I started this in 2016!

As promised, my Woodfords sweater was very close to completion and it is now DONE! Finally!

The only problem is that it's a bit on the too-long side. It really stretched out with wet blocking. I was able to tame the extra length somewhat by tossing it recklessly into the tumble dryer for a few minutes to finish the drying, and then steaming the heck out of it. However it is about 3cm (1.5") longer than the pattern schematic - mostly (to my surprise) above the waist braid. I'm not sure how that happened. I may shorten it, but I can tell you I won't be ripping back to that point. I'd just make the ribbed skirt portion shorter.

But otherwise I really like it.

So far behind! Knitting edition

As usual I have a number of projects on the go, but little time to blog about them. Gotta rectify that!

I finished that machine knitted hat I was working on last time I blogged. It is the same concept as the lizard hat, but with improvements.

I found a better way to attach the two layers by machine.  For the lizard hat I grafted the stitches by hand, as per the original hand-knitting pattern, and the lower edge was a band of ribbing. The lower edge is a little indeterminate since it's just wherever the ribbing is folded. And it isn't very firm.

My improvement was to knit the two layers together using an 8 stitch wide strip knitted in the red yarn. Because stockinette rolls it creates an attractive round binding all by itself. The edge is firm and it make the hat very secure and easy to put on.

The outside is wool sock yarn and the inner lining is Woolease (acrylic from Michael's). The hat is super warm.

I had to put my machine away (visitors) and haven't had the energy to get it out again. But one of these days I'm going to knit matching mittens.

I've also resurrected a hand knitting project that I started (ahem) more than two years ago. It got sidelined by my broken wrist in 2017. However I made myself pick it up in the last six months to finish the sleeves and it is now ridiculously close to being done.

The pattern is Woodfords by Elizabeth Doherty. As I said before, this is a very complicated knit - no seams, top down, plenty of short rows. It's one of those patterns where you simply have to follow along because there is no overview. Despite my frustration at feeling I'm not in charge of my own project, I love many things about this project: the texture of the broken rib stitch and the fact that the ribbed skirt is the same pattern minus the purl rows; the corrugation of that ribbing, especially around the back neck; the braid rows at the back; the dropped shoulders and narrow sleeves. And the colour!

I've only got about 2cm left to knit at the lower edge and then all that will be left is to weave in the many ends generated by the complicated instructions, and block it.

From before and for later

I could have called yesterday's post "During". Here are the bookends.

In January (before broken wrist) I made another version of McCalls 7351 for my son's girlfriend. She had tried on my dress and loved it and I was so happy to make one for her. I had a few cotton print lengths in stash and offered them up. She chose a light and crisp cotton print.

What a busy print! Could benefit
from a solid dark belt...

So far so good but after I started thinking about how the fabric would translate into the dress, I had doubts. The original dress was made from beefy quilting cotton and the chosen cotton is definitely in blouse-weight category (think cotton lawn). If I had been making this for myself, I probably would have gone with a fuller skirt or switched to McCalls 6996. However I had a commission and I had to "make it work" as some TV sewing personality or other has apparently said.

Mulling it over I found a solution - when you need your fashion fabric to have a different hand, underline it for heaven's sake! I had lots and lots of this fabric. The upper portion of this dress is structured, as is the front band. My only concern was the skirt. So I cut it out twice.

Inside view of side & waist seams

I used the doubled skirt as an opportunity to do a completely clean finish at the waist seam. Order of construction was as follows:

• Make bodice (yoke, collar etc) without sewing side seams. 
• Sew right side (RS) skirt pieces to corresponding bodice pieces, RS together as usual.
• Sew wrong side (WS, underlining) skirt pieces to corresponding bodice pieces, RS skirt to WS bodice. Sew along stitching line established at step 2.
• Press skirt pieces down with waist seam allowances encased between the layers below the waist seam.
• Trim lower edge of WS skirt pieces to hem fold line.
• Baste corresponding skirt layers together (ensuring no rippling or unevenness), WS together, at side edges and CF. The WS skirt is shorter.
• Then treat skirt pieces as a single unit when constructing front band and side seams.
• Sew the hem as instructed in the pattern, but folding the RS skirt at hem line so it completely encases the WS skirt. 

Mission accomplished. The dress awaits warmer weather and I hope it will be a comfy but stylish summer dress for the recipient.

At Christmas, I started another hand knitting project but its completion will now have to wait until after the cast is off. So far at least, hand knitting is completely unworkable with an immobilized wrist.

Upper back and collar
Colour is pretty accurate

This is an incredibly complex top down cardigan made in a fingering weight yarn. The pattern is Woodfords by Elizabeth Doherty. It has tons of short rows, tons of broken rib, and you dare not stop concentrating for even a minute while knitting. I got mixed up in counting and suddenly had the wrong size worth of stitches on my needle after doing the decreasing below the sleeve openings. I'm not too worried as this sort of yarn can be blocked to shape. 

The pattern was designed for a yarn that seems to have qualities similar to Shetland yarn (not smooth or soft, woollen spun, lots of loft). I had a sweater quantity of yarn that I thought would work (vintage stuff in an amazing colour that is predominantly turquoise but has vivid purple aspects) and set to it. 

Aaaand I got down to about an inch into the "skirt" part of the pattern before abruptly having to stop. Now my timing is off for this to be finished in time to wear in late winter/early spring 2017. 

Stay tuned - I am pretty sure that knitting will be excellent physiotherapy once this blasted cast is gone.