Chapter 13: Friday Update 7.12.18

Greetings friends! I hope your July is going well. At our house, this month has been all about the long days of summer; swimming in the afternoons, cooking on the grill in the evenings, sitting outdoors with candlelight and watching the sky change colors as the sun sets...But the biggest fun for me has been the World Cup games! (For the record, I want Croatia to win on Sunday.)

One day my husband brought a big TV outside and set it up by the pool, in the shade of the guest cottage, and we watched a World Cup game while relaxing in the pool. That was really fun. What a great way to spend a hot, sunny Sunday afternoon.

I've managed to knit (and sew) this week, despite the glorious weather. But before I get into all that, have a look at our Kaffir Lime tree with its weird little limes. 

Kaffir limes in our garden.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

EMPOREIO BY MONA C. NICLEOID

Photo © Mona C. NicLeoid.

I'm supposed to have this finished by the end of July if I want to be included in the prize drawing for the Wee Sew n Sew "Bring On Summer KAL."  It's going so slow. The yarn I'm using is exactly what the pattern (above) calls for: Shibui Reed, in the Mineral colorway.

I really love the back, with the open work and the pleat. Something so lovely is definitely worth the price of this paid-for pattern.

Stitch markers at hem are to help weigh the fabric down.

Shibui's Reed yarn is very fine 100% linen that varies from almost lace weight to regular fingering, so it makes tiny little stitches that aren't consistent despite my even tension. Having worked with linen fabric before, I know that it's loose and wrinkly and hard to keep its shape, so I assume that's what's going on with the stitches here. Right now it looks like a child's work.

It's pretty obvious I will have to do some blocking when I'm done. Hopefully YouTube will come through. If you have any tips for finishing up knitted linen garments, please pass them on to us in the comments.

The Wee Sew n Sew is one of my favorite podcast subscriptions. I love trying to understand Caz's Scottish Highlands dialect, which is rubbing off on me. I find myself thinking things like, "Oh, I'm so chuffed at finally finding the perfect wee skein of speckled yarn!" The WSNS group's KAL (knit-along) will be over July 31. If you're currently knitting a summer garment and want to take part, check us out!

GO TO EMPOREIO ON RAVELRY

GO TO THE WEE SEW N SEW PODCAST ON YOUTUBE

GO TO THE WEE SEW N SEW GROUP ON RAVELRY

SOCK BAGGIE BY REBECCA ENOCH

Photo © Rebecca Enoch.

I love everything about this wee bag. The softness, the pom poms, the beads...It's elegant and squishy at the same time, and looks expensive. How fun it is to open it up and discover, not a treasure, but handmade socks.

Crown-like picot top.

I couldn't wait to get this on my needles, but I had other projects hibernating around the house, or being sort of ornery.  I ended up frogging one of them, and the relief I felt allowed me to cast on a new project! Has anyone else done this? 

I purchased the yarn last month at The Frayed Knot in Savannah, Georgia, specifically for this pattern. It's Schoppel-Woole Cashmere Queen in the colorway Helio. Just the faintest hint of aqua. It's knitting up like a cloud.

Sock Baggie crown top.

The holes in the neck are for the drawstring.

This will be a fast knit for me. It's a dream in my hands compared to the crunchy, finicky Reed linen garment, and the bigger yarn and needles give the project quick and satisfying results.

GO TO THE FREE SOCK BAGGIE PATTERN ON RAVELRY

FINISHED OBJECTS

Alas, I have no finished objects. Everything I had going, I had to set aside in order to spend long hours on the Emporeio. 

SEWING

NEW ETSY STORE FOR GROOVEMOM LABEL

I'm hoping to go live around August 1, 2018. Right now I'm sewing like crazy, building up a nice selection of small totes or sock project bags. I may end up calling them Sock Dittys. They're my own design and I'm very proud of them.

If I can achieve this feat and actually open for business before I turn gray-haired, my next line of bags will be slightly larger, for bullet journals and creative writing stuff. I'm working on the pattern for that in between sewing, knitting and life.

Stay tuned, as they say! And have a happy week!


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