If it Ain't Broke.....Figgy's Ayashe

I have MAYBE mentioned this once or twice, but the Figgy's Ayashe (skirt and top) is one of my FAVORITEILOVEITSOMUCH patterns ;)

Nothing ground-breaking here, folks....just cuteness and more cuteness!  I love this outfit!  I will maybe mention something I haven't before...or maybe I have, but who cares, right?!  I also have a secret love affair with double-sided tape when sewing waistbands...or when attaching ribbon to the insides of hems.  EVERYONE should do this!  I am sure it makes me uncool and not technically good at sewing or something, but hey - I feel better not worrying about whether or not I'm catching the inside of waistband when sewing from the outside of the garment.

Anyway, I thought I'd throw that out there...especially since I've used copious amounts of said tape lately ;)

I actually worked on three Ayashe blouses, but I'll keep the other two for another post, when I have also finished a pair of Zonen Jacob pants (also sewn here and here).  I worked my smarts (which I do every now and then) and wanted to use up three gorgeous bits of fabric I own...but also wanted to match them all to a skirt and a pair of pants!  I made this post's Ayashe blouse in a smaller size....meaning I made the same size I made last time - but lengthened it even more, I believe....and the other two blouses are in the largest size available.  I sometime like to assembly-line-sew, and it works with this blouse.

I worked in some fun ribbon for a hem facing on the skirt, and I used polka dots for the waistband facing and pockets.  I am also excited I used those buttons...as though they don't really match, it also doesn't really matter, and they're just kind of fun!  I picked them up from the yarn store one day, not knowing what I'd ever use them for ;)

Of course, you can see here where the ribbon rides higher than it should :O

It turned out super well, and I didn't have ANY problems sewing on the buttonholes, which was a happy day, indeed!  I had even prepped my husband that I was sewing them...and he never heard me yelling or swearing, aha!

A little Spun Sugar on Camden, along with the Queen Bee leg warmers

Bryce Canyon for Tiberius, along with the as-yet-unblogged Christmas in July

Also, Camden WAS showing her outfit off to anybody and everybody over break, so, she must like it, too!

Our holidays were lovely, and the day after Christmas, we saw The Wizard of Oz at a children's theater in Portland.  It was Tiberius's first big show, and he was a bit nervous/scared during the tornado scene; otherwise, he, too, did well.  He has attended two of Camden's shows, so, I had a bit of faith.  But goodness, the shaking and clenching during that tornado!

Tiberius was a bit nervous of the witch, but she loved his clothes and drew him in ;)

As with the scarecrow actor, we have seen the lion actor a few times, and he is awesome!

Light reading at Powell's

And....some more Christmas-time photos!

I'm keeping count...4th leak since we've moved in - NOT counting ceiling leaks

Santa/grandparents brought a guitar!

Uncle Ben helps tune! 

Every year, Santa has mishaps and drama....

Great Grandpa is pretty handy!

Hanging out with Great Grandpa

Our usual walks with Rocky

Painting role play game pieces

Creeeeepy book.....

All gussied up for the trip north

:O  :O  Awwww!

Northshore, Take Two

A project I HAD to fix, a project EASY to fix, a project I waited over a YEAR to fix.  

Ooops.

Seriously, my bad.  I should have finished this last winter, as Camden easily could have worn it all those months.  Alas, I'm a fool.

Remember when I made Tiberius's awesomely cute North Shore sweater?  Because it WAS cute, by the way (although...sad times...there is some sort of weird stain/mark on it, which seems like oil, but I have NO idea from whence it came), though it no longer fits.

You MAY also remember how I used a heavier-weight yarn than called for, and I had to knit a rather dense fabric, to get close to gauge, especially seeing as how I'm a looser knitter, to begin with.  Well, for HIS sweater, I surely sized down a couple sizes, but I definitely did for Camdens.  I knit her a size 1-2, I believe, aha!

...and there my problems began.

I knit up the sweater fairly quickly, back in May or so of 2015 as I did with the little guy's, but upon trying it on, I was horrified to find that it was too large in the yolk, height/vertical-wise.  I kept adjusting it on her shoulders, hoping I was imagining things, LOL.  Anyway, it was too depressing, after all that colorwork knitting, so, I set it aside for a bit...then didn't get around to ripping out the yolk until just a few months back or so.  

Then I finally picked it up a couple days ago and finished it yesterday (I wouldn't allow myself to work on a new project until it was done)!  Knitting the wool/cotton blend is NOT fun for my hands.  I love the colors and the final product - and yarn, Spud and Chloe Sweater itself is just NICE, anyway, but I prefer wool over cotton, fo' sho'.  Spud and Chloe does have other fun yarns, too, so, you should check them out!  I have used the Melange and the sock yarn in other projects.

So, what did I fix on the North Shore sweater, you ask??  I took a bit of the height out of the tree section, because even though Camden's actual pattern size (if I'd used DK weight yarn) called for the full tree repeat, my row gauge was clearly off - though Tin Can Knits didn't list a row gauge for the pattern.  It was totally an easy-enough fix, and I was trying to be careful to keep my gauge looser, seeing as how I'd started knitting it before I changed the way I hold my yarn, which does tighten up my tension a wee bit.  

So, the fit is mostly great!  The sleeves would be lovelier if they were a tad longer, but that's what I get for waiting so long to fix it ;)  My only issue is that I don't like how the neck/ribbing lays, as with Tiberius's verison....I'm not sure going down another needle size would have helped, but maybe??  And it's WAY cute on Camden, if I do say so myself!  One other bonus???  I'm all, "Brand new sweater, knit up in a mere two days!"  LOL at the lies I tell myself!

A few days in the life....

ALLLL the raw milk!!!

We finally have a bathroom door!!

Working for the money! 

Nighttime projects

She wanted to get her knit on again....after al these months!  

And what his sister does....

These were never blogged, but they are awesome!

Reading to Greta!

Across the Pond, Across the River, Tomato, Tomahto

Whoah.  Y'all, this shawl is PRETTY, but.....

A.  I had no classy backdrops against which to photograph it

B.  It's not for ME  :(

Sucks, right???  I love it and had wanted the Across the Pond Shawl by Mina Philipp (her website, Ravelry group and Knitting Expat podcast) for MYSELF, when the pattern first came out.  After my mother-in-law saw my Windswept shawl last year, though, she wanted one for HERSELF.  That presents two problems:  I don't want to repeat a shawl when I have a million other shawl patterns I want to knit AND my hands hurt so much when I was working on it, though it IS my favorite shawl thus far, aha!  After further questioning, it turns out my mother-in-law liked the whole two-colors situation and overall simplicity, I think, so, I told her I had it covered, LOL.

You'd think I did NOT check for loose ends...

The pattern was crazy easy, which was helpful, as I wanted to whip through it quickly, as I have SO MUCH TO DO.  In the lace section, per my normal state of LIFE, I tried to make things difficult by getting off-count a few times, but I survived to write about it.  It was my first Mina pattern, and she wrote it up nicely - AND concisely.  I way recommend it!  I want a crescent shawl for myself one of these days!  I'm blanking on whether or not I have one, but that matters not ;)

I used lovely yarn, naturally - purchased by Matt's mom, though recommended by yours truly.  The Hazel Knits Entice was purchased at Twisted in Portland.  I used the Vamp and Nekkid colorways, and there is enough left for me to make socks for Tiberius - yay!

I PROMISE i checked for loose ends...but there it is again

I will wrap it up for her and drop it off this weekend, along with some artwork from Tiberius and Camden!

And....life recently....

Reading their Usborne books!

Still trying to squeeze in Aspen Hall days

Awesome scone recipe!!!