Kwik Sew K4032 fleece jacket

 

First, a very happy 90th birthday to HM The Queen. I love the portraits that Annie Leibowitz captured of her with her family, especially the one with Princess Anne. Just lovely!

Yet another sewing project, Kwik Sew 4032, view B. I'm not sure what possessed me to attempt sewing a zippered fleece jacket as good quality ones are fairly priced around here. I think it had something to do with making my son a blanket out of the gray fleece, which was surprisingly good quality--despite it coming from Joann Fabrics of all places--and wondering how it would look with my favorite spring green color. Thus, a fleece jacket was born.

I had nothing but trouble with this project from the beginning, mostly operator error, although for the first time I was baffled by Kwik Sew's instructions i.e. why was I instructed to cut out three pockets instead of the two I needed? and some confusing graphics. The parts I thought would be bearish -- the collar, zipper, and topstitching -- ended up turning out okay, while other parts -- those darn zippered pockets! the hems! -- had me with a seam ripper in hand for hours. Do I need to point out how difficult it is to rip out stitches in fleece, especially stretch/zig-zag?

Despite all the challenges I had here, it turned out well enough to wear on a brisk hike or an early morning bike ride. It is cozy warm and I like how it can be zippered up around my neck to block out wind. My husband gave me the highest compliment by saying it looked store-bought. Before he could ask me to make him one, I said I was retiring from the fleece garment making business. If I sew fleece again, it will be to make blankets, or maybe a simple ski hat or mittens.

Another caution: this is a unisex pattern but duh! I forgot and cut out a size medium. It is HUGE on me. I shortened the sleeve by a good inch on the pattern but still had to take another couple inches off while sewing. I don't mind the extra room around the shoulders and middle as I like room to layer ... just a word of warning if you're looking for a snugger fit.

We're off to Connecticut today to spend some time with my family. Have a good weekend!

 

 

Sugar blues

O's face looks completely normal now, not even a rash. The only itchy bits are on his arms and legs. We're hoping everything will be healed up by the time he leaves for camp on Sunday.

Yesterday we went out to Target and bought what he needed to get him through two weeks at camp -- mostly underwear and socks. We figure he can double up a couple days on stuff like shorts and sweatshirts, but not so much on underwear and socks. I also found some swimming trunks in his size for $6.50, so into the basket they went ... saves me some time at the sewing machine this week. He was rather grumpy during our shopping expedition, as was I (sugar withdrawal), and we forgot to buy a couple extra beach towels. Otherwise we're all set to pack him up ... except for the stuff I have to sew.  Oh, and he needs a haircut. Hopefully we can squeeze in an appointment before the end of the week.

I survived Monday without eating any sugar. My sugar cravings hit mostly in the evening, so the last couple hours before bedtime were misery. As I was driving past Bedford Farms on the way back from the gym, it took every ounce of self control not to drive in there and order a cup of Muddy River ice cream ... I would have dived in with gusto! I stuck with it, though, bypassing my evening cup of warm chocolate malt Ovaltine with more than a little regret. My thinking was definitely foggier yesterday ... I'm hoping after a few days, I'll be able to think a little more clearly. Just happy I'm not teaching this week; I'm not sure my students would appreciate my incoherent thinking!

A couple days ago when I was waiting for a prescription to be filled at the grocery store, I spent some time looking through the paperback books and actually bought one. I usually take books like this out of the library or buy them used, but I was so in the mood for a summer read. It's a James Patterson bio/thriller called Zoo, and as usual with his novels, it's fast paced and just what i need intellectually right now ... meaning I don't have to think too hard as I read a couple chapters before bed each night. The only problem is, I've been having disturbing dreams. The other night I dreamed a rabid bat attacked me, so I fed it to a flying skunk. (Yes, you read that right.) And last night marauding bears and tigers made their appearances ... so I'm not sure this is the best reading before bed. Maybe I'll have to finish it up by reading in the morning. (Just learned this book as been made into a tv miniseries, which I think I'll skip.)

Crafting

Not much to report on the sewing front. Taped the pdf pattern for O's board shorts together. Today I'll be cutting out the fabric. I also signed up for a free sewing class in early July at my local dealer. She told me I probably won't learn that much, but I figure if I learn a couple tips or two, it'll be worth my time.



Because of my sugar withdrawal yesterday, I had to rip back on my Pebble Beach shawl a couple times. (Missed a couple yarnovers, grrr.) It stinks when I have to rip back a row because now each row is over 200 stitches. Yes, I know I should use a lifeline, but weirdly enough I don't mind tinking, especially when the yarn is easy to work with as this yarn is. It's hard to see but the color of the yarn is starting to change from cream to pale mint. Lace is so not pretty before it has been blocked. ;-)

One of the pattern books I ordered off eBay showed up yesterday. It's from the 1960s, a collection of cabled cardigans put out by Reynolds yarn under the name "Mary of Holland." I did a bit of poking around to find out who, exactly, Mary of Holland is, since the pattern book doesn't say. The only thing Dutch about these sweaters are their names: Rotterdam, Utrecht, Dordrecht, even The Hague.











The model on the cover looks a lot like my college friend Staycee. :)

I thought the cabled designs were really pretty. I'm sure my brother will deem them "Denchy." ;-)

The Kelly Cardigan

Finally, the cardigan of my dreams!

A few months ago, I started thinking about how much I wanted a cardigan sweater that had a dressier look. Most of my handknit cardigans are knit from practical, sturdy heavy-duty wool and, paired with jeans, look fine. But I could never wear them with a wool skirt or trousers and look, well, polished.

Now I have a sweater I can swan around town in.

This was my first experience knitting with two strands of laceweight mohair/silk held together, and I have to say it was a complete joy. Any fears I had about knitting with this feathery substance were quickly forgotten, especially after I got past knitting onto the cast-on row, the only really tricky part for me. I used KnitPicks Aloft in the color Carbon. My only "complaint" was knitting such a dark color in the dead of winter wasn't always easy, especially with my poor eyesight at night ... but otherwise I loved every minute knitting this sweater. Wearing it is even better. It's like wearing a cloud. So soft and warm!

Even seaming it was fun! A few months ago, I had purchased a Craftsy course on seaming, which was very helpful since it's one of those knitting tasks I tend to avoid at all costs. The instructor, Chris Bylsma, is very good: calm, competent, reassuring. I highly recommend this course to novice or nervous seamsters. I prefer the look of a seamed sweater and now that I know I can do a competent job, I won't avoid seamed patterns any longer!

One note: I put the buttons on the right button band for the simple fact that snaps are used for fastening. The buttons are purely decorative when the cardigan is "buttoned up."

If you want to read more details about the cardigan, they're on my Ravelry page.

I plan to knit two more Kelly Cardigans: a red one and a cream one. I'm going to lower the neckband on these next versions, as well as add some torso length to accommodate my long waist.

Utilitarian, fashionable ... or both?

 

Greetings from snowy eastern Massachusetts!

I've been trying to up my game with my knitting this winter, although I was thinking about it this morning and wondering why. You see, I tend to knit a lot of utilitarian items: wooly socks, felted mittens, hats that can be easily spotted by drivers on the road, thick wooly sweaters...these are the types of garments I wear 95 percent of the time. However, I long for a wardrobe that's stylish -- I look at knitters like Leslie and the Rainey Sisters and think, "If only I thought a little more about fashion!" (Haa, just noticed that the Rainey Sisters knit the Heart Pops hat I talk about further on ... guess I'm on the right trail!)

As I left the house this a.m., bundled up in simple wool socks, a reflective knit hat, and my bright red mittens--my first ham-handed attempt at felting, complete with wonky acrylic cuffs!--I came to the conclusion that it's okay to be more of a utilitarian knitter. I'm happy with these items. They work for me and the life I lead here in New England. I'm just never going to be a wearer of delicate lace shawls or high-style cardigans. By the way, the hats above are from a free pattern I downloaded at WEBS called Heart Pops. I've been knitting these up in stray balls of yarn I've found around the house. I'm not a pink girl, but I'm really loving the pink and white version -- so cute!

So all this thinking about fashion is why I chose to knit the Kelly Cardigan from Erica Knight in an effort to look a little bit more, in the words of Project Runway, "fashion forward." It's a simple cardigan design, but knitted in mohair/silk yarn, it's luxurious ... and warm! The yarn is Aloft from KnitPicks in the color "carbon." I would have liked to knit this in Rowan Kidsilk Haze, but I'm sticking to my Yarn Diet in 2015 like white on rice. I'm happy with Aloft ... the only part that's fiddly with laceweight silk/mohair yarn held double is knitting the first row on the cast-on stitches. After that, it's smooth sailing, unless one has to tink back or rip out stitches. Luckily that hasn't been an issue for me as this pattern is simple and smooth sailing. You don't even have to knit buttonholes (snaps are used), although I am going to sew on some jet and crystal ones for some additional pizzazz. I think I could get addicted to knitting with mohair/silk yarn -- it's like knitting a cloud!

The air here has been so dry. A couple weeks ago I was at my doctor getting an asthma check and she told me our interior humidity should be around 40%. We have a large humidifier upstairs, but nothing downstairs, where I spend most of my day. My husband bought a hygrometer, and yikes! Our humidity level was around 20%. So I borrowed a trick from my mother-in-law ... when we used to ski out west where the air is even drier than it is here back east, she would fill pots with water and boil them on the stove to add moisture to the air. I go one step further and add cinnamon sticks, cloves, and leftover Meyer lemons. Mmm, our house smells so good! We all notice a big difference with the additional moisture. My skin isn't as dry and flaky, and none of us have had any nosebleeds this winter. (I also leave bowls of water around the house near our heating vents ... not sure if this helps but the water does seem to evaporate fairly quickly.)

Lastly, some photos of the snow in our side and backyards. We're supposed to get 3 to 6 inches more this Friday. My son has not had a full week of school since the holidays. He may be making up time until July at the rate we're going with this weather! The snow has not kept the cardinals away this winter ... I'm seeing more of them at the feeders. They're so pretty, but boy! they're bossy! It's hard to believe that in a little over a month it'll be time to plant my peas. Will the snow be melted enough to do so?

The Duchess of Cambridge and her court shoes

Of course I've been keeping up with the Cambridge's grand tour Down Under and reading all the breathless commentary on stylish Kate. She certainly has a great pair of pins, and today I learned her secret: nude court shoes!

Here in the U.S. we call these shoes "pumps": closed-toe, low front shoes with heels. According to the fashion press, nude pumps/court shoes give the illusion of long legs when the color of the pump and the skin are similar. Which makes sense, as your eye tends to stop when you get to a jolt of black or red at the feet.

Sign me up!



According to the folks in the know at the Daily Mail, Kate's preferred court shoe comes from London-based retailer LK Bennett and these shoes are, unfortunately, sold out in the U.K. If you're stateside, you can purchase the style "Sledge" at Nordstrom for just $345.

If you, like I, don't have a royal allowance for footwear, here are some lower-priced options.

Here's the Madden Girl Fastenn pump for $34.30 at Belk. The LK Bennett pump is a bit more taupe, but I think the Madden Girl version would work better on someone with fair skin. It must be a popular choice with Kate admirers because most sizes are hard to find: Belk was the only online retailer where I found a variety of sizes available.

If you've got more dosh (sorry, I've been reading the latest Elizabeth George mystery), the Cole Hahn Chelsea pump is very similar to the LK Bennett court shoe. They're currently $199.00 at Zappos ... and free shipping. Like the Madden Girl pumps, though, popular sizes are unavailable at the moment, but Zappos will let you know when your size is back in stock.

 



The Michael Kors Ionna pump is quite nice, too, and a more reasonable $130 at Zappos -- that is, if they have your size. The only thing I don't like is the bling on the back of the heel.

I saw some other nude pumps by Kate Spade and Christian Louboutin, but if I can't afford LK Bennett, it goes without saying I can't afford these versions either.

I'm curious to see the "nude" effect on my own legs, so I'm heading down to our local Marshall's to give it a try. I'm not so sure about that platform look; my mind goes to porn films, hookers, and Times Square in the 70s, sorry. And those heels -- some of them are 4" or 5". Never mind walk in them. Could I even stand? We'll see ... I've sewn a bunch of skirts in the last couple months, and I'm eager to see if nude pumps are the trick of the eye my figure needs. :)

McCall's 3341

Still too cold to model, so here's another winter creation on my dressform. McCall's 3341 is a tried-and-true a-line skirt pattern for so many sewing bloggers that there's not a lot I can add to the kudos out there. It's my go-to pattern for simple summer skirts, as well as dressier numbers, such as the one you see above. Here I've sewn up view C.

The fabric is a remnant I picked up years ago at Fabric Fix (now closed) in Manchester, New Hampshire. I've always loved the pattern and brocade weave. It's upholstery fabric, I'm sure ... it ravels like no one's business, so every seam edge in this skirt has been serged. No lining, as the fabric has a lot of body and it's something I would wear with tights.

The closeup shows the detail of the brocade. I like the tiny cherry blossoms. :)

The blouse is from Brooks Brothers and is one of my favorites. The only things I don't like about it are the French cuffs, which is why the sleeves are rolled up. (Note to self: buy some blingy cufflinks.) The scarf is a genuine Hermès, a gift from a generous ex-boyfriend who reads my blog occasionally. (We're still friends.) Thank you, S. I wear it a lot!

One of my goals this year is to upgrade my work-at-home wardrobe. Because I spend most of my day in the kitchen or in front of my computer, I basically live in jeans, knit shirts, and sweaters. My corporate clothes from the 90s are all out of fashion and probably a couple sizes too small, so it's great to finally have an outfit I could wear to a professional meeting and not look like a total slob.

The making of a Chanel cardigan

The link to this video was on Knitty's blog today. Hawick, Scotland, is known for its knitwear industry, especially in the production of cashmere and Merino wool fabrics. No surprise Chanel has their cardigans made here. Enjoy!

Cooking, knitting, staying warm

 

Still here. For some reason, I haven't been able to log in to WordPress. I'm pretty sure it's because my web host has been under a hacker attack.

The arctic chill has me spending a lot of time in the warm kitchen. This week I've made potato and pea samosas, hamburger buns, pop tarts with cinnamon filling, wild rice pilaf, and a potato-crusted quiche for my Paleo husband. Tomorrow I'm planning on a parsnip soup, a recipe I follow from my oft used copy of Jane Grigson's Good Things.

And I know at least one of you can tell what I've been knitting. ;-)

I had my last physical therapy session last night. My improvement in range of motion has been dramatic. Now all I have to do is get off the blood thinners, and I'll feel like I can put this latest medical drama far behind me.

Last weekend I finished refashioning a skirt I picked up at the thrift shop a couple years ago--a beautiful plaid Talbots skirt. I'm happy with the results, and it looks great with my newest knit cardigan, which I've yet to show off here. As soon as it warms up, I'll have the resident photographer set up a shoot outside.

Thistle stole

[caption id="attachment_2480" align="alignnone" width="480"] (Photos posted with kind permission of Mary Scott Huff)[/caption]

Like most knitters on Ravelry, I am constantly adding patterns to my queue. The problem is there's not enough time in the world to knit everything I would like to knit.

But now and then, a pattern comes along that stops me in my tracks, and I tell myself, "I must knit that NOW. If I get to my deathbed without having knit that, I will enter the afterlife with a very unhappy soul."

Thistle by Mary Scott Huff is one of those soul-stirring patterns for me.

Huff is one of my favorite knitting designers, so it's not really a surprise that I fell in love with this gorgeous stole. She specializes in colorwork, and her patterns are stunning. I'm pretty sure the pattern for Wedding Belle in her book The New Stranded Colorwork got me back into knitting.

What I love about the stole of all stoles: obviously the colors--the bright green edging, the multi-shades of purple. But that it has thistles, the national flower of Scotland, made it irresistible to my Anglophile sensibilities.

Huff writes in the pattern headnotes, "Legend has it that during the King Haakon's Viking invasion of Scotland, the Norsemen tried to surprise the sleeping Scottish Clansmen. In order to move more stealthily under the cover of darkness, the invaders removed their footwear. As they crept barefoot, they came across an area of ground covered in thistles and one of Haakon's men unfortunately stood on one. Shrieking out in pain, he alerted the Clansmen to the advancing enemy. The Scots then defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Largs, saving Scotland from invasion. The important role the thistle played was recognized, and it was chosen as Scotland's national emblem."

And while I'm not a huge fan of tassels, here they work. My stole shall have tassels, too.

I have to wait until January to begin this project as I have so much holiday knitting/sewing to plow through in December. I've sent my mother a picture of the pattern, and I'm sure I'll be getting a gift certificate for yarn in return. My mother is such an enabler; I, on the other hand, encourage her! ;-) Meanwhile, I continue knitting up my Christmas gift list of cowls, boot socks, and hot water bottle covers and dream of Thistle.

Operation Holiday Glam

Every year my husband's company holds a holiday party and every year I find myself down at Marshalls or TJ Maxx desperately trying on dresses. In my early 30s when I was single and had a corporate career, I owned a closet full of party dresses. Now my closet is filled with jeans, stripey t-shirts and a whole lot of wool sweaters--clothing befitting of a suburban stay-at-home mom. Glamour gets short shrift at Casa HailBritannia. :-/

Last year a few of the women dressed to the nines: gowns! Sequins! Cleavage! By comparison I felt under-dressed in my sweater dress, tights, and boots. I made a vow that night for holiday party 2013, I'd dress in something a little more glam.

The original plan involved silk Shantung and a vintage 50s ballgown pattern, but I've had to scale back Operation Holiday Glam as I recover from my herniated disc. I've always wanted a long, swishy taffeta skirt, and since a skirt is fairly easy to make, plans have been modified. I had a Living Social gift certificate for Fabric Place Basement in Natick, so last week I braved the chill and pre-holiday shoppers so I could get a small jump on things.

It took me two hours of walking around the huge, cavernous store to decide. I really wanted a tartan plaid, but come on--that's not glam, that's just giving in to my Anglophilia. Then I fell in love with some gold double-weight silk charmeuse...until I saw the $49.99 a yard price tag. Yikes!



I finally settled on three yards of iridescent gold/green taffeta. It's not silk but the fabric manager promised me it sews "like cotton." I even had enough money on my gift certificate to buy some gorgeous dark green Bemberg rayon to line the camel windowpane plaid wool cape I'm making...you know, so I can look like a female Sherlock Holmes out on my bike. ;-)

The plan is to make the skirt over the next week -- I'm pretty sure I can do it without a pattern. (Pattern? Who needs a pattern!?!) I'm thinking gentle gathers with a waistband--not too poofy--with a matching sash to tie around. I might even be able to get away with an elastic waistband, especially if I go with the sash.

As for the top, I have an Anne Fontaine blouse (white, of course) I bought in Paris: it's pretty but a wee staid. So now I'm wondering if I have time to whip up a simple short-sleeved sweater out of something like Rowan Kid Silk Haze? Perhaps the wiser course of action is to look for an angora sweater I can buy off the rack before my 2014 ready-to-wear clothing fast begins.

 

 

A ready-to-wear fast in 2014

Ok, I did something crazy yesterday ... I committed to a ready-to-wear fast in 2014. That's right: I made a commitment that I would buy no clothing from January 1, 2014 all the way through December 31, 2014. Instead, if I need clothing, I will either sew it or knit it. I'm making an exception for bras, underwear, athletic socks/tights, shoes, purses, and belts, all items I don't tend to overspend on, except for bras, which are a necessary expense for my girls. I haven't purchased a belt in donkey's years, so who knows if I'll get to it ... and maybe I'll make one instead!

Why am I doing this? The main reason is that I like to challenge myself and was encouraged by Sarah at Goodbye Valentino, who went on a ready-to-wear fast a couple years ago and is doing it again in 2014. I was blown away by the beautiful clothing she created during that year (and beyond) and was doubly impressed when I learned she hadn't really sewn much in the 25 years prior to making that commitment.

I sewed or refashioned a lot of my clothing in high school, but put my machine away once I went to college where I took up knitting. (Smith College has a strong knitting tradition among students.) During my late 20s and 30s, I sewed mostly home dec, then when my son was born, I started sewing for him. Sewing kids clothes helped me hone my skills so that when I gingerly started sewing for myself again, I had more successes than misses. I'm confident of my basic skills.

Other reasons for a ready-to-wear fast include not wanting to buy cheap throwaway clothing created in an exploitative economic system usually found in developing countries; a desire to wear clothing of impeccable quality (not that my skills are impeccable, but at least I can get the details the way I want them); to eliminate the bulk of my extensive fabric stash; to improve my SAHM jeans-and-t-shirt wardrobe to something a little more tailored and elegant; to give myself a creative outlet from my day job as a freelance journalist; and maybe to save a bit of money, although don't kid yourself--home sewing can be an expensive hobby, especially if you're anything like me and swoon over fabrics like silk charmeuse, Irish linen, and wool from Scotland.

It's a bit mad to commit to this: 2014 is going to be a crazy-busy year for me. Economic circumstances dictate that I put off the MSW, so my co-author (and friend) Linda and I are building up our Renegade Writer business. We have big goals with lots of deadlines attached to them. On the other hand, most people who sew (and knit!) have full-time jobs, too.

So wish me luck if you're so inclined. And if you're interested in giving up ready-to-wear clothing, you can commit to it on Sarah's blog. I'll be curious if you go through with it as I plan to do. :)

I'm getting a jump on 2014 by heading off to Staples to print out a pattern for my next project: Liesl & Co's Woodland Cape! I mentioned this pattern last week on the blog. It's not quite Sherlock Holmes, which I think would look a tad ridiculous on me, but cape-y enough to satisfy. I bought this camel/rust/olive windowpane wool at Fabric Mart a couple weeks ago, and I'll be lining it with olive Bemberg rayon I bought at Fabric Place Basement in Natick. The only thing left to purchase are three leather toggles and two buttons.

 

Flora Poste's hat

One of my favorite rainy day films is Cold Comfort Farm. It's funny, the dialogue is a treat for the ears, and it's just one of those movies that puts me in a good mood.

In the scenes where Flora Poste (played by Kate Beckinsale) travels to the farm from London, she's wearing a jaunty cream-colored knit cloche:



This summer Churchmouse Yarns & Tea released a pattern based on this hat and sponsored a knitalong on Ravelry. While I completed the cloche in record time, it took me a few months to photograph the final result:



Full Ravelry details here.

I purchased the yarn at WEBS this summer, fully intending to select the cream-colored Blue Sky Alpaca Silk, but in hand I felt kind of meh about it. This lovely grapey purple spoke of fall to me, so I went with that instead. The hat's a little snug--my noggin's on the large side--but I've also had my hair cut since the summer so I've got some reduced bulk to fit under there when winter comes. It's not my warmest cap, but it's certainly my most elegant knit topper.

September is kicking my butt, thus why I've been so quiet. O is slowly easing into middle school, although the transition hasn't been the smoothest. He's not a morning person, nor am I, so the 7:15 a.m. bus arrival has been a trial by fire for both of us. Luckily the school is an easy bike ride on the trail, unlike his elementary school, which was a good four miles on the other side of town. O also has a lot more homework, and with my studying for nursing school I'm exhausted by 8 or 9 p.m. Everything has suffered--blogging, housework, keeping up with family and friends--but this week feels a little more settled. Fingers crossed!

 

 

Betty Draper's nightgown

When I modeled my newly sewn nightgown for my husband, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Mad Men?"

Ah, he knows me too well. I saw this Burda pattern (#7109) at Joann's earlier this summer and had to have it because the long gown looked like a nightie Betty Draper would wear. I think she's borderline despicable, but that said, I do love her fashion style: classic and preppy with a hint of sexy. I also love the idea of looking halfway appealing at bedtime; it's all to easy to throw on a baggy t-shirt and call it a night.

My mother and I went on a fabric shopping trip last weekend to one of our favorite shops in Worcester. Normally I find only a bolt or two of fabric that interests me, but this time I walked away with nearly 20 yards of fabric for nightgowns, blouses, and a skirt. (And my mother paid for it all. I have such an enabling nice mom!)

This long gown takes nearly four yards of fabric to make, so I cut into the fabric length I liked least for my test run. The fabric washes beautifully -- no wrinkles fresh out of the dryer! -- and it responded well to pressing. I love Burda's designs, but their directions are terrible, I suppose because they're very bad translations of German. I ended up winging it on my own with good results. Really, most of my time was spent tracing out the pattern and cutting it from the fabric. Next time I make this, I'll drop down another size given that I have  narrow shoulders and Germans don't. Also the directions didn't include instructions for stay-stitching the neck and armholes, which I think is an important step to avoid distortion in the finished neckline and armholes. Although it looks long on the dress form, the gown is a perfect length for me at 5' 6". The bodice neckline is trimmed with cotton eyelet lace, and the ribbon is a simple 3/8"-wide ribbon I picked up at Joann's.

I'll definitely be sewing up a couple more and getting my Betty Draper on!

Anniversary gift

Our fourteenth wedding anniversary is coming up in two weeks so I've decided to sew my husband a proper men's shirt. What am I, crazy? More like over-confident, LOL. I've been altering his shirts for a few years, going so far to shorten the sleeves and redo his cuffs. I know this is a big job because his tailor in Cambridge quoted him $35 per shirt and when I heard that, I insisted I do the work myself. I must have done a pretty good job because when I was up in his closet just now, rifling through his shirts, I couldn't tell which shirts I'd altered. I only figured it out by measuring the sleeves against shirts I haven't gotten to yet.

I'm hoping he'll be pleased. One of his fantasies is having his shirts custom made. I've offered in the past, but he's not very encouraging of my sewing. In our generation, home sewing was on the outs and the only reason why I'm into it is because I grew up wearing beautiful clothes my mother made for me. No one guessed that the smocked dresses and embroidered collars were -sniff- "homemade."

I'm thinking about giving him the finished shirt and not saying anything about making it myself until he tries it on (and, knock wood, loves it!). Then maybe he'll get a clue. And I hope he really does love it because I'm knocking myself out altering the pattern to fit his slim physique! I found a surprisingly nice cotton shirting in 100% cotton at Joann Fabrics last weekend (40 percent off to boot, woo-hoo!), which will look great on him; blue is definitely his color.

Next up is to cut out the pieces in muslin and machine baste them together to get a sense of how it'll all go together. Having a three-dimensional garment to compare to a shirt that fits him well will also help me. I'm thinking about blindfolding him when he gets home and have him try on the muslin, but I'm afraid the blindfold idea will get him thinking about some other kind of birthday present, LOL. (If my mother-in-law is reading this, I'm just kidding. Really!)

The Great British Sewing Bee finale

If you're wondering who won the Great British Sewing Bee, here's the finale:



Did you like this show? Will you watch another season? (Please BBC ... make the next season longer!) Are you happy with who won?

The Norwegian sweater project

Yes, I know this is supposed to be a blog celebrating all that's British, but let's ignore that for a minute so I can tell you about a knitting project I have planned for this summer.

Back in the 80s I owned a navy blue LL Bean Norwegian sweater that I loved with all my heart even though it was huge on me. I wore it through college, on casual days at work, even as a jacket of sorts on cold winter days -- it was that warm. I'm not sure what happened to it -- it may be packed up in a box out in our storage container -- but I've been longing to wear one again.

In the 1990s, LL Bean discontinued selling this classic sweater but, due to customer demand, brought it back a few years ago. Sadly, they seem to have changed the sweater a bit. The old sweaters had a bit of rayon in them, and the cuffs on the newer sweaters aren't as sturdy and sprongy as the old cuffs. Reviewers complain of the sweater feeling lighter and less rugged than the classic sweaters of years past.

So I've decided to knit my own this summer.

The LL Bean version is boxy -- there's no shaping around the waist -- and at my age, I do need a little shaping to avoid looking like a linebacker for the New England Patriots. Shaping will be easy enough to accomplish if I knit my own version. I was thinking of using Elizabeth Zimmerman's EPS system to create my sweater, but this will create raglan sleeves and the LL Bean version has set-in sleeves. Ideally I'd like to knit the sweater in the round as opposed to knitting it flat; stranding on the purl side is no fun. But it seems like if I knit in the round from the bottom up, I'll have to cut steeks for the armholes ... unless I figure out how to knit it top down.



I bought some test wool last week when I was down at my mother's house in Mystic, some Nature Spun Sport in "blueberry" and "cream" for swatching. The blue is a little bluer than I wanted, but yarn that was marked "navy" looked almost black, so I went with the lighter color. It looks like the pattern is easy enough, a square of four rows and four stitches width. The only trick will be shaping on the sides. The LL Bean version is seamed on the sides and some of the white stitches are crowded together, so I don't think my un-seamed version will look too weird.

Hmmm. I'm never done something this adventurous before, so any advice is welcome!

Fancy a granny who knits?

Now here's a great idea ... Grannies, Inc., a company where you can order knitwear knit by none other than real British grannies. Brilliant!

I almost couldn't believe Grannies, Inc. existed, but it's totally legit. If you don't have a British granny of your own who can knit, just hire one! It doesn't matter where you are in the world, or what you want knitted -- the site has some standard items like hats, scarfs, and mitts, but if you want your hired granny to knit you a pink jumper with purple sheep, she can most likely do it for you. The standard items are all knit in 100% merino wool spun in Devon, but if you're allergic to wool? They'll happily make substitutions. You can let your granny know how you'd like your hat knit, and the prices are reasonable given the labor (and love!) that will go into each hat -- for example, a medium purple beanie with white stripes will cost £34 (roughly U.S. $54.75). They don't even charge extra for moss stitch!

What I really loved about the service is that you can choose the granny you want knitting for you. I wondered if all the knitters had to be grandmothers, but it looks like some of the knitters aren't technically grannies ... just women who love to knit. What a great concept on so many levels. The concept supports the local economy, it keeps women working and producing a product that's highly valued, and it's preserving a handcraft. Love it!

Were I not a rabid knitter myself, I'd put in an order. Hey, maybe I will considering I have six pairs of mittens to knit by Christmas! Has anyone here tried them or would be tempted to try? Let me know in the comments!

Thrift store finds

Last week I finished a massive closet purge and discovered that I'm in dire need of bottoms. I have only three pairs of pants that fit me well, one of which is a pair of gym pants. And all my skirts are too summery for the winter months. It was definitely time for some clothes shopping.

Now, I dislike shopping for clothes but since I've discovered thrift shopping, it has become a lot more fun. You never know what you'll find poking through a rack of clothes at Goodwill, Savers, or the local church charity shop, plus I like recycling clothing. I would say that 75 percent of my working wardrobe has been acquired through second-hand shopping, except for underwear and knitwear. Of the remaining 25 percent, I'd say half of those items I've sewn and the remaining picked up at places like Target, like t-shirts. Many times I come away from a thrift shop empty-handed, but other times I score.

This weekend I scored.

A nice wool and mohair coat, $13.99. Jones NY, not exactly designer, but nice!

Gorgeous wool skirt from Talbots, $9.99

And a pair of jeans, which I'm wearing (paid $4.99 for them).

I've packed up the coat into my bike grocery bag for a trip to the dry cleaner -- I noticed a lot of hair on it (not mine) and it looks like it could use some spiffing up. It's a brownish gray, a nice neutral for all the colorful knit accessories I have. As for the skirt, it still had the original sales tags on it, and those fall colors of olive, maroon, and camel are totally my colors.

Olympic Fever!

Friends and family keep asking me, "Don't you wish you were in London right now?" Guess they don't know me very well because my idea of hell is being stuck in loud, sweaty crowds with no easy means of escape. Not to mention if you want to watch the Olympics, the best seat in the house is usually at home where you can see everything much better thanks to network cameras. I'll save London for another day. I'm content to see the sights from this side of the ocean.

I did stay up last night to watch the opening ceremonies. Well done, I thought. Not much of a surprise there as I like Danny Boyle, but I did find it odd that it overly emphasized British literature, film, and music over than sport and athleticism. I'm not going to complain, though, because the soundtrack was outstanding: the Clash, Bowie, the Sex Pistols, the Chemical Brothers, the Pet Shop Boys, Clapton, and more. We did not see Elton John or Coldplay. And I loved that when Queen came on, their music got an extra cheer from the crowd.

Speaking of queenly matters ... did you like the James Bond short? I thought it was fun. And good for the Queen for playing along, although she looked rather glum all night.

Another thing I enjoyed about Boyle's direction? The homage to Britain's sense of humor. The Brits just don't take themselves so seriously, unlike Americans. (A huge generalization, I know.)  I doubt you'd see the likes of an American director let someone like Rowan Atkinson goof around with a renowned orchestra. I mean, look how offended we get when Ricky Gervais pokes fun at Hollywood celebrities? Wait -- I guess it's the Hollywood celebrities who get offended. But I stand by my original assertion.

I loved the look of the Ralph Lauren-designed uniforms for the U.S. athletes, though I was dismayed to find out they were made in China. Grr. And while I've seen the athletic wear that Stella McCartney designed for Team UK, I wasn't thrilled with the look of the uniforms they wore at last night's opening ceremony. (Those gold patches under their arms? Yuk.) I also liked Canada's outfits -- they were simple, but really stood out.

Anyway, it was a pleasant way to spend the evening and I managed to get a good bit done on my 2012 Ravellenic Games entry, my Go America! socks:



I had to rip them back a bit after I'd discovered I'd cast on an extra stitch, but otherwise good progress. This morning I manged to add another two inches to the leg, and I suspect by the end of the weekend I'll have the heel turned. My son is down in Connecticut this weekend, so I have some extra free time.

Are you watching the Olympics over the next several weeks? Are you participating in the 2012 Ravellenic games?

The Duchess Effect

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I've been seeing lots of stories recently about "The Duchess Effect" or "The Kate Effect," about how the Duchess of Cambridge's clothing choices are wielding considerable influence on the fashion industry, especially over the last year since her marriage to Prince William.

While I'm not a rabid royalty watcher, I have always felt sympathetic toward Kate (I'm sorry; I can't yet bring myself to call her Catherine.) I hated how the British tabloids trashed her and her family in the years before her marriage and can't help but feeling a bit of "haa haa on you" when I see these same tabloids tripping over themselves, breathlessly covering her every move. I don't think Kate has made one misstep, which has got to be hard with potentially billions of eyes on you every time you run out for a Starbucks.

I have noticed the effect the Duchess has on fashion. Indeed, I've even fallen head-over-heels in love with a shawl she wore while shopping (I blogged about it here) and the white coat she wore to Prince William's passing-out ceremony. But model my wardrobe after Kate's? Hmmm.

First, have you really studied a picture of her? She's TINY. Not short tiny, but skinny tiny. A single thigh of mine is bigger than her torso. Okay, not really, but let's just say a lot of the stuff she wears wouldn't look good on my "curves." For example, before she was married she was frequently photographed wearing skinny jeans stuffed into boots. First, I consider "skinny jeans" to be a pair of pants I can fit my butt into after a week of dieting. Second, if I stuffed my jean bottoms into a pair of skinny boots, I'd cut off circulation to my feet. The bottom line: where Kate looks slim and chic, I'd looked like an overstuffed sausage.

Then there's the fact that you have to shop to get Kate's look. And frankly, I hate to shop, except if the shopping involves yarn ... then I'm up for the game. But people who really love Kate's look must have to spend a fortune by quickly snapping up an original the moment Kate's photographed in it (the royal blue engagement dress by Issa) or spend too much time hunting down a knockoff.

And then there's that fact that I'm 17 years older than the Duchess. I'm more in Princess Diana's generation, but NOT Prince Charles's, thankyouverymuch. It's weird because I don't think the Duchess dresses in a particularly youthful manner (a criticism she receives from a lot of print journalists who cover fashion), but maybe it's that I don't place as much emphasis on fashion as I did in my 20s and early 30s, and go more for what looks good on me and what fits the life I have today. I'm more apt to look at a pair of wellies the Queen is wearing and wondering if they'd be a good choice for summer gardening ... or should I get less sexy rubber gardening clogs? Does that make sense?

I like seeing how her fashion choices inspire others, though. The blog What Kate Wore reports on everything Kate wears and gives details on where you can buy. The green shawl that I adore has its own Ravelry group. BurdaStyle offers pattern suggestions for Kate fans who like to sew. And not Kate fashion, but an Australian pattern company developed a pattern for "The Pippa Dress." Now that's something you'll never catch me in, although Gorgeous Things did "gorgeous things" with it ... and she's even in my generation! (She looks seriously stunning in it.) Don't sew or knit? The Daily Mail frequently covers Kate and will tell you what brand she's wearing.

So what do you think about all this "Duchess/Kate Effect" business? Do you think it will wear off? Do you catch yourself admiring certain clothes Kate wears or would you rather not be bothered? Please comment below. As for me, I'm sure I'll keep watching but I don't see myself patterning a wardrobe based on another person's look. I am, however, going to cast on that shawl. Kate seriously ripped off my style.