Happy Birthday, Johnny Cash!

I can't believe it was nearly two years ago that he looked like this:

(He weighed two pounds when this photo was taken)

And now he looks like this!:

(I haven't weighed him recently, but my educated guess would be 12-14lbs)

Around here, we have a bit of a good-child/troublesome-child stereotype happening. Hobbes is the good child; there's no way around it. He's super quiet, rarely complains, makes this squeeky little chirping sound instead of meowing, is literally the softest cat I've ever met, purrs like a super-loud motorboat at the drop of a hat, and spends a good portion of his day trying to take care of people. Case and point:

(That's a bath. He's always trying to give everyone a bath. Us included.)

Johnny Cash is our troublesome child. He meows, loudly and often, and complains (mostly to be let out). He eats clothes. And shoelaces. He's the most likely to get frisky and accidentally claw you. Hobbes has always seemed to understand that you don't ever scratch a human's face when playing... Johnny Cash does not know this rule.

But regardless of all of that... he's also the sweetest cat I've ever had. He makes the most eye contact. When he meows at you and stares into your eyes, you can almost feel him trying to speak English. He's smarter than Hobbes. (Sorry, but it's true. And I suspect it's why he complains more.) He takes his collar off for fun and hides it around the apartment. He plays intense games of monkey-in-the-middle with us. When the Mr. is gone on overnights, he curls up on my shoulder and snoozes with his little chin resting on my arm. He's always the one still sleeping at the foot of the bed when I wake up in the morning. His purr is quiet and he reserves it for moments of true happiness, which makes it more rewarding. Maybe I just love an underdog, but I think he's pretty awesome.

Happy Birthday, little cat.

Skew

I started working on these socks back in April, but eventually put them away because I encountered a problem that I couldn't figure out how to fix. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I didn't know what the problem was. Often, I find putting away projects is exactly the thing you should do. Usually, by the time I pull them out again I've either given myself enough distance to gain perspective, or enough time to gain patience, or enough projects in between to gain the skills necessary to fix the problem.

In this case, what I ended up giving myself was anxiety, because I couldn't figure out where I'd put them! Thankfully, after a few weeks of looking I found them tucked safely away in a bag of sewing notions. Silly me. Anyway, upon bringing them out again I was able to see that I'd failed to wrap my short rows. Now, maybe one should just know that this is always a step in creating short rows, but I still don't really understand why they simply write "turn" instead of "wrap and turn." Would those few extra words be so hard to include? Anyway, I digress.

I managed to fix the problem by changing the setup row for the cuff, replacing all the Rlinc and Llinc increases with M1s. By doing this, I pulled up the strand below the hole and twisted it, filling in all the holes. It looks fine! The hardest thing was then going on to make the same mistake on purpose on the matching sock.

Ultimately? This pattern was so great! It's precise, mathematical, and knits up exceptionally fast. The "origami moment," as they call it, where you put together the heel is pretty satisfying. And the ergonomic toe fits SO comfortably. I really want to pick up two different, solid skeins of Koigu and knit a striped version. (Check out the most popular finished objects from this pattern in Ravelry... most of them are striped and they are beautiful!)

On another note, thanks for all your sympathy and suggestions on yesterday's post. I hope it was clear that it was a moment of frustration - really, they're lovely cats and there are some days where they are the thing that gets me through. I feel as if I should write a post telling you all about what makes them wonderful, to counter-balance the complaining about the naughty behaviour. But that would make me an extra crazy cat lady, wouldn't it?

Please, don't hate me.

So Much For Luxury...

OMFG you guys. You all know I'm a crazy cat lady, but I'm seriously at the end of my rope with these effing furballs.

Seriously.

My cat ate my Sorbetto Redux! Well, specifically, he ate the french seam on the right shoulder. The first item I've sewn, out of a silk blend no less, and actually worn proudly out of the house, and he ATE IT. FML!

This is actually an ongoing issue with this cat. Johnny Cash is a clothes eater. Specifically, my clothes. (Never the Mr's.) My clean clothes. (Never the dirty ones.) My expensive or sentimental clothes. (Never the cheap, crappy ones I don't care about.) Oh, and shoelaces.

All I can say is that I'm happy that so far he hasn't made himself sick (and yes, I do realize this is a serious concern), and that I'm trying to figure out the solution - be it cat grass, more toys, more playtime, catnip, WHATEVER. (Suggestions are more than welcome!)

Now, lest Hobbes look like a little angel in comparison, I'd like to take a moment to show you the most amazingly thoughtful birthday present the Mr. got for me the other day:

That's Aslan Trends King Llama & Mulberry Silk in the Andean Coal colourway. It's this gorgeous charcoal that almost shimmers metallic silver. The Mr. bought me three skeins and it's AMAZING.

Oh, and this is what it looks like now:

Thanks, Hobbes.

Note to self: that hiding spot on the bookshelf isn't as clever as you thought it was.

Anyway. The good news is that while Hobbes loves going mental playing with balls of yarn, he actually doesn't tend to eat any of it. So, I may have to spend a few thousand hours untangling this mess, but I won't have to spend a few thousand dollars for the vet to untangle his guts.

Silver linings...

We've been trying our best to keep our house tidy and the cats entertained, but with all four of us in a one bedroom apartment, this is a bigger task than you might think. And I'm trying hard to stifle my inner voice, which is screaming about how keeping cats indoors isn't natural or ideal for their well-being, and remind myself that we really do give them a good life and they're generally pretty happy little guys.

But they sure are lucky I don't believe in declawing. (Or de-toothing.)

Who, us?

Sorbetto Redux

As my silence may have hinted, I've been in a bit of a sewing funk. Everything just started to feel like it was taking too long and not fitting correctly. Add in some shifting of life's priorities (i.e. amping up the job search, among other things) and I just let it take the back burner for a while. But I wanted to get myself out of the rut so I decided to take this pretty cotton/silk voile out of the cupboard and whip it into a quick Sorbetto.

Well, "quick" isn't really the right word. In truth, this thing took forever. Yet again, I struggled with moderation, made a ton of mistakes (sewing bindings on inside-out, etc), and ended up feeling like my whole day got sucked into sewing. (Because it did. 9:30am I was printing the pattern pieces, 10:30pm I was pressing the hem. Although, in fairness, there was some eating in there somewhere.)

But, ultimately there was success. First, it fits! Second, it fit with much less annoyance than the last time. I still fall between sizes. However, rather than making the larger size (like last time, as recommended by Colette) and then having to add a pleat in the back, I simply made the smaller size (size 8) and... that was it. Ta-da! It fits. I still had to lower/shorten the dart, add some length, and take an inch off the hips... but otherwise, it's pretty darn good.

(Actually, I ended up having to remove even more length from the dart this time... almost 2". Is that a large bust thing? I can't imagine that length of dart being appropriate on anybody... but then again, I guess I really only know my own body.)

These guys always get very curious about my photoshoots...

In a perfect world, I would figure out how to do a small FBA on this, as it it doesn't have much ease in the bust. I would also probably lower the neckline a little... as someone who generally wears either scandelously low necklines or crewnecks/boatnecks, this feels a bit in-between. However, I may just get used to it. Time will tell! Lest I sound negative, I actually think this might be the first truly wearable item I've sewn (pajama pants aside).

I've put myself on a rather strict unemployment budget so if I remain inspired to sew then it's time to get going on my Lonsdale and Bombshell... because they're the only projects I have the fabric for! Unless I cop out and finally make that apron I've been planning, but I can't find a pattern I like and I'm not feeling up to the task of drafting. (Which I realize is totally ridiculous, considering the simplicity of the project. I just want one project that's a straightforward cut-and-sew, you know?)

However, there will be knitting updates soon. The two secret projects will be gifted soon (and therefore no longer secret) and a pair of long-hibernating socks is now nearing the finish line. It seems the more sewing I do, the more it affirms my love of knitting. Comfort zones, I suppose.

Three Year Cardi

a.k.a. the Asymmetrical Cabled Cardi

Finally finished!

I cast on for this sweater on my birthday, November 24th, 2008. It's a bottom-up design, and it went swimmingly until I reached the raglan decreases. At that point, it became apparent that the pattern has some problems (as further evidenced by the number of project notes on Ravelry which contain complaints about said problems). In the end, I knit this sweater from the armpits up FOUR times over three years. (And the collar one extra time for good measure.)

In summary: I'm so excited to finally be able to wear this freaking thing!

I can't seem to write a concise post about the errors/mods to save my life, so I'll just add those to the Ravelry page instead. Basically, i did it in regular stockinette (rather than reverse), added some width to the left front for coverage and both front edges for smoothness, added both some length and width to the sleeves, and figured out my own method for completing the raglan decreases.

I also went down two needle sizes for the collar after reading that some people had trouble getting theirs to stand up, although in retrospect that may have been overkill as it sucks in toward the neck a little too much and I prefer the way it looks folded down anyway (as above). I also ended up moving the buttons over, resulting in a much slimmer neck, in order to get a little more overlap/coverage on the front pieces.

The funny thing is, I usually get discouraged when having to rip back a project, but I did it so many times with this one that I kind of became immune to it. I'd happily knit away and then discover a problem and just think, "here we go again!" and rip it back. On the bright side, I'm now pretty awesome at picking up rows and figuring out where I am in a cable pattern. (Admittedly, my crazy love for the design and the colour of the yarn kept me going.)

After all that work, I only hope my assistants don't get their claws on it! (I did have to resort to blocking it on the balcony. These guys do love wool!)

The Details:
Pattern: Asymmetrical Cabled Cardi by Yahaira Ferreira
Needles: US9(5.5mm) (and US7(4.5mm) for the collar only)
Yarn: Cascade 220 in colourway 2425
Size: 39
Guage: 4.5spi (the pattern indicated 4spi, so this fits small)
Cast on: November 24, 2008
Bound off: July 24, 2011
Total # of stitches: 31,740 (give or take for fit adjustments)

Mojo Pajamas

Wow, where to begin? It's been a while, that's for sure. To make a long story short, about a month ago I was laid off from my job. Don't feel bad for me - this was a very good thing. So now I'm happily unemployed for a spell, and keeping busy by traveling and planning my wedding. However, I haven't really been crafting. I'm not sure why... and so, a few days ago I decided I needed a mojo project. Something fun and simple and hard to screw up. Pajamas!

The pattern is Butterick 6474, which I bought about seven years ago. In fact, I bought it to take a sewing class through the school board so I could learn to read patterns! (Until that time I was more of a wing-it, self-draft-it kind of girl. But then again, I mostly made hair ties and aprons and whatnot in my youth.) It's not specifically a pajama pattern, but it does the job fine.

The only thing I'd say about it, which someone on Pattern Review also mentioned, is that the crotch curve is all out of whack. For my preference, it's too long in the front and too short in the back. (In fact, they're practically the same length.) Additionally, the rise is crazy high, which I didn't realize until after I'd already finished the waist. Oops. So, after unpicking, rather than monkeying with the depth of the curve, I simply lowered the waist further in the front than the back. (I took it down 2" in the back and 3" in the front.) Although I wish the curve was deeper, it worked out fine this way.

The fabric is some beautiful damask-y flannel I bought at Fabricland back in December. I love it.

To keep it interesting, I decided to use this project as an excuse to try out french seaming. And all I can say is: I'm in love. Such a clean finish, without having to drag out the serger? Yes, please. I think I did a bit of a sloppy job, and didn't really account for the cloth allowance... but hey, they're pajamas.

When I went to do the crotch seam, it seemed a shame to serge, so I just did a little clipping and created a faux french seam as an afterthought. Despite the strong curve it worked out fine. I love flannel, it's so forgiving.

When I make pajamas I always do a line of stitching at the fold of the hem and the waistband. I find it just looks so much cleaner this way.

The hem, however, marked the first time this year I've been annoyed by my machine's lack of a free arm. If I ever change machines in the future, I think I'd like to have this option.

Anyway, it's nice to complete a project in less than 4 hours, without a muslin, and happy with the end result. I have a whole bunch of sewing on the horizon and I'm hoping my mojo sticks around long enough (and I stay in one place long enough!) to get some things accomplished this month!

Also: flannel is a cat-magnet. At least in this house it is.

Cassis

I'm so in love with this sweater.

The Details:
Pattern: Cassis by Thea Coleman
Needles: US7(4.5mm) 32" Knitpicks Harmony interchangables (and US8 for the cast-on only)
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca in Oceanic Mix
Size: 36
Gauge: 5.5sts/inch (slightly off pattern)
Cast on: March 14, 2011
Bound off: April 23, 2011
Total # of stitches: 55,918 (give or take for adjustments to the sleeves and length)

After reaching my limit on fiddling with fit with all my sewing projects, I'm glad I picked a knit project that didn't ask a lot in that department. I chose the 36" size going by my high bust measurement, knowing that this sweater doesn't have to close. My gauge was slightly off at 5.5spi, but I figured that there was a fair amount of design ease and that the Ultra Apaca would be fairly forgiving. (Both were true!)

The only real modification I made was to the sleeves. I found them too wide, so I did the decreases on every 4th row instead of every 5th, and did a few extra decrease rows. (I don't have my notes with me, but this wasn't a very scientific process.) I suspect the shoulders are a little too roomy, and a bit long from shoulder to armpit, but it's a loose and comfy sweater and so it doesn't really matter one way or the other! I also added about eight rows to the length of the body.

After blocking, I noticed I made one tiny mistake. One purl stitch in a sea of stockinette. I know that nobody can see it, and so I'm trying to resist the crazy urge to unpick the bind-off and drop the stitch back about 100 rows to fix it. (It's near the lace panel on the centre front.) But honestly, I love the sweater enough to overlook the imperfection!

Special shout-out to my assistant, who managed to not eat this knit-in-progress despite my leaving it unattended on more than one occasion and blocking it in plain sight on the kitchen table. Well done, little friend. Well done.

Score

In anticipation of my first skirt project, I ordered an invisible zipper foot for my sewing machine. It turns out that the place to go for Janome parts in Vancouver is actually the Pfaff store... I didn't realize they were affiliated! In any case, that's great for me because it's right on Granville, smack dab in the middle of my commute home. I was worried this foot would be expensive, but it only set me back twelve dollars. Win!

My assistant inspects the merchandise

A few doors down, there was a carpet store with a few going out of business sale signs in the window. Now, I'm not in the market for a carpet, but they had a rack of pashminas outside. Upon closer inspection of the goods (and the signage), I realized that this was something I've been seeking for a long time: REAL pashminas. Affordable ones. Clearance sale, twenty five dollars each, 60% pashmina and 30% silk. I almost bought a beautiful champagne-coloured one, but it had a very visible knot in it, so I went with this bright blue instead.

I've been looking for one of these ever since I stupidly elected not to buy one in the markets when I was in Hong Kong. I've regretted that ever since! If you're in Vancouver, a natural fibre junkie like me, and in the market for a genuine Pashmina, check out Caspian Carpets on Granville. There are quite a few pretty colours to choose from. (Probably not for long, though!)

In other news: Pendrell 2.0 is off to a smashing start. Sleeve alternations look very promising. Keep an eye out for finished photos in the next day or two!

Introducing: The Assistants

I have this little resource that every sewist should be so lucky to have: two dedicated sewing assistants.

Hobbes (above) and Johnny Cash (below)

In fact, they assist with most aspects of my life. For example...

Helping with laundry:

Helping with homework:

Helping with pest control:

Helping with home security:

Helping with packing:

But, most of all, they really like helping with sewing:

(They do not, however, assist with knitting. Under any circumstances. Not since The Yarn Stash Incident of 2009. Hobbes is a recovering yarnaholic.)

Now, as much as I love my little helpers, nothing's free in this world. Nope, the price I pay for their generous assistance is a wardrobe that is constantly covered in fur. Seriously... nothing is safe. Even when something is carefully lint-brushed and hung to dry, simply walking too fast through our apartment is enough to set little kitty-hair funnel clouds swirling down the hallways, smashing into poor unsuspecting garments. Really, it's a problem.

So, dear readers, I beg you: if I happen to mention wanting to to sew something in black, please give me a sanity-check and ask if it really might be prettier in grey. Or beige. Or, you know... any colour other than black. (Slippery fabrics and special-occasion dresses may be exempt.)

All three of us thank you in advance ;-)