Handmade Bracelet

Bracelet Front

Bracelet Back

This is a bracelet I made this weekend. I started with one plan, and of course it changed as I went along, but I think the resulting piece is quite good. This is the first thing I've done like this, and I have plans for some pieces which are more heavily beaded .

Knitting Progress

Lily Lace section
This is the lace pattern at the bottom of the Lily shell in Euroflax Barcelona. I am just beginning the body's stitch pattern. It's much less intricate, and probably a little more boring. It seems to be going quickly though. The lace was fun to do, especially after I memorized the pattern.


Gedifra beginnings
This is the beginning of the Gedifra sweater. This is a very tricky pattern, but I'm finally becoming somewhat comfortable with it. I love the look of the yarn, but it is a little difficult to see what you're doing as you go along. Here's a closeup of it.

Gedifra close-up

I got 2 fabrics to make pants from yesterday, and prewashed them with another, so I'm ready to work on those today. We're having workmen do some things outside, so it will be a good day to sew, besides the fact that it's already 88 degrees at 9am, so who wants to go outside anyway?

Waterlily Bag is Finished

Bag Front
Here is the finished bag. I may do a little more with it, but I think it's about finished. I was able to get a little more of the original fabric, so didn't have to piece the handles or zipper casing with another fabric, which was nice. I'm already thinking of another one with a similar front, but with abstract koi fish on the back. I'm not sure what I'd use for them, but I think I'd like the look if I can get it the way I want it.


Bag Back

I've also been doing a lot of knitting lately. I'm close to finished with the first section of the Lily Euroflax shell, and I've begun on the Gedifra pullover. What a weird pattern that is! It's one of those where you have more stitches on the right side rows than the wrong side rows, by close to 20%! I had to make a couple trial and gauge swatches, as I believe there are serious mistakes in the pattern, and I corrected them so it works now anyway. I think they mixed up the explanations for 2 unique symbols. One has you work 3 stitches together, and the other 5. So, it makes a bit of a difference if you are doing the wrong one. You would soon run out of stitches altogether!

I ordered fabric from eQuilter and Wazoodle on Tuesday. 5 camp shirt cottons from eQuilter, and several knits from the Wazoodle yard sale. I am hoping something will appear tomorrow perhaps. Here are the cottons. I think they will make fun summer shirts.

Marble Botanical

Yoga Cats

shoes

Signac Sailboats

Needles & Threads

Embellishing a New Bag

Side 1

Side 2

These are the 2 sides of the bag I'm embellishing. The design makes me think of waterlilies. I took the photos after I'd embellished them, but before any construction. Tonight I got the inside and outside pockets done, and faced and turned the pieces. I need to figure out what to do with the handles, as I don't have enough of the felted wool left to do them. I am thinking of piecing them, with the bag fabric at the ends of the handles, and a plain green wool in the center. I will use the plain wool for the zipper casing also I believe. The lining for this bag is purple.

Knitted Picot Hem

This is the hem edge of the Lily shell. On the right needle is the finished hem edge. On the left needle is the unfolded hem, with waste yarn at the bottom. This waste yarn will be removed as the stitches are picked up on another needle, then folded and one stitch off each needle knitted together, making the hem edge. The shell continues from there as a single layer. Since I finished the hem, I have done a little over one pattern repeat for the body of the shell.

Camp Shirt Prototype

This is the "muslin" of the camp shirt pattern I altered. It turned out pretty well except I will cut the neck larger next time. I should have realized that I liked that the way it was, and changed it back to the original length after I altered the rest of the pattern, but I didn't. I will next time. This is some very thin Madras plaid, so will be very nice for summer.

The pants are my third pair of drawstring pants. They're a thin microfiber fabric, and really nice and cool to wear.

I received my Gedifra yarn from Elann today. How fast is that? I only ordered on Sunday. I also got the 00 circular needle, so began the Euroflax shell pattern this evening. It's knit circularly, 288 stitches in the round, so I cast on and got 2 rounds done in waste yarn, and am ready to begin with the real yarn tomorrow, for the picot hem treatment. It should be fun.

Koala Shell

This shell was knitted in Austermann's Koala yarn, and an Austermann pattern, both from Elann. It's a rayon/microfiber/tactel yarn that's kind of furry, and incredibly soft. I could hardly keep the cats off of it long enough to sew up the seams. Apparently it's perfect for kneading, and it's just about exactly their color, so of course it must be for them! They think. This was really fast, as it's a large gauge: 5spi and 3rpi. It's definitely going to be for fall/winter (notice the patent leather shoes with suede bows.) I made one design change in the pattern. I changed from Stockinette to Reverse Stockinette just below the armholes. This was actually the result of a mistake. I realized after I'd finished the back, that I'd done this. I really didn't want to rip it all out, and I decided it was a little more interesting this way anyway. That's my story anyway!

After I finished this last night, I did a gauge swatch with the Euroflax, and it's going to be fine, on the size needles they call for, which is unusual for me. I usually knit much more loosely than normal, apparently. This yarn reminds me a lot of the silk yarn I used for this shell I made for my sister several years ago. It had no give whatsoever either. Anyway, this is knitted on size 0 and 1 needles, so will be a nice, long project. I have to get a 0 circular needle before I can begin. I only have double points that size, and with 200+ stitches in the round, I want a circular. I will go back to my camp shirt while I wait for the needle.

I ordered some more yarn from Elann this afternoon. It's for this pullover
(shown below) from Gedifra. I'm going to do it in the Cherokee Brick color.

Gedifra Mauritius Pullover Pattern

General Update

I've been doing several quickie projects since I finished the Katia shell.

I made another pair of drawstring pants, this time in a thin microfiber/lycra fabric in a khaki color. I really like how these turned out, and I think I'll be wearing them a lot this summer.

I also started another very quick knitting project, this one is another shell, but in Austermann's Koala yarn, which is very furry, and I'm using a size 11 needle. There are only 43 stitches across the front, so that gives you an idea of the gauge. It's terribly soft; almost weightless. I doubt I'll wear it until fall, as it looks pretty wintry. The color is Burnished Apricot, and you can see the finished back in the photo below, under the Euroflax Barcelona yarn that came today. This evening I wound 3 of the 4 skeins into balls, and found out that Mr. Peep likes to play with yarn! The Catso has always been uninterested, so this is a change. I'll have to be sure to keep things out of his way.


Euroflax Barcelona on Austermann Koala

Yesterday I altered a camp shirt pattern that I'd taken off a favorite RTW shirt years ago. It's too big now, and also more oversized in its style than what's current, so I put on one of the old ones that I'd made, and pinned it to the look I want and made a pattern. I started sewing up a test model today. There are a few bugs in it, but it's generally wearable, and so far, so good. I haven't sewn the side seams yet, so the real moment of truth is yet to come.