Modern Tank

I'm feeling a little giddy as I write this. I can't quite believe it, but my tank top is finished and I love it.

Of course, it's no sooner off the needles than I have a burning desire to start another and tweak it a bit to make it even better ... but I guess that's the thing with designing, it's an evolving process.

The neck band might be my favourite part. You'll find it no surprise to hear that it took me three goes to get it right. Three seems to be my number.

And, I love the integrated icord armhole edging. It took a bit of fiddling to figure out good, matching decreases. 

I would say I can't wait to wear it, but it's just so jolly cold outside I can't imagine how I'm going to be able to wear it and not freeze. Still, we've got a couple of weeks and a cardigan & skirt to go ... so things might change.

There are little signs that warmer weather is headed our way, so fIngers crossed I don't freeze.

My Ravelry project page is here.

Getting Underway

It feels a bit like May is disappearing on me. I was really looking forward to getting started with Outfit 5, but now I'm a bit nervous that this month will come and go without a finished outfit ...

Perhaps it's because I've been super ambitious. It was bound to happen, especially after the high of releasing my first proper pattern. I couldn't find just what I was after so I thought ... "I know, I'll make it up...". Designing something is all fine and good - but maybe not designing and making two things in a mere matter of weeks. Oh well, there's no backing out now!

You know I love a sort of "title" for my Outfits. So far, for this Outfit, I've been working with the loose title of "she's approachable, with a touch of the exotic. Cool and collected, with a bohemian twist ...".  Hey, it works in my head!

What am I making? It's lovely.

I found this beautiful silk Sari on Ebay a while ago and couldn't resist it. It's a wee bit fragile in places and looks like it's been mended a couple of times, but there are metres and metres of fabulous, useful silk in it. It is real silk, I've tested it. By tested, I mean, I've burnt a strip of it in my kitchen-come-science lab.

Unlike polyester, my slik sari smells a little like hair when it burns, burns to a powdery black ash and stops burning the second the flame is removed. Polyester smells like melting plastic, melts to a solid clump and continues to burn/melt even after the flame goes out.

And, with my beautiful, fine, drapey silk I am planning to make a flowing skirt. I'm basing it on Megan Neilsen's popular Kelly Skirt pattern but I'm making mine a bit longer and perhaps a wee bit fuller. It'll have to be lined too - and I'm intending to line it with itself; two layers of this beautiful silk. It might be a bit inclined to stick to itself, but I couldn't face the stiffer, less drapey linings in the shop. I want this outfit to be a bit groovy. The wooden buttons will run the length of my skirt.

My skirt is going to be topped with a modern twinset. I've started (for the third time) a tank top with tons of twisted rib detail and it's looking okay. I'm using a taupe coloured Rowan cotton/wool 4ply yarn which feels lovely, but is a bit of a killer on my right wrist. It might have something to do with the speed with which I'm trying to knit. I haven't suffered sore wrists before, so I hope this isn't a sign of things to come?!

My top is going to be (hopefully, if I can get this all done) teamed with a cute cardy. More twisted rib, raglan 3/4 length sleeves and stripes of the taupe and the pistachio yarn in the picture. I haven't actually started it yet ... at all. No calculations, nothing. I'll have to use my tank top as a swatch for my cardigan. You getting the picture? Time is TIGHT. It doesn't bear thinking about, so I'm trying not to.

And, finally - to add flavour, I'm planning to make some silver bangles to jingle up my arm. I've bought some silver D wire and some silver solder and am going to use my cook's blow torch for something other than crème brûlée. I really have no idea what I'm doing with the silver and the soldering, so if you do - please tell me everything you know!

So that's it. Outfit 5. All I can think is, it's the middle of May ... most of it's still in my head ... I must be crazy. Oh, and before you jump to any conclusions, I am no superwoman. My house is a shambles, Mr Myrtle is in charge of the laundry and our meals are dubious. Wish me luck!

Skeppe Hat - Pattern Available!

I'm excited (and a whole lot nervous!) to tell you that my first proper pattern has been professionally edited (thank you Ruth!),  tested by a bunch of lovely knitters (thank you everyone!) and is now available to purchase!

SKEPPE || BUY NOW

A cosy hat with a bit of slouch, Skeppe is the perfect hat for all the family, suitable for boys and girls, men and women. I love the tassles but you might choose to leave them off, or even pop a pom pom on the top instead!

Ideal for the adventurous beginner knitter, Skeppe is a quick, enjoyable knit. If you can knit and purl, you can master this hat!

The "tassel stitch" pattern is really effective, simple to master and fun to knit. I love the way the ribbing flows effortlessly into the tassel pattern, and the way the tassel pattern flows into the crown shaping at the top. 

The two hats in my pictures are knitted in beautiful 100% wool, worsted weight yarns by Quince and Co. but you could substitute another worsted weight yarn of your choice.

The pattern includes:

• clear and easy to understand instructions in both written and charted form;
• four sizes, from children to adults;
• notes on how to knit the "tassel stitch";
• clear colour photos;
• step by step instructions for the (optional) tassel and twisted cord.

If you want to read more about my design process, I've written about it here. You might also like to check out some of my test knitters' projects for some inspiration and yarn ideas. There are some lovely examples of Skeppe!

I'd like to thank you everyone who helped me get this pattern to publication. You've been fantastic :)

Skeppe is available to purchase on Ravelry. Just click on any of the photos above, or my fancy "buy now" button below. (You don't have to be a Ravelry member to buy patterns.) Happy knitting!

The Big Reveal - Outfit 4

I had planned to shoot the photos for Outfit 4 at the very lovely Italian deli down the road. But,  in the end, I never managed to pluck up the courage to ask them if I could take over their cafe in my pyjamas. Maybe another time ...

For now, you've got a very real location. Chez Myrtle.

Spring seems to have finally sprung and it's fantastic to be able to use our outside spaces again. The idea of spending over half the year eating inside doesn't feel quite right to my Kiwi self.  Plus, with four little kids around the table, it's not so crazy noisy eating outside ... On the other hand, it might be for our neighbours.

But, I digress ... Outfit 4 is finished!

My cardigan is soft, warm and I'm going to live in it. If you follow me on Twitter you may have heard about my panic finishing the sleeves. I wasn't sure that I'd have enough yarn and I didn't know whether to knit faster to see ... or put it down in fear. In the end I knitted like the wind ... and there was enough. Just. So, there are no pockets, but actually, I like its long clean line without pockets anyway. So I'm not too sad.

The collar is warm up around my neck and although the icord bind off up the front rolls inwards a bit, there's still lots of width in the front to keep me warm. Remember how I knit the sleeves from the top down? I didn't think to take into account that the pattern would have extra stitches added to the top of the body for seaming ... so my sleeves aren't as set in as they may have been. They're a slightly dropped sleeve instead. Lesson learnt :)

I also knit the icord bind off at the bottom of the sleeves with the needle I used for the arms. I didn't go down a needle size. Well, I did, but I thought it was a bit tight, so ripped back and did it again ... My Raverly project page is here.

Despite my disasters with twin needles, I think I'm getting better at stretch knit tops. I'm liking the higher neckline on this one and the narrow neck band. The curved bottom wasn't tricky either, I'm going to try that again.  I think you can almost see how soft the fabric for my top is. It's a pure cotton but it's quite silky and is going to be so comfy to sleep in. I'm just hoping that the colour lasts because I really like it just how it is.

My silky pj bottoms feel good too. They're roomy and long, but not so long that I trip over or stand on them. That's important. Store bought trousers are usually too long for me ... And, I just think they're so pretty. Super pretty.

Felted slippers are cool. If you haven't made these ones yet ... do! If you don't mind seaming, the pattern as written is a breeze. Converting them to an almost seamless pattern is fun if you fancy a bit of a challenge. I do think it's worth splodging the sock stop stuff on the bottom because it makes them feel a bit more substantial. 

Overall, they're warm and comfortable ... fingers crossed my toes don't go through the end too fast ... I want them to last. My Ravelry project page is here.

So there we are .. Ta da! Outfit 4. Phew. April was a busy month.

I'll be back to tell you all about my plans for May, soon.

Scrummy French Press Slippers

Thank you for all the twin needle suggestions! Lots of you shared so many great ideas for sewing with knits in the comments at the bottom of my last post, as well as on the Truly Myrtle Facebook page. If you haven't seen them, you might like to check them out. I even discovered a fabric shop stocking pretty fantastic cotton knit ... 

You'll see from my picture that my slippers are finished. In the end I went for the simplest of embroidered buttons - a running stitch with the yarn I used for my slippers. It was quick, I think it's effective and I love the way the stitches change colour through the button. Birdy button will have to wait for something else ...

I did manage something a little mind-boggling though. I charted the instructions for the slippers and knitted the side pieces and the bottom as one piece. It took quite a bit of concentrating, but it was worth it. The slippers knitted up fast and I only had a little seaming to do at the heels and toes.

See my green slippers? That's why I need new ones ;)

 

The whole felting thing was more nerve-racking than I anticipated. The slippers started off pretty huge but I had little idea of how fast or how much they would shrink in our front loading washing machine, and it's not possible to whip them out quickly because the door locks when water is in the bottom of the drum. I had to drain it then open it.

In the end, I put them in a pillowcase and threw them in a 95°C cycle with a couple of pairs of canvas shoes that needed a wash. I used a little washing powder and washed them in short bursts of about 5 - 10 mins. They started felting pretty quickly but took longer to shrink. Once they were nearly there I soaked them in a bowl of boiling water but impatience over took me and I bunged them back in the machine for another 5 minutes ... that definitely shrunk them. They're a snug fit now.

There's an added complication when you're making two of anything; trying to make them look the same.  My slippers are pretty much the same, but one is definitely better than the other. My seaming up the toe on the right hand slipper looks worse in this picture than when it's on my foot, but it's not great. I must have bunched my seam a bit sewing them up - it sort of puckers a bit. The backs are okay and I'm pleased with the straps across the front.

Underneath, I've squirted some no slip rubbery stuff. Man, it was tricky to control! Splodge, slurp, dribble. Hopeless! It does feel pretty cool and at least it's out of sight.

Outfit 4 is very nearly done. Some finishing on my cardigan, a soak and block and I'm there. Stay tuned for another big reveal very soon ...

In the meantime, you can find my slippers here, on Ravelry.