My wardrobes are overflowing – which is very bad as I remodelled to bedroom two years ago and made more wardrobe space!
I’ve been very disciplined lately and taken great bags full of “stuff” to the charity shop. Now the hard bit…I need to cull the shelf where my hand knits live.
I found three garments I don’t wear any more and guess what? Two of them have never been blogged!
So first the one you might have seen, my Willow jacket in Ribbon Twist.
This one…
It has gotten kinda pilled and saggy and I was never quite sure about the white fluffy bits on the collar. Does it make anyone else think of Santa Claus? I was reminded it was there when I made my Chunky Ribbon Twist Cushion. I wore it again just once and it felt too chunky and a bit frumpy on me so it has to go.
Next is a Pre Blog Project that has never been seen here before! (I’m assuming you’re jumping up and down with excitement here?? 😉 )
Here’s Angie..
It’s a Rowan pattern from “It’s a Tape Thing” by the lovely Kim Hargreaves.
This book…
I made this back in 2004 (I think!) and for me, the best part was doing the dropped stitch edging on the sleeves and bottom edge.
You literally knit some rib then drop a stitch and let it unravel all the way down the work. I had just joined the Guilty Knitters at that point and they teased me a great deal because I was very excited by the stitch dropping process and said,
“It feels so wrong and naughty and bad and decadent…but I like it!”
They assumed I had that approach to some other, more personal areas of my life too! 😯
The worst thing about this jumper is that I really made a hash of picking up the stitches around the neck. Isn’t it amazing how, when you get out an old garment, you realise your knitting has improved?
Lastly here’s a huge piece of knitting!
It’s Nicole in Debbie Bliss Maya (and me pulling a “do you want me to come over there and make you behave” face at Ben )…
From this book, Debbie Bliss No.7…
I adore the Debbie Bliss Maya (I have it on reasonably good authority it’s actually Mano Del Uruguay’s wool classica rebadged) . I bought up rather a lot when it was discontinued – I still have 10 skeins each of solid pink and 10 of solid purple in my stash – opps I forgot the 7 skeins of orange and pink mix too.
The yarn is great (and it felts well – as I found with my Kim Felted bag) but Debbie Bliss’s pattern was not so good. I have to say – I’m not in the Debbie Bliss fan club.
Firstly, the front edging – it curled.
Being a stocking stitch garment, with no edging stitches and having a picked up edging, nothing short of super glue and stapling the edge to my thighs was going to stop the curl.
The picot on the sleeves was good…
I also wasn’t terribly impressed with the collar – it worked but I like a bit more attention to detail in my patterns. The button part was good though! Pity all the hard work on the edging below the buttons immediately curled out of view…
I guess I’m being a little unfair because, although this was a huge garment to knit, it was a very easy knit and grew faster than you’d think on the 5.5mm needles.
And I’m being really unfair because, when I’d finished it I wore it to death and was very pleased and had lots of compliments!
I suppose it’s just out of fashion now, looking pilled and tired and I’m bored with it. None of that is Debbie Bliss’s fault!
So there we are, three large garments culled and room for some more in my wardrobe!
I’ll leave you with the obligatory Completed Knit Reports then get back to knitting the Flower Blanket! An update on that coming next!! 😀
Completed Knit Report | ||
Name: | Angie | |
Pattern: | by Kim Hargreaves in It’s a Tape Thing by Rowan | |
Yarn: | Rowan Cotton Tape | |
Pattern Problems: | None – except I was a moron when picking up around the neck. | |
Pattern Modifications: | None | |
Washing and Wearing: | Washed and wore well, cotton tape does pull if you catch it on things like cat-claws though. | |
Knit It Again???: | Nah – out of fashion I think | |
Difficulty: | Easy | |
Rating: | 3/5 | |
Other Postings Relating To This One: | None |
Completed Knit Report | ||
Name: | Nicole | |
Pattern: | by Debbie Bliss from DB book No.7 | |
Yarn: | Debbie Bliss Maya | |
Pattern Problems: | The fronts curled uncontrollably | |
Pattern Modifications: | None | |
Washing and Wearing: | Worn to death and carefully handwashed. Now pilling after a few years! | |
Knit It Again???: | No – there’s nicer long coats out there.. | |
Difficulty: | Surprisingly easy but a lot of knitting. | |
Rating: | 2/5 | |
Other Postings Relating To This One: | None |
I know this is a review of things not blogged but I’m desperate to know if you’ll be keeping Glade…..or is it destined for the Frod Pond or Charity Shop?
I can’t believe you are getting rid of any of those items they are all gorgeous – have a give away or something they are just all too nice!
I have to know, what are you planning on doing with your culled garments? Are you going to frog and re-use the wool, felt the completed items and re-cut and sew, or just give away to charity – enquiring minds want to know!
Hi There,
They got taken to Cancer Research this morning.
I work long hours and really don’t have the time anymore to salvage old knits! Plus they had been worn a lot and were starting to mat – frogging would have been horrid.
At least they didn’t go into the dustbin!!
Susan
I’m pleased that not only will Cancer Research benefit but so will the lucky folks who get to buy hand knits from a charity shop. I can’t imagine giving away a hand knit but then I’ve only been knitting 12 months and don’t have that many to cull.