Making Miscellany 2:6

The joy of summer makes

Hello, hello!

I’m sitting at my desk, and outside the weather can’t make up it’s mind. Is it a windy, rainy day or all blue sky and sun? Today’s undecided weather neatly encapsulates June, a month that began feeling more like October and, in it’s dying days, has remembered that it’s meant to be summer and put on a brilliant show.

It’s a month that began with me sewing up a summer sweatshirt to ward off chills and has ended with me working on camisoles and regretting that I haven’t already sewed the sundress that I prewashed fabric for a few weeks ago, before setting it aside because it just seemed to silly to sew it when I was walking around in socks and sweaters. This week might have been my one chance this summer to wear it—you just never can tell with summer in northern England!

Summer Sweaters

I love a winter sweater, and when I think about my ideal knit, it’s probably something for the colder months, with colorwork, or cables, knit in a delightfully woolly woollen spun yarn.

But nearly every summer, I answer an almost like siren-like call to make a warm weather knit—and I have to say, these short sleeve and/or cotton-blend makes are surprisingly some of the most worn me-mades in my wardrobe. Last year, in fact, I made three:

From left to right, you’ll see (Ravelry links incoming) the Anker Tee, Corran Cardigan and Dappled Lace Raglan. These, along with an Asagi Tee I made aggggeeess ago and a Kuutar Tee all feature heavily (depending on temperature) in my spring/summer wardrobe. I don’t wear any of them on the truly hot days we have—though I did, by accident, end up wearing my Dappled Lace Raglan this past Tuesday (the hottest day of the year so far) and lived to tell the tale. But our springs are long, and summers often cool, so there’s plenty of opportunity to wear them (with the added bonus I don’t have to worry about eczema flare ups on my arms, which is often a problem with my longer sleeved sweaters).

Anyway, as much as I love my summer knits, this year, I thought I’d give making one a miss. I figured I’d scratched that particular itch by sewing a summer-y sweatshirt: earlier this month, feeling cold and lacking in lightweight layers, I whipped up an All Around Crew using some cheery loopback jersey (both pattern and fabric were in stash—my new sewing stash spreadsheet helped me decide on the project!)

And my knitting needles felt full and busy. I’ve spent most of the month plowing through a pair of year-old socks and working on a gift knit, knowing also that my beautiful Paul Klee sweater was waiting for me to get back to it.

But then, the summer pattern releases started coming. First I spotted the Uri Tank. Then my head was turned by the Rolled Edge Tank. My stripe-loving heart stopped when I saw the Lakes Stripe Tee, and I loved the neat fit of the Iris Top. They all tempted me mightily, and still I said, I won’t knit a summer sweater this season. And then Gudrun Johnston released Simmer Dim, and I was lost.

Which is why today, I popped into Ethel and Em and bought a couple of balls of Organic 350, which I’ll be casting on with, with any luck, tomorrow. Is the strappiest of strappy knit tanks the most practical thing for the climate I live in? Possibly not. But here’s my thinking: first, my lightest weight summer knit, the Dappled Lace Raglan (knit in the slightly heavier version of Organic 350) is without a doubt my most worn summer knit — and this will be even lighter. So on the rare day I’d go out with bare shoulders, I think my Simmer Dim will be cool enough to enjoy wearing. But also, I think it’ll be a really fun piece to layer, under overshirts and over t-shirts, throughout the summer and autumn. And sometimes, the heart wants what it wants. Let’s see if I can finish it before the summer is out — wish me luck?

On the Sewing Front

I’ve really enjoyed being back with my sewing machine(s), though I’ve spent most of June waffling about what to sew first. I finally made a start on a Dune Set, which I got a kit for from Ewe Fibers (checks notes, mumbles) nearly two years ago and have been intending to sew really soon ever since. I’ve been sewing it sloooowly, a seam or two here and there, as is my wont, and it’s been fun to work on something a bit different—I’ve never done binding, for instance, with jersey.

One of the things I really like about learning to sew is it makes me look at my shop bought clothes in new ways. The Dune tank uses o-rings on the front and the back for the straps. I’ve already inserted them (see above), and to be honest, I’m not sure I love them … they just feel a little shiny for me. While I’ll leave it for this version, I’ve got more fabric waiting to become another Dune tank, so I had a quick check of a shop bought camisole to get an idea of how to alter the straps to omit the rings, at least on the tank front, next time. I love that sewing injects folding laundry with a bit a of detective work.

I also had an exciting discovery altering a shop-bought shirt earlier this month. I stole this linen People Tree shirt from Nick’s closet some time ago — he’d bought it at a nice boutique, but it had always been on the small side, and shrank some in the wash, and he was going to donate it when I claimed it. I really love a good overshirt, so assumed I’d make lots of use of it. But it’s sat next door in my closet, barely loved, for over a year. When I saw this video from Sarah of Did You Make It Yourself about altering a button up, I was totally inspired to dig it out. So far, I’ve removed the collar and hemmed the sleeves, and already, it feels like such a nice transformation. I might eventually add some embellishment—either a fun label, or some embroidery—and swap out the buttons, but it felt so empowering to turn an unloved garment into something I reach for (I’m actually wearing it as I type this).

And when I opened up the collar stand to remove the collar, I got to have a close inspection of the interfacing that had been used. I’ve not been super happy with the interfacing I’ve used in lightweight garments, like my otherwise beloved Donny Shirt. It’s synthetic, and it just feels a bit bulky and cumbersome in the finished shirt. Anyway, this shop bought shirt had something that looked almost like fine cotton gauze, and some expert googling (“fine cotton interfacing”) led me to this. I’m really excited to have found an alternative to synthetic interfacing, especially since making some Cameron Shirts for myself is on my to-do list for the rest of the summer.

Pimento Cheese: A Summer Sandwich Recipe

Right, before I sign off, I want to share one of my favorite things to put on bread with you. There’s nothing particularly summery about it, but it makes a great sandwich filling for a summer picnic or hike. It also is definitely the sort of thing that, once you’ve made it, requires no recipe. I certainly don’t use one—I just taste and alter til it’s right—but making lunch the other day, I made an effort to measure as I went so I could share with you!

Anyway, pimento cheese is something widely found in the southeast of the United States, a “Southern” (because apparently, it didn’t originate in the south at all!) cheese spread that, along with so many other Southern comfort foods, has gotten quite trendy, appearing as part of fancy menu items. You can also buy it in the supermarket, though I always hated the supermarket version—processed cheese, super sweet. I like it made simply, and either eaten cold as a sandwich filling or put on a piece of toast and broiled. I think everyone has their own way of making it, and here’s mine.

Blackened parchment paper not required.

Pimento Cheese

The quantity below topped four toasts, very generously. I imagine it could have filled 3-4 sandwiches heartily. When I’m making in the usual course of things, I eyeball everything, starting with just a bit of mayo and mustard and adding more until I get the taste I want.

200 g grated cheddar (in the UK, I tend to use a mild or medium cheddar; if you use a mature/extra mature, you’ll probably want to go easy on the salt)

1 TBSP pimentos, chopped (in the US, you can buy pimentos sliced or chopped in a jar; in the UK, look for sweet peppers in a jar)

3.5 TBSPs mayonaise

1 tsp-1 TBSP mustard, depending on strength (for English or strong dijon, start with a tsp; for a lighter tasting dijon or American mustard, you’ll probably want a good bit more)

1/2 tsp onion salt, if you have it — if not, 1/4 tsp onion powder + salt to taste (don’t skip the onion salt/powder though — it makes it!)

Mix everything together in a bowl. That’s it! I told you it doesn’t really need a recipe. Put between two slices of bread and enjoy as is, or heap it on toast and broil for a few minutes!

If you do give it a go, I’d love to hear what you think!

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Okay, I think that about does it! A final reminder that the second quarter of Make Socks Mend Socks ends on 30th June; if you’ve not already, let us know how your sock making has gone (or not gone, as the case may be!) over on the quarterly chat thread. I’ll draw a winner for a wee treat next week, and set up the third quarter chat.

Above are my freshest socks, cast off and drying — improvised, knit in Lang Yarns Footprints, which I started last summer and set down for ages; it felt great to get them done this month (and also a reminder that it’s really only when I focus on one knit at a time that I make significant progress). The yarn has wool and cotton, and I’m excited to see how it wears — will report back! Side bar, do you block your socks before you wear them? I always do — partly because I take so long to knit a pair, they gather lots of dust along the way, but mostly because I just really like the feeling of freshly blocked new socks!

I hope you have a nice weekend ahead, with some time for making planned; I’d love to hear about it! We’ve got an unusually busy one ahead, but I’m hoping to finish off my Dune Set and cast on my Dimmer Sim. Sounds like a good weekend to me!

Happy Making!

Katherine