Stash Share!

I just got a bunch of new yarn, to design a bunch of new patterns. It's very exciting.  Here is a little taste of what I got.

This is a lovely gray blue heather.  It's just a plain worsted wool, but with the weather getting colder here in Philly I figured another wool sweater would be just fine.

Another heather only this time a nice soft brown and it's a sport weight merino wool.  I've been dreaming about leg warmers this fall.

I have an interesting idea for a cardigan and some lace weight merino wool I think will do the trick.  I love the green color.  What I didn't realize at the time, is that all the yarns I got were all heathers. 

This was an indulgent purchase and will be made into a similar cardigan as the above yarn.  I couldn't pass up the color or the fiber.  Midnight blue heather (it has blues, blacks, and greens running through it) lace weight baby alpaca.  It's going to be super warm. 

I also finished the baby alpaca vest I was knitting.  It's blocked and has it's buttons sewn on.  I can't wait to wear it and get some better pictures of it.  Now I'm itching to get swatching.

The Shore In November

What we did this weekend:

 We played a lot of music.

Flew a cat kite and took the pup to the beach. It was very windy and not at all warm by the water.  But it was a beautiful sunny day.

I broke a bunch of photography rules.  The sun in the pic, my finger covering part of the lens and my hair was blown into the shot, but for all its mistakes I really like this shot of AC.

Still flying a kite and walking the dog.  The moon came out to watch. 

We were there to celebrate my friend Mike's 30th Birthday.  We made sure to get him a fancy cake for the event.

Blurry, but everyone wanted in on some accordion action. 

Stitch Guide: Seed Stitch Rib

I recently discovered this stitch.  It combines two of my favorite stitch patterns, two by two ribbing and seed stitch.  It's still elastic, (not as elastic as two by two ribbing), and it has an interesting texture to it.  Unlike two by two ribbing and seed stitch this stitch has a right and a wrong side. 

Seed Stitch Rib (flat)
Multiple of 4 +2
Row 1: (RS) *K3, P1* K2
Row 2: (WS) *P3, K1* P2

Seed Stitch Rib (in the round)
Multiple of 4
Row 1: *K3, P1*
Row 2: *K2, P1, K1*

Sewing, Knitting, and Getting Work Done

Working on a lot of projects right now.  Top priority, the cactus.  Next swatches for a test knit project, my jacket, and then sweater knitting.  I also need to take pictures, lots and lots of pictures.  Along with all of that I need to schedule and work on the blogs future posts.  Hope I can be productive today.  I am going to leave you with this cheery photo of a rainbow I took this September. 

Sewing the Steffi Jacket: Making Head Way

So, I got over myself and started sewing the jacket together.  I'm almost done with the actual jacket part and am hoping to start on the lining by the end of the week.  Above you can see one of the sleeves.  I figured out why the one sleeve on my muslin was all cockeyed.  I didn't line up the sleeve seams in the right way therefore the sleeve wasn't set into the jacket correctly.  Well that is why I sewed a muslin first.  I've made good markings on my sleeves and body of the jacket so that won't happen again. 

Here's the body all sewn up and ready to go, Now I just have to sew the collar to the body and the facing, and set in the sleeves.  This is where my fear started to come up again.  My big question was how do I put the lining in? My question was answered by Gertie on her blog.   She made a coat in 2010 and video blogged about it every step of the way.  It gives great information on tailoring and the vlog about inserting the lining calmed my fears and made me realized that my first instinct to make both the jacket and the lining separately was correct.  The coat vlog laid out how to attach it and hem it and all the important things I needed to know.  I feel confident moving ahead in my Steffi sewing.  I think I will make my deadline too.  How exciting. 

Leibowitz Cactus II

I have been knitting away on the Leibowitz cactus.  I plan on giving it to Mike on Friday night as a belated, but awesome birthday present.  It's almost done, all that's left is to finish off the knitting and then stuff it and place it more permanently into its pot. 

My favorite is it's small appendage that hangs off the side.  It's kind of like the cactus is waving. 

Just One of Those Days

First off, what happened to fall?  Where did it go and why are we jumping right into winter.  Philly had its first snow fall on Saturday.  It was a miserable day perfect for baking bread and making apple sauce, and sitting on the couch under a blanket with the hubs. 

But today looks like it is going to be one of those days, you know where nothing goes wrong, but nothing goes right.  Kind of a non-day.  Here is a list of things that are making today feel less productive.

*I ran out of Navy thread so I can't sew my jacket until after work today once I get more.
*My Camera is sad and not turning on even after changing the batteries, so no photos for me.
*It is cold, which tends to zap all of my ambition.
*I ordering yarn, so I'm waiting on that to turn up.

But on the other hand I was super productive in other areas this weekend like:

*Cleaning out the bathroom cupboard (I do not need any more lotion for a very long time).
*Sewing most of my jacket together.  I just need to sew up the left front pieces and the sleeves then on to the yoke.
*I made yummy whole wheat bread.
*Apples are 50 cents a pound in the market, so I made apple sauce which came out amazing.
*I started a new sweater project, I found some old wool that i had made a sweater out off, and the frogged because it came out so horrible and now I'm using it to mak A Very Plucky Cardigan by Kate Hiester. 

My plan on beating the non-day today is as follows:

*Get my winter clothes out of storage and put the summer clothes in storage.
*Go to the market and buy more apples, I want to make more sauce and try my hand at apple butter.
*Make said apple sauce ( 4 pounds of apples, peeled and cored in the slow cooker on medium heat for 7 hours.)
*Look up how to attach a lining to a jacket.
*Buy thread and buttons before work.