Stitches West 2016 - Haul!

Once again, I spent a wonderful weekend in February at STITCHES West - the local festival for all things fiber related. While I was there, I took a class on custom fitting a sweater, which I really loved. I also hit up the market pretty hard core.

Pictured to the left:
-Amish swift (in bag)
-Ball Winder (in box)
-Black Trillium Fiber Studio Gradient Set in Lilt Sock: Olive
-Black Trillium Fiber Studio Gradient Set in Lilt Sock: Gingersnap
-Miss Babs Yummy 2-ply: Russett
-Miss Babs Yummy 2-ply: Naked
-Miss Babs Yummy 2-ply: Stonewashed x4
-Miss Babs Yummy 2-ply: Raisinette
-Miss Babs Yummy 2-ply: Romy
-Miss Babs Yummy 2-ply: Oyster
-Miss Babs Yummy 2-ply: Taurus
-A Hundred Ravens Iachos: Lothlorien
-Miss Babs Wowza: Corset

MMMHH I CAN'T WAIT!

Linen Skirt

Unfinished Skirt at Stitches

This skirt is not actually made out of Linen yarn, nor does it use the Linen stitch, but it feels like Linen to me, and I like the name and texture, so it stuck.

I started this skirt back in October, after I got some yarn from Nicole in exchange for dog-sitting.  Following the Carnaby Skirt pattern, which is gorgeous, and I had been looking for an excuse to make a similar skirt, and here was this lovely yarn!

I added 4 stitches to the skirt to increase the length by one box-stitch repeat, and did 17 repeats of the pleats, but when I blocked it, it ended up being 6-8 inches too long around the waist.

I tried to fix this by only attaching one button, hoping that it would curve out and work well.  It didn't, but I wore it to the second day of Stitches WEST anyway, because I could, but never wore it again.

Until recently!

With the advice I got from my SnB-ers at Stitches, I decided to add some extra single-crochet rounds to the top to make it fit better.  The pattern had already called for two, so on going back, I started with the third, in which I did a single-crochet-2-together stitch in the center of each pleat.

I followed this with another single-crochet only band.  Then, on the next row, I did a single-crochet-2-together at each end, and also did a chain-1 and skipped a stitch to make an extra button-hole.  Ending on another single-crochet only band, I added the buttons, and I absolutely love the result.  Fits beautifully!

Ravelry Project

Duct Tape Dress Form

Tape Slippage!

I previously alluded to a project I had asked for help with while at the STITCHES cabin, and here is the big reveal!

I decided to try my hand at a duct tape double.  The idea is to make a dress form exactly conformed to your body.  With a base t-shirt, you start applying foundation layers of tape in specific areas, and then layer it on, trying not to squish your body or contort it with the tape.  When you're done, you cut yourself out of the back, right through the shirt, and then tape it back up, plug up the holes, and stuff it.

Here's a few tips I learned while making my own:

1. If, for whatever reason, you need to use colored duct tape, buy extra.  Those rolls are small.
2. When you are stuffing the tape, put teeny tiny bits in.  Slide your hand up the sides and stuff the batting in as much as possible.  Fill out the breasts as much as possible.  If you don't, you'll get to the end and realize that they've gone concave on you, and then have to rip it open and stuff it again.  You'll use a lot more than you think you will.  A lot.
3. Don't use old duct-tape.  As you can see in my lovely examples, it slides off, and suddenly your double is stretching by multiple inches, or even popping at the seams.  Which happens.  You won't realize until you flip it over.  Check.
4. Don't have super high expectations.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  We're at a two-thirds success rate in the Stitchers group.  Live and learn.
5. Whatever you do, do NOT watch Silence of the Lambs right before you make this.  Just don't.  It's a bad idea.  You'll feel the scissors on your back and... just trust me.

Captain Cardie and Booties

I'll get back to the other class I took at stitches at a later date (basically, when I have a finished object to show you).  In the mean time, I do want to catch up on my other projects.

In case you haven't noticed, I've been perpetually two months behind.  This can be a great thing when I spend weeks working on a big project, and in cases like birthdays and Christmas, when I can't post the projects until a later date.  In fact, this whole back up is basically because I made so much for Christmas last year that those gifts were still getting posted at the end of February.  Right now, though, I'm a little frustrated by it.  I might keep the posts at twice a week even after the Sophie's Universe CAL is finished to compensate.

Said Book

Anyway, back to what I was saying.

Over Christmas, I got some lovely knitting pattern books from the Mister's parents, and one of them happened to be a baby book.  At first, Randall and I looked at each other, wondering if this was a hint, but we were quickly assured otherwise, and life as usual resumed.

I ended up knitting a couple things from this book when my co-worker went on maternity leave.  Having just returned from STITCHES, where I learned to knit continental (as a result of knitting with one yarn in each hand for my tam), I chose to force myself to knit the whole sweater continental, and the booties as well.

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, and I now feel reasonably comfortable with continental knitting, which is a plus for sure.

The pattern was extremely confusing and poorly written, though.  I had to have some of the Stitchers help me figure it out.

I also used the Debbie Bliss yarn from STITCHES, so no new yarn purchased!  Win!

Ravelry Project: Sweater
Ravelry Project: Booties

Fair Isle Tam

Last week, I wrote about my adventures at Stitches West and how on Saturday, I took a class on Traditional Fair Isle Tams.

I must say, it was worth it.  Best money I've ever spent.

The class was with Beth Brown-Reinsel of KnittingTraditions.com, and she was one of the most wonderful knitting teachers I've ever had.  Everything that she said was clear and concise.  She taught multiple methods for each technique, but never in a way where you got them confused with each other.  She broke the group up into small sections so you could see better, but you never felt like you had to wait for her, since there was always something more to do.

She taught extensively about Tams themselves, their construction, and their makeup, and with the nature of Tams as they are, you were able to work steadily as she went around from person to person and checked your work.

The class was over a morning and afternoon session, each one three hours, so it was a long day, but it didn't feel like it.  By the end of the class, I had almost finished the Tam, and quickly finished it up and wove the ends in that night at the house with the ladies.

The end result was a child's Tam, which was a little sad because you couldn't wear your accomplishment right away, but I think it would probably have been overwhelming if we had tried to make an adult tam in that time.

She also had dozens of beautiful examples and tips for great ways to improve our knitting as we went on and other resources to use to create our own patterns.  We got to experiment with color (and I learned that I probably should have switched the green and orange placements in my tam).

I am so glad I took this class.

Oh, and here's my cute little finished tam!

Ravelry Project

STITCHES West (Or, my conversion)

Saturday Getup

As I mentioned last week, I attended STITCHES West this February.

It was my first event of its kind, and it was incredible.

There were rows and rows of booths, hundreds of them, and amazing classes, and people everywhere that appreciated my knitwear.  And things to learn and things to do and things to make and camaraderie to be had and things to buy!

I fell in love.

Sunday Getup

My local Stitch 'n Bitch group decided to drive down for the weekend and rent an AirBnB.  It was a delightful, amazing weekend, where I finished my Field to Forrest socks, and began a project I will surely post on soon!

It was my first time, and so I went all in and attended nine hours of classes, and I loved them all!

And you know what I figured?  I figured I'd wear as much knitwear as possible, because it was the only time it could be appreciated, right?

So, on Saturday, I wore:

• Christmas Skirt
• Song of the Sahara
• Custom-Fit Sweater
• Field to Forrest Socks

Miss Babs Yowza

And I took a class on
Traditional Fair Isle Tams.

Debbie Bliss Blue Faced Leicester

On Sunday, I wore:

• Custom-Fit Sweater
• Chad Lake Scarf
• Linen Skirt (more on that later)
• Little Bitty Socks

And I took a class on Knit Quilts.

At the market, I bought:

• Four hanks of Miss Babs Yowza in Espresso for a specific, secret project
• Ten skeins of Debbie Bliss Blue Faced Leicester in Amber, since everyone I know is having babies
• Circular Blocking Wires for shawls, scarves, and blankets



Bar Maids Buys



Blocking Wires

• Bar Maids Cuticle Stick and Lotion Bar

(Don't worry, all of this fell into the third clause of my Cold Sheep Commitment.)

And I absolutely will be returning next year!  I can't wait!