Bus pass birthday

Oh, I’m so in trouble for that post title!

Halloween is Pa Stitches-in-Law’s birthday.

We always find it to be a jolly good excuse to hide in the kitchen, avoid the trick-or-treaters, and eat too much chocolate cake.

It’s always chocolate cake.  A new family tradition.

This year was a special birthday, and as there were more of us than I can comfortably sit around my table, we decamped to our local hostelry for a family lunch.

But just because we’re away from home, there is no need to deprive the birthday boy of his anticipated chocolatey goodness, now is there?

Well, that didn’t work!

Simplicity 2560

I’ve been working on this cardigan from Simplicity and, frankly, it’s awful.

The pattern is really easy to make up, which was part of the appeal as I’m so super busy at the moment.  The sizing is a wee bit roomy, but no surprises there for a Big 4 pattern. And although it needs hemming, it does look exactly like the picture.

So what’s the problem?

It looks bloody awful on me, that’s the problem.

It turns out to be a terrible shape for me.  One that makes me look really fat and frumpy.  And no, you can’t see any pictures.  I’m not putting them out into the webverse to scare future generations.

I’m glad I tried it, as it wasn’t something I’d usually think of making, but it simply didn’t work.   And I don’t think it’s a waste as I’ve learnt something about the shapes that suit me, and also more about using the differential feed on my overlocker.  So I shall just put it to one side and reuse the lovely jersey at a later date.

 

With apologies for unseasonality

I know it’s still October.

I know Christmas is still a while off and we haven’t had Halloween or Guy Fawkes yet.

And I know I’m the first person in the world to rant and rave about Christmas decorations arriving in the shops in September.

So, with all this in mind I apologise for this post, but with Ma Stitches being here I took advantage of her slightly more advanced quilting knowledge and we made this for Button today:

Ok.  Temporary Christmas insanity abating.

Hats off to Button

I LOVE this little hat.  It’s made in very cheap acrylic yarn (Silcaress from Cygnet) as that’s all the local shop had in stock and I needed to get this on her head, and quick.

The pattern is the cover design from the Sirdar Little Sweet Peas book, with just one repeat of the lace,  and is a dream to make in no time at all:

I have  mittens to match on the needles using the same pattern as the red ones.

Even more stitches from Ma Stitches

Ma Stitches is back again still trying to sign for her new flat.  The gross incompetence of the housing agency is astonishing to say the least.  Hopefully by this time tomorrow we’ll finally have the keys.

The good news is that once again she has a morsel of knitting for Button in her case.  This time it’s this little beauty:I have absolutely no idea what the yarn is other than it’s cotton that I had in my stash.  The pattern also is a mystery. I’ve downloaded it from somewhere on the internet and can’t for the life of me find it again.  So apologies to the lovely designer…if you can help me out I’ll be thrilled to make the necessary acknowledgements.

The path to TNT

You may recall the black and white gingham wrap blouse that was determined not to be.  And how disappointing the fabric was with all its yellow flaws.

Not to be completely defeated I decided to use it to make a wearable muslin of my self drafted bodice block.  I also finished the black twill trousers that have been cut out since I can’t remember when.

Let’s start with the top.  The overall fit is ok, and I’m thrilled that the armholes don’t gape.  However I do need to take the front neckline in a little bit.  I’m going to pinch out a couple of darts and transfer these to the block.

Also I fiddled with the bust point and should have left well alone.  The darts are too high; had I not made an adjustment they’d have been in the right place.

I’m also thinking that I need to add waist darts to add a little shaping.  It looks far too ‘blocky’ at the moment.

But worn under a cardigan, as I did yesterday, it looks ok and was probably the best use of the wretched fabric.  I’m a step closer to having a perfect bodice block as a start point for designing my own tops.

Next the trousers.  I’d bought the cotton twill in frustration at not being able to find the fabric I really wanted, and am not at all happy with the choice.  Isn’t it always the case.  But making these trousers is a good use for this fabric, and I’m making strides (’scuse the pun) towards a TNT trouser pattern.

The basis of these trousers is a hybrid between Vogue V8483 and Hot Patterns Deco Vibe Cigarette Pants.

First the good:

• They are super comfortable
• They look better than any RTW trousers I’ve ever purchased

Now the not so good:

• There is still some whiskering about the front crotch area that needs attention
• The are a little short in the rise (resolved by elasticating the back waist)
• The waist yoke sits most peculiarly.

The action plan:

• I’m going to redraft the pattern to reshape the front crotch to remove the whiskering (I’ll be referring to Palmer Pletsch to sort this out)
• I’m going to add the waist yoke back onto the main trouser pieces and resolve the issue of the short rise.

At this point I’ll have a basic trouser block that I can use to draft trousers that fit.

That’s the plan.  So hopefully the next pair of trousers I make should be pretty much a perfect fit.  Then I can just concentrate on construction techniques.

That said, there’ll be little sewing going on over the next couple of weeks.  I’m shattered so taking it a little easier at the insistence of the Rest and Recuperation Mafia.  Also we get the keys for Ma’s flat on Wednesday and will be cracking on with the decorating and cleaning in anticipation of her relocation.  The good news is we have more time in which to do it than originally planned.

Chocolate Button

For a while now Little Stitch has been better known as Button at home, and I’ve been thinking about changing her moniker here to reflect this.  Evidence of today’s run in with a chocolate biscuit (the biscuit came off much worse) seems the perfect time to do this:

Fuzzy iPhone photo of high speed toddler

Mittens for Kittens

Life is crazy busy here at the moment. In a good way. Woman on a Mission (that’s me) has been working to repair the damage done to the walls in Little Stitches’ bedroom and do a proper heading on her curtains, rather than the botch job I did initially.

So there’s been lots going on but not much to show for it.  I am rehanging the curtains tomorrow, though, so will post them once they’ve been dressed and are hanging in a seemly fashion.

Other than that the only other finished item is a tiny pair of mittens for Little Stitch, as we’ve noticed it becoming increasingly chilly in these parts recently.  Finding a plain mitten pattern for such a small girl was quite a task, but Ma Stitches obliged and here they are:

The crocheted cord is essential because she has a mighty pitching arm for one so small.

That bloody wedding…again

Today Mr Stitch, Alice who isn’t a cat, and myself went to look at possible venues for our postponed wedding.

We had three appointments booked, but after visiting the second venue, The Gibbon Bridge, we phoned and cancelled the third because we simply couldn’t face it. Why?  Because we couldn’t stop laughing at the astonishing levels of rudeness we experienced.

I had explained quite clearly to the receptionist when I booked the appointment that we would only be a small party of a maximum of 40 during the day with possibly another 30 in the evening.  Unfortunately this information hadn’t been passed on to the obnoxious little man who met us to show us around the place.  I swear you’d have thought we’d asked him to eat his own liver when we explained this to him.  The additional 30 in the evening particularly perplexed him, even more so the owner of the venue, who had been dragged into the conversation because he was so offended by the prospect.

“Why would you want to do that?” she asked.

I sooooo wish I’d had a camera to photograph Mr Stitches face at that point. Alice who isn’t a cat nearly choked trying not to laugh and couldn’t look at me for the rest of the visit.

It didn’t get much better and we got out of there as fast as our little feet would carry us.

Thankfully, the first venue we had visited had been beyond wonderful.  A beautiful 1880’s manor house, a Michelin starred celebrity chef, exquisite decor, and perfectly pitched levels of service. Oh, and lets not mention the orange butter biscuits. We were enchanted and, in truth, had only gone to The Gibbon Bridge to confirm that we were making the right choice.

Obviously we were.

So we turned the car around, and still laughing, hot-tailed back to the first venue to place a deposit.

Image courtesy of weddingvenuesinlancashire.com

So, dear reader, I can finally confirm that on the 13th November 2010 I shall marry Mr Stitch at our local church surrounded by close family and friends, then we shall all head over to the private dining room at Northcote Manor for a fabulous foodie feast in celebration.

I can’t wait.  I’m beyond excited.

More stitches from Ma Stitches

It was a cold and windy day in Lancashire yesterday (big surprise there) but Little Stitch didn’t mind because she was wearing the second cardigan recently completed by Ma Stitches:

I’ve fiddled with the colour and whilst this photo still doesn’t accurately reflect the wonderful depth of the purple of the yarn, it’s reasonably near.  The pattern is from the same book as the little yellow cabled number; the yarn is Phildar Oxygene in Prune that I bought in France during out last trip.

As always, Little Stitch looks adorable in it, so thanks again, Ma, for another hit knit.