The Planned Post, lol

Now that Ian's healing well I'm going back to my normal post schedule.   He's had his dressings changed and it all looked good, the tetanus shot didn't go quite so well, he pushed it out before the nurse had finished so had to get jabbed again poor lad.   Not her fault and he recovered very quickly in the face of a lollipop.

I did finish my first lot of plying on my new Woollee Winder though, really pleased with it, but do need some practice as it feels slightly overplied

Woolee Winder in action

Finished skein of Merino/Silk, colour is off the green is more green and the blue is actually purple.

The next plan is to start spinning some white and coloured wools to make a cushion for the guild with sheep on it in colourwork, should be very cool.  I'll take photo's as soon as I've chosen both my wools, I'm definitely using white as the background, probably an English Leicester/Gotland cross, the colour will probably be a Perendale as I have a couple of fleeces of those that aren't white.

I'm also getting ready to do some sewing, winter T's for the boys and a shirt for me for my 1913 servant's challenge.

T-shirt pattern for boys winter clothes

The fabrics I'm using, including some old T-shirts of mine that will be repurposed.

I'm using the shirt pattern on top, sorry it's sideways, it insisted.   I'm not using the collar, just the collar stand

Cotton blend shirting for the servants blouse.

 And I finally found the silk brocade I'll be using for the outside of my corset!   I've still got to handwash it, but the important thing is I found it!

Silk Brocade from pre-child days, was going to be a short skirt, will make a lovely corset instead

Not what I'd planned

Today's post was going to be full of lovely photo's of the yarn I made and the woollee winder I used to make it as well as a progress shot of my socks.    Unfortunately things didn't work out as planned and we ended up at the after hours instead.

Ian decided to climb the pantry for some reason, knocked a glass off and then landed on it with his foot.    I was the only person in the family with shoes so picked him up after yelling at him to stay still and took him and his bleeding foot down to the bathroom where he could sit down and I could see what was going on.   I quickly determined it was too deep for a plaster and got his dad to bandage 2 flannels to it so we could get to after hours.   He was scared he was going to go to hospital and convinced he was going to die so there was reassurance on that.    2 hours after the accident we finally got back home with sticky stitches and some silver bandaging and lots of other bandage stuff to keep everything in place; poor boy was very brave and hoping he sleeps well tonight.

Edwardian Shoe Giveaway by American Duchesse

Edwardian shoe giveaway of the Gibson style
I love their shoes, really hoping I'll win but if I don't someone reading my blog would I'm sure love them just as much as I would.

Aren't they gorgeous?   I don't know if I'd go for black or tan, but both would work well with my 1913 plans.

Busy day!

Had to go out and get a new modem today, ours was fine with the laptop but not so fine with the tablet, my phone or other mobile gadgets, we thought maybe it was faulty, but the guy at Norman Ross said it was simply that they use newer technology.  We now have a much newer modem and all the devices seem to like it a lot better which is nice.  Got 30% off as Norman Ross is closing down, also picked up a GPS for the car to hopefully improve my chances of getting to places without getting lost.     I got the Navman MY300LMT, just going to have to remember to take it out of the car when I park anywhere. 
Also tried to get a driveway alarm to stop Ian from doing runners but they'd sold out, he had another go last night so I'd really been hoping to get it; now to search for an alternative which I suspect will be rather more expensive.   Not good.

Also today my Woollee Winder arrived for the Ashford E-Spinner, need to finish spinning  my current fibre so I can try it out, looking forward to it!  This is a good thing.

In other news (I think that's my go-to phrase) I had some excellent service from Craftsy regarding a course I didn't enjoy.   I didn't complain to them, but I did rate the course honestly as it didn't engage me at all, the presenter was monotonous and long winded.    They obviously monitor feedback if it's particularly bad and contacted me offering a refund or an alternative course.    As the course I didn't enjoy was a gift from my mother I went for an alternative and chose the course on double knitting.   I watched the intro and I think I'm going to really enjoy it.   Major kudos to Craftsy for being proactive and for their unexpected but greatly appreciated offer.

Knitting - Dh's Business Casual socks may end up being for me.  I went with the recommended needles, normally a sock that recommends a 2.5mm needle works out perfectly with my normal tension.    This one is my normal tension, but unfortunately the recommended tension is looser than what I have, this sock is very tight on Thomas, it may end up being mine, I'll see how it goes once the heel turn is done.

A finish and delays

First up I've finished my Through the Loops Mystery KAL socks

There will be a photo of feet in them later, but haven't taken one yet in decent light

Now, my next post will be number 500 and I had originally intended a giveaway, unfortunately I can't afford postage at the moment due to reduced hours at work so this will be delayed until the money starts to get back to normal.   As soon as we're caught up (and got the driveway alarm) then I'll get this up and running.  Don't worry, I won't forget!

I did a heap of spinning today too, have only just finished the bobbin though and the light has gone so no photo of that till tomorrow.

I'm feeling grumpy

The boys are playing up and Thomas took the car so I can't go out and get myself a treat.   Ian didn't have pj pants on, when asked why not he said he wet them, what he didn't mention was that he's actually wet most of the bathroom.   I made him clean it up.
Both boys are supposed to be going to sleep, they've been warned if I have to go down there again there will be no Sumdog (computer) or tv after school tomorrow, I'm pretty sure I'll be back down there again shortly as they're still being very noisy at 8.50pm.

I should be knitting, but in the mood I'm in courtesy of the boys I'd stuff it up so no knitting.   Luckily I got my ribbon embroidery finished before things turned to custard.

distance view

Close up view of silk-ribbon embroidery

Finishing Line

Well, despite a week of IBS flare ups I've managed to finish the chemise and the first sock completely.   This week I'll do some embroidery on the chemise for the embellishment part of the challenge and I'll be all done!

Front of sock

Back of sock, very hard to photograph your own feet from the back!

Completed chemise, ignore the workout trousers underneath

My next spinning project, it's more green than it looks here.   I've split out the colours in this one and will spin the other as it came.

Chemise details

It's actually finished, but no photos till it's washed and dried to get rid of all the little blue fabric marker markings on it.    It's lovely, but it makes me look fat, admittedly I'm a little bigger than my ideal, but I don't consider myself to be fat.  Once the corset is done that'll change though.

Handsewing the button loops

Finished button loops, I'm very proud

All buttoned up!

I've also finished clue 4 of my socks, working on the toe now, hoping to cast the second one on tomorrow.

So pretty, can't wait to wear them, though I'm wondering if I should keep them for the next display of work

Oh, and Ian ran away to school again this evening, I made Thomas admit that I'd told him not to get complacent yet.  His bike is now locked up for 24 hours again so he can't use it.

And 4 posts to go to an important number and a giveaway, still working out what it'll be but more than likely a skein of yarn; possibly with some cashmere in it in autumn shades.

Chemise progress

The chemise is almost finished, just the buttons, button loops and hem to go.  Unfortunately I can't find any suitable buttons in my stash, they're all too yellow to look right with the off-white sheeting.   Tomorrow I'll have to drop into Spotlight (ick).    I hate the place, but it's the only place this side of town now with a semi-decent button collection, wish me luck.

Today I did the gathering, I ignored what the pattern said and used my method using crochet cotton and zig-zag stitch.    I took a photo of how I do this just to give you an idea; I find it's much more effective than the double line of gathering stitches I used to do.

Using my pintuck foot the cord goes under the middle groove and I've put the ball of thread over my knee-lift to keep control of it.

Close up shot of how it looks as you're going.   Results in more even gathering too.

And my chemise on Bonnie:

I need to sew the edge of the lace down on the neckline, this is on Bonnie back to front though.

In other news we got approved for a Red Cross Grant for the boys from the Christchurch Earthquake Fund.    When we applied we said we'd be getting the boys new bikes to replace their current ones which have rusted a lot due to not being able to be kept in weathertight conditions.   Obviously they were ok with that, though I wasn't sure if they would be.  The funds arrived overnight, the budget has now been adjusted to make sure I keep the money there and don't spend it on anything else as it's for the boys only.   The bikes will wait till the garage is up as otherwise they'll go rusty too which would defeat the point of the whole thing.
We're thinking we'll also get an annual pass to Orana Park when their year rolls around in July, both boys love that sort of thing so they'll get full value and all these things come under the recreation heading that we applied under.
Still haven't heard anything about the garage so I've emailed EQC to find out how much longer until we're approved.    George is desperate for his own room, we're getting pretty desperate too!

Not much more knitting done today, too busy on the chemise and cleaning.  Spinning tomorrow, still trying to work out what to take along to spin!    Hoping to finish the chemise tomorrow, and am about to do more knitting tonight.

Getting Somewhere

Got lots of knitting done today, always do with a doctors appointment.  Luckily I don't mind the wait when I have knitting to do.   Don't worry, nothing serious, though the doc agrees that I'm entering Perimenopause (explains the hot flushes, dry nails, sleeping poblems etc).    I suspect I have quite a long time before it's all over, but I'll survive, though I may be grumpy from time to time!

I got my TTL KAL further along though, the gusset decreases are now finished and I'm working my way down the foot; so far I'm really liking it!  And my Business Casual socks are started at least.

TTL KAL, won't look that lumpy on my feet, on my hands however....

Business Casual socks for Dh.

I also got more work done on my chemise; had some issues with the instructions being wrong (lace would have ended up on the inside of the cuff next to my skin had I not realised), and one pattern piece needed to be wider to fit the other piece it works with, luckily that was fixable with narrower seam allowances.

A flat felled seam in progress

The finished flat felled seam

The sleeves being gathered using zig-zag stitches to hold crochet thread in place.

The completed sleeve ready for insertion

The sleeve complete and inserted, slight whoops in one section but no-one will notice (I hope)

The cotton crocheted lace I'm using, it's perfect!

I also finished some yarn on the weekend, spun to be fingering weight for socks and it turned out exactly fingering weight!

Buttercup Merino/Nylon

Tomorrow I will get more done on the chemise, not sure if I'll finish it but I'll try.   More knitting, maybe even finish clue 4 which would be nice as I'm not expecting to have work to do.   Mind you I do have some housework to do, the bathroom is starting to look a little bit off, and I need to empty the vacuum cleaner of all the bird feathers the cat left us the other morning.  The bird survived, Thomas caught it and let it out the window where it flew away.

Too busy for photos

But the chemise is moving along nicely.  The body is sewn together, the sleeves are about to be gathered into their cuffs.   I did have one done but it turned out that when I put the lace on according to the instructions they'd got the side you put it on wrong and the lace would have ended up on the inside of the cuff.   So undid that one, shifted all the marks to the other side and ready to go again.   Decided not to do any sewing after that though, the signs were not good for keeping on.
Tomorrow will be the sleeves being sewn into their cuffs, and hopefully put into the body as well.
I didn't know if I had the right sort of lace, but luckily it turned out that the cotton crocheted lace I purchased a few weeks ago was the perfect width and colour.

I've finished the third clue for my KAL socks today as well, so that's the heel turn done on the first sock, and I've taken a step into the waters of madness and cast on my 4th sock for the Business Casual Sock KAL.   I"ll have to finish the other sock first as it's deadline is in February and there's another sock to go, plus it's charted so takes a little longer.   The Business sock won't take as long as it's fairly straightforward, main thing that'll slow that down is that I'm making them for Thomas so they're bigger.

I am however getting more craft time at the moment, good in some ways but the reason for it is due to a lack of work which means less money.   Need to win Lotto I think!

Little girl knits and a chemise in planning

Been very busy here with gardening, housework etc, all that stuff that you have to eventually give in and do if you want to be able to function in the house.   At least with it all done I've got a little crafting time available, even if I keep thinking "I should be...."    I've decided at the moment it's too hot for the main "should be" which is painting the eaves and gables, at 27 - 32 degrees celcius the paint would be drying too quickly.

In knitting news I've been working on the My Honey cardigan for a wee girl of our acquaintance.   Getting measurements has been more difficult than I expected and I still don't know if the arm measurement is from shoulder to wrist or armpit to wrist; I'm suspecting the earlier option as I'm pretty sure her arms are normal length and if it's armpit to wrist they'd be overlong for the rest of her.
This morning I finished the body so I'm now working on the first sleeve and just trying to decide if I should do a short sleeve which would overcome the unknown arm length issue or go for long sleeves and hope like heck I get that right!    Thoughts everyone?

This is it so far:

Unblocked but very sweet

detail of neck lace

I'm pretty happy with it so far, but I think next year I might sew something instead, if I can get measurements of course.

I got a bit of it done yesterday while the boys were on the trampoline with the sprinkler on under it, at the time it was 32 degrees and helped to cool them off.   They weren't keen till they saw me on it, then all of a sudden they both wanted in, so I had to get off.  No photo's as both were naked, I took photo's I'm just not showing you guys!

For the Historical Sew Weekly this week the theme is "Under it All".   I'm making a chemise from Simplicity's 9769 pattern

the chemise is the gown on the left, but is also shown tucked in under the corset and with the drawers

My pattern only goes up to size 12 and normally I'm a size 14 on top (don't ask what I am in the hips) but this time I think 12 will be fine.  I've measured and it will fit perfectly around the shoulders and hopefully be a little less blousy than the 14 would be.   So far all I've done is cut out the paper pattern to press, but once again it's hot and after doing some baking I can't handle the idea of turning the iron on too.   I'll get it cut out by Monday at the latest.

In work news I'm not getting many hours at the moment, only 7 hours this week, the budget is suffering so there will be no unnecessary spending.  I'm kind of glad I'd already done the fabric, yarn and pattern shopping as I wouldn't be able to do them now.