Knitting
I bought some special yarn for a special project while I was in Ireland. The project was coming along nicely until...
Tragedy! I ran out of yarn that is unobtainable. Ugh! I have at least three options to choose from on how to proceed and I'm still ignoring this project because I wanted it to turn out as it was meant to. And it won't.
I ripped out the black and red Leftie because I really did not like the texture knit on 3 mm needles; it was so stiff and harsh. The next attempt was on 3.5 mm needles, which turned out too loose. The 3.25 mm will probably be ok, but it was almost time for TdF and this project too went into a major time-out.
Sewing
I made a light summer hoodie out of a dress and a skirt, both going unused because I'd stopped wearing dresses and skirts a while back. Due to the lack of suitable mirrors and lighting, this is just as impossible to photograph as the trousers. (I guess I've discovered the only downside of wearing black exclusively.)
This is a photo of the zipper installation inside and outside to give you an idea of the details. The hoodie is based on Deer and Doe Plantain T-shirt pattern. I added a hood, modified the neckline, added the front opening, made it shorter, added pockets, and made the sleeves flared below elbows.
The whole thing is entirely hand sewn with back stitch and then the seam allowances were tacked down with running stitch in medieval style. The pockets are also attached with a double row of running stitch.
Added front patch pockets to the proof-of-concept trousers. At one point of wearing them I had to go out with a bag because there was not a single pocket on any item of clothing I had on. None! That had to be fixed. Again, black on black, difficult to get a good photo.
I used the same pocket template as for the trousers and sewed them on by hand with two rows backstitch. This photo is taken after sewing, but before I remembered to remove the cat hair. Hence the extra fuzz in this photo.
Spinning
Finished off some Romney locks that were sent to me as a sample. The longer skein is the result of experimenting with different drafts, spun from the flicked locks. The shorter skein is spun worsted from the rolags carded from flicking waste. Longer is chain plied, shorter is 2-ply, and I haven't got the faintest idea what to do with either. There is so little and the longer experimental skein is so uneven, I am not sure if it ever will become anything except yarn.
Finished off the chocolate embroidery thread. I'm still spinning the Nepal wool, but it is so rough that it is not pleasant to spin at all. There is so little of it left, that I persevere, although I am not sure why. There is no purpose for this yarn other than to spin it. I should probably just declare the experience over and quit while I still retain a desire to make fluff into yarn.