Teaching Time

I'm a bit wrapped up in Summer Institute, if that helps to explain why I've haven't posted in a while. But thought I'd update everyone on a few projects.

After a very, very hot, soapy washing, all of those old bathing suits I bought were chopped up into 2.5" squares. I starched and ironed them as best as I could, but the spandex/lycra they are made of was very tricky to cut accurately. It loves to shift and curl up as you're working with it. 

Then I went into school a bit early before class to steal some time on the serger. I do think a serger/coverstitcher is in my near-future, but the purchase has been pushed back a bit after a rather large vet bill for my dumb cat. Anyway, I made some nine-patches, and I was happy to see the stretch really remained. I was worried that all the seams from piecing would make it rigid, but it didn't. Some sort of horrible athletic wear is going to come from this, I promise. 

Fairisle hat is continuing to come together. I knitted the top with guidance from a pattern for a 'flat top' hat, but it made the top more hexagonal than circular, and it's a bit lumpy looking. Oh well! Crochet edging now along the bottom edge and face-hole. I did block it, but it's rolling up again, so I guess I'll block it again once I'm done. A big old pom-pom's going on top too, don't worry. 

And just one lonely Dear Jane Block. But it is the start of a new row! Here's my H-1, and what a refreshingly easy little block after a lot of row G being very fidgety.

I've also done a lot of drawing in the past couple weeks, when I get a chance I'll scan some of that in. I also just started last night a pair of camo pants for myself, and I think I've finally gotten my pants pattern just about right, so keep an eye out for them!

Gathering Mode

I'm back in that gathering mood. Back to scouring the thrift stores for big chunks of certain things with only a vague idea of what they'll eventually become.

Blue bathing suit bits? Watching too much wrestling has gotten me into a mood to work with spandex and garish patterns. Not that I can really do much without a serger/coverstitcher, but these things might be in my future, I think, and I'm getting supplies ready. 

And for my class, terrible thrift store garments to transform. The theme this years seems to be 'terrible patterns and embellishments.'

Been knitting away at what I think will be a hat, if I've planned right. I'm sort of making a pattern up on the fly--I couldn't find a flat-topped flapped hat design that I liked, so we'll see how this goes. 

Close up. Loving the fair isle so far, should really work more with it, I enjoy the process a lot. Maybe time to break out my graph paper book and work out some designs. These were mostly just chosen at random from a book. 

And what post would be complete without a couple Dear Jane blocks? G-6 through G-10. Nothing too tricky in this batch. Don't know why people find y-seams tricky, I never have a tough time with them. Then again, after doing an enormous bit of hexagon patchwork by hand, I've got lots of practice with them. The pink and blue one here was probably the worst, but it was just tedious, not difficult.