Re-Visiting My Childhood With New Socks

When I was a small child we used to get hand me down clothes from our cousins out west.  I remember one particular time the hand me downs included some crazy hot pink and bright purple socks.  Oh how I adored those socks.  Pink and purple!!!!! What's not too love?

I'm pretty sure my older sister did not love them.  I'm pretty sure they were a bit of a horror to her imppecable eye for fashion and aesthetics.  I'm pretty sure she likely still questions both my fashion sense and my ability to distinguish colours because my very favourite outfit at the time was my red Royal Stewart kilt paired with either my pink or purple socks.  Of course she may have been on to something because my very favourite outfit in high school was a rather questionable combination of a shaker knit sweater, a fully gathered skirt with cabbage roses on it, grey wool socks and desert boots.

Not really sure what I was thinking on either occasion.  But whatever.  All that is in the past.  I like to think that I look somewhat more put together when I leave the house these days.  All that being said, I am pretty sure I actually squealed in delight a few months ago when I received a little surprise in the post from my friend, Sally and Plymouth Yarn's Neon Now in super bright pink and purple greeted me when I opened the envelope.  Squee!  It's like the best of my little kid socks all rolled into one fabulous ball of yarn!!!

I wanted a pattern that would be simple, yet not mind-numbingly boring to knit and would highlight the fun colours of the yarn rather than obscure them with fussy patterning.  What I chose was Anne Campbell's Show Off Stranded Socks.  My socks took me a month to knit only because I was busy with a test pair of socks that I'll show you when the pattern is released.  They're actually a really quick knit great for working on when you don't want to have to pay too much attention to what you're doing.  It's a four row pattern repeat that has two of the rows as stockinette.  Easy peasy!  The gusset method was yet another new technique for me, but nothing daunting about it.

I was ever so proud of my matching skills for my socks.  See how well everything lines up?  But while I was busily patting myself on the back I decided during the knitting of sock number two that I should really rip back sock one and do it a few rows longer because it really was on the verge of being annoyingly small on me.  No problem though.  Not with my matching prowess.  Except, well, something went amiss and now the tippity top of my toe (try saying that five times over quickly!) does NOT match.   Agggghhhhhh.  But, well, frankly I really don't care that it's off.  Well, actually I do, but not enough to rip out and try to rematch.  I could see that going absolutely no where fast.

So.  There you go!  Bright, fun, pink and purple socks that I can re-visit my childhood with.  It's not feeling like wooly sock weather right this moment with the sunshine and warm temperature, but come next winter, these are going to be a whole lot of fun on a dreary cold day!

The Dynamic Duo Get New Suits

Every little superhero needs a new suit eventually, so one of the things on my to do list was make a set.  Our preschool has a "Superhero Day" each spring, and last year when Little Man had his, I made a Green Lantern outfit.  I couldn't leave baby boy out of the fun, so he got a Flash outfit.  They loved their outfits and they are still in regular rotation as their alter ego pjs to this day.

Green Lantern and The Flash  - 2014

Earlier in the spring, Baby Boy started thinking about Superhero Day and wanted a new outfit to wear.  Batman and Robin were chosen, which I thought quite apt for our little dynamic duo.  Of course thinking that last year's superhero day was at the end of May and this year's would likely be the same I procrastinated heartily... and then I got the calendar for April and oh dear me.  Superhero Day was on the 16th.  By the time I gathered fabric (Hello, Walmart men's t-shirts!) and made a plan (and procrastinated some more) I left myself with about four days to come up with the new outfits.  WHY do I do that?  WHY?  All's well that end's well, but I was pushing it just a bit I felt.

I used a mash up of a couple different patterns to make this year's superhero outfits. Batman encorporated : See Kate Sew's Surfer Slacks, Kwik Sew 2092 (out of print but apparently still available through places such as Ebay) as well as my self designed freezer stencil appliqué.  Robin's used : Kwik Sew 2092 and vintage Simplicity 6427 (my go to pj pattern for Little Man - I'm so excited that Baby Boy is about ready to grow into it!) and of course a self drafted appliqué.  The utility belts were also self drafted with bellows style pockets.  Masks were adapted from the felt mask templates I used for Little Man's party favours last summer. I never did get capes made, but luckily enough their little capes I made a couple years ago still fit and were happily traded around to suit their outfits.

Despite the rush I really did have fun making them and every minute spent at my sewing machine over those few days was time well spent to see those happy little faces!

I also made them some much needed pj's a few weeks ago and had worried that I'd left it a little late in the season to make winter sets for them, but alas, Mother Nature keeps teasing us with spring and then slamming us once again with winter (Case in point :  Saturday was a glorious +22C.  Today it is below freezing, the ground is covered in snow and I played a rousing game of "let's try to keep the truck on the highway" this morning as I navigated the ridiculously icy roads)  So - once again a mash up of patterns - this time Fishstick Design's Pajama Party, Charlie Tee and once again the old tried and true Kwik Sew 2092.  It's about time I sewed these up.  When I bought the fabric it was to match their little Waldorf style gnome babies I made them... about two years ago.

 Last but not least I made them some super fun pillow cases on Sunday when I needed a wee break from my current test project.  Using a really simple and rather ingenious method that I found online they took me about half an hour to whip up (well - as long as we don't count the time it took me ripping out my inside out french seams - some days...) and the boys love them!  Baby Boy had picked out the Transformers fabric on a previous trip to the fabric store - I think I mentioned in my fabric post how the fabric was CRAZY expensive even at half off, so I only got a smidge of it (luckily the lady cutting it was on the generous side of cutting so I ended up with just enough) - and then both boys picked out the solid and contrast to go with it.  I think I'll definitely make them a few more (less expensive) pillow cases in the future!

So, as you can see, I've been slowly working through the list I made - although not necessarily in order.  Since we've had some inclement weather over the last few days my sewing room, which is also currently a playroom is a bit of a disaster with the boys spending more time down there instead of outside, so I think my next mission today is to clean that up a bit and then get back to working through the next few items on the list starting with my stitch ripper and I having a hot date while I do some fitting type mods to the test project.  (Note to self - fit first, do the finishing last)

Super Secret Sock Swap

What seems like ages ago a few of the moms in my "Octo-Mama's" group (we all met when we were expecting our October 2010 babies) on Rav decided we should do a sock swap.  We also decided to wait until the new year because we were all busy with holiday crafting madness and prep.  We got our swap partners assigned on Valentine's day and the socks were due to be mailed by April 14th.

My assignment wasn't really super secret given I was knitting for my friend Kim, who was actually hosting the swap, but I still kept all the details of the socks and the extra goodies secret.  I had such a hard time narrowing down what pattern to choose and what yarn to use.  Sometimes I am all but paralyzed by indecision.  It took me until the beginning of March to narrow it down and then only took me 13 days to knit my socks.  Unfortunately it took me forever and a day to decide on the extra goodies too.  (Indecision strikes again!) But I did finally decide, got to work and had them ready to go.  But then there was the mailing of them.  I'm not sure what it is that becomes so difficult about actually taking something to the post office and mailing it.  Possibly it's the fact that so often Canada Post is the bane of my existence with it's exorbitant rates and all the frustration that goes along with it.  I will never comprehend how it is that I can mail something out of country for less $$ than I can to mail it two provinces away.  HOW?!?!?!  It makes no blooming sense.  Anyways.  End of rant.

I finally willed myself to go to the post office on the 13th and amazingly enough (seriously - it's got to be some sort of postal miracle) my parcel arrived in Kim's mail box two short days later! I've had letters going down the block take longer to arrive!

So!  I know you're all dying to know what I settled on making.  I chose The Sky is the Limit by DXM patterns.  It's got a really interesting way of accommodating the gusset - the gusset (can it still be called that?!?) is achieved by increasing stitches along the top of the ankle and foot.  It also sports a short row heel that I'm really starting to get in the groove of knitting after making... oops! I almost spilled the beans about another super secret knitting project. Ahem... move along, nothing to see here.

Anyways - I loved the construction of The Sky is the Limit.  It was also easily customizable to Kim's size since the balance of the foot is just stockinette - the patterning being all in the leg and top of the foot near the heel, which was a bonus.  I used the unfortunately now discontinued Schaefer Anne yarn, that is a wonderful blend of merino/mohair/nylon and came in a huge 560 yd. skein.  It's the first time I have tried it and now wish I'd got more when it was still available.

For the crafted extra goodies I made a reversible sock WIP bag using the tutorial from Very Shannon (the reverse side is the rather quirky Knitmare on Elmstreet fabric by Michael Miller that I surprisingly had found last summer at my local Fabricland in the city).  I also made a notepad holder using the LBG Studio tutorial that I've used before and a set of stitch markers.

I was thoroughly spoiled by my partner, Christine (another fellow Canadian Octo-mama).  She knit me a gorgeous pair of socks that the pictures just can not do justice for.  The yarn she used is String Theory's Caper Sock which is a glorious merino/cashmere/nylon blend.  Is it wrong to want to pet my socks?  They're so soft and squishy.  She also included tea and chocolate in my goodies (as well as a lavender sachet to hang in my closet).  Christine knows me well.  Aren't these socks gorgeous?

The swaps in our group always run like a well oiled machine and are great - I've never regretted signing up for one (and there's been lots of them over the five or so years we've "known" each other.) I think there's only been one that I haven't participated in and that was because I had really dodgy internet access at the time.  The sock swap didn't disappoint!  It was lots of fun and thoroughly enjoyable!

Fabric Madness

I went fabric shopping yesterday and I went fabric shopping two weeks ago and somehow it has led to madness.  Especially given my sewing machine, which was an unfortunate Walmart Singer purchase about six or seven years ago, has been having fits lately and refusing to behave properly leading to much frustration, anxiety and foul language.

Some of the new fabric, washed folded and waiting to be pressed

Two weeks ago was for specific fabric for two test projects and denim for a pair of Ginger Jeans - why?!?  I know that the Goodtime Gal Singer won't handle denim - what delusion was I living under when I decided I could make myself jeans?!?!  Then yesterday was simply for 1.2 m of cotton to go with the .4 m of stupidly expensive Transformers print cotton that mysteriously ended up in my basket the last time.  (I say mysteriously, but Baby Boy was shopping with me, so there's not really a whole lot of mystery to it...) I decided to make pillow cases for the little boys with the print, but I refuse to spend over $20 to make a single pillow case. That's just crazy talk, thus the 1.2 m needed yesterday to pair with the print.  Of course one thing led to another...

Yup.  This is me.

I got the fabric I was after.  The boys picked out the colours they wanted.  But they were so very, very well behaved in the fabric store, which is very, very hard for two little boys to be, that when they asked if we could buy new fabric for summer pjs I said sure, and let them pick whatever they wanted.

Beautiful princess dress fabric

As we were wandering the store to pick out the pj fabric, Little Man came across a floral print he really wanted me to buy for myself.  I put it back on the table and we continued our hunt for his fabric, but he kept gravitating back towards the floral. Finally he pulled out the big guns.  "Mommy.  You should really buy this to make a pretty dress for yourself.  You will look like a beautiful princess in it."  SOLD.  How could anyone refuse that?

Then they both picked out their pj fabric, some fabric for a new handbag (I'm planning on Swoon Pattern's Blanche Barrel Bag) for me for spring and some cotton lawn for a spring top also for me.  See? Pure unadulterated madness.

So I need a list, and it needs to be prioritized. Because not pictured here are the test projects, the denim and the fabric for costumes/pjs promised for Superhero day at Baby Boy's preschool. (fair is fair and I made special ones for Little Man's Superhero Day last year so you know how it goes...). So onwards and upwards.  Let's get a handle on this fabric madness.  Maybe this list will keep me motivated, accountable and most of all ON TRACK.

1) Finish test project one Done!
2) Superhero costume/pj x2 (Batman and Robin.  By Wednesday.  Ack!!!!!) Done!
3) Finish test project two Done!
4) Crayon roll promised to good friend's little ones
5) Pillow cases x2 Done!
6) Spring top one Done!
7) Summer pjs x2
8) Blanche Barrel Bag
9) Summer Dress for me - can't decide what to do with my bright yellow floral... another Rebecca Shift, a Jamie with a 1/2 circle skirt, an Jenny with a 1/2 circle skirt or a Carolina Mae.  Maybe I'll just let the boys pick out the pattern too.
10) Baby gifts x 2 Done!

Oh and because I'm nothing if not crazy when it comes to crafting I'm also in the process of knitting a pair of socks for a test pattern and another pair of socks just because.

If you're looking for me, I'll likely be in the corner buried under stacks of fabric and tangled in sock yarn...

Jocole's Yoga Skirt... Finally

Under the realm of ridiculous, it has taken me almost a year to actually make this skirt.  Well, actually, not exactly...  I bought the yoga skirt pattern about year ago, I ordered the fabric from Girl Charlee about a year ago, I printed off and assembled the one (yes, one) pattern piece a year ago, and then I finally cut out and sewed the skirt last summer.  All that was needed as of about eight months ago was a waistband, which if I'd done the one for the pattern right there and then it would have taken me all of five minutes.  I have no idea why I didn't do it and furthermore why I waited so long.  As it is I have had the waistband done for a couple of weeks now, and all that was needed was to iron the skirt, take some photos and call it done.  What is it about this skirt?  Of course there is the obvious, it's been winter so who needs to hurry up and finish a spring skirt when the snow is falling, but other than that? There's really no reason it's taken me until now to finally get it done.

This, my friends, is the kind of pattern you can whip up in half an hour or less probably. Pre-shrinking your fabric definitely takes longer than cutting out and sewing this baby.  It's four seams (if you're doing the chevron like I did) or two if you're doing a solid colour and a waistband.  That's it. That's all.  Easy peasy.

Nice, neat and narrow.  Borrowing the Jade Skirt waistband.

The pattern calls for a yoga waistband (probably obvious given it's name is the Yoga Skirt), but as I've discovered through trial and error, while I like the idea of yoga waistbands, yoga waistbands do not like me. I either have to sew them so tight it's like a corset (Ick, ick, ick.  I hate tight waistbands) or they slip and slide down and I end up constantly hiking up my clothes, which is neither comfortable or ladylike.  I had an epiphany with this one after sewing Paprika Pattern's Jade skirt for G.  I really liked the shape of the waistband - it's curved, like the body I possess, not a straight rectangle, so I figured it would fit better right off the hop.  I am happy to say that I was correct in that assessment.  I still added elastic to the waistband for a sense of security since I was using a lighter weight knit, but it's comfy, the fit is great and I feel like I am safe to chase after dogs, or push little boys on swings without having to worry about my skirt slipping south.  Also the narrower waistband of the Jade Skirt leaves a lot less bulk than the straight rectangular folded over yoga bands do.  Who wants bulk at their waistline? Not me, thanks!  Not after the amount of Easter goodies I've consumed as of late, anyways!

I finally got it ironed, put it on and got (BF)G to snap a few photos for me while our Easter supper was cooking this afternoon.  It's freezing outside (literally and with a windchill none the less).  Five minutes before I ran in the house to change into my spring outfit I was actually wearing my parka, toque and mittens.  As soon as the photos were done I was back into jeans and winter wear again.  Brrrrrr.  Oh the sacrifices I make.  LOL

I can see adding more yoga skirts to my wardrobe for spring and summer.  I really like the ease and comfort of them.  Hopefully though my next ones will be done in a timely manner instead of the ridiculous long term plan I used for this particular one.

I have another skirt that I started early in the fall - the Miette skirt from Tilly and the Buttons that I finished up too the other day, but I need to do some major repair work to it.  I tried it on yesterday and noticed it was hanging really funny, which seemed sort of odd since I haven't seen any other Miettes in the blogosphere hanging the way mine was.  After close and painful inspection of it I realized what the problem was.  I don't know what I was up to the day I cut it out in the fall, nor the day a few weeks ago when I finally hemmed it and put the waistband on (yes... another waistband delay) but the hem is a good 3/4" out on one side compared to the other.  I'm really hoping I can selvedge it and still have it wearable.  I was going for a similar length to my yoga skirt, but I'm worried it's going to end up much shorter when all is said and done.  Wish me luck!  I'll either be back next with a new skirt or a sad tale of woe...