GoVeralls, Next Socks, and Back To Sewing!

My sweet baby is 9 months old today! I would wish for him to slow down if he weren't so darn cute and happy to be growing and learning!

Crafty me managed to bust out some On The Goveralls for him in just a couple of weeks. This speed of completion is nearly unheard of * so it's kind of a big deal. They initially came out huge so I frogged the 12-18 mo size in favor of 6-12 and they're frankly still a touch oversized. Guys I knit under-gauge (and hate spelling the word 'gauge'!!) all the time so why the past 2 projects have been oversized is beyond me.

* for a Bethy, that is.

Eeeenywhoo here's a couple of bad photos/poor lighting/etc of the adorable overalls.

Awesome. They don't look too huge when he's sitting but you can kinda tell there's some extra fabric hanging around his legs. I'm tempted to knit up another pair lightning-speed in the next size so that I'll have a backup for when he grows outta these... but no! I've got far too many next project ideas on the docket!

I cast on my next pair of Christmas present socks. After much deliberation I chose the Dogwood Trees because I can't get enough of free downloadables on Ravelry.

Finally, I decided it was high time to venture back into the sewing foray and I was super inspired by Amanda Rolfe from 3and3quarters. I'm going to make some English paper-pieced hexies. If it is too much to pull out all the machine sewing then at least I can do something by hand, dang it!

The days may be long and busy, but they can still be crafty!

Colorwork Socks and New-To-Me Yarn

Happy 4th of July! The lighting seemed great for a quick photo shoot of my latest creative endeavor.

Butterflies are Free

This is my first venture into stranded colorwork and I've fallen in love. It is so fun and pretty and it turns out I really don't mind following charts. Only the first sock is done and when laid flat (this is unblocked) it appears comically large BUT when I put it on the sock actually has some semblance of (slightly roomy...) fit!

The kitchener stitch grafted toe came out a little wonky on this one mostly because I was doing it past my bedtime out of project-completion-excitement. Fool that I am. Next sock I'll be sure to save this bit for daytime or at least pre-9pm. Speaking of the next sock... I really did get started and am already 2/3 done the leg!

I am using post-it notes as my chart guides, which is both cheap and highly portable so hey. Don't judge me. I'll buy a magnetic chart board one day. You can also see the delightful wool/nylon blend yarn I'm using. It is splitty and a little heavy for sock-weight but I forgive it because it's a really nice yummy wool that shows off the colorwork so nicely.

My next project is already partially started. Here's the yarn I saved from what my buddy Johanna found for me. It's acrylic but should be perrrfect for the overalls for little Adrian. This photo is after having soaked and dried the yarn- I have two more bundles that are drying still. Gotta wind up the balls and then I can cast on my goveralls!

Finally, below is a shot of the intended goverall recipient and my photoshoot supervisor.

He was waiting (somewhat) patiently just inside the door as I took these pictures out on the front step.

That's all for now!

New Patterns: Cutting and Altering

I just got two new patterns in the mail- fresh off the $2.99/Mccall's sale. They are for a pair of jeans M6610 and for a couple of T-shirts B5354.

One exciting thing about the jeans is that the pattern includes detailed instructions on alterations. I appreciate that Mccall's has embraced the difficulty of fitting handmade pants and wants to help. The very reason I chose this pattern was to myself embrace the difficulty of fitting handmade pants, so thanks McCall.

I'll get started on those pants soon. The fabric is in the wash.

Turning to the Tshirt, I have a bizarre thing to note. I want the shirts to come out plenty long enough so I took a gander at the finished measurements and contorted myself a bit to determine if the listed 24 1/4 inches would suffice for my back length. Putting a tape measure up to my neck, seems good! But! I decided to pull out the pattern and check the measurement against that just for giggles.

See there- the pattern only measures about 25 inches long in the back and wants you to make an inch and a quarter of a hem. When you remove that hem length and another 5/8ths for the neckline, uhhh the finished length is NOT gonna add up to 24 and change!

I decided to consult the instructions to see if I'm supposed to add my own 1.25 inches when I cut but it isn't super clear or rather it doesn't seem to want me to. Then I consulted the Reader's Digest New Complete Guide to Sewing and based on their assessment I'd say the pattern wants me to cut it as-is, meaning I'm not getting that promised finished length.

Can I also point out that the "lengthen or shorten here" line is above the natural waist, which implies that my waist is lower than the pattern. Nope. Actually I have a high/short waist and a longer whatever-you-call-below-the-waist-and-above-the-butt.

It's just a shirt pattern. I'm sure I can just add a little lengthy-poo and it should come out. We'll see! Check back for more details in this exciting tale.