I spent some time looking over the Audrey Pants sewing pattern, and it needs a more drapey fabric than what I have in stash. The pattern recommends gabardine or wool melton fabric. (Melton seems a little heavy to me for trousers.) The pattern also includes tuck pleats, and I think making this pattern in cotton twill would make my already poofy belly look even more poofy! I will make this pattern someday, when I have the appropriate fabric.
In the meantime, I dug through my old Ottobre Magazines, and found a more appropriate pattern for my fabric from the Autumn 2021 issue. It’s designed more like a jean than trousers, but I think it’s a good style for me. I’m going to make my first pair in gray cotton twill. It’s not my first time sewing jeans (I made a pair back in 2019) so I’m not daunted. If these turn out well, I have some navy stretch twill that might also work.
I have only been knitting stockinette as a palate cleanser since I finished Arrowhead. I’ve been working on the purple Lodge Sweater. Not much to show, though.
This week I sewed an outfit from lightweight merino wool jersey. I got this fabric for a great price on Etsy. I think the seller was clearing out the 100% merino, or maybe because it’s lightweight. Anyway, I knew I wanted some black wool wide-legged pants for spring. I only needed two yards for that, and I still eked out a Tekura Tee to match. The pants are from the Ottobre PJ pants pattern. I think one leg may be just a skosh longer than the other, but I’m not sure I care enough to do anything about it.
A few new sewing patterns have caught my eye, and I’ve updated my project list with them. I’m also losing weight (not intentionally, just happening from medication and diet changes) so I’m pushing back any tailored pant sewing until my weight levels out. But I’m already excited about sewing new linen garments from my stash.
Knitting
I’ve finished knitting the sleeves on Arrowhead. I’m ready to knit the armhole facings, and then I can pick up and knit the collar. After that, just the collar facing to go! I can’t believe I’m nearing the finish line on this project.
Other than that, I’ve started The Who Ya Gonna Shawl knitalong, and am nearing the end of the hem ribbing on Freya’s Lodge Sweater.
DIY Hair Products
My homemade shampoo is working great. It’s a simple recipe of water, Castile soap, and argan oil. The conditioner is also working, but I think I may be able to skip this step and simply use a little argan oil on my hair after towel drying, at least while it’s this short. I may also experiment with an herbal hair rinse, possibly with marshmallow root since it’s emollient. (Cue to me looking in the garden for someplace to grow marshmallow. I’ve always loved the look of the plant. Now I have a reason.)
I’ve progressed a few inches on my Arrowhead sleeves. I try to knit four rounds on each sleeve every day, which is a decrease repeat, but missed the last two days. I’m going to try to make it up today.
Freya liked my Lodge sweater so much, she asked me to knit her one with a few modifications. I told her it would have to be her birthday present. She wanted purple yarn, so we picked out this Cascade 220 superwash together in Purple Heather.
Dyeing
I wanted to join in on the Who Ya Gonna Shawl? knitalong, but needed the yarn to come from my stash. I decided on 80’s neon with this skein of black and red variegated, which I overdyed to be solid black, for the contrast.
To exhaust the dye bath, I grabbed a variegated skein from my stash which I’ve never liked. I think the resulting yarn is lovely: a deep charcoal with hints of the blue, yellow, and pink showing through. I see a beanie in my future.
Sewing
I did sew my PJ pants in the floral flannel I shared last time. They came out great. I only had flimsy elastic, but in the spirit of using it up, I serged the elastic directly to the fabric edge to prevent it from rolling. I also sewed this gift bag for Bob’s Valentine’s Day present.
DIY Hair Care
I like natural skin and hair care products, but they are so expensive. I decided to start making my own. Today I made a natural conditioner from avocado and argan oils, emulsifying wax, and water. It seems good, but the real test will be how it performs on my hair tomorrow. I also made some beard oil for my middle child (another March birthday gift) based on his favorite kind, which he says is too expensive. This is a mixture of avocado, jojoba, and argan oils, which was easy. I scented both with bergamot and amyris essential oils. Next up is shampoo with Bob’s homemade castile soap, argan oil, and water. I found this website with some great recipes. Once I get the basics down, I’ll start experimenting with other ingredients, like aloe gel from my aloe vera plants and soapwort from my garden.
Gardening
Gardening is hard work.
We had a couple of nice days this week, so I spent some time in the garden. I made a dent in the weeds and managed to get daikon radish, lettuce, kale, broccolini, and mustard planted under the greenhouse. Today, Bob and I moved the Elderberry bush out of the garden and into the yard. It was getting too big where it was, but not getting enough sun to flower. Hopefully it will do better in the yard. We picked a place where the drainage will keep the ground moist like it likes.
Yesterday, Bob and I had our Valentine’s date. We went to our favorite theater to watch Saturday Morning Cartoons: Cupid Edition. It included old cartoons from our childhood plus old commercials. Some were before our time. Included were Underdog, Pink Panther, Popeye, Schoolhouse Rock, and an oldie from the 1930’s. This one made me cry nostalgia tears. It was fun seeing them on the big screen. Then we went out for Thai food. I just received my gift, which is an Addi Express knitting machine! I’ll play around with it and report back later.
I cut the armhole steeks, seamed the shoulders, and I’m now on the sleeves of Arrowhead! I’ve decided to knit them two-at-a-time to make the colorwork a little easier. It will keep the chart fresh in my mind, and won’t be like starting over from scratch on the second sleeve. This is definitely a product knit for me, and I’m looking forward to finishing it.
I’m nearly to the toe on the second Merry Krampus sock. Maybe I’ll have a sock it to me Monday finished object tomorrow?
Sewing
Joann Fabrics was having a big sale, and I picked up this springy cotton flannel for $2.99 a yard. I’m always running out of flannel PJ pants in the winter, and decided to sew another pair. Sometimes you can save money sewing your own!
Baking
Someone recommended I try making gluten-free sourdough snickerdoodles. They are delicious! I cobbled together a recipe, but it’s easy to find one online. I’m not a big snickerdoodle fan, so next time I might try gluten-free sourdough chocolate chip cookies instead.
Reading
I’m nearing the end of Barkskins. This means I can check off my book for the month, although I might also finish Keeper of the Queen’s Jewels. My bedside stack is still growing. I’ve promised myself to only blog about books that I’ve read recently, as my memory has proved fallible. These are my go-to titles right now.
Gardening
I sketched a garden plan. It looks so neat and tidy on paper, but I know it will be a jungle anyway. It’s supposed to be nice this week, so I may start weeding and plant some greens under the little greenhouse.
I’m ready to start the New Year right with an impossible list of items I will never accomplish. At the same time, having a list ensures I will be somewhat productive. I do love the feeling of checking items off a list. Perhaps I will start adding gold stars next to completed projects. Plus, it gives me an excuse to blog weekly when I can’t think of anything else to say.
I’m grateful the Year of Projects group is loosely organized, and I was able to take a break last year. My approach this year is to divide and conquer. I’ve divided my full list of knitting projects into separate lists for 2023 and 2024. 2023 (below) includes works in progress (WIPs), and new cast ons I hope to complete this year. Add to this list socks, since my plan is to knit a pair of socks every month this year. That’s not realistic, but that’s never stopped me from trying. Some of these WIPs probably won’t make it this year. There’s a reason I’ve set them aside, but I’m not ready to rip them out yet.
I’ve noticed my approach to sewing is to make a pattern to see if I like it. If I do, I make multiples so I don’t have to learn something new every time I sew. It’s more enjoyable for me if I can skip the instructions. So my plan for 2023 is to mostly make multiples. Also, I’d like to sew a trench coat, but I don’t have the fabric for it right now. Maybe next year!
I’ll finish spinning my Pumpkins for Sale BFL and maybe participate in Tour de Fleece. I think I would also like to dye my natural rovings and spin skeins for gift giving this year.
Happy New Year! We’ve had a lovely weekend, with a gathering at a friend’s in Canton, then an overnight stay with kids in Cuyahoga Falls. New Year’s Eve was spent eating pizza and watching Bloody New Year and Terror Train. Neither of us had ever seen these, but they were an enjoyable diversion. I impressed even myself with my facial recognition gift by pointing out John from Shaun of the Dead in Bloody New Year. (I have a gift for pattern recognition. I am currently using this gift in my role as part-time Remote Bookkeeping Elf — title my own. I log in to computers remotely early in the morning and work on other people’s bookkeeping while they are still asleep. They wake up and their bookkeeping is all done for them! I would love to have an afternoon job that is more creative, and I’m thinking about knitting pattern tech editing.) Today we’re going for a New Year’s hike. Bob will make black eyed peas and collards for dinner.
I usually choose a word for the year, although I don’t think I chose a word for 2022. I spent most of the year focusing on my mental and physical health, and made some progress. I was able to stop taking medications. I was able to get off social media except Facebook. I think about closing my Facebook account, but there are connections with family and friends there I would miss. In fact, a friend recently shared this article that plays into my word for 2023. My word is Voice. The goal is to recognize and reaffirm my own voice, and share it if I want to. No pressure, though, if I don’t feel like it. My resolutions for the year are to knit from stash and have more fun. We’re also having a “no buy” year, as we have a new furnace and electrical system to pay off. This means we can buy food and necessities, but not anything else. Bob pretty much lives like this, so I think we all know who is going to be struggling the most. This was my idea, by the way.
I can now share my other gift make. This is yarn I knit into Rose City Rollers and a shirt we picked up while in Pittsburgh for Nova Scotia Nana who is a Steelers fan. Hi Nana! Yarn is Fibernymph Dyeworks Inversibles in black and gold.
Rather than list all my makes for 2022 — since I shared most of them on my Year of Projects Finale post — I thought instead I would share my totals and favorites.
I dyed fabric and yarn this year — some naturally, and some with low impact dyes. My favorites are the colorways for Chestnut Hills Farm and Fiber, the black walnut fabric with iron mordant, and the wool and cotton yarn dyed with tansy that is complemented by the Hi Summer colorway. (I’m going to knit a Visser or Halvis out of these, as they look so good together.)
Favorite Dyeing Projects
I did manage to improve my spinning this year, and just started with weaving. Not much to show right now, though.
Hand spun local Blue Faced Leicester (BFL)
I will blog about 2023 plans in another post. I miss Year of Projects and am considering rejoining, even though I needed the break. If you are still with me — either on this post or as a subscriber — thanks for reading and sticking with me this year.
We had a lovely low-key Christmas Day with all the kids and Granddog Cannoli. I hope you enjoyed your day!
I sewed new gift bags this year from quilting cotton I had in stash. The young’uns never really liked these, since they don’t get the full experience of ripping paper. But Bob and I prefer them since they can be reused. No pattern. I sew them the way my Grandma did, which is basically a pillowcase with a gusset, plus a casing with buttonholes for the drawstring closure.
I also sewed myself what I’m calling a “Christmas Lounge Suit” out of some green velour from stash. Tried and true PJ pant pattern from Ottobre. Top is Hemlock Tee from Grainline Studio. Rookie error: I cut the back of the pants with the nap reversed, which gives it a harlequin effect. Now I wish I’d done it intentionally on the top, too.
Merry Christmas Day. Happy eighth night of Hanukkah. Happy Kwanzaa tomorrow. And Glad Yule! 2022 completed Holiday watchlist below. We didn’t watch Elf?! 🤷🏻
It’s a Wonderful Life
Black Adder’s Christmas Carol
Christmas at SCTV
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1968 animated)
Violent Night (new favorite)
A Christmas Carol (1938)
Pottersville
A Christmas Story
Bad Santa
Elves (Nisser, Danish 2021)
Die Hard
Becoming Santa (2011 documentary)
Batman Returns
Christmas with the Kranks
Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get Together – Don’t Open Til Xmas
Textiles are one our first technologies, and I’m sometimes surprised people don’t realize they wear cloth constructed from knitting or weaving on a daily basis. (All hail the knitted t-shirt!)
Speaking of wool, I’ve wanted a green wool coat for a few years now. I’ve found a pattern and ordered some fabric swatches, but I’m having a tough time finding a green wool coating that is appropriate. The emerald green contains nylon, and while I won’t be washing the coat and shedding nylon plastic into our watershed, it doesn’t feel right to use it. (Also, it’s way out of my price range.) (Also, the lining fabric is Bemberg which is viscose which has its own environmental production problems.)
The olive green is too lightweight. It’s also not as green as I’d like, although olive is a color I enjoy wearing.
The navy is perfect (100% wool, lining is silk) but it’s navy. I do love navy and have been told it is “my color,” but it’s not green. Would it satisfy my desire for a green coat? No.
I’ll keep watching for the right fabric at the right price, and save my pennies in the meantime. I have some black wool embossed coating leftover from an unfortunate fabric purchase that will make a nice coat. I can use it to make a muslin.
I still want a little flock of Shetland sheep. Bob says I’d be sleeping with them to try to protect them from predators, so I’m not allowed. I fret too much about the frogs as it is.
Happy Halloween! 🎃 Do you think I have knit enough Halloween items? Sorry you can’t see my Halloween socks. I haven’t finished my Ghost Knitter’s Shawl yet. Dia de los Muertos or bust! 💀👻🎃
I’ve primarily been focusing on knitting my Peaceful Lodge Sweater. It’s so soft and it’s easy knitting. I would love to finish this soon so I can wear it all winter.
I’ve also reached the skull lace on Ghost Knitter’s Shawl. I had to rip back half of the first row because the count didn’t match the pattern, although the stitch count is correct on the row. I must have made a mistake. The lace looks pretty straight forward, so I’m hoping once I get started, I can finish it by the end of the week. I would hate to have another unfinished Halloween project to add to next year’s stack. I’m starting to feel overwhelmed by the number of knitting projects I have going.
I need to start on my Audrey Trousers in the black cotton twill. (I’m not saying pants anymore, for my friends in the UK.) If I could sew these this week, I could wear them with my Halloween Number One Shirt, which was the plan all along. Can I finish these in a week? Doubtful, but I will might try.
I’ve started bullet journaling in earnest. It’s helping me stay organized and I can design it to work with my brain.
This Saturday, I’ll be volunteering with the Central Ohio Weaving and Fiber Arts Guild at the Ohio Craft Museum, leading a make and take activity: a tiny wet-felted pumpkin! This is my sample. I need to organize the materials today so I won’t be stressed about it during the week.
As you may have noticed, I’m not blogging (or crafting) as much. I’ve taken on two part-time, remote jobs. One is temporary, but it will help us make ends meet and get caught up on bills. Working will also impact how much time I have to concentrate on my own business and personal makes. (Survival must come first. Story of my life!) I’m lucky I could take time off to rest and reset, and figure out my GI health. And I’m grateful to be working. The job hunt was deflating.
I’m still sorting out how to create a sustainable routine for myself. It will take practice. And it will mean letting some things go. What about you? Are you thinking of letting some things go? Fall is a great time for that.
Snakes & Cranes 
