Saturday 16 April 2016

Waiting for the Warmer Weather

It's April, and don't you just feel that it should be a bit warmer outside?  Apart from one sunny day this week, I don't feel particularly drawn to the great outdoors yet.  I did venture out to eventually cut the grass for the first time this year - guilt had got the better of me, and it desperately needed doing.

So it's been a quiet indoors week (although I love the indoors and love the luxury of not having to venture out if I don't want to).  I'm hoping to get these socks off the needles today.


Aren't they lovely and colourful?

As part of my stash busting blitz, I gathered together all my bits of aran weight yarn and decided to make them up into a Sophie's Universe blanket.


The colours aren't very inspiring, but I don't knit with aran weight yarn very often, so I wanted to clear the stash completely of these pesky bits and pieces.

I didn't have enough to do a full Sophie's universe, you can see the one I made last year, here.  Instead I kept the central square shape and just added as many borders as I could.  I like the effect, the colour combinations work quite well, even the hot pink and bright red work well together - they give it a jewel-like colour scheme.



It's just the right size for a lap blanket. so I have it by my side on the sofa, ready to throw it over my legs when it goes chilly in the evenings.


So that's a very welcome reduction to the stash of 650g.

Last week I popped into Liverpool and bought some fabric to make up a "proper" version of the Dottie Angel Dress (you can see my prototype, bedsheet version, here).  From the prototype I had learned that the armholes on the pattern are quite deep, so I adjusted for this.  Also the point at which the ties are attached to the dress were a little high.  I needed to lower the point of attachment to allow for my more mature, gravity affected body!  This time I also wanted to make a two colour version.

And it all went well, I didn't bother with the patch pockets, but I did add pockets in the side seams.


This will be a lovely comfortable dress to wear, when (or maybe, if) the weather gets warmer.



I also bought more fabric for one of my other favourite dress patterns - because you can never go into a fabric and haberdashery shop and only buy what you went in for!  Maybe later this month I'll get started on that one.

For now, I'm back to my socks - and then there's the shawl, the cardigan, the crochet square etc etc etc.  Don't you just love being surrounded by so much craftiness!  Have a good weekend.

14 comments:

  1. I like the dots and flower combination on your dress. Very Cath Kidson! I bet the Aran colours will look great together.

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  2. Looking at the yarns I wouldn't have guessed that they would come together so beautifully! The two tones give the dress a neat effect, it looks kinda like a tunic over a skirt :-D

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    1. Thank you Iesadora. Despite the unpromising colours in the pile of yarn, I think it worked out well.

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  3. Sounds like a fun weekend, love the arran lap blanket beautiful. The weather here is grim to say the least, temperatures have dropped and it is rain , rain and more rain perfect to sit in doors with a craft project.

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    1. Since writing this post, the sun has come out here, but it's still very windy. Have a good weekend Lorraine with your craft projects.

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  4. Love the dress and love the colour of the new socks. Hope you are well x

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    1. Thank you Joy, I hope you and all your family are well.

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  5. It sounds like you have a lovely crafty weekend planned. I'm hoping to make a dress tomorrow xx

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    1. I hope you enjoy your dress making. I look forward to seeing the results.

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  6. I have that pattern and the fabric for it but I am too chicken to make it yet. I am afraid it will be a disaster, you know me and sewing, we don't get along.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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    1. I would Definitely recommend getting some cheap fabric and having a trial run. It's so much easier making it the second time.

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  7. Those socks are going to be lovely Janet, my poor sock is still waiting to be finished. It's freezing here we even had snow today ridiculous, I Managed to cut my grass too last week on the one nice day we had. Well done on busting so much Aran stash your baby Sophie is so pretty. You have been busy making a dress too it's lovely. Have a great weekend. :) xx

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    1. Thank you Linda. I'm definitely on a mission with this stash busting.

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