Can You See A Pattern Here?

The benefits of pattern-surfing can tell the story of one's current sense of style.

Theoretically, I could make any of these purportedly simple projects using fabric I already own:

Named Kielo Wrap Dress

I'd definitely shorten this above the knee, and make it in a knit.

Papercut Patterns Bowline Sweater

Sure, I've got a lot of tops that already work this asymmetrical angle (ha!) but who can't use another?

StyleArc Jessica Dress

This one is cute but runs the risk of being bulky at the twist and I don't know that it would be the most flattering .

StyleArc Pamela Dress

Interestingly, I own a rayon that would probably work well with the Pamela Dress (it calls for a stretch woven).

Special mention goes to the Toni Dress, for which I have a decided soft-spot, despite the fact that this dress is very "of a style" (and that style's name is science-fiction hippie). The likelihood that this would be VERY difficult to fit on me is high. I mean, if the shoulders are drafted wide or long, I'd pretty well have to start from scratch. And that collar could go all kinds of wrong...:

StyleArc Toni Dress

Of course, I also have a bunch of appropriate patterns in my stash which, according to Felicia, I might be using in lieu of online shopping. While I completely agree with her in her latest (really interesting) post, that window shopping catalyzes desire, not gratitude, I find it hard to begrudge the activity when it comes to pdf patterns. I mean, yes, this activity may have derailed me from using patterns that I already own, but it's also sparked my current creativity and it allows me to connect with things anew. I'm not necessarily in the same mood today as I was six months ago when I bought my last batch of patterns. I don't have to pay (or use resources) to ship these and they take up veritably no space (unless I use them). Not to mention that it allows me to support independent creative business owners. (Update: Apparently, the Pamela Dress isn't available in pdf...)

So these are some things I'm thinking of making up. Any preferences?

Any Ideas?

Hey - I've decided to change up my sewing plan a smidge. I'm still going to make 2 pairs of Hudsons but other than that, I want to think a bit more creatively about how best to use these fabrics:

• 2 yards of lavender meets aubergine modal - quite drapey, on the heavy side, great recovery

• 2 yards of "sweatshirt" grey bamboo jersey - also very drapey, a bit thinner than the modal, great recovery, in truth, this is more of a winter colour...

• 2 yards of electric blue bamboo jersey - also very drapey, a bit thinner than the modal, great recovery, spectacular colour that really should shine

These are all very luxe fabrics. My only complaint is that Chu Shing seems to consistently short-change me. Like - to the tune of a third of a yard per piece. And all the fabric is in yards, not metres, so the prices are that much higher. Paying $24 a yard and getting 0.75 yard is very irritating. It means that I can't actually use the fabric purchased in some instances (that's why I had to go back for more of the electric blue jersey - I bought a yard, got 0.65 of a yard...) Part of the issue is that one of the SAs doesn't use a ruler (as far as I can tell) so it's not like I can measure it for myself before buying. The service is very polite and the stock is awesome, but this is stealing. If it hadn't happened multiple times, which I've tried to overlook, I'd keep my mouth shut. Mind you, I'm almost at the point that I'm going to bring in my own measuring tape into the shop. And that may seem offensive. If only the stock weren't so good...

As luck would have it, EweKnit has started selling solid jersey knits - I cannot wait to check this out. The prices are right in line with good knit fabric and I have every confidence that I'll receive what I pay for.

But back to the question at hand: I want to make something fun - and maybe new - with each of these fabrics but here are my parameters:

• Would prefer to use in 1-yard increments to maximize what I can do with the remnants
• Wouldn't mind something a bit dressy to wear to meetings - or something casual
• Don't want to have to go insane with fitting. I'm looking for something that I can more or less compare to other knit slopers I've got and make my alterations that way
• Would be happy to make a top, dress, jacket - anything, really
• I like interesting lines
• Has to work with boobs
• In a perfect world, it would be an intermediate project - not looking to take on something advanced right now. I need some quick wins.

I'm thinking of oversized things with fitted shoulders or things that skim over the midsection.

Please provide any fab pattern ideas - preferably ones that can be downloaded! Thanks!

On another note, I hemmed the stripey V1179, from yesterday, and it seems much nicer than it did yesterday. From the outside, the workmanship isn't bad. So it's a keeper, I suppose. Good thing I didn't go nuts and throw it out on a whim...

Finished Object: V1179

I've made V1179 enough times now to tell you that it never fails to fuck up big time. Do not believe the 25ish other people who've posted about this DKNY dress - who all say: This was a piece of cake! Three pieces, 2 hours, done! Any beginner could manage this with no problem. It's actually so fun to make.

No it's not. It is not fun. It took me 8 hours to put this fucking dress together (as it has done every other time I've made it) and, once again, I took a gorgeous piece of fabric and veritably wrecked it. I do not understand it. Truly, this pattern should be totally easy (pleats aside) but everything seems to go so, so wrong whenever I wade in.

I'd just throw the pattern in the bin if I hadn't actually worn my other versions into the freakin' ground - despite the fact that a) this dress pattern makes a sack b) I've sewn it crazily - and observably - poorly each time and c) I loathe sewing it.

But have a look, why don't you:

Vogue 1179 - DKNY

It's not actually black-striped (as it appears). Photo below shows it's true navy colour better, even if it is over-exposed...

Look, I realize that these are shitty photos that do this dress no justice but I can scarcely be bothered to show this to you at all. That's how much I hate it right now.

Weird side note: Swearing asided, my current level of exhaustion is really taking the edge off my vitriol. I'm almost over these 8, head-down hours that may have been all for nought cuz honestly, it takes energy to be angry. Did I mention that it was sunny outside all day (gold!) and it's probably going to rain starting tomorrow? Not my best planning but, really, I couldn't be bothered to leave the house.

Other, totally unrelated side note: I believe that my dwarf lilac is going to go straight to leaf this spring. It still hasn't bloomed (although you can see little mini buds) and many trees have suffered this same fate this year, due to a bizarrely warm winter and a crazily cold, drawn-out spring. Outrageously, I hear that the cherry blossoms in High Park did not bloom this year for this very reason. So sad.

But back to the topic at hand, the jury's out on whether to keep this dress (right now the garment is hanging, pre-hemming). And let me tell you why...

Let's Lead with the Good (It's a short list):

• The fabric is truly gorgeous. I spent a wad of money on it from Blackbird Fabrics but it did not disappoint. The drape is terrific. It recovers beautifully (trust me, I know cuz I hacked at it incessantly). It's soft. It's light, which is what you need when you're wearing a cowl in a heatwave. If only I'd done it justice...

• The dress is easy to wear, all the time. It's comfortable, you can eat dessert, it's cool.

• While most of my stripe placement went sideways (see below), I did manage to position the stripes on the cowl very well in conjunction with the stripes on the dress.

• It only takes 1.5 yards of fabric (60" wide).

 But What Went Wrong (this time)?

• For starters, the pleats were as freakin' hideous to actualize as they always are - maybe even moreso this time because, with stripes, you have to be considered. This took me a good hour to sort out.

• And, a propos of stripes, I spent a ton of time making sure that I would be able to match them all spectacularly, but my serger (and gremlins) seemed to snuff out the dream...

• ...Because when I went to serge the body and cowl, I forgot that I'd removed one of the spools of thread (for left needle) and put it on my coverstitch. And by the time I figured out why my poor gorgeous fabric seams looked like they had been sewn by drunk mice, it was too late to fix things. Honestly, you might wonder what's holding these seams together, that's how sad they look.

• Did I mention that my time-intensive coverstitched armscyes look like shit. Not joking. A five-year old on Gravol could have done a better job. The problem is that coverstitching takes actual practice and I'm a total novice (despite the fact that I own a fancy machine). But how will I ever get there if I don't wreck some pretty armscyes?? I know, first-world problem but when you have OCD these things can become the subject of intensive rumination.

• And, on the topic of the armscyes - well, for once they would not fold under to form a hem (not that this slap-dash method hasn't almost failed with each previous version). No go. This fabric isn't as stretchy or as thin as the others I've used and the underarm curvature requires more fabric ease than I could wrangle. So, after spending an hour ripping back stitching and coverstitching etc. I opted to sew a band around them (the likes of which one sews onto a t shirt sleeve at the hem).

• That worked well enough (thank God) but it means that the shoulders are slightly wider than I'd generally prefer and the armscye managed to get very high. Even higher than it usually is and most people have to alter the pattern, as drafted, to be able to fit their actual armpits in the armhole. I've never before encountered this as I'm small of shoulder. Moreover, see stripe issues (above).

• But here's where things went totally strange (as they never have before): Somehow, the seam where the cowl joins the pleated front body was set too low in this version. While it's the kind of thing that might have gone unnoticed in a busy floral, everything is so apparent with stripes. I ended up raising that seam (by serging another 3/4 inch off the seam at the front where the pleats meet the cowl). This alteration gives more visible lift at the bustline but I still feel that it should be higher. Damned if I'm going to push my luck by pulling it up anymore - you only get so much wiggle room with on-the-fly fixes. On the plus-side, I have more than enough length in this unstructured dress to do this.

• I made the exact same size as I always have and this dress still fits well - I mean, it's a freakin' sack. But I wonder to what extent, 1" horizontal stripes are not the natural friend of the sack dress. There's a lot of width going on, people. Particularly at the bust. This is what might actually turn this thing into lawn fodder in the end. Cuz while I can deal with bad stitching and unmatched stripes and wider-than optimal shoulders, I cannot deal with a dress that makes me look fat.

At any rate, I've decided to let sensibility prevail - and this isn't a common thing for me. I'm hanging the dress for the night, to facilitate even hemming. I'm going to shorten it more than my previous versions because I sense that I need to minimize the stripey volume still further and the easiest way to do this is by cutting off a whack of fabric. Thankfully I have good legs.

I really don't see myself making this dress again. Oh, who am I kidding - if I pull off a decent hem (and I'm going to coverstitch it well this time) I'll probably give this dress another go next year.

Just goes to show that the sewing goddess is fickle and there's nothing like staying in practice to maximize the likelihood of successful outcomes. I'm doing what I can but I'd happily settle for some dumb luck right now.

Finished Object: A Simple Sock (Made Less Simple)

If you want to take an easy knit and make it difficult, add some striping. Specifically, add stripes to a small diameter tube (i.e. socks). Because, in addition to making sure that you switch up your colours appropriately (and this is somehow harder to remember than you'd imagine), you need to do special things to ensure that your yarn colour will carry up (or else you're going to have to cut the yarn and weave it in at the end). You'll also want to ensure that you won't get a jog at the stitch where the stripes change colour.

I'm not going to go into too much technical detail.

• Lots of blogs will tell you how to do the jogless jog (just google it). 

• Lots of blogs will tell you how to carry up your yarn as you switch colours. Intriguingly, the process of wrapping the yarn as you carry up seems to be very personal - and almost a kind of magic. If you wrap in one direction, with one yarn over the other, you'll see the wrong-colour yarn peek through to the front of the work. But there doesn't seem to be any clear way to prevent this. It's person-specific. Trust me, I've read a lot (even the instructions that tell you that there is one way), and they didn't work. You'll be able to do this, but it'll probably take practice (unless you get lucky).

What I am going to do, in this post, is talk about what it's like to make striped socks from 3 different skeins of yarn (having 3 different, solid colours).

Guess I might as well introduce the main event:

Some things to note:

• I actually did math to ensure that I'd use up every bit of the relevant fingering yarns. I know that I consistently use 75 grams of fingering yarn to make a pair of socks. I had 34g of the Tosh Sock, 25g of the Koigu blue and 16g of Koigu purple. I know. Freaky. (Of course, it would have been easier to have had the same amount of each but c'est la vie.)

• Alas, this means I couldn't stripe evenly and I actually had to think about how I wanted the striping to pattern out.

• I messed up on the first sock, which meant I had to improvise a bit. Not sure I love the outcome, but I just ensured to match the second sock, round for round, with the first.

• Striping with yarns of radically diff colours is challenging, esp. if you're going to carry up more than one strand of yarn per round. What I mean is that, when you have 3 colours in your stripe pattern, that means you are always carrying up 2 colours per round - and that, twisted, vertical line of carry-up yarn can get thick and ropey feeling on the inside of the sock. 

• Furthermore, dark colours are likely to show through at the join when you switch to the light colour. To carry up 2 strands of dark yarn behind one strand of light yarn is a challenge, no matter what your method. It's the difference between one person to standing behind a narrow wall vs two. You've only got so much wall before you become visible to those on the other side.

• That's why I opted to cut the yarns and weave in the ends. BUT... This didn't exempt me from needing to wrap the yarns before I switched from one colour to another. Otherwise, I got a little hole where the colours shifted. (That hole can be wrapped and tightened after the fact but it's smoother to close it as you work.)

• I figure that, if I'd been working with only 2 colours in total  - and my stripes were uniform - and no more than 2-4 rows thick - then carrying up the yarn would have made sense. But to be all over the map with stripe thicknesses AND to have 2 colours to deal with carrying up means that the sock looks and feels better with woven ends. Note: I'm not bad at weaving in ends but I struggle with dupicate stitch (the best method for doing this). I think it may be because I'm left-handed and everything is explained for right-handed people. Usually, I just follow the right-handed method (my brain is fairly plastic like that) but with this particular technique, it's not working so well. I should look up some left-handed techniques online - wonder if there are any... Not that it matters, particularly, cuz I am good at using other methods of weaving in ends. It just bothers me that I haven't been able to get with duplicate stitch as yet.

• I learned that thicker stripes work better if you're not going to carry up the yarn (i.e. weave in ends afterwards). Those ends take for fucking ever. 

• Let's talk about one more thing: the jogless jog. To accomplish this, I used the method of lifting and knitting (with the current stitch) the right leg of the stitch below the one I was working, as I began the second round after switching colours. Didn't work so well, IMO, since it's pretty apparent to me where the colour jogs appear on my socks. I sense this has something to do with the fact that my right-legs of stitches were attached to a short strand of yarn (because that colour had just been reattached on the previous round). Good reason, I suppose, to carry up the yarn or to find a better jogless jog method. My stripes are pretty neat, but they're not perfect.

When Will I Do This Again?

Well, not often. If I find myself with @25g of 3 colours of compatible sock yarn OR @37.5g of 2 diff colours, I'll give it another go. Realistically, that's not going to happen frequently. I know I will not stripe with more than 3 colours because I don't love weaving in ends that much - and I do worry about the overall integrity of a sock with too many woven-in joins.

Gotta say, though, I was left with just 4 grams of yarn over three different skeins at the end of this project - so it was a wildly successful stash-buster, if finicky.

Finished Object: V8790 aka The Bouquet

It took me hours, but I've killed it with this top:

Vogue 8790, highly modified in every way

 I'm not too scrupulous to brag - that's some damn good ruching!

It didn't come fast. I now remember that the deal with this top is to ruche the flat pieces (where instructed). But, instead of pulling up on basted thread, as the instructions advise, I turn up the differential feed on my serger and hold the gather by simultaneously inserting clear elastic 1/8" in from the raw side edges . And that's not all (though the instructions would leave it at that). To get a really nice drape, then I ruche the whole thing as I sew up the side seams (again, using the differential feed in the waist zone). Second time round, however, I don't use clear elastic cuz it's not necessary and it would add bulk. This whole process, while involved, is easier than pulling up a bunch of basted thread and trying to get it to hold on a stretchy, thin fabric.

This is my third time making V8790 and I really came to understand it via this go round. The technique to attach the neck to the shoulders and the back piece is batshit crazy, but if you just go along for the entirely non-intuitive ride, it does work out with some fiddling.

Last time I made this, I opted to modify the pattern by bringing the shoulder slope forward slightly. I also took some more width out of the shoulders to suit my narrowness. I might actually remove another half inch of width from each shoulder next time.

And though I don't love many aspects of making this top, I cannot deny that the fit is spectacular. It sits perfectly at the low hip (it's almost a tunic). It skims everything gorgeously. Now that I've figured out where to attach the surplice at the side seams (a good 3 inches below the underarm), in a stretchy fabric, the surplice drapes below my bust in a really flattering way.

The back is cut on the fold so there's no seam to interrupt the line (which is useful if you're working with crazy patterning on your fabric).

Just remember to make this with a reasonably thin knit or the double layer on the front body will be thick and hot. Note: by thin I don't mean cheap. You're going to want something with good recovery.

A long while ago, I did a lot of work to make this pattern fit me. I more or less changed every element, from surplice length to shoulder width to back collar height to waist length and more. And now I'm reaping the benefit. (This is why I'm not ready to give up on V8323 quite yet. Though V8323 is proving to be much less pleasant to perfect.)

If I saw this in a store, I'd pay a lot of money for it because it fits well, it's versatile, light-weight, great for layering AND it's so freakin' cheerful!

I do love a floral pattern and the colour scheme, loud as it is, works really well with my skin tone. Gillian can attest that this fabric, despite being from FabricLand (where some really bad jersey knits are sold), is lovely and structured.

One other thing - I finally decided it was time to give my coverstitch machine another kick at the can. When first I bought it, we just didn't click. This was before most of the current surge of coverstitchers started blogging about their machines. Today I followed most of the very helpful instructions suggested by Cashmerette. I bolstered these with info from a couple of videos showing how to cut the threads, upon completion, to ensure that they don't get stuck in the machine or unravel after the fact (both were previous issues for me because I refused to engage with simple directions on how to finish the seam).

Is my finished hem gorgeous? Decidedly, no. But it'll do the trick. I find the Janome 1000 stitches insanely quickly, even when I try to work the foot pedal methodically. The net result was some waviness, but it won't be visible unless I point it out to you. I mean, that's the joy of working with a crazy floral, right?

So that's what I've done today so far. Next up, back to work on my second version of the Balboa Waistcoat. I'm LOVING knitting with the Tosh and the Biscotte et cie. I find it somewhat hilarious that I've managed to take yet another striping project (because, even though this vest is knit in a solid colour, I'm interspersing 2 different - but almost identical - yarns every other row to ensure that if they drape differently, or if the colour is slightly askew, my finished garment will look intentional). So much yarn carrying-up! On the plus side, this pattern is worked flat so it's pretty easy to keep things straight.

I'm totally amazed that more people haven't picked up on that circular vest pattern. It's so elegant, so (relatively) easy to fit and so fun to knit.

So whatcha think? Not a bad day of crafting, even if I was quite inefficient...

The Spring / Summer Sewing Capsule

I feel rather abnormal. I mean, usually, even if I'm exhausted, a weekend of extended sleeping and lying on the couch takes the edge off. Before I know it, I'm planning something - baking a pie, making some shampoo, sewing (remember that?), knitting a new garment, a long walk with errands, doing a me-tailored yoga practice...

Weirdly, it's taking all of my energy to stay somewhat engaged, and that just cuz I'm freaked out by apathy.

I decided those jeans I need to hem are going back to the store. They're too low-rise and I don't feel like spending half my life yanking them up over the puff-ball that is my lower abdomen. Not to mention that they cost 300 bucks. For 300 bucks jeans have got to be perfect.

I did finish that pair of striped (serious stash-busting) socks. I'll photo them soon and share some new feelings about striped socks. The short story is, just don't. Unless you really want to use up yarn in @25 gram increments, in multiple colours, why inconvenience yourself? Aren't socks about simple, wearable comfort?

This morning I went through my sewing cupboard to get a lay of the land. Given that I love buying fabric, I've got a bit of fun ahead of me this aft. Seems I don't have much in the appropriate yardages to accomplish any of my preferred projects. How does this always happen??

By preferred projects I mean this:

• Garments that are tried and tested (to some extent)
• Garments that I know I'll wear
• Garments that are comfortable
• Garments that I'm not going to have to mess with overly to make them fit

Here's what I've come up with so far. I can't say whether I'll get some mojo back and go on a tear, but I sense this is my plan until the reno starts, at which point all the sewing will be packed away till my house is done. Links point you to previous posts with pics...

Kristin Spring / Summer Sewing:

• Harper Jacket - I wear this at least once a week so I think I may have found my match for the insanely gorgeous cashmere double knit Mardel kindly gifted to me years ago. This fabric is fuchsia on one side and grey on the other. It's a true winter fabric so I won't lead with this garment, but it would be so nice to have it at my access in the fall.

• Who doesn't need a new, bespoke T shirt, made from one's personal sloper? I was hoping to make one of these using a remnant of electric blue bamboo in my stash but, given that I've only got 0.65 of a yard,  I'm going to have to shore it up with some extra from the store. Hope I can find the same bolt of fabric (or one, the colour of which, works as a match).

• Hudson Pants - I wear these at home constantly. They're perfect for sleeping. They're perfect for yoga. I've got some cylindrical, thick t-shirt fabric that would work for another pair, even if it's not exciting. Of course, I'm compelled to make these with my beloved French terry, so I'm likely to be investing in another yard of that...

• DKNY Dress (V1179) -  Lord, I've worn my 2 other versions of this dress into the ground, despite the fact that my workmanship left much to be desired. I could use a striped jersey in my stash (bought ages ago from Blackbird Fabrics) but I'm likely to hedge my bets and replace some of my modal or bamboo from Shu Ching. If I can find the same bolts, I can maximize the remnants I still have in my stash.

• V8323 Very Easy Vogue Top - This is the one I haven't quite cracked (though I've made NUMEROUS muslins). Gonna buy myself a bit more nice fabric to give it one more go. I know I keep saying I've had it with this (after 6 toiles?!) but I see its potential and I've worked so hard to re-draft the pattern such that it can work for my narrow, short and curvy frame.

• Another sleeveless version of V8790. Turns out I do have a fabric in my stash to make this one. It's the fun floral (see Jalie 2921 top in that link) that Gillian and I both bought (and which she gifted me her remnants of). Added to my remnants, it's enough to make this top. Given that I didn't love the construction process last time, I do hope I find a sanguine way, going forward.

I'm bummed that these aren't more exciting but I've got to stick to the straight and narrow right now. There's just too much afoot - and my body shape is too in flux - to go on a tailoring resurgence this spring. My goal is to make these items fit so gorgeously - in such lovely fabrics - that they'll thrill even if they're aren't new-to-me patterns. And I do intend to supplement with RTW. When one's all over the map, try-and-buy is the way to go.

Well, Hello There...

It's been a while, I realize. I don't think I've gone this long without posting in the whole time I've been blogging (which is practically a decade).

I'm right on the cusp of completing Phase 1 of my most professional professional experience to date. Let's put the emphasis on the fresh, which is the complete opposite of how I feel right now. Knowing that I'm going to have to return to this project again, reasonably soon, is somewhat deflating. But I'd be lying by omission if I didn't say that I've kicked some serious ass, by my own standards, and I've received some pleasing recognition.

I've always been the smart one. I'm comfortable with that label. I love critical thinking and learning and problem-solving and achieving outcomes. Lord, I do love the end result. I am grateful every minute of every day for my cognitive buoyancy. But, man, did I push the limits over the last 8 weeks. There was no part of my brain that wasn't stretched to the edge, all the time. I worked constantly. I'm not embarrassed to say that I struggled a fuck of a lot. And while my work isn't going to result in world peace, I can hope that it will serve my fellow citizens in future. Not to mention that it's taught me ever more about my own motivations.

Right now I'm considering that age-old adage that, just cuz you can do something, doesn't mean you should. I'm trying to reconcile the sort of work I do at work with the sort of work I do at life and the pieces don't cleanly intersect. No freakin' surprise, I realize. I'm only the zillionth modern woman who's engaged with this conundrum.

In case you're curious, my pain condition has remained largely dormant, indicating to me yet again that, while stress is a factor in everything in life, pain for me is mostly about hormones and myofascial neurochemistry.

Mind you, my sense of self has been really eroded by the omnipresence of cortisol and adrenaline. Crafts have largely fallen by the wayside (don't worry, that's about to change). Friends are more of a construct than a reality right now. I haven't even had time to drink adequate quantities of wine (I'm so over any kind of weekday ban) because really, when one gets home at 10 pm, one does not have time to drink before bed?!

I'm taking 2 weeks off starting Monday. Till then, I'm wrapping up loose ends (of all the varieties - to wit, see pics below). I have some nascent sewing ideas that I do intend to put into action soon. Stay tuned for more about that... And on the boring (but weighing on me front), I also have to mend a couple of pairs of handmade socks (they'll be garbage soon, if I don't) and hem another pair of absurdly expensive jeans. I swear, I've lost all sense of balance when it comes to how much I spend on denim.

But really, what I've missed is the mental space - the time to be creative on my own terms, the time to do a really good yoga practice (that isn't only about shoring me up for the stress), the time to freakin' walk to work and stop in at my coffee shop to talk with my friends for 5 minutes while I have an espresso. The time to plan for fun.

Of course, an impending reno is not filling me with the sense of adventure I generally seek out. It's, um, a little too close to home. (BTW, don't ask about it. We're 10 weeks behind schedule and nothing is anticipated to start before August, which means we're going to live through this fucking tear down during a Canadian winter, God help me.) Plus, I've got some potentially expensive and time consuming activities I must undertake over the next couple of weeks - bureaucratic, expat-American stupidity. Whatevs, I'm not engaging till Monday. I just can't bring myself to worry about another fucking thing.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos of knitting projects I've completed over the last few weeks. It ain't much, or particularly exciting, but these little projects are my tether to the things that matter:

Foolproof Take 2 - I love the colour combo...

And, made with the same purple (as shown in the Foolproof Cowl above), here's a new pair of socks.

BTW, I'm in the middle of making a pair of striped socks (3 diff skeins of yarn) and it's NOT simple. I intend to write a tutorial post about how I've kept my sanity while making a small-diameter project, having colourwork, and knitted in the round. Seriously, they make self-striping yarn for a reason. Alas, it doesn't help one to use up small quantities of fingering stash yarn...