Sewing a vest

Partner recently lost some weight and wants new vests that are more flattering to his current figure. The shape and style needed to be somewhere between these two and sort of like this pattern.

I pulled this pattern out of the file...
... and traced it out in the size I thought appropriate, without seam allowances.
I then redrew some of the lines to reflect how he wanted the vest to look.

Using scrap fabric I then sewed together a test vest, adding seam allowances only at the shoulder and sides. I then pinned it where it needed more adjustments.
The shoulders needed a little more slope to them.
And it needed to be a little smaller across the front.
He has said that he wanted it to be short, but I convinced him it should be a little longer than he thought and lengthened it. Don't forget to do both front and back when making longer or shorter.
Make a second tracing of the front and cut it at about 1/3 to 2/3.
Now cut two front facings and two interfacings from the smaller 1/3, remembering to add seam allowances. And two front linings from the larger piece. Sew the front facings and interfacings to the lining and press open.
Cut two pieces of back from the lining fabric and sew in the darts, pressing the darts towards the center on one and towards the edges on the other.
Right sides together sew the two fronts to one of the backs at the shoulders, same with the front linings and the other back. A proper vest should have no fewer than 10 seperate pieces. Depending on whether there are pockets and /or collars and back straps this number can easily double.
Right sides together sew the inside of the vest to the outside leaving the sides open.
Clip all curves and corners carefully.
Turn vest inside out through the shoulders.
Press flat using a presssing cloth if necessary to avoid damaging the fabric.
Through the back pull the sides from one side inside out, pin and sew.
Press flat and sew the othe side as far as possible on the machine and finish stitching by hand.

Edge stitch along all edges.Mark the buttonholes on the left front and work them.
Add the buttons and make sure that partner has it properly buttoned BEFORE taking the picture.
Back view.
I left out some photos to keep the post shorter, if something needs clarified please feel free to contact me.

Deswegen, because he wanted this.

Knitwear for men.

Here's the pattern.

Picture and idea stolen from Justin, his blog entry here.

The G.ee W.hiz I geuss it's a Bush hat

Start with an idea but no real plan as to how to make it work.

Size 8 U.S. Needles/ 5mm

Cascade 220 yarn.

Cast on 108 stitches.

Join into a round and work k2, p2 ribbing for 2 inches/ 5cm twisting all the knit stitches. (knit through back of loop).

This yarn was originally a sock that I started and wasn't working out so well so I ripped it out and rewound it not bothering to take out the stripes.

In the hat the stripes didn't really work out all that great but let's not fix it, let's just keep going as if everything is okay. we didn't really have a plan to start with so just keep going.

Begin pattern rows;

Row 1. Begins between the first 2 K stitches. Place a marker.

Bring the yarn forward, slip the next K stitch and P stitch onto the right needle, bring the left needle forward and through the k stitch, slip both stitches off the right needle letting the purl stitch dangle in mid air before catching it back up onto the right needle. insert left needle into P stitch and purl. Bring yarn to the back and K next stitch. (twisted, ktbl)

Now slip the next p stitch and K stitch onto the right needle, bring left needlebehind the work and through the P stitch, slip them off the right needle letting the K stitch dangle before catching it up with the right needle. Insert left needle and K this stitch, p1. Repeat to end of round.

Row 2. knit or Purl the stitches as they are. All Knit stitches are still twisted.

Row 3. P1, cross the 2 k stitches and knit them similar to above instructions, P1. Repeat to end of round.

Row 4. Repeat row 2.

Row 5. as row 1 but the K and P stitches move in opposite directions.

Keep repeating these 4 rows until you have about 5 inches/ 12 cm

Doesn't that make a lovely trellis pattern?

Now it's time to start the decreases.

Decide that you cast on 100 stitches, DO NOT go back and count.

100 divides well by 4, but is 4 decreases per round enough? Probably not. 100 doesn't divide by 6 but it does divide by 5. Pentagonal is good! okay every 20 stitches k 2 together, or in my case it happened to be P 2 together.

Hmmm... there are extra stitches at the end of the round. Do NOT go back and fix it, just keep going as if everything is okay. Decrease every other round staying in Pattern as much as possible, don't worry that it's not really working out evenly or well. Fumble forward! When you have 70 stitches left on the needles you'll realize that you're very confused and your lovely trellis is a mess. Don't stop and fix anything. Go back to your friend the pentagon, forget about the Trellis pattern you intended, knit all stitches twisted, you started with twisted stitches and by golly you're going to finish with the twisted stitches, decreasing evenly 5 stitches per round every round until you have 5 stitches left.

Break off yarn, thread it through the remaining 5 stitches pull tail through to the inside and weave it in. weave in the cast on tail and you're finished.

The most important thing to remember with this hat is to never acknowledge the bad judgement calls, ignore erorrs, don't fix anything, just keep going as if everything is okay.

Buddy Bärs

Almost finished. Fast fertig.

Ta Da! And it matches my fireplace. Und, es passt zu mein Kamin.

Detail.
Rückseite. From the back.
U.S. #8 nneddles. 5mm Nadeln.
Elsebeth Lavold silky wool, double strand. Doppelfaden.

Percentage method.

Steeking.

Chart for bears from "Enchanted knitting", Catherine Cartwright-Jones and Roy Jones.

Cardigan Pullunder

Using my standard percentage method, I knit this cardigan on size 8 US /5mm needles with Cascade 220 yarn. The front and armhole openings were steeked.

Slippers/ Latschen

Using Fibre trends felted clog pattern #AC-33x
I've knit 2 pairs of slippers with Cascade 220 yarn.
I use a U.S. size 10 1/2 (6 1/2mm)instead of the recommended U.S. 13 (9mm). it's less work to felt them that way.
Here you can see the 2 new pair with an old one that is the desired size.
Instead of using energy that is hard on the environment I felt by hand using a bucket and a toilet plunger, new and used only for this purpose. A little bit of mild detergent and some hot water and a lot of Lars energy. I do change the water 2 or 3 times during the process, it still only takes 3 or 4 gallons of hot water instead of however many gallons it takes to fill and run the washing machine 3 or 4 times.

After about 30 minutes one pair is shrinking faster than the other pair. For some reason some colors felt less than others, always do a swatch and test this, unless you're me and just take a chance. So, more work on the one pair.

Finally they're all about the right size and can be stuffed with T-shirts and shaped and left to dry. It usually takes about 3 days for them to dry, I take the T-shirts out after a day.

Around my house the slippers get holes in the bottom after a few months of use so I sew on the leather soles available through Fibre Trends.

I think they're a little overpriced though and this time bought some inexpensive leather and cut out my own soles. i have an old leather punch so it's no problem for me to make my own.

...a lesson in English

...Noch jemand hier, der sein Englisch verbessern möchte...???
...Mir kann es für diesen Blog jedenfalls nicht schaden...

1. Englisch für Anfänger:

(for beginners)

Drei Hexen schauen sich drei Swatch Uhren
an. Welche Hexe schaut welche Swatch Uhr an?

Und nun das Ganze in Englisch...:

Three witches watch three swatch watches.
Which witch watches which swatch watch?

---

2. Englisch für Fortgeschrittene:

(advanced english)

Drei geschlechtsumgewandelte Hexen schauen
sich drei Swatch Uhrenknöpfe an. Welche
geschlechtsumgewandelte Hexe schaut sich
welchen Swatch Uhrenknopf an?

Das Ganze wieder in Englisch...:

Three switched witches watch three Swatch
watch switches. Which switched witch watches
which Swatch watch switch?

---

3. Englisch im Endstadium:

(at the end)

Drei Schweizer Hexen-Schlampen, die sich
wünschen geschlechtsumgewandelt zu sein,
schauen sich Schweizer Swatch Uhrenknöpfe
an. Welche Schweizer Hexen-Schlampe, die sich
wünscht geschlechtsumgewandelt zu sein,
schaut sich welchen Schweizer Swatch
Uhrenknopf an?

Und nochmal in Englisch...:

Three swiss witch-bitches, which wished to
be switched swiss witch-bitches, wish to watch
three swiss Swatch watch switches. Which
swiss witch-bitch which wishes to be a
switched swiss witch-bitch, wishes to watch
which swiss Swatch watch switch?

Easy, oder?

Die Herbststürme nahen...

Es wird kalt und windig. Ostfriesland, zieh Dich warm an!

Paperfibers aren't not very applicative on stormy weather...
Wrap up warmly, East Frisia...!!!

Willste nicht bald mal wieder was stricken, Lars? Papierfasern sind nicht so sehr geeignet für stürmische Tage...

Waiting for new trousers / Eine Hose für Harm

Last weekend I took my sewing machine and sat down to finish new trousers for Harm.
Do you remember?

He can't be without cigarettes. Until waiting he told me about East Frisian peculiarities. The Frisians are a very specialy race. There exist a lot of jokes about them.

Now Harm is nearly finished and only waiting for the stick on his Hand, what will help, to move his arm. It's a shame, that he's only a puppet... . Now I must go on, to complet his buddies.
It's desolate for an East Frisian Farmer too, to be lonesome for a long time.

___________________________


Nun wartet Harm nur noch auf den Stock der an seiner Hand befestigt wird, damit sie geführt werden kann. Wirklich schade, dass er nur eine Stabpuppe ist.
Als nächstes sind seine Kumpels an der Reihe, denn lange alleine zu sein, ist selbst für einen Ostfriesen zu einsam...

Ein Ostfriese kommt in den Baumarkt und sagt zum Verkäufer:
"Ich benötige einen 3er und 5er Bohrer."
Der Verkäufer:
"Warum kaufen Sie nicht gleich ein Sortiment, das ist auch nicht teurer."
"Ich brauche aber nur einen 3er und einen 5er Bohrer."
"Nun gut, aber wozu denn ?"
"Ich muss ein 8er Loch bohren."
Darauf der Verkäufer:
"Nehmen Sie zwei 4er, dann müssen Sie nicht umspannen."
________

Schaut, was ich gefunden habe...!
Ist das nicht f u n - tastisch?

Erkennt Ihr Lars Strickmuster wieder?
...Und a tears knitting?

Gratuliere, Lars!
...Und Dank an 'Photofunia.com'
für diese f u n - tastische Werbung!

__________

Zusatz in eigener Sache: Sorry Lars, aber das konnte ich mir nicht verkneifen... :-)
Ich hoffe, es ist in Ordnung so...
Rita

Doggy Drama

Read about it here.

Hier lesen, Sorry nur auf Englisch.

Blick / glimpse. Now with text.

Hallo Leute, es wird ein paar Tage dauern dies Eintrag auf Deutsch umgestzt wird, ich bitte auf Geduld , (Ja, ich weiss wohl dass ich habe Früher so 'ne Versprechung gemacht und es noch nicht getan, drückt mir die daumen das dieses Mal es geht besser ;D)

Hello Folks, it's going to be a while before I get this entry translated into German, please be patient. ( Yes, i know I've made similar promises in the past, and broken them, cross your fingers and hope I do better this time.;D)
Part 1.
Part 2.
Intermezzo.

Okay, we know from our percentage formula that as soon as we reach the place where we want to start the armhole steeks we need to place 20 stitches on hold. Then using Eunny Jangs steek method, I chose 5 as the number of stitches for my steek. We continue knitting, decreasing every other round on both sides of the steek, for about another inch and then, using the same steek method, we begin the V-neck opening.
NOTE: I put 2 stitches on reserve at the beginning of the neck opening, in a round that did not have decreases so that the decreases for arm holes and neck openings would be in the same rows.

Klick on photos to enlarge.

When I got to the shoulders I knit across to the v-neck, bound off the steek stitches and the worked a couple of short rows to give the shoulder some shape. Then the arm steek stitches were bound off and the back was worked with matching short rows to the front. The yarn should be at the armhole openings top. Now, the fun part, to join the shoulder I used the cowichan shoulder join. This is a 3 needle bind off with a special twist. I worked from the inside, but if you work it from the outside it will leave a nice decorative double row of stitches. With the stitches to be joined on 2 needles held next to each other in the left hand, take up a second needle, preferably a short one, I had an old wooden needle that I cut down, sharpened with the pencil sharpener and sanded with 1000 grit sandpaper. From the near needle of stitches knit 1 stitch, pivot the working needle to position it ready to purl one stitch from the far needle. You are using BOTH ends of the working needle. You'll now have 2 stitches on the working needle. Now, with the end of the needle that you used to knit 1 stitch, knit 1 more stitch from the near needle and pass the first stitch over it, with the purl end of the working needle purl one stitch from the far needle and pass the first purl stitch over it. Repeat to end of shoulder join. In this case I have ywo colors of yarn, so I worked 1 knit and purl in one color and the next in the second color so that both colors would be in place to continue knitting. Now knit across the back, bind off the second armhole steek, work the matching short rows on the second shoulder and repeat the shoulder join steps.
Now stabilize and cut your steeks. See the Eunny Jang lesson. I use her crocheted steeks.

You're now ready to pick up and knit the stitches down one side of the neck opening, knit one of the 2 set aside stitches, make one stitch, knit the other saved stitch, these three stitches will be used to work a decrease at the point of the neck opening. Pick up and knit the other side of the neck opening.

The band; I chose to use a "braided" decorative band rather than a ribbed band. Knit a round doing 1 stitch color A, one stitch color B, repeatingly. (For the neck opening I only did one of these rounds and found after finishing the band that I wanted two rows of it but was too lazy to go back and re-do it. I did the double round on the armholes though.) working a slip one , knit two together pass slipped stitch over decrease at the v of the opening, this rather awkward to accomplish nicely in this particular band treatment and I fumbled around with it and still don't have any good tips on making work well.

Now, pull both colors of yarn to the front and purl 1 color A, bring color B up in front of color A and purl the next stitch, repeat purling 1 color A, one color B to end of round always bringing the new color up in front of the old color. This twists the yarn coming from the balls into a great big long twist, I've found that if a pull a few yards out of the balls first and gently comb the twist with my finger as I work it helps prevent it becoming too much of a mess.

For the next round you will purl 1 A, 1 B bringing the new color up BEHIND the old color, this untwists your yarn. Pull the yarns back to the back side and knit a round, or two of the alternating colors. Break off the secondary color and purl 1 round in primary color, knit 5 rounds plain and cast off, I found that a purl cast off looks neater.

Fold the band under at the purl round and sew into place. Pick up and knit the stitches for one and then the other armholes using the same "treatment", no "V" to fumble around with though.

Block and wear.

I think I could have picked up fewer stitches around the neck opening and it would have looked a little better.