The Sweatshop of Love Blog

I’m a workaholic. It’s less noticeable because most of what I do is a hobby to everyone else, and because I love it so much I don’t constantly complain about my 16 hour days. But I wake up early, I work all day, and then I go to sleep. I get excited for the weekends because that means I get to work even more.

Scrap Map!

It’s important to have hobbies, and as ridiculous as it is for me to say, I need to take a break from the knitting a spend some time doing other things I love.

Pretty Print Fabric Belts

It’s not like I don’t have a million crafty project lined up, like I’m sure all of you do! I bookmark crafty projects till my heart content. But just like if I were a lawyer or doctor or salesman, I can’t stop working long enough to pick up any of these projects.

Tap Pants!

But I recognize that I need a break. As I’m sitting here typing I’m wearing wrist supports because not only am I having wrist pain from knitting, I’m having wrist pain from typing.

The Sweatshop of Love has been too much sweatshop and not enough love lately, and I’m using crafts to fix that.

Girly Embroidery

So I hereby declare next week HOBBY WEEK! No knitting. No work. Just crafts. Sewing and embroidery; playing with fabric and floss and hot glue guns. It’s going to be glorious.

I’ll be documenting my hobby-ing daily. Short posts with little typing and lots of fun, crafty pictures.

HOBBIES! What a revolutionary idea!

You know when an idea gets in your head and it pushes out everything else, so the only thing you can think about is that ONE idea? That is what happened with me and knitting a summer turban.

Summer Turban!

I did an extensive search for a summer turban pattern and couldn’t find anything, so I took this thick, winter vintage turban pattern and modified it.

Summer Turban from the Side

I followed the moss stitch instructions and used one strand of Knit Picks Tonal Sock Yarn and size 6 needles. I followed the pattern as it’s written till I had 45 stitches, ignoring the next instructions taking the turban to 51 stitches. With those 45 stitches I began my short rows, as directed, and when I got to the 45 stitch mark started working the short rows back down.

This Hat is Hilarious!

I eliminated the ‘work three rows straight’ instructions and just decreased every other row until I got 31 stitches. I worked those 31 stitches straight for 12″ and put those stitches on a holder because I had no idea how the back of this turban worked.

From the Back!

I worked the other side of the hat exactly the same, and seamed up both sides. It was still a little big in the front, so I strung a scrap piece of yarn up the front seam of the hat about 4″ and tightened it to 2″, making it a little scrunchy.

To make up the turban, I tied the ends together at the front and wrapped them around the head, securing them in the back together with a three needle bind off. It looks like kind of a mess when it’s not on your head, but to wear you just put the cap part on, wrap the joined ends around the hat, and poof up the knot.

A Lot of Cuteness!

I’m in love with this hat! It’s light and airy and exactly what I wanted – just an easy, fun hat to wear to protect my part from the sun when I’m running around town. I’ll be taking this hat into fall for sure. The yarn knit up beautifully in the moss stitch, and the green looks pretty awesome with my new red hair! Win win win!

Pattern: Knit Yourself a Turban (Moss Stitch), modified

Yarn: Knit Picks Tonal Sock Yarn in green

Needles: Size 6

Ravelry Project Page

We’re all finished with our knit along, and I just had to share the first batch of finished sweaters from the group!

Make Up Your Mind

Jessica's Make Up Your Mind!

Jessica's Make Up Your Mind

Gillian's Make Up Your Mind!

Kyong's Make Up Your Mind!

I’m sure there will be many more beautiful sweaters ready to share next week and I can’t wait to see them! Again, awesome job everybody!

I know. It’s showing off. Yesterday I got to show you my Make Up Your Mind tank and today I’ve got my The Loop Entrelac Tank hot off the needles!

The Loop! Looking Sexy!

Yes, I paid too much for that tiny skirt so I’m getting it as much face time as humanly possible, and trying to prove to myself that it can be worn with anything! My Make Up Your Mind AND my The Loop Entrelac Tank!

Just Chilling by the Logs!

But enough about the skirt, let’s talk about that tank! I expressed my concern for it being too small when I finished the front, so I added more stitches when I cast on for the back, increased more than was instructed, and blocked aggressively. And it fits! I wish it had a little more flow in the tummy area, but it fits and I’m just going to have to eat like a tiny bird when I wear it.

Boob Shot

Could the construction of the front of this tank be any more flattering? From the yarn over increases to where the entrelac is placed and crisscrossed, it all works. I like it in one color, too! It’s almost too commercial looking, you know?

Yep! Arnold is Still Under There!

The one thing I’m not happy with is the side seam. I really don’t know what I was thinking with the visible, hole increases. It looks messy. But with boobs like that who is going to be looking at my seams? AM I RIGHT?!

Cute!

I’m really happy I revisited this pattern. It was fun to knit (besides that never ending K1P1 rib in the back that I neglected to take a picture of!), turned out great, and totally wearable. I hope you guys all had as much fun knitting it as I did!

Pattern: My The Loop Entrelac Tank

Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport in Bermuda Heather

Needles: Size 4s and 7s

Ravelry Project Page

Hello from Minneapolis! Before I left I used my mom’s beautiful house as a backdrop for my knit along sweater FO shots. I don’t think she’ll mind.

Make Up Your Mind!

How cute is this tank?! It fits well, even though I was going for a larger, looser top. The 4″ I added worked out perfectly – I love the longer length. It will be a really great tank to just throw on to cover up the fact that I’m just wearing a wife beater.

LONG and Pretty!

I added 4 rows of single crochet to the bottom and I love the loop. It’s weighting the top down nicely, as you can see here, and adds yet another texture. You can also see that the neckline bind off is a little loose. I’m going to see how this plays out during a day’s wear and maybe add a line of single crochet along the neckline, too.

Me and Pug Baby Otis

I got a couple visits while I was doing this shoot! Pug Baby Otis needed to get some camera time, and what’s that under my chair?

Arnold Sleeping Away

My mom’s cat Arnold. He hung out on the back deck between squirrel killings the entire time I was in Michigan.

Hot From The Back, Too!

I had to modify the back because I was following two sizes – my stitch count was for size 44 but my inches and sizing was coming from size 36, so I got to the inches I needed before my stitch count was right all the way through making the back, but it all turned out!

YAY!

How much do I love this top? THIS MUCH! We made it through some issues with the armhole shaping, but other than that this top was a total joy to knit and I’m excited to wear it all summer!

Pattern: Julie of Knitted Bliss‘s Make Up Your Mind

Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy Fingering in Hollyberry

Needles: Size 6 circulars

Ravelry Project Page