Goodby 220

I’ve tried to put together a yearly summary of my Insta-pictures, but the app wanted to put in older pictures. Then I’ve written a run through of the year, but it was lost. So it seems, nothing wants me to put out anything else, but this montage. Well this was such a year, there was many good things among the bad, and I am ever so grateful for them. I was heading into this year with such high momentum and expectation, now I wait for the next one with doubtful curiosity. So let’s see what comes now. As they say, nothing is forever. Nor the good, but neither the bad. 

 

Christmas tree that almost didn't happen

 Because if  one does not posts about it, it didn't happen, right? 

A little more than a year ago we have started a huge project rearranging the flat... the primary obect, changing the room that used to be my tiny sewing room and what used to be my son's room was done by the summer, I even sewn the bridal gown and the crinolin / hoopksirt and the overskirt for my teammates. However, as a result there were heaps of stuff everywhere else, besides, why stop? 

So I attacked my gradrobes and wardrobes and started to work on the living room, (more about that in an other post). The important thing that last year there was no Christmas tree in the flat, and this year I kind od swore that unless the living room is in FULL ORDER, there will be NO Xmas tree... But life happens, and I worked more than ever in November and December, so of course, the living room is far from being in full order... 

But we had to run for a last minute shopping on yesterday morning, and this just happened.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Shoes and socks

Another installments of my shoes and socks project

The yarn is some bit of leftover of an unidentified sockyarn, bought in a secondhand shop (where else), and supplemented some other bits of leftover, unidentified jeans blue sockyarn from my stash. 

The socks are simple toe up socks, the amont of yarn deciding the lenth of the leg part. 

And, just because I will be asked: short row toes and heels. 

And the shoes are from Josef Seibelt. 
 

Skirt

Some weeks ago I made my reenactment teammate / friend an 1860'ies crinolin (there is a post about it a few post below) and now I've made a skirt for her ensemble

It is a very basic victorian skirt, a looong rectangle, with big double pleats at the waistline.

She will decorate it with fringes later.

The bodice was made by someone else...

She wanted to wear it on our event in the Gödöllő Royal palace, but she fell ill, so another of our team, Dori jumped in, she is on the pictures...

 Photoes: Norbert Varga

Colorful neckwarmer

 For the longest time I did not knit neckwarmers. I just did not see why they would work for me. Then a few years ago I incidentally (yeah, right) picked up a blue fair isle patterned...neckwarmer. I grew to like it, also, they turned out not only a nice accecory, but also a cool way to use uo some leftover sock-yarns. 

I already showed this rainbow colored one...Not long after that first one  I started to knit thisone, to which I selected purplish, pinkish colors intentionally. 

These are perfect to knit on the car, even late at night in the dark,  still it took a fair while to finish it. 

Mostly, because the first few months with N, though we drove quite a bit, I could not imagine let go of his hands for long.  

Then, when I finally believed he is not going anywhere, I picked up knitting again.

There is really nothing much to them, 

Just cast on like 90-120 stitches with a temporary cast on, and knit-knit-knit on the round. Whenever you run out of a yarn, just tie the next one and knit on, leve the knots and the yarn ends hanging inside. 

When it is long enough (I keep comparing these to that first commercially made one), open up the temporary cast on, and put the stitches on another needle, and kitchener th etwo ends together, I took care that the the tube should not twist, but I can imagine half a twist would give it a mobeius effect. Or not. 

Yarns are really just all kinds of bits and pieces of leftover yarn. 

P.s: Because I was asked: there are about 240-260 gramms of yarns in these neckwarmers and they are 140-145 cm long. 

Like a Squirel

I've known Ági, who dreamt up the Weaving workshop named Like a Squirrel (referencing an old song, and playing with words like "pattern" in hungarian). We've grew up in the same city, though only met later in yarny, knitting/spinning circles. I feel lucky to be in the first few people who could try out her workshop. 

For a long time I had the thought of making some histporical clothing item from handwoven material, I even had a weak attempt of it, which at the end I cannot cut up

Anyway, it stuck in my mind that one of the looms was threaded to a twill pattern, though Ági wanted to rethread it, because the "crowd" (most of those who wanted to weave there) would preferred a real 4 shaft pattern, so I pushed aside everrything else, and begged Ági to let me weave a few meters 

I went through the yarns I have for weaving, and though I do have an ample stash for weaving (too), but most of it for a scarf worth of amounts.... I went to Rita then, and after careful negotiations I was the proud owner of 330 gramms of 2 ply linen. 

From there there was only weaving to do...

The linen yarn was a bit uneven, here and there.. not real knots, but the fluff stuck together making it thocker at some places, therefore the resulting fabric is kind of rustic. 

At th ened I managet to make  3,6 meter (340 cm after washing) long, 55 cm wide fabric...

The edges are surprisingly even, but I have no idea that is because of the twill weave or the linen yarn....

I will be making a jacket (waistcoat? Doublet?) for my17th century wardrobe, most probably I will embroider it, so, don't hold your breath, it will be a long time project. 

Workshop: MintaMókus szövöde

Thread: Lenfonal

Gerald of Rivia

 So I had all knids of plans for a post, including a rather large piece of handwoven fabric, a pink striped cardigan, a red plaid skirt, some socks and who know what else, but I had only two words left for the day, a'la Gerald of Rivia. 

OH, FUCK. 

Newleaf or, the art of finishing

Oh, wow, two knitting post right next to each other.... Continious pattering around, and gaving many project at the same time does that... nothing happens for so long, then bumm, a bunch of things get finished at once...

Okay that is a bit of an overstatement, but, its not only got finished, but we even done a proper photoshot... anyhoe, I know, less talk, more pictures, right? 

As usual, I followed thw pattern... just about until I needed to separate the sleeves, then followed my head and my ideas...

There are added decreases and a bit of more agressive increases at the waistline, and some shortrows to make the back longer, so it could cover my arse...and I tried to pray out a bit of the motive of the yoke.

While knitting, the pattern pulled it together a bit, I even got some smartass comment on how I should have tacked down the long floats (thanks mate, I did). and I knew it will block out nicely...and it did. 

And then, when a self-stiping sockyarn works out perfectly with the pattern. 

Both yarn was bought in second hand shops, regular sockyarns. The base is Lana grosse, the colored one is a noname "sockenwolle". 

Pattern is Jennifer Steinglass Newleaf sweater. 

Photos: Norbert Varga

Socks

In other words what happens, when Idecide I need new socks for my new...(ish) boots. 

Last year, before we went to Transylvania, counting on the fact that we will walk a considerable distance (BTW we did it. Just sayin'.) I wanted some new boots for walking. Already on our way, we stopped at a Decathlon, and I bought a petrol colord piece, but somehow it wasn't really... comfy I guess. It was slightly too big, slightly too hard, and I kept thinking some nice, thick, soft, handknitted sokcs would help the issue a lot. Well, then we came home, summer turned into fall, then winter, we did not travelled all that much anymore, and then, this year we did, but there I needed some city-walking shoes, not boots. 

However, at the end of the summer we drove some, and in the car socks are one thing I like to knit. 

I admit, I rarely do fussy socks - I am not saying never, because someone will count that on me, but usually I let the colors of the yarn speak. 

I have an insane amount of sock yarn. Yes, I giess I already mentioned before, that the love affair started when that particular yarn was not yet available here, and I snagged every little bit that I found in second hand stores. I can still NOT say no to colorful sock yarns, I can still bring home a lot. I do have full balls too, but the most interesting task is figure out what to so with the smaller leftover bits.

At th ebeginning I paired up different colors out of pure necessity, then I grrew to love contrasting heels and toes that I often make my modern (not historical) stockings this way, even if I do have enough yarn for a full pair. 

Almost right after I finished the third pair, I realized, that this year more petrol colored item found its way into my closet, and then (by pure chance, right???) a pair of petrol colored boots fell into my laps (from an online market).. 

However, if anyone would think that all this (namely the matching colors of the boots and the socks) only by chance, see a pair of boots I got last year, and its socks. 

And my pair of winter boots also from last year, with its own pair... 

From these pics I came to think of how many things I never posted about, but then again, tomorrow is another day, right? 

Caged

A few years ago, when I started working with historical clothes I started with a traditional cage-crinoline... Actually with two right away, and then a third was made.... Now Andi decided that she wanted a dress for the 1860'ies...

She shopped for steel boning, cotton musline, grosgrain ribbon, and came to my sewing room.

I dug out my old notes and started working...

The steel boning was just not enough (even though we used my secret stash too), so the last round only had its covering and place done. when Andi was packing up a few hours and a photoshoot later... 

If the petticoat looks familiar, its not only by chance... its mine, it already appeared here on this blog somewhere..