The Boalsburg Top

Hello, hello!  I'm back again!

I've been pattern testing for Itch to Stitch* again and this one is such a good one! Ok - I've pretty much loved every pattern that I've tested for Kennis.  I do realize I'm probably a broken record on that subject, but they just always fit me so well.  I've made so many of her patterns over the years and I don't think I've ever been disappointed in any of them.  Some of them maybe my fabric choice has led to me feeling kind of "meh" about them, but certainly not the pattern's fault.  It's as though she creates her patterns just for me! LOL!

So let me introduce you to this newest pattern.  Boalsburg is a dropped shoulder beauty that allows for either colour blocking or a single colour sweater with some interesting seam details.  My favourite thing about it is the fact that it's allowed me to use up some randoms bits and bobs of fabric in my stash that weren't big enough for any single project.  

Stash busting is one of my goals this year. Obviously not one I'll stick to rigidly. I'm not about to sign up for the Last Sewist Standing Challenge or anything like that.  I'm still going to get new fabric and not feel badly about it - I love being part of the Minerva Ambassador team, so I'll have new fabric coming to me through that, and sometimes a project just calls for something that I don't have readily at hand.  But my thought is, that if I have something suitable, I'll try to use stash fabric first when possible.  I'm going to see if I can take the stash down at least a bit this year, because my sewing room is slowly being taken over by it.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand.  The Boalsburg.  My first one was a wearable toile basically.  I didn't finish any of the seam allowances and didn't worry too much about my thread not matching well because I wasn't terribly sure how I would feel about it.  I felt a bit iffy about my fabric choices.  Now I'm thoroughly annoyed with myself because I love it and wish I'd taken more care in the inner details. Thankfully no one but me can see those minor details and because the fabric is jersey, it's not going to fray at all, so no need to worry there.

As I said, this first version is jersey and made entirely from fabrics from the Fabric Snob's Luxe Solids line.  The Thistle coloured one was leftover from my Sunday Romper I made a few summers ago.  The black from my sweater knit/jersey Lamma Hoodie and the grey I can't remember what it was used for.  

For my second version, I dug through my bins of fabric and found some sweater knits all of the same weight and gave that a go.  This time I used matching thread and finished off all the seam allowances with my serger so that I'd be just as happy with the outside as the inside of my sweater.  

The dark grey fabric was from a Blackwood Cardi I made for my daughter several years ago, the blue from a Blackwood I made for my mama for Christmas this year and the light grey from my Coimbra Wrap Top that I made last winter!

This is the softest, snuggliest sweater ever!  I'm so impressed with how it all came together. And will get lots of wear out of it.  It's a nice light weight so perfect for the days where I want to wear a sweater, but nothing too heavy.  

I've thought about making a single colour Boalsburg.  Several testers did, and they look fabulous, but I feel when a colour blocking/stash busting opportunity presents itself I should take full advantage of it!

The Boalsburg will be on sale for the release week over on the Itch to Stitch website if you're wanting to pick up a copy for yourself.

A Wooly Catch Up

Well hello dear reader!  How are we already into February? It's shocking how time flies lately!  Is it too far into the year to wish you all a Happy New Year?  I hope your 2024 has started out well.

Anyways, I thought I'd pop on here to share a project I fully intended to share as soon as it was finished.  An honest to goodness knitting project!  If you follow on Instagram, you'll already have seen it a few times, but for those of you who don't, may I present my Lately Pullover!  It was a new pattern release last summer from the talented Shannon of Very Shannon Knits.  

As soon as she released it, I was OBSESSED.  I was also completely obsessed with knitting it in my cranberry coloured Estelle Eco Shetland Worsted yarn that I'd purchased a year earlier at Wolseley Wool during a sale. Unfortunately I didn't have enough yarn.  I knew I would be at least a skein, possibly even more, short.  I checked Wolseley Wool, but of course they no longer had any in stock.  So I started scouring the Internet for the more yarn, because I just couldn't let go of the obsession of using that particular yarn for that particular pattern.  I found some at Purlin' J's Yarn Emporium in Ontario and decided to order another two skeins, busily trying to plan the best way to combine what would obviously be two different dye lots.

Imagine my surprise when my yarn arrived and it was the exact same dye lot!  What are the chances of that happening?!?  Two different stores, from two different provinces, bought a year apart.  I couldn't believe my luck!  Obviously my Lately Pullover was meant to be.

I started knitting it mid-July, crazily thinking that maybe I could get it done so I could wear it during our Newfoundland trip in August, but alas, of course I didn't get it done.  I knit quite a bit of it through football practices, but it's hard to knit a wool sweater outside in the blazing heat of summer.  So I changed my deadline and decided that having it done before the freezing cold of winter would be good timing.

I did it!  My pullover was finished in November.  It took me about a month to actually block and unfortunately it's not got as much wear as I thought it would.  Not because I don't love it.  I do.  I absolutely do.  It's because this winter has been mostly a non-winter. El Nino has definitely put a damper on wearing warm wool sweaters.  I mean, it was +5C in Manitoba in January last weekend.  That's absolutely crazy - not to mention not just a bit disconcerting environmentally wise!!!!

But my pullover is at the ready for when the temps dip and I do want a cozy, warm layer.  (At least there's been a few times I could wear it and not be at risk of sweating to death, but certainly not as much as I had envisioned!)

It did kick off a renewed love of knitting again and I've got several projects on the go currently and finished quite a few as well.  More on that another day... Right now I've got to get myself off the computer and down to the sewing room.  I have a few things on the go there too that I really want to get working on!  I'm taking part in the #FinishItQal over on Instagram hosted by Village Bound Quilts this month and I'm not going to get anything finished if I don't get at it!