And now, for some actual crafts:
The Fringe Association Summer of Basics Makealong is on the schedule! The premise of Summer of Basics is to make “3 high-closet-value garments in the space of 3 months, either knitted, sewn, or any combination of the two.”
I had very much hoped to finish my current sweater project to clear the decks, but I am skeptical. Instead I will adjust my expectations to be able to finish it with time to complete another knitting project. The current sweater is already much loved, and the last sweater I put away unfinished was destroyed by moths.
With that said, the knitting project for Summer of Basics is going to be Madder’s Uniform Cardigan, in a version a lot like this one:
The yarn is an undyed cream from Thirteen Mile Lamb and Wool. It has been so long since I picked a yarn after picking a pattern! I really struggled to decide. There are a lot of great worsted weight yarns out there, but I wanted something that was a little sheep-y, with some natural texture. I don’t love larger gauge knits in smooth yarns; that’s the main reason why it’s been ages since I knit anything bulkier than DK.
With almost 2000 yards of yarn to turn into a sweater, I am probably only going to get one knit in. That’s a little unfortunate, since I need a winter wardrobe more than anything else.
For sewing projects, there are just so many to pick from!
I already have this amazing indigo striped khadi cloth from A Verb for Keeping Warm, which will probably turn into a simple top, like Sonya Philip’s Shirt No 1. I have enough yardage to make a dress, but I think the fabric is too sheer. Maybe a dress intended as a tunic? I alternate between telling myself that I will never progress my sewing skills making box tops, and the fact that I really love a great box top.
I am being very mindful of how I acquire fabric, and how much, because I don’t want to recreate the situation I got into with yarn. (That is, I bought a lot of things before I really knew what I wanted to be buying, which is a waste of both money and space.) So the only other fabric in the house is one of Sophie Hines’s great lingerie sewing kits, but I’m not quite ready for sewing tiny jersey.
Which leaves me with so many choices for the last thing! I could sew myself another pair of Pants No 1, which I wear the heck out of. I could branch out to Pants No 2, and try my hand at sewing jersey. I would get a lot of use of some layering tops, like the True Bias Ogden Cami, or maybe copy the last of my remaining, beloved Ibex t-shirts into a Lark Tee.
Or there’s always the siren song of the Wiksten Kimono…
Jessica Thinks 