…to wish you all a happy new year! I hope everyone has been enjoying the holidays – I certainly have. I managed to do a little bit of a lot of things.
I intend to do a recap of 2012 but for now, I have a few updates on what I’ve been working on. I don’t have any knitting to show because the brown jumper I knit for Alb is in the wash… and the two pairs of socks I knit in December are now with their new owners! I didn’t get much else knit because I was reasonably occupied coming up to Christmas and decided not to stress myself out with extra projects. I did, however, sew my mum a cardigan. No pictures because I forgot to take some before I wrapped it up but you can see what it looks like here. I am also making her a pair of pants from a Simplicity pattern.
There was such an array of sizing options to choose from that getting this to fit out of the packet was quite easy. The pockets were tricky enough and I was not crazy about the instructions for the fly but it all worked out quite nicely. I put piping along the pockets to give a bit of definition. These are very nearly finished; all that remains to be done is a closure for the waistband and the hems.
I’m not sure why I decided to do this but right before Christmas, I decided to make something out of my beloved bird fabric that I got at the 2011 K&S show. I really wanted to try out this New Look pattern which looks so cool! And easy! And it was!
…Only the neckline is gigantic – a hippo’s yawning expanse does not come close – to the point where it’s almost falling off my shoulders. It is very peculiar. The whole rest of the dress, including the armholes, are a great fit but the neckline is so out of proportion that it pulls the garment in a most ugly manner. Having gone to the trouble of making the sleeves longer and putting cuffs on them, I was a little upset. But in the cool, calming light of January I see now that this can be easily salvaged by cutting a better front yoke (which I thankfully have enough fabric for). The piping is cool, isn’t it? And I really like the cuffs. It will be worth the salvage I think.
Lastly, I have been rather in love with a number of Burda patterns from their recent magazines. Since July, each magazine has at least two patterns that I am crazy about. I was prepared to be disappointed in the January issue since half of it is fancy dress costumes (I’m not sure why, maybe it’s a German thing for New Year’s?). However within its pages I found a simple pants and top that I traced immediately. Like, yesterday and finished the pants today.
It wasn’t the pants pattern per se but more the notion that 1. I have a wonderful grey and purple dotty wool leftover from this dress. (I have been bursting to use it but have been limited by the leftovers. Really, it was only enough for a skirt and I didn’t want to make a skirt that looked exactly like the dress. I would probably end up only wearing one or the other then and it would be a waste. But pants!) 2. I am fascinated by the exploding circus that is the J. Crew capri pants. (I think this is testiment to whoever styles such products. Something about it makes me shout, Me! That can be me! despite knowing that pants like those make you look like you fell into a paint display in Woodie’s.)
Their making is worthy of a post it’s own. They weren’t difficult in the slightest but being limited by the fabric made the project into a quick triumph.
Hopefully I’ll be back tomorrow with more photos and my 2012 roundup!