From time to time I am overcome by an urge: an urge to create something. This means either knitting or sewing. Or both. I am not sure what exactly triggers this urge, but a good guess is that it is a mix of the time of year (it often – albeit not exclusively – hits me in autumn/winter with fewer daylight meaning a readiness to stay indoors longer which leads to the question of what to do to pass the time), some shopping trips that end in frustration because I cannot find clothes I like and that fit, a small yarn and fabric stash at home murmuring that it wants to be turned into something wearable, and my usual madness.
This time it hit me in November after a failed attempt to find a new pair of jeans and maybe some pyjamas, too. Instead, I found some bright yellow yarn that screamed at me: “I am a bargain, I am at half price! Turn me into gloves!” A fatal combination. So, I bought the yarn and when I came home I sat down at my computer and somehow ended up looking for sewing patterns for jeans. Which I found several of after consulting different blogs where people showed off their creations. And it sounded easy enough for me, who is not the most experienced at sewing, to give it a try.
So, in November and December, in between knitting, I was busy buying patterns, copying patterns, buying fabrics, cutting fabric, looking for even more patterns… and I did some actual sewing as well.
And to sum it up: the gloves are now finished and ready to wear. They look great but, to tell the truth, I am not too happy about the finished object. They are not as warm as I had hoped they would be. I was tricked by the image of a hat on the banderole suggesting it was intended for clothing for the winter. So, of course, I did not read that the yarn actually contains cotton instead of wool. The cotton also meant that the gloves were somewhat difficult to knit because the yarn did not stretch very much. But still, I am satisfied: I made something that is – in principle – wearable.
My newest gloves with long cuffs for that warmer feeling while cycling.
And I also managed to make my first pair of jeans. Which came out quite well. Especially considering that, half way through the construction process, I thought I had totally blundered them – they seemed way too tight and the back pockets were way too low. I deemed them only suitable for being worn at home. But now that they are finished I am actually quite pleased. The longer I have them on, the better they feel. And I will wear them outside for all the world to see! So far, nobody has complained. And my second pair of jeans is also nearing completion (which is an indicator that I did indeed like the outcome of the first pair).
While at it, I also made me my first pyjama after I found a pattern that had everything I wanted: cuffs and waistband. I hiccupped slightly during the process of sewing, but nothing too bad (and something I will know how to improve next time). Another finished object I definitely like and I already have everything ready to start on my second and third pyjamas: which will be one for the winter, another for the summer. Got to plan ahead!
And I am definitely not done sewing, yet. Of course I could not keep from perusing other people’s blog to have a look at their creations and to be inspired. Which maybe was a very dangerous thing to do because I found several patterns that I really want to have now to make clothing from. Actually, I promised to reward myself with some patterns after finishing this post. So, out with this post and off to do some shopping!
Quick, think of a witty title. 