Monday, February 25, 2013

In Sanskrit, Yoga Means "To Yoke"

Where to begin, as I sit here nursing a martini? I am all over the place. I should be knitting. I should be planning. I should be cooking.

Instead, I'm blogging. What can I say? I'm a writer first.

Let's start with an update on the Spring Suit. I can count the number of times I've done this on one hand, but I gotta level with y'all: I am leaving V8333 behind.

Don't fear! I'm still going to make a tailored jacket (if one that's slightly less "couture"). And I'm also going to work with S on her V8333 - cuz she's still into it. But I'm moving on because, quite honestly, I don't much like the look of this garment on me.

In truth, we had a better-fitting muslin of this garment before I made the drastic changes leading to where we're at now. It's now far too big everywhere, having added onto that side front piece like a nutcase. S and I recognize we took a bad turn somewhere. (Um, hello, this IS kind of rocket science.) The fix is to a) start again at the very beginning (given the insane shape of the current muslin) or b) say goodbye and make another jacket (starting with a totally new muslin, natch!) that might actually suit my shape better than V8333.

I'm conflicted. You know I don't like to give up on things. Mind you, I do realize that I could persist, spend another 40 hours on muslining (that's how much I've spent so far), use 200 bucks-worth of materials and not love the end result because, really, on me this thing is kind of dowdy.  It emphasizes my widest parts and de-emphasizes the small and nicely-proportioned ones.

The point is, with the benefit of a test garment (and a fuck of a lot of work), I'm opting to do something that will turn out better. I'm not giving up because I can't do it. I'm moving on because the process has served its purpose.

It's not my fault, neither is it the pattern's. In fact, I'm glad I get to go through the V8333 process with S, because this jacket looks much nicer on her frame.  Mind you, I still feel kind of crappy about this turn of events.

I've chosen a new pattern, by Burda, a brand I've never tried because I'm afraid of the overlapping patterns. S says the drafting is superior, in her opinion, to just about any other company. She also offered to trace it for me - which is outrageously nice of her and I didn't even try to resist out of politeness. I considered it briefly, then realized I was really grateful not to have to do it, and said thank you very much. BTW, more to come on the new pattern soon, natch.

OK, onto the next thing... I went to a lovely TO blogger and sewist meet-up organized by Gillian and Adrienne and I am so thrilled to have met some wonderful peeps. I had no idea there are so many representin' for this town! Of course, I bought new fabric and notions that I probably didn't "need", let's face it - which I'll no doubt discuss in coming posts. Crowd mentality is dangerous! :-)

And on the topic of stuff I don't need, the Fabric Mart Modal arrived. What a disappointment. It is entirely different from the original order (aka the batch I bought last year) - to the extent that I almost don't believe it's Modal (not like any I've seen before). Furthermore, it's peacock green! Like crazy, light-green meets blue (sort of). Aquamarine, my ass. I might even have returned it, what with my recent purchase of Tencel that has basically the same drape and fall, but that would be way too much effort. Who can say. I may find a great use for this stuff and recant my current bitch, but you're just gonna have to wait for it. The colour is out there, though.

OK, finally (presuming you are still reading), here are a few shots of the Indicum Pullover as it stands currently:


This is my first yoked sweater and I find it fascinating... It's all wrinkly cuz of the front (which is underneath it) but I assure you it's a lovely, old-school look.

Whatcha think of my first attempt at stranded-colourwork?
In a totally bizarre turn of events, I've managed to accomplish most of my 2013 "goals" in the first quarter of the year. Phew. Now I can get on with the under-functioning! :-)

I'm going to write about this project in more detail, of course, but I will point out that I should have made a smaller size - as always... And I made the second smallest size. And I'm not exactly a waif.

Also, there's not as much shaping as I prefer, nor is there any stretch to speak of in the ribbing at the neck or hem. Plus, they curl (as others have mentioned). I do hope this blocks out.

On the plus side, the fabric isn't nearly as ugly as I thought it would be. It's insanely soft (though, here's hoping there's good recovery in the stretch once one wears and blocks it). For once I made a sweater long enough. And, it's got lovely lines. Very lovely lines. Plus, it fits in the shoulders which is the arbiter of fit, IMO, as you know.

Lord, this is rambling...

Today's questions: Have you ever begun a project and stopped after the muslin stage cuz you didn't like what you saw? Do you feel bad or like you "failed"? Or, on a totally different topic, whatcha think of my Indicum Pullover? Have you made a yoked sweater in the past? Do you like the lines? Let's talk!

21 comments:

  1. I think it's smart to abandon a project when it's obvious you're not going to be able to enjoy wearing it and it's going to be a big money/time suck to finish. Especially since you've already learned what you need to from it.
    By yoked sweater do you mean that it's knit in one piece above the sleeves? My favourite is a cardigan -- Eunny Jang's Tangled Yoke Cardigan . . . so elegantly constructed.
    I don't like knitting Corrugated Rib -- what did you think of it? It does, admittedly, make an effective edging. The Indicum is looking good!






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    1. That's it. How much time does one spend before saying, enough. I'd prefer to cut my losses now.

      What I meant by yoked (maybe I'm using the term incorrectly?) is that the part between neck and underarms is knit with substantive increases over 3 rows (spaced evenly). It produces that semi-circular look I associate with Scandinavian sweaters (though those are generally done with colour work). I don't know if, from a construction perspective, the sleeves end up being raglan (though without the "seams") or if this really is its own form of construction. I don't have enough experience of either method to say.

      And no, I don't like corrugated rib. It seems entirely useless on the rib front and it curls. And it takes forever. I don't suspect I'll be doing it again.

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  2. S sounds like a saint!

    Is M feeling better?

    "Um, hello, this IS kind of rocket science." YES!!!

    I support your decision to move on.

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    1. :-) M is def feeling better. The antibiotics have made a difference.

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  3. I am like you, I really hate to give up on a project, but I must admit that I have done it a few times. The Sonja dress from Salme Patterns was just beyond awful, and the starlet suit jacket was so beyond my fitting abilities at the time that I put it aside for a bit. By the time I was ready to tackle it, I discovered my cats had peed all over the pattern! I just haven't felt the desire to spend another 3 hours putting the pattern together again.

    Down with Fabric Mart! They used to be cool, now they suck :(

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    1. Interesting about the Sonja dress. I've made one salme pattern - the peplum top - and (though i had to alter it substantively), I do like it.

      The Starlet Suit jacket was almost my undoing. I felt like peeing all over it most of the time I was working on it! :-)

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  4. Huh? The ribbing curls and doesn't stretch? I thought that was the whole point of ribbing.. Looking good though!

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  5. You are absolutely justified in walking away. Why spend time and $$$ on something that won't work for your shape, doesn't fit, etc.?

    As for the sweater, I think it looks nice so far. :-)

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    1. That's the philosophy I've chosen to take. It's hard to know when to walk, but I think I've called this one correctly.

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  6. The point of a muslin is to determine if you're going forward or walking away.

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    1. It's true! That's what I have to remind myself. It's not simply there to torment me - but to show me what I need to know about the finished product! :-)

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    2. Funny how we need reminding.

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  7. It is perfectly justifiable to decide that the project should not go forward, as planned, after the muslin. You are not giving up, you are moving in another direction. It is much better to do that now before wasting good fabric on a style that is not flattering. You have not wasted time on the Vogue muslin because you had to do it to discover it was not going to work. Anyway, you probably added to your knowledge of fit and that is a good thing. I wish I had done this for the Starlet Jacket. I thought the floppy muslin was OK, but the finished, stiffer fabric jacket looks weird on me. I still don't think it was a failure since I learned alot and I can wear the jacket, just not in many situations.
    The sweater is looking good. I have never made a sweater with a yoke. Is it easier than the set-in sleeve style?

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    1. This is very smart feedback, V. And the sweater turned out quite well - so some things do go as they should.

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  8. I think it takes more courage to walk away form a project you know won’t work than to carry on and finish. At least that’s how I’m justifying having walked away form two muslins for the same dress this past fall. It was Pattern Runway’s Kimono Dress, which looks amazing on Gail (of Today’s Agenda) but on my short waisted frame looks like a tent, or a balloon. So good for you for walking away. Oh, and I’m so glad to hear there are so many sewist in TO. Maybe another meet-up will take place in late summer, once I'm back.

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    1. Oooh, I love applying the word "courage" to this! :-) I'm sure there will be many more meet-ups and we'll have a chance to get to know you "IRL".

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  9. It is SO much better to scrap a pattern at the muslin phase than end up with a wadder or a garment that you end up unhappy with after hours of labor!! I've done it at least twice - with no lingering regrets - and there are other times when I should have done it.

    Nice colorwork! Too bad about the modal! What a disappointment to thing you were getting more of the same and have it be different (and not good). :-(

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    1. I know! I will use that modal, I suspect. And maybe in a summer dress it will be "fresh". But it's sure not what I was hoping for...

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  10. I need to work on giving up MORE. It is so smart to know when to give up (and I usually don't. heh).

    The colourwork is looking lovely! i

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    1. Thanks L! And I guess it is the smart approach, that's where I've landed philosophically, but I still feel weird about it.

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