Adler Sew Along - Week 2

It's the best part of any Sew/Knit Along: RESULTS!

Adler Shirtdress

This was, by far, the most difficult sewing project I've ever tackled. I was glad to have Jen's super-helpful sew along instructions to refer to as I went through the project. Pattern assembly was going well until I got to attaching the collar. Here's a visual representation of how I felt about that process:

"I'm just going to Chippendale it and call it a day"

It was a matter of my brain not understanding the instructions OR the tutorial. This can be a real low point for any crafter. If you can't figure it out from two different resources, you start to panic a little bit. Usually, the best thing to do is to take a break, text your sew-along buddies and get some air. Unfortunately, it was almost midnight on a Wednesday and I really wanted to get through at least the collar and hem before bed.

Fortunately, I had decided to start my annual fall re-watch of my beloved Friday Night Lights. Right when I was about to throw in the proverbial towel, Coach Taylor was there to remind me that football doesn't build character, it reveals it. I wasn't about to let Coach down by giving up! I powered through and somehow got that thing attached after another 30 minutes of muttering to myself.

So, you can thank the Dillon Panthers for this dress, is basically what I'm saying.

"Clear eyes, steady hands, can't lose" - Crafty Night Lights

Droopy = unimpressed

I got a hair cut! Surprise!

In the end, it was worth it. I love how it turned out and can't believe my luck with the fabric choice. I went with Allyson to Kalamazoo, Michigan on a hunt for bargains at the Field's Fabric tent sale earlier this summer and we bought the fabric for this project together. Hers turned out beautifully and, I have to say, so did mine! I've been privy to a sneak preview from Katie, and (spoiler alert) we all pretty much crushed this project. Stay tuned for Katie's progress next week and brace yourself to be super impressed with this trifecta of style and talent. 

Friday Project Update

Let's keep it short and to the point. It's Friday, and we all have things we'd rather be doing.

I stayed up insanely late seaming together parts of That Damn Sweater and there's still a ton of work to do... like, for example... finishing the second sleeve:

Sweater sez hai

I'm hoping blocking this guy out will cover up a few puckers here and there. And don't worry - those pockets ain't done.

Are you familiar with Pinterest? It will ruin change your life. Lots of beautiful ideas and inspirations that you can collect on a virtual pin board and pretend like you're really going to do them in real life because you are insanely wealthy. The Do It Yourself projects, however, seem so reasonable, so cheep and so fun that they have gotten into my brain and I can't let them go. So, you'll get treated to some of these crazier whims here on Knittery, you luck ducks!

The most recent whim was to make yarn out of old teeshirts. It's pretty simple, but be aware, there will be lint EVERYWHERE once you get started. My first attempt ended up as this:

This is crochet and not knitting, just as an FYI. This will only matter to .05% of people, but it's worth noting in case you're curious. It's not much, but I think with a bit of Rit dye, this could turn into a legit rug. If you'll permit me a small rant, there are some things in life I find to be outrageously overpriced and I get very angry every time I have to shell out hard earned money for them. In particular, the following three annoy me the most: 1) breakfast cereal 2) razor blades and 3) floor rugs. Now, I know one of these things is not like the other, but when you have a stubbern, old, sheddy dog who pees in your house if the weather isn't nice, you go through floor rugs and corn flakes at about the same rate. The rugs start smelling like corn chips or old accidents, which means my home and therefore *I* smell like corn chips and old accidents. I'm blessed with a sensitive nose, so I can nip this oder problem in the bud before anyone can judge me too harshly, but I've gone through my fair share of carpets.

Therefore, I am resolved to find a semi-good looking & cheap alternative to the ol' Ikea special. and this might just do it. If I can just get over my fear of dying fabric, this might be a success. Oh, and get my hands on about a zillion more tee shirts.

In closing, I'm back to work on the Reverse Engineer hat. I dropped a bunch of stitches and got a little mad at it, so it need to be put it aside for a while. But we're back on track and should finish it up soon-ish:

Hat's off

Aaaanyways, that's wassup. Enjoy your weekend! I know I will: