Changing My Mind

A female's perogative according to old lore; however I think it's also a crafter's perogative which is why I've changed my plans for the Historical Sew Fortnightly pink challenge.   I was going to do slippers, but I can't verify how old the pattern is and I suspect it may be a little too young.   Instead I'm going to knit myself a cloche hat.
Specifically I'm going to knit the Chapeau Marnier which although it didn't originate in 1920 is based on the fashions then.

Snaffled from Ravelry

At the moment I'll be knitting it in pink sock wool, my other option was a silk and camel blend but that's slightly thicker than the pattern calls for.   It is however a nicer pink and is all natural, whereas the sock yarn has nylon in it which wasn't developed until 1935, so not historically correct.

Crafting in the holidays

It's been interesting crafting these holidays.   My RSI has flared due to the running (I hold my arms just right to set it off apparently).  I'm taking a week off running and replacing it with bike rides instead to see if that helps.   As a result I've cut back my crafting time as I still have to work despite the RSI.

I've done some crafting with the boys.   George has a placemat ready to quilt and Ian has done the top of his; not sure if they'll quilt them or if I will.   Being the last week of the holidays and being without our car (have a courtesy car, but am trying not to use it) we are stuck at home somewhat but don't know how much craft stuff will get done with prep for next week and with George having his orientation day on Thursday.    We have to go down tomorrow at get his stationery list; might walk there I think as Ian is scary on a bike and I prefer it if Dh is along for those rides.

I've broken my yarn diet already, and my fabric diet, but both were for specific projects and I didn't have what I needed.   I've got 12yards of linen coming for my historical sewing; both in weights I've not seen here; one for lightweight projects (mostly undergarments) and the other for a middleages dress for a challenge coming up in future.    I also have some yarn that arrived, some to dye with the boys as I have almost run out of dyeable yarn and also some for making a 19th century bosom buddy for wearing with my historical clothing (nineteenth century is my next timeframe once the eighteenth is finished), I also got some mohair laceweight to make stockings.  It's a smooth yarn and should wear well I hope too.
Before I went on the diet I had some yarn arrive for a Craftsy class; I'm doing the fairisle vest class and have chosen different colours from the original.    I think that'll be it for a while though; aside from Vintage Purls summer sock yarn club.

Fair Isle selection

From top left clockwise:   Undyed sock yarn, mohair for stockings and merino/angora for bosom buddy

I've made some progress on my crafting despite all that.   I finished a true 3-ply yarn from merino/silk which I'm loving and also eldest's new socks.   I've now cast on for youngest's next pair as he's outgrown the ones I made for him in the winter; boy needs to stop growing!

Eldest's socks in charcoal commercial yarn; should be hard wearing, if he doesn't grow out of them first.

My lovely merino/silk 3-ply yarn, around 435m if I remember correctly

Ian's new socks.

No further historical sewing yet, but I've made some decisions on the next few items.   Challenge #2 is Innovation and I'm going to make a Calash which is a hood that was designed especially to protect the large hairstyles of my era.   I need to pick up some "boning" for the hood, but have decided the garden piping that didn't work for my panniers should be fine for this as there won't be much weight in it.   Just have to find time to get it, which is harder than you'd think atm as I don't want to take the courtesy car down to Mitre 10 so have to wait till my car is back in action.

This is a calash

And these are the fabrics I've chosen.   The blue/green silk is for the outer and the yellow linen for the lining.

Challenge #3 is for something pink.    At this point I'll be knitting myself some slippers in some hand dyed yarn that has been sitting in the stash for a while, using a pattern from a Raveller's grandmother, probably dating to around 1940.   Knitted slippers have been around since the eighteenth century though, if not before; I've found a pattern from that era, but it's lacking some detail and I can't get my head around it yet.  I might try that one first and fall back on 1940 if need be.

Challenge #4 is for underwear; so that might well be an eighteenth century chemise; my current one is civil war and a little too ornate for what I need.

Challenge #5 is for a bodice.   Not quite sure on this one yet, but think it might be something that requires some research.

In other news we went out to a friend's place for their roof party (their house just had its roof finished) and it's a beautiful spot, just a pity about the wind.

If it weren't for the upkeep on the lifestyle block I'd be tempted

Their stream is lovely

and the vista is stunning

even with the cellphone taking pictures you can see how beautiful it is

But it's a long drive, so we'll stay in town thanks, and visit from time to time.

Make Do and Mend

Challenge #1- Make Do and Mend

The Historical Sew Fortnightly

This is a redo of part of my panniers; the original "boning" (plastic garden tubing) didn't cope with the weight of my petticoat, so I've got spring steel to replace it and hope that that copes!

Year: 1776

Notions: 6 lengths of 63cm spring steel from Sew Curvy in the UK

How historically accurate is it?:  Aside from the materials being plastic coated steel the rest is pretty accurate, it's all handsewn and I think the fabric might be linen.   The original would probably have used cane to bone it, but I've seen metal cage panniers too so it could be right.   I'll give the whole thing an 8/10

Hours to complete:  1 hour approx

First worn: not yet

Total cost:hmm, bought the steel a few months back and can't remember the cost.

Panniers pre-fix

What the old support structure looked like on removal

The new sprung steel version; much better so far.

Will do another post later on the rest of my life; figure I should probably keep costuming in separate posts from running/knitting etc.

School Holidays

So far things have been a good mix.   We still haven't got to the beach yet, but we did go to Orana Park this week.    We did about half the park; the half we missed last time and of course we have the pass so we can go as many times as we want till the end of June I think it is.  Here's a selection of my favourite photo's from the park.

We go to a wildlife park to see........ ducklings.   I think the boys got the most out of this encounter to be honest!

Took several goes to get this shot of an unknown weed; mainly due to the wind.

I love zebras and this one is so sublimely indifferent to us.

The female ostrich; so much less flashy than her partner was.

These guys were steadfastly ignoring us; and of the four of them, three were most definitely guys!

I think this is my favourite shot, another group of animals (water buffalo) steadfastly ignoring all us humans

I do rather like this one too; there were about 5 white rhinos, but this one was the one by itself

Another pretty weed.

I've also been spinning:

3-ply unknown man-made fibre; this was for an advanced spinning challenge

Not the best photo, but this is 300m of a merino/yak blend 3-ply spun fine and worsted.  It took a long time due to the short staple, but didn't want to spin well woollen so I took what I could get.   This will be overdyed to be a cowl.

 and dyeing (on my birthday)

100g of BFL sock yarn in turquoise and aubergine

100g of laceweight silk in turquoise and aubergine with a mix of the two in the middle; this will be the Lavandula shawl

100g BFL sock yarn for youngest in greens and rust

 For my birthday Dh got me these

Vintage Purls laceweight in Currant Affairs

and also in Mist

I've also done some knitting, but not so much as my arms and hands have been complaining; I'm suspecting a lack of magnesium as after one tablet they're starting to improve.   I have still managed to get past the ribbing on Dh's sock, halfway through the ribbing of eldests second sock and have got 10 rows done on the shoulders of my jersey that's been on hold for a year.   There are KAL's I want to do too, but I think I'll have to simply stick to what I have on the needles and cast on something for the Ravellympics after I've finished at least one thing on the needles.   I'm planning on casting on a shawl for that though; in bright red.

No sewing, too hard to concentrate on that with the kids home, might be getting some done when they start their holiday programme next week, along with getting my rings resized, getting eldests new uniform for school and seeing the gyneacologist (sp?) to see what my blood tests said.   I had been thinking of going to Knitworld's sale, but then remembered I'm not allowed to.

One last thing, put the present we got from the IL's for Christmas up today; it's very cool

Our dragon wind-chime

Completed Sewlutions

Sewlutions is something I signed up for near the beginning of the year.   My sewlution was to make enough items to be able to attend a picnic in 1913 without looking out of place.

I actually got it done fairly early in the year, which considering the house repairs was probably just as well.    There isn't a lot of the correct underpinnings; just a slip, but it still looks fine.    The corset didn't happen due to being sidetracked by 1776 instead.    Luckily it's not as necessary as it would have been with a summer outfit.

The slip; with drawstring instead of the elastic I'd normally use.

The skirt; yes it needs a press.

The shirt with grandpa collar

The jacket worn with the rest that I'd already made by this point; and photobombing cat

The complete outfit; though the boots aren't part of it.   Don't I look just right?   Ignoring the totally incongruous parts of the image (boots, car, motorbike, plastic bucket and trampoline)

All in all I'm pretty happy with my efforts though I do need to work on the fit of the jacket next time I do something like this.

This year I'm planning on completing the 1776 outfit; including the little things like gloves and stockings etc.