In which I make the Breeze Shirt by Twig and Tale in a soft lemon yellow, and the Ruby Overalls by Helen’s Closet in a nice fuzzy lavender corduroy.
I grew up in the 80s, when colour was everywhere. My response to that overstimulation was to gravitate to a mostly-black wardrobe. The current generation appears to have headed in a primarily beige direction. This video is my exploration of that tendency, and my logical reaction – to head the opposite direction and use colour.
I recently made a video about some of the plus size inclusive sewing brands I’ve encountered, and the entire time I was writing and rewriting what I wanted to say, I was editing out small recurring rants about the Big 4+ pattern company (Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick, Vogue and their comparatively newer acquisitions or sub-brands Burda Style, Know Me and New Look). The Big 4+’s issues with plus size representation and inclusive sizing has been an ongoing battle. A battle that seems to spill out onto the independent companies either using the Big 4+ as a template for their own business, or in response to the Big 4’s ambivalence.
But whether it’s commercial companies or Independents, this has been a problem on a large scale for years. Not apologizing for the pun.
It brings up some interesting questions:
Who does inclusive sewing and representation effect? How much plus is enough plus?
IS sewing inclusive? Particularly during the present time?
What should we expect from designers and brands?
Does the size of the company matter when discussing the size of the customer?
How can brands be more inclusive and promote plus size representation?
It seems like a lot of our usual go-to resources for sewing are quickly being merged and sold off. In a world where fast-fashion barely fits the lean and svelte without issue, what’s a plus-size person to do? Especially if they want to make their own everyday fantasy wardrobe?
In this video I talk about plus size sewing & costuming patterns and where to find them now that tissue patterns are becoming scarce. On a local level, at least.
There are two – maybe three – things I think about when I think tartan.
Myths about Scottish heritage, its ubiquity amongst the snobby set, and punk.
I found some fantastic tartan fabric at Marshall Fabric and while I first thought they might become pants (after all, what’s more punk than tartan pants?), this dress by Tiana Herring caught my fancy instead!
Join me as I make the Juniper Dress by Tiana Herring and talk about tartan, plaid, and resistance.
Edwardian French Drawers. They sound a little exotic, don’t they? All the pictures I’ve seen have featured very shapely, slender ladies sporting shaped flounces frothing at the hem with lace trim.
I worried that they’d hang wrong on me, or that they’d look ridiculous, but in the end, I’m very happy with my reproduction French drawers.
I used Truly Victorian pattern TVE02 – Edwardian Underwear to make the drawers. This is probably – so far- the most cottage core item of clothing in my wardrobe. I originally planned to make and talk about both the French drawers and a corset cover. Unfortunately, the drawers were more involved than I thought they would be! There was a lot of hand-sewing, particularly on the facings and hem. I also hand-sewed the lace trim into place, as well as the buttonhole.
I shot the reveal in my parents’ back garden. The weather was beautiful, but I chose the absolute wrong time of day. It was late afternoon by the time I was able to get my makeup on and my gear packed in the car for the trip. As a result, I was shooting directly into the sun – the nicest flowers in the garden are in the west. Whoops. That said, I still had a good time setting up cameras and posing. I hope the neighbours aren’t too confused!
Hot Girl Summer
My main worry was that I might accidentally show more of my body than intended. You usually make Edwardian French Drawers with an open crotch area. This is for practical reasons, Having to use the washroom in a hip-hugging corset in the early 1900’s could really cause some drama in the ladies’ restroom. The drawers are actually very modest. I wore them with my chemise tucked in. If anything, the tucked-in chemise gave the drawers a little bit more poof!
And we all know how important it is to wear well-ventilated clothing in the middle of a heat wave. Seriously, we’re sitting at 32 degrees Celsius right now. Hiding in my basement office is a wonderful way to spend the day.
In this week’s video, I also rant about the pattern industry and the way it still refuses to put serious acknowledgement into the plus-size community. Perhaps this is something that deserves a blog post of its own.
While smaller, independant designers are doing their best to cater to the growing demand for patterns of all sizes, the large pattern companies with actual budgets still seem to deliberately shoot themselves in the metaphorical foot when it comes to doing the simplest things to promote and sell patterns for larger bodies. It’s frustrating. Particularly at a time when sewing clothing is making a comeback due to the cottage core aesthetic and sustainable practices. How maddening.
That aside, I do hope you’ll check out my video. Please leave a like and a comment about my new (perhaps not-so-surprisingly modest) Edwardian underwear! I’m already working on the Corset Cover, and am progressing steadily toward the rest of my Edwardian outfit.
Just show notes from the video this time. We’ve had three deaths in the family over the past 3 months, culminating in the passing of my father-in-law. I had enough energy in me to get the video done, but not much otherwise.
Last time we swatched; in this video, we knit! I’ve cast on Andi Satterlund’s vintage inspired cardigan, Crumb. This sweater should look awesome with one of my 50’s style sun dresses or empire-waisted mini dresses…if I can get it past the stage where it looks like a slightly frowsy Old God In Training…
I also baked some bread and played a little Untitled Goose Game with the husbeast. We needed some fun and distraction because this week we experienced the sadness of saying goodbye to a loved member of our immediate family.
DMC Daisy Wreath Pattern Aida cloth rescued from another long-forgotten project with a missing pattern. Yes, I know I should have waited and bought black cloth for maximum POP, but it is what it is.
Thread: An Assortment of DMC and Anchor embroidery floss that matched those outlined in the pattern.
This week’s video is about knitting a gauge swatch for a new sweater!
Learning from past mistakes
I’ve only made one adult sweater in my years as a knitter. It was a Cobblestone Pullover designed by Jared Flood that I made from Cascade 220 for the Husbeast.
My first attempt was…not good. I remembered to swatch, but I used yarn from Michaels and didn’t realize the dye lots were different until I had finished two sleeves and was partway done with the body. The tip-off was the very noticeable difference between the two dye lots on the torso. Then realizing both arms were different shades….it was a mess.
Messes being cleaned up all over the place
I wound up making a trip to one of the local yarn stores that deals specifically in what I call “workhorse yarns” – the kinds of sturdy, reliable yarns that knitters generally turn to when they need a yarn they know will Just Work.
Yes, Gina Brown’s in Calgary is something like the early 2000s Apple Computer of yarn, but it’s very reasonably priced and they don’t redesign their stock every 6 months. Which is a good thing.
Choose your own adventure
I chose the Crumb sweater by Andi Satterlund. It’s a vintage-style sweater that will be nice and cozy for cool summer evenings. I have some dresses and long shirts that should go well with the design.
I’d picked up a sweater’s-worth of yarn from Michaels a few years back with the intention of making a Central Park Hoodie. The bulk of the yarn – about 5 balls – is one dye lot. I think the other 3 balls are one or two other dye lots.
Paton’s Classic Wool – Worsted – in Plum Heather 77307
The Crumb cardigan looks like the largest size will require the 5 balls of yarn. If it comes down to it, I’ll re-knit, alternating dye lots per row. It would be easier if this pattern was knit in the round, but I’ll figure something out.
Swatch for the pattern
The first thing I did was take one of those 3 extra balls of yarn and knit a swatch. Then I knit another. See, the pattern calls for 18 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches square. The first swatch came out a bit big, so I went down a needle size for the second.
One swatch each per needle size attempted.
The next step was giving the swatches a soak and dry. The larger swatch shrank down to the right stitch gauge. Row gauge is a bit more tricky, so I’m not going to worry too much about it.
And away we go!
I’ve since cast on for the sweater, and I’m enjoying it. I guess we’ll see how things shape up by next weekend!
It didn’t take long to complete the pair of socks cast on in Video #1. The only time I ever really have issues is when someone decides I need to try colour work. I’ll stick to mittens for those, thanks. Colourworked socks are not my cup of tea.
The video glosses over the hows and how-to’s of knitting socks. I didn’t want to turn it into a tutorial, more a slice-of-life. Socks were knit. Yay!
Waxing Poetic about Socks
I find that the humble sock is a perfect project. It’s small enough to be portable, and it’s not so large as to overheat a knitter in summer. They’re suitable for chatting over a cup of tea, or an evening glass of wine. You can knit them by the fireplace, or in front of the campfire. Best of all, they’re as complicated as you want them to be. You can knit them plain, use cables, fancy them up with lace, or add new colours.
They are one of the most perfect projects ever.
Completed Lang Jawoll self-striping socks
Well…unless you live in a place where socks aren’t necessary. I can see them being a bit inappropriate on the beach. Still, very handy when the weather turns chill, and you need something besides flip flops to keep your toeses cozy.
Moving On: Socks and More
I’ve cast on another pair of socks already — I thought I knew who they would belong to, but I’m pretty sure they’re for someone else entirely. Someone who I didn’t even have on my radar at this point in time.
Otherwise, I’m trying to figure out the next project. Will it be a lacy Victorian shawl? I broke out my copy of Jane Sowerby’s Victorian Lace Today, and am wondering if that’s something I should look into now, or perhaps later, when it’s too warm for anything more than lace weight?
Using available sources for research!
Perhaps a vintage-inspired sweater is the ticket. One of the perks of sheltering in place is that there are less dietary pitfalls to keep us from our usual poor eating habits, and the weight is slowly coming back down. I have at least one 50’s style dress, and a couple of “skater” style dresses that would look lovely in a 40’s/50’s crossover sweater.
The truth is, really nice sweaters haven’t changed much in the past 70 years. Going through the Mary Maxim back catalogue has reminded me that we are constantly recycling styles, and there are plenty of similar knits on Ravelry. Mostly, it’s a matter of deciding whether you want a cropped sweater to show off your full skirts, or a longer cardigan to flaunt your ability to afford yarn. After all, the boys are home from the war and you no longer have to unravel and re-knit your sweaters to be stylish (or make wartime supplies for the troops).
I’ve been looking over the designs of Andi Satterlund, and I’m liking what I’m seeing. I’m thinking of applying her Plain Jane pattern/workbook to some of the styles I’m seeing in the Mary Maxim back catalogue.
I Have…Opinions.
One of the things that came up in this week’s video is my opinion on “Jacquard” patterns in sock yarn. Dear friends, I dislike it immensely.
Hear me out: When I go to Knitpicks, I usually wind up gawking at their Felici self-striping sock yarn. Currently, they have colour ways that feature black, white, aqua blue, candy pink and yellow (Test Pattern) or navy, periwinkle, coral, apricot, and orange (Thunderstruck). Maybe three different shades of red is more up your alley (Rose Garden)?
None of those colour ways sounds boring. None of them involve muddying up one of the stripes with splatters of another colour entirely.
I know the “idea” behind the splatters is to make it look like you’ve done some intricate jacquard needlework on the area, but it never looks like that. Real jacquard is intentional. This pattern is…random at best.
Obviously, that’s just my opinion, but I suspect I’m not alone in it. I’ve noticed commercial yarn being wound to “hide” the splattered segments, and…I’m not happy with it. Nope. Not at all.
That said, it’s fodder for yet another video, likely coming soon, on Colour, Crafting, and the Joys of the Monochrome.
Bake Bread and Chill
Stay safe, folks. Grab a good audiobook or turn on your Netflix (I’m not going to suggest Prime due to their “themed” packages) and pull up some yarn. Pour some tea, coffee, or wine, and let’s just knit another pair of socks.
Maybe two. 😉
What are you doing while we’re all sheltering in place? Inquiring minds want to know!
On April 6th, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Theresa Tam, advised that wearing non-medical face masks could give an additional layer of protection when needing to go out in public.
My fabric stash is minuscule compared to my Mum’s, so she granted me access to the treasure trove that is her cotton bin. It’s a huge Rubbermaid tub that’s full of swatches and remnants. Some of the contents date back almost 40 years.
I am a colourful ninja
I’m almost afraid that I’ve snagged some of the fabric she’s been hoarding for other purposes, but I’m sure she’d tell me if that were the case.
At any rate, I made face masks for the husbeast, myself, and both sets of our parents. They aren’t the most chic items of clothing, but they definitely have some personality.
The right mask for the right person
I mixed and matched colours suitable for the gentlemen…even in a pandemic, I can’t see my Dad wearing cute owls on his face. Mum might get a kick out of them, but Dad? Not likely. I stuck mainly with grey, grey-blue, and navy for them.
The ladies, however, get the fun stuff. Burgundy and lavender, cute prints…you name it. My favourite face masks have owls and mushrooms on it.
For more information, click on that video up top to see the process!
I have this weird tendency to fixate on new hobbies. Honestly, it sometimes feels like my life is just a series of obsessions that meander through a wild wood full of experiences and knowledge.
Before the new year, I’d been making an effort to update the blog, scheduling posts, and keeping the content running. It was a little…book-heavy, but I was trying to find ways to work in my other interests on the side. Talk about knitting or crafting books instead of fiction? That works!
Still book-heavy, but you work with what you’ve got.
Enter the YouTube
Because I had a bit of time left unspoken-for, I figured I’d try streaming on Twitch. I threw myself into it with my usual manic abandon, watching all the videos on what to do and what to expect.
“You should start a YouTube channel to support your streaming!” they cried, and I rejoiced – I would finally be using my college education.
So I went down the rabbit-hole of online gaming channels and promptly hit a brick wall. I’ll spare the technicalities, but essentially it boils down to the fact that my primary computer is a Mac. You can game on a Mac, but recording that gameplay can be problematic. Thus, I was limited to perhaps two games that I could play somewhat reliably, and only if I rebooted to a Windows partition….look, I said it was technical.
This is the reel that never ends
I actually enjoy editing. I didn’t have much experience with the flatbed film editor in college (I think it was a Steenbeck?), but I got in some time with the video edit suite. I liked using Premiere in the technical course I took afterwards, and I’m brushing up a lot of those old skills.
However, when you’re a gaming channel, the edits never end. If you think about it, a person who runs their own YouTube channel is not only the on-air talent, but also the writer, director, producer, editor, graphic designer, and marketing agent. You have to know what people will click on, and how to present it. We talk down our noses about ‘clickbait’, but to be perfectly truthful, there’s a reason it exists. There are people whose income literally depends on your inability to resist clicking that title.
And when you’re trying to get people to click on the 3 or more videos you produce per week? It’s sink or swim time.
Burnout and a new direction
It’s like a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’
The husbeast brought a nasty cold home from the office sometime in February. I’m prone to bronchitis, so I endured a few weeks worth of coughing while I tried to decide what I wanted to do. Whatever it was, I didn’t want to go back to the endless grind of editing video game footage.
“Screw it,” I said. “I want to knit a sock.”
So I did. I finished off the socks I failed to finish for Yule (Dad. Very big feet), then I found another sock I’d started in November or December and finished that pair as well.
It hit me that I wanted to vlog about knitting. Knitting, crochet, sewing…I want to vlog about the crafting lifestyle. Most of the knitting channels I’ve seen on YouTube have been geared more toward a tutorial, or podcast format. There’s a person centred on the screen, either demonstrating a technique or showing off their completed work.
I want to show the process
If you’ve seen Bernadette Banner, Morgan Donner, or Rachel Maksy’s videos, you’ll know what I mean.
I’ve been watching vintage fashion come and go since the late 90’s, if not longer. I’ve collected 1950s patterns I can’t yet fit into. I’ve built corsets and even made my own 16th Century gown once upon a time. I like the concept of Historybounding, and considered building my own everyday corset because it’s a good, solid, foundation garment.
You know what I haven’t really seen? A similar YouTube channel from the point of view of a sewer and maker who is also a knitter.
I want to see that sweater-girl look with a sweater actually knit by hand. I’d like to see vintage mittens and snow bonnets. As odd as it seems to say it, I’d like to see a vintage 70’s outfit, bell-bottoms and all…with a crocheted poncho.
I’m not about to knit a pair of hose, because, well….that’s far too much work for a pair of tights, but I’d like to see a bit of hand-crocheted edging make it onto a neckline or sleeve cap. Would a Victorian-inspired outfit take longer to make if it had a knitted shawl or mufatees? Probably. Would it be worth it?
Oh yes.
I want to delve into the Mary Maxim back catalogue, as problematic as it might be, and knit a Cowichan-inspired “curling sweater”. Is it cultural appropriation? Very likely. I’m not going to deny that. It’s also a very important touchstone of my formative years growing up in Canada with a grandmother who knit. These are issues and history I could very happily discuss on YouTube.
So that leads me to the end result:
Rebranding my YouTube channel
It’s not really a rebrand. It’s…more a redirection. I kept the name Stringchronicity right from the very beginning. The gaming videos are still there, if for nothing more than reference.
I uploaded my first crafting lifestyle vlog on Sunday. You know what I’m making? Socks. Yes, I’m sure you guessed that. I also demonstrated lever knitting, as it’s the technique I use when I knit, and the lever knitting video I uploaded last year has enjoyed some minor popularity.
The best part is that I feel engaged with my subject matter. I have footage for two more videos that I’m assembling right now, and I really hope that my enjoyment with both subjects is relatable to others.
If you’re interested in seeing what I’ve been up to, you can head over to my YouTube channel or just check out the video below. New videos will have their own blog posts when they appear. I’m having fun putting them together and I can’t wait to share them with everyone else!
