Knitting Cables, Fifth Sample...

I've finished the fifth sample for the Explorations in Cables class.  Here is my unblocked version:

This was more practice of the doing a cable without a cable needle and chart reading.  In this sample, I again worked the cable with a cable needle and without a cable needle.  Can you tell difference?  It really isn't hard to tell with this sample that I'm having difficulty reading the chart but it is all about practice.  I did figure what I was doing incorrectly on the chart.  I will revisit this particular pattern again in the future.  

Happy Stitching!

(affiliate link included in this post)

Inspiration....

Another window shopping trip to Neiman Marcus, today I found a lovely, simple sheath dress by Eileen Fisher:

I love the simple shape of this dress but this dress is made from a silk georgette crepe and this isn't a type of fabric for my current lifestyle.  However, this is a good basic style for me now.  At least, I think it is.  Details of the dress:  Eileen Fisher Silk Georgette Self-Tie Crepe Dress; price tag:  $398.00.

I'll save some cash and rummage through the pattern stash.  Here's what I found:

Both patterns have been in my stash for years.  Can I produce an equivalent dress with one of these patterns?  I suppose it never hurts to try.  I may even have something in the stash that will produce one of the dress.  I think the Basic Dress is really closest to the inspiration dress by shortening it and adding a tie belt.

Let's see what type of fabric either dress requires.  View A of the New York Dress (left) is for stretch knits.   View A of the Basic Dress (right) is for soft drapey fabrics such as knits, rayon or wool crepe, textured rayon, rayon/silk cut velvet, rayon/silk sheers.  So, Basic Dress is the winner here.

I may very well have a drapey rayon in the stash.  I will have to figure out fit first which will require at least one muslin.  Simple may not be as simple as it seems by the time I get done adding darts.

By the way, did you know that Textile Studio Patterns had closed?

Happy Stitching!

New Bookshelf...

I haven't said much about the new house since we arrived.  Things have been busy getting the house painted inside, replacing dead appliances, repairing plumbing, etc.  My furniture didn't move well to the house and I'm still not sure about the current arrangement but at some point you have to quit and enjoy life a little bit, right?

I had gotten rid of all but two bookshelves thinking that I would be able to get the remaining books on them.  Well, I truly underestimated the number of books that were kept.  Going through them again did remove a few more but still not enough space for the items we wanted to keep.  So, I started looking for a small bookcase that could go into the living area.  I couldn't find anything, anywhere and I looked at furniture stores, used furniture stores, flea markets, craigslist, etc.   I finally gave up and found this on Pinterest:

Here's the link to the pallet bookcase.  This was about what I wanted.  I hadn't thought much about pallet wood but I did like the look of this.  So, I showed it to my husband and he said "I can do it."  I gave him the dimensions that I was thinking about and found "free" pallets that looked like they would yield so nice wood.  Many hours later, I had this:

I think DH did a fabulous job building the bookcase.  My radio fits nicely on top with a bit of room to add decorative elements on the top shelf.  The big bonus is two shelves for books.  DH immediately put many cookbooks on one shelf.  The other shelf will be reading materials.

Another view of the bookshelf.,,,

....and yet another view of the bookshelf.  I'm very proud of my little bookshelf.  Since the picture was taken, I moved the bookshelf slightly to the left to center it a little better in that small opening. 

My husband worked very hard on this.  Taking a pallet apart is an amazing amount of work.  Of course, this is lots of sanding involved, also.

I have already given him another project from the Anna White site. I'll share it when it's complete.

Back to the stitching!

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration....

When does a simple dress turn into amazing?  It's all in the details.  In checking out dresses at Neiman Marcus, I found this lovely example:

Can't get much simpler can you?  This is a dress that you need to look at and zoom in close at the sleeves.  Here's a sleeve closeup:

This reminds me of a cartridge pleat.  I'm not sure what type of pleat it is, exactly.  A cartridge pleat would sewn into a seam and as you can see this is not.  My guess this is the beaded ruffle is hand sewn onto the sleeve of the dress.

I think this would be a great way to wear a ruffle.  It would be fairly simple to duplicate with a simple little dress pattern and add the ruffle on the sleeve.  The hardest part would be to figure out the exact amount of the fabric for the ruffle but a good jumping spot would be 2x's the circumference of the sleeve.

Here's the details on the dress so you can look it up on the Neiman Marcus website:  Lela Rose Pearly Beaded Flutter Sleeve Tunic Dress;  price tag:  $1495.00.

This dress is far out of my price range but if I was duplicating it, it would be knee length instead of tunic length.  I would probably consider a different color also.  Although I do like a pale pink, I think that for me a darker color would be much better.  This is why we sew, right?

If you know what type of pleat that is, please let me know.  If you've worked how to re-create the sleeve, please send me a link.

Happy Sewing!

Pencil Skirt....

Need a dressy skirt quickly, try The Magic Pencil Skirt pattern by Pamela's Patterns.  I have had this skirt in the pattern stash for quite some time.  I'm sorry that I didn't try this sooner.  Here's the pattern as shown on the envelope:

You get two versions of a pencil skirt - one high waisted and one at the natural waist both a one-piece wonder.  I have gone with the natural waist version in a gray/black houndstooth knit fabric that was found in the fabric stash in a short length.  It took maybe an hour to complete from start-to-finish.  Here are the results:

Here's me with a top tucked in.  I'm not sure that I would actually wear this with a top tucked in without a big belt but I wanted you to see what the skirt looked like.  I would also not wear it bear legged.  I'll let the younger ladies do that.

Here's a little better shot of the skirt.  The photographer is much taller than I am and I had him squat down a bit to take a more start on shot.

Details:

1.  The fabric is an unknown type of fabric.  I purchased for very little at a craft sale.
2.  Needle:  75/11

Changes:

1.  Removed about 3/8" from the front going to nothing at the sides.

Overall, this is a great little pattern.   If I was still working in an office on a day-to-day basic, my closet would be full of these skirts.  There is nothing better than a basic uniform for work or for that matter just day-to-day.  Although it looks a bit dressy in the fabric that I chose, I wonder it making out of a stretch denim or something similar would make it a bit more casual.

I'm sorry that it took me so many years to give this pattern a try.

Happy Stitching!

Knitting Cables, Fourth Sample...

I've finished the fourth sample for the Explorations in Cables class.  Here is my unblocked version:

This was really more practice of the doing a cable without a cable needle.  In my sample, I worked the cable with a cable needle and without a cable needle.  Can you tell difference?  I worked three sets of the pattern and only one is without the cable needle.

I'm still not loving the cable without a cable needle.  However, I can definitely see a use for it and will continue to practice it.  When you're crossing one stitch over another or two stitches over one, it is fairly easy to accomplish.  I'm still dropping stitches but I suspect that is a matter of practice.  Have you ever tried this technique?

I'm still finding chart reading difficult.  Maybe this is a matter of practice, also.  I suppose it is possible that if I had started out with a very simple knit/purl chart that I would have thought chart reading was easy.  This class is going over many types of charts and it could be that I'm not feeling like I getting it because of the lack of consistency.  I do appreciate that we are being shown a variety of ways to that a chart can be written and how to interpret them.

On to the next sample...I've been sewing a lot lately which is slowing down the knitting a little bit.  I enjoy doing both but it can be difficult to fit both in a day or even a week.

Happy Stitching!

Basic Jean Skirt....

I finished my first garment of the year using this pattern:

The "My Basic Jean Skirt" pattern by Silhouette Patterns.  This is a great basic skirt pattern.

So far, I have made it twice but the first time it was a tad bit small and I did not finish it because of that.  If I should lose a bit of weight/inches and it fits I will finish it but for now it will remain a UFO.

With the second skirt, I made the following changes to the pattern:

1.  increased waist slightly, and
2.  made the side seams 1" wider.

Unfortunately, I needed all of the extra room.  I guess I expanded a bit over the holidays.  Sigh!  That's not suppose to be happening.

The most difficult part of this skirt is the top stitching but as with anything the more you practice the better it gets.  Of course, the skirt is almost completed by the time you can try it on.  This is when I realized that there was a length issue on the skirt that is much easier to fix at the pattern stage. This skirt will be high-waisted on me.  I will be removing 1 1/2" to 2" the next time I make this skirt to drop it down to more of a mid-rise fit.  The other issue is that the skirt is very long on me.  Maybe this is due to my just under 5'5" when the pattern is drafted for 5'8".  Unhemmed, it hits the top of my calf.  I removed about 4" to get it a little closer to my knee and 1" for the hem.

Here's my final result:

When ironing this skirt, I realized that I missed putting the belt loops on.  The belt loops would add a little bit of bulk and I would most likely never use them.  I suppose I will think on it whether to go ahead and add the belts or not.

Here's me wearing my new skirt.  Sorry for the dark picture but it is a dark day.  I know I will wear the boots with the skirt but not sure about the sweater.  Now, I need to locate some brown tights or fleeced lined tights/leggings.

Details:

Fabric:  100% cotton twill
Needle used:  100 jeans needle
Topstitching: 3.5mm
New technique:  edge stitching the waistband

Conclusion on this pattern:  Overall, I'm very happy with this pattern.  Once I get the fit perfected, it will be a TNT.  If this is a style of skirt that you like wearing, go get it.  It will become your go-to casual skirt pattern.  I can see having 2 or 3 or 4 more for summer when it is hot outside.

Oh, one thing that I did find was that the pattern piece was missing for the belt loops.  You will have to create your own pattern for this or just use a ruler and rotary cutter.  Another item that I noticed is that it doesn't mention needing a button on the pattern envelope.  Obviously, you need a snap or a button of some sort for a closure.


Happy Sewing!

Inspiration....

I enjoy checking out Neiman Marcus from time to time.  Today, I found a wonderful jacket:

I need a need jacket for spring.  This particular jacket is water proof and wind resistant.  The fabric is cashmere and nylon.  Doesn't it sound luxurious?  Unfortunately, it is priced at $3,615.  That is a wee bit out of my budget.  I think I will see what I can to make similar jacket.  By the way, if you are interesting in looking at the jacket, it is the Loro Piana Wind Stretch Storm Freetime Jacket.   

In the pattern stash, I have the following pattern:

I think this will do a fair job duplicating the inspiration piece.  Now, I need to locate some fabric.  Although I have a huge fabric stash, I know that any type of water proof / wind resistant fabric is not part of it.  Any suggestions on where to locate this type of fabric in the US?

Happy Stitching!

Place mats & Coasters.....

The first project of 2018 is finished and it's four place mats with four coasters:

I found this lovely panel on Fabric.com and it is part of the Farm To Table fabric collection.  I had to have this fabric when I spotted it this past December.  I did get an eye roll from my husband because he doesn't understand why I need more fabric when I have so much already. 

Back to the place mat....when I received the panel I realized that there was suppose to be a pocket on the front of the place mat and I didn't want to do that.  That is how I ended up with the cute little coaster.  Can you have too many coasters?

Have you ever purchased a panel to make something?  How did you like working with the panel?  Did your project turn out as intended?

Moving on to the next project.

Happy Sewing!

Sewing Pants for Women...Pressing Your Pants, Part 13

Continuing with the Sewing Pants for Women by Else Tryoler.  Today, will we talk about pressing your pants:

Pressing Your Pants

To some, pressing pants is as frustrating as a wrestling match with an octopus.  To others, it is a simple business involving nothing more mysterious than straight lines.  Neither is the case.

You will discover it is easy to set the creases in the Fronts before you have sewn a single seam!  With the pants in this completely raw state, there are no distractions from either the crotch or back.  Simply fold a front precisely on its crease line (which, of course you dutifully marked with tailor's tacks in  the cutting stage), making certain that the fold points squarely to the dart.  As you press, remember that the crease stops just below the waist dart.  Later, you will see that a previously set front crease is a handy guide when setting the back crease.

Setting a Crease

Is not a matter of making a few desultory passes with a steam iron -- not if you would like a lasting and professional crease.
  The tools of the trade are few and simple.  Your ironing board should have firm padding and not too much of it.  Thick, soft padding may sound luxurious, but it will offer no resistance to your iron;  a hard surface is essential to a knife-sharp crease.  A steam iron is the most practical way of providing moisture, but on some fabrics it will raise a shine, so add a pressing cloth to your list.  A striker is also needed.  It is a wooden instrument shaped somewhat like an iron and is used to strike or pound the steam into the fabric.  If you don't own one, can't find one, or merely decline to make the purchase, you can use the bottom of your sleeve board with adequate results.

With these tools at hand, lay out the fronts on the board with the fold on the crease line and pointing to the waist dart.  Apply steam.  Now, with the striker, pound the steam into the fabric until all the moisture ha bee absorbed.  

Hold that iron!  Before you step back to admire your handiwork and congratulate yourself on creases so straight that they made an arrow look like a wiggle-worm, think a minute.  Are your legs as straight as that?  Not if you walk around on them.  You have a gentle swell to the calf muscle which is functionally necessary and cosmetically nice.  Therefore, when you slip a leg into those arrow-straight pants, the symmetry will be disturbed by that rounded calf.  The fronts will be pulled toward the rear and their hems laid smack up against your shins as if you were standing in a gale.  As the pants pull backwards to accommodate the shape of the calf, there is a fringe benefit in the form of baggy knees.  All the precision of your careful crease will be gone! And what can be done about it?

The cure for shin-plastered pants and baggy knees is part of the pressing technique.  After you have set the creases in the above manner, keep the pants on the ironing board.  Starting about 3-inches above the knee-line, stretch the side and inner leg seams of the fronts, stopping about 3-inches from the hem.  See Figure 42.  As you stretch the two seams together, swing them forward until you have created a concave curve in the front crease. The method is demonstrated in Figure 43.  Continue stretching until you have added from 1/4-inch to no more than 1/2-inch in length, the amount depending on the give inherent in your fabric.  When you have stretched the proper fraction of an inch, trim a corresponding amount off the front hems, the same amount all the way across.  In other words, if you stretched 1/2-inch, remove 1/2-inch evenly from the front hems.  See Figure 42, broken line.

When you stitch the fronts and backs together along this stretched seam, the shape will hold.  The slight concave curve of the crease will forestall the tendency to baggy knees, for it moves out away from your shins, distributing the hem width evenly, front and back.

Fabrics with give (especially stretch fabrics) need not be stretched in advance by pressing, but can be stretched directly at the machine.  This is done when seams are joined and front seam is stretched to meet the longer back seam.

What about baggy knees in finished pants?  The same procedure will work in this case, too.  Rip the side seams to 3-inches above the knee-line.  Stretch the inner and outer side seams of front only. When you have gained 1/2-inch, you will see that you have achieved the typical concave curve in the the crease line.  Remove a like amount evenly all the way across the front hems.  Sew up the seams again and bid adieu to bags at the knees!

These things accomplished, your initial pressing chores are at an end.  Press your seams as you go, paying special attention to the crotch curve.  Remember this in this case, you press the front and back seams open from the waist down to the notches, but below that  through the crotch curve you do not press the seams open at all.  You will find further information when you return to the Sewing Instructions.

When the pants are finished, set the back creases with the striker, just as you did in front.  Use the previously set front creases as a guide in laying out the pants.  Back creases stop at crotch length.  There!  They look almost too impeccable to put on!

Don't Hang Those Pants!

Yes, of course, you were taught as a very small child to always say "please" and "thank you" and to always hang up your clothes.  Quite commendable.  But when you have just finished pressing a pair of pants, lay them on a flat surface for a period of time to all the fabric to dry out thoroughly.  All your preciously won concave curves may hang right out if you hang them up too soon!  This procedure should be followed both with your unfinished front pieces and with the freshly laundered finished pants.

Conclusion

Now we have come to the end of a perfect way.  The ghosts of ancient pants problems have been laid to rest.  No longer can the specters of men's alterations haunt the tailoring  of women's pants.  

In this series, you have found a concept of fit designed from its inception for women.  Its impact will sweep the last vestige of cobwebs from your pants construction, and put you in the vanguard of an army of faultless fitted women in pants.  

Now that pants have been made for women, it is triumphantly clear that woman were made for pants!

Tempatation....

Ah, yes, I'm always tempted by patterns.  I have a huge collection to prove it.  I don't really need another pattern but this past week I purchased Pants...Perfected by Pamela's Patterns.

I've heard good things about this pattern from wardrobe experts.  So, I decided to give it a try.  Pamela is known for having patterns for the more mature figure.  I fit squarely into that category.  It took about a week for the pattern to arrive.

To my surprise, there aren't really any instructions in the pattern.  Not that that is a big issue because there is a DVD on fitting and sewing with the pattern.  My surprise came in the fact that the "Pants for Real People" book by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto is highly recommended.  The DVD and the limited pattern instructions refer back to this book.  Needless to say, I was happy that I had this book in my library.

Currently, I'm watching the DVD.  Hopefully, in the next month, I can work through the fitting with this pattern.  I have tons of fabric and there are many pieces that would work out perfectly for the classic pants in the pattern.  Shhh! Don't tell my husband but the other pant styles will most likely require fabric purchases.  Maybe I'll just stick to the classic pant for now but the Magic Pants look like they would be very comfortable.

Have you tried this pattern?  How did it work out for you?

Currently, there are two other projects in front of this but they should be finished by the weekend.

Happy Sewing!

The Adventure Begins.....

Ever since I discovered Alabama Chanin, I have been in love with the look -- all the embroidery and embellishment.  I have purchased all the books and read each one.  However, I have never had the courage to attempt something in this style.  Folks, this is changing!  In December, I purchased "The Swing Skirt Techniques & Construction" class at Craftsy.  I am going to do this and with luck, in the end it will fit.  The class includes the pattern and the stencil.

Today, I decided to start my journey by doing a couple of samples.  I copied the following stencil from the Alabama Stitch Book:

It is the Bloomers allover stencil.  This will allow me to create a sample which I can test the felt that I'm using and practice the technique with a spray can of fabric paint (Tulip Color Shot).  I have no idea how this is going to turn out but I'm hoping that it will be fun.  Now, I just need to locate some excess jersey to play with.  I know that there is some in the stash because I saw it not long ago.

The felt is an unknown.  It was something that I found in the stash that seemed like it might be stiff enough to handle the stenciling. The only thing I know about it is that it is wool.  There is a big difference in wool felt and felted wool.  Time will tell if this little stencil will hold up.  If it doesn't, does anyone know when I can purchase stencil plastic at a good price?  I don't believe that I have a lot of resources locally but I am near a very large university and there might be something available there.

Here's the jersey samples from my scraps:

Here's my first attempt:

I didn't exactly follow directions which stated to do this in light coats.  I did one rather heavy coat and decided that I liked the color saturation.   At first glance, the stencil is holding up.  Here's after 30 min:

I'm completely happy with the color of the paint.  However, the design itself is a little smeared.  The felt definitely lifted a bit when spraying it.  This will be good enough to practice.  I can say with confidence that if I had done this on the actual project, there would have been tears.

I was very surprised at how quick I was able to get this outlined.  Granted it isn't large but still it was done in about an hour. Of course, that gives you an idea of how long a whole garment would take to complete.  I used regular sewing thread for the sample.  The recommended thread would be much more noticeable.

I checked the back when finished to see how I had done grabbing both layers of fabric.  I thought it looked pretty good.

Here is the finished product.  I'm happy with my very first sample of this technique. In real life, I would never have combined these two colors but I like the way it looks.  Maybe I will try a t-shirt before starting the skirt to practice a little bit.  What do you think?

A slightly different view of the sample.  I realized that I had not trimmed enough away on the applique.  I think it looks a wee bit better.

Have you tried any of the techniques in Alabama Chanin books?  How did it turn out for you?  What paint did you use?  What technique did you use to apply the stencil?   As you can, see I have a ton of questions.


Happy Stitching!

Sewing Pants for Women...Adding Style to a Basic Pattern, Part 12

Continuing with the Sewing Pants for Women by Else Tryoler.  Today, will we talk about adding style:

Adding Style to a Basic Pattern

A basic pattern is you on paper.  It is made or altered to your measure, faithful to your every contour, and lacking any nagging need for alteration.  When it has been perfected, you are free to design at will.  For a good basic pattern is just this;  a splendid fitting tool from which to create any variety of pants you fancy.  If your basic pattern is designed to fit well, it will carry whatever style you ask of it.  If, on the other hand, you add style to a faulty fit, you are only adding insult to injury. First, be sure of your fit.  Then choose whatever style you prefer.

Style is a spice added to fit according to taste.  It may be the length of your pants, the width of your pants, even the pockets of your pants.  To some minds it is a perky little bow perched on one prominence or another.  There is one thing style is not:  it is not a magic wand to transform poor fit into high fashion.

Tapered pants

If you have a yen for slinky pats with next-to-nothing legs, refer back to Step 6.  The diagram and instructions you will find there deal with leg width.  Be sure to taper all four seams, as the directions read, and by all means don't get so carried away with tapering that you forget to leave instep-room to get your foot through!  This necessity can become a style detail in itself, by finishing the outside seam in a jaunty little slit at the hem.

Bell Bottoms

If you take a second startled look and find that current fashion is busy flirting with a pronounced flare at the hem-line, this, can be achieved from your basic pattern.  Simply go back to Step 6 and add 3 inches to all four seams at the hem-line, tapering to nothing at the knee-line.  It is even smarter-looking, if you have slim knees, to make a pinch of 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch at the knee-line, as shown in Figure 37.





Long or short?

The choice is yours from infinite variety.  Work with a semi-tapered sloper, that is, a basic pattern which has been conservatively tapered in the manner described.  Figure 38.  Draw a crotch line on the Front, as in Step 1.  Do the same on the Back.  Check to make sure that your side seams are the same length.

For shorts, Jamaicas, and Bermudas, select the desired length from Figure 39 and measure an equal distance from the crotch line.  Add about 1/2-inch to inner seams, front and back, and a lesser amount at the outer seams.  Drop the hemline approximately 1/2-inch at the at the inner leg seam.  Both of these maneuvers are illustrated in Figure 38.  You will find that dropping the hemline in such a manner takes care of the small kink at the inner leg seam so often seen in shorts.  (This is sometimes seen in other lengths of pants, too, and be corrected by smoothing out the inner and outer leg seams as you baste under the hem.)

For pedal pushers, calf skinners, Capris, and any as-yet unborn whim of fashion, use the knee-line as your guide, measuring up or down the appropriate distance, and proceed in the same manner.  It may be easier to use the hem-line as a guide for longer pants.

Whatever name you give them -- hipslingers, hiphuggers, hipriders -- the weight of public opinion appears to be solidly behind them!  The trend started on the French Riveria, crossed the Atlantic, and was influenced by the All-American blue jean.  If you have both the inclination and the figure for them, they can easily be styled from your basic pattern.

As in Figure 40, measure down from the waistline 2-2 1/2-inches and draw a line following the original waist.  This will be your finished seam line for pants with a facing inside or outside.  Add seam allowance when cutting away the top.  If you prefer a waistband on your hipslingers, drop the seam line still lower, depending on the width of the proposed band.  If your wonder what to do with the little leftover darts, particularly in the front, don't stitch them, but ease on to facing or belting.

Tapered Pant Without Side Seams

Abandon hips, all ye who enter here!  Pants without side seams are sleek, smooth, and smack of expensive price tags, but they are feasible only for the slim-hipped few, and recommended for smaller sizes.  Any womanly swell about the hips, prominence in the thigh, or comfortable little billows below the hip-line demand the presence of side seams to facilitate fit.  It is one of the bitter truths of life that pants without side seams look dashingly alluring on models, but without a model's figure the picture is different.  Be honest with yourself, and with your appearance.  If you fill the bill, slim hips, no protrusions anywhere below the hip-line, go for it!  These pants can flatter your diminuendo figure lovingly.  If you don't fit the bill, or fill it too amply, beware!

These pants are also made from a basic pattern. See Figure 41.  Pin front and back together, 7-inches down from the waist, matching the side seams at hip-line.  Try to overlap the side seams about 1/8-inch to 1-4-inch.  (This is what is meant by a closer fit!)  Match the side seams at the hem-line, also.

Now that you have matched the hem-line seams, take a look at the side seams below the hip-line.  If they do not overlap more than a 1/2-inch, you are a candidate for this style of pants.  If the overlap is greater, this is the point to abandon your plans and settle for pants with side seams!

You will find that some patterns cut for a pronounced tapered leg present an additional problem when used without side seams.  When pinned together at hip-line and hem-line, the knee-line does not come together, adding extra width in this area.  To correct this situation, overlap the side seams at the hem-line 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch.  Be certain, in doing so, that you have left enough hem-line width to accommodate your instep measurement, unless your are fashioning a slit at the side or center front.

Adjust the hem-line, as shown by the broken line in Figure 41.  Notice that the side seams at the waist now form a dart, which should end about 1-inch to 2-inches above the hip-line.  The closing for this style of pants will be either in the front or back, according to your preference.

The grain and crease line will remain the same in the front.  However, you will find the grain line in the back will swing off.  Don't worry about it.  The original crease lines are still valid, and that is your only concern.


Happy Stitching!

Knitting Cables, Third Sample....

I've finished the third sample in the Exploration in Cables class.  Here's my sample:

What I learned:

1.  An alternative cable cast-on
2.  How to do a cable without a cable needle. 

I also continued to practice tightening the first stitch between a knit and purl, tightening up the last stitch on a row, and reading a knitting chart. 

Overall, I liked the cable cast-on.  It was a nice stretchy cast-on and I can see use for it.  However, i didn't really like doing a cable without a cable needle.  It is nice to know how to do a cable without using a cable needle but I found it very tiring to do.  It was far too easy for me to drop stitches.  I might use this technique in the future but I'm not sure.

On to the next lesson.

Happy Stitching!