Christmas holidays and planning

I've had a lovely time over the Christmas holidays, it has been filled with Christmas markets, mulled wine, food, family, and of course knitting, so much knitting...

 

I had decided to make mittens for my brother, sister, and their other halves as part of their Christmas parcels. I wanted them to each have a mono graphed mitten for the winter, such things, I keep learning, do not always go to plan. I have the hands of a twelve year old (as in they are the same size, I don't keep people's hands in jars or anything), which makes getting the right size for 'normal people' mittens a bit of a guessing game. Because I made full mittens for Chris and her partner (as in covered over fingers) this wasn't too much of a problem, but because I decided to make Phil fingerless hand warmer style mittens, which need to be a bit more tight fitting, things went a bit wrong. Poor Phil and Maeve ended up with mittens for giants.

 The fingerless Giants mittens...

And full mittens for Chris

So next time, before I try so much as a scarf for anyone else, I'm getting measurements!!

I've been working on a couple of projects over Christmas. I managed to finish my red scarf, and am so happy with how big and snug it is!

I'm also about 1/3 into a jumper from 'North' by Kim Hargreaves (such a beautiful book, I want one of everything in it!!), I transported this to the south (via short flight) using a holding bit of thread and buying new needles down there. It did add to my relaxation during my stay with my parents being able to curl up on the sofa and continue with my jumper. 

As we crawl ever closer to the end of the year, and the beginning of another I've been thinking about what I've achieved this year, and what I want to achieve in 2015.

As far as sewing is concerned I had a major eureka moment when I finally started sewing with knitted fabrics! I'm really pleased with my results so far, and I have dresses and t shirts and sweatshirts and all sorts planned for this.

Over the next year I'm determined to get the hang of tailoring, I have a jacket pattern and the fabric for it, but I don't feel confident enough to do it justice. My plan... Do it slowly, and carefully, and keep your fingers crossed.

Alongside this terrifying piece of tailoring I also want to try out a shirt pattern I've been hanging onto for ages, yes people, next year is all about the tailoring!

 Definately a. for the shirt (e. is just terrifying), but I've still not decided between a. and b. for the jacket.

As far as knitting is concerned, I feel like I've spent this year learning big lessons from my mistakes. The biggest lesson being I still have so much to learn.

This year is all about polishing up my skills and when I start a project I do it properly!

I also want to go back and fix my mistakes (Philippa I'm looking at you!). But I mostly want to create beautiful jumpers and cardigans that I can be proud to wear (I might just work my way through 'North')

 My big project for 2015, however, is something I've wanted to try all year but have been too nervous of trying.... Socks!

They're becoming my fear technique as far as knitting goes, there's the circular vs double point debate, but more perplexing.... Turning the heel!! But I'm determined to conquer the sock!!

 

And on that thought, I shall leave you (I need to go start planning all of this) happy new year!

Not so grim up north: Beamish Museum

I had a little outing at the weekend as my other half had bought us tickets to visit Beamish Museum (he had gone a few years ago with his friends and I had been very jealous). Beamish is a wonderful place all year, but is extra special when it feels all Christmassy, so I thought it might be nice to introduce this little gem to those who have never heard of it.

Be prepared for pictures... So many pictures.

Beamish Museum is an open air museum based in the 1900s. It can be found between Consett and Chester-le-Street, not more than a fifteen minute drive from Newcastle. The idea is that there are clusters of old buildings in the countryside (moved there brick by brick from their original locations, yes people, Beamish mean business) where they have recreated the era down to the last detail (clothes, shops, houses, workplaces, schools, and a coal pit). You are free to wander round and have a nosey in any open door at the bits and pieces on display. In some of the houses and other buildings are people who are dressed up and will talk about their site (house, shop, bank) and answer any questions you have.

The main town area is great, it has a line of shops, stables, bandstand, bank, Freemasons hall, dentist (which is freaky... Trust me!). My favourite place here is the sweet shop where you can buy sweets the staff have made using the techniques of the 1900s (big tip.... The cinder toffee is amazing!)

Decorations up next to the bank.

I love the draper. I don't think things have really changed much in fabric shops...

There are lovely window displays everywhere...

Near the town centre is a train station where if you are lucky you can get a ride on a working steam train.

And everywhere you look, there is something interesting...

And a bit strange...

I can't help but wonder how many people used the 'facilities' before that sign went up!

There are trams and old busses to get you to different parts of the museum, some older than others, and all the conductors can give you information on the trams, how they were used, and where each tram came from.

In another part of the museum there is the pit village, this has a row of houses with gardens and coal sheds, I think some of the out houses were the netty (what my grandad used to call 'paddy faddles'). There's also a school (I went on a trip when I was a kid where we all dressed up as Victorians and had a Victorian schoolday), I don't think kids still get caned there, I wouldn't like to push my luck!

Inside the houses there are all sorts of old fashioned bits and pieces, it really gives you an idea of how life was lived.

They decorated the houses with paper chains for Christmas, I really want to copy this in my own home. There is usually an open fire, and if you're lucky the smell of baking, and you can find some things that we still use today...

Golden syrup, it's nice to see, has never changed!

There is also a church and a coal pit, with carts and the processing centre, building, bit. If you want to you can go down one of the old mine shafts with a guide, but I didn't fancy that!

No thanks!!

At Christmas there is a brass band in the town and a Christmas market, in the village there is an ice skating rink, and near the Manor House (we didn't have time to go yesterday so I've got no photos... Sorry) you can visit Santa near the train shed. They even put fake snow out to make it extra special!

In all this is a wonderful day out, you need a good four hours to make the best of it, but every time I go I find a new little hidden gem. And the best thing is.... The pass lets you in as many times as you want in a year.... Mmmmm..... More cinder toffee!

Sweet shop seen in background here, it's always busy in there!!

Knitting in public

I spend quite a bit of my time knitting, I get into the house, grab a cup of tea (or glass of juice if the mood so takes me), and settle down to continue with whatever project I have on the go. This is fine and I'm happy to tell people that this is what I do. What I have never done, however, is taken said half-finished projects out and about with me.

There is still some stigma attached to knitting, it is still largely viewed as a 'granny hobby'. We should be keeping it secret and only admitting to people when they compliment our scarves or mittens "thanks, I made it myself" rather sheepishly (see what I did there... Sheep.. Wool). 

I was due to meet a friend in the metrocentre this week, I knew I would get there before she finished work and I thought I would settle myself in a cafe. I lay awake the night before thinking about how good it would be if I could use that time to continue to knit my scarf that I want ready before my trip away. Then I thought "I can't possibly do that, people would see me!"

This led to a lot of backwards and forwards between "why should I feel ashamed of knitting?" and "what if they laugh?". I decided to at least take the scarf with me (concealed in a tote bag), stowed it away while I was at work, then got to the cafe and went over the same argument again.

It took me a good ten minutes to sneak my knitting out of my bag and sit it on my lap while working a few nervous rows. And you know what... No one even noticed!

All of that worry and I sat happily knitting away for an hour and a half. I felt liberated! This got me thinking about why it's such a taboo thing to be doing, why it's considered out of date and just a bit sad. Yet people who do this looking down upon are always so impressed with what people make, and the fact they are hand crafted and not from some magic factory on the other side of the world.

I'm now a convert, I shall knit where I want and I shall feel proud that I know how to knit! Although I still can't do this on planes as my needles are lethal weapons and considered too dangerous, can't have everything I guess.

From one knit to another...

I've read a lot of people talking about their 'fear fabric', the one that you avoid at all costs because you just don't believe that you can possibly do anything with it... let alone anything beautiful or useful. I actually have a few of these. I shudder at the thought of chiffon (yet I long to create wonderful things with this beautiful flowing fabric). Making things with jersey fabric, it just can't be done surely (yet it's one of my favourite things to wear).
I found it very reassuring that so many other people struggle with knit fabrics, and it is just because of this that so many blogs and websites have wonderful articles on how to tackle this slippery stretchy stuff (well maybe not slippery... definitely stretchy). I found the one by Tilly and the Buttons particularly good.
So I got myself a ballpoint needle (and several spares), found myself a walking foot, and explored the world of knit fabric patterns, and found myself the fantastic (and free) Plantain t shirt.

As modelled on the Deer and Doe website

I love love love this t shirt!! It's a loose fitting, flattering, elbow patched piece of loveliness. Well if I was going to do it and try out the knit, this was the one for me! It's a free download to be printed out, which means some cutting and sticking, but there are only a couple of pieces (one extra if you want the elbow patched... but honestly... who wouldn't!). It looks like a simple thing to put together, no darts or any complicated stuff. I made my first attempt up in a sweatshirt fabric rather than a t-shirt (it gets mighty cold up here in the grim north).

snug and cosy let me tell you!

This is a red (just lighter than wine colour) with lovely white speckles in it, I found it on (you guessed it) eBay for just a couple of bob. I must say I found this much much easier than I expected to. The walking foot is nice and steady and eliminates any wibbly wobbly seams (made by the regular foot stretching out the fabric as it sews). The fabric itself doesn't fray at the seams so any overlocking (made with a zig zag stitch on my regular machine) is there just to make it look neater rather than to stop the whole thing unravelling after the first wash.

and do a twirl

I've worn the hell out of this bad boy! I love how loose it is on the body, without making one look frumpy (we can't have that now can we). And, you may have guessed by now, I LOVE the elbow patches.

Oh elbow patch, how I love thee, let me count the ways... One elbow, two elbow... oh that's it I guess.

These ones were made by just turning the fabric inside out to leave the rough side showing. It gives it a lovely 'slightly darker but still matching' look without having to buy any extra fabric.
I really love this, so much that within a week I had churned out another...

Let me introduce... butterflies

My second one is in a lighter jersey with much more stretch. It feels much more silky and has a lovely drape to it. I went without the elbow patches on this one, figured the fabric was quite a busy one anyway.

I know I keep harping on about the elbow patches, but I learned a new skill with this little pattern. The finish on the neckline is just lovely, I panicked a bit at the instructions but this really is a doddle, and looks really professional. I'm super proud of this.
I plan on many more of this t shirt (different fabrics, colours, maybe a colour block version... oh the possibilities are endless), it goes firmly on my 'tried and tested' list.
Happy little sewist

Clara Bow Panel Jumper - stitching together

I feel like I've been working on this jumper forever! I think I chose a tricky one here as it's 80% K1 P1 rib... which takes aaages!! I have, however, finally got to the point where I have finished both front, back and both sleeves... Yay!!

All pieces present and correct



 But now comes the boring bit... I've heard many knittists say that they really hate the stitching together part. I've heard it said that they have kept the completed jumper/cardigan in their to-do pile and moved on to greener pastures. I couldn't work out why, they were so close to having it finished! Just one step away and it's a wearable piece!
Well.... I get it now...

Stitch.... by stitch.... by stitch...

I had this fella spread out on the living room floor (I've read up and it's apparently easier when it's laid out on a flat surface), and began to stitch the sleeves to the front and back armholes.
Then my back gave out... Well that's an exaggeration, but it wasn't a comfy position to be in. Plus every stitch I had to really focus on, make sure it was as smooth as I could get it (it's still a bit Frankensteiny). I managed the sleeves and started on a side seam... then I gave up.

by stitch... by stitch... by stitch

This is a booooooring part of the knitting process!!
I would in fact avoid it if I could. But then there would be no jumper, and this would make me sad.
I have taken an executive decision to stop for the evening, then continue again tomorrow to get it finished.

McCalls 6503: Tried and Tested

Lots of people have a reliable go-to pattern that they know they can use again and again. I have a strong feeling that McCalls 6503 will become this pattern for me. I have already churned out two of these beauties and I'm working on my third.

Photo taken while pattern is pinned to current project with a skirt hanger if you're wondering what that big black square is.

I bought this pattern and made it without a muslin (trust or laziness, it's hard to decide) from a royal blue linen look cotton. I made it up in a size 10 in view D and came out with...

A bit of a wobbly neckline

Hurrah it fits! well, nearly. It was rather snug around the waist when I sat down (as long as I don't eat anything or breathe it's fine). This is a lovely dress, the skirt is full without being poofy thanks to the pleats that are on the front and back which help it give a lovely silhouette to even the curviest of hips/bums. It has a feels which is a cross between Americana and Holywood chic.

And from the side.

It can be made with the sleeves or without and has three neckline options. I went for the View D first because I like buttons (it's not far off an obsession), but I found that the collar bit at the top is very high. It does leave on feeling a bit...


Oh I say I can't look down

So I wanted to try it again and chose view B (what can I say, I like sleeves) with it's nice open collar. Again I went for a medium weight cotton, this time with a dragonfly print, and added a bit to the waistline (so I can sit down comfortably).

Excuse the feet

Now this version I love, the crossover front did require a press stud to maintain my dignity, but that open collar it awesome.

Pretty little dragonfly

So this is now my favourite dress pattern. It doesn't take a huge amount of time and the results I think are very smart looking. You could make this in a posher material for a dressier occasion, or in a breezy cotton for summer, or a nice tweed for winter (Ooh the possibilities!!).

In fact I like this pattern so much I've started messing with it (that's a compliment trust me). If there's one thing I like more than buttons, it's pockets!! I want this dress with pockets!! I spent a bit of time thinking about what kinds of pockets I could add to this one, the in-seam type seem like a good idea, but I like the visible style. So at the moment I'm working on a re-hash of the skirt part of the dress to include some self drafted pockets.

This next one is in the same linen look cotton as the blue version, but in black (I wanted my own handmade LBD), and I've created a template for open pockets on the front. With the top half the Version B open collar I think it should work... let's keep our fingers crossed!

The best laid plans...

So I have a confession to make... I have fallen a little out of love with my Philippa jumper. I felt really excited about it when I began, and it was going really well (by this I mean few mistakes were made and it looked like the picture on the front). But I seem to have discovered the hard part of knitting something, that you can't check it as you go for fitting (especially with a vintage pattern like the one I used), meaning my Philippa kind of looked like this when I tried it on...

I know what you're thinking... that looks fine (if not a little short in the length), but it's hiding a secret...

Check out that extra under arm fabric!! If I'd been sewing this I would have gone back to the jumper and cut out a chunk to make it fit properly... but how do you do that when it's knitted from one strand of wool and involves unravelling a weeks worth of work!!
Gah!!

I might have tried to ignore it... but that's a huge amount of extra material! and it just feels odd!!

Another issue with it is the yarn that I decided to use... I did no research for yarn weight and knew nothing about DK or Aran or Chunky etc. so just used this (very lovely and soft) wool I found on eBay. My mum spotted this as soon as she saw the front side of the jumper, she said it was too heavy, that it would end up being very warm because of this (always listen to your mother). This bad boy feels like body armour when worn, it is very thick and heavy!! I can only imagine what it would be like when wet!!

You can see just how impressed I am with this situation. I feel very angry about this, it's my first big project and it has gone belly up (or armpit up as it were). So what now? I could unravel it back to the point before I began increasing it for the underarm (the rest fits fine), I could frog the whole lot back and start again. Or (as I suspect I'm going to do) I could leave it in a pile in the corner until I have the heart to take decisive action with this labour of love.

So the action I have decided to take is option 3, in the meantime I have begun a new project (from a modern book which includes the finished item size and everything), I have researched the yarn type and checked the measurements and everything.

I really feel that I need to make something that I can actually wear, this is the whole point I got into making stuff. Plus I really want to succeed with the knitting a jumper idea, just to keep my faith in knitting.


Sneak peek of my next attempt

London fabric shopping

So I love living in Newcastle, it really is a wonderful city, I would like to stress that now. However, one thing that gripes me about the region is the fabric shops... or lack thereof. Yes there are places where fabric supplies can be acquired in the Newcastle area, but for the majority of these you need to have a car to get there (Dainty Supplies in Washington being a good example, great shop, in the middle of an industrial estate, far far away from bus services). So I am limited to Fenwick's in the city centre (good variety of material types, not great for patterns), begging my sister for a lift to Dainty Supplies in Washington (better selection but more crafting stuff), or eBay (all hail the eBay). EBay is very good, but you really are taking a stab in the dark where the feel or drape of the fabric is concerned. I love reading other people's blogs about their sewing adventures and always feel very jealous that they have places that they can get beautiful fabrics nearby.
So on my annual 'staycation' to my parents house in Wiltshire, during which we usually have a day out in London (tis but an hour or so on the train), I got very excited about the prospect of visiting a couple of fabric shops while we were there. My Mum is also a sewing enthusiast so she was very up for it (Dad agreed to station himself in a nearby pub and watch our bags)... and I stocked up! I thought it would be nice to share my expedition and the beautiful things I found.

We went to the usual touristy shops that I've not been to before...

Very swish, very fancy... very expensive



Hands down best escalator I've ever seen





But I was really in it for the fabric! So as we started on Oxford Street visiting Selfridge's and John Lewis, I had a look online to find out what was in the area, and the best bet for fabric shops looked like it would be Berwick Street, where we found...

Mum outside the wonderful Misan Textiles

This place was amazing! There were actually several really great shops along this street (I failed to photograph them all, but I also particularly loved The Cloth House), but I really took to Misan Textiles as they have a bargain basement which was just floor to ceiling fabric heaven (and who doesn't love a bargain). They had really helpful shop assistants who were really enthusiastic, and who packaged up my purchases just beautifully..


Wonderful parcel heaven

Who doesn't love their stuff packed in tissue paper and wrapped all pretty. So asides from three which I bought in Fabric Land in Bristol (also a day trip with Mum while 'down south') and one recent eBay buy, all of this was bought in Misan Textiles...

I'm apparently into purple right now

I love my stash, and I'm so excited about planning and making and stuff, I already have many ideas about what I could make with this lot. Ok guys, this is where it gets a bit picture heavy, but I get really excited when I have new things!!

A grey tweed type fabric which I found in Fabric Land in Bristol... on it's way to becoming a winter jacket

A black jersey fabric with white printed flowers, I have no experience of working with jersey so I got this to practice with from Fabric Land... also I want to make the wraparound dress from the Great British Sewing Bee book.
 

I also found this in Fabric Land and fell in love with the pattern on it. It's a chiffon which I've not worked with yet...eep!

A lovely brushed cotton I found on eBay... I'm planning on this being the lining for my winter jacket, not sure if it will work yet, but I'm going to give it a go.

One I found in the Misan Textiles basement. It feels like a lovely soft cotton which is very light, though I'm not sure as they don't label what each fabric is. You also have to buy what is in each bundle, I think I got two meters out of this but will be measuring it again... I'm thinking nice shirt

I paid full price for this bad boy... my Liberty Lawn with blue buds, this photo came out a bit blurry so it doesn't do it justice, it is gorgeous. I don't know what to make with this yet but I feel like it needs to be special

Another really soft feeling cotton in navy blue with daisies on it. I am a little in love with this one... I think a blouse (pattern ordered and on it's way... you will hear more here soon.

I have no idea what this is... it's light, it's floaty, it's not quite chiffon... I'm going to have to have a think about this one, but it's really pretty

Again I have no idea what this actually is, but it feels like silk, it's much darker than the photo lets on, the shiny ness reflected the flash making it look much paler. This one I have hallmarked for a Sencha Blouse (I've made one before and have been looking for a silky fabric to make it in since).

So this is are my new toys, I'm really excited about getting stuck into this lot. The first thing I want to get done is the winter jacked made from the grey tweed. I promise to keep to up to date with progress on that project.
I really enjoyed having a look around the fabric stores of London. I would love some suggestions of other good places to visit, in Newcastle and anywhere else in the country. Please get in touch if you know of a good place.