Upsized Clara

Have you seen the Clara dress pattern?  I fell in love with it before my daughter was born and tried to buy it.  My bank's security system wouldn't let the transaction through - when I contacted Isager because my order didn't seem to be being processed, they advised that this isn't uncommon for Australian customers.  Apparently the 'falcon' thinks that you're trying to shop in person in the US when it knows you were only down the street using your card 20 minutes ago, and it rejects the transaction.  Over a year went by, and I tried again (this time with a card from a smaller bank), and was successful.  The problem is, that the pattern is sized for a chest circumference of up to 20", and that's my daugher's current measurement.  I didn't want to go to the effort of making the dress only to have her grow out of it before winter is over.

Well, after many calculations and much trial and error, I've finally finished my 18-24 month size of the pattern.  I managed to make it out of the two skeins (500m) of wool in the kit, with just 2m to spare (most of the calculations were me working out how many stitches I could expect to knit out of each gram of yarn, and therefore how long I could afford to make the skirt!).

In summary I:

• Cast on 260 sts (after I had nearly finished I read other posts on Ravelry, and yes it would have been easier to use 261stitches, and decrease one stitch in the first round of the pattern)

• Then followed the pattern, knitting to a length of 29 cm / 11.5 inches

• Split into rows at the start of the moss band beneath the bodice, 'splicing' it to create a lapped opening.  

• Included a moss stitch button band on both ends of the row as I was knitting from this point forward, adjusting the pattern accordingly, and evenly spacing three buttonholes.  In hindsight I would have put the bottom buttonhole in the horizontal moss band - it pulls a little.

• Knitted the 'set sleeve' row as follows: Moss 5, k26 sts, place next 10 sts on holder, CO 65 sts, k54 sts, place next 10 sts on holder, CO 65 sts, k25 sts, moss 5 (245 sts on needle). 

• Inserted one additional WS row after Rnd 1, three additional rows (with only one k2tog tbl in each repeat for right-side rows - ie. no decreasing over the length of the row) after 'Rnd 14', and two each after Row 1, Row 3 and Row 5.

• Omitted Row 9 and Row 10 (giving a total of 32 rows from the top of the moss band to the bottom of the neckband).

• Knitted up 77 stitches for each sleeve band.  Due to my yarn restrictions I knitted eight rows on each.

No, she doesn't usually get to play with sticks!

I'm joining up over here, and will be checking out what other people are up to working shortly.

Joined up here too.

Short orders

In celebration of National Recycling Week (or because my 'revamp/repair' box was overflowing), last week I whipped up a couple of T-shirts for the boys from three that the Cyclist had discarded plus a bit of my ever-present red cotton.  I say 'whipped up' as if it were no trouble at all, but truth be known that this time last year I wouldn't have even attempted it.  Its amazing what 12 months, a twin needle and an overlocker will do for you!

I used the Headphones/Globe Kids pattern from Ottobre 3/2012, but rounded the neck.  Based on my experience with this shirt, I checked the pattern pieces against some of our existing T-shirts, and ended up sewing a size 134 for both boys, even though they measure a size or two smaller.


The only complaint?  The Cyclist wished that I'd slimmed the shirts down for him instead.

To round it out I made this little 'Sweet Dress' for the youngest.  Using broderie anglaise made it even quicker to sew, and I'm proud that I managed to go from the fabric store to finished product in less than two days.  Considering that most of my stash takes a decade or so to see the light of day that has to be some sort of record!

Instead of wholly encasing the neck elastic I put two buttonholes through the dress front before sewing the casing, and threaded through elastic with some ribbon on each end.  Hopefully that way it'll grow from a dress this summer to a top next year.  I also left off the armhole elastic.


I've been blessed with an unexpected free hour or so, so I'm going to amble over here and here and link up and check out what others have been up to.  Thanks for stopping by!

In miniature

I'm still going on my 'clothing baby' projects (I have some more clothes nearly ready to show you), and I haven't forgotten my promise to make the Kinderboy a shirt, but in a side project I've made baby a little bear of her own.

This little bear measures just under 12cm in height, and I have to admit that I came across it accident.  Some time ago I knitted all the parts to it, but stopped at that.  It has been buried in my scrap wool pile ever since.  I'm not sure who the original recipient was intended to be (although I suspect that it was the Schoolboy), but as every baby needs a teddy I've finished him and handed him over to Cate for safe-keeping.

Excited!

Things have been super-busy over here, and although I've been snatching time here and there to sew, I haven't taken any time to photograph or blog.

I'm really excited though, firstly because I finally got around to using the twin needle I begged the Cyclist into buying for me a month ago (apparently I told him it was urgent - think he thinks I conned him into going to the fabric store for no good reason).  I LOVE it!  I've never been game to use knitted fabrics because of the stretch/wavy seam factor, but my new twin needle is brilliant!!  Here's my first real effort at using it (finished a couple of weeks ago - its already been through the wash, but today was the first chance I got to take photos):

The cardigan was really simple (four rectangles out of leftovers from this wrap), and I'm not overly keen on the fit, but what I am impressed with is the seams - not a hint of unwanted stretching or waviness along the seams.  Fantastic!  I was so enthused that I started on a T-shirt for the Schoolboy.

The other reason that I'm excited is the Spring Top Sew-Along.  You may have noticed that I've added the button to my blog.  I've used it as incentive to make myself a couple of tops.  I've taken photos of them today too, but a post about them will have to wait another day or two.