Hoodie Johnny by Vikisews

And here's the second of my finished sewing projects this year, which is also one of my selfless sewing items in the Make Nine list - a hoodie for husband. 

I have two Burda men's patterns for hoodies, both with raglan sleeves and kangaroo pockets. When I discussed with husband the plans for his hoodie, he however did not like them much. So we browsed through the men's patterns on Vikisews site and found this FREE! pattern with set-in sleeves and side pockets, which was exactly what husband was looking for.

The body of the hoodie is ingeniously divided into three parts - front, back and side panels and the pockets are added in the seams between the side panels and the fronts. Because husband's favourite colors are red and orange, he chose again a red lining for the inner part of the pockets and the hood and I think it suits the dark grey color of the outer fabric just perfectly. 

I bought (for 0 RUB) size 46 and made it almost without modifications. My preliminary measurements of the pattern pieces showed that the width and the length fitted husband exactly as he wanted the hoodie to fit, I only added 3 cm to the sleeve length (which might have been actually redundant). However, I haven't properly washed the fabric yet, only steam blocked it, so I wanted to have room for eventual shrinkage.

The only proper modification of the pattern I made is the hood, which is supposed to be cut in one piece, with a seam on the top to form the curve. I prefer a classic two-piece hood, so I modified the pattern piece. I installed rivets for a drawstring and bought a proper string, but husband said he always found drawstrings annoying, so for now he hood is left stringless.

And another small modification, born more out of necessity than deliberation - I added two 9 cm pieces of fabric to the hem ribbing. My ribbing was a tube only 90 cm wide, when cut, so I needed to elongate it and I decided to make it like in some commercial blazers with fabric patches next to the zipper. I actually like it very much like that.

 

Pattern: Hoodie Johnny by VikiSews

Size: 46

Fabric: sweatshirt fleece, polyester knit lining

Time to make: one week

Husband is demonstrating his contrasting red pockets, matching the red pockets of his Jack Sweatpants, another pattern by Vikisews I made for him as a Christmas present. BTW, in these photos he is also wearing a Burda Longsleeve I made for him last autumn.

Light Asherton Scarf

I have one more sewing project, finished in 2021, to photo and show you, but here is my first project, finished in 2022. It is a scarf I cast on December 27th and knitted hurriedly through the last days of 2021 and the first days of 2022, so that Gaby could take it with her, blocked and dry, to Vienna, as a present for her boyfriend.

The yarn is again Italian bobbin yarn, 90% merino ultrafine and 10% cashmere. It is very thin, 1500 m / 100 g, so I wound it in four balls and knitted the shawl in four threads. After blocking it softened and the cashmere content fluffed, so the texture became very nice to the touch. However in retrospect, I wish I had knitted it in 5 or even 6 threads, as it came out a bit thin and light.

The pattern is probably my most favourite men's scarf pattern - Asherton, which I already knitted once several years ago. Not only is this pattern beautiful and swanky, but it is also free! The chart is fairly easy to follow and it produces a subtle and interesting reversible relief. The original pattern is written row by row and stitch by stitch, but as I am a visual knitter, when it comes to instructions, I prefer charts and proportions and despise garrulous wording, so last time I knitted this scarfI drafted a chart, which I published on my Ravelry page. This time I simply printed the chart again and after one repeat memorized it and followed it without any need of consulting it. I really don't know how people knit without charts!

 

Pattern: Asherton Reversible Scarf

Yarn:  Filatura Papi Fabio Dorotea, 1500 m / 100g, 130 g in four threads

Needle: 3.5 mm

Time to knit: one week

Blocked size: 23 cm wide x 173 cm long

Because my yarn is very thin and I knitted the scarf only in four threads, it came a bit light, more suitable perhaps for Vienna autumns and springs, rather than winter. Still, I hope it is wide and long enough to provide adequate cover. Now I am in the process of designing a suitable hat to go with the scarf, as I have plenty of the yarn left.

To Be Photographed

While my knitting mojo is in hiatus and March weather is soul searching its winter or spring essence (it's been snowing for four days now, after the +20C on Sunday), I'm in a sewing frenzy. Here's what has been finished recently, waiting to be photographed some day, maybe ...

One of my better makes, I think. This is my personal pattern, based on the freethe Easy Smock Top by lovesewingmag.co.uk. Last year I made this top for myself and it turned one of my favourites, and when I saw this delicate viscose knit in off white with navy blue hearts, I knew Gaby would love it. So this is for her (as most of the other items on the rack).

This viscose blouse was actually made last autumn, days before Gaby left for Prague, so it was never worn, photographed or, I believe, even tried. This is Burda 6840, style A. I copied the smallest size available 36 and reduced it to size 34 for Gaby, omitting the double button placket. I hope it will get some wear this spring and summer, as I find it really lovely.

And from the oldest to my latest make on the rack - finished only this morning. Last month I made the top of the Movie Night Pajamas, but I didn't have fabric for the bottoms. On Saturday, when I went on a tour around the fabric shops, I couldn't find a matching fabric for the bottoms, but I found the same fabric in another shop - so I bought another meter. I made the bottoms of the pajamas and from the scraps I managed to squeeze a small short sleeved tee, which could be worn as a summer top for the same bottoms (or, I suppose, as a short-sleeved tee). The pattern for the tee is one of my recent acquisitions - Burda 6820, view B.

And another Burda 6820, something for myself. This is a combination of the sleeves of view A, the body of view C and a henley button placket I designed myself, imitating Love Notion's  Breckenridge Henley. I had a fair amount of this cotton knit, which I had bought for a long-sleeved blouse for gaby, so my little henley top is a sort of a free extra.

For Gaby's long sleeved blouse I used again Burda 6820, view C, but I added a scoop neckline, button placket and sleeve tabs for rolled up sleeves - so basically turned the basic longsleeve into a more interesting pattern. I've ordered brass snaps plus instruments for installing them on Aliexpress and i plan to replicate this blouse with snaps some day.

And the last item, which took me quite a while to make, though it looks like a  fairly simple short skirt. The pattern is Burda 117 from 02 / 2017 and the fabric is gorgeous Chanel type wool boucle. I must have bought it some 25 or more years ago to make a Chanel jacket, I actually have a picture of the unfinished jacket on my blog from some 8 years ago. The pattern for the jacket was again a Burda, but the fit was disastrous. So I finally decided to disassemble the jacket and use the cut pieces to make a skirt. It is fully lined, with an invisible zipper and even some hong kong seam bindings, of which I am very proud. Can't wait to demonstrate it to you, as soon as the weather clears again.

So, that's all for now, I'm off to print a new pattern and cut into the fabric :)

Vali's Hat

My first finished knitting project for 2021 - a hat for Gaby's boyfriend.

I am quite conscious of the fact that not everybody likes handmade items and I really try not to foist my knitting and sewing on others, especially people outside my immediate family. Even if I might regard a handmade by me object precious, especially considering the time, effort and supplies it might have taken me to make it, for an indifferent person it could quite possibly be just an item not much to their liking and that's OK.

Still, I wanted to make a small present for Vali for this past Christmas and New Year to express my (our) appreciation and regard. So I made him a simple knitted hat, nothing too fancy and intrusive, plain black asphalt color, 1x1 rib and just a touch of orange for some interest and individuality.

The yarn is Italian bobbin 100% merino, 320 m / 100 g, very soft and squishy. I cast on 136 sts on 4 mm needles and knitted a long tube until I reached the crown. Then I experimented with the crown - first I made it with a long deep crown, but Gaby did not approve it; then I tried the squared method, but I did not like it and I finally made the crown shorter and more rounded with 17 decreases per round every other round and I think I nailed it. The hat is fully reversible and can be worn long and slouchy or beanie-like with a folded brim.

Gaby sent me a selfie of them both today, wearing hats, made by me and they looked so cute and happy, my heart melted :)

Pattern: Vali's hat (personal design)

Yarn: Zegna Baruffa Cashwool, 100% merino, 320 m / 100g, 70 g

Needle: 4 mm

Time to make: one week

Tumba Hat

Last year I found that I could make hats, combining the remnants of yarn from the Italian bobbin yarn I use lately. As this is yarn, that is produced for machine knitting, it usually comes in very thin threads - I've bought 1500 m / 100 g and even 3000 m / 100 g. The advantage of such remnants is that a small ball of 30 g of fine merino is about 400 m long - and that is a lot of length! Thus combining a few good for nothing balls of various yarns produces a melange of suitable thickness and length, sufficient for a hat.

My latest hat is a man's hat with double hem of 1x1 rib and semi-fisherman rib crown, made out of 27 g of Harmony Lana Gatto, a remnant from my green Koto sweater and 33 g of Filpucci Ascot, a remnant from my blue Starry Night sweater. I overdyed both yarns in green and held the fine Lana Gatto merino double. To my utter amazement the two resulting yarns had almost the same length - the difference was less than 5 cm. What were the odds, less than winning the lottery!

Pattern: Tumba hat (personal pattern)

Yarn: Harmony 95067 Lana Gatto, 100% merino, 1500 m / 100 g, 27 g,
Filpucci Ascot, 550 m / 100 g, 33 g 

Needle: 3.75 mm (hem), 4 mm (crown)

Time to knit: 4 days

Although my handsome husband is modeling the hat just for a few photos, it is intended as a Christmas present for another member of the family. I hope the recipient will like it, the combination yarn is 85% fine merino, 7.5% angora and 7.5% Cashmere goat - super soft and pleasant to touch and wear.

Hipster Shawl and Burda 105 01 2020 Dress

I have not one, but two FOs today - I knitted a shawl and I sewed a dress. And I think they combine into a cool autumn outfit, so I hurried to take pictures of them today, while it is still autumn, as we are expected to enter into real winter weather next week

The dress is Burda #105 from January 2020 issue. I actually made this dress back in February, but I didn't like the fit and the collar. The pattern comes in the petite size and it was probably the major factor that attracted me, plus the A-line skirt, which is cut on the bias. However, although I believed 18 was my true size, it came too wide at the waist - I mean some 10 or more cm positive ease. Then the bust darts, which are French darts, turned too high for me. The high collar and the long sleeves, combined with the dark color of the fabric, made me look like a nun.

I tried several things to remedy the issues - I shortened the sleeves, which helped a bit; then I took in the waist darts at the back and made a sway back correction. Still, the dress was too wide and frumpy, so I abandoned it for a while. I was planning to cut the neckline and make it with a round neck, but in the end I realized it was not worth it, so I just added an elastic at the waist and called it done for good.

Pattern: Burda # 105 of 01/2020

Size: 18

Fabric:  viscose poplin

Time to make: indefinite

My next make, which I am much more happy with, is my second Hipster shawl. In November 2018 I knitted a chocolate color Hipster shawl, which became an immediate hit. The "problem" was, that Gaby kept borrowing it and when she left for Prague, of all the shawls I've bought and knitted for her, she chose my chocolate Hipster. Of course she could have it, I can always knit myself another one. And so I did!

The yarn was gifted to me and it is one I have used several times before - Zegna Baruffa Kent, 100% merino, Italian bobbin yarn. The original color of the yarn was grey-blue, the same as the cardigan I knitted for Gaby a while ago. When I received the yarn, my first impulse was to make it into a sweater and as i did not want a sweater the same color as the cardigan, I overdyed the yarn forest green. And then decided to make it into a big, squishy warm shawl.

Pattern: Hipster Shawl by Joji Locatelli 

Yarn: Zegna Baruffa Kent, 100% merino, 900 m/ 100 g, in two threads, 220 g

Needle: 4.5 mm

Time to knit: 10 days 

 

As my needles and yarn were smaller than what the pattern calls for and as I wanted the shawl really big, I made an additional repeat of the pattern. Two repeats made it on the small size and as I didn't want to finish the shawl in the middle of the garter stitch section, I made a full third repeat and now my shawl is really big - it measures 61 cm in width and the full wingspread is 235 cm. That is a lot of volume around the neck, when I need it!

Snow White

I finally finished a sweater for Gaby I cast on on January 2nd this year! The sweater is my own design, using the cables from a pattern I've already knitted before - Tre Archi by Louisa Harding. Gaby wanted a fitted white sweater with sequins and bishop sleeves and the Tre Archi silhouette in my previous modification seemed to fit the bill.

I ordered a bobbin of sequin yarn - thin polyester thread with tiny, tiny sequins, almost invisible, yet festive enough for my liking. I combined it with a bobbin of Italian 100% merino in off white color and happily started knitting on the second day of the new year. However, i soon discovered that the polyester thread was too coarse and artificial and i did not like the resulting texture. I drudged along until I finished the body, but i had lost all of my mojo and put the sweater aside.

And it stayed in a project bag until a couple of weeks ago, when I came upon it while in search of a cable needle to finish my purple raglan sweater. I took it out of the bag and gave the body a good bath and blocking. The merino bloomed after the bath and transformed the texture of the knitting, filling in the gaps between the stitches. The hem was curling and the sweater seemed a bit short, so I unraveled it and finished it anew with smaller needles and grafting. And then I added bishop sleeves my own design.

The back finishes with a key-hole opening, which I have lightly sewn up for now. The plan is to add a ribbon and close it by tying the ribbon, but as the sweater is for Gaby and she's away until Christmas, I'll wait for her to choose the closure she prefers.

Pattern: Snow White, personal design using Tre Archi cables

Yarn: Merino Extrafine, 375 m / 100 g, 100% merino and
Paillettes 1, 100% polyester, 780 m / 100 g, total weight of the sweater: 400 g

Needle: 4 mm (body), 3.5 mm (cables and hems), 3 mm (sleeve hems)

Time to knit: a year :)

Hayward

I have a new sweater to show you  - Hayward, a simple raglan with elongated raglan lines, a lot of positive ease, boat neck and 7/8 sleeves, knitted in stockinette stitch in the round - the perfect tv knitting!

I was gifted the yarn by a Facebook friend, who had bought it, did not like it and noticed that I had knitted with it previously. In all honesty, it is my least favourite Italian bobbin tweed yarn I've tried so far, but it is of very beautiful color and definitely did not deserve to finish in the trash bin unloved.

I fought with it hard until I found the right pattern. Initially I bought the popular Harley and cast it on with this yarn, but midway the cowl I realized that this tweed was too stiff, too dry and too busy for the cabled Harley. And then I remembered that I had been planning to have a go at the Hayward for quite a long time and this was the perfect yarn - if I did not like the elongated raglan, at least I would not have wasted precious yarn on it.

To knit the sweater I followed the general recipe for elongated raglan by Olga Kondratyeva and my own measurements and calculations. And it all went very smoothly until I reached the sleeves. Then my perfectionist nature in evil combination with my ever hesitant self knitted and frogged endlessly one sleeve or another - long or short, how long, how short, how narrow, how wide - I couldn't decide and I had to try them all until I was finally satisfied with the result you see on these pictures. I do not regret a single frogged stitch, as at least now I know this is exactly how I wanted the sleeves! :)

The positive ease - I knitted the sweater with a total of 20 cm positive ease at the bust and I believe this is really needed to make the Hayward silhouette work. For the hem - I tried without ribbing, but it curled uncompromisingly and no amount of blocking or even 3-st I-cord could prevent it. Plus the wideness of the sweater around the bum, combined with the curling, was very unflattering. So in the end I unravelled the last 10 or so rows and finished the hem with 2x2 ribbing and I love it - it stays straight and pulls in the volume just enough to feel comfortable.

Pattern: Hayward by Julie Hoover

Yarn: Natural Fantasy Condor 3, 200 g

Yarn Content: 62% wool, 6% angora, 10% silk, 4% modal, 18% polyamide, 450 m / 100 g

Needle: 3.25 mm, 3 mm

Time to knit: about a month

 

All in all, I'm actually truly happy with the final result, the sweater is easy to wear and very light - only 200g, but quite warm. After washing the yarn softened and as you can see I am able to wear it right next to the skin without any itching or irritation. Now I have to decide what to make out of the two other bobbins of the same yarn in two other colors that came with it - more Hayward sweaters perhaps :)