So in the aftermath of the Ella coat, I've found myself immersed in the knitting of little things. Quick Projects. Near-instant gratification.

I started an "Amelia" top for Emily out of Rowan Pima Cotton.

It's from Rowan 51, and is much further along than this. In fact, it's finished, blocked and merely awaiting seaming.

It's awaiting seaming because I got distracted by another small project. My nephew will be baptised next weekend, and I decided to knit him a cardi for the occasion. It's a pattern from Sublime, a fairly basic stripey cardi in 4ply.

I'm using the new Rowan Wool Cotton 4ply,and it is divine!

I've knit most of it, I'm on the second sleeve now. Needs to be finished for next Sunday. I think I can, I think I can...

Finally, it's done. Well, almost!

Ella is off the needles. It fits me better than it fits David, I promise! Not blocked yet, this picture was taken within minutes of it being finished. Better pics to come!

And another long term project is done. I made a quilt for Em. My first full size quilt - and possibly my last. I didn't really enjoy making it, but I'm glad I did.

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I'm pleased with the end result, and I think Em is too!

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It's the Jelly Filled quilt by Thimble Blossoms, made with a Moda "Ruby" jelly roll and some extra fabric. I chose these colours because they're girly without being babyish.

When I sew, I'm a guesser. It's a bit odd really, because I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist in everything else, but I sew by feel and instinct rather than by careful measuring and precision. That doesn't really work in quilting. There was a great deal of exasperation and unpicking involved in this quilt.

And I'll be the first to admit I didn't actually do the machine quilting. I didn't want to ruin the hard work I put into the piecing, so I paid someone else to quilt it for me!

But I'm happy with it, and it looks nice on Em's bed.

There's a reason why you can't see anything other than the bed. My idea of a clean bedroom doesn't have the same execution as hers.

But at least the quilt is pretty!

Posted by Donna at 10:21 PM | Comments (14)

This may be the longest project I've ever worked on without taking a break from it. I cast on Ella in mid January, two and a half months ago. But the end is (almost) in sight.

(Bad model pose, no makeup!)

What happens though, is that you get up to the ruffles and think to yourself "Hooray, just the ruffles, and I'm done!!'
Just.The.Ruffles.
My God, the ruffles. You have all those stitches for the skirt, then you double them. Then you purl back, then you do another increase row, increasing into every second stitch.

Then you do a picot cast off. Cast on 2, cast off 3. The neverending ruffles. The skirt hem alone took two days to cast off. But it was done. Then I started on the front placket ruffles. I almost wish I'd done plain plackets, but I know it'll all be worth it, if I ever finish.

One down, one to go.

And this week I had a happy realisation. I'd bought myself a new Inoui winter scarf. And totally unintentionally, it matches my Ella!

Meant to be!

I've made myself a few new sundresses this year, and I know I promised to blog more about my sewing, so here's one of them - the Colette Crepe pattern!

A little while back, Kris put a call out on Twitter that she was ordering some Colette patterns and did anyone else want any? Did I ever!

I'd been looking at the patterns on and off for a while, trying to decide which to start with, and this was the perfect opportunity. I got the Crepe pattern, and also the Chantilly. I'd spotted the fabric a few months ago, and bought the last of the bolt, not knowing how much I'd need or what pattern I had in mind, but absolutely loving the print.

As soon as I saw the Crepe pattern, I knew it was meant to be.
It's a wrap style dress, which overlaps and ties in the back.
The fabric for the ties is a Kaffe Fassett shot cotton in Vermillion that I picked up at Calico & Ivy. One benefit to working in a fabric store is that you can pull out bolts of fabric, look at them all day, and not feel like you're holding up the store staff while you take hours to make your decision!

This pattern is a great pattern for all levels of seamstresses. The tie is the only fastening, so there's no mucking around with buttons or zippers. The neckline and armholes are faced, and there's darts in the bodice for fit, but it's not too difficult a project. There are pockets, which I love, but they're easily left off if you think you're not up to it. Each Colette pattern comes with an entire booklet of instructions, which are very comprehensive without being confusing.

And the result is fabulous! I always feel pretty in this dress! I make a point of trying to always something handmade when I'm working at Calico & Ivy, and this dress always receives compliments. We've been stocking the Colette book at Balmain (Although it's temporarily out of stock), and I think my next project will be the Taffy top from the book - maybe in some Liberty Tana Lawn. (Drool!!)

Although as a teaser, I have made my Chantilly dress, too. More details next time!!

This weekend, for only the second time this year, I have the entire weekend off. No work, for two whole days straight!
So it's time to catch up on Ella. (Fat chance!)

The skirt is supposed to be done by Monday, we've had three weeks to do it. I've actually got a little bit further since I took this picture yesterday. I'm finished with the increases, and I'm happy with the size - now I just need to knit six or eight inches until the skirt is the length I'm after.

I'll be on the lounge, in front of the TV!

Working two jobs and undertaking the equivalent of a fulltime load of study doesn't seem to leave much time for knitting.

Who'd have thunk? Apparently not me. Woe, woe, woe is me. Cry me a river.

Anyhow, things are bound to slow up soon, but until then we'll continue on in a slower manner than usual. It helps (or perhaps doesn't) that I tend towards the hyperactive.

Ella is inching along. Last week we started on the skirt. As you can see, I'm a little behind.

I managed abut a whole inch last week. I'm aiming to catch up this week! Speaking of little behinds, mine isn't really. It's two sizes bigger than my bust, so I'm a little worried about how the skirt is going to fit. I'm decided to do the increase rows a little closer together than the pattern says, and try it on as I go. Lets hope that it works, because if I have to rip back, it may take me forever and a day to finish!

I did take a close up picture though. The bodice was blocked before I picked up the stitches for the skirt.

Look at the way the yarn blooms once it's blocked! Gorgeous. So nice and squishy, and beautifully soft.

The only other project that has seen any action is the socks I knit on when I'm on the train. I'm trying to love them.

Two socks, same needles, same pattern, same ball of yarn at the same time. One is pooling.

Like I said, I'm trying to love them. They're not for me, so I don't have to love them, just finish them!

Still rufflin'. This week, it's the neck.

I've enjoyed the pace of this KAL for the past couple of weeks, because it's allowed me to work on other things. Like the little "Starr" jumper.

This was a quick one to work up!
Specs:
Pattern: Starr by Martin Storey from Rowan Miniature Classics
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in 043, Purple, 2 balls.
Needles: 3mm and 3.25mm
Mods: None.

Knit exactly to the pattern. Pattern called for Rowan Cashsoft DK, but I used Baby Cashmerino, which claims to be a sportweight, but has similar yardage as the cashsoft, similar content, and knit up beautifully at a DK tension.
The pattern called for 3 balls for the smallest size, but I only used two. In saying that though, I was using the scraps from seaming to sew on the buttons. I used every single centimetre of both balls, so I'd probably recommend you get three, just in case.

The star on the front is cute.

All in all, a great, quick baby knit. Repeatable? I can definitely see myself doing it again! Next up?

Maybe back to the Hiccup socks, or poor neglected Camber again.

Every day I'm rufflin'!

I apologise, I can't help it. I sing the line and do a little dance, every time I think of it. Ella is moving along nicely, thankyouverymuch!

I failed to blog about it last week, but the sleeves and the bodice are done, blocked and seamed.

Done just in the nick of time, because the next step was up on the blog on Monday night. Cuffs and Ruffles!

Pink yarn comes out to play! Bling! Ruffles! Yay!

I played around with it for a little while. I have just one skein of pink blingy yarn, so there's not enough for all the ruffles, but it needs to be in there somewhere.

So I decided to go with a few rows of the bling, then with the plain yarn for the ruffles.

Love.It.

I went with option B of Nora's suggestions, the picot edge cast off. Slow as molasses, but totally worth it.

So now, the bodice is done, all ready for next Monday's hints and tips.

And I think the armholes are fine!

Week Two of the Ella KAL finished on Monday - and the goal for week two was to finish the bodice. Success!

I'm quite pleased with the fit. There's about two inches left between the bodice fronts to allow for the ruffle, but judging by the way my swatch grew, I expect this will be a little bigger when all is said and done.

I am a little concerned about the size of those armholes, but weeks 3 & 4 are for sleeves, so I'm reserving judgement until the sleeves are done and I can see how it all goes together. We've got two weeks to do the sleeves, and so far I'm on target to finish these by next Monday. As usual, I'm doing both sleeves at the same time.

Including my awesome, high tech counting method that I always use for sleeve shaping.

A post it note, with the increase rows noted, and counted off one at a time. Don't knock it, it works!

TAFE starts this week, so my time may be more restricted than I think. I'm a little nervous about the impact on my time that TAFE will have.

But I had a little quiet time in the shop this week, so I started something new there, too.

Starr by Martin Storey from Rowan Miniature Classics, in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.

The pattern calls for Rowan Cashsoft DK, which is a 57% Merino, 33% Microfibre, 10% Cashmere mix, in a 50g ball with 130m per ball. I'm using Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino which is 55% Wool, 33% Microfibre, and 12% Cashmere in a 50g ball, but has only 125m per ball.

Somehow, the sportweight Baby Cashmerino has less yardage than the DK Cashsoft witha similar composition. Colour me confused! For what it's worth, DB Cashmerino DK has only 110m per ball.

Anyway, the Cashmerino Baby is subbing nicely for the Cashsoft DK, the tension is perfect, and the resulting fabric is lovely. And how cute is the sweater?!

Knitting and I have never been further apart. Not from a lack of wanting, just from a lack of opportunity. The Hiccup socks are my train knitting.

As you can see, they haven't grown much. The colour was pooling, so I decreased two stitches in each sock, and now it's moving nicely. There possibly would've been more action on these except for a small problem.

Another broken Knitpicks/Knitpro needle. This has happened a lot to me lately, I don't think I'll be buying them anymore.

And Ella? I've recovered the lost work and started on Week two, which is the armhole shaping and up to the shoulders.

Getting there, with 48 hours or so until next week's "homework" is released. Must knit!