The Knit Geek

Trying to get back into my crafting mode, so I have an Etsy shop which is sad at the moment. However, I did just add my first knit FO of the season for sale! It is just a girl’s scarf, but I love it. If it were longer, I may have been tempted to keep it myself.

I plan on finishing a few more, and maybe making some fingerless gloves for my son, who lost one of his and is completely up in arms about the prospect of wearing *GASP* regular gloves! I also have a ton of sewing patterns to purge from my stash, which I will also add to Etsy in the upcoming week. Stay tuned!

I have been researching how to alter patterns, and came across these alteration ‘classes’ which so far seem pretty helpful. I am working on the sleeve alteration techniques, and it seems okay so far. I will post when I have a completely finished product.

They even have classes on altering patterns for maternity clothes, and plus size childrens’ clothing. Happy sewing!!

…sewing or blogging!

It’s so frustrating, but I know if I set my mind to it, I can get through some fall stuff.

I am most stuck on altering my patterns. I want to sew for myself SO badly, but I either get a perfect fit everywhere but the sleeves, or the top is huge and the sleeves are perfect. ARGH! I also can’t use my finally perfected skirt pattern, as I have lost a ton of weight and it doesn’t fit anymore.

Woe is me…

So we have a new forum. It is geared towards sewing, however it’s open to crafty, punky parents in general. It looks kind of cutesy, but I really want this to be fringe Mamas and Papas. Not too right wing, and definitely not conservative. Think Craftster for parents.

Come check us out at the new forum!

One of my resolutions this year is to get back on track with all of my assorted sites. Also, I plan on reducing my fabric buying, and even making and selling some boys’ items. And as always, to lose weight!

I want to sell some of my stash too, so if anyone needs any boy type knits or flannels, let me know!

So I have a ginormous fabric stash, but it always seems like I don’t have the very basic fabrics that I want (or need). Currently I am looking for red knit fabric – jersey, interlock, whatever – and I really don’t want to have to buy more fabric. So I wonder if there is anyone out there that has some to spare (I would like a yard or two if possible), for a trade of some fancier fabric. I have several toiles, suiting fabrics, cotton prints, quilters cottons, etc. I obviously can’t post all that I would be willing to trade, but if you are interested, just shoot me a comment on what exactly you might trade for, whether it be a particular style, color family, etc., and we can work on it from there.

And on the subject of trading, I wonder how many people would like to try and start up a fabric swap on a regular basis? I would certainly be interested in trying to set it up if there were enough interest. After all, we all love fabric!

So I was excited to find an email from Denver Fabrics with a bunch of coupon codes that are running right now. I thought I would share with the class!

• 10% off anything in the store
  Coupon Code: 10%AFFAUG
  Expires: September 30, 2007
• Free Shipping with any order over $50.00
  Coupon Code: FREESHIPAFF
  Expires: September 30, 2007
• 25% off Dancewear (excluding faux fur, ultrasuede, and velvet)
  Coupon Code: DANCE25%AFF
  Expires: September 30, 2007

I noticed that right now they have some yummy fabrics on clearance for $1.98 a yard too! Enjoy!

I spotted this article, written by Holly Burnham, at Search Warp. Not only can I personally relate to her story, but I was attracted to her beautiful, tongue-in-cheek writing style. I am a sucker for well written prose.

I wrote to her and asked if I could reprint her beautiful words here, and she graciously gave her permission.

Enjoy!

I Am a Knitting Addict by Holly Burnham

If you are a passionate knitter; you know who you are…..you are the person who, just for a fleeting second, wonder if it might be worth taking your knitting into the bathroom with you instead of a magazine. You are also the person who feels a smidgen guilty you spend too much time fondling yarn.

Recently there was a topic thread on a knitting forum I visit asking how much time we all spend knitting every day. I lied. It was a forum; I didn’t know any one personally on it….and I lied. I believe I recorded a quarter of the time I actually do knit every day. That was a clear cry for help.

That was also the day I started to think about my knitting passion and how it affects my life.

I am lucky enough to be a stay at home wife. My children are grown and have homes of their own, so I also have a lot more free time than I have had at any other point in my life.

You might think my house is clean, orderly and well run; that I make a point of keeping in touch with good friends; spend time nurturing my relationship with my children and projecting the essence of grandmothering onto my eight grandchildren by making and sending them cookies as a treat. You’d think my husband would be greeted by a delicious home cooked meal every night when he came home from work and that my gardens are visual delights for neighbors who stroll by my home. You’d think……but……I knit. I knit all the time. When I’m not knitting I’m reading about knitting, or I’m in knitting chat rooms talking about knitting. [...]

How to Knit Invisible Stitches – Grafting by Karen Lonergan Karens Variety

I will be trying her instructions when I finish my son’s sweater. I have had the hardest time getting this right!

Okay, many people will read this and say, “So what?”, but here goes.

Yesterday I was itching to work on my sewing pile, but I wasn’t sure what ‘big’ project I wanted to work on, so I started in on the little tailoring, touch-up stuff. Hubby’s dress slacks have sat on my work table for about 3 months, needing to be refit around the waist, and to have the hems let down. I refit the waist (twice, since it wouldn’t lay properly the first time, pushing me into mutterings of cursing fit for a drunken pirate), and then I ripped the old hems. I ironed out the old creases, pressed in the new hem, and sat at my machine.

I knew that these fancy pants deserved better than my usual straight stitch, but I had tried my blind hem stitch several times before, and ended up damn near throwing the machine out the window each time. Then I remembered the dusty pages printed out a couple months ago, from a link recommended by someone on Craftster. I dug through my binder and there they were. After carefully reading through, I gave it a whirl. Could it really be THAT easy after all my failed attempts? It sure was. I successfully hemmed both legs in an attractive, unobtrusive manner. EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

And now, for those of you too proud to admit you are as clueless about blind stitch hemming as I was, here’s my secret weapon.;-)