June's Charity Project

I mentioned before that I loved the sock pattern I used in May, so I went with the same designer for June's project: a baby sweater. The pattern is here. The construction is very simple -top down, knit in the round, so there's minimal finishing at the end, which I love. It doesn't use a lot of complicated stitches - just stockinette and garter - but uses those simple techniques to create a sophisticated-looking final product.

baby cardi

I picked up the very cute buttons at a local yarn store here in lovely Middlebury, Vermont, where I am passing my summer as a teacher in the language schools. All this teaching is really cutting into my knitting time...but I still have some of this yarn left and that sweater really needs a hat to match!

 Haven't decided where this should get donated yet...any suggestions?

Summertime...and the livin' is easy?

Greetings from Vermont!

Summertime brings me to a new place...sadly, a place without a sewing machine and with only a very small very slow computer. But, I am going to try to keep crafting nonetheless.


I hope you will excuse the photography (it's poor even by my standards) and the backdrop of my dismal dorm room...but I wanted to share this because I am so proud of myself!

This is actually the third dress I have made from the same pattern, but I think this one is my favorite. My grandma guided me  through the first one, and she has been helping me with the hemming (because how do you hem a dress you are wearing?)The best part is, the fabric for this one only cost me FOUR DOLLARS!!! How great is that? (Thanks to Carole Ann for showing me the best place to get fabric!!!)

I have also picked out some other patterns to try...but it will have to wait until I get home again in August! I rarely find dresses that I love or that fit me exactly right in stores, so I am happy to do some experimenting.

Happy summer to all!

Look what I made!

Yesterday, I tried to put a zipper into a dress I've been working on.

I put it in. Realized it hadn't gone in right. Took it out. Ripped about a billion stitches.

And then needed a reassuringly simple project, to make me feel better about the hours I had spent accomplishing nothing.

So I made one of these!

~grocery bag!~

 But the best part is, it folds up into this!

~all folded up!~

Tutorial here. This was cute, fun, and easy. I'm thinking they would make great little gifts - you could keep one in your purse for an unexpected shopping trip!

Now, I'm going to try and put that zipper in. Wish me luck!

The end of sock month!

~socks everywhere!~

May was sock month, and I knitted six tiny pairs (and one slightly larger pair). It reminded me how much I like knitting socks, and I got so I could do a baby pair without thinking about it too much. I also played around with different heel and toe methods, which was fun, and learned to do a three-needle bindoff (which isn't really very hard, but I had never done it before, so I can add a new technique to my repetoire).

I found that I really liked this pattern (shown above), with a cute garter ridge detail in front and back. I liked the pattern so much that I'm going to go with another pattern by the same designer for June's project, this baby sweater. The socks will be going to a charity very close to home: Sowing Seeds, which provides new and gently used clothing to local residents in need.

I am anxious to show off the results of my sewing lessons with Grandma, but I haven't gotten the chance to take good pictures yet. Soon, soon!