Upcycled Furry waistcoat

 

This is essentially a free project. It also is a very quick sewing project for when I am recovering and unable to sew with a machine. Its actually been on my sewing pile for years and because I needed to hand sew the hem has stayed there. Every winter it comes out again. Every spring I put it back away not having finished it. I even wore it with dangly threads and a chopped lining inside it when I went out shopping a few times because I really like it but never got round to this small bit of hand sewing. 

Anyway that does mean this project will not be a waste of time because it has been worn half-made for years!

Originally this waistcoat was a second hand fur coat which I bought to use a piece of the fur around the hood of a jacket. 

I do not actually remember what the coat cost, but not much, which is why I used it for my trim. It was also much better quality fur than I could at that time source so it ticked all the boxes. It did seem a shame to waste the rest of the coat though. 

And then of course I was left with the rest of the jacket. I took the sleeves off a while later - not too sure what happened to them but suspect somewhere in my fabric stash. If I find them I am considering making a muff. Anyway the jacket pretty soon became this waistcoat, just I never finished sewing it. I sewed around the armholes by zigzag ages ago. Probably after about a year of just wearing as it was around the house. But the hem just stayed this cut off frayed mess. 

Then about a week ago it occurred to me that I am sitting here vegetating because I am not allowed to sew. I had a total hip replacement. Though as you can see I can now stand without crutches! I do not actually walk really as yet but physio will hopefully make me stronger very soon. I want to be normal again and really need to be able to use a sewing machine. Anyway, time to do the bits of hand sewing I can manage and this is very basic easy sewing because you cannot really see if I do not do perfect stitches and to be honest I am rubbish at hand sewing. 

The waistcoat is worn here with a pair of my camo joggers and my green velvet top ( and my new hat!). Also because this was originally a coat it has more hooks at the front than most RTW waistcoats of this type making it much warmer to wear. 

I am starting to feel very wintery now. I really need to find out the other items of hand sewing I need to do. I do not have many because using a hand sewing needle is something I actively avoid but there is a couple of other things I could do now that will mean I get stuff sorted out that has been left in most cases for years. Otherwise I am stuck with reading and doing the odd bit of knitting and I am very slow at that as well. 

Have a great week and hope to see you again soon,

Take care

Bracken

The Isolation hat revisited

I made this hat pattern before when it was new ( and free because the designer gave it away for free when she was in Isolation due to covid. Hence the pattern name.)

The first version is not so well knitted. Its made in 100% lace weight mohair/ acrylic yarn. This version has different yarn and is more substantial in feel. 

I used a different lace weight mohair that is mohair/nylon in two shades of dark purple. I used these colours previously in a bat wing jumper I made a long time ago now. I look so young on those posts! Mind you its nearly 10 years ago. The pale pink yarn that runs through the hat is a vintage 100% wool sock yarn bought on a whim from Ebay. It's I believe 1950s yarn and it's 3ply. I bought 3 colours and this is the pink. I also have peach and yellow- all pastels. 

It also contains no nylon hence I have not used for socks because they would not last long. 

The darker purple is 2 strands of kid mohair in two colours on the main part of the hat and just one strand/ colour on the ribbing. The body also has a strand of gold glitter. I used this stuff before in an aran. Then I used it to tie together loads of oddments of similar coloured yarns to make it look like just the one yarn. This time its just for a bit of glam. Unfortunately the gold doesn't show in the photos so please just believe me it adds a bit of sparkle to the knitting which I hope will cheer me up come nasty cold winter ( usually wet) weather. If only we could have more snow and less rain! I do not mind the cold really just the constant wet we have here in the UK.

Ah also the original pattern has a seed stitch edge so the single stitch you increase for the main ( in original pattern)  I added to the ribbing to get the right stitch pattern. That's all I changed though. The shaping etc is as the original. I prefer a ribbed edge but that's just me. I did version 1 exactly as the pattern so this time its time for adjusting for me ( as you do!).

I actually knitted this hat in the summer. I am trying hard now to think ahead and plan more sensibly so make winter clothing in summer and summer clothing in winter rather than make when you need only to find its not yet finished and the weather has changed. 

Really I made another of these hats because I thought I had lost the original version when we had a family outing to a country park and was gutted to lose it so decided to make a new one. 

In the end I had not lost the hat but the warning was made I would miss it very much. The hat actually turned up at the end of the day out, stuck down the back of my jacket! 

I was so lucky I had not lost it and realised at that point I really need another if I like that design so much. Hence version 2.

The star stitch is easy though it's tricky knowing where to make it once you get past the first few rows. This is especially the case when you do not knit it for a few days and when you go back its a case of when to do the star. I needed to unpick a couple of times because of this but all in all this is a very straightforward hat to knit. The star pattern shows much better on this choice of yarn than on my first version. I think I am going to like this hat even better and I love the original.

Thanks again to the designer for this pattern.

Have a great week,

Bracken

WATG Sock kits- a review

Unfortunately the lighting on these photos is not great. This is my current project since I am unable to sew for the next few weeks. They are really just begun but starting to look like socks. Or rather a sock.

A couple of years ago I was given a WATG sock kit with yarn for 3 pairs if leopard print wool socks for a birthday. I was very happy but the pattern is different to the Winwick Mum sock construction so I did not feel ready to try it. I watched a video of how to change size of needles to get the pattern to work if you do not end up with spots. It all seemed straightforward. Also now I have about 10 pairs of Winiwck Mum socks successfully knitted so thought why not try this. Its supposed to give the leg ribbed striped bit without effort or need for a contrast ball of yarn annd then you do the sock till you get to the correct length and then do the toes. You do have to cut and rejoin the yarn for the toes and you are also meant to cut the heel yarn and roll into a ball for an "afterthought" heel. Ok thinks me I will have a go. 

Anyway it's a hard pattern. I had the right tension at the start because my top stripes all line up correctly. The pattern says that's how to check the tension. That was a normal (for me) 2.5mm needle,  but the leopard print did not work. So I unravelled it.

Next attempt I did my normal aran cast on and dumped the edge ribbed colour ( part of their pattern but to be honest looks rubbish in my opinion)  because there is not enough for a full contrast edge if you don't use long tail cast on which I didn't like. So second attempt I have started to alter the pattern!

The pattern does state you must follow their pattern for yarn to work etc.

Right so ribbed edge done and we get to the spots. They don't work. Change needle size twice. I really do not want to knit on smaller than a 2.25mm. I tried bigger but that gave me a random pattern. 

But small this time is 2.25mm and really I think perhaps this pattern needs 2mm needles. I think perhaps that's what I should do to get the pattern right. That's just too much for me. It physically hurts to use a 2mm so I have decided to stick with the 2.25mm and have what is more like camo pattern than leopard spots. Still nice though.

Then the yarn changes for the heel. We'll by now I am losing patience with the WATG pattern. They want me to leave the heel yarn in a ball, knit the heel later and sew it in. No.

I have tried their cast on and that looked so rubbish and really I like the heel flaps on my other socks. So anyway I took the decision to do the heel flap ( Winwick Mum style) and not listen to their pattern for this bit. You actually have a small amount left over after doing a heel flap.

Then I went onto the gusset. I do a Winwick Mum style heel flap. There is a small amount of blue left over after this. I cut and rejoin after trying several other methods so I did all this twice. Back to leopard print/ camo. As you can see the pattern goes out on the gusset decreases. That's not the end of the world. I think these will still be a nice pair of socks. At this point the spots pattern goes out. It changes to a random pattern like space dyed yarn. Here next to the gusset decreases the pattern breaks up until I get onto the foot part when it goes back to how it should be. Its hard to take photos of this but I think you can see the more random part next to the foot. 

Here also because I had tried using several balls of yarn round the gusset only to unpick twice and then went with rejoining but I had by then 3 strands of yarn to incorporate and  you can just see where I rejoined the yarn having cut off the rest of the heel contrast and rejoined the leopard. It was my 3rd attempt that I eventually stopped and just went back to doing a Winwick Mum basic sock pattern with zero adjustments. You can just see the line of thicker stitches accross the foot where the spots change to the random pattern

The pattern will work. I reckon I will get acceptable spots and stuff the slight randomness round the heel area. There is also now a small line where the end of the yarn is knitted in. I had had enough and decided it will wear in and I think it will. Either way its done now, they will be wearable and I am just experimenting to get these to work somehow!

 Now I will finish in the next few days and join in the blue for the toes. Then knit sock 2.

Once I finish these will will show you how they turn out.

A few things here about this WATG sock yarn/ kit:

I have 2 more balls of this yarn. I will not be using it as is again. I think there is too little ankle ribbing. I don't like the WATG heel. The whole ankle part of the sock is not adjustable unless:

1) add a second ribbing colour and some stripes at ankle

2) just do normal heel flap

3) I have yet to reach the toes but I reckon match them to the ankle stripes next time.

4) I am tempted to do a contrast underneath the foot to give me more potential spots. I will decide once I see what's left when I finish the first sock.

5) WATG say knit from centre of ball. That's fine if you don't keep unpicking. If you do it all gets tangled. I have already separated my next two balls of this yarn into two smaller balls to stop this. Thats what I do with Lang Yarns ( their directions) and I have done with one pair of WYS socks though it seems less necessary with WYS.

6) the amount supplied makes a very short sock with minimal ankle ribbing.

7) You know I am almost tempted to knit a hat or something else with the leopard spot part on the other balls.

 So my honest opinion on these kits: the yarn is lovely. Good quality sock yarn. Having the contrast ribbing as part of the ball sounds a great idea but stops the flexibility of a separate ball of yarn - ribbing length, more stripes etc. It has a bright yellow section where the two socks start and end which makes things very easy but there is loads of yarn in this section so I have kept to use as an edge or similar on another pair. So lots of wastage!

 I love the spots but need a much smaller needle than stated to get anything like the pattern it's supposed to. Yet with WYS yarns no I don't so it's unlikely it's my tension. Also my tension is dead on with the 2.5mm needle on the top ribbed section so this does not make sense.

It seems to my relative inexperience despite having knitted about 10 pairs of socks before this that the tension needed to get the ankle stripes is different to that needed for the spots.

Do I like this kit? 

We'll I will enjoy these socks but NO! I would not recommend because the leg length is set, ribbing is set, if you change the heel type it will work but will put the pattern out for a few rows.

I will knit 2 more pairs but I will not be buying more if this yarn. I will knit then incorporating a second contrast and trying out the above to get a decent pair of socks for winter. Its really not worth the bother of this kit (which is very expensive as well) just for leopard spot socks. I actually think it may be easier to just do intarsia for the leopard spots if you really want leopard spot socks rather than try using this kit.

So anyway if you do try out a WATG sock kit you are now informed and can make a sensible decision either way. This is obviously just my opinion and it may be most people love this kit but I prefer straight forward sock yarn. At least now I know that.

Have a lovely week, 

Take care

Bracken

Grey floaty pixie top

This is my latest attempt at being authentic. Back to my wearable Fae theme. I gave up work for a while by choice because I can right now and I am having the hip replacement so decided its a good time to have a change. I want to get myself totally away from both the corporate world and acadeamia which are the two worlds I usually seem to work in. 

Right now I do not have a clue what I want to do but possibly a part time ( maybe OU?) creative writing course and see if I can make it as a writer. I did work freelance for two magazines a long time ago and maybe its time to have another go, and I wrote two books which constantly sell though I earn pence from them. 

But; I made a living back then and enjoyed it though getting paid was sometimes not as easy as it should have been. Some publishers are far from reputable and you have to be very careful how to word invoices. But then I did learn all that back then. So in theory at least I already know the pitfalls of the freelance writing way of living. And like the name its "free".

So, being in the mood to make what I actually like wearing,  I made two of these tops so far. I also have two black versions cut but yet to be sewn. They now need to wait until I am allowed to sew again so about another 4 weeks or so. I have a hospital appointment to hopefully get signed off to drive and sew on 23rd October assuming it all continues to go ok. 

The grey tops have different edging / hems since I had some issues with the way to finish this very thin floaty material, but they are otherwise virtually the same in every respect. 

Ah, except one has flared sleeves and one has tighter straight sleeves so actually not quite identical. I was thinking I could wear the flared sleeved version over the straight sleeved version in the very cold weather and would have the warmth with less bulk. I have no idea what the fabric is but I suspect its a synthetic. I made the muslin for my surfer dress from the same fabric.

The flared sleeved top has rather badly sewn hems and has both a sewn bottom band with overlocked edge at the back ( which tends to flip over and so be seen). 

Its a bit messy and I actually preferred that edge before I hemmed it. I started with overlocking and twin needle edge but that looked terrible and stretched out of shape. I did not stretch it as sewing it but I think maybe the presser foot would need adjusting to stop this? The thin fabric though is so thin I worried I would rip it if unpicking. I did start to unpick and gave up so instead I flipped it over and overlocked the edge into a band. But its still a bit dodgy.

 

Also none of my overlockers like sewing this very thin fabric. Perhaps the black versions should have a rolled edge?

You can see the edge above and below on the flared sleeved top.

Its definitely a bit rough and ready but this is much better than the twin needled edge I had before I sewed a band on. 

Its still a wearable top but not up to my hoped for standards.

The second top has an overlocked edge on sleeve and hem edge in grey. I am not sure it actually looks better on either. I can't decide but was just experimenting really with the overlockers. 

This is the overlocked hem:

I think it looks far better just left like this despite really most people would say this is unfinished. It just lies better so unless I can think of a better way to finish these my black versions will have the basic overlocked edge - a rolled edge maybe? 

I will need to experiment to get to decide which edge looks best I think. I have loads more of the thin black fabric so I suppose the next version will be yet another variant on these and then the last version I should get this perfected. Then I just need to decide if I want anymore. I have run out of the grey fabric so it will just be black tops now unless I come across some more of this very thin very stretchy fabric anyway. At least I should get loads of pixie base layers for this winter anyway. And wearing two of these will make it nice and cozy I think especially with another layer on top. So these are just base layers. 

Have a lovely week and thanks for popping by,

Bracken

Burda style magazine combat trousers model 118 04/2010 a journey

These have taken a while to make, well about 7 months so far, and they have evolved. They are not only still not finished, I totally unpicked all but the side seams.

What started out as combats has changed slightly. I decided against the side cargo pockets because I never really liked denim combats but then I do like back pockets. 

The pattern didn't have any so I found a pattern that does and used them and I went with expanding combat style pockets for the back pockets. 

Then it took me several weekends when I ploughed through relatives mending and repairs before I began to sew again for me. I really should say no to people but I seem to end up offering to sew their clothing and repair it etc so it is my own fault. I don't mind its just I seem to run out of time for me then. On top of this two of my best machines went down. Its just servicing needed I think or minor adjusting but I have not found time to play with them so I have moved to an old overlocker which does currently work well but is only good for light weight fabrics really and I have no machine for twin needle sewing. I just have my Janome sewing machine which is ok for straight and zig zag. It does do lots of embroidery stitches but I rarely use any of them. I do use a stretch zigzag sometimes when sewing elastic waistbands and sometimes I prefer that to twin needle sewing. It depends on the garment and the fabric.

Anyway, time has gotten in the way of making these. The indecision regards back pockets also held them up at least 6 weeks while I sorted through my Burda magazines for a likely pocket. This is the back pocket from model 131, 07/2003 of which I seem to have both an English and a German copy. Not a problem since there is a lot I would like to make from this magazine and you can find the pattern sheets start to wear out with lots of tracing. I have one already thats wearing out.  Having said that I had to make a list of items and where to find them for the next few months sewing because I have the perfect fabrics for many and never got round to making them. Anyway back to these rather epic trousers.

I must have been making these on and off since February and they are still not at all finished. I expected to finish them weeks ago and thought I had only to try them on and they are huge. Though I could tell just by looking at hem. They are meant to be a 36. Even had I made the 34 which is not available but I could downsize a little I think,  they would still be huge. I am not a large person but really I am not that small either so now do not have a clue what to do. I have not yet sewn the outside flat felled seems. I had though i won't bother with flat fells and just do ordinary seems but i did allow for them. I could just cut down the extra fabric. I suppose an elastic waist could be the answer. Right this minute I really do not know what to do. These have certainly not turned out as I had imagined!

So again I am pausing on making these. Also just for the record, I cut loads off the bottom of the original length thinking to make long shorts/cullotte type trousers intended for last spring, only to find they are actually about the right length for full length trousers. I am 168cm tall. Thats about 5 feet 6 to 5 feet 7 inches. These should be around knee length so I think the pattern must fit a bigger than 6 footer!

Ah problems.......

So now I have to come to ask myself: is it me? First the Kai pattern,  now these trousers. Both cases the sizing is madly out. Its not a tracing issue. I have a download if this trouser pattern eliminating potentially tracing the wrong size etc. 

Here I measured against an ancient Miss Selfridge pair of shorts that still fit that I use for decorating. You can see the size difference. 

I removed the back pockets. I will put them back on though but I think a bit lower down the bum area than last time. I reckon I added them too high.

The MS shorts are a 38 / UK 8. I am usually a 36 with Burda because I think their sizing is slightly different. Hence I cut the 36. I think the EU sizes have changed a bit here since the shorts were new but the Burda pattern is an older one and states what size its supposed to fit!

My next make I intend to self draft some combats from an old well fitting 90s pair and see how they turn out. I could ask did I just cut the wrong size? Maybe but the size 36 is the smallest offered. Size 34 is smaller than me (usually) and would also have worked out large according to when I put the pattern pieces on top if my finished garment( finished minus waistband that is). This assumes the same differences between the 34 and 36 as the rest if the sizes. 

So that suggests I am far smaller than the sizes available. But I normally wear a size 36 Burda. And they usually fit. Maybe I tend to go a little looser in fit than some people but even then to get a tight fit would only be a 34 not a smaller size so is it just a bad pattern?

I made these cord trousers last spring. 

I would say they are too big but I will go down a size next time. They are my muslin. I think the next size down will fit well. They work with a belt. These denim trousers will be huge even with a belt. 

I have spent some time since writing the above and decided to go with an elastic waist on these. It's a look that's been around all summer so not such a cop out as I might otherwise think and I will then not just waste the fabric. Besides which  I think these would make great warm Winter trousers although the denim is a heavier weight so quite stiff, and will accommodate thermals underneath with comfort so that's how I will sort this out. It's now just a choice if do I opt for a denim waist band and two rows of thick elastic? Or a jersey waistband which would be softer and comfortable? I bought some jersey ribbing  a short while ago so have both black and navy. 

I now have to update the last part I wrote but have decided to leave it here on the blog to show my total dilemma!!!!!

I took these to bits and decided to resew them. I will not be beaten!

This TNT pattern will mean they should fit if I base my new sizing on this.

So, I have, since writing about cop out ( in this particular case) elastic waistbands, taken these totally appart.

 Or almost. I left the front darts because placement wise they are perfect with the trouser pattern I am intending to use and the side seams. So they are half constructed and not at all in my usual trouser construction order.

 Despite my reinforced very strong denim stitching I took them to bits. I left the nice front pockets and side seams intact. Then placed a well used pattern for wide leg city trousers on the pattern pieces. Had to pin front and back patterns together and carefully position to allow for my already sewn sides and I recut.

I folded and pinned the pattern to get the darts right.

I felt brave and scared but I did it. Once I am healed from the operation I will show you how they sew up. If nothing else and even if they are a complete disaster at least I shall be able to say I persevered and tried to make these annoying trousers. Though now I wish I had not cropped them. Winter is coming. I won't get these finished until at least November now. I am considering a tatty edging of strips of denim at the moment but we will see. It might be a terrible idea! 

I obviously cannot show you a finished item here and I am sorry for that, but these trousers deserve to be written about because they have been much much more difficult to make than originally expected and really just showing the finished item does not always do the journey to that finished item justice. 

I will post what happens to these though whether they work out of not.

So you can probably see here I am on a journey and just now I have no idea how long its going to take or  if I will ever get there.

Take care and have a lovely week 

Bracken

Sleep masks for the operation

First of all if you read my blog regularly and i know several thousand people from around the planet are regular visitors, I am truly sorry to have let you down with my recent very slack blogging. 

I have been sewing and knitting and playing with a flower loom but because I have tomorrow got my hip replacement I have concentrated on the sewing rather than my blog. 

After the op I will not be allowed to sew for at least 6 weeks so in that time my plan is to get to it and update my blog because I have been collecting photos of my makes so there is loads to show you.

Because my last op I was harassed by other patients who just had to talk to me even when I was obviously listening to music with my head phones on and really did not feel up to socialising I have this time made a sleep mask. Then hopefully they will leave me alone. Yes that is antisocial but seriously some people just want to chatter incessantly and I really felt ill after the last op.

Hopefully a sleep mask and headphones will put them off. I might of course get nicer people in with me this time. 

Anyway just in case I decided to make a sleep mask. Or a friend suggested it. It's a free pattern from the UK burdastyle website. 

Fabric of the best version is woven cotton camo one side then French terry the other.

I did attempt one in just French terry but it's s bit dodgy and wavy round the edges. Probably needs interfacing but I only need this for one day and its tomorrow so  Ijust sewed this as is. Never mind. I only need one and the woven one will work well.

Here you can see the French terry version,  woven and French terry lined and the pattern piece.

These are so simple to make. 

Have a lovely week and I promise to be back soon with lots of sewn makes. And it should be much easier to sew again in a few weeks because in all honesty it's been difficult for at least 6 months now.  Tomorrow the surgeons will fix me. If it's as good as my right leg it will be amazing.

Thanks for visiting and take care

Back soon

Bracken 

Lang yarn men's socks using Winwick Mum techniques

These are not photographed in the best surroundings due to the rain when they were photographed so they are taken in my very eclectic and colourful conservatory. The light is OK its just the miss-matched furnishings!

Well I have knitted several pairs of socks for myself as well as a few pairs of child sized socks. Now my partner wants some and I wanted to get these done well before winter so I really went for it in knitting these. I even did a swatch to work out how many stitches to fit his feet - using the Winwick Mum stitch count method.

The yarn is Lang. I bought it in Krakow several years ago so have no idea of the current price and I also lost the ball band so I do not know the colourway. I am quite sure it, or a very similar colour will still be available if you wanted some. Lang do some amazing sock yarns and they wear really well. The pair I made for myself back in 2022 are still in really good condition despite being worn regularly. In fact I have made a couple of Lang sock yarn pairs and they all wear well but the 2022 ones are my first in actual sock yarn. I have since reduced my stitches to make them a bit smaller but even with the first pair being slightly loose they are still going strong.  My rainbow socks were also Lang and I bought all these sock yarns together in Krakow. That was my souvenir present to myself when we had a holiday there. I still have a couple of balls in my stash in fact that have yet to be knitted. 

Anyway after doing a swatch, in the end I needed 64 stitches to get socks to fit my UK sized 10 shoe partner. And you can see they do fit which made me very happy. You can never be sure until you finish this kind of project after all though we did do several tryings on as this project progressed.

I followed the basic sock free pattern from Winwick Mum so not too difficult and the only real thing is getting your head round using 2.5mm needles. That said its now my 9th or 10th pair of socks. I have actually lost count! Wow! Not something I would have considered possible a few years ago.

Anyway here are my latest socks. 

Depending on how useful he finds them I may be knitting my partner a second pair. But I am waiting to see if these get worn first. My partner cycles in all weather's so they may get well worn this winter. We will see.

When I made these I wound each part of the sock yarn ball into two separate balls. With Lang thats easy because the centre of the 100g ball has a plain white bit and then sock 2 starts. So its pretty easy to pattern match these Lang yarns. You start at the centre of the balls though each sock on the ball band must be a toe up because I have all the patterns in reverse. Mine are top down socks. That really does not matter about the reversal of the stripe pattern though. 

My only annoyance? 

Well I did exactly the same number of rows and exactly began the yarn at the same point on the ball for both socks but the yarn is not exact in printing because one toe has an extra purple row to the other and I am positive its the yarn not my knitting. Still its not really such a problem and except for me no one will ever know. My partner cannot see it even when I pointed this out.

Thanks for visiting and see you again soon.

Take care

Bracken