Apr 30, 2015

the knitting update

What have I been up to lately? Well, let's have a look:

On Pi day, which you may know as March 14th (3.14), I cast on a Pi Shawl. It's from Elizabeth Zimmerman's book called the Knitter's Almanac and this is the pattern (if you can call it that) for June or July. One of those hot months when you really want a massive circular shawl. This could also be a big circular table doily, but alpaca's a little too ... alpaca for that. 



Anyway, when this shawl is worn, you wouldn't know it's a big circle. It gets folded and wrapped in such a way that you're warm as heck and no one is the wiser. It's a very interesting knit and it really does use pi in its construction, so it's a great name for it. And who doesn't like pi? I'm now on the last stretch of about 50 rounds, and I've just gone up to my 60-inch circular needle. There are a (Canadian) TONNE of stitches on that needle!

Also in the knitting realm, I have begun a little baby cocoon for my future nephew. It'll be stripey. I'm not going to spoil it, so no picture yet. My sister-in-law likes to request specific things, so she knows it's coming. Having said this much, there's no spoilage.

I went to quilt camp. It was great. I made a ... neveryoumind. You'll see that in the quilt update - it's coming later. So anyway, I made some stuff. During the making, my machine was skipping stitches and behaving badly. My Mum's friend Robin was so very kind and, after providing me with a different needle, trying my machine with her technique, and eliminating all the variables, she finished off the last bit of stitching for me on her machine. There's a lot to be said for a high-end quilting machine vs. a very basic domestic non-quilting sewing machine.

So anyway, I was so happy that I promised her a hat. She doesn't knit, but I do. There's a colourway that I named after her - Fishing for Robins - so I'm making her an alpaca hat in that colourway, and I'm using the Swirl Hat pattern that I like so much. It's a really basic k2, yo, k4, k2tog, but the way the stitches line up and twist around is very pleasing. I've done a bunch of baby hats with that pattern, but this is my first adult-sized one.

Remember I said I'd have a pattern to release? I haven't decided if I really will yet. I'm not sure the slant on the YOs and the way the decreases work is really the best way to do things, and I'm sort of waiting to see if my daughter can't live without the tank top version this summer. If she loves it that much, I'll publish it, but if not, I'll probably let it slide into the ether.

That's all the knitting news. I really ought to design something new. Maybe a series of accessories. I'll get right on that.

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Apr 27, 2015

an oops and a win

The most striking and beautiful pillowcase of the weekend goes to the tiger/dragon combo, with the white contrast trim and the black cuff.





I might have to make more of these. It also came to mind that the fabric may be good for a One Block Wonder. I saw one in progress at quilt camp and I couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities.

Also in the photos, you can see the sassy little zippy pouch with its striking lining. And the second photo shows a surprise inside ... we are doing a swap and someone is going to get that little surprise. Exciting!!

I don't have a single pattern to link to for the pouch because it's a bit of a mash-up. The outside zipper is angled too, which I like. (I do like geometry, but everything can't always be up-and-down, right-and-left.)

Because this is a mash-up, I have a small boo-boo that I need to confess: when I put in the side zipper, I put it in like it was a top zipper. The difference, dear friends, is that one is horizontal with the pocket hanging down and one is not -- that one is vertical and the pocket hangs down, not out. So when you build it like it's horizontal and then sew it up and it's vertical, the pocket has a bit of extra fabric on the near side. I'm going to have to hand-tack that down. It's not huge and it won't be in the way, but it's BUGGING THE  #*$%# OUT OF ME!

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Apr 24, 2015

burrito love

I visited the fabric shop this evening, armed with a list. I had plans for four more pillowcases, but ended up cutting for five of them. I can't wait to get sewing on them. Three seams each, and we will call the cutting the 'hard' part. (There isn't really a hard part.)

Want to find out more? Just Google 'pillowcase burrito pattern' and you'll see a bunch of tutorials doing the same thing. I like to use a little trim piece between the body and the contrast edge. On some of these, it will be quite obvious.


I have a couple zippy pouches to finish, but these pillowcases should also be done in no time. Photos to follow!

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Apr 22, 2015

about the blog url

I've had a couple people ask me why my blog's url is so long and weird. Not the guy today, though - he didn't think anything was weird about it. It occurred to me, though, that I should explain it, since no one seems to know the reference.

Did you have that Sesame Street album with Bert and Ernie on the cover? The sing-along?
http://www.amazon.com/Sesame-Street-Bert-Ernie-Sing-Along/dp/B0041XRIY8

There's a song on there called The Limerick Song and that's the one.

Ooooh, ABC, 123, pigs in a tree
Don't ever sit on a woodpecker's knee
ABC, 123 fiddle-dum-dee-deee
Come on and sing-along with me


Combined with that, I heard another version that included a limerick about a man from Peru. It's not part of the original song from the Sesame Street album, so I'm not sure why it's the verse that is stuck in my head the most. 

There was an old man from Peru
who dreamed he was eating his shoe.
When he woke in a fright
in the dark of the night
he found it was perfectly true.

I'd love to point you to an online video or sound file, but you'll have to buy the record. You really should.
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