This Week...

Wow. It's been a week since my last post. I haven't made much progress on the Kyoto Skirt, or the Burda Sheath. I've been tired in the evenings after work, and by the time dinner is over and cleaned up, and the kids are settled down and ready for bed, I just haven't had much energy for sewing. Instead, I've been crocheting. It's easy and relaxing and I can just do it while I watch TV (Criminal Minds on Wednesdays, Project Runway on Thursdays, etc.) I'm working on this sweater from the Spring 2010 issue of Interweave Crochet:

It's hard to find a pattern for a cute crocheted sweater. So often crocheted garments look... well, tacky. But this one is pretty and it looks like something you might actually see in a department store. I decided to give it a try. I'm using Lion Brand Micro Spun- "an ultra soft microfiber sports yarn."

Yes, it's purple. Lavender to be exact. I decided to substitute this yarn because I already had it in stash and it seemed suitable for the pattern. I needed to use it and get it out of the bin where it was just taking up space. I will never use this particular yarn again, though. It is a pain to work with. The plies are hardly twisted and so it splits terribly and catches on my hook on almost every stitch. It doesn't help that I'm using a hook several sizes smaller than the label recommends- but that's what it took to get the correct gauge.

The sweater is worked from the neckline down with raglan shaping. The instructions are very easy to follow. You can see in the photo above that I have almost the entire yoke/sleeve section done. I just have one more row to crochet and then I can close up the sleeves and begin working down the body portion.

Interestingly, while I was digging around in my yarn stash for another ball of Micro Spun, I found this Kwik Sew pattern (3307):

It was in the bag with the yarn. Funny, I remember buying the yarn, but I have no recollection of purchasing this pattern. It's a nice pattern, though. View C (the light blue drawing or the model photo) is a nice, pretty basic dress. I think with the right fabric and maybe some trim along the neckline or the empire seam, it could be a very nice dress.

And speaking of patterns, I picked this one up on Friday:

I was looking for an alternative to the basic A-line to make some cotton skirts for summer. Although this is very similar to another flared skirt with princess seams that I already have and have made a couple of times, this one has some nice features that set it apart and make me want to try it. I love the yoke and the fact that it comes up to the natural waist. There are slanted pockets, and the waist tabs are a cute feature. I also really like view C, the straight skirt, but I would have to add length to make it work for me.

So how was your week?