Back in Black

Crazy times, peeps. Today I wore my partially self-drafted dress to work, just for novelty, and I was inundated with compliments. Seriously, people responded like it was the best looking dress they'd ever seen. (In truth, I wore makeup for the first time in 2 months today, so they might have been responding to the brass and glass.) You'd be amazed, but apparently no one remembers the 80s, not even the people who were there.

I'm not usually so impressionable, but by the end of the day I was channeling my inner-Norma Kamali and had practically convinced myself I need to make one of these in every colour! Hilariously, I decided to go all-out and wore it with a jersey moto-jacket, for veracity. And to educate young people.

OK, I have no intention of making it in any other colours, but I do think I might have to add this self-drafted (for stable knit) skirt to my self-drafted T shirt and call it a full-on Kristin design.

On reflection, the self-drafted skirt is a great fit, it's insanely comfortable (but put-together) and the bodice of the dress (a highly-modified version of Simplicity 3302) does look way better on me than on the dress form. The line of the shoulder and the visible arm seam really creates a lovely silhouette. Yeah, I may be drinking the Kool-Aid, but at least I'm not complaining!

I used a ponte knit that was graciously gifted to me by Susan. Let me tell you, it fits and drapes like a dream. Goes to show, when you use a good fabric, you can even time-travel with no adverse consequence.

One other quick note: I continue to review the Bettie pattern, and to write notes and rip them up and draw pics and throw them away. Edad! I've finally got to the point in the pattern where the sleeve caps begin (pretty well the last part) and I have to reiterate that this is SERIOUSLY complex. I mean, interpreting the pattern is far more difficult than making the garment will be, I'm sure.

Having said this, I think I love it. It's so brain-bending and in a totally different way than the hard-won cable set-up for the Chuck (which tormented me and was not fun). I guess I like construction intricacy more than stitching intricacy?

At this point, I'll argue that anyone who's been knitting longer for than me should be up to the challenge. Hell, I'm making this thing. But if you don't like lots of text and you prefer to just jump in (vs sorting out the directions in advance), it may not be a good match. Then again...

Gauge The Situation: Let's Talk about the Bettie...

When I was trying to decide which DK-weight sweater to make, I secretly bought all the patterns I was considering. (Note: This recent bout of illness has had crazy ramifications for my credit card. Talk about trying to feel alive...) I was curious to know the details behind the construction in order to help me make up my mind.

Without a doubt, Bettie's Pullover yielded the strangest, most complex pattern I have ever come across. I was transfixed by its complexity. In fact, a week after first review, I still haven't figured out what to do after I get to the yoke. I've spent hours considering it.

In what way is it complicated? Rather, we should ask, in what way isn't it? I have read that the pattern is flawless, even if incredibly challenging to suss out. It's a bottom up pattern - the second of this type I've ever constructed. Strangely, the last sweater I knit was also bottom up. This one is different in that it is knit in the round, unlike the Siivet.

Specifically, here are the elements I've encountered so far, which bring this sweater into the "advanced" (IMO) category:

• Instead of changing stitch numbers to shape the waist and other areas, because the feather and fan pattern is stitch-number dependent, you use 1 of 3 needle sizes (depending on the part of the sweater you're working) at any given time. That's not hard, of course, but it takes vigilance.

• There are short rows in the strangest spots, doing the strangest things, i.e. right above the hem ribbing, to scallop the first row of feather and fan pattern. Effectively, you work this weird short row riff 10 times (5 times on the sweater front, 5 times on the sweater back) to make little uluating divets that come out of the rib. It takes FOREVER.

• Because of the gauge and pattern, you really need to Japanese short row rather than regular wrap and turn. That's a more finicky version - though not hard. This free Craftsy course teaches it very well, btw... Despite spending 3 hours working, effectively, 2 rows (one of which was a very complicated short row), my end result is frankly mediocre. I really have to hope that either blocking will save the day or that no one will notice the crappy short row part I was learning on cuz they'll be so bamboozled by the crazy pattern. In orange. Let's just say, if I like the end result, I'll probably make the sweater again. If only to improve my technique.

• The font on the pattern is like 8 point?! And it's still 5 pages long.

• Again, I still haven't figured out how to attach the sleeves to the yoke - it's apparently genius and bizarre all at the same time - but I'm going to call it really complicated since my brain has not yet cracked the code after hours of consideration. Note: I'm not worried. I intend to figure it out.

I chose this pattern a) because I think it's very elegant, b) because it looks "advanced" (what, I want something showy!) and c) because it's going to give me a run for my money.

That Siivet pattern was so boring to knit it practically put me into a coma. And given that I was practically in a coma to begin with, the experience was not optimal - especially as I don't love the end result. (Note: Not dissing the sweater. It's an excellent beginner pattern that fairly easily yields a successful end result!)

Now that I'm feeling somewhat better - yeah, still exhausted, still sleep-deprived, still ulcerated, still mucous-y crappy but EMERGING from illness - I want to celebrate with concepts that hurt my brain a little bit.

I am so happy to be able to think. I want to indulge on the activity.

Updated With Photos: Liberty, Take Two

OK, I couldn't let it go with that top. I mean, it is a nice pattern. It's elegant; it's got good bones. And the darting on the sleeves and at the bust are a great vintage take on a t shirt.

All night long (and you know how long that is), I considered ways of reviving it.

This morning I got up at some ridiculous hour (especially in light of the time change) and made adjustments, namely, I serged another 2 inches of width out of the side seams. Actually, it looks a lot better.

But, my night-hatched plan will not be silent. What I'm going to do: turn it into a dress.

What?!?!?

Wait, it gets better. I'm going to draft the skirt (added to the top to make it a dress) myself.

No, I've never drafted anything. Well, that's not true, but my drafting skills are exceedingly untested. Here's the thing, I have a sense that the top will hang better on my frame if there's some substantial vertical weight at the end of it. Not to mention that the line, I believe, will work better on me if everything skims the body closely from armscye to high hip (though I will put the seam at natural waist) and then hangs loosely to just below the knee.

Right now this top is bland (well, less bland now that I've actually fitted it to my waist dimensions) because it wants to be dramatic, but it's not dramatic.

So, I've taken some vertical and horizontal measurements. I've added in seam allowances. I really don't know what shape to make the paper pattern to yield the fitted at waist that goes full and drapey at the bottom. I'm seriously making it up as I go along.

I can't tell you how fun it is to just make shit up. Of course, it's much more fun when the finished product works out - which truly does remain to be seen right now.

At any rate, we'll see how it goes. It's a couple of serged seams and a whole lot of alchemy.

Thoughts or advice??

Update: Well, this wasn't rocket science...

Note that I haven't hemmed the skirt yet, and may opt not to (esp. if I throw this thing away). I want to let it hang and stretch before I do so...

In some ways, the back view shows it off to best advantage. Pls. note, as always, my shoulders are not this wide. Moreover, neither are my hips. I wish I could shape the hips on this dress form like my own actual hips. Note: I've TRIED! Here the hips look shelf-like. Mine are more gently sloping from waist to upper leg. And I think my shape suits the dress more than the form's.

See that arm seam? I like it! And the bust seam too, though I would make it 2 inches longer, were I to do it again. I think a pointy-boob shape is called for.

OK, on styling this thing, I have finally identified my issue: There is NO way to remove the stench of 1987 from this shape. I'm sorry, but I was SO there the first time and I cannot go back.

I'm also kind of over the little black dress. Black is severe, peeps. It's hard to make it friendly.

Notes on the Skirt:

I simply used my vertical and horizontal measurements (plus an inch for seam allowances) to create a wide A line skirt (no front or back seams though you could easily fold the pattern in half if you needed to conserve fabric) cut on the straight of grain. I made sure to bring the sides up about an inch higher than the centre because, effectively, the sides of this skirt are cut on the bias, given their width from the skirt midline. (Note: I think that's the case, but maybe I'm making that up?)

I could have made it longer, and made the waist of the dress start higher. As it is, the full skirt is 24". Were I to hem, make it longer and start it higher, I'd likely want to make it 26". That would give a great boot length. As it is now, it falls about an inch below my knee, unhemmed. I'll wear it, if I get up the nerve, with slim-calf, knee high boots having a 1 inch heel (like a flat with a little something).

While this dress most certainly fits me more nicely than my dress form, it's still super 80s to my eye.

What do you think?

PS: A night's-worth of rumination notwithstanding, this skirt took 2 hours to draft and assemble, with the completed top, into a dress. No, I haven't hemmed yet (the part that takes a long time on a wide-hemmed skirt), but really, it was not hard or scary. I did not need any special skills given that this was done in forgiving ponte and I wasn't darting anything. I only needed to know these measurements, which took 5 minutes to determine:

• Where my natural waist sits vis a vis my navel (2.5 inches above)
• Where my high hip sits vis a vis my waist (4.25 inches below)
• Where my full hip sits vis a vis my high hip (2 inches below)
• What length to cut from my natural waist to hem (24")
• Waist circumference (29.5")
• High Hip circumference (36")
• Full hip circumference (38")

I did have to lop 5" off the bottom of the top, and remove another 3 inches of circumference from, before serging it to the skirt. Otherwise it would have been way too long to seam at the natural waist, and way too blouson to add to the fitted-at-waist and high hip skirt.

Liberty

Today, driven by the need for normalcy and fun, motivated by the cheer of the first day in about 25 that didn't rain from morning to night, I sewed a top.

I'll take a moment and contemplate with incredulity. I actually sewed something. For the first time in a freakin' long time.

More to the point, I traced the vintage pattern (Simplicity 3302), I cut out fabric, I made self-fabric bias tape, I marked the fabric and then I sewed the crew-neck vintage, dolman sleeve shirt.

Alas, my friends, the finished product sucks!

Don't worry for my mental stability. I'm totally ok that it sucks! Seriously, it's the pattern - it's not me.

What I love about this project is that I managed it, with enough energy, from start to finish. It actually only took 4 hrs. That's super fast for a top, IMO. Too bad it's unlikely that I'll ever wear it.

I won't show a photo. I mean, I cannot be seen at this point (my vanity prevents it). And the top, on my dress form, is an exercise in blandness. It might as well be a sweatshirt.

I made it in a stable black ponte (thank you Susan!), a lovely fabric that really didn't benefit from the design. What a beautiful, warm knit. BTW, if you have been sick for a while, and you're scarily pale at the best of times, do not wear black anywhere near your face. Egad. You know they say that black can wash you out. It is sadly not a myth.

But back to the pattern. And, more importantly, the experience.

Today, I decided to approach this project with maximal creativity and minimal limitations. Frankly, I opted not to care about all of the things that usually concern me. I actually just used the fabric (in its various phases of assembly) as a tool. When I didn't like the tightness of the neckline on the assembled garment, I cut an inch out of it, on the fly. Side seams? Serged off inches at a time. Back seam? Same deal. I made the sleeves and hem shorter than the pattern instructed. I lengthened the bust darts.

Effectively, I just kept trying it on (like a cook tasting her dinner as she makes it) and saying: Well, that's gotta go, or, I suppose I'll bias tape the neck instead of facing it. Why does anyone face anything? Really.

It was an exercise in creative freedom and I LOVED it. Energy plus experience plus confidence plus nonchalance, brought me tremendous pleasure.

Sure, it didn't produce a great end result, but I did get the thing to fit really well. It's just kind of ugly.

Alas, I couldn't mark the paper pattern (not that I'm too inclined to make this again) with my myriad changes. At a certain point, you cannot freestyle it and chronicle your experience simultaneously. The two activities are utterly at odds. Since I don't love the pattern, I'm not too concerned. Were I to make it again, I'd take careful notes and go more slowly.

I did remove about 6 inches of width below the bust to the hips. Even at the bust, I had to remove fabric.

I appreciate the darts and the visible arm seam (the result of the dolman / kimono cut on). But seriously, even on others (whose tops have worked out much more elegantly than mine), I'm kind of underwhelmed by the style in general. I mean, it's no peplum :-)

Interestingly, I didn't find the fitting to be particularly difficult. I might have increased the width, as well as the length, of the dart, just to provide more bust shaping, but the dolman top is a bit of a casual (dare I say sloppy??) look. It's not about precision in the arms. It's more about perfection of ease. And that perfection is entirely subjective - and based on one's own general shape.

At any rate, I'm happy to have had this day of sewing enjoyment. Lord knows I have more clothes than I know what to do with. So a learning experience, and a new challenge, have been just the thing.

Gauge The Situation: The DK-Weight Sweater and Updates

The part of me that's sure you must be sick of hearing about me and how I'm feeling is at odds with the messages I continue to receive and requests for updates about "that wretched illness". Feel free to gloss over this and check out the next section, but here's the latest...

I've been back at work since Monday. I'm still very tired, certainly not "myself" but my energy has been increasing each day, not diminishing, despite returning to regular life. Most definitely, my mood is more stable for being back amongst friends, colleagues and some regular routine. Depression - not something I'm prone to, thankfully - is an incredibly difficult condition to navigate, even if it's circumstantial and short-lived. I have a lot of respect for people who struggle with chronic illness of any sort. To be with equanimity under those circumstances takes tremendous strength and grace.

I did go back to the doctor on Tuesday. She believes that the prednisone, prescribed to open my airways, is the cause of the ulcers I now have lining my throat and which, unsurprisingly, make it feel more constricted. Ah, the irony. It's also one of the reasons, she suspects, that sleep has been so elusive. On the topic of sleep, well, that's been a challenge peeps. A real challenge. As of Monday, I'm tapering the prednisone as quickly as possible (but safely) and now I'm also taking something to help me to sleep. For the past 2 nights I've actually slept for 6 hours in a row. That's insanely good. The regular me sleeps 9-10 hrs a night . I'm one of those people who burns energy while she's awake and then seriously needs to recharge. The whole, circadian rhythm mess-up, sleep no more than 2 hrs thing, has been rough. Having said this, I'm not going to take another pill tonight. I don't want to overuse this drug. But it's good to know I have something to work with to re-establish my natural ability to sleep. Here's to some REM!

Now, on the more creative topic: Which DK-weight sweater will I make??

Well, y'all have convinced me that they're all too good to pass up! I intend to make 3 of the 5. Maybe 4. The only one that's out is the Flutter Sleeve Cardi (the one I liked least to begin with), thanks to some helpful advice from some of you.

For the Gauge the Situation series, there can only be one though - or this series will never end. And that one is Bettie's Pullover.

Why?

• It's not a cardigan. I think I have enough cardigans right now. And hand-knit cardies do come with some structural challenges at the button band. I'm not saying that they can't be averted with some careful construction, but I'm not necessarily interested to continue on that learning curve just now.

• It's very retro-inspired but, if perfectly-fitted, will be a fashion-forward finished garment. Of the finished objects I've seen, some have fit very well, IMO. Alas, the sweaters that don't fit well (or which aren't knit very evenly) really do fall short. I hope I've called this one on sizing (see below) because I sense it will a key element in the success of this sweater.

I have swatched the fan and feather pattern and stockinette in a variety of needle sizes (the sweater uses 3 needle sizes throughout) and have discovered that determining gauge in anything other than stockinette is pretty freakin' subjective.

I also realize, having just made the Siivet Pullover (and it's a good 2 sizes too big in the bust in the smallest freakin' size, with slightly modified gauge, admittedly) - that I have to just start making things rather small and dealing with bust issues on the fly. What that will mean will likely depend on the complexity of the project and whether bust short rows are feasible. On the topic of the Siivet. I think I'm going to serge the crap out of the side seams and call it a day. Then, at least, I'll have something wearable. But to be honest, it's actually a pretty dull sweater on me. It doesn't play up anything. The knit is very simple, as is the shape. Boat necks (even very narrow ones) don't play up the best elements of my narrow frame. I'm not feeling it.

I'm totally sick and tired of following every math sequence, triply over thinking things and then making sweater-after-sweater that's just too big. This time, and it may be crazy, after swatching and thinking and wondering, I'm just going to make the size 32. Yeah, that speaks to 5 inches of negative ease, but most of my handknit sweaters with 3 inches of negative ease still seem too large. I have to take into account a) hand-spun yarn properties and b) my own uniquely narrow frame. My bust circumference may be 37" (most of the time), but my under bust, over bust and shoulder measurements are clearly an XS.

Make no mistake, sizing in hand-knits and sizing in hand-sewn knitted/jersey/stretch garments are not the same animal. I keep applying my sewing sense to sizing of hand knit sweaters and it's just not working. There's a woven, manufactured durability to most stretch fabrics that I do not find in fabric that I've knit for myself. The properties of hand knits (even at a known gauge), at least as they apply to me so far, lead to a very elastic finished product. So I'm going off-road.

Here are today's question, sweater knitters (especially those of you who also sew):

• Do you find your hand-knitted sweaters to be much more loose and drapey (even with a good understanding of gauge and what size item you should be getting at the end)?
• Is this in contrast to sewing commercial patterns using purchased stretch fabric?
• How have you mitigated this? (Making smaller sizes? Targeted size reductions vs targeted size increases, for example?)
• What do you think of my final DK sweater choice? (BTW, the blocked swatch seems to hold the fan pattern beautifully but without stiffness.)

Gauge The Situation: Yarn 3 And What To Knit With It

Brief Prologue: Could Blogger have messed up the Reader view of this post any more crappily? What is up with this interface?

So, I guess this makes a second craft project that can exist, more in the realm of imagination than reality, until I have the requisite mojo. No problem. All the more time to press you for your assistance!

For starters, here's my already-purchased, DK-weight yarn:

Photo found on Etsy, but I couldn't link to it... (I'm happy to attribute it if I figure out a way.)

Yeah, yeah, I know - another freakin' Debbie Bliss offering. I'm happy to tell you that this little knitting experiment has almost cured me of my fascination with the stuff. I really love the stitch definition, and its inherent softness. I don't like the way the wool tends to come in numerous pieces, knotted together, or its tendency to grow on account of its micro-fibre goodness. I'm ready to branch out. Somewhere there's got to be great natural wool that keeps its shape and doesn't look like it made its debut at Woodstock.

But I'm happy I've gone a bit crazy with this yarn, in all its myriad weights and halos. I can truly speak of its merits and detractors now.

What I do love unquestionably is the colour. Y'all know I do not fear orange. And this doesn't scream pumpkin spice. It's brighter than the photo shows.

Before I ask for your feedback on proposed DK patterns, I would love to hear about your personal go-to sport or DK yarn brands. I'm looking for something that will keep its shape, give excellent stitch definition, doesn't knit with a halo (not nuts about alpaca for this reason), comes in great colours and feels exceptionally soft. I'm not, as you know, into incredibly rustic looking wool. Mind you, try to change my mind, why don't you :-)

OK, here are the DK patterns I am considering:

Somewhat Cowl by Wendy Bernard

Once again, blogger won't let me link!? This happens more and more these days... I'm sorry!
But you can find all of these patterns in my Ravelry Favourites which are public.

Flutter Sleeve Cardigan by Pam Allen

Bettie's Pullover by Maria Leigh

Somerset Cardigan by Melissa Wehrle

Cherry Cardigan by Anna Bell

In full disclosure, I am seriously leaning towards one of these in particular. I wonder if it will be the popular choice or the one that can't get a vote. I would so welcome your (always) excellent advice.

It's harder to choose a sweater than it looks! Much harder than choosing a sewing pattern. I've searched through hundreds, just to gain these 5 options.

So, whatcha think?

All Over The Map (But with Talk of Sewing)

Today was a good day. I got myself to work (in a cab - cab it is for this week). I loved seeing all of my comrades. I didn't feel too terrible, though my energy did start to flag at 2 pm. I dug through the chasm of emails and administrivia that was hanging over me. I did leave earlier than usual but I managed. When I arrived home, I spent an hour on these arcane ablutions I've undertaken in the name of healing: steam bath, vitamins, gargling with salt water (usually makes me gag and spit choke?!), eating a bowl of half-thawed frozen blueberries (those antioxidants don't just hang out in the ether), lying over bolster (very gentle yoga) and - this takes the cake - the neti pot. Zut alors, I cannot begin to tell you how desperate I am to relieve the mucus situation. But I don't have to. Nasal irrigation says it all.

I'm starting to understand what took up all of my convalescent time. But gross things aside, I know I feel more normal because, instead of lying here in front of the TV, I have chosen to write to you about my next sewing project.

Next sewing project? Um, does this smack of getting ahead of oneself? Happily, not at all. Since I discovered that I prefer planning to practically anything else, the world is my oyster. As long as my brain has some juice, I can simply think about things and call it sewing! Sure, it's unlikely I'm going to tackle production for the next couple of weeks, but a girl can sit around and mentally ready herself.

A little back story: In early October, when I was really starting to feel hideous, I couldn't do much other than surf the net. That's when all of my fave blogs came in even handier than usual.  Jody posted about jersey patterns from the 50s, and I was blown away by her gorgeous finds. I spent a few minutes and - strangely easily - found many of the patterns she profiled on Etsy. I purchased Simplicity 3302:

It was very reasonably priced at under 15 bucks, including shipping. And I love how it's basically 2 pieces - a back bodice (with attached sleeve) - cut with a centre seam - and a front bodice (with attached sleeve) cut on the fold:

See those interesting sleeve and bust darts?

I bought a 34 bust (that's the size I found), with the intention to grade it up, as necessary. However, having measured the pattern, there appears to be a lot of bust ease (like 10 inches?!) I realize that this is a blouson style top, but if I make it in a knit (which I intend to do) I'm pretty sure it will be more than big enough. In fact, I may need to take some fabric out of this thing, to suit my shape (and modern proportions). Of course, who knows what's going to happen? I'm just giving my imagination free-rein.

I'm not sure I will face the neck - as the pattern calls for - or if I'll finish it with bias tape instead. The beauty of this thing is that there are but 2 pieces to concern myself with, and a few darts and a hem.

So, today's questions are:

• What do you think of this dolman-style pattern? I notice this shape is becoming popular amongst the sewists lately. Do you find it notably vintage, or kind of contemporary?

• Have you made this pattern and, if so, what are your thoughts?

• What do you think of those other pattern's Jody's profiled? They're awesome, IMO. I want them all!

In closing, and just to keep the "all over the map" concept alive and well, I hope that all East-coasters are able to stay safe, warm and dry. And if I figure out how to sleep for a few hours in a row tonight, the world will be looking ever finer, I'm sure.