FO: Swaledale Clogs

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Pulling these slippers out of the washing machine felt a little bit magical, they had shrunk to fit my feet perfectly and felt unlike any other thing I've ever knitted for myself. This was the first time I've felted a project, and I love the thick sturdy fabric it created.

I used the Swaledale Clogs pattern by Ann Kingstone, although I didn't use the recommended Swaledale yarn. I created a similar gauge using 2 strands of worsted weight and 1 strand of fingering instead of the 2 strands of Aran suggested. I had a bunch of small balls of worsted yarn in my stash from other projects so I got to use a few of those up this way. These slippers are very warm so they might not get much wear until next winter!

Pattern: Swaledale Clogs

Quilted Linen Tamarack Jacket

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I finished my jacket just in time to wear it a little bit before we slip into warmer weather. This project was more time consuming then any other piece I have sewn, but it wasn’t any more difficult. The only reason this jacket sat around unfinished for a little while was because I was nervous about the welt pockets, but with the step-by-step tutorial on the Grainline Studio blog there wasn’t any reason to be worried! The only thing I added was a little loop at the back so that I can hang the jacket up on a coat hook (not pictured), but otherwise I made the size 2 with no modifications. I have been wearing it daily since I finished!

Pattern: Tamarack Jacket by Grainline Studio

Outer Fabric: Robert Kauffman Essex linen cotton blend

Lining: Cotton + Steel Tulips from the Bluebird 2015 collection

FO: Stowe Bag

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Since I finished my Stowe bag a couple of days ago I have been loving my new knitting bag. The Stowe bag stands on it’s own and acts more like a basket when you're knitting, but it still bunches up nicely when I need to stuff it in my backpack. The Stowe bag is a pattern from Grainline Studio, designed by Fringe Supply Co. 

I made mine in a brown cotton canvas, and I used some extra quilting cotton I had for the bias binding. I had a go at waxing the canvas after I sewed the bag using a wax bar from Otter Wax and a heat gun to set it. To use the wax bar you need to apply a couple coats. I decided to stop after 2 light coats for a lightly waxed bag, which adds a bit of protection against water and dirt. You wouldn’t want to soak this bag, but I like knowing my knitting would be safe if I set my project bag on a wet floor or something like that. I decided to sew the gussets for a more permanent shape, and I ended up doing those by hand because my machine probably wouldn’t have liked all those layers of canvas. Even doing it by hand was tough!

I'll definitely be using the wax again, I still have most of the bar left that I bought and I would buy it again. The next thing I decide to wax I might try doing a much heavier coat so I can see the difference. Maybe a jacket or a canvas backpack?

Stowe Bag: http://shop.grainlinestudio.com/collections/accessories/products/stowe-bag

Fringe Supply Co: http://www.fringesupplyco.com/

Otter Wax: https://www.otterwax.com/products/otter-wax-regular-bar

FO: Moss Skirt

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My first sewing FO of the year: the Moss Skirt by Grainline Studio. This was a pattern which I honestly thought I would really struggle with, because the only garments I’ve ever done before this are pajama pants and the Scout Tee, both super simple projects. But the instructions are excellent and every time I came across something new I would watch a couple YouTube videos before attempting it myself. The only mistake I ended up making was sewing the waistband on upside down! And that was the thing that put this project into hibernation for a couple months, because I didn’t notice I had made the mistake until after I trimmed all the seams and did all the top stitching. But after fixing that mistake everything else got finished super quickly and the skirt fits perfectly!

I used Robert Kaufman Essex linen cotton blend for the skirt, and one of the Cotton + Steel Rifle  Paper Co. prints for the pockets.

FO: Beach Tank

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I just finished my first FO of 2017, the beach tank, a pattern by Jess Schreibstein. This was such a fast knit, and if I didn’t have so many WIP’s going at once I would have finished it well before February. The pattern is simple and straight forward, and the boxy tank is the exact style I want for a summer beach shirt. I’ll probably make another one, but this time a little longer for everyday wear. But what’s more perfect for summer then a cropped, boxy tank made from upcycled denim?!

The yarn I used is Wool and the Gang’s Billie Jean yarn. It’s one of their newer yarns, sustainably made from upcycled denim (pre-consumer denim waste). I found working with this yarn was similar to working with any worsted weight cotton yarn, although it did turn my fingers blue after knitting with it! Quite a bit of dye came out when blocking too (but to be fair, WATG warns that this is expected) and hopefully I won’t get blue skin when I wear the tank. Overall I’m super happy with my yarn choice and the outcome of the project! I’m looking forward to what Jess comes out with next!