Crafty rhythm – some weeks I work on all the projects
Each Wednesday, I take stock of the projects I’m working on, and where my brain is at.
So many projects, so little time.
Part of what I love about taking stock of what I’m working on each Wednesday (other than the ritual of spending time in my digital home each week) is the opportunity to illuminate some of my crafting habits.
Some weeks I work on one project, and one project only. Complete focus.
Some weeks I work on two projects. Flipping back and forth between the two.
Some weeks I work on no projects. Trusting that rest is part of the creative process.
And some weeks I work on all the projects. Trusting that small steps are still steps.
This was a week of all the projects. With a not-small amount of progress on each project.
I’m deep in the throws of the editing the Shawl Geometry Books Update.
And when my eyes start crossing, I pick up my Lady Bat and work a couple rows – which has gotten me through the front, plus the back, and started in on the second sleeve.
I also took an evening to cut out & sew together the (new) lining of my No-Longer-An-Anna Dress. And a Sunday morning to finish up the (not so visible) visible mending on my favorite pair of black jeans.
Book(s). Sweater. Dress. Book(s). Sweater. Dress.
That’s been the rhythm of this week.
a week of crafting in 15 minute snippets
Each Wednesday, I take stock of the projects I’m working on, and where my brain is at.
Most of my crafting time has been in 15 minute snippets this week.
That’s great news for my Lady Bat sweater project – less great news for my summer wardrobe infusion plans (most of which are sewing related).
I finished up the front of my sweater, started on the back, and got about a repeat and a half into it.
I also wanted to cut the skirt lining of my no-longer-really-an-Anna-Dress, but didn’t get around to it – which turned out to be perfect, because I changed my mind. (I swear, this is the project of never ending re-thinks.) But now I have a lining that’s a far better match to my fabric, and am going to try to wrangle an evening to cut it & sew it together.
splitting for the neckline of my Lady Bat, and tracking down a lining
Each Wednesday, I take stock of the projects I’m working on, and where my brain is at.
This week, I focused on knitting away on my Lady Bat sweater, and on the hunt for a lining to line my no-longer-really-an-Anna Maxi Dress.
I just split for the front and back of my Lady Bat sweater.
The Lady Bat pattern is a sideways sweater construction, so you start your sweater working in the round knitting away on one cuff, and through the batwing sleeve. Then you work back and forth for a couple inches – this creates an opening for the bottom of your sweater. After a couple inches you put half of your stitches on a holder, and work flat for the other half – this creates the front (or back) of your sweater. Once the front of your sweater is wide enough, you put your current stitches on a holder, pick up your previously abandoned stitches, and work until both half of your sweater are equal. Then you work a couple inches flat across all of your stitches, before joining your stitches back in the round and knitting your second batwing sleeve & cuff.
So I’m a couple inches into knitting the front of the sweater, and the trickiest thing I’m running in to is balancing a limited quantity of yarn, and knitting a large enough sweater.
In and of itself this balancing act is simply par for the sweater knitting course around these parts – the part I’m finding tricky is taking into account just how much the lace pattern will stretch.
The stitch pattern is an overall zig zag mesh, so I know it has the potential to stretch A LOT with blocking – but exactly how much will it stretch? I’m not quite sure.
Yes I swatched. And I did get quite close to gauge.
However, I didn’t block my swatch to it’s farthest extent. And I also know that (because the pattern is a mesh with many directions of stretch) I have the option of stretching my mesh more lengthwise or width wise – depending on which direction I need more length in.
All of that’s to say – I’m kind of just winging it. There may be some sweater surgery in the future.
With regards to my no-longer-really-an-Anna Maxi Dress, I think found my lining.
Originally I was looking for a lightweight cotton, in a light blue of some sort. I thought the lighter blue (especially if it was bright) would offset the almost navy, but each light blue I tried simply looked out of place. So, I ended up with a shade slightly lighter than navy.
My hope is to get the skirt lining cut & sewn together this week, but looking at my week ahead, I’m not exactly sure when that will be able to happen.
I’m holding out hope that I’ll find a magical gap of time somewhere.
