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July 23, 2008

Time factor, round 2

Despite my bitching the other day, I still managed to finish the back side of the Stacy top in...well, in a few hours of work done on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights. Three freaking days, even with a lot of tedious counting and being busy for most of those days? Sweetness!

So at least when it comes to crochet, the speed so far outranks the part where I take everything out.

July 22, 2008

Spinning, round two.

I suck, I suck, I suck, I suck, I AM THE ONLY ONE IN THE CLASS WHO SUCKS AT IT. I am not kidding when I say everyone does it perfectly. Some girl started taking the class in week three and IMMEDIATELY did perfect at it as well. Meanwhile, I fuck up constantly, constantly need teacher help, my yarn doesn't even twist or stay twisted or wind onto the bobbin, the tension stuff keeps flying off the wheel, I can't "draft" worth a damn, and my feet refuse to consistently go in the same direction for more than 15 seconds. I keep being told to go in and practice "just treadling," but I have no issues when there isn't yarn going onto the bobbin. I only fuck up when I am trying to actually do something.

I just hate this. This is not fun at all. I feel like there's a big LOSER sign going off above my head in blinky lights.

The teacher DOES NOT LIKE drop spindle. Only did it when she had to (and yet she has like 12 of them- how did that happen?) when traveling. Basically, she is kinda like, "I'll teach it for like, at the very end of class." I somehow suspect that means "not at all," or "in the last five minutes on the last day."

I didn't really want to (or have any desire to) learn the wheel. Even if I fell madly in love with the wheel, wheel was not going to be something I planned on doing later. I was doing it to learn the method she doesn't like.

Bleah.

Adding to the weirdness, now the teacher is all, "oops, I have to go out of town for two weeks." Which means either (a) we get a substitute and an extra week of the class running, or (b) it's on hold for two weeks. I don't know what to root for. If anything.

July 20, 2008

Time factor

So, yesterday I was sewing. I put in a partial lining for the Flaming Tote, which was very tricky (hence the partial), fixed the hula skirt, and started in on another dress. This took all day. And of course, the last hour of time I had to sew in was nothing but me making error after error after error and not noticing until it was too late.

The other girl in the room with me (who had seen me do the same thing on the previous day) said, "You should just stop sewing an hour before you have to quit. You just keep screwing up anyway and anything you do has to be taken out, so you get nothing done. So why waste the time?"

She has a point.

This is kind of how crochet goes for me. On the one hand, its REALLY fast to do, which I love. On the other hand, I screw it up and have to take out most or all of the piece just constantly. Every time I learn the hard way that I MUST COUNT EVERY SINGLE STITCH THAT IS IN EVERY ROW, every time, in order for it to come out correct. I don't WANT to do this every time, because it's tedious and a pain in the ass, but I really should count every damn stitch every time if I want to not have to take it out fifteen times.

Which makes me wonder which is faster: knitting, which goes three times slower, but I don't take it out nearly as often, or crochet, which has the speed but constant restarts?

Can you tell I just had to start project #4 (Stacy top) all over again today?

I keep trying to find some other crochet summerish projects that I want to do this summer, but I keep coming up with nothing. I do, however, keep finding cool knitting I have to do. Sadly, in tiny needles to boot. All I want to do lately has DK yarn.

I have a new wish list, from Knitscene Fall 08 and Knit.1 spring/summer 08. Most of which I want to do will be fall stuff, but what could go this summer would be:

  • This skirt, though I don't have the size 3 needles (and hate going below 5 anyway).
  • This skirt., which is darned cute.

I could switch out some of the planned knitting projects to do one of these. Kind of want to. Haven't decided yet. Skirts would probably take more time though.

July 18, 2008

Waaaaaaaaaant.

This chick knit an entire skirt in tiny yarn, with tiny needles, in 30 hours. And here I thought I was the shiznit for crocheting a skirt in 2 weeks of vacation.

Flaming Tote is done! (the yarning, anyway)

Finished in 16 days, total. So that's three projects done this summer. Huzzah! Halfway mark-ish, no less! And I finished it in time to go sew the inner contents/zipper on Saturday.

No photo yet, I finished it around 11 p.m. It is HUGE. I seriously COULD fit a bowling ball (or two) in it! Surprisingly heavy. I am wondering if it will make it too heavy to put a lining in, but I want it to have some support when I start piling stuff into it.

I have started the Stacy top (a couple of days ago), but that will have to go on hold while I finish present-making.

July 16, 2008

Day Sixteen

I really wanted to have at least the pieces for the Flaming Tote done by the end of the 15th (halfway through the month!). Yay, I managed it! Even though I had to start one over a whole bunch of times because I kept dropping stitches. I now have the sides sewn together. I still have to make the straps and add on the side trims and sew the fronts to the sides, but I'll have to do that when I have free time at home, I guess. It's a little too big to be portable now. I want the whole thing done (crocheting part, anyway) by Saturday morning so I can sew in the linings.

In other news, I have to drop the competition for a few days to work on the surprise present (due Sunday night). I shall be doing this. Hint: anyone going to the surprise present party and happens to be reading this before then, do not click that link.

July 15, 2008

Spinning, round one.

Honestly, I went into this class kinda knowing this was going to be one of those crafts where I wasn't likely to get hooked at it and I wasn't likely to be good at it. Plus it's not exactly the most practical craft for my lifestyle. I'm not spending a thousand to get a spinning wheel if I do get hooked. And I make clothing, so I'd have to make a LOT LOT LOT of yarn to make anything I want to do.

So, going in I already had lowered expectations for myself. And sure enough, the first week we actually spun on the wheel, I didn't do terribly great at it. I had issue after issue after issue. However, I was astonished that even those who had never done it before were doing a lot better at it than I was on the first day ever. I felt like I was doing Ukrainian egg dyeing all over again and I was The Biggest Loser in the room.

I hate that feeling. It's not like I expected to be good on the first day, but I didn't expect to be drastically the worst on the first day compared to everyone else who all somehow managed to have smoothly done yarn skeins. How the fuck did they do that?!

*sigh* It's going to be a long four more weeks.

I am glad I didn't order the roving last week. Going to class helped because somebody ordered from Woodland Woolworks and told me she got her stuff within days. And it's cheap. I am all for that and placed an order with them yesterday. Also, a lady in the class has a husband who raises alpacas and I got some alpaca roving off her. Even if I don't get my order in time, I'll have SOMETHING to work with come next Monday, even though I'd rather wait on the alpaca until I stink less. I restrained myself from getting colored wool- I'd rather have a color, but obviously I'm going to "waste" anything I work on here, so I shouldn't do that just so I can get a color high.

July 14, 2008

Day Fourteen

  1. Have new camera, have not installed it on the computer yet.
  2. Am mostly done with the crocheting of the purse, have two more pieces to go. I'd like to have them done by the 15th, but who knows.
  3. I also went out and got a bunch of sewing notions to make a lining for the purse. If I'm going to use this thing, it needs to hold up to me beating the crap out of it. Don't know when the hell I will have TIME to sew something though, considering that I've got oh, ONE weekend day free (until late August) to do it on. I really hate how the CC is closed on Sundays...and I can't go in at lunch during weekdays during the summer either. Too many damn kids swarming around even when they're supposed to be gone.
  4. Now I have to take off from my project to work on a surprise present project and finish before Sunday, to boot.

July 11, 2008

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaant!

Rainbow scarf.

Workshop in progress, round 2

The workshop is half full after 2 days.

I have been rounding up various outfits I made for the show and tell portion of the class. That'll be fun.

July 09, 2008

Workshop in progress

So I had the meeting to set up the class today. It went pretty well. The first set of workshops is being set up for the last Saturday in July and the first Saturday in August. We'll see how that goes. (The e-mail just went out. Eek.)

For those who don't live in this area, but are interested in T-shirt reconstruction, here's information from the printout I designed for the class.

What kinds of supplies do I need to do this?

  • Shirts of varying size, depending on what you want to do
  • Pattern/idea of what to do
  • Thread
  • Sewing machine/access to one
  • Fabric scissors
  • Fabric marker/pencil/chalk
  • Safety pins
  • Measuring tape
  • Ruler, preferably a see-through quilting ruler. (I like the ones that are 2 inches wide by 18 inches long.)
  • Extra notions if needed: elastic, zipper, etc., depending on what you want to do. 

Where do I find patterns/ideas of what to make?

The best places are either in books or online. Many people put free tutorials they’ve come up with online that you can work with, if you don’t want to buy a book. Other websites at least have pictures of other people’s work. I haven’t read every book there is out there, but here’s a list of all the ones I’ve seen online, I’ll indicate which ones I’ve seen in person that look good.

Books:

  • Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt by Megan Nicolay. (HIGHLY recommended. If you must buy a book, get this one.)
  • Tease: Inspired T-shirt Transformations by Superstars of Art, Craft, & Design by Sarah Sockit. (This is okay, not as good as Generation T, but has some workable stuff.)
  • AlterNation: Transform. Embellish. Customize. by Shannon Okey, Alexandra Underhill. (Does not stick to shirts only, but looks pretty dang cool, someday I am buying this.)
  • T-Shirt Style: Super-Easy New Looks in No Time by Gabrielle N. Sterbenz. (I don't own this yet, but sometime I'm buying it.)
  • Rip It!: How to Deconstruct and Reconstruct the Clothes of Your Dreams by Elissa Meyrich (very basic, more about sewing/embellishments)
  • 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special by Faith Blakeney, Justina Blakeney, Anka Livakovic, Ellen Schultz. (I don't like this one. No photos of real people wearing the outfits, it just has fashion drawings of anorexics who are all stretched out. This makes it hard to tell how they will look on an actual human being. Outfits in it seem to only be meant for models as      well.) 

Other titles out there that I haven't looked at in person:

  • Sew Subversive: Down and Dirty DIY for the Fabulous Fashionista and Subversive Seamster: Transform Thrift Store Threads into Street Couture by Melissa Rannels, Melissa Alvarado, Hope Meng.
  • Altered Clothing: Hip Fixes and Transformations with a Needle and Thread (Domestic Arts for Crafty Girls) by Kathleen Maggio.
  • Just for the Frill of It: 25 Flirty, Fabulous Styles to Make from Clothes You Already Own by Sonya Nimri.
  • T-Shirt Makeovers: 20 Transformations for Fabulous Fashions by Sistahs Of Harlem, Carmia Marshall, Carmen Webber.
  • Save This Shirt: Cut It. Stitch It. Wear It Now! by Hannah Rogge, Adrian Buckmaster.
  • Fashion T-Shirts: Easy-Sew Projects for Fun Fashion by Lorine Mason. 

Online tutorial collections:

Other sources to look at shirt designs/possible tutorials:

Articles online about t-shirt reconstruction:

July 08, 2008

Huh?

So, I'm taking spinning. I have to buy roving (online, and preferably soon so I can make sure to have it for two Mondays from now) and I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I AM SUPPOSED TO GET.

I assume wool. I have been told that sampler packs are good. Anyone have any suggestions? I've been looking at these, but I am kind of stumped as to what exactly I am supposed to want.

http://www.mielkesfarm.com/samplers.htm
http://www.woolworks.com/Shop/Fiber/Wool/Sample-Packs?start=1
http://www.woolery.com/Pages/fibers.html#wool
http://www.twistoffatespinnery.com/roving.htm
http://www.halcyonyarn.com/fibers.html

Another odd thing: one chick in class is another old-timer, and though she is interested in spinning...she does not like knitting, and isn't terribly fond of crochet ("it's not stretchy and crocheted hats are awful."). I can't help but wonder, what the heck IS this chick going to do with the yarn? Is there some other kind of yarncraft out there she can do?

July 07, 2008

Day Seven

Progress report:

  1. I have decided not to try to redo Stargazer for now. I'm really not sure if it'll look any better on me if I remake it, and unless I figure that out, I might be better off not bothering or frogging it. I do like the yarn in it.
  2. I have finished the Shapely Tank. It is luverly, though now it is 105 out all week long and is too hot to wear it. I was intending to have it done on the 4th of July so I could wear it...hahhahahahahah, no. That never works, does it?
  3. However, there are no photos of these projects because my camera has broken. WAAAAAH. I looked into getting it repaired and it looks like it'll cost 3/4 of what I paid for it to get it repaired, plus have it gone for a month and a half. I may just go get a new one over the weekend rather than go through that hassle. Stupid warranties (my camera is too old for that now).
  4. I have started the Flaming Tote. I did the front and back and am now on to the applique bits. That is complicated. I need to do a lot of exact counting. I apparently "lose" stitches a damn lot.
  5. I think I've mentioned having two projects going at once for this- a "home" project that's either too big or too complicated to do while at lunch/on the move elsewhere, and an "away" project that doesn't require too much concentration. So far the Flaming Tote looks like it's going to be a "home" project because I have had to pay close attention to that pattern. Erp.
  6. Here's the stupid thing: even though it will take me oh, six months at least, and I was planning on making it the LAST project I cast on for this summer (as in, let's hope I'm starting it by Aug. 31 after finishing other projects), I feel totally compelled to start the Saturday in the Park dress. I just plain want to start it before the other knitting projects that would be shorter and faster to do. It will be my "away" project for the time being until it becomes too big to travel and then transfers to being the "home" one. *sigh* Couldn't resist, I'm afraid.

July 02, 2008

Houston, we have a pattern problem, round 2

So, no sooner do I decide to do this Speed Yarnin' idea than...I run into trouble.

Last night, I finished sewing up Stargazer. It is just plain huge on me. I don't have the photo uploaded to show you, but it's big big big. Like, either I rebuild this, burn it, or give it away big.

Apparently I just can't read instructions at all, because not only did I not understand that the knit-it-flat instructions and the knit-in-round instructions were mixed in together (I can't help but wish the designer had separated the two in the typing now), despite the note from her SAYING TO CIRCLE THE VERSION YOU ARE DOING, I ALSO can't read the part where she said pick your size off your ribcage rather than your tit size. Considering that the two on me are drastically different from each other, I have learned from making other items NOT to pick the smaller size when making anything.

*sigh* On the one hand, yeah, it's fun to be able to customize stuff when you make it. On the other hand, you can't tell until you're done sometimes if you fucked up the size.

So. I was not going to count Stargazer in the "try to make six outfits" total. But if I start it over...that moves stuff down and out of the queue.

I'm not sure what I am going to do. I can't really tell if it's going to look better if I rebuild it or not.

June 30, 2008

Summer goals!

So I seem to average about 3-4 items a summer, approximately.

This summer...y'know what I want to do? I want to do something ambitious. (Or as my friend put it, do a bunch of small goals rather than one big one so I feel like I actually did something with my life.) I want to make...at least SIX things between now and August 31. Call it the Summer of Speed Yarning. (Guess that'll be my calendar for the month...)

Rules:

  • Ring of Fire/Hot Tamale and Shapely Tank were started at the beginning of June when I went on vacation, so they count in the total when finished. (I've got ONE down!) Stargazer was mostly done in spring, though I'll be sewing it together now, so it won't count in the total.
  • There will be three crochet and three knit projects I will try to get through. The crochet is a bit of cheating, since those should go faster than the knitting, and are relatively small pieces (two shirts and a purse), while the knit projects will probably be worked on "at home" and will probably take longer.
  • Zippers and linings and stuff do not need to be put in to count as "finished" for purposes of this project- that and who knows when I'll get to the fabric store. I already have needles, hooks, and yarn for everything, just not other notions.
  • The crochet projects on the roster will be Flaming Tote (done to match the skirt), Singular Tee and Stacy. Singular is done in DK and the rest are in worsted, so that one should go a little slower than the rest.
  • The knitting projects, long shots all, will be Universal Tunic, Scarlet Woman, and Saturday in the Park dress. All are on pretty small needles- 6, 5, and 7, so they will be major long shots. I'll try the tunic first, then the tank. Actually having STARTED on Saturday in the Park by September will be the goal, rather than having it done, because that thing would probably take all summer if I let it.

QueueWe'll see how it goes.

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