, the shoulder pads are just hanging out under the jacket...

The reason that the back is weird around the waist is cuz I decided I did opt to re-remove about an inch of the 1.5 inches I removed from the side and centre back seams below the waist (and then put back, after adding the sleeves to muslin 1). I haven't removed the original stitch lines yet...

And on the subject of "muslin always fucks you over cuz it's fucking muslin", there is a fatal error in this version of the jacket, the majority of which I like VERY much, btw. You can't see it cuz my dress form doesn't have the problem I do: A short upper back where it meets the neck (is this even a thing!?).

I suspected this would be the case -  so I muslined and checked for the issue. No probs, said the stiff fabric. Alas, when using drapey wool crepe, it's all too evident. And there's nothing that can be done to correct this version. This jacket didn't show the problem till the facing unit went in and now, what with the shell being all but complete, I'd have to literally start over to fix things.

Mind you, that's why this version is my wearable muslin - a palatable result given that I didn't muslin 7 times before getting here - and, nonetheless, I wouldn't have been able to resolve this challenge till it brought itself to light in the final garment.

Indeed I will make this jacket again - maybe right after I finish this one. Because it has some serious potential.

Before I get into that (coming soon, I suspect), check out how I made the "short upper back" adjustment:

That piece of paper taped atop the piece is the removed wedge. I'll keep it till I'm sure it works.

Note: I have no idea if this is the right thing to do. I know I didn't want to fuck with the shoulder seam length so I took out a wedge, starting 1 inch below the cut line (where my issue asserts itself). The wedge starts at .5 inches in width at the centre back seam and tapers to nothing at the side seam. A tiny bit of truing was required.

A few other things:

• I highly recommend that you take the time, with any tailored woven garment, to alter the upper sleeve and armsyce (and the 8000 other bits that go along with them). Even if that means you have to learn how to do this, bitch of a process though it is. As a result of a few hours of finicky work, I was able to inset these sleeves in one go. There was NO ease to worry about because the armscye and the sleeve have exactly the same circumference. And really, I had to take inches off the sleeve to get it to fit.

• Even though this is really "tailoring lite" I did catch stitch the facing unit to the body of the jacket (while it waits for the lining). That will help to retain the turn of cloth. Because this fabric is very light - and there's only interfacing on the facing unit - I may end up pick stitching the facing to the shell. But the lining should take care of this for me. We'll see.

• This pattern is BEAUTIFULLY drafted. The turn of cloth is easily established, the lines are crisp, seams are exactly the same lengths as their partner seams.

• If you don't know tailoring - I urge that you stay away from this until you know the mechanics somewhat. Apparently, I know the mechanics, because the 12 bullet points of instructions provided with the pattern are enough for me to go on. For what it's worth, those 12 bullet points are very clearly written. And I'm very pleased to be at a stage in my experience that I can roll with it. Note: One of those bullet points is something to the effect of,"Bag the lining." That's what I mean about the level of brevity you'll encounter.

Now I'm off to alter all of the lining pieces such as I altered the shell. That should take care of a couple of hours...

Two Socks, One Week: You Mean We Have To Do This All Over Again??

Baseline: Sock 2, Days 5 (optional), 6 and 7
Timeline: Somewhat less long than the first sock...

Well Happy New Year! Let's get going on that second sock...

Ain't it a bitch? (I mean, a blessing, cuz you get to perfect your method...)

Here is a post about the dreaded "Second Sock Syndrome" to distract you from any hangover-related inertia. That's the malaise that sets in when you realize you've finished one gorgeous sock but, alas, you have 2 feet to sheath. My best avoidance tactic to date is knitting two socks in one week. It doesn't give you the opportunity to feel SSS. Keep on little soldiers!

Of course, you can apply your magic loop knowledge, in the future, to a slightly more complex technique - knitting both socks at once on the same pair of cable needles. That's where I'm going next.

But for now...

Just go back to the pattern and the relevant posts in the sidebar having "Sock 1" in the title. And view them in order, natch. The pattern, along with your notes, should make this second sock a very knowable process.

Note: I tend to take Day 5 off (especially if it's a Friday) and return apace for the weekend. That means I'm committed to knitting a sock, no matter how long it takes, over the weekend. But hey, that's how you get a pair of socks done in a week. 

I'll be back on Day 7 to talk about weaving in ends and blocking.

So, are you done with the first sock? Any meaningful thoughts and feelings you are compelled to share? Let's talk!