My Latest Freestyle Sweater - Riddari!

Freestyle knitting is my favourite kind. The kind where you have an idea, you work out some numbers and get knitting.....not even sure about the end, just sure you want to start it.

My favourite sequence of doing this means that there is time to make the decisions. It gives you space to begin the knitting without fear or worrying. You go in with an "it'll all work out in the end" sense of freedom. 

The process.

Let me tell you a little about the process. It's very simple but the order is key.
Step 1: First I always start at the bottom and knit up, knitting the body first.
Step 2: Then I provisionally cast on for the sleeves so that I can knit the yoke next.
Step 3: Finally I knit the sleeves.

Nice a-line belly slouch part which doesn't stick to the middle.

The reason for this plan is that

1. Even if I haven't finalised the design of the sweater when I start I know how I like my sweaters to fit around my belly. I like them loose and I like them aline. I have sweaters I've made and sweaters I've purchased that I can get measurements from. So that's a great place to start.
2. It gives me time to think about how I want the yoke to look and also to get an idea of how the yarn looks knit up over a bigger piece of fabric than my swatch.
3. Knitting freestyle means that you are often unsure of how deep the yoke will end up being. This can massively affect the sleeve length - the longer the yoke the longer the sleeve - and this can be annoying as there really is a perfect sweater sleeve length for each individual sweater. They can only tell you this when you try them on with the yoke knitted up.

As an aside, I normally knit the sleeves flat. For me this is always faster. Knitting tiny tubes is an acquired taste and one I don't have.  As Ms. Templer said to me on instagram the other day after seeing my half-done flat-sleeved photo #flatsleevesforever. Word.

In the case of my Riddari, my plan was not to make Riddari at all. I had some new yarn burning a hole in my cupboard and I really wanted to make a colourwork sweater. I wasn't sure what exactly but I knew that I wanted my favourite a-line sweater shape with a split hem.

So late one night, at about 11pm, I accidentally cast on. I knew my gauge as I'd already swatched, and so away I went.

But then after I did the bands - it might have been about 1am by this stage (on a school night but I was in the flow) - I decided that my bands weren't actually wide enough to make the sweater a-line enough. Nae bother. I just added a little panel of 8 stitches in either side - the kind of decision that you don't actually make. You are in the flow of the project and things just happen. Little panel it was.

I went to bed. Eventually.

I knitted the body over the next few days, getting up to the underarms and had big plans to knit a yoke I'd sketched out while I was knitting. It did not work which I talked about in the post the other day. So I ripped it without pain or remorse and looked to Riddari. I had already purchased the Riddari as I was thinking about making it (because it is an almost perfect yoke) so I just subbed in the pattern.

The added advantage of getting the first yoke so wrong, was that I got to try the sweater on as I had the whole thing off the needles just before I ripped out the yoke. This lead me to realise that I needed some short rows to raise the back of the neck up. This was a simple process - I think I did 6 short rows in total, and the whole thing sat much better.

After the short rows I knitted a single round to alter my stitch count by about 4, so that the total number of stitches I had, was a multiple of 8 stitches (what the Riddari chart is). And then play on.

The beautiful Riddari yoke, breaks a couple of Elizabeth Zimmerman's rules about colourwork. In the one instance you were using three yarn colours in a single row AND there is a also a row where you have floats longer than 5 stitches. Another no no according to the lovely Elizabeth but for a yoke this pretty who cares. A bit of awkwardness (for the three yarns) is a small price to pay.

I knitted the sleeves top down and played yarn chicken with the caramel. The pattern on the arms were added as I ran out. A happy accident that for me made the sweater that bit prettier.

Now there are some issues with the whole freestyle thing in this case. I made a bit of mistake. I didn't make it wide enough under the arms and therefore it has a bit of side-boob-pull. I'm probably the only person who will notice - other than you lot as I've pointed it out. Also the fact that the main yarn is caramel and I did all of the decreases in one round and for some reason decided to do one in the front middle of the arm. Nice work Felicia? And then there is the weird little panel on the sides. A decision made in the middle of the night that maybe wasn't my best. I'm not sure I'm a big fan of what is known as the "weird little panel". It's too little to look right. But it's there and the sweater is done so hey.

Weird side boob stretch area.

Weird side panel.

How I do headless? A palette cleanser shot to make you remember how pretty the sweater is - sideboobissues aside.

Overall though the freestyle is what made this sweater. I couldn't have dreamed it up as it was the knitting itself that told me what the sweater should look like. A classic case of freestyle knitting luck.

A beautiful pattern and a super fun knit.

Felicia x

PS. I heard from a woman on instagram that she had just begun freestyling after seeing my last freestyle post. If you felt like trying a freestyle top-down sweater then the Fringe and Friends KAL this year is the perfect place to start. The KAL starts today. I'm hoping to join in.

PPS. And we have some top down freestyle classes in Country Vic and in the Southern Highlands if you fancy learning some skills with the very talented Anna Maltz (and me) next month. :)

Me Made May Giveaway

As promised today I have one of my almost-unworn Me Mades to giveaway. This here is the gorgeous Alice Dress/Top. This one is made from a Nani Iro double gauze*.

I adore this top in theory however sadly for me I just don't wear it as it doesn't feel like me. That said this top looks great on every other person that has made it. Go and have a look here to see other versions to see if it's something you want to put your hand up for.

It would suit bust sizes from 32-38-ish inches and I'm happy to post it anywhere in the world. Just leave a comment with what you love about Alice and I will pick someone on Friday.

Edited to add: If you are novice sewer looking to start sewing your own tops - like Alice - then have a look at our Simple Sewing 101 series! It's written just for you. x

Enjoy.

Felicia x

*It has been made on a home sewing machine without an overlocker so all seams are finished with a zigzag :).

Me Made May 2016

Most of you I'm sure know of Me Made May. If you don't then head over here and take a look.

My take on it is that this little handmade community of ours comes together to elevate and celebrate our handmade wardrobes, whether we are just at the start of making our #handmadewardrobe or like me we have been at it for a few years.

I took part last year - but I didn't plan to this year as I'm a little dis-trac-ted! But as I wear handmade nearly every day then I just started taking snaps. Last year I was religious about my photo taking but this year well life isn't working quite like that. And I don't think it matters.

The point is to celebrate what it is that we do. We make stuff! With our hands and our hearts! As a community! It's super.

This last year I have only made a few extra bits and pieces to fill some gaps - like a few Lou Box Tops and my Annie Dress but the consciousness raising that is the month of Me Made May has made realise that there are a few handmade pieces that I do not wear. Like ever. They don't feel like me, even though I love them.

Normally I give those kinds of garments away to my girlfriends, but as this one won't fit any of them due to boob/shoulder size, then if you pop back tomorrow I'll take a photo and give it away to one of you lot. It's pretty special - Nani Iro! :) I just thought it might be a nice way to celebrate Me Made May.

And as an aside if you aren't yet sewing your own clothes but think you might like to then head on over and have a look at our Simple Sewing 101 series. Many a newbie sewer has got started using Simple Sewing and I love watching your tops pop up on Instagram.

Join in over on instagram. I find it truly inspiring every year and often find people and patterns I had never heard of.

Felicia x

PS. If you are interested in popping back in for the top then I have a bust size of about 35/36". You would need to be similar to make use of it.

Slow Fashion October: Loved

I've had a really hard time posting this week, and I think it's because I've had too much going on in my head. Too much that I'm struggling to uncurl; too many thoughts about slow fashion, what it means, and why it means something. Actually that isn't entirely true. I've written the posts but they just aren't readable. They are like looking into someone's head.... Slow fashion is such an interesting topic.

This week's theme though is easy for me. Loved. I've written in the past about both the things I'm going to show you today. But in essence it is the outfit below. I've worn it over and over again. They both makes me feel good. And that's what I really want out of clothing - things that make me feel good. Things that make me feel like me. 

The outfit I love! Wacky iPhone photo colouring...

They are both really simple - simple patterns made with beautiful quality materials. Materials that in both cases have lasted and on a per wear basis would now be tiny. And both of them were altered by me to give me a fit that suited my style and shape.

The cardigan pattern is Vitamin D by Heidi Kiirmaier  and all my alterations can be found on Ravelry here. Simple alterations that made it more Me-like, so flap-less. And I can't talk about this cardy without talking about the yarn. This is by far my favourite yarn in terms of longevity and wear. And it feels beautiful. Silky and Soft. It is called Old Maiden Aunt Alpaca Silk and is a blend of 80% alpaca and 20% silk. It's a handpainted, semi-solid that looks as good today as it did when I made it. Crazy but true. And it cost me about $75 AUD. 

Photo taken in May.

The dress pattern is the Wiksten Tank Dress by Jenny Gordy made from a seasonal Liberty print. Based on the fact that I used just over a metre then it cost me about $40AUD. It's per wear cost would be minuscule. I used the arse adjustment alteration I mention in the Simple Sewing 101 post here. I wear it over jeans generally which you can see in the photo at the top with my women.

What is pretty random about this outfit (that means that I actually know how long I've had it for) is that I was wearing it when my partner asked me to marry him four-ish years ago*. A totally out of the blue event, as we had been together for ten years already (and three kids :)), so to me it was just an everyday evening at the park with the kids. This lovely fact means unlike most things in my wardrobe I know that I've owned them for at least that long as there is a photo!

I can't wait to read all your stories. I have the feeling this week will be a little sentimental.

Felicia x 

*It was our sometime around our ten year anniversary. 

I Made This - Anna Maltz

I Made This is a weekly blog series that features makers from around the world and aims to talk about the things we are proud of; of the objects we make that have meaning to us and the journey we take to make them.

This week's amazing guest is Anna Maltz from the UK. I first came across her on instagram and if you don't follow her already you really should. She has an eye for sweaters and I find her feed inspiring in a think-outside-the-box kind of way. And I love that! And her project today is a perfect example of that - one-of-a-kind genius.... and so with that, I'll hand over to Anna.

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This is the dress I wear when I teach knitting classes – it simplifies the dilemma of what to wear and puts my money where my mouth is. It’s an odd uniform in that there isn’t anything uniform about it. Each sleeve is different, ‘cause why not? In fact, I knitted it for myself in 2013 as a reward and respite from knitting the same handful of accessory patterns I had designed and used to teach the 25 amazing women with whom I formed Ricefield Collective. http://ricefieldcollective.org/.

Though I am often asked, there isn’t a pattern for this dress and there won’t be. I made it up as I went along. I say ‘often’, but not as frequently as people point out that knitting colourwork in cotton (which has less stretch than wool therefore requiring more tension regulating on the part of the knitter) is the preserve of wizards, crazy people and the anally retentive (cheers). The luxury of this dress was to make a one-off thing for me. An interlude from the responsibility of planning and keeping track that is necessary when preparing a pattern to be published.

I did do a little maths before I started. The body is 260 stitches round, which, beyond fitting me, divides by 4, 5 and 10. By decreasing 1 to 259, it’s divisible by 7. By adding 1 to make 261, it becomes divisible by 9. By decreasing 2, to 258, it divides by 6. By adding 4 or decreasing 4, it is divisible by 8. Using a number like that allowed me the flexibility to insert all sorts of patterns as the mood took me. It reduced the need for advance planning, because chances were, I could make whatever motif I fancied fit. The same went for the yoke: I used 384 stitches, because that is divisible by 4 and 6 and is 1 away from a multiple of 5 – you get the idea.

Knitting in the round avoids needing to sew anything together or do colourwork from the purl side, both of which I am not overly fond of. It’s worked from the bottom up, because I prefer decreases for yoke shaping  (as opposed to increases which you use when working from the top down). I made up a cast on involving 2 colours. I was on a 12hour flight from Manila to London and wanted to get cracking without access to how-too videos or my extensive library of knitting books. It wasn’t totally what I’d imagined, but it was something else good. I cast on 520sts - double the number I wanted for the body of the dress. I thought that would be enough stitches to create a big ruffle at the bottom. It wasn’t, there’s just a little flurry. Quadrupling the stitches would mean each round taking an obscenely long time to knit – well over an hour, so I won’t be casting that on any time soon.  

Shaping? There isn’t any. Why add a whole other layer of calculations and risks? Looking at the majority of amazing coloured and patterned clothing from around the world – saris, sarongs, huipiles, dashiki, kobo blankets, you name it; they are basically right-angled shapes with minimal sewing, often even using uncut lengths of cloth. The pattern is the focus. Enough shape comes from being draped on a body. If I feel the need to prove I have a waist, I put on a belt.  

The 4ply/fingering weight cotton came from my stash and my mother’s (so potentially also my grandmother’s). Between us we have so many nice crafting ingredients, I try not to buy more. When I design, I have to use current colours and yarns, which means my personal stash really languishes. It was an extra treat to work from it. Since it felt like I was winging it with no pattern or plan and therefore no guarantee of success, I picked my least favourite colours: ones I wanted to use up first. It’s scary committing your favourites to a project – once used they lose all their amazing potential which is a big part of their beauty. The funny thing is, I really like how it came out. The palette has now been working its way into other parts of my wardrobe and life.

Anna's new pattern Solja for kids and Solja for adults.

Projects like this are so important for me – they are experimental playtime, all about practice and learning. Who knows where they lead. In this case the floral yoke became the yoke of my Solja sweater, first published in PomPom Quarterly magazine http://www.pompommag.com/ last year. And now I’ve added kids sizes too  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mini-solja