tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33658443450708514942024-03-13T12:58:22.391+00:00Tailoring Tales Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-14264244392357938682017-03-07T10:30:00.000+00:002017-03-07T10:30:33.084+00:00mending stories :: lengthening a hand knit sock <div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8t4QRgT00L8/WL3Fu-IsBCI/AAAAAAAADkA/6geGt8DFeTwlDM1AptDgTcC6DvWGDFgGQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8t4QRgT00L8/WL3Fu-IsBCI/AAAAAAAADkA/6geGt8DFeTwlDM1AptDgTcC6DvWGDFgGQCLcB/s640/IMG_1809.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><b>mending stories </b>is a new, regular feature where I will be sharing my exploration of the upkeep of loved, worn clothing. Today's culture encourages a never-end cycle of the new, so I encourage you to step back and appreciate the journeys that our clothes have accompanied us on, which are so often imprinted onto fabric, fibre and stitching. From trials and tribulations, to tips and new techniques learnt, I hope you will enjoy following along - and are inspired to mend some of your clothing too! <b>#mendingstories</b></i><br />
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Last year, over the Easter weekend, I was knitting a pair of socks. This was my second sock project after a long knitting hiatus, and I was feeling rather impatient. I was also unsure about how sizing works for hand-knitted socks. To fit against the contours of the foot, the fabric must stretch out and cling to it, and so there must be some negative ease. I really wanted to get the socks off the needles and onto my feet, and so, thinking that I needed lots of negative ease, I knit feet which were too short.</div>
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They seemed to fit fine at first, but during the day, the sock heels would gradually migrate from the ankle to the sole and look rather silly. I loved the colour of the socks, and the simplicity of the 3x1 ribbed pattern, so I wanted to keep them. But recently, 10 months after casting off, I've finally got round to lengthening the foot.</div>
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It took only a few hours to do, and it's really been worth it to achieve a better fit. I feel so much more comfortable now, and the socks will last longer since they're not being stretched out in the wrong places. If you have been putting off this kind of alteration on a finished knitting project, I recommend leaping in and fixing it - you'll feel much better afterwards!</div>
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How to lengthen (or shorten) the foot of a hand-knitted sock</h2>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xbFm8uX-l-E/WL3FvHZCvKI/AAAAAAAADkI/lljLcAhwa1MXjtTKhUQdPxWg38wj2OowACLcB/s1600/IMG_1805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xbFm8uX-l-E/WL3FvHZCvKI/AAAAAAAADkI/lljLcAhwa1MXjtTKhUQdPxWg38wj2OowACLcB/s640/IMG_1805.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>Notes:</i><br />
I tried to unpick the cast-off edge, but the end of the yarn was buried deep within the fabric and was impossible to find. So I carefully made one snip in the fabric, pulled out the yarn, unravelled the toe, and knit 1.5" more onto the foot. I could have cut off the old yarn, but I liked the idea of keeping it as a reminder of this alteration. It's quite clear where I have used new yarn to knit the toe as the fabric is so much smoother. I like this difference as it reminds me of a good lesson learnt.<br />
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<i>Tools:</i></div>
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<li>Small sharp scissors with pointy blades</li>
<li>Double-pointed or long circular knitting needles to achieve the same gauge as your sock</li>
<li>Optional: double pointed or long circular knitting needles in a smaller size than your gauge</li>
<li>Tapestry needle</li>
<li>Smooth waste yarn (e.g. fine crochet cotton)</li>
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<i>Preparation:</i></div>
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<li>First, look for the<b> yarn</b> you used to knit your sock with. If you no longer have it, choose another yarn in the same weight which contains at least 20% Nylon (polyamide). This could be a similar or a contrasting colour (get creative!) </li>
<li>Decide if you want to unravel and re-use the yarn currently in the sock toe, or if you have enough to use new yarn.</li>
<li>Determine <b>how much length</b> you need to add (or remove). You could measure a well-fitting handknitted sock and compare it to your old one, or just measure it against your foot</li>
<li>Work out how you knitted the <b>toe</b>. Is it a standard toe that you've knitted frequently, or did it incorporate special shaping? This may affect the length that you add to the sock foot.</li>
<li>Establish the <b>direction of the sock</b>: whether the sock was knitted from the cuff downwards, or from the toe upwards.</li>
<li>Find the <b>needle size</b> that you previously used.</li>
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<i>Action:</i></div>
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<li>For <b>toe up socks</b>, or if you <b>don't need to re-use</b> the old yarn: determine the row where you will re-start knitting. Put a lifeline through all stitches on this row by threading a length of smooth cotton through the right leg of each stitch across the whole row.</li>
<li>Very carefully snip away at the row above this one. (Do two rows above if you're feeling nervous!) Pull out all the excess. You will be left with a row of live stitches sitting on waste yarn.</li>
<li>For <b>cuff down socks</b>, or it you will <b>re-use the old yarn</b>: make a small snip through one stitch at the very top of the toe where it was grafted together. Pull the ends through a few times until you unlock the knitting and can unravel the whole toe. You will be at the foot, ready to start knitting again.</li>
<li>Put all live stitches onto your knitting needles. It may help to initially slip them onto smaller needles, but remember to then knit them off with the right size needles. </li>
<li>Count the stitches; double check for any dropped stitches or potential errors.</li>
<li>Knit the foot in pattern until you have added enough length.</li>
<li>Knit the toe.</li>
<li>Enjoy your well-fitting socks!</li>
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Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-83663077819027024832017-03-04T10:30:00.000+00:002017-03-04T10:30:04.892+00:00dream knitting: simple textured shawlsWhen it comes to stitch patterns, these days, I'm finding that simplicity is best. I love easy, repetitive knit-and-purl stitch patterns, and lace that uses garter stitch and eyelets. Garter stitch seems to be quite divisive amongst knitters. It's incredibly repetitive, grows very slowly, produces a thick fabric that doesn't curl. It's the first stitch pattern that you learn as a knitter, and it's taken me a while to see its charms - but I absolutely love it. I've been excited to see the growing number of shawls and large scarves in knitting land using simple knit-and-purl stitch patterns, and I'm hoping to knit one soon. But how to choose the pattern? Here are some which are on my mind...<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/thegentleknitter/textured-shawl-recipe" target="_blank">Textured Shawl -</a> photo by thegentleknitter</i></div>
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First is the really simple '<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/textured-shawl-recipe" target="_blank">textured shawl recipe'</a> by Orlane. This version is by Nicole, a.k.a. the gentle knitter, which I saw on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8BR0H4zmScKaV8A_-fO_zA" target="_blank">her wonderful podcast</a>. Nicole used a subtly mottled yarn and I think that this is absolutely stunning. Come to think of it, a lot of this list is heavily influenced by Nicole!</div>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/campside" target="_blank">Campside Shawl</a> by Alicia Plummer </div>
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The Campside Shawl has a lot of holes in it and looks great bundled up around the neck. I dislike the ribbed border, and would replace it with garter stitch.</div>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/enes-scarf" target="_blank">Ene's Scarf</a> by Nancy Bush</div>
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Slightly more complicated is Ene's Scarf. This is an old pattern published in the book Scarf Style, which I own but have never knit anything from. I've seen really lovely versions of it knit in natural sheep shades of beige, cream and grey.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QSwGKGMzJlo/WLdiPxro8kI/AAAAAAAADjo/ShpTxCy2tQ8841qXCXXeAJTYkDYqAL7IwCLcB/s1600/Dunyvaig_kate_6_copy_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QSwGKGMzJlo/WLdiPxro8kI/AAAAAAAADjo/ShpTxCy2tQ8841qXCXXeAJTYkDYqAL7IwCLcB/s640/Dunyvaig_kate_6_copy_medium2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dunyvaig" target="_blank">Dunyvaig</a> by Kate Davies<br />
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Finally, a scarf rather than a shawl, is Dunyvaig by Kate Davies, from her most recent book <i><a href="https://katedaviesdesigns.com/category/inspired-by-islay/" target="_blank">Inspired by Islay</a></i>. I really like the textured stripes, and I don't currently have a hand-knitted scarf, so it would be a good addition to my closet.</div>
Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-81013989112261495402017-02-28T10:30:00.000+00:002017-02-28T10:30:00.153+00:00L'amour de la laine... yarn shopping in Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently took an absolutely wonderful trip to Paris with my partner. We were lucky with mild and dry weather, and spent our three days walking along the Seine, gazing through shop windows, and eating delicious food non-stop. We also called in on several yarn shops, which I'd found by searching 'tricot' (knitting) or 'laine' (wool) on Google Maps.<br />
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On the first day we went to <a href="http://www.knitmap.com/locations/catlaine" target="_blank">Cat'Laine</a>, in a little back street, which had a really nice, varied selection of yarns; I bought some black/grey gradient sock yarn. We also visited <a href="http://www.knitmap.com/locations/lil-weasel" target="_blank">Lil' Weasel</a>, a gorgeous yarn boutique in an art nouveau shopping arcade. Lil' Weasel had beautiful displays and slightly more luxurious yarns, including some hand-dyed skeins. I decided to stick with commercially-spun wool sock yarn, and found this pretty shade of blue yarn to knit some lacy spring socks. I'm afraid that we didn't think to take photos in these two shops as, quite simply, we were in a bit of a daze due to getting up at 5am to catch the Eurostar.<br />
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Towards the end of our trip, I was wondering out loud whether I should pop back into Lil' Weasel to purchase a sweater-quantity of yarn since it was a such a lovely shop. But whilst checking the map, my partner spotted one more yarn shop I'd saved which I'd forgotten about, and suggested going there instead. So we popped into <a href="http://www.ladroguerie.com/shop/boutiques/paris/" target="_blank">La Drogueri</a>e - and I'm so glad that we did!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Communing with the yarn at La Droguerie</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yarn everywhere!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Knitting needles in a vintage display cabinet</i></td></tr>
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La Droguerie is a haberdashery selling buttons, beads, trimmings, yarn, fabric and patterns. You step in off the street to a dreamy corridor of yarn. Sample skeins of every colour of each yarn are hung up on two walls, wools followed by cotton. On each type, there's a card stating the composition, meterage per 100g, and recommended needle size; dotted around are example garments and swatches knitted from each yarn. At the back of the shop are all the cones of the yarn, which will be wound up for each customer. You select the yarn you want, then tell the shop assistant how many metres you need; s/he calculates the weight, and then winds up your skeins of yarn from the big cones at the back. I had such a great time browsing the yarns, and as you can imagine, they came in wonderful colours.<br />
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After a <i>lot</i> of deliberation, I choose this aran weight wool in a bright jade green, which I will knit into a cardigan. I bought 1000m, so I decided to just take a bit cone home, rather than make the shop assistant wind it all off. This kind of system (taking a sample to the shop assistant at the counter) is common in haberdasheries, but quite unique for yarn shops; the staff were all really helpful and patient.<br />
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My partner doesn't frequent haberdasheries or yarn and fabric stores as much as me, and he really enjoyed looking at all the colourful displays, browsing the cards of buttons and jars of beads, and taking photos. It was impossible not to come home with <i>something</i>, and I will treasure my handknitted garments all the more with memories of such a special trip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sweet shop bead displays, mirrored ceilings, and an amazing knitted rendition of a Sonia Delaunay painting</i> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Absolutely beautiful faux astrakhan fur trims</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rainbow buttons</i></td></tr>
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-AnushkaAnushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-26434209759002646052017-02-24T15:30:00.001+00:002017-02-24T15:30:47.643+00:00January & February: stress knitting, storm knitting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />February has simply flown by, I have no idea how. I've been busy with writing deadlines, preparing for a music examination, rehearsing with a new band, and learning Mandarin Chinese. Along with the deadline-related stress and other pressures in my personal life, I had been feeling really down due to the global political situation, which in my opinion has gone from bad to worse, with a plummeting £ and rising inflation helping nobody. I found myself channelling this sense of frustration and helplessness into my knitting, and in doing so, I completely turned around the energy from negative and destructive to productive and creative.<br />
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The green socks are my most recent finished project; I have also made blue socks for myself, and a pair of red lace socks for my partner (which are so bright that they have proved impossible to photograph). I've enjoyed seeing his jolly flashes of red ankles during the last few extremely grey months. I'm happy to have knit up these two balls of sock yarn that I purchased in early December, but am constantly surprised by how differently self-striping yarn knits up, compared to the skein!<br />
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In December, I knit a pair of fingerless gloves for my Aunty's Christmas present. I used hand-dyed Shetland yarn from my stash, which I bought in Doncaster in 2013. The pattern is 'Tuuli' from Pom Pom magazine issue 7, a copy that I had some writing published in. I <i>really</i> loved these gloves and was so sad to give them away to her....so in January, I knit a second pair for myself. I made my pair without the turn-up on the cuff, as I was running out of yarn. I really love how incredibly light Shetland yarn is, these gloves are really warm and weigh next to nothing. They've kept me nice and toasty whilst driving in snowstorms and playing the piano in chilly rooms.<br />
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I have been thinking of starting a knitting/sewing video podcast, and I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice you had on the matter. Would you watch it? What do you think I should include? Do you have any tips?<br />
<br />Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-4561770510465078522017-01-12T13:39:00.000+00:002017-01-12T13:39:22.052+00:00A year of socks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Readers, and Happy New Year 2017! Unfortunately I was struck down with a cold on January 1st, and spent the first week of 2017 sick in bed. Luckily I'll get another go at new beginnings with the Lunar New Year at the end of January, so until then, I'm catching up on un-blogged projects that I was working on during December. And without further ado - my 2016 Year of Socks!<br />
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This was a personal challenge that I set myself. Last January, I moved to Sweden for 5 months in order to do an Erasmus exchange with Stockholm University. I couldn't bring my library, my piano, my cello, or my sewing machine; but instead tucked in two balls of a luxurious mustard yellow sock yarn that I'd purchased at the first Edinburgh Yarn Festival back in 2013. I hadn't knit a pair of socks in about 7 years, and I wasn't sure if I still could. But socks are a small project, and I had space for this yarn amongst all the thermal underwear and woolly jumpers that I'd squashed into my suitcase.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Knitting on a Stockholm bus</i></td></tr>
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I cast on for these socks at the end of January 2016. They were knee high socks knit toe-up on 2.5mm needles. I swatched for them diligently, and it was my first toe-up project. I knit them on buses and subways in Stockholm; in cafes drinking endless cups of hot black coffee, and at the wonderful monthly knit night at Nordiska Museet (a Swedish folk traditions museum, kind of like Stockholm's equivalent to the V&A). They took a lot of patience, I got bored more than once - but once they were finished, I was officially hooked! I decided to challenge myself to see if I could knit a pair of socks per month during the rest of the year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Woolly socks for me</i></td></tr>
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In total I have made 10 pairs of socks, and I'm really happy with the results. 4 pairs are for myself and 6 pairs are for my partner. Some months (August and October) were entirely sock-less; other months (November) were furiously productive and I made more than one pair. I also have 1 orphan sock that I knit in December, but its partner was abandoned in the Christmas knitting rush. Together, my completed socks form a pleasingly colour-co-ordinated set, rather like a multipack you'd buy in a department store.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An array of colour co-ordinated socks for my partner</i></td></tr>
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I'm most drawn to neutral (ish) shades which can be easily combined with everyday clothing. I always use hard-wearing commercial sock yarn containing at least 20% nylon. Some socks have been more successful than others; but they have all been worn quite heavily - which really shows in the photos! My partner has taken to wearing his hand-knitted socks with great enthusiasm which is really pleasing for me - I love the fact that my hand-made gifts are being worn every day, and it makes me want to knit him more & more.<br />
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Whilst I enjoy the look of socks with simple knit-and-purl patterns, the subtle detailing tends to blur with wear. Ribbed socks are the most successful for fit, as the sock leg doesn't slouch down. Lace socks are the most fun to knit, but must only be knit in a very hard-wearing sock yarn. The lace fabric actually allows for more ventilation in the sock, which is definitely a good thing<br />
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In chronological order, here are the details of each pair of socks that I knit.<br />
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<b>1. January & February: Little Cable Knee Highs</b><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IRkMhxlgySs/WHdydUWvDdI/AAAAAAAADbw/AZPd8pQt9zYjBeIAI5LS4HaOMI8cyuTwACLcB/s1600/_DSC0808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IRkMhxlgySs/WHdydUWvDdI/AAAAAAAADbw/AZPd8pQt9zYjBeIAI5LS4HaOMI8cyuTwACLcB/s640/_DSC0808.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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My re-introduction to sock knitting wasn't faint-hearted: I went for a full-on pair of knee-highs! <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/little-cable-knee-highs.html" target="_blank">Read more about them here</a>.<br />
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<b>Yarn:</b> Old Maiden Aunt Superwash 4-ply (100% superwash merino wool), bought at Edinburgh Yarn Festival 2013 and hoarded for 3 years.<br /><b>Pattern: </b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/little-cable-knee-highs" target="_blank">Little Cable Knee Highs</a><br />
<b>Needles: </b>2.5mm Karbonz circulars, Magic Loop<br />
<b>Construction:</b> Toe-up; gusset/short row turn/heel flat; <a href="http://slipslipknit.com/?page_id=92" target="_blank">elastic bind-off</a><br /><b>Heel: </b>slipped stitches to form columns, but this was my first sock in 7 years and I didn't get it right!<br />
<b>Notes:</b> This marvellously extravagant hand-painted yarn has turned out to be the worst choice for socks, and it has worn terribly. I adore the look of these socks, but after a few hours, they slip down annoyingly. I've taken to just wearing them around this house, which is a bit of a shame, but I can't face unravelling them!<br />
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<b>2. March: Autumn Leaf Ribbed Socks</b><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a52czUnQ_Jc/WHdydJV3k1I/AAAAAAAADbs/NnVeLRXOdZUcUbGW5zopSTWyyhj5cvhoQCLcB/s1600/_DSC0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a52czUnQ_Jc/WHdydJV3k1I/AAAAAAAADbs/NnVeLRXOdZUcUbGW5zopSTWyyhj5cvhoQCLcB/s640/_DSC0809.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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After the extravagant yellow knee-highs, I wanted something quick, simple and everyday for my next sock project.<br />
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<b>Yarn:</b> Regia 4-ply sock yarn (75% wool, 25% nylon) bought in London<br /><b>Pattern: </b>Basic ribbed socks<br />
<b>Needles: </b>2.5mm bamboo DPNs<br />
<b>Construction:</b> Top-down; Dutch heel<br /><b>Heel:</b> Dutch heel<br />
<b>Notes:</b> My first socks were a little on the roomy side, so here I tried to use negative ease to get a snugger fit. Unfortunately I went a bit too far in shortening the foot length, but they are still wearable. I also disliked the square Dutch heel that sits right underneath the foot, preferring a heel technique that clings to the contours of the heel. Surprisingly, the Regia yarn has fuzzed up a little.<br />
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<b>3. April: Leaf Skeleton Socks</b><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XdJuhsJykR0/WHdye7F7nEI/AAAAAAAADb4/xwToM6fLKqAPdpFFW8rgaFHA1b0S4tP2wCLcB/s1600/_DSC0817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XdJuhsJykR0/WHdye7F7nEI/AAAAAAAADb4/xwToM6fLKqAPdpFFW8rgaFHA1b0S4tP2wCLcB/s640/_DSC0817.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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With these socks I was inspired by the small details inserted into cuffs, heels, and toes that were featured on historical socks from the <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/historical-socks-at-nordiska-museet.html" target="_blank">archive at Nordiska Museet</a>. I added a little garter lace insertion into the ribbing.<br />
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<b>Yarn:</b> Hjertegarn 4 (75% wool, 25% nylon), a Danish yarn bought in Stockholm.<br /><b>Pattern: </b>Gingko socks<br />
<b>Needles:</b> 2.5mm bamboo DPNs<br />
<b>Construction: </b>toe up; heel flap<br /><b>Heel:</b> slip stitch columns<br />
<b>Notes: </b>this pattern, whilst pretty, is not very well-written. It features an extra-long gusset and no short-row shaping for the heel turn. The lace pattern also doesn't transform that cleverly from the foot into the leg.<br />
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<b>4. May: Burgundy Ribbed Socks</b><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QIdIQJsT4Bw/WHdyVkZ20wI/AAAAAAAADbY/iJqEtl9nOUECSKCJmYtkBmrSfvYZSsGSACLcB/s1600/_DSC0797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QIdIQJsT4Bw/WHdyVkZ20wI/AAAAAAAADbY/iJqEtl9nOUECSKCJmYtkBmrSfvYZSsGSACLcB/s640/_DSC0797.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Here, I started experimenting with sock patterns, and combined the toe-up construction of my yellow socks, with the neat ribbed pattern of my rust socks. I made these for my partner. Burgundy is his absolute favourite colour, and it seemed strange that despite owning an example of every single type of clothing in burgundy (and/or associated colours of claret, maroon, plum etc) he had no burgundy socks!<br />
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<b>Yarn:</b> Drops Fabel Long Print, bought in Stockholm<br /><b>Pattern: </b>My own toe-up sock pattern using 3x1 rib and incorporating a rounder heel<br />
<b>Needles: </b>2.5mm bamboo DPNs<br />
<b>Construction: </b>toe up; gusset/short row turn/heel flap; <a href="http://slipslipknit.com/?page_id=92" target="_blank">elastic bind-off</a><br /><b>Heel: </b>(K1, slip 1 purlwise) to form columns<br />
<b>Notes: </b>The yarn has pilled and fuzzed up a lot, and become rather matted in certain areas. Despite this, they've not developed any holes, although they have been heavily worn.<br />
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<b>5. June: Blue River Ribbed Socks</b><br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ADWPZbBsy1g/WHdyZhisCsI/AAAAAAAADbo/4prvmZ-3lA0YmYRUXzU3LC9Cc5abvEkfQCLcB/s1600/_DSC0800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ADWPZbBsy1g/WHdyZhisCsI/AAAAAAAADbo/4prvmZ-3lA0YmYRUXzU3LC9Cc5abvEkfQCLcB/s640/_DSC0800.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Using the same pattern as above, I made these for my partner. He chose the yarn himself, and these are probably the most-worn socks out of the whole bunch.<br />
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<b>Yarn: </b>Bergere de France Goomy 50 (75% wool, 25% nylon). Bought in London.<br />
<b>Pattern: </b>My 3x1 rib pattern<br />
<b>Needles:</b> 2.5mm bamboo DPNs<br />
<b>Construction: </b>toe up; gusset/short row turn/heel flap; <a href="http://slipslipknit.com/?page_id=92" target="_blank">elastic bind-off</a><br /><b>Heel: </b>(K1, slip 1 purlwise) to form columns<br />
<b>Notes</b>: The yarn has pilled a little, but overall the socks have worn very well. I'm not entirely happy with the bind-offs for a toe-up sock: they are either too tight or too slack, and don't match the elasticity of the rest of the fabric.<br />
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<b>6. July & August: Subtle Socks</b><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rr9y2KVA48U/WHdyU72wlWI/AAAAAAAADbU/zckV16dBStIwu1j43ZRh0wDNW2OZEz6QACLcB/s1600/_DSC0792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rr9y2KVA48U/WHdyU72wlWI/AAAAAAAADbU/zckV16dBStIwu1j43ZRh0wDNW2OZEz6QACLcB/s640/_DSC0792.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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A pair of everyday socks for my partner to wear at work. The pattern is barely discernible (especially on camera!) but in real life, the texture is very pleasing, even elegant.<br />
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<b>Yarn: </b>Patons Diploma 4-ply (55% wool, 25% acrylic, 20% nylon). Bought in London.<br />
<b>Pattern: </b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hermiones-everyday-socks" target="_blank">Hermione's Everyday Socks</a><br />
<b>Needles:</b> 2.5mm bamboo DPNs<br />
<b>Construction: </b>Top-down; heel flap/short row turn/gusset<br /><b>Heel: </b>eye of Partridge heel, garter stitch border<br />
<b>Notes: </b>Black socks are hard to knit. I could only work on these in daylight, so they were quite slow-going. I was initially reluctant to use this yarn as it's such a high synthetic fibre content; but it was the only black sock-weight yarn stocked in John Lewis! The plus side is that they should be quite long-lasting.<br />
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<b>7. September: Horse Shoe Lace Socks</b><br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AEfKLA26KDc/WHdydShzVfI/AAAAAAAADb0/gQptyl6mfoITF40SUEjxK7CzIprFIDvogCLcB/s1600/_DSC0816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AEfKLA26KDc/WHdydShzVfI/AAAAAAAADb0/gQptyl6mfoITF40SUEjxK7CzIprFIDvogCLcB/s640/_DSC0816.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
These socks took me ages to finish (probably because I <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/christmas-cardigan.html" target="_blank">knit a cardigan</a> between the first and second sock...) They feature a scaled-down version of a typical Shetland horse shoe lace, which I always enjoy knitting. I'm not entirely happy with the bind-offs for a toe-up sock: they are either too tight or too slack, and don't match the elasticity of the rest of the fabric. After this point, I abandoned toe-up sock knitting for the time being.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><b>Yarn: </b>Sandnes Garn Sisu (80% wool, 20% nylon). A Norwegian yarn bought in Stockholm<br /><b>Pattern: </b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mermaidia" target="_blank">Mermaidia </a><br />
<b>Needles:</b> 2.5mm bamboo DPNs<br />
<b>Construction: </b>Toe-up; heel flap/short row turn/gusset; sewn bind-off<br />
<b>Heel: </b>(slip 1 purlwise, K1) to form columns<br />
<b>Notes:</b> The yarn is a little heavier than many other sock yarns, so the socks are a bit thicker. I found it stiff and a bit scratchy to knit with, but this could be due to a tight gauge.<br />
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<b>8. November: Sporty Stash Busting Socks</b><br />
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These socks were an experiment in stash-busting. I was beginning to build up quite a pile of sock yarn leftovers, and I hate stashing, so I wanted to see how far I could get with just buying one ball of plain 'fresh' yarn. I think they make a fun casual pair of socks. I gave these to my partner for his birthday.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><b>Yarn: </b>1 ball Hjertegarn Sock 4 (75% wool, 25% nylon), a Danish yarn bought in Stockholm. Remnants of Bergere de France Goomy 50 (a French yarn bought in London!)<br /><b>Pattern: </b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hermiones-everyday-socks" target="_blank">Hermione's Everyday Socks</a><br />
<b>Needles:</b> 2.5mm bamboo DPNs<br />
<b>Construction:</b> Top-down; heel flap/short row turn/gusset<br /><b>Heel: </b>eye of Partridge heel, garter stitch border<br />
<b>Notes:</b> As I was using leftovers, I didn't try to pattern-match the stripes on the contrast sections. These socks have become quite fuzzy with wear, but it's OK for a casual sock.<br />
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<b>9. November: Winter Blues Socks </b><br />
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At this point, I affirmed that my favourite socks to make, see and wear incorporate simple textured stitch patterns. I also love uncomplicated but striking uses of colour. I gave these socks to my partner for Christmas.<br />
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<b>Yarn:</b> just over 1 ball of Drops Fabel sock yarn in blue (75% Wool, 25% Nylon), and leftovers of black yarn for the contrasting toe and cuff.<br />
<b>Pattern: </b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mount-airy-socks" target="_blank">Mount Airy Socks</a><br />
<b>Needles: </b>2.5mm bamboo DPNs<br />
<b>Construction:</b> Top down, heel flap/short row turn/gusset<br />
<b>Heel: </b>eye of Partridge heel, garter stitch border<br />
<b>Notes: </b>Drops Fabel is a great yarn that's very cheap, however it gets fuzzy quite quickly. The subtlety of the diagonal purl pattern, and the beautiful eye of partridge heel, has become lost after a few weeks' wear.<br />
<br /><b>10. December: Luscious Ribbed Socks</b><br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C3aIVOXn_Ak/WHdyZU0YAkI/AAAAAAAADbk/wXOTWffK3PQEGvAL1D0ySqYxYk--KAl0gCLcB/s1600/_DSC0804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C3aIVOXn_Ak/WHdyZU0YAkI/AAAAAAAADbk/wXOTWffK3PQEGvAL1D0ySqYxYk--KAl0gCLcB/s640/_DSC0804.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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The last pair of 2016, and the first pair of 2017. I completed these on a day last week when I was still bedridden, but slightly more lucid. They haven't been worn yet, which is why they look so skinny and weird! The yarn was an absolute joy to knit with, but I am concerned that it won't be that hard-wearing. I originally made these socks for myself; but when I finished them and put them on, I let a out a big sigh...They were so much my partner's colour that it looked like they already belonged to him! I kept feeling like I'd stolen his socks, and couldn't wear them with a clear conscience. So I gave them to him for our anniversary at the beginning of January.<br />
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<b>Yarn:</b> Rowan Fine Art (45% Wool, 25% Nylon, 20% Mohair, 10% Silk), purchased in London<br /><b>Pattern:</b> My own top-down, 2x2 rib socks<br />
<b>Needles: </b>2.25mm Addi Lace circulars, Magic Loop technique<br />
<b>Construction: </b>twisted 1x1 rib cuff; heel flap/short row turn/gusset.<br /><b>Heel:</b> (slip 1, K1) heel flap with garter edges<br />
<b>Notes: </b>I love them! The best fit I have achieved overall.<br />
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<b>2017 plans...</b><br />
I find the look of these 10 socks squashed into this wooden crate incredibly pleasing. It was much emptier once I separated my socks from my partner's, and it would be lovely to fill it up again over 2017; but I'm not going to set myself a challenge this year. Various family members have requested sweaters, and so I've decided to take the focus away from socks slightly.<br />
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Recently, I have discovered similar sock-knitting initiatives linked to podcasting/Instagram, such as the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/boxosoxkal/" target="_blank">Box O'Sox</a> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/yarngasm-podcast/3553794/1-25" target="_blank">KAL</a> which requires 12 pairs of socks in 12 months. I don't want to set myself up for failure, so I won't be taking part, but the hashtag is fun to follow anyway!<br />
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That's not to say that I won't be knitting any socks! I have <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BOFPvHxAQkd/?taken-by=anushkatay" target="_blank"><i>somehow</i> </a>acquired 4 new balls of sock yarn; there's an unfinished pair to complete; and there's some old stash yarn to use up too. So that's pointing to at least 7 pairs of socks in 2017. On that note, I'd better get knitting!Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-61376027091995619092016-12-29T10:00:00.000+00:002016-12-29T18:39:12.649+00:00Self-care gift set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have this thing about pattern and detail: I want everything that I use, every day, to be beautiful. My spaces are a lopsided assembly of the baroque and the functional; but never, ever bare. When we use things every day, we start to stop noticing them; and I want to work against this. Choosing and making useful objects which are aesthetically pleasing allows us to appreciate every time that we use our chosen tool.<br />
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A perfect example of this is a wash cloth, hand soap, and lunch bags; above, a set that I gave away for Christmas to a relative that I've fallen out of touch with somewhat ever since she has had two children. I bought a stack of fragranced soaps when I was in Bali, back in July, intending them as stocking-fillers. I crocheted this face cloth using mercerised cotton yarn that has been in my stash for 10 years, the project long-unrealised. I have enough for 3 more flannels. It was very quick to make, taking a few tube journeys one weekend as I attended several Christmas parties with my partner. The ripple pattern can be found on<a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/neat-ripple-pattern.html" target="_blank"> Attic 24</a>. (Scroll to the bottom of the post for clear pattern instructions.)<br />
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The drawstring bag is the <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/small-things-project-bags.html" target="_blank">same pattern I made a few weeks ago</a>. It uses a wild cotton print that I received in a fabric stash swap; it was surprisingly difficult to determine the pattern placement, but I think I succeeded. It's lined in raw calico and uses plain cotton tape as the drawstrings. A yellow vintage plastic button completes it.Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-50354566656168127892016-12-27T10:00:00.000+00:002016-12-29T18:02:37.696+00:00Knitting on-trend: black cropped poloneck <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2016 feels like the year that handknitting became more fashion-forward than ever, and I was helplessly swept along with the trends. I cast on this sweater at the end of October, and I can write a firm checklist of all the directional details that it features:</div>
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<li>Dipped hem</li>
<li>Split ribbing</li>
<li>Chunky yarn</li>
<li>Long cuffs</li>
<li>Cropped length</li>
<li>Oversized poloneck</li>
<li>Basic black</li>
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That's SEVEN points of trendiness! And I don't regret it one single bit: I love, love, absolutely <i>love</i> this sweater. I was rather sad to give it away - but alas, it was made as a Christmas present for my sister. I forced her to wear it on Christmas day even though she was sweating up from a viral infection, and in no way would have chosen to wear a woolly jumper in that condition. I think that she sensed she had no choice in the matter (or the jumper would have left the house on my back).<br />
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The pattern is Snug by Kim Hargreaves, a pattern from another back issue of Rowan magazine (no. 30) that I've had kicking around for years and never knit anything from. The yarn is R2 Fuzzi Felt, Rowan's short-lived, off-shoot "funky" yarn range aimed at teenagers. I fudged around with the gauge and the pattern sizing, eventually casting on adult size L which came out around adult size S. I did some arithmetic for the sleeve head, so that it came out the same size as the arm hole.<br />
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Ages ago, Rowan were selling off lucky-dip bundles of 4 magazines from their back catalogue for not much money, and as I was new to knitting and seeking to build up my pattern library, I ordered a set. I was somewhat disappointed by the selection that I received at the time: the magazines featured upteen stocking stitch sweaters using traditional bottom-up / in pieces construction. The internet knit blogging scene was going strong (this was just before Ravelry) and top-down raglans and in-the-round construction was all the rage. Rowan's offerings felt dull and out-of-date. Now, however, I have the opposite feeling about them. They offer a range of blank canvases, plain sweaters in a range of gauges that I can adapt to my own purposes as I wish, cutting out some of the mathematical jiggling. Lately, I find that I dip in and out of these magazines quite frequently.<br />
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I bought the yarn half price around 8 years ago and started knitting a jacket which never got off the ground. I recently frogged it during a de-cluttering frenzy that also led to the release of the red merino for my <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/christmas-cardigan.html" target="_blank">Christmas cardigan</a>, and a jumper's worth of green Shetland wool that I'm turning into a better jumper. The yarn is a strange blend (58% nylon, 20% acrylic, 16% merino wool, 6% alpaca) that has very little elasticity, and is quite hard on the hands whilst knitting. However, the final jumper is incredibly soft, snuggly, and quite lovely to wear: cosy without being overly warm. I have another jumper's worth of it in a lovely forest green, as well as some stray balls in orange and blue. The green can be a Christmas jumper for someone else next year, and I might just donate the rest - unless any readers would like it? - let me know in the comments!<br />
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Poor sis has been too ill to let me photograph her wearing the sweater, so I'm wearing it here instead. Taking photographs of a black sweater in December is not an easy task at all; I ended up using a long exposure time, which resulted in some weirdly 'atmospheric' photographs.<br />
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Well, you get the idea! All in all, a successful stash-busting project using a pattern from my library; and if she never wears it, I shall be most happy to claim it back for myself!<br />
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<b><i>Project Details</i></b><br />
<i><b>Pattern: </b>Snug by Kim Hargreaves, Rowan 30</i><br />
<i><b>Yarn: </b>Rowan R2 Fuzzi Felt, 9 balls</i><br />
<i><b>Cost:</b> about £20 but 8 years ago, so really £0</i>Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-65431498317807923772016-12-13T09:00:00.000+00:002016-12-29T18:01:40.968+00:00Christmas cardigan!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so happy to have finished this cardigan! It's right on time for Christmas - and rather tasteful as far as seasonal knitwear goes, I must say. I couldn't resist posing by the Christmas tree, even though the light everywhere has been so terrible recently. I've never had a Christmas jumper (or the like) before, and this is as close as it gets: nice and festive in jolly red, but not a santa motif or an actual jingle bell in sight.</div>
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Aside from a couple of baby sweaters and a cardigan for my partner, I haven't done that much sweater-knitting over the past 3 years. Over 2016 I've focussed on socks, having completed 9 pairs thusfar and aiming to reach 10 pairs by the end of the year. I cast on this cardigan in October, after handing in my dissertation, when I wanted an activity completely different from academic writing. The pattern is called Georgia by Kim Hargreaves. It is a simple boxy cardigan with a crew neck and thin garter stitch edgings. It's from a back issue of Rowan Magazine that I acquired around 10 years ago, near the beginning of my knitting practice, and never actually knit anything from. I used a rather generic merino blend DK yarn that had been hanging around my stash, which I'd started knitting a cardigan from around 8 years ago - and never got anywhere with it! It felt great to finally let go of the incomplete project, unravel it, and turn it into something that I just love and am now wearing non-stop.</div>
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All Rowan Magazine patterns tend to be designed to be knit bottom-up in pieces, which is rather old-fashioned, but it works for me. I dabbled heavily in top-down, seamless sweater construction when I first started to knit, and none of those garments have had much longevity in my wardrobe. So it was nice to fall straight back into the rhythm of a seamed sweater, my preferred method of construction. DK-yarn is definitely my favourite yarn weight for sweaters: it's the right balance between texture, lightness, and timeliness of the project.</div>
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I'm particularly fond of knitting this simple horseshoe lace pattern; I find it so rhythmical and always memorise it so quickly. It grows very instinctively. It's often knit in white or neutral colours, which I feel makes it look slightly old-fashioned. I think that the pattern really shines in this bright, bright postbox red. It's also very snuggly in the merino blend wool (just a generic, mass-produced kind of yarn), and the laciness means that I don't overheat, which is great since this winter has been extremely mild so far.</div>
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The only slightly weird thing is that the sleeves have come out rather short! I followed the pattern exactly, and the body is the correct length and width - so I'm not really sure what happened there. I can style it out by pulling out the stripey cuffs of my t-shirt; but it's not really ideal, and in the future I'll have to work out an optimum sleeve length to aim for. Oh, and I did something weird when knitting the button bands and have thus double-button effect at the collar - which has turned into a happy mistake.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Overall, I'm super happy with this project, and have been wearing it nearly every day!</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><b><u><i>Project Details</i></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i><b>Pattern: </b>Georgia by Kim Hargreaves, Rowan 28, size XS</i></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i><b>Needles: </b>3.75mm bamboo straight needles, with 3.25mm for edgings</i></span></div>
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<i><b>Yarn: </b>King Cole Merino Blend DK, red, </i></div>
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<i><b>Cost: </b>pattern, yarn & needles from stash. It probably cost around £35 for yarn and pattern, but that was nearly 10 years ago!</i></div>
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Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-14700622709299646192016-12-04T14:36:00.002+00:002016-12-04T20:04:05.041+00:00Black linen forever.... | Clothing for Everyday Wear: L back wrap dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MYk8z8ZRpas/WEQjjGDa2VI/AAAAAAAADWs/sFHrDT7rqdUC6j7IrT2K5GwEUUwocZfDACLcB/s1600/IMG_1557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MYk8z8ZRpas/WEQjjGDa2VI/AAAAAAAADWs/sFHrDT7rqdUC6j7IrT2K5GwEUUwocZfDACLcB/s640/IMG_1557.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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A couple of years ago I did a very unusual thing in splurging on two books of sewing patterns. I've rarely bought any patterns in the last 5 years, but one afternoon I was feeling miserable and needed cheering up, and came across the full selection of Japanese sewing books published in translation at Kinokuniya in Kuala Lumpur. At the time, only a few Japanese titles were commonly available in the UK, and I'd only come across the books online. It was great to be able to browse the books in person, and I was taken by the quirky styling, pretty models, and the overall un-european aesthetic.<br />
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My favourite patterns of both books were the ones featured on the front covers. However I soon discovered that after you're done with all the pretty pictures, the format of the books is not massively user-friendly. I learnt to sew using commercial paper patterns that you cut to size, and am not accustomed to having to trace patterns out myself. Initially I could only bear to trace out smaller separates, not all the pieces of a full dress. In July, over two years after I'd brought the books home to London, I was packing my suitcase for my return trip to Singapore and suddenly decided that then (a week before departing) was the time to make the wrap dress, just in time for my travels.</div>
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I spent a while trying to find other people's versions of this dress but only <a href="http://www.kollabora.com/projects/other-voices" target="_blank">came across one</a>; so I just had to leap in blindly. I had already purchased the fabric, a lightweight black Italian linen from <a href="http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1126/133064.php" target="_blank">Fabric House</a> on Goldhawk Road, for about £8/m. As a sidenote, I highly recommend this smaller shop. Whilst the selection is not as vast as neighbouring Classic Textiles or A-One Fabrics, Rasheed has very interesting taste, and there is often something special to be found. He is quite game for bargaining, too!<br />
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I found the instructions difficult to follow, and ended up omitting the waist tie out of pure confusion. Instead, I sewed a simple tab and button hole, attaching a matching button on the opposite side. I made the inner ties from cotton tape. I like the simple collar band, cut on the straight; it is an extremely Japanese way of finishing a neckline. The three-quarter sleeves and the skirt are the perfect length, however, I did shorten the bodice by 1.5cm as it sat in a very bizarre place on my torso.<br />
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Here you can see the fabric a little better (turns out black is really hard to photograph, especially in the dim-but-bright winter sunlight - who knew?!). I'd bought this pretty, oversized daisy trim from Barnett Lawson, waiting alongside the black linen for over a year. But in the end, I left it off. At the ripe old age of 25, I've been finding myself loath to wear anything with a flower on it. It's not that I feel like my youth is over: women of all ages look great in flowers. But I've been feeling uncomfortable in anything too fussy or feminine recently. I hope that I'll get over this at some point, as it's slightly illogical, and renders half of my wardrobe unwearable. Meanwhile, flowers, bows, and most pretty things are out.<br />
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The verdict? Whilst arguably austere, this was been quite a successful dress to wear in 35°C heat. I love the look of the back wrap with its deep V, although it does have a tendency to slip off my shoulders. The dress was comfortable and light, perfect for the climates in Hong Kong and Singapore in July and August. Cons: I wouldn't actually recommend sewing a narrow three-quarter length sleeve in linen, as it creases horribly around the elbow. The only other slightly strange thing about this dress is the extremely boxy cut about the waist. Whilst this makes it very comfortable, I can't help suspecting that the waist tie that I omitted would have cinched in the waist and solved this problem. Had I been less rushed about making this dress, I would have altered the pattern for better waist shaping. The dress feels good to wear, but has the tendency to make me look like I've eaten too much <a href="http://rasamalaysia.com/nasi-lemak-recipe/" target="_blank">nasi lemak</a>.<br />
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Whilst it's not quite right for a night out, I'm happy to have made a piece of loungewear that looks better than an old T-shirt and <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/obsessive-sews-lady-boxers-x2.html" target="_blank">boxer shorts</a>. And it's also good to have made a pattern that's been on my to-sew list for so long - especially having bought the materials so long ago too! It's not quite stash busting, but it feels like it.<br />
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I'm not quite sure how we've got to December, and I returned from my trip 4 months ago - already! It's taken me that long to get round to photographing this dress, and it's not at all warm enough to wear as a winter dress, even with layering. But I'm happy that I finally got round to making this dress (and now blogging about it) - just one thing off the endless to-do list that seems to be accelerating towards the end of the year...<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Project details:</b><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><b><i>Linen wrap dress</i></b></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>Pattern: </b></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><i>L Back Wrap Dress from </i></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><i>Clothing for Everyday Wear</i></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>Fabric:</b> lightweight Italian linen from Fabric House on Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>Haberdashery: </b>upcycled mother of pearl buttons from my stash</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>Cost</b>: £24 for fabric</i>Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-13129230093828022952016-11-27T09:30:00.000+00:002016-11-28T22:06:35.861+00:00Small things: project bags<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been listening to a lot of podcasts recently, both knitting-related ones on iTunes, and conceptual programmes via <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4">Radio 4</a>. One of my favourites is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8BR0H4zmScKaV8A_-fO_zA">The Gentle Knitter</a> video podcast over on YouTube: Nicole has a charming aesthetic, and the whole podcast is both soothing and textural at once. I also enjoy <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Bz2BLhQJ-nf8XoDjnZI-A" target="_blank">Kammebornia</a>, a vibrant Swedish video podcast; Pia's work is full of colour and patterns in the countryside - and <i>very</i> unlike my grey-black-white experience of Stockholm! I loved the fact that Pia and Nicole keep their knitting projects in baskets around their houses, including baskets inherited from their mothers and grandmothers. In the past, I've tended to keep my knitting projects in various plastic or calico shopping bags dotted around the place; but I decided that it was time for an upgrade.<br />
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My grandparents have severe hoarding tendencies, which occasionally proves useful: it didn't take very long to unearth this large wicker basket. After a bit of patching up with PVA wood glue, it was good to go; but I was worried about the rough canes inside snagging my yarn. I decided to sew up some <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/azuma-bukuro-linen-lunch-bags.html" target="_blank">azuma bukuro</a> bags to sit inside. One soon followed another, and I now have three. </div>
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I made the first bag (above centre, trimmed with navy) out of a scrap of heavy calico. The other two bags are sewn from normal calico used for toiles, and it's much softer: you really need the sizing (stiffening) left in the fabric to make this a successful bag. The pattern is a rectangle which can be divided into three equal squares, so it is rather long and narrow. I wanted to make the most of the scraps of fabric I had as possible, so I decided to forgo French seams and finish the raw edge with bias binding. I used remnants of commercial bias binding from my stash. This is the rather stiff stuff, uncomfortable on a garment but perfect for this use. I squared off the corners so that it sits open with a flat base.<br />
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I've always been drawn to calico as a material, enjoying the rawness of the cloth. These bags are the right blend of colourful and utilitarian, which is a needed contrast to the extreme colour and pattern elsewhere in my home.<br />
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The azuma bukuro bags are great for storage in the house, but I also made a more multi-functional project bag for when I'm out and about. I copied a small drawstring pouch that a friend had given me around 10 years ago after his trip to Japan. I use it all the time, especially for knitting on public transport, and it still looks pretty much as good as new. Here's a photo I took of it back in my Stockholm apartment in March:<br />
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Yes, the walls and surfaces really were all white; and all the furniture really was from Ikea. I'm so glad I'm back in colourful and chaotic London!<br />
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This is a simple drawstring pouch with a buttoned exterior pocket. I used scraps of this wonderful sketchy peacock feather cotton/viscose fabric from Goldhawk Road. Viscose is really too drapey for this kind of thing, so I lined it with robust brown silesia lining, leftover from a tailoring project. Finished with pretty grosgrain ribbon and a vintage button from my stash, this quick project allowed for just the right amount of thinking, as the lining is caught in to the seams (not bagged out). It is now stuffed full of sock yarn.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pO5PLTFmS3U/WDWYqcV-QEI/AAAAAAAADVk/VEKBBXNDvVEqA72HssutXpGJyMUzU689gCLcB/s1600/IMG_1541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pO5PLTFmS3U/WDWYqcV-QEI/AAAAAAAADVk/VEKBBXNDvVEqA72HssutXpGJyMUzU689gCLcB/s640/IMG_1541.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm happy to have spent the time pimping up my knitting: keeping works in progress stored in inviting and attractive bags makes me excited to get back into it. I try to stick to one project at a time, with the reasoning that I only have one pair of hands to use and I'd rather have more finished projects than incomplete ones. Having small incentives like using beautiful tools and equipment is a great way of keeping up motivation, especially when you're in the tricky stages of a project like knitting the second sock or final sleeve!<br />
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Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-22612520194096248682016-11-23T13:05:00.000+00:002016-11-23T13:05:11.068+00:00Quiet winter knitting & #knit1000g<div>
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There's been a lack of finished items posted around here lately. During <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/slow%20fashion%20october" target="_blank">Slow Fashion October</a>, I waxed lyrical (and at length) about mending and anti-consumerism; but really, there's only so many photos of darning socks and patched holes in T-shirts that I feel I can bore you with! I'm now three-quarters of the way through my mending pile, and I'm finding it rather uninspiring. Coupled with the dim winter light, I haven't been doing much sewing lately.<br />
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Instead, I've turned to knitting as the perfect antidote. I'm continuing with my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/2016yearofsocks/" target="_blank">Year of Socks</a> project, which I'll write about fully in December. I'm nearly at the end of the sock yarns that <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/the-impossibility-of-de-stashing.html" target="_blank">I bought in Stockholm</a>, so I'm sitting somewhere in the middle of itching to buy more yarn and wondering what to make next. Regular readers will know that I have rather negative feelings regarding <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/a-recent-stash-sort-out.html" target="_blank">my stock of craft materials</a> (or 'stash') that has amassed during periods of being time-poor. Whilst not exactly time <i>rich</i> at the moment, I am currently rather poor space-wise and monetarily, so it's good to have the reminder to use what I have.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jTqK7rqOcx8/WDWSORNRAUI/AAAAAAAADU8/NhrKfOaXc4o9rSR0MKBLkoXBKUL4XJ4ZACLcB/s1600/IMG_1532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jTqK7rqOcx8/WDWSORNRAUI/AAAAAAAADU8/NhrKfOaXc4o9rSR0MKBLkoXBKUL4XJ4ZACLcB/s640/IMG_1532.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I recently discovered the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/knit1000g/" target="_blank">#knit1000g</a> hashtag on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anushkatay/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. The idea is to knit up a kilo's weight in yarn before buying any more. I'm cheating slightly, and am including projects that were already started when I discovered it; but all in all, I've committed to 4 pairs of socks and 2 sweaters before buying anything else. I haven't weighed this, but I'm pretty sure that it'll be over 1000g. Two pairs of socks use purpose-bought yarn from Stockholm; the other two are based around using up leftovers. Both sweaters use yarn that I acquired 8 or 9 years ago; I began projects, but they were unsuccessful for various reasons, and I've recently unravelled them. All patterns used are from my library or free downloads; and any additional projects made from my stash will be bonus, not a substitute.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKzDKEFg_18/WDWSNkRe2SI/AAAAAAAADU0/g6Y9VPe9ysszvzzSuBpWj9r2A2PBTjBSgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKzDKEFg_18/WDWSNkRe2SI/AAAAAAAADU0/g6Y9VPe9ysszvzzSuBpWj9r2A2PBTjBSgCLcB/s640/IMG_1536.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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#Knit1000g is a rather quiet initiative: it is not a knitalong, there are no prizes, nor any Internet celebrities endorsing it. However, I think it's a really valuable way to remind ourselves of the beautiful materials we have at the ready, before just excitedly ordering more yarn for the next make. I'm still forcing myself to reach for my knitting when I find myself endlessly scrolling on social media; and I've really sped along on the socks since then! </div>
Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-49501190999689187852016-11-12T11:26:00.000+00:002016-11-12T11:26:00.154+00:005 tips for designing your first quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3gchPi4IYcs/WBcqaSIB9iI/AAAAAAAADSA/J-3OaeNf9jglcPDfFDc3DIAtrLuCbuQ5gCLcB/s1600/IMG_1479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3gchPi4IYcs/WBcqaSIB9iI/AAAAAAAADSA/J-3OaeNf9jglcPDfFDc3DIAtrLuCbuQ5gCLcB/s640/IMG_1479.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When I was planning <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/a-red-aqua-quilt.html" target="_blank">my first quilt</a>, I felt overwhelmed by the vast array of patterns, techniques, styles, blocks, and trends out there in the big world of quilting. I call myself a <i>maker</i>, not a <i>quilter</i>, so I've often felt like a bit of an outsider to this craft. But I'm a very creative person, so I've never felt the desire to use a quilting pattern or kit, or to copy a design exactly. I prefer to design my own. When sketching and pondering my second quilt, I realised that I had picked up a few tips that could be useful to other quilting beginners. I hope that this makes designing your quilt fun and inspiring!<br />
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First off, <a href="https://uk.pinterest.com/anushkatay/inspiring-quilts/" target="_blank">click here</a> to see my Inspiring Quilts board on Pinterest, where you can get an idea of my design inspiration.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-62iIBV2m-HE/WBcm8SOrkpI/AAAAAAAADR0/RHZ55fODFhA7nS3CJsSRJaVE93Js3y1IwCLcB/s1600/IMG_1474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-62iIBV2m-HE/WBcm8SOrkpI/AAAAAAAADR0/RHZ55fODFhA7nS3CJsSRJaVE93Js3y1IwCLcB/s640/IMG_1474.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>Here are 5 tips for designing your first quilt...</b></div>
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<b>1. Pick a simple, repetitive design</b></div>
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If it's your first time quilting, don't push yourself too hard at the first hurdle. Simple blocks like <a href="http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/log-cabin-quilt-designs.html" target="_blank">log cabin</a> or <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2013/06/half-square-triangle-love/" target="_blank">half-square triangles</a> invite endless options for designing.</div>
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<b>2. Keep to a strict colour scheme</b></div>
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Using a limited colour scheme allows you to be bold with your shapes and lines. Many quilt patterns divide up fabrics into 'light' and 'dark' values, but I'd go further and consider colour very carefully. You don't want all the hard work of the quilt piecing to get lost amidst the excitement of too many different shades. </div>
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<b>3. Enjoy patterns - but choose plain fabrics too</b></div>
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Quilting has some of the most exciting fabrics around! It's so easy to get carried away with all the prints and patterns available; I know I did. But mixing in plain fabrics in the same hues, or contrasting ones, will give clarity to your design lines- and in fact will make the patterns pop.</div>
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<b>4. Use natural fibres and fabrics</b></div>
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These will wash and wear better; are breathable and absorbent; and will age beautifully. Most quilting fabric is cotton, but I've successfully mixed in linen too. I also don't restrict myself to quilting fabric, and often use leftovers from dressmaking projects as well as a great array of second-hand textiles. Napkins, tablecloths, old bedsheets (cut from the edges) and men's fine cotton shirts are all good options.</div>
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<b>5. Challenge yourself, and enjoy it!</b></div>
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Making a quilt is an involved project, requiring long-term commitment. I often feel that big projects are an exercise in patience and letting go: embracing any flaws that emerge, and moving forward in your practice. Your first quilt is probably not going to be perfect, since the first <i>anything</i> is rarely perfect. But you'll have lots of fun trying out this craft, and you'll probably be a better maker for it!</div>
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What's your favourite quilt block? What did you think about when you were designing your first quilt?</div>
Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-43971623219540090022016-11-05T11:06:00.000+00:002016-11-05T11:06:03.429+00:00Quilting from scraps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BixsfymZD8U/WBclg9_06MI/AAAAAAAADRo/YGm0EZS7Iyw4W_wBUf5aDcpxWttniw8jgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BixsfymZD8U/WBclg9_06MI/AAAAAAAADRo/YGm0EZS7Iyw4W_wBUf5aDcpxWttniw8jgCLcB/s640/IMG_1472.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've recently started making another quilt, this time a log cabin pattern. I've given myself the challenge of piecing both the top and the underside from scrap fabrics, using as much cotton and linen as I could find. I've surprised myself by the huge pile of scraps and unwanted textiles that I managed to gather just by rootling around in a few cupboards at my grandmother's place. Admittedly, her hoarding tendencies are infamous, and I unearthed all manner of things. As well as using leftovers from my own quilting and sewing projects, I'm mixing in many vintage textiles, cutting up handkerchiefs, napkins, old bedsheets and some clothing that I pulled out from a charity shop bag. I'm pleased with the surface texture gained by mixing cotton and linen fabrics.<br />
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I've given myself permission to purchase no more than 1m of fabric specifically for the quilt, which could be in fat quarters. I'm not sure if I will be able to stretch this out to make the binding and backing, nor am I sure if I will be able to piece my leftover remnants of quilt wadding. But I really want to push myself to make something that looks aesthetically interesting, with a considered design, from what essentially are waste materials and unwanted textiles.<br />
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Learning my lessons from my first quilt, I'm using a minimum of 50% plain, unpatterned fabrics in order to make a cleaner-looking design. I've used more solids (or semi-solids) within the coloured central diamond shapes in order to make it stronger. But the white backgrounds are actually a shifting mix of creams, ivories, and only a few bright whites. I think that this softens it slightly.<br />
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I haven't yet decided on how I'm going to piece the back. It might just end up being a haphazard collection of quadrilaterals. Whilst I'm enjoying sewing the log cabin blocks, I have a feeling that by the end of them I'll have run out of steam somewhat. I also haven't quite decided how large it will be! I was initially planning on a lap quilt, but then I found loads more fabric lurking at the bottom of cupboards, and realised I could go bigger.<br />
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This is definitely a long-term project: every few weeks, I spend a whole evening cutting out strips and sewing them up into blocks. Then I put it aside and forget about it while I do more important things. At this rate, it'll be another 2 years until it's made, just like my first quilt! I'm never going to be a quilt artisan or prize-winner, but it's an enjoyable process, and I'm really happy to be turning waste materials into something useful.Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-36534525729272122322016-11-01T10:30:00.000+00:002016-11-22T20:43:01.501+00:00A recent stash sort-out...<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hnp4QHwZC0k/WBS0PiuBE3I/AAAAAAAADRM/UiZbKjzqrDstyjr2H-iP0SIbEE3IopHrQCLcB/s1600/DSC_4821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hnp4QHwZC0k/WBS0PiuBE3I/AAAAAAAADRM/UiZbKjzqrDstyjr2H-iP0SIbEE3IopHrQCLcB/s640/DSC_4821.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I've recently been trying very hard to seriously re-organise my sewing and knitting supplies, as a large corner of my room currently looks like a landslide. It's a bit horrific. I started by pulling out cuts of cotton and viscose fabrics and storing them in this suitcase. I have a separate large storage box for wools, silks, linings and interlinings; all trimmings and haberdashery are separate too. In all seriousness, in an ideal world I would like my entire fabric stash to fit into this suitcase, with a separate bag for scratchy tailoring canvases and bulky wadding.<br />
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Having a stash makes me feel nervous because it is a whole world of unspent opportunities, pointing to wasted time. There's the monetary factor too, although I have very little disposable income and, believe it or not, purchase fabric very carefully. A fair amount of what I have was donated by de-cluttering family members or leftover from costume jobs that I've done. I've tried to put a check on that last one, but it's hard because you don't want to put large yet odd remnants of special and expensive fabrics into the bin. I currently have a piece of gorgeous silk chiffon 4m long by only 0.5m that I have no idea what to do with. Do you?<br />
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Acquiring a stash is easy, because it's really fun to go to wonderful shops and dream up the possibilities on offer. You can buy far quicker than you could ever make. The second problem is waste, because I don't think that many of us really like the idea of cloth sitting in the landfill for hundreds of years. I read through the entire <a href="http://thecraftsessions.com/stash-less/" target="_blank">Stash Less series </a>on The Craft Sessions, and it gave me loads of food for thought. After an insomniac night of reading, I started unravelling old sweaters I don't wear because they didn't really work. I now have an additional 4 sweaters worth of yarn in my stash!<br />
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Having so much ends up being counter-productive, as I feel guilty every time I look at all the beautiful materials that I have done nothing with. Making becomes a chore, an act of de-cluttering, instead of a stimulating and enjoyable hobby. I don't want this to happen, but it's surprisingly difficult to lift this strong feeling of guilt and regret. One small change I've recently implemented was to pick up my knitting needles instead of my phone, and whilst <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anushkatay/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> has been neglected, I've made most of a cardigan. At the end of the day it seems like a pretty great trade-off.<br />
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What are your feelings on having a stash? Do you feel strange and sad about it like me, or is it something you take pleasure in?Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-53384224814184383182016-10-31T12:19:00.001+00:002016-10-31T12:22:36.615+00:0012 months of textiles <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rt4sSLYqdIA/WBc2it_NexI/AAAAAAAADS8/1oelnvPrLAg_NSZgqt5G85zo8yt6QGndwCPcB/s1600/2016%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rt4sSLYqdIA/WBc2it_NexI/AAAAAAAADS8/1oelnvPrLAg_NSZgqt5G85zo8yt6QGndwCPcB/s640/2016%2B-%2B1" width="640" /></a></div>
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Since I've been talking so much about mending and making recently, I thought I'd do another re-assessment of the textiles that I've bought over the last 12 months. I've just seen that I <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/12-months-of-textiles-and-anti.html" target="_blank">wrote this post </a>in August last year so it's well overdue. But in fact, I didn't buy any clothes during September and October, so I think that the timing of the new academic year is still valid.<br />
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To re-cap...<br />
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<li>This list is of the textiles I've bought from (approximately) September 2015 till September 2016. </li>
<li>It's probably not a definitive list. </li>
<li>Both new and second-hand pieces are included</li>
<li>All forms of acquisitions are included: buying outright, thrifting, inheriting and rescuing.</li>
<li>An estimated price is included, except for gifts</li>
<li>Gifted items which were not specifically requested are not included. </li>
<li>Items that I've made myself are not included.</li>
<li>Fabric and yarn is currently not included. I know that these are definitely textiles, but I'm focussing on acquiring ready-to-wear items. </li>
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<b><i>Over the last 12 months, I have obtained...</i></b></div>
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OUTERWEAR</div>
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1 down-filled snow-proof winter jacket (new, from outlet store) £100</div>
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1 pair of slippers for Stockholm apartment (new, from a chain store) £8</div>
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1 handbag (thrifted) £3</div>
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2 pairs mittens (new, from independent shops) £25</div>
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1 wool scarf (gift) £0</div>
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1 pair flip flops (new, from a chain store) £3</div>
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1 summer hat (thrifted) £5</div>
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INTIMATES</div>
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6 pairs of cotton socks (new, a gift) £0</div>
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2 pairs of thick socks (new, from airline) £0</div>
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3 pairs of underwear (new, from a chain store) £8</div>
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1 thermal leggings (new, from a chain store) £8</div>
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2 thermal vests (new, from a chain store) £16</div>
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1 bikini (from a chain store) £6</div>
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CLOTHING</div>
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1 T-shirt (new, from a chain store) £9</div>
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2 cotton tops (inherited) £0</div>
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2 summer vests (thrifted + inherited) £2</div>
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1 wool cardigan (inherited) £0</div>
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1 black trousers (vintage) £15</div>
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1 velvet leggings (new, from a chain store) £8</div>
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1 dress (vintage) £10</div>
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<b>Total</b> approximate cost of non-me-made wardrobe:<b> £226</b></div>
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<b><i>Thoughts..</i></b>.</div>
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Straight away I can see that half of this list resulted from moving to Stockholm for half a year, where my English-climate wardrobe just didn't cut it. I feel that everything else is pretty minimal: there aren't really many acquisitions that weren't actually needed. Well, aside from multiple pairs of mittens, which I bought as<a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/travels-in-mittens.html" target="_blank"> souvenirs</a>. I'm surprised that I only bought one vintage dress, and no new shoes apart from slippers/flip flops - both of which have worn out, which goes to show that I shouldn't have bought them from a budget mass retailer!</div>
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Mostly I've been trying to be happier with what I have: assessing what's already in my wardrobe, laundering it more carefully, and mending it when damaged. I needed a new pair of flats, but instead have spent a small fortune getting 5 pairs of shoes re-heeled. Ditto with mending a few of my coats. They should hold out for the next 12 months. </div>
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<b><i>Future plans...</i></b></div>
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This considered approach to my wardrobe is successfully extending into my sewing and knitting practice. I've been upping my ability to sew knits, and whilst I don't need any more tops to get through the winter, when I do replace them I will choose either thrifted items, or organic cotton jersey and sew them myself. </div>
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What do I need to take into my wardrobe next year? The underwear I bought from a shop fit worse than my me-made scanties, which is due to a poor choice arising from being broke. And there's an ongoing bra debacle, which I know many women endure. I need a warmer winter dressing gown. I have a pair of self-made corduroy jeans that have worn out; two sweaters are being knitted; and several more pairs of woollen socks. Also, a new purse to replace one which was stolen (very sad about that); and a smaller rucksack for cycling.</div>
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Fairly minimal, and definitely achievable. We'll see how I get on with those plans in a year's time...</div>
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Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-6187677533247528032016-10-29T16:47:00.003+01:002016-10-29T16:47:58.978+01:00Slow Fashion October 3: Handmade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started making clothing over 10 years ago now and it's become such an ingrained part of my life that I don't even think about it, really. I've trained and worked professionally as a costume maker, and have drifted back and forth between making for myself only, for family only, or for clients only over the decade. At the moment I'm focussing on myself. </div>
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I've had a lot of deadlines recently, first to finish off my Masters dissertation, and now a series of rolling targets as I prepare my PhD application. When I'm busy I often find myself, rather infuriatingly, picking up my phone like a reflex and mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. A total time suck that doesn't achieve anything and just serves to make me feel more guilty. </div>
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Then, I decided to participate in Slow Fashion October. Just a quick sweep across my and my partner's wardrobes amassed a towering pile of garments that we wished to be mended, rather than thrown away. Mending takes time, and isn't always pretty. That began to feel like another pressure, as the mending pile grew ever larger and threatened to take over my space.</div>
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So I decided to try something different. Each time I reached for my phone, I stopped myself mid-swipe and picked up my knitting instead. It's proved immensely fruitful and productive. I spent one insomniac night going through all my back copies of knitting magazines (more on which anon), and unearthed a half-knitted sweater and bag of leftover yarns at the bottom of my yarn storage. Over the last 5 weeks I have managed to knit 5 pieces of a cheerful lace cardigan.</div>
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I am pretty pleased with this progress. I'm also very happy to only have 1 ball of yarn leftover. Whilst I always keep aside a couple of metres for darning, I hate having remnants. The red is quite the perfect shade for me and matches lots of things that I have in my room, including the 1970s suitcase that I bought in a charity shop.</div>
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Making your own clothes falls obviously under the 'slow fashion' umbrella, as pieces fall into your wardrobe only at the rate of which you are sewing/knitting. And unless you are working 40 hours a week sewing your clothes, it's going to be rather slowly. But I've often been surprised by the impositions that we humans can put on ourselves. Recently, Morgan of Crab & Bee <a href="https://crabandbee.com/2016/10/13/thoughts-on-not-sewing-everything/" target="_blank">wrote about</a> letting go of the compulsion to only sew all of her clothing herself. In the comments sections, many others agreed that they'd felt under huge pressure to do this, and applauded her decision to stop. I was really surprised, because as much as I enjoy making things (and I even specifically chose my Bachelors degree that taught pattern-cutting, draping and professional sewing techniques because I wanted to refine my skillset), I have never felt the need to say 'I must only have items in my wardrobe that I myself have made.' Instead, I chose to buy second-hand as much as possible, aside from difficult items such as outerwear, activewear, shoes, and lingerie. </div>
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Over the last year, I began making my own lingerie; and whilst I have the technical ability to make outerwear (I specialised in tailoring in my Bachelors degree), I haven't really dedicated the time to making a coat for myself. I always remember that my tailoring teacher, who taught <i>super </i>old-fashioned bespoke hand-tailoring, told me that it takes 8-10 jackets before you make one that's considered <i>decent</i>. Not good - just decent. This is quite alarming. I've made 4. </div>
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I don't particularly want to be going round in clothing that looks sloppy and does not fit well, just purely because I made it myself. Fabric availability is also a problem, as many technical fabrics are developed specifically for industry usage. The lightweight, waterproof cycling jacket I bought (secondhand on Ebay) that has multiple zip pockets and folds up tidily is way better than anything I could have made myself. Likewise the snow-proof down-filled winter jacket I bought (in an outlet store) for my winter living in Sweden. It's not necessary to go to the extreme of making things that will not realistically produce great results: too difficult for your level, too hard to find suitable materials, too challenging to properly fit. It's no point sewing your own wardrobe just for the sake of it, particularly if it's making you stressed, even unhappy. </div>
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Overall, I'm trying to articulate that embracing a slow fashion wardrobe is simple, but it does often mean a shift in our lifestyle choices. Currently, I sit writing wearing an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMJjbPqgaRO/?taken-by=anushkatay" target="_blank">outfit that is entirely second-hand</a>, and it's just normal. Whilst to some people, knitting your own socks and sewing your own knickers does seem rather extreme, I think it's possible to make this part of a routine that incorporates less consumerist approaches to clothing. Like everything, it just takes practice.</div>
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-Anushka</div>
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<b>p.s. </b>I've decided not to dedicate a whole post to the last week of Slow Fashion October's theme 'known origins'. But you know me, and you know how sustainability infuses itself in my lifestyle and making choices, so this post won't be the last word on 'slow fashion'. </div>
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I am not convinced how much benefit that 'known origins' have on sustainability. Sweatshops exist in Europe and the USA as much as in Asia. If non-toxic, organic fibres and dyes are used, manufacturers generally highlight this as it makes their product so much more expensive. I think it's much better to make careful choices about where you buy, such as purchasing fabric second-hand (from de-cluttering friends or thrift shops) or from fabric shops that specialise in industry remnants or out-of-season designs. These choices will stop those rolls of fabric from being destroyed (by burning) or dumped in the landfill.</div>
Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-31690631382249785552016-10-14T11:53:00.000+01:002016-10-24T11:54:10.780+01:00Slow Fashion October 2: Long-Worn<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frayed pleats on a self-made linen dress</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A well-worn t-shirt in my repair pile</td></tr>
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The prompt of this week's Slow Fashion October is <i>long-worn</i>, which got me thinking about how all the clothes stuffed into my wardrobe are actually pretty <i>old</i>. Up until only a few years ago, I frequently dressed in head-to-toe vintage, including bullet bras and suspender belts. But I didn't fit the typical mould of a 'vintage girl', with the heavily styled hair and feminine look. My style is far too eclectic for that - I'd be a bohemian in any era. At the time, I was studying my costume degree, then working in costume. For the best part of a decade, my summer job has been to alter, repair and refresh old costumes for a new cast of actors on a West End show. The constant mending and care that vintage clothing demands got too much for me in my personal life, and so I've turned away from it in the last couple of years in favour of clothing I can really <i>move </i>in. I've also moved away from physically working with costumes, to studying the historical development of clothing during my Masters degree in fashion history. It's clear that 'old clothes' have formed a large part of my life over the past 10 years.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">19th century stockings from the archive of Nordiska Museet, Stockholm</td></tr>
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When you're rooting through archives, trying to make sense of objects and find their place in social and cultural history, you look for clues about garments' uses. Whilst collectors often look for perfect, untarnished items, many historians delight in discovering the mended patch, the altered seam, the worn pocket. It reveals how the garment was worn. It suggests whether it was well-loved or kept for best, if it was significant or uncared for. It's the element of <i>care</i> that slow fashion embraces, the notion of loving and looking after your garments even after they begin to unravel and fray. When we only acquire things slowly, and with much thought, we consider in great detail how they are going to fit into our everyday lives. If we are able to support small businesses and independent craftspeople with our purchasing power, then we need to match that significant financial investment with a longevity in our closets. Overall, I think that it's important to praise long-worn items, and prize the stories that they have brought us, the events in our lives to which they have been the background. </div>
Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-1710175382871733172016-10-04T16:53:00.001+01:002016-10-04T16:53:25.578+01:00Slow Fashion October 1: Introductions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year I'm participating in <a href="https://fringeassociation.com/2016/09/14/slow-fashion-october-2016/" target="_blank">Slow Fashion October</a>, a month-long investigation into making, clothing and sustainability for the online craft community hosted by Karen Templer of <a href="https://fringeassociation.com/" target="_blank">Fringe Association</a>. </div>
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What is Slow Fashion October? In the words of the host:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;">A celebration of the small-batch, handmade, second-hand, well-loved, long-worn, known-origins wardrobe.</span></blockquote>
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This month-long conversation has been divided up into themed weeks, with discussions held on the <a href="https://fringeassociation.com/tag/slow-fashion-october/" target="_blank">Fringe Association blog </a>as well as on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/slowfashionoctober/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/slowfashionoctober/" target="_blank">#slowfashionoctober</a> - and elsewhere, such as here on Tailoring Tales!</div>
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Week 1's theme is Introductions. Karen asks:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;">Who are you, and what does slow fashion mean to you. What got you started thinking about it — people, books, films, etc. Are your concerns environmental, humanitarian, financial? Most important: How does your thinking factor into your life and closet. Also, any special plans or projects for Slotober, and what are you hoping to get out of it?</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>ME:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">I'm Anushka, a 20-something writer and musician from London. I have long been a compulsive maker, but I first learnt to sew and knit around 12 years ago because I didn't want to support fashion brands who used unethical sweatshop labour. I was also worried by the notion pushed by the fashion industry that we should be discarding our old clothes every season in order to buy new fashionable ones. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">'Slow fashion' is just the latest term for a non-consumerist approach to dress. In my opinion, it's not only possible but important to combine environmental humanitarian awareness alongside and financial concerns. Saying this, making sustainable choices are rarely the easy option - nor are they necessarily thrifty! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3c3d47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">I'm planning on joining in with Slow Fashion October with blog posts responding to Karen's prompts throughout the month. I'll certainly be contributing some of my own thoughts along the way, too, including more <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/mending-saving-waste-thoughts-on-making.html" target="_blank">reflections on mending</a> like I wrote last month. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3c3d47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Alongside the writing, I'll be mending a pile of my and my partner's clothes, as well as working on a cardigan using yarn that's been sitting in my stash getting attacked by moths (!).</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> I started knitting it into a garment that didn't fit 8 years ago, and am now unravelling it. </span></div>
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Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-39629643942592325862016-09-30T10:00:00.000+01:002016-09-30T10:00:00.824+01:00Material Things: Dovestone Natural Aran<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Jess of <a href="http://baaramewe.co.uk/" target="_blank">Baa Ram Ewe</a> contacted me to tell me about their newest yarn and ask if I'd like to sample it, I said Yes please! Baa Ram Ewe are a small yarn company based north of Leeds; in their words:<br />
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<i>Our masterplan is to make Yorkshire famous for wool production across the world once more, reconnecting it to its woolly heritage. We've put ourselves at the centre of this renaissance commanding worldwide appeal for our luxurious and authentic wools, all spun and made in Yorkshire.</i></blockquote>
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Sounds good, doesn't it? Most knitters will know that British wool has long shed its reputation for being itchy, scratchy and stiff; this is thanks in part to local yarn producers like Baa Ram Ewe who have developed modern blends of lustrous wools, suitable to wear against the skin. The local factor is key to Baa Ram Ewe's appeal, and their catalogue is photographed beautifully, featuring chilly Northern idylls, cold enough to crack out all your favourite knitwear. I particularly enjoyed the story behind their Titus yarn, which was named after Sir Titus Salt, the founder of the Saltaire wool mill (now an<a href="http://www.saltsmill.org.uk/" target="_blank"> amazing textile art gallery</a>). The catalogue shows the inspiration for the yarn colours and names, which I thought was a great touch.<br />
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They launched their newest range <a href="http://baaramewe.co.uk/collections/yarn/products/dovestonenaturalaran?variant=20749242692" target="_blank">Dovestone Natural Aran</a> in the summer, and I received this lovely sample pack in the post. This is a blend of 50% Bluefaced Leicester , 25% Wensleydale Longwool and 25% Masham, and as you might expect, it comes in 5 undyed, natural shades of sheep. The shade card was especially handy, as the colours slightly differently in real life - as you would expect from an undyed fibre.<br />
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The packaging was all really lovely: matte paper, textured cardstock and translucent frosted stickers. I received shade 1, which looks like the ideal sheep's coat, but the coloured options are very subtle with a slightly mottled look. The yarn has has a beautiful natural sheen to it.The sample skein was enough to knit a large swatch, and the two-ply yarn is spun fairly loosely, allowing the fibres to bloom out and creating a soft and squishy handle. I'd love to try out colour work and cables and see how it behaves.<br />
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It's worth commenting on the fact that this is quite a thin yarn for a self-described aran weight. Aran yarns normally take 5mm needles, but I knit this swatch on 4.5mm needles and it was looser than I prefer. It appears the same width as a DK-weight yarn I'm currently knitting with on 3.75mm needles. So it's worth swatching carefully with this yarn before launching in with an pattern for aran-weight yarn.<br />
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It's great to discover small businesses who are doing so much for local manufacturing as well as their heritage. Dovestone Natural Aran costs £14 per 100g hank (170m) so it's comparably priced with other small yarn companies. This is the kind of yarn that fits in perfectly with a slow-making ethos: make little, choose well.<br />
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<i>Yarn samples provided by Baa Ram Ewe; all opinions my own</i>.Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-82622722893866911702016-09-27T15:22:00.001+01:002016-09-27T15:22:36.590+01:00Historo-Futuristic Knitting at the Burberry Makers House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the weekend I stumbled upon the <a href="https://uk.burberry.com/london-fashion-week/september-show/makers-house/" target="_blank">Burberry Markers House,</a> a pop-up showroom just off Charing Cross Road that was open for the public to peruse. Burberry tapped into the company's heritage and expanded upon its current associations as a luxury brand in order to explore what is at the core of couture: exquisite craftsmanship. Downstairs were various craft demonstrations, including life sculpture, ceramic glazing, calligraphy and even <a href="https://tomofholland.com/" target="_blank">Tom of Holland's Visible Mending</a> project. It was dark inside, using chiaroscuro-like spotlighting to highlight the diligent, repetitive activities of the craft demonstrators, who patiently answered all questions. Upstairs was Burberry's latest collection. They took the increasingly common step of presenting looks that are for this season, not next, and which were available to order immediately.</div>
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The collection, apparently inspired by Virginia Woolf's novel <i>Orlando</i>, reminded me of a dressing up box in a grand English country mansion. Muted woodland colours were very 1860s-meets-1970s, and so were the silhouettes. What stood out the most was the knitwear. It was full of gorgeous textures in restricted colour palettes, and very bold silhouettes. The deep V-necks, dropped shoulders, nipped waists and droopy full sleeves were a knitted copy of mid-19th century Victorian bodices. But combined with ribs, cables, and split and spliced hems, it was as futuristic and progressive as it was historically reminiscent. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fashion plate from the<i> The English Woman's Domestic Magazine</i>, July 1860 (<a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/corsets-and-crinolines-in-victorian-fashion/" target="_blank">source- V&A</a>) </span></div>
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This is bold, inspiring knitting that is a wearable form of textile art, or fashion design - whatever you'd prefer to call it. These kinds of shapes and textures challenge knitwear design, but importantly, do so in a wearable manner, bringing it into the public eye. The next step for Burberry would be to embrace craftsmanship not as a commodity but as a practice, and collaborate with yarn houses to produce and sell knitting patterns and kits - as was far more common in the past. Meanwhile, we can all look. And looking is free.</div>
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Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-38130843008647970482016-09-20T10:00:00.000+01:002016-09-27T12:49:54.505+01:00Nettie: stripes and friendship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a dress that is marked by friendship. Despite its distinctly autumnal palette, I made it during the spring in Scandinavia. I was living in Stockholm and feeling, more often than not, cold and alone. A friend from my undergrad days was also living there at the time, and kindly invited me to spend the Easter weekend with her mother in the countryside south of Stockholm. After so many months living in a horrid white box filled with the cheapest furniture Ikea could offer, my friend's mother's flat was a warm, artistic sanctuary filled with genuinely creative and nurturing vibes. And what's more, there was an amazing fabric shop just a ten minute walk down the road!<br />
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I didn't take any of my sewing things with me to Stockholm, but my pal was running a small workroom at the time, so she let me use it off-hours. The pattern is the jersey body-con <a href="http://store.closetcasefiles.com/products/nettie-pattern" target="_blank">Nettie dress by Closet Case Patterns</a> with the mid-neck and high back option. I was between sizes at the time of cutting, so graded up a size at the hips. Now that my kanelbullar tummy is beginning to disappear, the dress is a touch loose around the waist; but it still shows everything I've eaten! I lengthened the pattern by around a foot to get the ankle-length dress length, and created the split by leaving one side seam half open. The dress goes from modest to daring at the bevel of a leg.<br />
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When I tried the dress on, it became obvious that there was something weird going on at the shoulder. I didn't have time to hem the dress, and since I am not an acrobat, I was unable to do a decent fitting on myself to sort out the problem. However, a short while later I visited another close friend from undergraduate days in Copenhagen. Dorte and I shared a table during our final year studying costume making, and I was the fit model for several of her costumes. Lots has happened in both our lives since we spent all day every day drinking tea, listening to Nina Simone, and making period costumes by hand. I forced Dorte to do a fitting on me, whereby she came up with a simple and effective solution that involved no unpicking. Then I just had to hem the dress; however after struggling with her machine for all of thirty seconds, I managed to persuade her to also hem the thing for me.<br />
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And so, this dress started with one friend, and ended with another. It got its first outing at a fantastic little jazz pub in Copenhagen where we heard great music, drank tiny glasses of wine, and ended up running for the last train home. And since my Swedish pal is set to be following me in leaving Stockholm for London, I see more good outings ahead. I'm enjoying this summer so incredibly much; but this dress is one warm light to look forward to during the inevitable fall of autumn.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Project details:</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><i>Nettie dress</i></b><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>Pattern:</b> Nettie by Closet Case Patterns. Lengthened to ankle length, with a side split.</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>Fabric:</b> striped cotton/viscose jersey from Sweden</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>Cost: </b>around £25 for fabric and pattern</i>Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-39130651575012722022016-09-09T10:30:00.000+01:002016-09-09T10:30:28.328+01:00Mending, saving, waste: thoughts on making and non-disposable living<br />
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I have just finished knitting a new heel on my worn-out, favourite pair of socks. It is perhaps the third or fourth time that I have mended them. Reinforced with two strands of polyester sewing thread, the new heel is strong and sturdy, so I'm happy to be able to pull on the sock again: it will accompany me on many more journeys to come. But even as I'm mending, I'm making many more things. To be a maker is to work through compulsions to create; but we cannot be producers without also being consumers. On my desk are scraps of material from previous projects that I will be transforming into another quilt. Not because I need another blanket (or even another pair of socks, for that matter), but because I want to make it. Sewing and knitting for me began in the desire to be self-sufficient; to step out of the cycle of buying, to break out of the need to replenish goods that are deemed unfashionable or unsuitable. But the craft industries are equally wily and lucrative; and I constantly find myself overwhelmed with piles of materials and tools that promised great things but have yet to be realised.<br />
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The desire to live a sustainable, non-disposable life often runs in dangerous parallel to being a hoarder. Never throwing anything away leads to the impulse to hang on to <i>everything </i>- which I have no desire to do. The minimalist-living trend often feels like a fantasy - a hazy, light-filled one where no one works zero-hour contracts or lives in house shares/with their parents into their thirties....<i><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/07/revealed-30-year-economic-betrayal-dragging-down-generation-y-income" target="_blank">ahem</a></i>... It feels like the minimalist living trend might be a way of encouraging shopping when people have begun to question it. Having very few possessions is fine so long as you do the same thing every day; but break your routine and you might find yourself lacking.<br />
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The difficult thing is to find a balance: between preventing unnecessary waste, and being unable to let go of anything at all. Between making the things you want, versus the things that you need. And in how you spend your time, which is always precious, and little.<br />
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Meanwhile, I'm continuing with my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/2016yearofsocks/" target="_blank">2016 Year of Socks</a> project. And I'll make my quilt, too, and mend my clothes. But in sewing my own clothing, I've slowed right down, because there are only so many dresses I can wear at once.<br />
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<i>Elsewhere:</i><br />
Inspirational: <a href="https://tomofholland.com/2014/09/04/fries-museum-3/" target="_blank">historical darning samples</a> from Fries Museum via Tom of Holland<br />
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Instructional: <a href="http://www.lupinworks.com/knitting/heel/" target="_blank">Re-knitting a sock heel</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.twistcollective.com/collection/107-articles/1673-darn-it-all" target="_blank">Darning 3 ways</a>: re-knitting, with duplicate stitch, and basic darning<br />
<br />Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-66435989199163082222016-09-02T17:20:00.000+01:002016-09-02T17:20:18.376+01:00Fabric shopping in South-East Asia: Yogyakarta, Singapore & Hong Kong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In July and August, I spent 3 1/2 weeks in Asia on a research trip, holiday, and visiting family and friends. You all know that textiles make the best souvenirs, and so I was keen to spend some of my "holiday money" on fabric to take home.<br />
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<b>Yogyakarta, Indonesia</b><br />
Whilst holidaying in Yogyakarta, Java, my grandmother and I stumbled on an absolutely brilliant fabric shop stocking all manner of batik-style prints and stunning laces (above). After wandering around the massive shop for 20 minutes or so I felt completely overwhelmed and unable to choose a single cloth to bring back. I always aim to buy fabric with a project in mind, but at the huge array of pattern and colour, every single thought left my head!<br />
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There was quite a lot of batik available in Yogyakarta; but I saved my batik purchases for Ubud in Bali, where we bargained hard at Ubud market for a few sarongs.<br />
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<b>Hong Kong</b><br />
Naturally I later regretted not buying anything. My next stop was Hong Kong, where I'd read a lot about the fabric district <a href="https://idoublera.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/fabric-market-sham-shui-po-hong-kong/" target="_blank">Sham Shui Po.</a> I'd experienced this market second-hand when I worked for a lingerie company one undergraduate summer. My (thankless!) task was to unpack the designer's suitcase absolutely filled with sample cards after trips to HK and China, and file them by type. So I was aware of what wonders might lie within the shops.<br />
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I had no desire to go through the process of ordering from a wholesaler and then collecting the next day. I did manage to buy 4 yards of gorgeous stretch lace from one of the trimmings shops; and purchased some more stretch fabrics for lingerie making from the nearby remnants market for $35/yard.<br />
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<b>Singapore</b><br />
In Singapore I asked my relative who is a retired tailor where to shop for fabric. She recommended<a href="http://www.peoplesparkcomplex.sg/" target="_blank"> People's Park</a>, by Chinatown MRT station. Entering the complex was slightly confusing but we managed to find the fabric shops pretty quickly. They had a really lovely selection, and many shops also offer dressmaking services, which is fun. My favourite shop was Maggie's Textiles.<br />
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Maggie has a really considered taste, and carefully selects fabric for her shop. At this time it was absolutely filled with Japanese fabrics, mostly cotton prints but in the corner was a small selection of indigo resist-dyed linen. at $24/m it wasn't cheap, but I reckon still less than it costs in the UK. After a lot of deliberation I bought this classic star print indigo linen to make a shift dress; and this faux-indigo cotton print by Cotton + Steel for $10/m for a shirt dress. (The "unbranded" Japanese cotton prints were $6/m). The Cotton + Steel print is rather darling: kitten faces and full moons.<br />
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<b>Textile souvenirs</b><br />
The conclusion is that buying fabric in Asia is a fun experience that I highly recommend - but go with projects in mind or it will certainly be overwhelming!<br />
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Now all I need is loads of time off to sew...<br />
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-AnushkaAnushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-85799342288023436302016-08-12T22:01:00.001+01:002016-08-12T22:02:21.655+01:00Supersize Textiles: Harmonic Motion at the IFC, Hong Kong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello folks! This week I've got back to London after a whirlwind research trip and holiday in Asia. I spent several days in Hong Kong researching my <a href="http://dressanddrag.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/looking-chinese-in-culture-and-fashion.html" target="_blank">Masters thesis</a>, and really enjoyed discovering the city accompanied by my friend, in-between museum and archive visits.<br />
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When I am in a new city, I like to walk; but walking in Hong Kong found me frequently puzzled and confused. Routes form a jigsaw-like arrangement of stairways, overpasses, and interconnecting shortcuts through shopping malls to avoid the heat of the streets. Within the tallest, shiniest glass tower in Central is a big surprise: a textile art installation.<br />
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The installation is entitled 'Harmonic Motion', and is by the textile artist Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam.This brightly-coloured, abstract sculpture hangs suspended from a rig, like an upside-down big top, or an alien trampoline. Its colours and ergonomic, abstract-yet-naturalistic shapes give immediate associations of child's play; and indeed, Harmonic Motion must be booked in advance for a short time-slot allowing HK Darlings to enter and romp freely. The sculpture is presented as art, yet treated as a giant playground or toy.<br />
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And indeed, it is fun! I loved the doughnut-like seating beneath, and the pendulum, dangling balls that one could swing around on. The sculpture only truly came to life once people entered the space, running, jumping, playing. Its massive, amoeba-like form quivered and sang, flowing internally under all the movement. Play is written into its form due to the bright colours and bold shapes; but play is what transformed the physicality of this installation from object into being.<br />
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Technically, Harmonic Motion is impressive. The accompanying billboard proclaims that it used 800kg of nylon braid measuring 60 kilometres, taking the artist over 10 months of work to create by hand. The attention to detail is perfect, and I particularly liked the colour-matching of the safety nets at the top level. Although the curators describe the installation as 'the world's first knitted playground', they also describe Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam's <i>crochet</i> technique. My examination of the work leads me to believe that it is crochet, not knitting; but the colours of the piece, and its unexpected presence in a luxury shopping mall, certainly are reminiscent of yarn bombing - which does tend to be referred to as 'knit graffiti'. <br />
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Harmonic Motion's presentation as 'art' rather than 'a children's playground' warrants deeper interrogation of its relationship between space and play. The installation is currently on show at IFC, which stands for International Finance Centre. However, it's worth noting that Hong Kongers' relationship to the streets and to public space is certainly different than in Europe, where the street is supposed to belong to the people. Hong Kong's climate is humid and hot, and the air-conditioned interiors of shopping malls become regularly-used thoroughfares in a city that buzzes with capitalism. Pedestrians claim sparkling shopping malls filled with luxury brands as a right-of way. I have never seen so many Chanel boutiques in one city, but Hong Kongers around me marched straight by, oblivious to the glitter. So the location of the playscape in Hong Kong perhaps has different resonances to elsewhere. Nonetheless, the playground is not opened to all: a strictly-policed booking system is in operation. There is little spontaneous or naturalistic about the approach to Harmonic Motion: it's organised fun.<br />
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Nonetheless, it is a dynamic addition to the Hong Kong summer; and the tactile nature of hand-made textiles is a wonderful contrast to all the glossiness and glass of affluent Central Hong Kong. I liked that this piece was so forthrightly playful, so obviously dynamic - again, very different to the self-conscious nature of the district that it is presented in. And of course I like to see hand-made textiles everywhere, particularly in a country that was famous for its factories and mass production in the post-WWII period. I would love to see this piece presented in a wide-open field; or suspended above the water. But in this urban landscape, a mall suffices; and one can admire it from afar.<br />
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<i>Harmonic Motion is on display until 12 September 2016 at IFC, Hong Kong. <a href="http://summer2016.ifc.com.hk/en/" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more information.</i><br />
<br />Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3365844345070851494.post-63118935759021559412016-07-08T19:42:00.000+01:002016-09-27T12:49:54.510+01:00Celine dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello folks! I'm currently in the midst of preparing to embark on a research trip to South East Asia next week. Packing in theory should have been fine - I've <a href="http://tailoringtales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/what-to-sew-when-youve-got-too-many.html" target="_blank">discussed before</a> how the majority of my wardrobe consists of cotton summer dresses. However, recent illness combined with weight gain (all those kanelbullar and kardemummabullar in Stockholm) has led me to shy away from clothing that's too fitted around the waistline. This is a pretty big departure for me, since for 10 years I've been making clothes that hit the natural waistline, and anything low-rise has been a massive no-no. </div>
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As usual, it took osmosis via social media and the online sewing community at large to convince me that a non-waisted look could be a good thing. Heather Lou has<a href="http://closetcasefiles.com/summer-uniform-inari-tee-dress-in-linen-again/" target="_blank"> waxed lyrical about her Inari dresses</a> over the last year; however, the cocoon-shaped silhouette that appealed to many others was actually the thing I disliked the most about the pattern. I knew that I wanted a loose shift dress with kimono sleeves and a curved hem, kind of like <a href="https://www.namedclothing.com/shop/inari-tee-dress/" target="_blank">Named's Inari</a> combined with <a href="http://shop.tillyandthebuttons.com/products/bettine" target="_blank">Tilly's Bettine</a> and also an (unblogged) Victorian shirt that I made for my partner. I made the pattern myself by draping on the stand; after a toile and a quick fitting, and I had my own pattern. </div>
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This dress at first appears to be a massively different from my usual style: above the knee, no waist, and rather contemporary. Sculpturally-cut, loose clothing is fashionable in a fairly mainstream way right now, but designers have been experimenting with extra-corporeal silhouettes since the 1960s. The dark chocolate and duck egg blue colours of the resist-dyed fabric are <i>very </i>me, and the dress does seem suitably avant-garde. I love that somehow this dress is just as suitable for daywear as night wear. I wore it to university, to an exhibition, then danced to garage till 3.30am at a party. </div>
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I love how <i>easy</i> the dress is. It pulls on over the head, no fastenings to deal with. It's French seamed inside, clean and simple. The neckline is finished by a facing, the hem is contrast blue bias binding, and the sleeves are cuffed. Everything is from my stash. Being able to pull on one garment and be dressed is a great feeling, and when I get a chance I'll knock a few more up in different fabrics.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RDDEQF0jMOU/V3_jmObgbGI/AAAAAAAACkQ/pHB1KeU-Obki4ziPx39yzJI2r9AXR3ZIgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RDDEQF0jMOU/V3_jmObgbGI/AAAAAAAACkQ/pHB1KeU-Obki4ziPx39yzJI2r9AXR3ZIgCLcB/s640/IMG_0731.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I wore it to my friend Céline's grad show, so I'm calling it the Celine dress.</div>
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<b><i>Project details:</i></b></div>
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<i><b>Celine dress<br />Pattern: </b>my own</i></div>
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<i><b>Fabric:</b> wax resist dyed cotton from my stash</i></div>
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<i><b>Notions:</b> bias binding, thread from my stash</i></div>
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<i><b>Cost:</b> £0</i></div>
<br />Anushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083187184627852876noreply@blogger.com0