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Category: refashion

  • Next: Segment by Shibui

    When I finished the socks, I spent some time fretting over what to knit next.  I have a yarn closet filled with potential projects.  But it is upstairs and I can't climb the stairs yet.  I have a helper in the mornings, but it is difficult to explain what you are looking for to someone who doesn't knit.   I could do it though, at least as far as the yarn is concerned.

     

    Patterns and knitting needles are another story.  I never finished unpacking after the move.  That stuff is either in boxes or scattered about upstairs as I work through the process of organizing.  Knitting needles are scattered about the house, in bags and boxes, unruly tangles and untamed piles because I pull out what I need and then leave it because there is, as yet, no proper place to put them back.  Sigh.  

    Shibui-Geometry-Segment-4

    So I decided to knit this scarf, Segment, by Shibui. which I  had recently purchased.  I knew where the materials were hidden and they were easily fetched.  Alas, Moisés got hold of one skein of Silk Cloud, and left me with this little present.

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    I considered just looking for another skein, but Silk Cloud is nice enough, and expensive enough, not to waste.  Besides, on Friday I was too foggy-headed on my new medication to count to 400 in order to cast on.  In fact I was too foggy-brained to count to 50. So I untangled delicate fuzzy yarn, and managed to get it about 60 percent untangled before I needed a break.  Luckily I have 2 more skeins, and I will get finish before I need the yarn.  Untangling yarn is  good contemplative work.

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    My mental synapses seem to have recovered somewhat, or at least managed to adapt  enough that I can once again focus.  Although I probably couldn't solve complex mathematical problems, and it might be a good idea not to drive, I can read and count and function a bit more steadily.  Last night I cast on and knit the first two rows.  There really isn't much to see, but at least you can get a sense of my colors.

     

    Segment scarf photo courtesy of  shibui.com

     

     

  • 1+1 = 1

    I finally started to tackle the pile of things that I thought had potential after the closet clean-out.  

    IMG_1040 First up:  two identical light gray cotton turtlenecks.  They are a basic, kind of beefy, cotton knit.  I love the color, the softness of the fabric and the weight, but the turtlenecks themselves had some problems.  First of all the sleeves have shrunk over time and are too short.  Secondly the tops are two short and they are a bit on the boxy side.  They must be several years old, back when 21" tops were more fashionable, and I can't wear them with jeans unless I wear some kind of under-layer.  Wait, the turtlenecks are supposed to be my under-layer.

    I couldn't get a photo without a cat, so this is the best I could do.  At least the cat wasn't lying on the top, hiding it from view.

    IMG_1051 Basically the plan was to cut off the turtleneck and make a lower scoop neckline.  I also needed to lengthen the turtleneck so the second top was being used for fabric to extend the length of the first top.    

    I found a top whose neckline I liked and traced that to the gray fabric with chalk.  I also  traced a bit of shaping into the side seams as the old turtlenecks were a little bit too big and boxy.  I did not do anything to the shoulders or sleeves, other than shorten the sleeve just a wee tad to make them more manageable pushed up to the elbow.

    At first I had hoped this would go with Mine, but it is too light of a shade, and the fabric is too heavy and casual.  I also thought I would make a wide neckband on the new top, but as I started thinking about the top and what I would actually wear it with, I realized that I wanted a fairly long top, something like tunic length, and if I cut off that much fabric from the spare turtleneck, I would not have enough to cut the matching pieces for a faced wide neckline, so I opted for a simple narrow band at the neck.

    IMG_1045 I just cut the hem off the first top, since I was going to be lengthening it anyway, and as I did so I realized that the sewn up hem band would be perfect for my neckline.  Then I measured and cut the bottom off the second turtleneck to increase the length on the finished top.

    It is not perfect but I like this a lot and will wear it, which is more than I can say about the original turtlenecks, which had lived beyond their usefulness.  It is a little loose through the upper chest but it is manageable.  I also made it longer than I originally intended; I don't really know what I was thinking when I cut the top but I suppose I am happy that I didn't cut it too short.  I considered taking the bottom piece off and sewing it up again, but decided against that.  I think I like this just the way it is.