As 2015 beds in, life is once again becoming more settled for me and this has meant more knitting, and a return to sewing at last.
Mostly, I've been knitting for the home - quick projects that serve a purpose:
Peg bag, from a free pattern on Rav and made from a scratchy and heavyweight cotton bought in Cambodia (the lovely Cambodia Knits in Phnom Penh).
Coasters, using the same yarn, from the useful One Skein Knits book.
And, on my long commute, socks:
These are the basic top down recipe from Vogue Knitting which I have been using for years. The yarn is Knitglobal (apparently made in Bradford) in the colourway Dale; I have another pair OTK in the colourway Ocean - but doing those top down with an afterthought heel to spice things up a bit.
This morning, I gave my new-to-me handcrank a whirl and kicked off a 2015 sewing challenge - there will be something sewn every month. Here is the handcrank:
I picked it up for £6 on eBay and it works like a dream.
January's challenge was a skirt. I cheated a bit on this one, as this skirt is a refashion not a sew-from-scratch, and I did most of it late last year! But it needed some finishing, so it does kind of qualify for January:
This was an ill fitting sample dress I picked up for a song in Hoi An, Vietnam. Using nail scissors and a hotel sewing kit I cut the bodice off, and hemmed the waistband roughly. I subsequently wore it on our travels a lot, either with a loose white shirt or black tee/vest over the waistband. My January project was to neaten up and even out the waistband so I could achieve a fitted look. My goal is to wear it to work this week. Here is a closer shot:
I also made a start on February's challenge this weekend - a short sleeved top:
This picture shows the top only cut and sewn together - I have to finish the edges yet, and made it with a printed viscose I had in stash (bought from Oxfam I think). I used Simplicity 9078, a vintage 80s sewing pattern which I have used twice before - this Christmas top is another, longer example of the same pattern:
Here is the pattern leaflet, with great 80s styling (although I have styled it similarly in the photo above!)
So it's great to be in a settled place to craft again. I have a busy year ahead as I'll be working full time with a long commute and writing up a thesis, and although this made me hesitant about committing to the sewing challenge I think I'll actually need the r and r some weekends!
