Planning a 1960s sweater

It feels like all I've been doing is planning my next projects without doing actual work on any of said projects. Maybe I should make a promise that the next thing I post will be a finished project... Hahahahaha! But honestly, sometimes I think the funnest thing about knitting or sewing is the planning rather than the actually sewing or knitting. Call me crazy.

I've been wanting to knit a sweater from a vintage pattern for awhile. I even made a post awhile back of my top 5 vintage patterns to knit. Of course the pattern I'm going to knit didn't make that list.

The pattern I plan to use is called 'Rosalie' from the Patons Knitting Book No. 665. My plan is to eliminate the color work and knit it in a dark purple using Knit Picks Stroll. I know, I know, me opting to not do color work? Crazy, right? The color pattern just doesn't really impress me. What drew me to it was the ribbing at the yoke and neckline. I'm not sure how it will look in a single color. But we'll see.

Over half a year ago, my sister and I scored a few vintage dresses at WildWoman's Vintage Clothing, a cute little vintage shop in Sparta, WI. One of the dresses I absolutely fell in love with is a cute little, sleeveless, wool, tweed, purple dress. For months now, I've been talking about knitting some kind of sweater to go under it. My first thoughts were to follow the series on Fitting a 40s pullover that Tasha at By Gum By Golly put together a few years back. But I decided that a mock turtle neck would be the best way to go. To be honest, I'll probably still be referring to those posts quite a bit while planning this.

I know a couple weeks ago I mentioned a sweater I was working on that I hoped would be done by now. Well, surprise, surprise I'm still working on. But I hope to be able to show it off next week or the week after that... Or some week at some point in time, because lets be honest, with this project under way, I might not have the desire to knit on anything else.

If you want to see my progress on my vintage sweater or even possibly my other WIP sweater follow me on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for latest updates.

This gal dyes... yarn with Kool Aid

Late last year I talked about my fall goals, and one of them was that I wanted to try a bit of yarn dyeing using Kool-Aid. Around that time, I had made up my mind that the first sweater I attempted wasn't working out. So, I frogged it and had all this extra white yarn leftover. It's like the stars had aligned.

Kool Aid dyeing is super, super easy. And there are plenty of resources all over the Internet. Video tutorials, written tutorials, picture tutorials, just about any kind of tutorial you can think of. I've even started a Pinterest board specifically for Kool Aid dyeing and all the different techniques.

My first attempt was a major success. I went with a pretty straight forward lime green using six packets of Lemon Lime Kool-Aid and an entire 50g skein of Knit Picks worsted Wool of the Andes. Being the green lover that I am, I quite like the results.

For my second attempt, I decided to be a bit more adventurous. I wanted to try my hand at purple. Turns out purple isn't an easy color to dye. My weird results are proof of that. It also doesn't help that I went into it with no game plan what-so-ever. I figured, "hey, red and blue make purple. Right?" So, I tossed in three packets of cherry Kool Aid and about 30-something drops of blue food coloring and hoped for the best. I'm not even sure what color I'd call that. Maroon? It doesn't look quite that bright in person. I actually really like the results, it's just not exactly what I was going for.

Since then I've done a bit of reading and it turns out the red dye used in Kool Aid (Red40) tends to produce a muddy color. And the ideal red to use is Red3 which is what's used in food coloring. But apparently that also has its draw backs. I'll have to look into it more. But right now, my thoughts for the next time I attempt purple is to try blue Kool Aid with red food coloring. We'll see what happens.

Needless to say, there's still a lot I can learn about dyeing yarn. But I'm glad I made these mistakes. Without mistakes we wouldn't learn anything. I'm excited to make a few more as the dyeing adventures go on.

Want to follow along and see my mistakes as they happen? Go ahead and follow me on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

1960s Wiggle Dress Planning

I was hoping to have a finished sweater and a vintage inspired skirt to share with you this week. But seeing as I haven't even started on the front of the sweater, that seems like an unrealistic goal. Instead of knitting my sweater I've been going through some fabric I got at a large garage sale last spring. And just like that I've been bitten by the sewing bug, and want to sew all the things.

The first thing that I want to sew with some great floral fabric I got is a halter wiggle dress. I've been on the hunt for some patterns but am turning up empty. It doesn't help that I can't even find a decent picture of what I'm looking for. To be honest, I'm not even sure if this is inspired by something I saw or something I think I saw. That happens to me a lot. But I'm pretty sure this was sparked by something I saw in an Elvis movie since the fabrics are ones that remind me of Blue Hawaii, but I can't be sure. Looks like I have an excuse to watch some Elvis beach movies now.

Any way, the closest that I've been able to find is a vintage pattern from 1964, McCall's 7511. The only thing is, I want a halter top. But the more I've looked at halter tops, the more I'm wondering if that's something I really want. I haven't been the biggest fan of halter tops in the past, so I'm not entirely sure why I have my mind set on a halter dress. After looking at the pattern more I'm starting to think maybe this would be a better fit for my fabric. After a quick search, I can't find it in my usual pattern price range, but I'll be keeping my eyes open.

As for the fabric, I can't decide between the large print floral or the small print floral. The first time I saw both of them I was thinking along the lines of a gathered skirt for both of them. But I don't think that's their true destiny. I'm leaning more toward the large print for the dress, and maybe the other one can become a nice gathered skirt. Honestly, I think there would be enough of the smaller print to make a dress and skirt. We'll see...

I know you don't want to miss what these two fabrics true destinies will ultimately be. And since I tend to spoil everything on social media you should follow me on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for the latest updates.

Fresh off the needles: (Ugly) Christmas Sweater 2014

Through all the false starts, procrasti-knitting,  and general not wanting to knit the thing anymore, it's finally done and I even made my December 25th deadline! With 5 days to spare even! Not only is it my first annual Christmas sweater, it's my first ever completed sweater. And it's not too bad if I do say so myself.

Sometime during the beginning of my knitting journey I made that post on Tumblr. I can only assume at the time, I thought I'd never have the skills to knit even a plain sweater let alone a stranded sweater. But here I am, with a full blown stranded and steeked Christmas sweater.

My goal was to look like an extra from Wham's Last Christmas video. It took a hybrid of two patterns and a color chart to get what I was looking for. Those patterns are Vintersolverv from Knitty and 11-12 jumper with reindeer pattern from Drops Studio. I used the Knitty pattern as a base and kept some of the original color work, then I substituted the Drops pattern in for the unused Knitty color work. I also used a tree color pattern but I can't place the source. I even added beads to the trees to make them look more festive, just to add to the ugliness. I'll admit, I'm a little too proud of this sweater to truly think it's ugly.

A look inside at the armhole steek

The sweater is knit completely in the round with steeks at the armholes and neckline. I know a lot of people are afraid of steeks, but honestly it's really not that bad. As long as you reinforce them there's nothing to worry about. I used a standard crochet reinforcement but there's a few other alternatives. After I cut the steeks I picked up and knit the sleeves from the top down, which I wasn't crazy about at first, but ended up really liking it, and it may be my way of knitting sleeves.

I'll admit, as I was knitting this I was pretty convinced I wasn't going to finish it. Which is ridiculous since according to Ravelry, I started this on the 10th of August. Ridiculous, yes, but surprising, not so much. As I've talked about before I don't do well with deadlines, so knowing that about myself I decided it'd be best to start early because eventually I was going to put it off. Which I obviously did.

My third pathetic excuse for a swatch 

But my procrasti-knitting wasn't the only thing that held me back. It was mostly my insistence of not doing a decent gauge swatch. I ended up starting over at least three times.

The first time I swatched, I swatched (half-assly) a different color pattern, got gauge and then cast on. I was convinced I had twisted my cast on, so ripped out the ribbing and started again. A couple inches after the ribbing I decided I wasn't crazy about the color pattern and my gauge was off.(Surprise, surprise) So, I ripped it out, went up a needle size and decided that all was going to go well. It didn't and I was forced to rip back again and start over. Then when it came to the armhole then to the neckline I had some issues with row gauge. But it's in the past, lets not dwell on it. Needless to say, I was pretty fed up with the whole thing by September and put it away for two solid months. Lesson learned.

Even with all the hiccups and missteps I'm still really happy with it. And although I was swearing I was never going to knit another sweater ever again, I can already tell there are going to be a lot more sweaters in my near future.

Patterns: Vintersolverv from Knitty and 11-12 jumper with reindeer pattern from Drops Studio
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport
Ravelry Project Page

If you want to keep tabs on my sweater knitting follow me on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

A new year calls for a new look

New year, new look! Ha! So original right?! New year, new creativity! But honestly, I didn't do this on purpose. I was bored the other day and thought it was time for a change. I just happened to make that change around the New Year.

I've wanted a clean, semi-professional look to this blog for awhile. For the longest time I was convinced this wasn't possible with Blogger. I even went so far as to moving all my posts to Wordpress. I fiddled around with it for awhile, decided it was too much of a hassle and went to Google to find some alternatives to make Blogger do what I wanted. After some Googling I found New Blogger Themes and browsed through their many themes and finally found one that I liked. Then with a few minor adjustments I have a layout I'm really, really happy with. It is worth noting that to make even the most minor adjustments you'll need some knowledge in CSS and HTML.

Of course, what's a new year without a few resolutions, right? So, here ya go:

I started this blog with the intent to track both my knitting and sewing progress. And while I have been pretty good about posting my finished knitting projects, I've been less consistent with posting my finished sewing projects, which are adding up. And I'd love to show them off.

© Cheri Engel Chapman

The reason for that is, my sewn garments are a bit harder to photograph on my own than the hats and things I've been knitting. I can't hold the camera out away from myself to show off a dress or a pair of pants like I could with the cabled hat above. My main dilemma is that I don't have anywhere in the house to take quality photos. Yes, I've been doing my research and I know it's best to take photos outside, but when it's winter six months out of the year, that's not always an option. The thing that's really frustrating is that we have a lot of pretty walls in our house that would be fun to use as backdrops. But, the problem is, they're either in parts of the house where there is no natural light or they have large pieces of furniture in front of them. But when the weather warms up I already have a few spots picked out in the yard to test out.

You see? Some of those walls are really pretty and would work great to contrast some of the clothes I've made. After I took these test pictures, I've realized that my main hurdle is the big, heavy furniture in front of the walls. It's nor very practical for me to move a table or a couch every time I want to take an outfit picture. But, maybe there are spots, like in front of the purple wall, where I can just move some things around to permanent new homes. Then all I would have to do is figure out what time of day would be best to take photos so that the light isn't creating those harsh shadows. I don't know, these are just some things I need to think about more. But I hope to figure it out so I can share all my sewing achievements.

As always, I'll be documenting these things on Instagram and Twitter, so you should follow me there for any fun updates.

Old Hollywood eye candy

A goal that I've had for awhile is to have an entire outfit consisting of things I've made myself. And if you follow me on Instagram you'll know I'm currently working on making a pair of 1970s pants, that are turning out to have more of a 1930s/1940s look to them. So, naturally I've been on the look out for some 1930s, 40s and 50s vintage style sweater patterns. But, typical me has gotten side tracked in this search and have come across many pictures of Old Hollywood celebrities wearing some pretty awesome knitwear.

Below are some of my favorites, none of which are anything I have in mind to go with my pants, but they're pretty none the less. Is this more procrasti-knitting?

Everyone knows I'm a sucker for a good ole fashioned stranded sweater. So, it was only natural that it was love at first sight when I saw these two sweaters on Peter Lawford. From looking at vintage knitting patterns, these style sweaters seemed to be all the rage for both men and women in the 40s and 50s. 

I've been in love with Marilyn Monroe's Cowichan style sweater for a very, very long time. The Cowichan style was originated by the Cowichan people of the Vancouver Islands in British Colombia, Canada. It has been popular among both locals and tourists of the area. It's a lovely sweater, with the large gauge and drop shoulder construction it would be a it a super warm addition to my closet for this bitterly cold winter we're already having.

I've briefly talked about the sweater Sandra Dee wore in the early 1960s that I fell so deeply in love with. It looks so fluffy and warm and I know the stitch makes it even thicker and warmer, so, it's doubly wonderful. It was only natural that I immediately knew this was something I needed in my closet as soon as possible. And as you already know I plan on recreating the sweater using a vintage pattern I have in a booklet. Plan on seeing a lot more of this sweater over the next few months. Unfortunately, the pink and white stripes won't go with my red and gold plaid pants.

There's really nothing like a classic cardigan worn by some classically handsome men. It seemed to be all the rage for the teen heartthrobs of the 1950s, maybe in hopes of making them look a little more wholesome than they actually were. These sweaters are the closest thing on this list that would go with my pants. But I'm completely sold on a cardigan. If I do decide I'd like one it's super easy to find a pattern. 

I'm sure in about 2.5 seconds I'll be derailed from my pattern search and I'll find another handful of my favorite classic celebrities wearing some awesome knitwear. Which is why you should follow me on instagram, twitter, and tumblr where I regularly post my knitting inspirations.

Procrasti-knitting

Ordinarily, I don't set knitting deadlines for myself. I've found when I start a new project, baring any unfortunate mishaps I tend to finish them. Honestly, I don't have that many WIPs laying around the house. That all went to hell when I decided I needed to knit myself a Christmas sweater for our annual family Christmas. The key word here is, need. I don't really need to knit it, I want to knit it. But once I put that December 25th deadline in place it suddenly turned into a job that needed to be done. So, since I've put that connection together I've been procrastinating hardcore. Or as I like to say, procrasti-knitting. Not even last night's snow dump shook me out of it.

Here are just a few things I've made since setting my December 25th deadline:

Purple Rain Beanie

I'd been telling myself for months that I needed a lightweight slouchy hat for the cooler, but not too cool days of Fall. I'd also been telling myself that I needed a new show to watch. Enter Scandal and Purple Rain beanie. I both binged watched Scandal, starring the lovely Kerry Washington and binged knit my version of the Sock Head for a week straight. The hat, I love. The show is okay.

Pattern: Sock Head
Yarn: Cascade Heritage Sock
Skills needed: Cast-on, knit, purl, cable knitting, k2tog, ssk, weaving in ends
Ravelry Project Page

Innsbruck III

I've been on the prowl for some nice, soft yarn for sweater knitting. Malabrigo Rios is a yarn that's been on my mind for a long while now, and now's as good a time as any to use it, right? Why not. I didn't want to spend the money to buy a sweater quantity worth of yarn and run the risk of not liking it. I'm glad I did, because while I love the hand-dyed quality of the yarn for the hat, I'm not sure I'd be all too crazy about it for a sweater. 

Pattern: Innsbruck hat
Yarn: Malabrigo Rios 
Skills needed: Cast-on, knit, purl, cable knitting, k2tog, weaving in ends
Ravelry Project page

Two baby hats

With the new little niece around I've had to stop myself from casting on all the hats. It's not an easy task since she looks so damn cute wearing them, even if all she wants to do is rip them off her head and put them in her mouth.

Patterns: Both improvised by me
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted
Skills needed: Cast-on, knit, purl, cable knitting, k2tog, ssk, weaving in ends
Ravelry project pages: Purple hat|Pink hat

Like my procrastinating, my procrasti-knitting is very productive, but it's really time for me to buckle down and make some good progress on my Christmas Sweater. With that said, I'm off to go knit that pair of socks I've been wanting.

If you want to keep up with my procrasti-knitting follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr.