Since some of you have asked about recent knitting projects, here’s an illustrated summary. . .
Before getting to the new knitting, though, I had to catch up on mending some of the old. . . I knit socks this year for all my siblings’ birthdays, but I also managed to mend all the socks I’ve knit for my husband over the last decade or so.
Apologies if you’ve already seen these on Instagram. They’re a pair I knit for Paul about ten years ago, and had mended earlier in a few high-wear areas, but they needed much more extensive work this time. Not a problem, as I was keen to play with my Speed-Weave darning loom (you can see how this works in this Instagram post and in this one, where you’ll also find a link to the vendor. Not an ad!). This is the opposite of invisible mending, obviously, and the original sock yarn was already busy. Now, these are Paul’s Amazing Multi-Coloured DreamSocks, apologies to Rice and Webber . . .
I complemented the woven patches with duplicate stitch. Not the tidiest or daintiest needlework, but it’s all felting into comfortable integrity in his boots, and the socks are good for another few years now. Amazing, right? I’d never imagined this longevity when I knit them.
Honestly, I probably prefer knitting a whole new pair of socks (shiny new yarn in pretty new colours), even though that would take much more time. But I’m trying to think “sustainability” in my knitting these days as well as in my closet, and mending old socks with leftover yarn is a good chance to think about garment longevity . . . and about what it takes to get new yarn in my greedy knitting hands. . . (I thought about this in a post on Slowing Down, written just after we were first being forced to do this in the early days of this pandemic. My sock-mending technique was quite different there — you might be interested in how I used scissors to mend.)
And for yet another approach, here’s the link to an Instagram post featuring a pair my daughter asked me to mend. I’d knit them for her a few years ago, and I might like them even better with their new visible mending, which I finished just before our trip in October.
This little mouse (below) doesn’t need mending, but she was made from yarn left over from a sweater I knit three years ago. I forgot to snap a Mouse-y photo before giving her to a Birthday Girl last month, but the Newly Nine’s Mama posed some portraits for me. (If you’d like to knit a mouse of your own, you’ll find links to the patterns at designer Cinthia’s Instagram page; again, not an ad.)
Here’s our petite souris living dangerously . . . Her OOTD was also fashioned from leftover yarn (the only request I had from the Nine was that “you can make her whatever clothes you want as long as they’re overalls”).
I think my favourite feature of the Sadie Souris pattern is her tail — and the tiny buttonholes worked into her wardrobe to accommodate that tail.
There she is, living dangerously again (and yes, she lives in a house with not one, but two, cats!).
You need a close-up? Okay, then . . .
And one last shot of Louisa LaFleur (I think this is her new name), hanging out with the other Nana-knit Companions in her new home. . .
Of course, I don’t always knit with leftover yarn. I purchased skeins throughout the year to make my siblings’ new socks, although I managed a few of those from stash.
My biggest yarn indulgence this year, though, was for this sweater which I finished last week and have already worn three or four times. It’s the same pattern (Doocot, by Kate Davies) as the rust-coloured sweater I knit three years ago, so I knew the cropped, slightly boxy shape suited me and my lifestyle. Want to see?
Above, worn over a black lightweight microfibre turtleneck and a black Eileen Fisher felted-wool skirt with black tights and my trusty Blundstones.
Below, over a black pinwale corduroy dress and I couldn’t resist wearing my pink Oxfords to not quite match the sweater. . .
I also wore it with black wool wide-legged, cropped pants (Aritzia, a few years ago; if they still made these, I’d buy another pair in navy or dark brown and just live in them! Alas, they don’t!)
I’m sure you’re sensing a pattern here. Let me throw in a wild card: I added a scarf! Okay, not a significant change, but I’m also planning to wear this with my pleated grey skirt, with jeans, over my navy pinstripe dress. I’m confident it will be a versatile addition to my wardrobe. . .
And thanks to the blend of kid mohair, silk, and merino, it’s delicious to the touch! I can’t capture that in a photo, but I did try — you can see the halo effect just below the ribbed hem, against the black pants. . . .
And perhaps because I spent all that time knitting a pink sweater, the most recent patch I added to a store-bought, machine-knit sweater brought that colour to my underarms! Only ever washed by hand and air-dried flat, this sweater is only a few years old, but the yarn (a blend, with a significant portion of cozy yak yarn) has worn significantly, so that at elbows and other vulnerable spots, the nylon “skeleton” you see there is all that’s left of the fabric.
But I love this sweater for its comfort as well as for the easy shape and the easy-to-coordinate oatmeal colour. I’m keeping an eye out for a replacement, but meanwhile I’m using the old one as something of a wearable sampler of my developing mending skills. (You can see it in this IG post, where you might just glimpse the patches at one of the elbows; and this IG post shows the patches in process.)
If you’re intrigued by the possibilities of mending sweaters visibly, I’ve posted other examples here and here. Clearly, there’s a big difference between wearing visibly mended socks and wearing a visibly mended sweater, and many of you will find my examples too playful or, even, flamboyant. You can find more discreet mends (and a wealth of brilliantly executed, creatively visible ones) at Sewing Smith’s Instagram page, and get a preview of Flora Collingwood-Norris’s book Visible Creative Mending for Knitwear at Collingwood-Norris’s IG page. (Nope, not an ad, no remuneration at all here, but thought some of you might like help finding resources.)
I thought the combination of pink and yellow with that simple plaid skewed a bit Chanel, which rather amused me as an underarm patch.
But when I showed it to my husband, he commented on the cleverness of matching it to my pyjamas. The red plaid flannel pyjamas you see in the photo below. . . Clearly, I need another audience; thank goodness you’re here! š
That’s enough for now, I’d say. I have also just finished knitting myself a warmer winter hat in anticipation of using the snowshoes we bought each other for Christmas, and I’m making him one now as well. (I used newly purchased yarn for mine and went to my stash for his).
But that’s for another post. Now I need to clear the decks for tourtiĆØre-making. I had planned to bring them to my sister’s Christmas Eve event where a good portion of my huge extended family (my siblings, their partners, their kids, their kids’ partners, their grandkids) was planning to gather for the first time in two years. . . 38 of us had RSVP’d “Yes, we’ll be there,” as of two or three weeks ago, but that party’s been cancelled now, of course. Thank you, Omicron! Honestly, I’m as relieved as I am disappointed the restrictions were introduced: viruses don’t carry about Christmas expectations, and at least this year we’re able to gather with our two (vaccinated) in-town kids’ families, . And all of whom count my tourtiĆØres as a tradition that really matters. (According to this post from December 2007, this will be the 15th Christmas I’ve been making the French-Canadian meat pies.)
I know you’re also busy with holiday preparations, and with readying yourself to finish one year and begin another. But if you should have time to leave a comment below, I’m always happy to read them.
xo,
f
Those mice are future family heirlooms though I am a little concerned about their welfare ( cats ! ) Iāve been expecting to see a photo appearing here of that enormous barge in Vancouver harbour that the city seems to have taken to it’s heart . There have been articles in our newspapers .
Author
Ha! Yes, THAT barge! My husband’s taken a few photos of it while out kayaking when he’s been able to paddle quite close. We’d thought they were going to be able to move it last high tide, but that seems to have been harder than they thought. I’ll get him to send me one of his photos and include it in a post soon. . .
Lovely! Thanks for sharing!
Author
You’re very welcome!
I donāt knit but I shave a collection of sweaters and vests that I layer over everything (even my nightwear) in the place of a housecoat. Iām trying to use the same items of clothing in different ways. If (when?) I travel again, versatility will be essential for a 70 year old solo
Woman traveller.
The new public health rules are reassuring. I hope people heed them. A few more chores before the day. Brian is going to be in the hospital for a surgical procedure over Christmas so it will be a strange day.
I do love you little mouse. Our building have had a few mice visiting. We caught one a released her. They really are cute. We hope Fifi survived and does not visit again.
Author
I have a few favourite old sweaters that serve as something like a housecoat as well. Have to be careful I don’t just live in comfy flannel pj bottoms and a cozy shapeless sweater š
Your Christmas Day will be strange, and I know you’re resilient and resourceful, but/so I hope you’re planning ahead with some indulgent self-care. xo
(and Fifi, yes, I hope she realizes she had a lucky escape and doesn’t try her luck again)
Tourtiere is our traditional Christmas Eve dinner too, but we’ll be at our daughter’s this year and she’s planning pizza! I’ll make tourtiere for hubby and I for New Years instead.
Author
Our kids are great for getting us to loosen up and try something new (even if they then turn around and insist on something traditional we’ve been longing to let go š
I would love your tourtiĆØre recipe!
Author
Here you go: It’s a recipe from a 2005 Canadian Living magazine.
Oh my… I love all the tiny animals you make, Frances. Our next door neighbours… the ones who own the cats we have come to love… are pregnant. Maybe I’ll knit the new neighbour a little animal. I’m feeling adventurous as far as knitting goes having just completed my first garment in years. A hat made from Briggs and Little yarn. I had forgotten just how much I love knitting, and how lovely it is to work with their yarn.
P.S. Really love that pink sweater on you. xo
P.P.S. My tourtieres are scheduled for Thursday. š
Author
Ah, Briggs and Little! A hat made from their yarn will last you forever! I made a few sweaters (I think we talked about this once, and decided we might have made up the same pattern? from Canadian Living back in the day?)
I got the supplies in for the tourtieres today, but was more optimistic than realistic and the task will probably be broken down and managed over a couple of days. . .
I tried knitting years ago but I am afraid I did not have the patience for it, or perhaps much talent. I love your pale pink sweater, one of my favorite shades, and it plays so well with all the neutrals. I do remember mending socks years ago, in the single working mom/grad student days, I probably still have the darning egg in my now little used sewing basket. I love hand knitted sweaters, I am always admiring the work of a friend in lecture series I attend. this year my daughter is hosting Christmas. It will be fairly traditional, with some twists I am sure. She is making a rib roast. I will provide a butternut squash soup and some cookies which are kind of like mini pecan pies. At least I hope we can be together. We have been seeing each other regularly for the past few months. so fingers crossed.
Author
I started knitting when I was so young that not having patience didn’t seem to be an option — at least, my mother had the patience to keep a six-year-old at it even when I must have wanted to give it up a few times (judging by my kids, and then my grandkids š
That dinner sounds delicious — we’ve never (yet) strayed from turkey, although one daughter was pushing for a ham this year (Paul considered doing both a ham and a turkey, but I squelched that plan quickly!)
And yes, fingers crossed. . . so much finger-crossing these past two years. . .
I can only darn with an old wooden mushroom that belonged to my grandma. I love using it.
Wishing you a lovely Christmas and all the best in the New Year! Thank you for your wonderful blog – I count it as a gift in my life.
How could I miss your Speed-Weave darning loom? I haven’t seen none of these IG photos! I like visible mending:Chanel-esque especially…..
Love your pink sweater,wool looks so luxurious…
And little Louisa……they all are amazing-such a great idea to make mouse families indeed! Are there rabbits in Sadie Souris patterns?
I had no plans for partying this year (but have spent some time looking at glitter,gold and sequins….although have a sequin top,bought before I’ ve become conscious….and a golden top,too,but it was some kind of therapy),it seemed too early…and it is indeed
Have a wonderful time with your family! Merry Christmas!
Dottoressa
Your pink sweater is very pretty and suits you so well. It works brilliantly in so many outfit variations. Iām wearing more mostly deeper pinks, as they complement my newish salt and pepper hair. Too funny really because I used to giggle at my mumās fondness for pink in her āelderā years and now here I am, doing the same. I hope sheās looking down on me from heaven having the last laugh.
Your mice are works of great love and whimsy – your grandkids are very lucky to have such an accomplished grandmother. I too love visible mending – so much more achievable than the other kind! It does require a little time and some effort but extending the life of a well-loved garment is very satisfying. And I donāt find your colour combinations too āout thereā at all. I ordered the Collingsworth-Norris book several weeks ago and am looking forward to its arrival so I can improve my knowledge and skills.
What a great post and great projects. The sweater looks great and I love the colour (and am also knitting with pink at the moment) I love the mouse, and especially the tail and the overalls!
I was also very interested to read about your loom. I fell in love with Flora Collingwood-Norris’s work a year or two ago when I happened upon it by chance when googling something. And then Kate Davies of course did a post a while back. I was particularly gobsmacked by a couple of Collingwood-Norris’s sweater mending projects. Amazing stuff. I usually just improvise when I repair socks or sweaters (most often elbows on my partner’s pullovers, that require full-on patches), but would love to get into doing more artistic visible mending. The Chanel-inspired block is great. I was thinking of just darning and weaving by hand, but the loom is a cool idea.
Happy Holidays. Your feast sounds delicious! Since I am alone this year and will not be in Italy, I am shaking things up a little bit and am making myself a vegetarian bourguignon (mushroom) and may strike out and make a few other new recipes. I’m happy to cocoon a little bit after a very busy work-week, including work over the weekend (my work always escalates in proportion to the public health situation). The consolation of not being in Italy for Christmas is that I won’t have to eat the giant slab of panettone put in front of me after a five course meal. š Italians seem to have unlimited space for panettone…I always struggle with that, and then the fact that my onomastico is San Stefano, so I have to get up on December 26 to do the whole thing over again. First world problems, for sure!
Santo Stefano! Oops!
Those mice really are living dangerously! š And I love the pink sweater. I’m still waiting for the perfect mohair substitution (alas, suri alpaca seems to have the same suboptimal impact as mohair on me). Mohair really is a magical fiber when it comes to lightness, drape and sheen. Wishing you a warm, cozy and healthy new year F. xo
Your mending is beautiful! Thank you for a thoughtful post (as all of yours are.) Have you seen the work of the UK artist Celia Pym? http://celiapym.com/
Your socks remind me of her work.
Lovely to see this post about your knitting – I admire your patience in knitting the small toys. Over the past few months Iāve found the new interest in visible darning fascinating. I had an aunt famous for her invisible darning skills, the family used to pile her high with items for repair.