Class Act Craft and Art Studio

From this to this. I sure love my tools!

I always do a gauge swatch and my sweaters are always huge. I think I just need to accept that.
That said, I love how this turned out and extra bulk is extra warmth, right?

Sometimes working on my crafts is really a spiritual experience.
Sometimes it’s because things are so perfect and satisfying, sometimes it’s because things are “.flawed”.
I’ve been working on a colorwork sweater and somehow or another when I was laying down the foundation row of a set of motifs, I got the spacing off by a stitch or two in some of the repeats, so that some of the repeats are slightly cockeyed. By the time I discovered it I had already knitted some 900 or 1000 stitches. And I just didn’t feel like tearing it out so I decided to just continue the motifs the way they were.
I told myself really once I was wearing it no one would notice, it was a small error and when the garment was on, they would think it was a trick of the way it laid or the light or just plain wouldn’t notice it.
Later, when I realized it was going to affect a particular line in the pattern, those errors would exaggerate the irregularity of that line, I had now knitted an additional 1500 stitches and even more didn’t feel like tearing it out.
So I decided to own it. I decided that I wasn’t going to call it a flaw. I wasn’t going to say that it was a mistake. Instead, I realized it was a result of my innate creativity, the way that it was flowing through me at the time, and it was a perfect reflection of who I really was at that moment.
I don’t know if anyone can understand this, but that gave me the most peaceful, serene feeling.
It was the feeling of perfect self acceptance.
 That feeling was worth any number of so-called flaws.

I’ve been doing a lot of experimental knitting lately and the latest a tad weird.
I’ve been on the search for some commercially made wool socks that fit properly. I have tried making my own and I really dislike it, both the process and the product.
So I bought a set of five pairs, which I really like except they’re too tight around the ankle. I was wondering what to do with them when I suddenly thought I’ve been steeking a sweater. So why not socks?
Luckily, I decided to experiment on only one sock for starters, because quite honestly, I don’t know how to finish these!
EDIT:
Experiment failed. Still too tight and also ugly when stretched. I have a better use for my time and that cashmere/merino/silk yarn!

Final sweater update:
I am even more pleased with this sweater than the last one. I only wish I could give them now instead of waiting til next fall, lol!
PS I purposely made the duplicate stitching ALMOST symmetrical to be pleasing but also enough chaos to be more realistic of falling leaves.

Sweater cont’d:

I knit the sleeves flat specially so I could take a pattern for the lining and do the duplicate stitching.
However, as soon as I got the lining pattern I forgot and sewed them up and inset one.
Luckily, that showed me that I didn’t like that method, so I am now knitting them in instead. Not sure whether I’ll do any duplicate sts or not.

Started on the next “autumn” sweater for my younger granddaughter.
Again in acrylic yarn, matching colors, in fact, but different patterns.
(Posting this record mostly so I’ll have a record of what I did. For the curious, photos are captioned with the steps)

It feels really good to be done with this sweater. And to feel good about it!
Trust me, it looks much better in person.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to make a sweater for my granddaughter out of some acrylic yarn that was gifted to me. I assure you I would never have bought this yarn.
I had two colors in a yellow and green, which reminded me of sunlight filtering through the trees is they changed color, so of course it had to be colorwork.
Because I didn’t want to figure out how to purl and hold the floats properly , I chose to work it in the round.
I looked up everything I could find on steeking, although there’s not much for acrylics. Now I know why.
Something is going to get cut that will unravel. Period.
I know what you’re going to say, that I should just machine stitch it down, but as it was a super bulky yarn I didn’t want to see whether my walking foot could handle it. Which, in fact it couldn’t. I broke four needles before I just tried using my regular presser foot, which actually worked much better.

Update to linked project  which has been hibernating about a year.
I gave up on it because I couldn’t get the forearms to fit, even after adding Gussets to the lining.
So I gave it to my skinnier sister!

Old post:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14P5VZoPtnu/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Notes to self on fabric panel cloth books:
-don’t use high loft batting unless you’re looking forward to binding the pages together by hand

-Since the pages are not always on the straight grain or are printed slightly diagonally, it might be best to cut them separately and mount them on an interfacing long panel. Consider what interfacing panel fabric would be best for the binding.

-check with the seller to see if the fabric is pre-washed, especially if it’s already cut apart

-A walking foot is a great tool, but don’t expect it to do all the work

-Babies who will enjoy a cloth book aren’t gonna see the flaws that you see

-Try to have fun with it