The Sweatshop of Lovers Blog

So, I don’t know if you could tell yesterday by my rant about sewing cute dresses and sewing pattern searching, but I’m kinda over Knit and Crochet Blog Week. I love the idea of all these crafty bloggers answering the same questions across the internet, but. Well. These questions aren’t soliciting very interesting responses.

For instance, today’s question is where do you like to knit?

Where do I like to knit? Naturally everyone’s answer to this question will be, ‘EVERYWHERE! I love knitting so I love to do it whenever I get a chance! I drive peoplecrazywithmyknittingevenwhenimatthedentistlolol.

It’s just boring. And maybe it’s because I’m at work right now, inside, and it’s 80 degrees out and beautiful. But maybe it’s because that isn’t an interesting question.

So, Knit and Crochet Blog Week, it’s been fun. Kinda.

Knit and Crochet Blog Week continues!

Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day? maybe you’re a crocheter who’d also like to knit? Maybe you’d like to learn to knit continental, knit backwards, try cables or attempt stranded colorwork.

Umm. No?

I need less things I want to do all the time, not more. For instance, yesterday I was doing some cleaning and I had a huge pile of fabric on my work table that has been sitting there for over a year. I hadn’t touched it.

I’ve got a big dresser full of fabric that I discovered was also a huge mess. So I pulled it all out, started organizing, and I find all this pretty fabric! Instantly I’m pulling out a NEW huge pile of fabric I need to make clothes out of immediately.

THEN my eyes fall on the new JoAnn flyer. Their sale starting Saturday has $1.99 Butterick and McCalls patterns. It’s FATE!

However:

Simplicity Sewing Pattern Cynthia Rowley

I stumbled upon this one. Clearly not a McCall or Butterick pattern. But how cute is that dress? Well, ok I’m not crazy about the weird ruffles on the skirt, but option C has the ruffles around the neck opening that I like a lot.

Simplicity Built By Wendy Sewing Pattern

AND THEN I found this pattern! I’ve been seeing it around the blogs more than I’ve ever seen a sewing pattern talked about before. Girls are losing their shit over this simple shirt dress design.

Also not on sale.

JUSTIFICATION: My friend Colleen, who is getting this needlepoint if I ever finish it, is getting married over Memorial Day Weekend (thus needlepoint gift). Do I need a new dress?

… YES!

So I’m figuring this all out in my head: I’ve got 2 40% off coupons, so I can go twice and get both patterns with my coupons and sew my little heart out this weekend!

Win!

I’ve to go make it happen, too, since I had a dream last night that I made the Built By Wendy pattern and wore it and loved it a ton. Which just means that I need to stop thinking and DO.

… wait what was I talking about? Knitting and Crochet Blog Week. Right.

So. No, I don’t need another skill or hobby.

Knit and Crochet Blog Week Continues!

Write about a knitter whose work (whether because of project choice, photography, styling, scale of projects, stash, etc) you enjoy. If they have an enjoyable blog, you might find it a good opportunity to send a smile their way.

I hate to look like a creeper but I have an ultra knit-crush on Julie over at Knitted Bliss. I stumbled upon her pattern for a Turkey Finger Puppet and have been reading her blog ever since.

She always picks projects that I want to knit! She likes pattern stitches, easy to wear sweaters, and earthy colors. She is an engaging writer, she takes lots of fun pictures of her projects, and she is just so darn cute! And I have revisited so many great projects that I originally overlooked because of her Modification Monday posts.

So, Julie, thanks for writing your fun blog! And be sure to zip over and check out Knitted Bliss. It’s well worth adding to your reader.

Last week I said that classes were filling up even before the class schedule was announced. That should have tipped me off.

Group Knitting and Crocheting: Come get help starting a project, finishing a project, picking a project, picking materials, or learning something new! 2 hours, $15

The Loop Entrelac Top

6/1/10: This pattern is now available as part of The Sweatshop of Love’s Summer Tour 2010 Ebook of Knitting Patterns

Despite the fact that my mom told me to put my boobs away last week, here they are again.

But, in the words of Regina Spektor: Summer in the city means cleavage, cleavage, cleavage.

… yes, Mom, I know it’s April. I’m just overly prepared!

And I couldn’t wait to show you all my latest summer top!

This was one of those ideas that I didn’t think I would be able to pull off but that I couldn’t get it out of my head. I mean, what were the chances that I start with two entrelac bands for straps, pick up contrasting color side bands, THEN pick up the main color front panel? And make it flattering and fit? Just flying by the seat of my pants?

HOTT

My money would have been on that not working. But how seriously amazing is this top?! It could stand to be a little longer, but other than that it really couldn’t be more flattering. Or fit better. Or have been more fun to knit. I really can’t even believe I DESIGNED THAT!

Entrelac Strap Summer Knit Top

And this little FO couldn’t have come at a better time! Since it’s Tuesday. And Tuesday for the past four months has been dedicated to The Sweatshop’s Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge. Why not today? Because no one had a finished sweater! I can’t believe it, either. I’m going to knit a sweater a week just to make sure y’all have something to look at every Tuesday, and to guilt some finished projects out of you guys. I won’t be able to leave my house unless SOMEBODY finishes SOMETHING!

I used size 4s for the entrelac straps, then switched to 6s for the body. I used Knit Picks’s Simply Cotton Sport Yarn in Basalt Heather and Brass Heather. I didn’t want a bottom rib so I weighed down the curl with single crochet. I think I’m going to add more to this one for length, but the pattern is written for the knitted portion to be 2 inches longer than shown.

And I’m looking for a test knitter! Who is up for the task? Email me at allyson [at] thesweatshopoflove [dot] com and I’ll send you the information.

AND, just like with the Traverse City Tube Top, more information on this top will be available June 1st. Could you just die with excitement?! BUT DON’T! Because then you will miss all the fun.

Pattern: To Be Released Soon

Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Organic in Heather Basalt and Heather Brass

Needles: Size 4 and size 6 straight needles

Ravelry Project Page

Knit and Crochet Blog Week continues with a question about patterns:

Blog about a pattern or project which you aspire to. Whether it happens to be because the skills needed are ones which you have not yet acquired, or just because it seems like a huge undertaking of time and dedication, most people feel they still have something to aspire to in their craft. If you don’t feel like you have any left of the mountain of learning yet to climb, say so!

Here at The Sweatshop of Love there is no such thing as a pattern that cannot be knit. We take a tough love approach to people saying they can’t knit something. And by tough love I mean slapping and yelling have been used. But it always gets knit!

Y’all are better knitters for it, right?!

That being said, no, there isn’t a pattern that I’m waiting for the skills to knit. I always say learn by doing. I’m not a swatcher. I don’t practice skills before starting a project. I just jump in and hope it works out! And that is how I teach.

#05 Fair Isle Cardigan Vogue Knitting Magazing

There is, however, this sweater. I possess the skills necessary to knit this cardigan. I do not possess the patience. Color-work makes me nuts. That intense color-work would drive me to my grave. It’s LACE WEIGHT, for god’s sake, and size 3 needles.

There is a reason that of the 19 active projects on it’s ravelry project page not one person finished the pattern as written.

So while I don’t aspire to knitting this project, I can’t get it out of my brain. We even brought it up in class this weekend again as a project that would drive someone to alcoholism. And I’m just too young to be a knitting-induced alcoholic.

I’m loving all the posts I’ve been reading so far for Knit and Crochet Blog Week. The idea is for all the knitters and crocheters out there with blogs to answer the same questions for a week. Fun, right? I’m learning so much already about the bloggers I read.

So, naturally, I want to participate, too!

DAY ONE:  How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting?

I learned my senior year of high school. My English (and everything else cool, like drama and humanities) teacher, Mrs Reniche, taught knitting on the side and knit and designed these amazing intarsia sweaters that she sold for hundreds and hundreds of dollars. My friend Theresa and I thought it was the coolest thing ever and the three of us got together after school and Mrs Reniche taught us to knit. Every week more and more people came, and we had the best time hiding in Mrs Reniche’s room, talking and knitting. And I haven’t stopped since!

Most people assume that it’s your mom or grandmother that teach you to knit, but I actually taught my mom to knit, and every time my grandma sees me knitting she says, ‘Allyson, you are going to give yourself arthritis.’

I started teaching knitting four years ago when I was graduating from college and I love every second I get to spend knitting, with knitters, and talking about knitting. And, luckily for me, that is pretty often!

Box Bag!

I’m going to preface this by saying I’m not a great seamstress by any means. I know enough to get by. You know, if the apocalypse hit and there were no more Targets and I had to make myself a shirt.

Or, and this is something I’m increasingly worried about, if I’m sized out of regular stores. Old Navy’s XS is too big for me, which is stupid because I think I’m a normal sized, healthy woman. Will some day I have to make my clothes because my only options are stores I can’t afford?

… um, so I sewed this bag! It’s a box bag, and I’ve been seeing them everywhere. A few of my students use them as knitting project bags because you can keep your yarn in there, just throw the short strap around your arm and knit on the go.

I happened across this Box Bag Tutorial from Stacy Sews and thought I could probably patch one together.

Box Bag with Plaid Lining

Stacy’s tutorial was great. Lots of pictures and I’m sure it would have been even easier if I knew anything about sewing. She described a great way to sew in the button that it took me FOREVER to figure out. But once I did it was a cinch!

Problems:

1. Didn’t have a 12″ zipper, so I used a 7″ one. I’ve got a million 7″ zippers because those are skirt sized.

Zipper Issues

2. Sewed the bottom of the zipper into the seam I had to make because my zipper wasn’t long enough. And fixed it by cutting it.

Strap Issues

3. I don’t like to pin things. I didn’t pin the strap in before I sewed it so the fabric wasn’t matched up correctly. And I left it.

Box Bag with Long Strap

Not a problem? The sweet long strap I put on it!

I hate bags with just short straps. I always have to put it in another bag with a long strap to bring it anywhere. So I cut out a long strip of fabric, sewed it up, and attached it to a bottom corner and a top corner.

Now this box bag is not only a hot knitting project bag, but a biking bag and a dance party bag! It’s like a clutch with a shoulder strap.

I used it Sunday when I went over to a friend’s outdoor birthday party. All I needed were keys, chapstick, my phone, and my knitting.

Can you tell I’m in love? And how perfect is that color? I picked this fabric up at that Portland estate sale. This was the leftover fabric she used to make her curtains out of. Kinda cool, right?

I can’t wait to rock this bag all summer long!

I feel like I’ve been talking about the new class schedule forever and that it’s been spring forever and I’ve just completely blow it on the timing of my classes, but I’m putting that all on Mother Nature. It’s really not supposed to be 80 degrees in April, making me think that it’s summer and that I’ve missed an entire season of my life.

But, whether it’s late or right on time, my spring/summer class schedule is here and better than ever! Email me at allyson [at] thesweatshopoflove [dot] com to sign up. Word got out on a couple of these and they are already filling up!

Group Knitting and Crocheting: Come get help starting a project, finishing a project, picking a project, picking materials, or learning something new! 2 hours, $15

I’m starting to see a pattern! The middle of the month is SLOW for the Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge.

Here we are in the third week of April and we’ve only got two finished sweaters! I’m glad I could add mine to the mix, the very small mix:

Cabled Pullover

Cindy at A Sparkle a Day finished this beautiful cabled pullover sweater! She stalled a bit while knitting those sleeves but the finished product is well worth it. Great job Cindy! I knew you could do it!

Neck Down Scoop Neck TShirt

Lin (rav) knit this fun summer tshirt, Neck Down Scoop Neck TShirt, and it’s a perfect example of a summer knit! I’m asked all the time what knitters do in the summer time and I always say it’s easier to find fun hand knit summer tops than it is to find winter sweaters. Thanks for the perfect example, Lin!

There are 10 days left in April to finish up those sweaters! I want a whole bunch of sweaters to highlight next week so everybody get crackin’!