Mason jar sleeves

October 12, 2019

I made these for the By Hand Makers Retreat in September and I love how they turned out! Simple but effective 🙂

Materials:
Leather (English Chestnut from Springfield Leather on Etsy)
Matching thread and contrast thread
Leather sewing machine needle
Branding iron and brand
Pinking shears

Instructions:
1. Cut leather into pieces 2 1/2″ wide x 13 1/4″ long.
2. Fold in half and scratch a line 5 1/8″ from open short end on both sides (this is to mark where the stitch line will be).
3. Brand across one short end.
4. Stitch zigzag stitch with contrasting thread from the scratched line on one end to the scratched line on the other end (along the long side of the leather strip). Repeat along the opposite long side.
5. Cut both short ends with pinking shears.
6. Fold leather strip in half, making sure the two short ends match up. Hold in place with craft clips. Using matching thread, stitch two ends together along scratched line.

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Gallatin Wraparound

September 20, 2019

This was my third version of this pattern – I love how it creates garments that look so different, just by changing yarns!

Pattern: Gallatin Wraparound (my design for Issue #10 of By Hand Serial)

Yarn: Tot le Matin:
Tot MCN (70% SW merino / 29% silk / 10% cashmere) – 1 skein (437 yds/ea) in colors Anna, Perle, and Quimper
Tot Kidsilk (72% kid mohair / 28% silk) – 1 skein (431 yds/ea) in colors Anna, Perle, and Quimper

Needles: US 6s

Size: M

I created the subtle striping effect by alternating using the Tot MSC, single-stranded, the Tot MSC and Kidsilk double-stranded, and the Tot Kidsilk double-stranded. This yarn is unbelievably soft and light – it’s like wearing a cloud 🙂 I love the colors, and how the stripes run vertically (and diagonally, when buttoned across the front).

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Waffle jammies

September 20, 2019

I couldn’t resist sewing new jammies with this “PJ-perfect” fabric!

Fabric: Knit Thermal by Robert Kaufman – 4 yards (57″ wide) in color Natural

Bottoms: Hudson Pant by True Bias in size 12

Top: Lark Tee by Grainline – size 12-14 (graded in between)

I chose both sizes to be nicely oversized, but I may have gone a little overboard! On the plus side, they’re really comfy 🙂 I thought about dyeing them in Rit Dye, but for now, I’m going to just enjoy them as they are – maybe if they get too dingy at some point, I’ll try for a faded indigo look.

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Violets pullover

September 20, 2019

Pattern: Niamh by Isabell Kraemer

Yarn: The Wool Barn Cashmere Sock 4ply – 4 skeins in color Violets

Needles: US 3s

Size: M1 (37.75″)

I picked a smaller size because I was getting a little bigger gauge, and I was hoping for an oversized pullover. In retrospect, I wish I had stuck with my usual size (M2) – the pullover fits me perfectly, but it’s not the slightly oversized, baggy look I was hoping for.

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Turks & Caicos in July

July 30, 2019

I was surprised how much I loved TCI, even in the height of summer – yes, it was warm, but warm at the beach with a light breeze is really wonderful! I especially liked being able to dive without wetsuits, and to walk into the ocean without feeling like it was the least bit chilly.

Our stay at Amanyara was perfection – beautiful grounds, a lovely and peaceful pavilion as our room, and beach bikes to ride along the quiet roads. Plus, probably the most beautiful (and largely deserted) beach I’ve ever seen, with some pretty fabulous snorkeling right off the sand and around the rocky point.

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We had a great day diving and cliff jumping with Big Blue, the very best ecotourism and dive company on the Island!

Most of all, it was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with my youngest daughter 🙂

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Gather Cardigan

July 29, 2019

A different variation on my Candy Stripe Cardigan pattern, perfect for showing off the natural hues of A Verb For Keeping Warm’s beautiful Gather yarn.

Pattern: Candy Stripe Cardigan

Yarn: A Verb for Keeping Warm Gather (75% Rambouillet / 25% alpaca) (sport weight, 200 yds / 50 g per skein):
— MC Quartz (5 skeins)
— CC Doe (1 skein)
— CC Smoke (1 skein)
— CC Lighthouse (1 skein)

Size: Medium

Needles: US 6s

I used broken rib on the cuffs and increased the buttonband ribbing to 2″, but otherwise made no modifications. This yarn is wonderful when knitted up, light and bouncy but warm 🙂

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Oslo Hat

July 28, 2019

I love this hat pattern (although I feel a little silly modeling it in the middle of the summer!)

Pattern: Oslo Hat

Size: Women

Yarn: Polka Dot Sheep Iron Horse (75% merino / 25% mulberry silk) – 1 skein (438 yds) in color Fathom

I love this yarn – good structure and bounce, but still soft and silky. The color is deeply saturated, with just a little bit of shine. Because it’s fingering weight, I knit double-stranded. I ran out of yarn before I even began the top shaping, so I finished it up much more quickly than the pattern called for, completing all of the decreases in just a few rounds. I love how it turned out, but I’d also like to finish off the pattern as written (next time I find two skeins of fingering weight yarn that I can’t resist!)

Needles: US 3s (16″ circulars and DPNs)

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Mahone Bay Pullover

July 27, 2019

This is my second sweater pattern in By Hand Serial Lookbook No. 9. It is a beautiful way to use rustic, woolly yarn in natural colors, and perfect for a summer afternoon out boating on the water!

Pattern: Mahone Bay Pullover

Yarn: HW WoolWorks Downeast Woolly – MC Natural Grey (5 skeins) and CC Natural White (1 skein) (200 yds of worsted weight yarn per skein)

Needles: US 8s and US 7s (ribbing)

Size: M

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Bridesmaid Mauve Cowl

July 14, 2019

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The name was inspired by my oldest daughter, who took one look at the soft, lovely color and commented that it was the iconic color for bridesmaids’ dresses 🙂 Knit double-stranded with a yarn comprised of baby alpaca, silk, and cashmere, it’s no wonder that this is just about the softest, yummiest thing I’ve ever worn around my neck!

I love this stitch pattern both front and back, which makes the cowl completely reversible.

Yarn: Bleu Poussiere Noble (70% baby alpaca / 20% silk / 10% cashmere) – 2 skeins (400m/ea) in color Amulette, naturally dyed with madder and hibiscus

Needles: US 4s 16″

Notes: Knit with yarn held double-stranded throughout.

DIRECTIONS:
Cast on 136 sts. Join in the round, being careful not to twist.
Garter stitch (knit one round, then purl one round) for 9 rounds total.

Begin four-round stitch pattern:
R1-3: Knit
R4: *Sl 1 purl wise to cable needle and hold in front of work, k2, slip st from cable needle to RH needle, k1. Rep. from * to end of round.

Work until ” from cast-on. Starting with a purl round, work in garter stitch for 9 rounds. Bind off loosely knit-wise.

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Dune popover

July 8, 2019

I think of this top more as a popover than a sweater, because of it’s shape and because I think it looks so much better with a longer tank top underneath. I was inspired by the designer’s images and volunteered to test knit; the pattern is lovely, but I’m not sure it’s the best shape or fit for me. Right now, these short boxy tops are really “in” and you see them all over knitwear designers’ pages, but I think I’m too short and boxy myself to wear them well!

Pattern: Dune by Eri Shimizu

Yarn: Mythica Fibers (100% rustic silk) – 2 skeins (470 yds/ea) in color Je Te Veux (I ran out when finishing the sleeve and neck edges, but I could have left them unfinished, or I could have kept the top its original length, instead of lengthening it by an inch or so).

Size: M-L

Needles: US 5s

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Montana road trip

July 7, 2019

Ten days traveling for Issue #11 of By Hand Serial – most of the photos were taken by our professional photographer, but here are a handful of snapshots that I managed:

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Knitted summer tee

July 4, 2019

I had hoped to get the perfect soft pink by combining two strands of Purl Soho’s Cattail Silk, but instead the two colors just muddied each other . . . I’m happy with how the yarn knit up as a tee, and the rustic silk makes it wearable in warm weather, but I’m disappointed in the color.

Pattern: Clarke Pullover by Jane Richmond (modified sleeve by knitting for 1.5″ and then .75″ of ribbing)

Yarn: Purl Soho Cattail Silk (100% silk) – 2 skeins (470 yds/ea) in colors Porcelain White and Cherry Blossom, knit double-stranded (unfortunately, I needed only a very little of the second skeins, so now I have a lot of leftover yarn from this project!)

Needles: US 4s

Size: 36″ (this size would typically give me zero positive ease, but likely my gauge is a little on the large size, so this probably comes out more like 38″

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Smitten by mohair

June 10, 2019

My second go-round knitting one of my new patterns from By Hand Serial Lookbook No. 9. This time, I wanted a completely different look, so instead of a rustic, “sheepy” yarn, I used fingering weight, knit at a fairly open gauge, double-stranded with mohair. The result is a soft, warm yet light pullover that drapes beautifully and looks like a soft spring morning 🙂

Pattern: Mahone Bay Pullover

Yarn: The Wool Barn Cashmere Sock 4-ply (80% super wash merino / 10% cashmere / 10% nylon) – 2 1/2 skeins (383 yds/ea) in color Smitten, knit double-stranded with La Bien Aimee Mohair Silk (70% mohair / 30% silk) – 1 1/2 skeins (547 yds/ea) in color Bois de Rose

Size: M

Needles: US 8s and 7s (ribbing)

Notes: I used a small bit of stash yarn for the CC (unlike the original, I knit the ribbing in MC and used CC only for the garter bump accent).

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Cardigan blues

June 8, 2019

Pattern: Lunenberg Cardigan – my design, published in By Hand Serial Lookbook No. 9

Yarn: The Wool Barn Cashmere Sock 4-ply (80% super wash merino / 10% cashmere / 10% nylon) – 4 skeins (383 yds/ea) in color Favourite Jeans

Size: M

Needles: US 4s and 3s (ribbing)

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The coast of Maine

May 30, 2019

To me, there’s no place in the world more beautiful than the coast of Maine – even when the spring has been unusually cool and slow to arrive! My oldest daughter and I spent a week exploring to celebrate her successful completion of her freshman year of college 🙂

Scenes from Rockport Harbor:

Hiking in Acadia National Park:

Scenes from Cape Porpoise:

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Spring sewing projects

May 19, 2019

My luck is hit-and-miss finding store-bought patterns that fit me well, so I’ve started hacking my own patterns from ready-made clothes in my closet. I recently bought a boxy linen pullover that I thought would make a good model for a tunic. I drafted the pattern and first experimented on some apparel fabric in my stash, bought years ago – I thought I’d use this just as a test subject, but I liked it so much that I ended up adding it to my wardrobe! Unfortunately, I have no notes on what the fabric is or where I got it.

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Next, I used the “main event” fabric – 2.5 yards of Japanese yarn-dyed cotton that I purchased recently at Fiddlehead Artisan Supply in Belfast, Maine.

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For both tunics, I used the neckline and sleeve fit from the ready-made inspiration piece, but I lengthened the body, loosened the cuffs on the sleeves so that buttons weren’t necessary, and added pockets (because what tunic doesn’t look and wear better with pockets!) I was really pleased with the fit and how both of these (very different) fabrics.

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Just Peachy

May 17, 2019

Another summerweight mohair shawl from By Hand Serial Lookbook No. 9, this one is knit by alternating lace weight merino (held double stranded) and adding in a strand of lace weight merino/silk (for a total of three strands).

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Pattern: Just Peachy triangular asymmetrical shawl

Needles: US 7s

Yarn: HW Woolworks merino lace (1 skein/ea of dark and light peach) and mohair/silk (1 skein in light peach)

For this second version, I used a single strand of fingering weight merino/silk instead of two strands of lace weight:

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Yarns: The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers Foxy Lady (2 skeins in My Auntie’s Grape Kool-Aid) and The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers Mighty Mo (1 skein in Walking the Steel)

In this third version, I used the same pattern, but without double and triple-stranding — all yarn is held just single stranded – and I changed colors as I worked through the pattern.

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Yarns: Chmurka Goat on the Boat – 1 skein/ea in colors Mahogany, Old Letter, Sealing Wax, and Attic

Finally, this fourth version is single-color, single-strand – beautifully simple, it showcases the yarn and let’s the pattern’s texture shine:

Yarns: Hinterland Dusk – 2 skeins in color Ash

Needles: US 5s

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Summertime mohair shawls

May 16, 2019

Two new shawls, designed for By Hand Serial Lookbook No. 9 – both use a combination of mohair/silk and fingering weight yarns to create a soft, beautiful fiber that is both light and warm. I love how mixing different yarns in the same color family results in a color that has so much layering and depth to it!

Pattern: Sea Glass rectangular lace wrap

Yarn: HW WoolWorks mohair silk and mighty fine sock (held doubled)

Needles: US 8s

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Pattern: Morning Mist arched shawl

Yarn: HW WoolWorks mohair/silk and merino lace (held doubled)

Needles: US 10s

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Creating a dress pattern

May 15, 2019

After hacking the tunic pattern, I wanted to see how it would look if I expanded it (with a few tweaks) into a dress. I lengthened it further, but also started it sloping outwards in an A-shape from the waist downward. Instead of patch pockets, I added interior pockets along the side seams. I shortened the sleeves (but kept the cuff as edging).

The fabric is another impulse buy from Fiddlehead Artisan Supply – 3 yards of linen Hokkah sheeting. As a facing, pocket lining, and an edging along the hem, I used .5 yards of Galway Indigo linen.

I think that the shape works so long as the hem is fairly high – it’s loose, not overly fitted, but still flattering, and a comfortable, lightweight staple for the summer.

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Lunenberg Cardigan

May 14, 2019

This is one of my patterns from the newest issue of By Hand Serial: Lookbook No. 9. I think it might be my favorite – it is, in my opinion, the perfect wear-anywhere, wear-with-everything, three-season cardigan! Knit in fingering weight yarn, it can take on just about any look you want, showcase any yarn you love, and it’s never too heavy or bulky. I already have a second one on my needles 🙂

Pattern: Lunenberg Cardigan in By Hand Serial: Lookbook No. 9

Yarn: HW Woolworks Hand Dyed Merino (or any fingering weight yarn) – 4 skeins (365 yds/ea)

Size: Medium

Needles: US 4s (and US 3s for ribbing)

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