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Thursday, May 18, 2006
SOS
A distress call...
In my case, SOS = Sick of sleeves.
It's been a week since I last blogged about the vest-turn-sweater. I have forbade myself from casting on any new projects so that I can concentrate on finishing the projects I have on hand.
In my increasing desperation to prevent any *accidental* abortion of this hubby-intended project, I casted on the second sleeve sometime during the week.
Sock knitters would understand this incident is akin to displaying signs of the SSS aka Second Sock Syndrome (in my case, *Second SLEEVE Syndrome*) .
Thank goodness for the final Champions League Match between Barcelona and Arsenal yesterday -- it was aired 2.30am Singapore time so I stayed up to keep hubby company. I am glad I watched (I rarely watch these matches) as it was so exciting. Not only that, the second sleeve has grown considerable longer by the end of the game!
The sleeves shouldn't be taking that long but they really are!
But I really believe that the projects related to *S* is not working for me this month.
Take another example. Remember the red yarn I casted on in April? Well, that was supposed to be the start of a pair of baby shoes.
However, either I am:
(a) getting senile and just simply not reading the pattern properly
(b) the pattern's a little wonky
Whatever the case, this is how the first shoe turned out. The instructions called for the shoe to be knitted as an entire piece from back to the front. Then u oversew on one side. But looks what happens here --
Either the designer meant for the sole to be really tiny or I am mis-reading my place in the pattern. The top side is just simply too wide! Urghh!
You know what happens when such a catastrophe strikes.
A trip to the frog pond!
This yarn is being planned for a new project so off to the magazines!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
A *tiny* vent
Remember hubby's vest? I thought it would be finished by last week -- the finish line was just barely with my reach when it got pulled away further.
Blame it on hubby -- or more precisely, blame it on me for spoiling the surprise.
That day when I finished piecing the front and back together, I asked him to put it on to ensure that everything fits. Well, almost -- until he popped this statement, "where are the sleeves?"
*SLEEVES*! What sleeves?! Doesn't he know it's a vest that I am knitting?
Me: "You won't want to have sleeves. I thought you always wanted a vest ala East India Company style so that you can wear it here in Singapore! Long sleeves will be too hot for you!"
Hubby: "Erh...this material (pardon him on his poor word choice -- he's not quite into the knitter's lingo yet) is soft, airy and comfortable enough -- I can wear it in Singapore. Besides I see you wearing your blue top (that's Tinklebell, my readers) often so this must be ok. This will look good with long sleeves. What do you think?"
What do I think?! Hmmppf, not much...I thought all that's needed was for me to pick up the collar and finish it off; that's what I thought!
Hubby: "Can do right? Should be easy for you to change the vest to a sweater? You do that all the time, isn't it?"
I can't refuse him. Not when:
1. He has such a high opinion that his wife can do *magic* with all that knitting.
2. Or that he just given me a lovely gift in the form of Precious Moment knitting figurine.
Besides, if making sleeves is what's gonna make him wear this garment often -- I'll brave sleeve island and see this right to the end...
Except that my fingers are still resisting the need to cast on. Until last night.
Moral of the story: If you don't want to subject yourself to any pattern modifications or sudden pattern changes, DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT flash out the project and ask the recipient to try it on -- this act will surely bring on some creative *inputs* that may not be necessarily in your plan. Especially if you are on a deadline!
Ok, vent over. My students sympathized upon hearing my plight last week during our group class. Co-incidentally, the feel-good came when FeliciaW brought some of these:
Ice cream = Comfort food! *Yum*
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Everything about the crochet lace dress
Well, this is it!
This entry got delayed as I was trying to take reasonable photos of the dress. I am happy to report that the pre- / post- washing doesn't have much changes to the length, width etc.
The modelled, chest out, look far far away style. No head shot coz that would probably spoil the photo. So just use your imagination to envision the whole look ok?
Many have asked me for more details about this dress. Here are the notes: Pattern: Lily Chin designed lace crochet dress found in the first issue of Interweave Crochet. Size made: the smallest and teeniest (coz I modified the skirt from bodice down to have it body snug.) Yarn used: 9 balls of Schachenmayr Nomotta Catania Needles used: size 3mm and 4mm crochet hooks Time taken: 2.5 weeks from start to finish -- that's a personal record for something this size (my crochet flowers motif top took the same amount of time too!)
Pattern construction This pattern is worked in 2 directions: - From below the bust/bodice up to the neck. - Then pick & crochet downwards from the lower edge of the bust for the skirt.
Pattern modifications: The dress draws in nicely & shortens automatically due to the smaller hook I used. I also added 2 more shell rows below the bust (by picking up from under the bust) when I realized that due to my hook change, the bodice ended up too short. [For those of you whose bust may be low set, you may need to add 2 rows or so of plain shells before you go into the shaping.]
I lowered the neckline as I found it too high for my liking. This is with much trial and error.
Other than that, I also found that there's a slight gap where the sleeve meets the bust so I added a small shell dart (as an afterthought), making it less obvious.I started out using the measurements for the smallest sizing but from the skirt portion, I went down 3 repeats from the start so it has a slimmer silhouette.
So as you can see, sometimes, I just like to fiddle with a pattern too much! LOL! I have managed to find a black slip from my wardrobe which works fairly well. Except that the slip neckline threatens to do peek-a-boos at all times. So my students suggested a snap fastener to be sewn on the inside to make it stay in place.
Here's another with me sitting down. Nothing too indecent...though I have to remember to do the obligatory dress sweep before I sit to ensure it doesn't ride up too much! So this is concludes my adventure with this lace crochet dress! I really love the way the dress fits and the minimal swing that makes this dress feminine yet chic due to the lower neckline.
You can bet that this will be my favorite dress in my wardrobe from now on! [Until I knit or crochet another one, that is! (grin)]
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Thankful
Thanks for all the kind comments & words on my crochet dress. The weather over the past few days in Singapore has been erratic and I've been busy so washing only took place today. Here it is, our way of drying clothes -- hanging them on bamboo poles when we don't have dryers at home. I just threw it into the washing machine along with my other wool handknits and washed them on the wool setting. I am happy to report that everything comes out nicely.... no derangled or shrunk items.
Hopefully, the dress will be dry enough for me to try on by tomorrow; along with a more in-depth report on this project.
A knitty surprise from hubby
As some of you may be aware, my hubby was on an overseas trip recently. When he returned last Wednesday, he saw me crocheting away on my dress and asked my progress on his vest -- which regretfully, has been lounging in the WIP basket since I was *hell-bent* on trying breaking my own crochet record! He is expecting his vest to be finished in the three weeks while he was away since he read about Leena's impressive record on her hubby's vest.
Then, without saying a word, he presented me with this:
The contents?
This is going to be part of my knitty figurine collection. And it goes to show what a nice guy he's always been. In fact, he is always the sensitive one whilst I am the practical of us two. He'll remember dates and plan surprises (yes, I've been told that he has already planned my gifts right up to the year 2007 -- for events like Valentine's, ROM anniversary and birthday etc.) while I am the one to go, "tell me what you'll like for your birthday and I'll get it for you" type.
He told me he saw this figurine on the last day of this trip and decided that he absolutely had to buy it for me. He also told me that he hasn't been successful in finding a similar one in Singapore though Precious Moments is also available here.
Then when I am busy admiring the doll, he reminded me to flip to the bottom to read...
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