Dress Turquoise Longinndry
I was really happy with how these turned out. The colors were so much fun to work with! For A.M-S in MN.
7/18/2008
Too cute
Julius' compete Antarctic Tartan outfit. The jacket is lined with a penguin fabric. Recently I put lace cuffs on the sleeves and I plan to redo the jabot to match. He really looks sharp up there on stage!
Dress Wine Sutherland Hose
These hose were finished in April for T. Fulforth. Dress Wine Sutherland tartan split diamonds. These were fun to do and the yarn colors were a good match to the tartan. I was happy to see them in action at Fair Hill.
Not really
Yes, I still have a blog, but I don't really blog anymore. I had high hopes in April to keep up with this, but alas I haven't. Things have been crazy busy. My hose business, Bonnietoes, has taken off. I've had to turn away orders there are so many people who need hose! So, this is a good thing. I've made a jacket for Julius for dance and a kilt for my nephew and my brother-in-law. I have 2 possible commissions for other kilts. Other crafting is on hold, but the Scottish related crafting is going on full steam ahead!
4/11/2008
A quick update on the last half of a year!
I've decided that my reflective life expressed through blogging will move forward both here and on fieldlearning (the homeschooling blog). I hope to use this post to hit on a few highlights, probably without hyperlinks which I will regret not putting in at a later point, but for now, posting without links is better than not posting at all!
I heart Ravelry! - I'm Bonnietoes on Ravelry and I think this is about the coolest web interface software, community thing anywhere! I hope to use it more for cataloging my yarns and keeping track of my projects.
Speaking of Bonnietoes - my kilt hose making venture is going well. I've got a number of orders and a few more people who seem interested. I am enjoying the projects and so far I've spaced them appropriately enough to not feel rushed or under pressure (which would take all the enjoyment out of it!)
Personal knitting - besides a couple of small projects I've made an Aran shrug for myself out of homespun Romney. I am so excited that I actually took this project from roving to garment.
Spinning - I've gotten some lovely rovings at the PA Farm Show from Terry Kunst and Kate Bostek and am having a blast spinning those up. Also working on a website for Kate (http://www.roclans.com) hoping to make some extra money to get a new wheel at MD Sheep and wool.
Hope to have pictures of some of the other projects soon, but for now see me on Ravelry!
11/16/2007
Has it really been that long?
One day more than 2 months since my last post. Wow!
I have gotten some knitting done. A couple of hats from the current Knitty. Easy, fun, but the one I made for myself I just didn't like on my head. So, I gave it to a friend. She always looks good in hats. I started on Ewan's kilt socks - one is done - I must say, it is gorgeous! This design has one split diamond and the marl colors change as well. Quite a bit of color going on. I made a really contact with a woman on dance.net who may hire me to do a pair of dance hose for her. Plus she gave me some really great information about ordering PV tartan direct from the mill. I want to make up some beginner kilties for the school.
In other news my hard drive is out of commission so I am having to borrow my husband's computer at night. No picture uploading going on for the next few weeks.
I decided not to do Craft House or the Curves craft sale this year. With my father-in-law passing away just over a month ago, I want to make sure that there is lots of time during the season to be with people I care about. I love to craft, but I have enough projects on my plate without adding more and turning the next 6 weeks into a frantic mess. Yes, I love it, but it makes me crazy at the same time. A number of the ladies at Curves asked about Erin's Brownie and Cocoa jars, so it good that she made an impression with them.
The tartan for the next kilt is on order. Julius is going to have the Antarctic tartan. Half the cost of the tartan benefits the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, so it goes to a good cause and it is a great tartan. Julius has always loved the emperor penguin so it has a special meaning for him that it would help them.
9/14/2007
Swing!
The new kilt (and vest and hose) in action at the Green Lane Scottish Festival. I am very happy with how the whole ensemble turned out and so is Erin. The kids had a great time dancing. They were all excited to be able to do some new dances. These dances aren't ready for competition yet but they are fun to do in shows. More pictures of the all the kids dancing if you click through the photo to Flickr.
8/07/2007
The kilt is finished
I'm pretty happy with it for a first attempt and the money invested. But, I am glad I won't have to make another one for awhile (Julius still has a hem to let out and has at least an inch in the waist.) I think Erin is wearing it just a little high in the pictures. There are a few little things that I can see at the top and the waist measurement in the pleats is .5 an inch too big, but all that will be covered by the yet to be finished waistcoat. As soon as the yarn comes in I'll be making her hose to match as well. Now, if she can just hold off on the growing so that the outfit will last her through the rest of Novice and Intermediate!
We are off to a competition near Syracuse this weekend, so she'll have to wait to wear this new outfit until September. I'm shooting for the Green Lane Scottish Festival performance.
7/23/2007
Dress MacLean of Duart Progress
It's beginning to look like a kilt. The pleats are sew down and since this picture was taken I've basted the whole hem, sewed half the hem and basted some apron edges. Still lots more work to do. Soon I'll be delayed by the fact that I haven't bought hair canvas yet. I know where to get it, but that will entail a trip to Lancaster Co. The details:
Tartan: Dress Maclean of Duart
Length: 2.5 yds, double width cloth (could have used 3!)
Dancer: Erin
Waist 24.25"
Hip 31"
Splits: Waist 12.75" apron, 11.5" pleats
Hip 15" apron, 16" pleats
Length: 24" = 19.5" + 2" rise + 3" hem
Fell: 7 1/6"
Pleated to the stripe: 19 pleats
Pleat width at waist 5/8"
Pleat width at hips 7/8"
When I started the pleats looked like this:
By the end of sewing the pleats, they were looking quite a bit better:
I'm trying to resist my perfectionist side and not redo the pleats that are off. From a foot or two away it isn't really noticeable and certainly won't be from stage. We'll see how I feel about it tomorrow. Hmm, the more I look, the more I'm thinking rip!
7/16/2007
While they danced
I learned how do some Ukrainian embroidery stitches. During the kids Ukrainian dance camp there was an embroidery class for the adults. It was supposed to be 1.5 on three days, but it ended up occurring on four days and basically lasting as long as you were interested. The instructor is a multi-crafter and I hope to learn how to do Pysanky (you know, the eggs) from her as well. She was super nice as were all the rest of the ladies in the class. I learned so much about Ukrainian culture and they were eager to share. A lovely time....now that I'm home, I working on some little bookmarks before I start a shirt for one of the kids.
Oh, yeah, but before I do that, I need to try and turn this into my first kilt. I'm stressing a little bit because the yardage was short and there may not be quite enough!
But, it was a deal, so if not a kilt for the oldest then a pair of trews for the boy or an aboyne skirt and plaid.
6/07/2007
Hon Fest Prep
On Saturday, a friend and our daughters are heading to Baltimore for the Hon Fest. This is a slightly belated fortieth birthday celebration. At first I wasn't going to do the whole dressing the part thing. I was hoping to find something at the Goodwill that might work, but if I didn't, oh well. But, the more I thought, the more the bug bit. This could really be fun. So, yesterday I went to Joann's and found a vintage pattern and the most perfect fabric (in my opinion) and made this. Today we stopped by a different Joann's and got some fabric for a cute scarf and some flowers and butterflies and things to stick in our hairdos. One more stop to Payless for some black sandals tomorrow and I should be set. I'm hoping Trish has some big earrings and I've located the perfect set of faux pearls for around my neck. Pictures on Monday!
You've got to visit the Hon Fest website to see all the kitsch.
6/06/2007
German Heritage Tartan Socks
Another pair of kilt socks for Rocky. These match his own design German Heritage tartan. All the colors in the tartan are in the hose. I think they are rather striking and are going to look perfect with his kilt (which he didn't have finished the last time I talked to him, so it may be awhile before I snap a picture of the socks with the kilt.)
All my pending kilt socks are now finished, until we decide what tartan Ewan will wear, then I'll get to work on his.
All my pending kilt socks are now finished, until we decide what tartan Ewan will wear, then I'll get to work on his.
5/20/2007
Kilt Hose extravaganza
Julius wanted his hose by the Fair Hill Colonial Games on May 19th. I got them done in less than a week. His were easier than some of the others because his legs are still small and there is no reduction down the back of the leg. I was really well with how well the colors match his tartan. I also made a change to Sadie's socks and duplicated stitched over the black that ran through the purple and made it white. (Not that you can really tell in the picture above.)
The Purple Stewart hose that I made last month were in use on Saturday as well:
And, while I was at the festival I picked up a pound of lovely Romney/Mohair roving. The farmer had yarns and knitted items available, but way in the back were the bags of roving...and he said he almost didn't bring them!
5/12/2007
Rocky's socks
The first pair of kilt hose are done for Rocky. His only complaint was that the feet were a little small. Yikes! I'm not sure how hard it would be at this point to try to take them apart and rip out the foot and redo it. He sounded as though he thought they would work but asked me to do the next ones bigger. So here are the pictures:
On the azalea:
Close-up:
In action - I caught one of Rocky while he was changing a sign during the Phoenixville Celtic Fest. Because of how the kilt is pleated, the white stripes are really highlighted in the sock:
Posed - he asked not to have red in the socks so that he could wear these socks could match other kilts:
4/22/2007
Dress Purple Stewart Hose
They are finished!!! Hooray! I am really happy with how they turned out. They seem to fit well too. I deliver them tomorrow and hope to get a shot with the whole outfit on Saturday at the competition. There were some troubles with the gauge on the first pair. I actually ended up cutting (!) them down to size. The seam is a little bigger than usual on the inside, but that is the only evidence. I didn't notice it when I had them on and neither did the dancer. We'll see what she says after dancing in them for a day.
Here it is on the machine:
And finished!
4/05/2007
More highland wear
Another accomplishment of Feb/March was completing a new Arisaid or Aboyne outfit for Erin. And a new highland vest for her as well. She had quite a growth spurt and nothing fit her very well. With three competitions in March, I needed to get her outfitted.
Too long
It's not as though I haven't been busy, especially on the knitting end. I bought a knitting machine and have been figuring out how to use it. The sole purpose for which I bought it was to make those highland dancing socks for other people and make a little money at it. These competitions can get a little expensive and it would be nice to have some cash. A friend at the dance school asked me to make some for her daughter and that was the beginning of it all. So far, I've finished a pair for my youngest daughter.
I showed one of these to the great folks at USA Kilts and I have a commission to make two pair for him in exchange for something (to be negotiated) at the kilt shop. And another dancers grandma is also interested in a pair. Too bad I've got the flu right now or I'd be knitting.
The machine is a different animal than needles but the second sock was much faster than the first and I am hopeful that my speed will increase (and mistakes will decrease)!
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