Hinterland dress

Once upon a time I decided to wear dresses more often. I made a couple of Hinterland dresses (pattern by Sew Liberated). Then I made a sleeveless one, and another. Then a long sleeved one, and another. Then more short sleeved ones. Then I tried a couple without the front placket and buttons and now I think I’ve probably got enough to keep me happy and clothed without feeling like I’m wearing the same thing all the time. I’m not saying I’ll never make another but I think it’s time to branch out and try some different patterns.

Anyway here are the latest two, one royal blue broadcloth and one starry navy broadcloth. I’ve changed to using bias binding for the neck facing to save on fabric and can get a short sleeved version out of 2 metres instead of 2.5.

Pattern: Hinterland Dress by Sew Liberated

Fabric: Royal blue broadcloth and navy with stars broadcloth, 2 metres of each

Notions: Thread and bias binding

Notes: Cut skirt length to part way between the two shortest on the pattern. No front placket, bias binding for the neck facing (joined at centre back)

Meadow Skirts

I’ve been overhauling my wardrobe over the last couple of years and one of the staples I’ve made a lot of is Twig and Tale’s Meadow skirt. I make it without the ties as they never want to stay where I put them in front and annoy me when sitting if they tie in the back. Otherwise I’m really happy with the pattern and make it as written. I especially like the pockets.

This version is made from 1 metre of extra wide quilt backing in a linen look pattern. Grey on grey patterning. I was worried it was going to be a bit stiff but a couple of times through the wash and it’s settled down nicely. Grey because I needed another skirt to wear with black shirts and not be black all over. I also recently sewed a lightweight denim one with printed stars.

Pattern: Meadow Skirt by Twig and Tale

Fabric: Linen look cotton extra wide quilt backing – 1m of 2.75m wide fabric

Notions: thread and 3/4″ elastic for the back waist.

Notes: no ties, slightly lengthened the elastic as it is a bit firm

Taggy Dinosaurs

The youngest and I recently attended a 1 year old’s birthday party. The wee girl is her favourite person to see on the school run (she’s in the same class as her big brother) and we thought we’d better come up with a present. With no time to go shopping and nothing in the present stash suitable for toddlers it had to be a me made. With two older brothers in the house I figured dinosaurs might be a hit and had a quick Google for ideas. Popping out was this idea of a stegosaurus with ribbon tags for the spikes. I’ve made taggie items before for toddlers so this appealed and had the advantage of using some of my ribbon stash. I ended up with two as the first smaller one was made of too think material and I struggled to turn it out. I then made the bigger one but my daughter convinced me to finish the little one as well even if it did end up with a slightly wonky leg and tail stitching.

Pattern: from bubbles and bobbins here

Materials: scrap lightweight denim and cord. Some scrap quilting cotton for the spots. Embroidery thread for the eye. Various ribbons.

Modifications: I added the appliqué spots. I ended up cutting out the dinosaur with seam allowance even though the pattern tells you not too and found it much easier to work with. I embroidered the eyes with a few stitches of double up embroidery cotton. The mouth is narrow, close zigzag on the machine.

Iggy Iguana

Sometimes you just get a hankering to make something new and given I’ve been busy with making jumpers for me I really wanted to work on something completely different. A birthday invitation for the littlest was a good start and after messaging the wee one’s mum I settled on a pink and purple lizard. Ravelry to the rescue and I found an amazing looking iguana pattern crocheted from dk weight yarn. I had the scraps, the safety eyes and the wire so decided the pattern purchase was worth it. It was a bit of a push to finish it in 10 days or so but I’m so happy with how it came out.

Pattern: Igee the red iguana by Banga Vaicekauskienė

Yarn: DK scraps in dark pink, purple, yellow, and black. 4ply in pink. Scrap sock yarn for the speckles.

Hook: 2.5mm and 1.75mm

Ravelry project page: here

Notes: Didn’t wire the body but did wire the legs. Only 3 colours for stripes so combined red and brick red into same colour. Similarly brown and dark brown. Ran out of yarn when doing the legs so used the stripe purple to finish the back ones.

OWLS

In contrast to the previous sweater OWLS was super fast, knitted in just over a month. I have knitted this before, way back in 2010 and then the baby version (owlet) at the end of 2018 (in around a week!) for my youngest. My original didn’t fit anymore and was donated in a wardrobe clear out but I did love it and missed it. The last one was grey but I’ve gone for a dark purple this time (the picture is lying!, the ravelry project page has more accurate ones) with brass buttons. I’m really happy with it and looking forward to wearing it through the winter.

• OWLS by Kate Davies
• Yarn is Cascade Yarns 128 Superwash in Italian Plum
• Needles are 5 and 6mm
• Knit as written
• Ravelry project page: here

Polwarth

I started knitting this jumper back in July but took quite some time to get it finished after struggling with the slow progression of a fingering weight sweater. I’m pretty happy I persevered though as lightweight sweaters are pretty handy. I love the simplicity of the design and I’m pleased with my yarn choice.

• Polwarth by Ysolda Teague
• Yarn: Garnstudio Drops Merino in grey
• Needles: 3.25mm and 2.75mm
• Notes: Sized up one size on the sleeves by adding extra stitches at the underarms. Seems to have been the right decision
• Ravelry project page: here

Apparently it’s 2021

Last year was a bit chaotic and I don’t actually remember what my goals were at the beginning of the year, indeed I had quite forgotten them by halfway through.

I did enjoy doing a lot more drawing and embroidery in 2020. I missed my sewing machine in the 8 months I didn’t have it. I didn’t seem to accomplish much knitting or crochet. 

We moved house twice – first in with my parents in Wellington short term which turned into 8 months and then to Wakefield at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. The kids went to school in Scotland, remote schooled for 15 weeks with their Scottish school, attended school in Wellington for a term and a half and then had 3 and a half weeks at their new school in Wakefield. They have been remarkably resilient during the whole year.

We now live on a lifestyle block in a beautiful part of the country up on a hill with views of hills and out to the sea. The garden is amazing and it is lovely to have so much space around us.

I was the lucky recipient of a hand me down spinning wheel just before Christmas as well as a loom. The loom has yet to be explored but I have been enjoying the wheel.

I am crocheting Wee Man a blanket and have plans to build him a bed once the workshop is all sorted and I acquire some wood.

I hope to do more watercolour painting this year as well as improve my drawing. I have four projects ready to sew. I’m embroidering another door and I’m waiting for hoops to turn up so I can get all the completed ones from last year framed. I hope to do some more yarn dying and maybe try dying some fibre. There are a number of things in my Ravelry queue I’d like to knit and crochet and I still need to finish furnishing our new house.

I hope that 2021 is more predictable than last year.

FO: Yeti

Although Wee Man hasn’t read the Beast Quest book with him as the title character he is very keen on Nanook the Yeti/Abominable Snowman. This is a modification of Choly Knight’s adorable sloth pattern as it was closer to what I had in mind than the Yeti patterns I found. I left of the velcro, added ears, and modified the eyes and mouth. The fun for was not too bad to work with though stitching the neck was not exactly easy but wearing a black dress with white fun fur was not the best plan.

Pattern: Sloth by Choly Knight

Fabric: 2 A4 sheets of blue felt plus scraps of black and white. I purchased half a metre of fun fur, it was super wide so I only used around half.

Notes: modified eyes with white backing, shape from the Night Fury pattern. Skinny nostrils in black. No velcro on hands and feet. Half moon ears – cut four stitch and turn them insert as stitching front and back heads together.

Notions: thread, seeing machine, hand stitching needle, stuffing.

FO: The Child

Someone’s big brother came home singing about this one and now she’s in love. A relative quick crochet ready for Christmas.

Pattern: Baby Yoda by octoberin_the chair (on Ravelry)

Yarn: Fawn and green Marvel 8ply acrylic

Hook: 4mms

Ravelry page: here

Belatedly November books

Very behind due to moving house last month and then being internetless for some time. December had this far been super busy and there probably won’t be a December books post given I haven’t finished any books so far.

 The Temeraire books are a re-read. I working on number three now. I think I read up to about book six and then never read the last ones so I’m starting a new read through.

I’m not sure I got much from Start Finishing but I could see that it would be good in a different brain space and it may get a another read one day.

Biased was good and I’d recommend it.