A touch of Startitis

Heirloom Blanket Section 1

Even though I TOLD myself I'd only knit a couple of rows of my Heirloom Blanket before Christmas.

Even though I SHARED here the project I have planned for the NEW YEAR.

Even though I meant to focus on the 3 hats and 2 pairs of mitts I still have to make for Christmas, I came down with a dose of Startitis.

For me the first symptoms are a rumbling in the tummy.  A kind of excited bubbly feeling that I call 'the Christmas feeling' (which can take hold at any time of year).

Then fingers start to itch and a strange restless energy takes over.  I find myself desperately wanting to get organized; photocopying patterns, gathering yarn, sorting out files, needles and setting up a 'project bag' (more on those another time).

Once the virus takes hold I can do nothing but surrender to the creative process - casting on stitches and happily playing with the new yarn, feeling how it works on the needles, enjoying the movement of the fabric being created and absorbing the colours in the yarn.

Don't touch - highly infectious waistcoat yarn!

This time, however, I think I've managed to get on top of it before it wreaked havoc.  I did a little sorting of yarn for Mr M's waistcoat before I rallied.

I've still got the tail-end of a section of heirloom blanket but once this bit is done I should be well and truly back on track with hats and mitts.

This little dose was very yarn related...but I am also susceptible to the fabric and needlework startitis strain too.

I'm mindful that there's always a lot of Startitis around at this time of year and aim to keep myself strong by maintaining a healthy focus on the work in hand.

A couple of post-Christmas days quietly working on new projects should have me feeling much better.

A healthy addiction?

Its not often you walk into a Chinese restaurant and get transfixed by a knitted tank top!

Its official.  I am addicted to Fair Isle and Colour Strand knitting.

I spotted a young man in said restaurant wearing this and had to ask him if he would mind if I took a photo!  

He was very obliging and told me his grandmother had made it for him and that he would pass on my admiring comments.  What a good sport.

His girlfriend was also wearing another GrannyKnit tank top but I was laughing so much I only managed to photograph the table!?

I have three Fair Isle projects on the go right now.  I'm on pair no 3 of the mitts I've mentioned. The problem is that with each pair my technique improves and the previous pair end up the dog-walking glove basket!

I'm hoping my standard gets good enough so that some will end up in the Christmas-present basket!

My first ever attempt at Fair Isle was earlier this year making this hat with a great teacher, Fiona Morris, at a class in my local yarn store.  I'm so proud of that hat, even though now I've had more practice, I can see all my mistakes and am a little embarrassed about the shape.  Still, it works and I made it.

Heirloom Blanket 2016

Now I am motoring on and have joined designer, Marie Wallin's, Fair Isle Club.  Each month she sends out a pattern and, armed with the right colour combination of yarns (lovely Felted Tweed from Rowan), we are to knit a 'sample'.  Eventually all the samples will be joined together, edged with ribbing and, as Mr M commented, an heirloom blanket will exist.

January's project

Talking of Mr M.  He's been so intrigued by my immersion in Fair Isle and interested in the creative process (especially as I've been borrowing his computer to watch videos and download tutorials as my ancient machine won't play along), that I asked him if he would like me to knit him a jumper?

And, reader, he said yes!

I know I know, I'm supposed to be making one for me first.....but I had signed up for this class and thought he might like a version of it.

I like the colours but want to knit it as a waistcoat and also make it longer...and if it doesn't fit him, well I could wear it!

I've just ordered the yarn and will start this project in January.

Looks like I'm losing the battle against the reducing the wool stash!

Practical Solutions - Bias Binding

Want to create nearly 100 inches of bias binding from just a 10 inch square of fabric?  Read on my friend (and sorry for the crappy photos!)

Jessie Chorley's altered books

I hate wasting fabric and am always looking for wise ways of using offcuts.

Of course, quilting was the traditional way of making the best use of small pieces of fabric and I have also been inspired by the likes of Jessie Chorley, Janet Clare and Mrs Bertimus who do amazing things using applique, mixed media and found objects.

And whilst these creative persuits are all on my list of things to explore further, I'm a sucker for a bit of practical creativity.

So, when I discovered a way of using a small bit of fabric to create bias binding....well, I was off!

2 x 10" squares

Sew straight edge, rights sides tog

I had some lovely bits of Liberty Tana Lawn hanging around so cut 2 x 10" squares.

Then cut them in half diagonally and with right sides facing sewed the bottom edge to create two parallelograms.

Draw 1" lines - 

I drew 1" lines on wrong side of fabric, lengthwise, and made them line up so that they were actually creating a spiral.


Sewed a 1/4" seam with right sides together to make a kind of uneven tube.

Then I cut along the line, remembering to cut the fabric as a continuous ribbon.

I ended up with about 2 metres of bias binding.  I just ironed mine in half as my little binding gadget in the photo was for a much wider cut of fabric...

(Perhaps Santa might put a 1/2" bias binding maker in my stocking this Christmas?)

Stitch and mitts

@mjmucklestone

In anticipation of the cardigan I going to knit, I need to build up my skills. To relieve the perfectionist pressure I am putting on myself I've taken the advice of brilliant knitting guru Karen Templer and put myself in training for the Big Knit by making hats and fingerless mitts.

Karen says that once you've learnt the fingerless mitt with a thumb gusset you're pretty much halfway to a cardigan, and she sings the praises of this pattern: the Muckle Mitt from Mary Jane Mucklestone (check out her website for gorgeous Fair Isle patterns).

See the cute thumb gusset?

Using up odds and ends

I'm on my second pair already and Karen is right, they're great fun to make; plus they're a great way to use up left-over bits of yarn, thereby helping me clear my 'stash' and the possibilities for patterns and colour combinations seem endless!

Also, alongside making cosy mitts as gifts, I finally get to be a person who can wield four needles and two yarns of wool at the same time!   I used to think that this was some kind of Dark Art of Knitting - and now I've mastered it, its a deeply satisfying, highly creative and fun way to knit.

Socks may move up the knitting leader board yet!

Sew Ho Ho

When our children were born Stella, a friend of my mother-in-law's, would make them a Christmas stocking.  At this point I should post a cosy fireside picture but that would require me going up into the attic, opening up the Christmas decs bag and, quite frankly, its too early in December.

Plus I might be a bit scared there's a mouse up there.

Anyway, needless to say, now I am a Granny with a mild obsession with making stuff, I feel that our Little Love should have her own stocking, too.  

Ho ho ho

I'm not saying I can compete with Stella's amazing efforts but I felt inspired to give it a go after I found some lovely Christmas fabric during a browse around the Eternal Maker and an online tutorial here.

I'd love to be able to show some elegant, Instagram-lifestyle, Pinterest-ready version of how things turned out.  

But, as I may have alluded to before, there often seems to be a mis-match between what I imagine in my head and what I end up making.

No no no!

I mean, I KNOW how to do applique, for crying out loud.   

I've also watched tutorials, downloaded (and even read) a great little instruction e-book and practiced many plenty of times.  

However....  this was baaad.

I need to remember that the whole reason for the blog being named Fashionably Slow is to celebrate the creative process and to honour the time it takes to make things from scratch.   The problem is I get so excited about starting something new that I rush in and mess up.

Things I have learnt from my mistakes: the secret to Applique is to make sure you stabilise the front fabric with some iron-on vilene, and the back with stitch and tear paper.   Practice on scrap fabric first.  AND SLOW DOWN. 

Plenty of room for pressies.

I always underestimate how long its going to take to make something.  I always think that I can just 'run something up' on my sewing machine.  

This was just one of the things on my list to make today and it took me hours!  

I reckon the next one will be easier, though!

  

Oooh saucy!

Learning to make my own clothes is making me much more aware of my body and I'm starting to think about not just the kind of clothes I want to wear but the kind of shape I want to be in.  

the great news is that sewing is great for appetite control!  I start sewing and completely forget about food.  Hours can go by before I realise I haven't eaten.  

Then when I stop I suddenly realise I'm starving.  Let me introduce my Emergency Blood-Sugar Crash Prevention dish:  Avocado on toast with Pistachio Dukkah and Chimichurri Sauce.

Avocados are now almost permanently in residence in my tea towel draw.  They hang out there until ripe then get moved to the fridge to slow the process down, so I usually have one ready to eat in a hurry.

Dukkah is a lovely Egyptian condiment made from roasted pistachios, sesame seeds and spices that gives a delicious punch and crunch.

Pistachio Dukkah

50g Pistachios                       

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1Tbsp pumpkin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds           

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp smoked paprika

pinch salt

pinch chilli flakes (optional) 

Toast pistachios, sesame and pumpkin seeds in dry frying pan until golden.  Pour onto plate to cool.

Toast coriander, cumin and fennel until fragrant.  Add to plate to cool.          

Blitz in spice grinder with salt, paprika and optional chilli to desired texture. 

South American Chimichurri sauce is AMAZING.  I use it on baked sweet potatoes, in noodle dishes, on fish and chicken but I think it sings the sweetest song with avocados.

Chimichurri Sauce

Small punch of coriander and/or parsley

1/2 tsp oregano (dried or fresh)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp chilli flakes/fresh chilli

21/2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lemon juice

2 tsp red wine/white balsamic vinegar.

Blitz together and keep in jar in fridge. You can add more or less herbs etc and balance out the flavour according to your own taste.  I like a touch of balsamic vinegar for sweetness. Spread on avocados then sprinkle with dukkah.

Ofcourse, if you need a little sweet fix and want to avoid sugar there's always the Deliciously Ella chocolate chia cookies, or Honestly Healthy's gooey vegan brownies!

They certainly hit the spot and stop the sugar craving.

Waistline, is that you?

Long time no see!

Its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

Back in June my fantasy of having lots of hand knitted presents to give at Christmas seemed like a great idea and easily achievable.

It also felt a bit daft.  After all there were still 6 months to go and it was early summer.  People might think I'm crazy (or crazier).

And I didn't really feel motivated to start.

Now its late November and my plan for socks, hats, hand warmers and hot waterbottle covers galore is hopelessly behind.

I've ditched the sock plan anyway.  Is it me or are socks just really boring to make?  Maybe I need to have another go.

I'm quite tempted by the 'knitting two socks at the same time' technique.  For a start I think I'd enjoy the technical challenge and also it means I would avoid the dreaded One Sock Malaise.  Although only making one sock probably wouldn't matter in this house - the attitude amongst The Young seems to be 'the odder the better'.

Anyway, socks are off the menu this year.  So are hot waterbottle covers.  I've completed two but I have to confess that the second item gave me a touch of One Sock Malaise; once I'd done one side repeating it just didn't appeal.

Hence .....

Ta dah!

Whatever

This creative journey is revealing how low my boredom threshold is!

Baby hat knitted in the round.

Now hats are great - so many shapes and sizes and quick to do.

My problem is that to reduce the monumental stash of wool in my cupboard I'm trying to match the wool I have with the patterns I want to knit.  In order to do this successfully and not end up making things that come out the wrong size I need to unravel (see what I did there???) one of the great mysteries of knitting.

Gauge.

That means making a sample square of knitting to establish the right amount of stitches per inch on the 'fabric'.  If your sample matches the pattern requirement, you're good to go.

Everything I've read so far tells me 'gauge' is crucial and that I ignore it at my peril.  I know I have to master it, but it requires a level of maturity that I haven't arrived at yet.  I still enjoy diving in and making mistakes - then scouring the amazing online resources like here to help problem solve.

I like learning this way for now as the items I'm knitting are usually pretty small and the mistakes are easily sorted. But I do want to knit myself a jumper/cardigan as part of my capsule wardrobe and bought a beautiful pattern from the Amercian company  Brooklyn Tweed.  I can't understand a word of it at the moment and I don't want to end up making something I can't wear so mastering gauge and getting the yarn & needle size right will be a vital first step.

By the way, if you want to learn to knit and make cool, fab stuff (I do, I do!) - this blog is brilliant.  I am hoping if I read enough of it and keep practicing I can hang out with the cool kids.

Mastering Cable stitch on Handwarmer

Meantime, at the foothils of my knitting journey are handwarmers.

Quick to make, loads of different designs and even though, like the socks and hot waterbottle covers,  there is the 'second one' to make, somehow it doesn't seem to matter.

They are a great way to practice new stitches and techniques.  I've  finally got the hang of that lovely wavy pattern that was the mysterious Cable!

On the next pair I want to up my technical challenge and make Fair Isle mits with a thumb gusset.......

It may be a Happy Christmas 2016 for  someone!

PS Having just read the hilarious Yarnharlot's blog about being Christmas ready, I'm feeling a bit better about my state of affairs.  Its good to know I'm not alone!

Growing Roots

As I was pulling these babies out of the soil this evening I realised that I have as much to learn about growing stuff as I do about making stuff and intend to celebrate the small gardening successes I've achieved.  (Although to be honest, the beetroots were Mr M's project).

This was our first year growing beetroot.  They are such a generous little plant.  From tiny seeds we were able to harvest the leaves all summer to add to our smoothies and salads.  Now its late November and although the beetroots are small (probably because we didn't 'thin' them out and give them enough space of their own) they are packed full of nutrients and flavour.  I read that eating two raw beetroot a day will help lower blood pressure.

I've also been reading about natural dyes and quite fancy using beetroot at some point to dye some yarn!  But I'll wait a while on that - maybe with next year's harvest?  

I'm being quite strict with myself about buying yarn at the moment but I do have my eye on some  I'd like to use in future projects.  One is using the plant-dyed wool from Elisabeth Beverly.    Elisabeth has combined her passion for wild flowers and plants, and knitting with natural fibres, to develop a gorgeous range of cashmere and merino 

I met Elisabeth a year ago at a local yarn festival and was sorely tempted to buy some skeins of cashmere dyed in the most beautiful, delicate hues.  I promised myself that I would work on my skills to justify buying such luxurious yarn.  And even though socks are not my thing at the moment  - I quite fancy knitting my mum some cashmere socks as a treat. 

In the meantime I'm super excited about the fingerless mittens pattern I've just downloaded PLUS I haven't even told you about my Fair Isle Club blanket project! 

No time now - I'm off to try this recipe sent by Daughter K from her yoga retreat.  Going to combine it with some sweet potato chips, cashew mayonaise and roasted chilli & cumin broccoli! 

Slow Food.  

Yum.

 

Beetroot, Avocado and Coriander Salad

Grate 1-2 whole beetroot, finely chop 1-2 cups of fresh coriander.  Mix in some olive oil, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, dulse and kelp powder (these are optional seaweeds and it can be made without).  Then add 1 teaspoon of tamari or good quality soy sauce, minced garlic and spirulina powder (also optional).  Stir it all together and mix  it up well and then add one diced avocado, mix again.  Eat and enjoy!  Instead of coriander, you can also use basil, rocket, baby greens, anything goes!   

GrannyKnit

All babies should be swaddled in Grannyknit.

Grannyknit is Love made Visible.

On a cold November evening our Little Love was wearing this smock coat with a gorgeous pink hat knitted by her other granny.

Perfect.

Vintage Smock from 7th little Sublime hand knit book using Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino.

The perfect present.

Sometimes the simple things are the best.  Like gathering rocks from walks and beaches to use as fabric weights.  Practical and also full of memories.

Ready for decoration

In my perfect fantasy studio all these rocks are beautifully decorated.  However I think I keep picking the wrong kind of rock.  Too many rough surfaces.

Hence the rather wonky mandala above.

 I tried to remedy the rough surface by painting one and covering it with a couple of layers of diluted pva glue.  It did make a slightly smoother finish, but I haven't plucked up the courage to decorate it yet.  I keep going here and here for inspiration.

I also had fun learning to 'wet felt' rocks.  I know it seems a bit daft to wrap rocks in wool - Pinterest has a lot to answer for.

Anyway, my goal is to create a  stash of them and add embroidery and embellishments.  I just know there'll be fun techniques and stitches I can learn in the process.

I get so excited when I discover a whole new area of creativity to be explored and developed.  I need to keep reminding myself that this is the SLOW process.

If you want to have a go I found a great tutorial here.  Let me know how you get on.  I'd love to see the results.

Anyway, in the meantime my little stash of nicely sized and shaped rocks needed to be kept in something lovelier than an old plastic fruit punnet.  And Daughter L came to the rescue....a gorgeous little handmade rope bowl she'd bought in Majorca and gave to me for my birthday.

She had thought about my needs and met them perfectly.

It really is the thought that counts!

(By the way - the pattern at the top is the amazing West Water Tunic from here.  Made a couple now, they're fun to make and look gorgeous on Daughter L.  Will blog about them soon.)

And so we'll begin.....

I have set myself a goal in 2016 to create a capsule, hand-made wardrobe - hence the Fashionably, and to make it myself - hence the Slow!

Ofcourse, being at the start of the project this all feels very exciting, ultimately do-able and a great adventure to embark on.  In my head, my wardrobe will be perfect and done in the utmost taste.

Hmmm.....  I remember the time I decided to make my own Christmas wrapping paper.  I spent hours decorating brown paper with lovely Christmas-theme stamps and gold ink.  I wrapped everything beautifully and tied them up with string. In my head there was a glorious pile of exciting, festive gifts ready to emit a warm glow from under the tree.

When I stood back and really looked - there was a pile of dull stuff that looked ready for a ParcelForce delivery.

I read a quote the other day that said 'sewing is not all it seams', meaning that sewing isn't just about going up and down seams with a machine.  In fact that is but a small part of the process.

And after making loads of mistakes and wrecking yards of fabric I now realise that an important part of the creative process is the PLANNING and PREPARATION.  

Never mind.   I've now got loads of fabric scraps for quilt projects.  And those wonky garments I've made are worn on days when I don't plan leaving the house!  

Whenever I'm sewing there comes a moment when I suddenly need a needle and thread.  Then the search begins for the needle threader.  I don't know about you but getting distracted looking for something is a very dangerous thing.  I can end up hours later reading a really interesting article on neuroscience and emotion when all I was doing was googling knicker elastic suppliers.

Anyway, all of this is to explain why Fashionably Slow's first project is......

Ta Dah!

The Dressmaker's Jar

Ok, don't look too closely, it is a bit wonky.  But its useful, re-purposed an old jar and scraps of ribbon and fabric and is cute...to me.  PLUS, after a quiet 15mins listening to the Archers, most of those needles are threaded and ready for action.  Button need sewing on?  Right away.  Tailor's tacks for those darts?  No prob.  Need to mark a hem with some thread...easy peasy.