SEW: blue jeans

 This pair of jeans was bought same time size and brand as the other.

One pair the lighter ones after 2 years got huge- the stretch part of them gave out. Disappointing but they are comfortable when layered. The darker pair fir perfectly but the "season" for wearing them is short- too hot in Summer and Winter they need layering. Wool tights used to be fine under them but! All of a sudden this year they are extremely tight and too uncomfortable to wear they are very tight at the calf. and of course a bitch to button. So what to do. So I decided I would alter them by inserting a colorful material to add 2 inches. Like a brocade. Haven't gotten that far yet and haven't even cut them- but this is how they compare. bummer

after all is said and done- Levis may be sexier but Lees are more consistent. Especially the pockets lined with black material.

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YARN: Helix knitting pattern

 well, I like working this pattern. One way is to start off with all colors and then just switch rows and colors as you go

That is this, which is almost done. It will be either a neck warmer or a doubled up hat for bad weather

Then the traditional pattern the way it is supposed to be done.

I have a batch of small amounts of fingering or sock yarn- very thin. A lot of it. I was going to do an illusion scarf but not enough colors to pull that off. So I started to just knit one color and got to 6-8 inches and pulled it all out thinking it was too dull. yikes.

So I refreshed my memory and started the traditional way using 3 colors to start. Cast on 72 stitches and work in the round knit 2 purl 2 for about an inch using one color. Then add a color at 24 stitches then add the 3rd color at the next 24 stitches. That went along fine sort of until this morning when my hand jerked and dropped 2 stitches. Well ordinarily I would pick up the stitches but this went into another colors and I ended up ripping it all out yet again. I will do an illusion after all it just won't be an illusion- it will be strips of color and fuck it if no one has a sense of humor about it LOL

Here's what got ripped out.

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I will see if I can remember to post what the first one looks like when finished!

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December 13 2020 

completed neck warmer

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SEW: Mask making- see December post

 November 17 2020

Back in March it was mandated that everyone should wear a mask in public if you could not social distance- and definitely wear one inside in a business like grocery store.

Since I only have the truck for transportation on Saturdays and Sundays I scrambled around in here for materials to use to make my own. Also the fun of researching ways to make a mask was interesting.

The rules seems to change weekly but I see this as a forever thing. Many people still do not wear the mask correctly and have their nose showing. And numbers climb still.

so starting at the last one yesterday. In making this mask the needle on the sewing machine broke. Also ran out of bobbin thread and the bobbin winder, a separate machine, malfunctioned and I had to rewind from THAT bobbin to another because the red on off button stuck. I never ends.

Broken needle- in 60 years of sewing this was a first!

The mask- promise I am smiling behind it.

so Just realized I have not taken a photo of the "pattern" I cut out for the latest designs- that will wait for another sunny day!

First two I made were using material left over from me making a quilt from old blue jeans and colorful squares. Most pieces were too small I needed 12 inches by at least 9 inches.. But these two were fine with self made ties and I wore them over and over for at least 7 months straight.

I experimented with cotton flannel baby blankets- they were nice and soft on the face- same as using t shirt material but so hard to breath with them on. Also I was running out of ribbon ( thought I had an endless supply) and strips of material long enough. Needed 15 inches if attached at ends and needed 4 for each mask. Or a strip of cloth 40 inches long  if attached at top and bottom of a mask.

So those were not practical unless I want to suffocate

Went on amazon looking for bandannas. Not all are created equal as I soon found out. They got here quickly as did the incense I ordered at the same time. But the yarn ( for a separate project) and purple ribbon took longer to get here. As soon as all was as it should be I made some masks. I washed the material thoroughly and ironed it before using. The bandannas are NOTHING like the ones I have that I bought in person either at Baker's Hardware in South Chatham or AC Moore in Hyannis ( no longer in existence). The bandannas are thin and poor quality and they smell weird. Even after being washed. So what is left over is for neck kerchiefs only. and the colors and patterns were nothing like the photo shown on amazon. good grief. But here are the 4 I made. oh and the ribbon was a mistake that does not stay tied. ho hum- but love the purple.

So then in September or October I forget when I went to Joann's Fabrics in person and bought sample quiltpacks- which is what I call the 18x18 inch squares they sell for less than 2 bucks each. Then I stood in line behind  2 people together that were buying what seemed like craft supplies for an entire year if not a lifetime of things to be cut. I needed the bolt of cotton and a bolt of purple fleece cut. More to this story but I will not get into that again. Just suffice it to say- stores should have someone pop in and help especially during covid times and pick up the slack so an old fuck like me is not standing for 20-30 minutes.

phew

these are what I made with those supplies. pleated designs.

Then bored with the pleats as they are heavy on my face I searched youtube for a form fit pattern. Link below

Mask pattern form fit

link to youtube pattern needs some tweaking but eventually I will get it right :)

hope this works- blog no longer allows to test first!

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YARN: Knit wind catchers

 I have done this for a few years with various results. I knit icords with either 3 or 4 stitches to a length of at least 12 inches. shorter ones are just using up weird scraps. But that is the purpose - to use up yarn and add color to life. I did one multi colored purple one that was at least 60 inches long. Fun!

So these are photos of them. They cling to the rough cedar wood siding of the building.

The one hanging from light fixture has buttons and beads at the end and make quite a racket in a storm.

new one hung to the left of kitchen door. Looks unsure what to do LOL

They do finally catch on to what they are to do- we have plenty of wind here.

December 27 2020

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SEW-Mask making 2020- see December post

 Finally got to Hyannis, I was searching for precut 100% cotton material. Found some in Joann's and some purple polar fleece. Got 2 spools of thread and that was it. Wash the material and finally found time and the light was right and the bobbin winder in the machine stopped working. I HAND WOUND what I thought was enough to complete a mask. wrong oh well.

Here are some pix. Ended up finding a bobbin winder online from Joann and ordered it and they send an email saying they will hold it three day. How generous of them It is a 50 mile round trip and I get the use of the truck Saturdays and Sundays. Pick up closes before I would be able to get down there even if I cleaned the truck some night after the work day and went. So spoke with "chat" and she said they would email me. And if I check on line before I leave to make sure it is there . Well I am going down there anyhow to pick up an Instant Pot at Macy's and if the bobbin winder is not there I will let them know how I feel.

so tired. but really cute patterns.

so then the constructing as much as I could do. I did the pleats like they say and find them uncomfortable so the next one I will make like I have the other two I wear all the time.

more later as it progresses!

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oops November 17 2020 post covers this somewhat LOL

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looks like I should take pix of the masks I have made- oh well. I saw a youtube video on how to make a form fitting mask- you have to cut out a pattern.

SEW- Wool sweaters into a blanket

 August 27 2020

Started this today. Weather cooled. So I decided to take the 3 sweaters I have had hanging off the backs of chairs as draft prevention and cut them up. The 3 sweaters are washed and shrunk worn out and can no longer be worn. So I plan on cutting each into 5 inch squares. Laying out a design and machine sewing them together. We will see. First one was so linty I had to go outside and then my hand gave out from cutting and I attracted wasps! Photos later

5 inch square on top there

I have to remind myself that this project does not get done overnight. Take my time.ha ha.

Squares cut up completed for the "fancy" sweater oh my was that linty- had to do it out on the deck.smaller squares will be used as accents on plain squares.

Finished cutting up the red sweater December 30 2020

January 1 2021 

finally finished cutting out the squares from the three sweaters.

July 22 2021

Weather cooled and I finally got around to clearing off harvest table and arranging the sweater pieces into a pattern. I have some leftover. Next is to sew them together using the machine.

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September 23 2021

Adventures in Small appliance repairs today. LOOOONG

Working on this project with sewing machine I kind of thought I was "pushing it" with the thickness of the wool pieces. Some were flat some were nubby. That should be a clue. Stitching merrily along all of a sudden the slide plate that covers the bobbin tray loosens and will not stay down. Get that graphite grease everywhere. ugh I google every imaginable description with no results. Then just youtube search "slide plate" and up comes a video of a guy repairing and demonstration a vintage machine etc. I listen to him then realize I need to use a screw driver to  lift a clip under there and then the sides will catch in a rim. Okay.

Back to stitching merrily along and a loud "clank" noise. uh oh did the needle break? no. I take it apart and try to move things manually and it seems to hit metal occasionally. I groan and figure the timing is off. Seriously I do not want to get that involved but I will check youtube and see if it is an easy fix. Then it appears to work again and 3 seconds later the CLANK again and the needle breaks. I needed a break anyhow to fix supper. So while that was cooking I was checking out a new machine at JoAnn's a heavy duty one. I will be doing more fat wool work and I work on denim and hate the denim presser foot I have. So.... 

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thinking of getting new machine Singer heavy duty 4411. with a walking foot I hope I remember that detail

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well machine did malfunction got new machine and it won't sew in that so far so. but had sewn together some and then found they were in the wrong order- had to rip stitches, This is what the new layout looks like

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Had to re pin. I am now halfway through sewing together the 5th row with 5 more rows to go! Seems like forever but I can only do one row a day. If that

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started out sewing with yarn and that was too tough to pull through- switched to sewing with old bobbin thread on old bobbins!

re-threading the needle at least 6 times each row is a bummer!

LOL

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November 1 2021

Still needs some details but the squares are sewn together

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close up of hand stitching of the squares. I changed stitches according to how easy it was to handle.

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