<title> 2010 August</title> > the Craftorialist

Quick unpick

31st August, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Yarn winder

When unpicking a crocheted or knitted project, a yarn winder comes in very handy. Not just because it's quick and neat, but because you finish with a ball from which you can pull the yarn from the centre. This is much easier than unwinding from the outside, because the ball doesn't roll around and go all over the place while you're working. The only drawback can be that pulling the yarn from the centre adds a very slight extra twist to the yarn, but this rarely matters. 99.99% of my projects aren't sensitive to such a thing. Unpicking usually requires a yarn needle, or something similar, for prising out the woven-in ends and pulling out any seams. Then pull away, winding as you go; either straight onto a yarn winder, or you can use a yarn swift to make a skein first. This is useful if you intend to do something like dye the yarn before you wind it into balls and use it. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Crochet, Knitting Tagged With: , , , ,

Emmys red carpet gorgeousness

30th August, 2010 by 4 Comments
Elisabeth Moss at the Emmys 2010

My picks for the two fabbest frocks at this year's Emmy awards. Elisabeth Moss looking simply lovely and ... Christina Hendricks looking a million bucks, as only she can. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Inspirations Tagged With: , , ,

Sewing a slanted front trouser pocket

28th August, 2010 by 2 Comments
Preparing the pieces

This method works equally well for a similar type of skirt pocket, too. The sewing machine in the pictures is a Consew industrial straight sewer, but a domestic machine will do the job nicely too. You will notice that I don't use a lot of pins, if any. This is because I am trained as an industrial sewer. If you feel you can't do without pins, go ahead and use them, but I encourage you to gradually reduce the number until you only use them when absolutely necessary (when something really must be accurately held in place, or when a fabric is impossible to handle without them). It saves a lot of time if you're not constantly pinning and removing pins, and you'll find that once you're used to not using them, you won't need them. Put right sides of the pocket facing and the trouser front together at the slanted pocket edge. In this case, I am using a lining fabric for the … [Read more...]

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Essential pattern making tools

25th August, 2010 by 5 Comments
square and grading rulers

What you'll need if you want to make your own sewing patterns (or at least alter bought ones). I've split these into categories: essential tools, very helpful tools and ones that are nice to have, but you can do without if you have to. There are two kinds of pattern making, flat patterns (made directly using flat pattern card or paper) and draped patterns (made using fabric on a dressmaker's dummy, model or object, and then transferred to pattern card or paper). This post is about essential tools for flat pattern making. You'll need a Square or dressmaker's rule, for drawing right angles and straight lines. Mine is shown here above a grading ruler, which I find pretty essential, but which I have put into the helpful category, since you could make a pattern without it. I use a mechanical pencil, because it's always sharp, and precision is important. You can use an … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Pattern making

Unpicking your mistakes

14th August, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Crochet sweater neck detail

As a knit or crochet aficionado, do you get very frustrated if you find you have made a mistake, and have to unpick your work beyond a row or two to fix it? I know some people get so disheartened that they stop work on the project and it ends up stuffed into a cupboard, never finished. While I can understand this feeling, having been there myself in the past, I never worry too much about having to unpick things any more. Thinking about it recently, I pondered why, and I came to the conclusion that I had simply changed my attitude to it. I love the physical sensation of knitting and of crocheting. I love how soothing and meditative it is, especially when I'm working with a particularly lovely yarn and set of needles or hook. I figure it really just means I am prolonging the pleasure for myself. The only exception to the 'why care?' attitude might be if you have a deadline to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Crochet, Knitting

Embroideries from West Bengal

8th August, 2010 by 1 Comment
Embroidered scarf

These were collected on a trip to India with my (then future) husband, whose father hails from Calcutta. We travelled to a town called Santiniketan (the 's' is pronounced 'sh'), north of Calcutta, where the local embroidery style, known as kantha, is very distinctive and beautiful. The animals are all from the one large, silk shawl that we were given as a wedding present from a friend who travelled with us. (It's that kind of thing that makes you know you are loved.) Kantha is often used as a quilting stitch, for recycling old saris and other fabrics. The results are just divine. The woollen shawl below has been one of my best buys ever. Endlessly versatile, it keeps me warm both indoors and out. When travelling, it can double as an extra blanket. Whole saris can be covered with embroidery ... ... and the pallu, or decorative end, is quite … [Read more...]

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Grandma’s knitted lace shawl

4th August, 2010 by 1 Comment
Me modelling shawl

My grandma taught me to knit when I was wee. When she turned 90 last year, I decided that instead of buying her a present, I would knit her something gorgeous. It seemed like a nice, circular thing to do, and an impressive enough gift for such a momentous birthday. I followed a pattern, but actually, you could do this with any lace pattern that has a scalloped edge. You cast on and knit it up to half the length you require, put those stitches onto a holder, then cast on and knit the other half. Join the two halves using Kitchener stitch, which is not so much a seam as an invisible join. That way, you get to have the scalloped edge at both ends. Choose a lace pattern that you like. These normally use a certain number of stitches for each repeat, plus a few stitches. Knit a small stitch gauge, to see how wide each repeat will be. Work out how wide you want the shawl to be, and divide … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Knitting Tagged With: , , , , ,

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