By Brienne

Vitamin D Sweater

I have this habit of knitting, knitting furiously on a project and when the knitting is over, the finishing plagues me. I set the knitting aside and begin the next project. It's a shame. It truly is. Recently, as I compiled a visual list of the projects that I had in progress, I realized that this Vitamin D sweater would be ready to wear if I gave it one final blocking and weaved in an end or two. And so I did; in preparation for an event this weekend and I'm so glad that I did. Since then, I've been wearing it nonstop. And with time and light in short supply this time of year, this little bit of finishing helped me to stay connected to craft with just a teeny bit of effort.
My ravelry notes are here if you want all of the details. In short, though, the pattern is Heidi Kirrmaier's Vitamin D with a few modifications. The yarn is Jill Draper's Splendor Sock but I can't recall the colorway. It was an impulse buy in a color that is way out of my knitting comfort zone. It's so, so soft and lightweight. And I think that the color will do just great for the Thanksgiving weekend.
Thank you to Frontier Dreams for offering a space to share crafting efforts and inspiration.
Also linking up with the Yarn Along on Small Things

Works In Progress

A lot of things in the works but a bit of inertia has set in around here. I just caught the Craft Sessions post -- and wait, have you seen this? Just, oh man that Felicia makes beautiful things. Her space is very inspiring. Anyway, in order to keep collected craft-wise, Felicia maintains a list.

I don't have a list per say but, looking around me I realized that I do keep a visual inventory of what I have on deck - albeit a scattered one. In the guest room, for instance: the back of a yet to be completed aidez sweater. In the basket next to my bed: an up-to-the-yoke wee ambrosia. Tucked elsewhere around the house: the beginnings of a beekeeper's quilt, a flip vest that needs mending, an alabama chanin number in the works and finally, a little piliated woodpecker drawn and printed by my husband with a bit of embroidery layered on by me.

How do you get going when you're stuck?

Flashy Boy Duds

My son wants bright colored clothing, flashy stuff - like his sister's. He's dissapointed that his dance class uniform includes black and not pink tights, like hers. His uniform doesn't include a sparkly tutu either, but the instructors in both dance class and preschool at least allow his hats.

I much prefer neutral tones myself but I want my littles to feel good in their clothes, particularly when I've made them.

I think that I've succeeded here in my son's eyes:

ANOTHER beloved Bimaa plus a new pair of red skinnies. Below is his "Goat Bimaa" from Halloween and another pair of skinnies, that time in a black knit from the Fall Kids Clothes Week challenge.

Many thanks to Frontier Dreams for the opportunity to share in that space.

Elvish Hats and Winding as Family Sport

We haven't been feeling very well. It's made connecting as a family difficult. We're tired of being cooped up and tired of being kept awake by the sounds of one another coughing. 

Winding yarn, though - that is something that we all enjoy doing together. 

The kids love to both wind and to watch the winding of the yarn. And I love having help doing what often thwarts the beginning of a new project. 

This Malabrigo Rasta is particularly fun to do because it winds quickly and comes in such beautiful colors. Also, it is nice and thick making the occasional untangling a breeze. 

Linking up with Frontier Dreams' KCCO post. 

Fox Bimaa

 Do you sew? Have you tried the Bimaa pattern? I would heartily encourage you to do so if your answer was no. This pattern is highly customizable and quick to sew. 

This foxy little number is headed to market but I'm going to have a hard time peeling it off of my kids - both literally and figuratively. I sewed up a 12 month size in a tiny bit of an orange stretch knit that I had but it apparently suits both my 2 year old daughter and 4 year old son just fine. 

Reading: Lena Corwin's Made by Hand

 

 

 

I have my marching orders. In order to be ready to contribute a few pieces to a holiday gift fair, I need to get sewing.

However, I received a beautiful new crafty book in the mail this week and promptly abandoned the work that will soon be due. 

 

Lena Corwin's book is beautiful and inspiring. The projects can be done simply and affordably. Like Maya Donenfeld's Reinvention, Made by Hand encourages readers to forge their own path. A recipe for drafting garment patterns from Wiksten's Jenny Gordy caught my attention right away. 

I really wanted to work on some women's garments. I can't wait to try that out! But, reluctant to cease the production of the "things I should be sewing"  for too long, I opted to experiment with drafting patterns for my children's dolls. 

In two evenings I was able to crank out an outfit each for their babies plus a couple of little hats. 

 

Please excuse the creepy photos of these weird babies... My kids do have a beautiful Waldorf doll that I purchased here, but for some reason also have an affection to these others that have been handed down to them. Yikes. 

 

My kids were thrilled and I feel a new sense of confidence having drawn up the patterns myself based on the instructions in Corwin's book. Now back to work!

Échappé!

An apt dance cover-up. This sweater is based on this pattern. I have made this sweater over and over. It is quick and practical. This time I added sleeves per her request. 

 

The yarn is Madelintosh in Caligraphy. 

 

The sweater is very, very soft and even after having been worn day after day has not yet needed a shaving! 

 

In the photos, Hiver practices her echappe - a french word meaning "to escape." And escape they will. The kids are all done with photos in clothes for this season. It was a busy KCW!