Flibbertygibbet

Busyness

I did say in my last post that I'd make a dress.

I just didn't make the one I thought I'd make.  Rather than the Liberty cotton from the other day, I realised I'd better get a move on with the dress for the wedding.  It's next week.

Can I just say (in my defence, m'lud) that it actually hangs better on me than on Dolly - I must adjust her padding.  I remembered that I don't have a zipper foot for my Janome, only for the Singer which is the workhorse, and frankly I don't want to put Liberty silk through it, just in case I foul it up. And also I bought a cream invisible zipper - which is invisible, indeed, in the body of the dress but the pull is visible at the top of the chocolate bodice, so I'll also have to look for a more suitable one in John Lewis along with a zipper foot.

The carpet blanket (which is going to require double my original quantity of wool, I reckon so I'll have to wait a bit to make that investment - will just work through what I have first) is coming along.

And I've got a mountain of cotton angora to make the wedding present throw.  I've got ten balls each of the lilac, lavender and pink, with a few random balls of purple, blue and light blue.   Now if I could only figure out the soft waves pattern... I've also been having problems with various hooks, metal and bamboo seem to work for me, but not plastic.  What's that?  A poor crafter blames her tools?

Knitting and fabric and SUNSHINE

Today was a rather nice day, all in all.  I just about made it to Knitflicks before the movie started, frantically texting Claire en route, as I was late, plus I didn't actually know where the cinema was either, but luckily it's just past the tube (and also past Electric Avenue "wooooaaah, we gonna walk down to -").  Anna was asking me what Knitflicks is about - basically once a month, the Ritzy in Brixton (just about) puts on a movie specifically for knitters and crafters where the lights are not quite dimmed.  So it's dark enough for the cinematic experience, but bright enough to see your work.  Well just about, at one point a friend, Adrienne, sitting behind me, did curse loudly and have to remove herself to fix a mistake outside in the light.  Another pal told me that her local cinema does something similar for mums and babies, with the lights keep up so little kids aren't too scared.  Or something. 

I have to admit, I was concentrating more on the work so I didn't watch the movie so much and it was such a shame because it was a stunning looking film, though even if I had been paying complete attention I don't reckon I've had understood it.  But it was worth it just for the odd glimpse of Cillian Murphy's beautiful blue eyes above the yarn. So I think Jen and I might have to go and watch it again as a card movie. Afterwards, following a sandwich and more crafting at chatting at the Ritzy, I headed over westwards to meet up with Jen and Loba.  Fabric was purchased.  Liberty tana lawn at 50% off.  I swear I'm making a dress tomorrow.

That's if I can put the crochet down for long enough.  For those of you who kindly asked after it, here's what I'm doing - draped over Shrimp.  It's because the first time I saw a crocheted blanket I really liked, it was on Green Kitchen back in September and later there was Bella Dia - and coincidentally Michelle had been inspired by a post of Jane's with a post about someone else's striped blanket... then Jane then was largely responsible for the ripple craze which I think came next.  Very complicated.  I liked the simplicity of this, plus it reminded me of a very seventies carpet in my parents' house. I need to get this one out of my system first.  When choosing the fabrics today I also went back to the first thing I'd spotted again and again, though eventually I did go for something else (it was also uncanny how all the fabrics I picked out were the more expensive ones. I've always had good taste.)  Loba is thinking of making her first quilt and it was interesting to see how my brain seems to work when it comes to choosing colours to go together.  There'll be more musings on sewing versus knitting in my little brain later. 

It has slightly scared me that Jane said she used 925g of yarn.  Oh no, wait a minute, I've just added it up and it turns out that I've bought 850g for this.  Ah ha.  That really scares me.  But I bought most of it at 15% off at the Liberty cardholder's evening, some with my measly £5 voucher. I'm using Rowan Pure Wool DK but for my next one (please, don't laugh - I've decided to make an afghan for a wedding present for a friend.  It was nearly going to be in Kidsilk Haze - until I tried crocheting with it, and thought better of it when memories of my past battles with this delightful fluffy devil's spawn came flooding back) I ordered a pile of cotton angora from ebay instead. I got 29 balls for £60 inc postage which isn't bad.  I'll try another couple of auctions tomorrow to see if I can add to that pile, and then that's going to be a ripple blanket, a proper one this time.

And I'll define what's "proper".

Swap Round 3

Yup, it's that time again.  And we're back to me running it myself - to be honest, using Swap-Bot didn't make things any easier.  I hope that lots of you will join in, though this time there will be a limit to the amount of places in the swap to make it possible to administrate it and I am going to try to keep to the deadlines!

Here's the fine print:

• Sign-ups for the third round of the fabric swap are open now*, and to join in you need to email me, boutique [at] flibbertygibbet <dot> [co] <dot> {uk} or use the 'Email me' button above, with the following details:
  - your (real!) name
  - your postal address
  - your email address
  - your blog if you have one and would like your swap partners to be able to check it out to see what you're into.  And I'll send you the code for the great button that Justine designed, which you see in the sidebar - thank you, lovely lady!
  
• Sign-ups will close on the 7th of May, assuming that all the spots haven't already been filled before then.

• For this swap, you will send THREE co-ordinating STRIPS of 100% cotton fabric to 2 SWAP PARTNERS.  The strips should be 4 inches/ 10 centimetres wide, and the length of the fabric from selvedge to selvedge which will be approximately 42-44 inches, or 107-112 centimetres long.  Feel free to add in extras - check out the Flickr group to see what's been sent and received in the past.

• You'll receive your swap partners' postal addresses and contact details by the 12th May and you should send your packages off by the 20th May.  If you haven't received both your packages by 10th June, let me know!  This is an international swap, so please be aware that your partners may be anywhere, (most exotic locale to date - Uraguay) so you need to be happy to ship internationally.

Happy Swapping!!!

I don't like swearing

**&@!$%

Ok, to be honest, my language can be like a sailor's sometimes. Like I noticed last night when I was knitting that I was using more than my fair share of expletives, and this was before I noticed the mistakes I was making with the sock.  And can I just say - I think I am falling in love with crochet.  Keep watching this space.

Today I was swearing in the county court - swearing the affadavit to accompany my divorce petition. It's the first time I've ever done anything like that, it was strangely emotional and everything is such a learning curve. Afterwards I felt like swearing a lot at 'unnamed woman'. Instead I shed a couple of tears as I walked down the side of the courthouse, said thanks for my huge sunglasses that hide watery eyes, and got on with it.  It's just one more step in the process.  Soon I hope to be looking for a little place to live, just me and the cats, and, as my brother says, 'all your crafty shit'.

I - CAN'T - WAIT. 

First class

All quiet on the kitchen front after the crochet class had ended. 

Front:  the instructions and the pink and yellow square - I learned how to change colours.  And it all makes a lot more sense.
Middle:  the Natalie Bray book that Caroline lent me, the prequel to mine. 
Back: all the washing up that the lovely Emma helped me with, before I ran off to the mystery dinner (which was here - utterly fabulous, with some surreal moments involving being caught royally in the act of gossiping but I can't disclose it here without getting my host in trouble).

There were eight of us learning - Branwyn, Helen, Rebecca, Caroline, Claire, Isabelle, Caroline and me.  I was slightly distracted by things like having to hem the dress to wear out last night so I'll be needing the refresher (remedial?) class but Emma is a wonderful teacher.

Then today we went off to East Dulwich, and sat in Helen's garden knitting, crocheting, cooing at baby Louis and just generally amusing the hell out of each other.  What a great day.

If you bake it...

...they will come.

The refreshments for tomorrow are almost done.  Some bread baking and buttercream frosting to come in the morning.  Ye better bring your sweet tooths (teeth?) with you.

The earlier part of tonight was spent with P, celebrating good things, good friends, good news and good times.  All good, really...

As usual of late, I have ridiculously overcommitted myself from tomorrow through Thursday.  God help me.  And my liver. Bring it on!

What have I been up to?

Just not in a posting mood, I guess.  A lot of things swirling around my head.  Some potentials, some concerns, some concepts, some inspirations.  And doing naughty things like procrastinating about working, and instead celebrating Pauline's return/last day of freedom by shoe-shopping - for her, not for me.

Last Sunday, rather than hastily unwrapping shiny foil from a bushel of chocolate (I musn't be well) my fingers were otherwise employed... learning to crochet at Fabrications, with Ting.   Well, Rachel Matthews was the teacher, sweet lady.  She was certainly patient...

So yes, I have to admit that I'm getting a bit of a head start before Saturday, when there's a group of lovelies coming here to learn to crochet with Emma, a friend who's a freelance designer and who teaches crochet and knitting.  (BTW I think there's some people who might have been interested that I didn't think of - so let me know if you're keen in case I do it again?  Pending how it all goes on Saturday!)

Don't worry - it's not like I made much progress.  You want proof?  Here it is.  It's not so much crochet as woolly chain mail.  And I still wasn't entirely sure what I was doing by the end of it, but it was good fun.  Ting claims she made a jellyfish but I thought it looked like a map of Africa.

And as for the current controvery - ripple blanket versus granny squares - it's really difficult to decide, but I might end up going for the other option, which I think Helen suggested to me earlier - the Babette.  That's when I'm not making tea for the ladies, of course.

Did anyone watch the BBC4 programme 'Thoroughly Modern Antiques' - all about fashion and Christian Dior's New Look?  It's fascinating.  And featured the sort of dresses I love.  It's just reinforcing my desire to go to the market tomorrow and buy that flowery fabric I wished I'd bought last week...

Just wanted to check: a few people checked up on their swap packages and I've sent off the relevant emails and hopefully got back to people... is anyone still waiting?

(Apart from Leigh - your necklace will be posted tomorrow!)

Stash-busting

It's New Look 6588 but I decided I wasn't going to do the casing and put in four lines of elastic (mainly because I am a lazy cow, but also because I didn't think it would actually be that comfortable or attractive), so I used shirring elastic to gather it instead and sewed the gathered skirt straight to the bodice. I also learned a bit more about working with diagonals, ahem. 
The pattern has a lot of ease in it so next time I make it (possibly tomorrow) I'd cut out a smaller size and not gather it so much.  I like the fact that it's quite 'swingy' but I'm slightly worried I'll be asked when I'm due...

Dolly was really useful - sometimes I just don't get what the pattern instructions say so I literally pinned it all out on her, and was able to work it all out.  Still wouldn't let anyone look inside it, mind you.

The lovely Abi came over and helped me with the measurements so I could pad Dolly out.  However I seem to have overpadded her (clothes that fit me are too tight on her),  so I need to have another go at her.  But still an excellent purchase.

I went into Broadwick Silks to get some lining to make a slipdress for under this.  I'm going to make another sheer overdress too, so went for a lilac colour to double up, one slip for two dresses.  Cheating, I know.  One of the very lovely girls working there overheard me buying this fabric and immediately piped up 'Is this for the wedding?' as she'd remembered me buying some silk there for Simplicity 6375 the other day.  Damn, I felt like I'd been caught with my hand in the sweetie jar.  Guess I had been.

PS I told friends the other day that I wasn't going to buy anything for my stash, and then went out the next day and somehow came home with eight metres.  Um, but this was in my stash, so technically I only acquired six metres - right?

Lost Days

And a couple more lost days.  Snatches of conversation, words spoken in vino veritas keep reappearing in my mind like clouds scudding across the skies and then fading again - but it's not all doom and gloom, like it usually is when I remember wild things I've pronounced to the world whilst under the influence.  You'd think I'd be old enough to know better but apparently not.
Heart-stopping moments containing remembrances of 'Oh jaysus, did I really say that' aside, I'm mostly keeping myself very busy, working, doing more planning and plotting than is good for me, and spending a little cash on pretty fripperies like the buttons above, from the Ladybird lady at Broadway Market. 

And just to announce...as it's now April, I counted up all the emails and comments and used a random number generator to pick the winner of the shamrock pendant... it's Leigh.  Get in touch, my dear...

Back soon!

The thing is, I got sort of kidnapped on my birthday. Twist that rubbery arm of mine.  After a morning opening lots of lovely presents and cards (for once I was grown up and saved most of them from Saturday) lunch at Carluccios with two lovely wonderful friends turned into champagne at Claridges and then onwards for cocktails and there were a couple more pitstops after that and much, much drunken conversation.  Including one with Helen, lucky girl! 

Knitting wasn't one of the stops, whoops, though apparently the new venue worked well.  The important thing is that while I did mislay a couple of things througout the evening, I made it home with my wallet, keys, phone and half a cotton glace cardigan.  Got those priorities intact. 

I've been mostly sleeping while trying to recover.  Tons of freelance jobs now in too which is great but it in some ways just prolongs the agony - can't afford to stay freelance, need a fulltime job - boo.  Anyway, off to do some of that work.  Back soon.  Soonish.