Crafty Goals for 2016

CrochetKnittingMachine KnittingMachine Knitting Chall...Work in Progress

Dec 27

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Happy Sunday!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend and getting ready for 2016! I am already setting new crafty goals for the upcoming year!

One of my crafty goals for the new year is to become more confident in my knitting machine skills and nothing can help better than practice. So, I am setting a Machine Knitting Challenge 2016 for myself! I will strive to have one machine knitting FO every month! Looking back at 3 years that I had my machine, I realize I don't have that many projects made on it and it's such a shame!! I guess the reason for this is that machine knitting is not that relaxing and meditative as hand knitting and I just get lazy. I definitely want to change that in 2016! I know that if I organize my time better, I can be much more productive.

My other crafty goal is to do as many projects as possible for my Modification Series. I always have so much fun changing the course of a pattern, it is the biggest boost for my creativity!

Goal #3 is to pay more attention to crochet. No matter how much I love knitting, I feel strangely attached to crochet and I am surprised to see just 2 crochet FOs this year. Getting ready my crochet hooks for 2016!

Goal #4 is to take more careful notes of my projects, because only this way I can write more patterns! The thing is when I sit down to experiment with my yarn, I get carried away and before I know the project is taking shape, but I didn't take any notes :) Strangely enough my hands just know their way, but it's impossible to track back the steps! So, a crafty notebook should always be on my table in 2016!

I decided I don't want to wait until the 1st of January and start bringing some of these goals to life right now! I am starting my Machine Knitting Challenge and Modifications Series together! I have a great motivation for that. My birthday is in January and I want to treat myself to my favorite type of clothes - a dress :) I had one pattern in my mind for a long time, I think for a year now! It's a tunic-dress from Vogue Knitting Winter 2012/13 - Round Yoke Tunic by Hitomi Shida. The intricate stitch pattern drew me in immediately! But the problem is that A-line tops/dresses never looked good on me. The second thing that disturbed me in this look is that the dress is a little bit too heavy to my taste - the highly textured and intricate top part of the dress would look better (for ME) with simple background. I am not criticizing the pattern, I think it's truly a piece of art, but for myself I would prefer a more simple look.

So, my modification plans.

Change the A-line shape of the dress to the straight skirt with a waist shaping. I think I would go with the similar silhouette that I used in Pure dress.
Make the front and back of the dress on the knitting machine (in simple stockinette stitch) up to the armholes.
Put the live stitches on the knitting needles and hand knit the top using this intricate lace/textured stitch. I am not sure yet, if I stay with the yoke construction, or change it to simple boat neckline without sleeves.

I chose the yarn from my stash - beautiful skeins of 100% mercerized cotton in this green/blue shade.

I already used this yarn in Pure dress (in beige and white colorway) and for the Violet Gift dress (in purple colorway). I love how smooth it looks in the garment and stitch definition is just perfect!

This weekend I made the swatch on my machine and I am happy with the tension. So, this part is over.

Next is to hand knit the swatch using the stitch pattern. I am knitting with 2 mm (US 0) needles, so it will take awhile. The stitch pattern is really intense. There are no resting rows and you always have to keep track of the chart. Yes, I love to complicate my life :)