Waistcoat Back

The back of the waistcoat has been knitting up very quickly since it's mainly a ribbing pattern. I'm almost ready to bind off for the shoulders. I think I only have a few more rows to knit.

Mendocino Sundress

Mendocino Sundress Front
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished the sundress this afternoon. It was a quick project, but the shirring took the longest. I only did 20 rows of shirring because I wanted more of an empire waistline. Other mods I made include adding some halter-style straps and cutting five inches off the length of the dress. I think it's pretty cute! You can see the back here.

I've Got Mail

I came home to find this package of yarn from KnitPicks waiting for me. I ordered six hanks of Bare Merino Wool DK for the Aran Waistcoat project. I thought about dying the yarn, but then decided against it. I rather like the natural color. I hope to do some swatching before the week is over.

The other night I was looking through that Japanese skirt pattern book I just bought and I couldn't remember why I purchased it. I couldn't find one pattern in it that I absolutely loved, so I exchanged it for the newest Machiko Kayaki book, My Favorite Shirt. There are some really cute shirt and shirtdress patterns that will be fun to make.

Weekend Update

After seeing Mariko's extremely cute sundress, I was inspired to make one of my own. The pattern is from Heather Ross and you can download it for free here. I headed over to Bolt on Friday and bought Rabbit Hole from the Wonderland fabric collection by MoMo for Moda. I had eyed this fabric previously, but didn't have anything in mind to make, so I left it sitting on the shelf. I love the big random polka dots. The project shouldn't take long once the pattern is cut out.

This afternoon, on a trip to Kinokuniya with Mariko, I got these Japanese craft books. I was debating on whether to get the new Machiko Kayaki shirt book when I saw the Pattern Magic books. I had wanted those for a long time, but when they first came out, they were more expensive and I think they were only available on eBay. The other book is all skirts. There are some really helpful technique pictures along with the patterns.

Parfait is Done

Parfait is Done
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished this dress over the weekend! Sewing the buttons on took longer than expected since there were six. I followed the pattern as it was written and made no modifications. I did have to resew one of the straps because the chevron stripes on one strap were going in the opposite direction of the other. Luckily I caught that before I was too far along. The fit has enough ease that I could wear a t-shirt underneath if I wanted, which is perfect since the sun seems to have disappeared and layering looks to be necessary!

Parfait Progress

I started working on this dress last night. I put it off because I didn't want to sew that curved midriff waist on the front. It wasn't nearly as bad as I was anticipating, so I was able to make lots of progress with this project. All that I have left to do is sew in the facings, sew on the pockets, and add buttons and buttonholes. I should have a new dress to wear by next weekend!

Aran Waistcoat

Summertime weather is here and that means my knitting will slow down a little. The next project on my knitting docket is this Aran Waistcoat by Megan Rogers. It's a pattern from Twist Collective. I hope to get sewing my Parfait dress this weekend too!

Charming Charms by Tord Boontje & Artecnica

Charming Charms by Tord Boontje
Originally uploaded by actionhero

These charms were featured in the NY Times Sunday Styles section about three weeks ago and they were promptly sold out from the A+R Store. I ordered them anyway and they finally came in the mail today. I got the sterling silver charm set, but they also come in 18-karat gold. Each pack contains three different charms and there are four packs to choose from. I've also seen the charms over at Charles & Marie.

Honeycomb Vest

Honeycomb Vest
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished the Honeycomb Vest on Saturday night. I love the texture of the stitch, the deep neckline, and the subtle shaping too. I hope to be able to get a couple of wearings out of it before the summer weather hits.

Fabric for Parfait Dress

Here's the fabric I selected for my Parfait dress. It's from the Darcey collection by Anna Griffin. The floral fabric will be the main fabric and the chevron stripes will be the contrasting fabric for the straps, waist, and pockets. This will be a fun project!