Making Miscellany 2:3

Time marches on

Hello, hello, and happy end of March!

The sun’s streaming through the window, on the sill of which our first seedlings are sprouting. Easter holidays began yesterday, and it already feels like the rhythm of our daily life is far away, and holiday mode initiated. Cardboard daffodils (more on that in a second) are drying next to me, and, for the time being, everyone seems happily occupied, so I’m seizing the moment to squeeze in March’s Making Miscellany, before the month slips away!

Today, I have a question for you: what’s the oldest me-made item in your wardrobe?

I used to assiduously save everything I made, regardless of if I wore it or not, moving the collection from drawer to drawer, place to place, even country to country. But a few years ago, I began “deaccessioning” early knits I no longer wore, either because they didn’t fit right, or because my tastes—in yarn, in styles, in shapes—had changed … something that’s bound to happen when you’ve been knitting close to two decades!

This Newsom (link to Ravelry project) cardigan is now one of, if not quite the, oldest garments in my me made wardrobe, and it’s one that I often meet with a sidelonglook. I made it nearly nine years ago, and while I loved knitting it, I was, from the cast off, unhappy with the finished garment. The yarn—a supersoft mix of merino, silk and cashmere—started pilling before I even finished. The sleeves—which were knit from the bottom up—grew substantially when blocked, and have always felt a bit long and sloppy (yes, I know I could have fixed that, but if I haven’t for nine years, well ..). But most of all, the color has never felt me—a classic case of picking something because it looked nice in a skein, without thinking if it was a color I would wear.

It’s not that I’ve never worn it—I’ve definitely reached for it over the years. But I’ve always felt on the brink of doing something about it—of rehoming it, of redyeing it, of remaking it in something else.

But something funny has happened the last few weeks. As is so often the case as winter turns to spring, I’ve been feeling a little bored by the dark colors and neutrals that dominate my closet, craving fresher hues. I’ve wanted pops of brights, and even splashes of pastels, to welcome the lengthening days. And suddenly, my Newsom is looking a lot more attractive. Sure, it pills like no one’s business … but a get together with the Gleaner certainly helped. Yeah, the sleeves have to be perpetually cuffed … but it somehow feels less frumpy paired with my favorite high-waisted jeans and a tee, tucked in.

It might have taken nine years, but I think this spring is the season my Newsom will finally come into its own as a garment I enjoy reaching for, rather than one I grab out of necessity when it’s too warm for my woollier sweaters. I think there’s nothing better than finding a new home for unloved makes—but I guess my Newsom just goes to show that, if you hold onto something long enough, it just might have its day!

My newfound love of this cardigan has also reignited my desire to knit another. I remember the pattern with its mitered-squared back, from always clever Bristol Ivy, being quite fun to knit, and there’s also actually a sister top-down version, Waits (Ravelry link) which I have in my pattern library. I’ve had some John Arbon Yarnadelic, in a wonderful deep blue, waiting for the perfect project, so I’m adding that pairing to my mental queue (for when, you know, spring is over and it’s back to navy for me!)

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If you hadn’t guessed from my 500 word essay on a cardigan I knit nine years ago … making has been thin on the ground this month. It’s not that things haven’t happened: I finally fixed the buttonband on my Calix Cardigan. It’s much improved, and I’m sure, next autumn, I’ll be quite happy to have it ready and waiting. I started a cardigan, then frogged it when I realized I wouldn’t have enough yarn to knit it in the way I wanted. I cut out lots of projects from fabric I bought in our local fabric shop’s closing sale (sniff — but they’ll live on online!). I swatched for a Paul Klee Sweater (Ravelry link) and revelled in playing with balls of Shetland wool. The yoke, as you can see below, is now slowly growing (and I love it!). But it’s felt like the month has slipped by without much time to really get stuck in to anything. We’ve got a few days away over the Easter break though, and I’m hoping I might make some good progress on my sweater … I’d love to think I might wear it to Woolly Good Edinburgh at the end of next month (side bar: are you going?)

Make Socks, Mend Socks, First Quarter Wrap Up

The end of March means the end of the first quarter of Make Socks Mend Socks 2024. In the next few days, I’ll draw a quarterly winner for some sock-related treats for one somebody! If you’ve been taking part and haven’t already, make sure you write a little something about how you’ve been getting on in the quarterly chat thread (the absolute best place to make sure you get counted, free from the eccentricities of Instagram!) or on Instagram using the hashtag #makesocksmendsocks2024! I’ll do the prize draw sometime toward the end of next week, so do let me know how you’ve been getting on before then.

For this quarter, I finished a new pair of socks, mended four pairs of socks—two of which then got holes in new spots, grrr!—and worked on two sock WIPs (not for the same pair, ha!). My sock mojo has been a bit low, but I’m looking forward to rebuilding momentum as we go into the next quarter. If you’ve not quite met your gentle goals, or not begun, or are just now thinking of joining, now’s an excellent time to start thinking about sock aims for Q2! I’ll be starting a new thread for the quarter next week, so keep an eye out for that landing in your inbox :)

I’ll leave you with a peek of some of our holiday crafting so far … I might not have done much making for the majority of March, but we’ve had a busy 24 hours! Egg cups at our local pottery this morning and daffodil bunting made from old egg carton, cereal boxes and gouache paint this afternoon (inspired by this). Looking forward to trying some origami and a book making class with a local artist later thiss .. if you have any other favorite springtime and family friendly craft suggestions, I’d love to hear them! My four year old loves crafts, and it feels really cool that we’re entering a phase where we can really work on projects together (even if I have to work hard to stifle my urge to micromanage just a bit — a red daffodil is fine, a red daffodil is FINE!):

And while I’m at peace with my scant making-time-for-me at the moment, I am cherishing a little hope that I’ll find some time at the sewing machine, and with my knitting needles, while we take things a bit easier over the next two weeks!

Happy Easter if you’re celebrating, and I’d love to hear about your oldest me-mades/current projects/Easter plans/spring making in the comments, or hit reply to this email :)

Happy making!

Katherine