knitting neels

I don’t know why these crack me up, but they do. I start laughing when I put them on and it’s possible I may dance too.

Pattern: Model 122 from Burda magazine, 1/13 (January 2013).

Fabric: About 75cm of wool leftover from this dress. Still incredulous I squeezed a pair of pants out of it! I used it ALL up. Very satisfying.

Modifications: I cut the pattern out for a size 40 – I should have tapered to a size 38 for the waist. I ended up doing that in the fitting anyway. I cut the leg to a 26″ inseam. It sounds crazy but I have really short legs. I bought a pair of pants in the Debenham’s sale which I really like the length of. I measured them and cut these pants the same.

Action shot to show the waistband! Actually, I did not think my feet were going to be in the photo but there we go. I cut the waistband longer because I had it to spare – it’s only a long rectangle – but I should have noted the length stated in the pattern. It requires a fair amount of easing in to prevent gaping. I figured this out afterwards. It didn’t matter really because I had to take the waistband off to fit the waist better anyway.

I took a whole 8cm from the width of each inseam between the top of the leg and my knee! I was very high tech about it. I pinched the excess out and used a pin to mark it. I sewed a new line from the crotch to the knee and then overlocked out the excess and old seam. Easy.

This is how short I was on material. It was this or not have pants! I took a scant 1/4″ to attach the bias binding and sewed the binding down by hand. Actually… I’m amazed that it worked so well. It looks fine.

All in all, a super easy pattern and I love the result! I am really happy to have used up the remnants of that wool and to have two garments whose differences are significant enough that I can wear both frequently.