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!

Swept Away - By the Wind!!! A Shawl

My one phone picture

I was super excited to knit up the Windswept Shawl by Molly Klatt of A Homespun House as soon as I saw the pattern release!  Of course.....the starting of it took a while.  I just couldn't figure out WHAT to do about my yarn choice.  I thought maybe I'd go with some Quince and Co. Chickadee, but I couldn't bring myself to use a solid-colored yarn with no depth - for an entire shawl.  I'm still interested in trying it out, as I know it's a quality yarn and that people love it, but I think I'd use it for a hat for the kids, aha!  I was also interested in trying some Sundara sport weight yarn, but I never happened upon a colorway on sport weight in one of their daily updates (I DID miss out on one stocking that I should have jumped on right away).  I also REALLY wanted to buy some of The Fibre Company's Road to China Light, but I felt badly spending so much money, though the yarn isn't truly badly priced.

Anyway, I FINALLY decided on Rosy Green Wool in the Cheeky Merino Base - in the colorways Rose Garden and Sand, which I purchased from Warm 'n Fuzzy, who has great customer service.  I'd originally planned on doing the whole shawl in Sand, but I couldn't imagine myself wrapped up in that much neutral color, aha!  I was worried, too, about using the red, but Matt said to go with it, so, I did.  I have a few other Rosy Green Wool colorways on two other bases, which I'm excited to try, so, I was glad to use it for something right away!

Thank goodness her dad was making her smile

The pattern went along mostly swimmingly - I did create a problem for myself in the very beginning, as I wasn't sure about whether or not to hold my yarn in the back or front when doing a stitch...and then later, I was confused about a pattern direction.  I went ahead at that time, as I figured I was correct - and it turned out I was, and the pattern instructions were fixed in that spot.  I get so nuts about reading directions and worrying, though I know other people just zoom along, not worrying at all, aha!

The yarn was definitely lovely, though my hands were - and still ARE - feeling the pain of so much purling and yarn-in-front moves, so, that section seemed to take forever.  I flew through the red edging, and though I was worried it'd be too small, the shawl blocked out nicely.  It's definitely deep enough.  I am interested, though, since I mention it, in doing some more crescent-shaped shawls/shallower shawls, as I'm so short and want to see how they fit.  I'm still bummed my Bryce Canyon came out so small back when I knit that - totally should have gone up a needle size on that one, oops.

I have definitely entered into a few KALs with this one, though it's a wonder I finished it, as it took me so long to get started, due to the lack of yarn.  Turns out it took me three weeks to knit, which isn't too bad!

My lovely card from Camden!

First time back in Vancouver in five months...and hard at work!

Somebody thinks she is claiming my shawl

Our first date night in FOREVER

Silk Shawl - Say WHAT??!!!

Ladies and gents, I introduce you to my first-ever shawl - the Beithe by Susanna IC on Ravelry.

ME????  How did I make it into a blog post???

This yarn is definitely a stash yarn - something I picked up years ago in Seattle at The Weaving Works.  It was the first silk I'd ever purchased (since then, I've only purchased silk blends), and it's a single ply....which is something NOW I'd never buy, as single ply is basically against my religion.  Single ply unto itself can be grabby/splitty, and the fact that it's SILK single ply...????  Yikes.

All turned out well, though.  I knew going into the pattern that this yarn wouldn't best represent, so to speak.  But I wanted something easy for my first shawl, and I didn't have a yarn that would work well for any pattern I could find in the right yardage.  I used Colinette Tao in colorway Marble, and it's lovely, though I'm not sure the photos capture it as well as they could (well, and my CRAZY GENIUS photography skills do NOT come into play, naturally).

The pattern is super easy to follow, and starts out with the lace edging then moves up through the stockinette with short row shaping.  I have NO idea how, but i miscounted at some point (I can only assume) and didn't have my short rows correct.  NO WAY/NO HOW was I going to rip out and figure out where I'd messed up - so, I fudged it and figured nobody would notice ;)

One SUPER SCORE from a weekend or so ago was a set of rubber mats to use as blocking mats.  I naturally printed out some Joann Fabric coupons and sprinted with the kids yesterday to buy T pins (and D rings...well...and a square of chocolate) for blocking.  I soaked the silk in plain water and blocked it out as best as my lazy self felt like doing....you can tell I'm no expert, and I don't own blocking wires, but I figured I was fine without those at this time, anyway.

I do have to say that I might wear this one a few times, but as it's white-ish and 100% silk, it might also be something I save for a special occasion for Camden down the road.  I'm glad I did it - and in record time:  12 days!  I am nervous to think about how long it'll take me to do the Bryce Canyon shawl, pictured below, for the marigoldjen KAL over July and August....as I also would like to join the KAL in Lete's Knits in August...lawds.  Too much to knit!

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