Twinkle temptation

I've had a mild obsession about Twinkle knitwear since I first came across her book, Big City Knits, about a year ago. The sweaters look amazing on the models, and I adore big, soft yarn and texture (as evidenced in the previous post about the giant knit rug). Match made in heaven, right? Maybe, but maybe not. The patterns in Big City Knits get rather mixed reviews due to the limited size range, errors in the patterns, and the fact that extra chunky sweaters aren't exactly figure-flattering.

I'm currently trying to decide if I want to invest in some yarn to make this:


The pattern is available for free on the Canadian Living website. I've seen a lot of people make this one, and sometimes it looks really cute. I don't really like it buttoned up all the way--but I have never seen a picture of someone wearing it unbuttoned. This makes me nervous--does it only work if you button it? Also worrisome is the fact that I always seems to like the sweater best in photos of the sweater itself--as opposed to on the person who made it. All of this adds up to my logical mind telling me to move on to a more flattering pattern. But that yarn! Oh, and those giant cables! Can I really resist? I think I can get some sale yarn and make a version of this sweater for $25...maybe its worth it? I'm thinking it would look great in a pale purple. If anyone out there reading this has an opinion, please leave a comment!

Veggie Paella

I went to a dinner party with a Spanish theme a few weeks ago. They served sangria, tapas, and paella. They were even kind enough to make a small veggie paella for me. Paella is one of those dishes that I really enjoy, but rarely think about. The party got me thinking about it again, so last night I pulled out my own recipe to give it another shot.


It came out pretty well--chock full of vegetables, chickpeas and rice. It's quite a nice, healthy meal for a winter night. I used a recipe from VegWeb by Curtis Aikens. I just happened to have a bit of saffron left over from a stay in India a few years ago. Despite it's age, it was actually still very flavorful and colorful. Apparently saffron strands will keep for several years if stored in a dark, air-tight container.


And speaking of the container--I love it. It's lime green, about 1.5 inches tall and features Hindu deities. I'll be keeping this one.

Resist dyed fabric

Oi! It's been a very long time since my last post. For those of you still in school, or who remember those days, you'll understand that the time between Thanksgiving and the Winter holidays is difficult. Luckily, the end is in sight! I finished my independent study on resist dyeing techniques, and have been putting my project binder together. It includes 55 pages filled with fabric swatches and library research on resist dyeing in Africa, India, Japan, and Indonesia. Last weekend I set up an indigo vat by myself for the first time. It took a little trial and error, but in the end I got good results for my starch resists. I found a very detailed indigo vat tutorial online here, for those of you who might like to try this someday. I would suggest setting it up outside or perhaps in a basement or garage. It's messy, and not something you want near anything you care about or might eat.

Here are a few images of some of the textiles I made:

Board clamped resist

Starch resisted king

Starch resisted elephant

I hope to make a triumphant return to sewing in January. I have this Burda dress on queue, as well as this Burda skirt. My Demi sweater is now almost half finished, and looking great!

Mmmm....fabric!

I just got this lovely fabric in the mail from Sheree! She really has an eye for fabric combinations. Check out her new store--especially if you live in Europe and like to support individuals rather than big fabric stores.

As for me, I've been terribly busy with school work--it's getting to that stressful time of year where many large projects are due. I haven't had any time for sewing--despite the several projects that are ready to be cut. Demi is progressing at the rate of several rows a day. I'm almost up to the arm shaping on the back piece. Perhaps I'll finish in February or so...

In the mean time, I'm still working on resist dyeing techniques. I haven't photographed much of my shibori yet (some came out quite nicely). But here is the starch resist pattern I was printing this weekend. It's a Nigerian king taken from a lovely book on African Textiles. I hope to get an indigo vat going next weekend.

Flocks

I came across this website a few months ago, and was blown away. If you haven't see it yet, please do check it out. I desperately want one of the giant cabled rugs. I feel like my new sweater might be somewhat inspired by this project. Can you imagine what a single bobble would look like on that scale?!

All images courtesy of www.theseflocks.com.

Demi in progress

I started to knit "Demi" from the book Vintage Knits. I've been slightly obsessed with bobbles ever since I saw a friend knitting them a few years ago. I just love that texture! This is my first time knitting cables, bobbles, and from a chart. It's a nice challenge--but not something I could easily knit while talking. So far it's coming out very well:

I'm using the cream-colored Lamb's Pride yarn that I recycled from a previous sweater. It's not really ideal for such detailed work. The yarn varies a fair amount in its diameter, so some sections look imperfect--but I think overall it will have a nice effect.

Patterns, anyone?

I'm pairing down my possessions bit by bit. Would anyone have use for any of the following patterns?

Vogue 8392, cut for a size 8 (31.5" bust, but fits loosely)
McCall's 5317, cut for a size 10 (32.5" bust, 36" bust measurement on finished garment)
Simplicity 4111, cut for a size 12 (34" bust, 37.5 bust measurement on finished garment)

If you would like a pattern, please leave a comment with the pattern number and your email, so I can contact you for your mailing address. No charge, just pass on some good cheer to someone else as payment.