Blah blah

I started a pair of rainbow spiral socks for kids. "Spiraling tube socks" is the name. They look weird because they don't have a heel, but are designed that way on purpose so they can fit kids as they grow up. They are out of the rainbow fingering that I showed on my previous post. Lately I have been trying to use up yarn and only buying new yarn for a few specific projects. I have a bin of yarn at my parents that consists of very small balls, all different colors and fibers. Occasionally I find something to make with them. In some ways it is nice to have a smallish stash, but I also wish my yarn was more usable. A lot of things I don't remember if it is washable or not, and sometimes I do burn tests to try to confirm the fiber. Perhaps toys would be a good option. Someday maybe I can carefully choose projects and buy nice yarn for them. I do want to make a sweater for myself someday. I almost wonder if a kit would be helpful, or at least a knit a long. I recently looked at the website Kitterly and I think it might be a good idea. There is generally such a $ investment (and of course time!!!) it feels a little overwhelming to think about sweaters. Perhaps also because I have made 2 in the past that are weird and I don't wear them really.

Please forgive the bad iPad photo and no links. 

Reversible skirt

I realized today that my friend's birthday was tomorrow. (I think she is turning 10?)

I wondered what I could sew up quickly using the few pieces of fabric I have at home. I looked online at some quick tutorials but nothing really seemed like the right project. Then I saw a reversible skirt tutorial. I did sort of read through the tutorial, but I also just went for it. I used striped fabric from a pair of pajama pants I had made (and only worn a few times), and fabric from one of my friend's skirts they had chopped shorter.  I had to figure out a waistband since I didn't have any wide elastic. (I ended up using a stretchy piece of fabric I had, and also included thin elastic in that so we could make it smaller if needed.) Then I figured out the gathering and which order to sew things so it is truly reversible. I sewed a bias tape binding over the raw edges inside the skirt at the waistband. The way I sewed the waistband to the skirt it is stretchy, but not quite as much as I had hoped. Also the navy skirt on the inside had rough edged seams, so I put just a few inches of stretch lace vertically over the seams just to hide them a bit. The bottom of the skirt is maybe not totally straight, but since the fabrics I was using were from previous projects I was taking advantage of the fact that they were already hemmed. It is nice to use up scraps. 

So, I'm sure I did some of it the hard way, but I am pleased with the result, and my friend plans to wear it tomorrow! I may try to make one for me someday, we'll see,

Little hats & general October update

I started knitting short-row hats to keep in my purse/knit at lunch. I have finished two and it's a pretty simple pattern and fun. The first one I did not wrap the shortrows, the second one I did and I prefer the wrapped style. I am making them for kids in my life though I'm not sure yet what size I have made. They will grow into them eventually :0)

Other news (if you can call it news):
- I bought a pumpkin (small and cute)
- I saw a pheasant in our backyard! Wish I could have gotten a picture.
- I am working on the other wool quilt for our bed. I am almost done patching it and then i will post more photos.
- I have done some mending/thinking about altering clothes. Slowly but surely. Modernizing the neckline of a blue and white floral dress that was high-necked buttondown. Trying to reinvent a dress to a shirt.
- I may be a penguin for halloween, but I am not sure yet.
- I have also been trying to cook more & learning about avoiding food allergins. (Dairy, eggs, corn, wheat...)
- I am really hoping my tomatos will keep ripening. I have some inside and others on the vine to catch whatever sun they can.