A skirt!

I made a super easy, simple skirt to attend a wedding.  Only three steps: measure some 2" wide elastic for my waist and sew it together to create an elastic circle. Sew a side seam up the fabric to create a tube of fabric. And to finish, stretch the elastic as I sew it onto the fabric.  No hem required.  One elastic-waisted skirt all finished. 

But it is the fantastic, hand-printed fabric that makes this skirt anything but simple.  Look at this sumptuous, hand-printed gold leaf border!

I loved wearing it to the winter wedding.

The person who took this photo was tall, so
puts the gold border in the shadows, but it's
the only photo I have of the skirt on the day!

Unfortunately, I cannot remember where I bought the fabric panel from. I have been googling it, going through old receipts, but I can't find it. I do remember seeing it on instagram stories well over a year ago, and I bought it immediately.  The panel of fabric was £60 at the time.

My Year of Jumper knitting

2018 was a year of jumper knitting for me!  I have knit 4 jumpers this year, and looking at them, they represent the four seasons.

SPRING

"Birkin" from Laine magazine issue 2, designed by Caitlin Hunter.
I loved choosing the colours for the flowers on this yoke, they remind me of violets and pansies and wearing this jumper cheers me up and makes me feel fresh.

SUMMER

"Zweig" designed by Caitlin Hunter. This jumper has a pretty lace section that I really enjoyed knitting. I chose the colours to coordinate with my brown hair and blue jeans, so this is really easy to wear, and I feel a bit special wearing it. It's quite light and easy to layer if the weather is a bit cooler.

AUTUMN

"Afterparty" from Laine magazine issue 6, designed by Astrid Troland. I knit this as a favour to the magazine, by knitting it from a draft of the pattern I was able to send in any errors I encountered. It felt good to be helpful, but it was a lot of work and not a lot of reward. The original wool to be used was expensive and not a lot available to purchase, so I knit it in a lower priced wool and I do love it.

WINTER

"Ninian" from Marie Wallin's pattern book called "Shetland." Now this took a long time! I saw someone wearing this at 2018 Edinburgh Yarn Festival, and was really impressed with the colours and repeating patterns.  I started knitting my own version whilst on holiday in Orkney and Shetland. This took a lot of work, but I did enjoy it. It is my first ever time to make something so intricate. I overestimated my size and knit it too big. But I will leave it as it is and use it as a coat for outdoor activities.

So how will my 2019 look? I have already completed one jumper, and am planning a few more, but I definitely want to sew a few garments and make a few quilts. Thanks for reading! x