Man's Caftan

Shocking I know---I am sewing.

Shocking I know---I was actually thinking of writing a tutorial but for what subject?  Most sewers would already have knowledge of what I would write about.  Because of the stupid mistakes and problems I had with this caftan, (my fault--and this is what happens when one doesn't sew for awhile),  I will not be writing a full tutorial.

A replacement caftan for hubby was way overdue.  I won't even show what the old one looked like.  I made this from one I had made from the original one, purchased many years ago.  Sorry, DH, for the delay, but at least you have a new one now.

Hubby is average size, build, and weight so this pattern will work for most bodies.  If the person is large or small, adjust the width of the pieces (the hem bands will need to be wider by the same amount).  For short or the very tall, adjust length, as well as for the side band pieces.  The finished circumference, with 4 bands, is 50".

Generally, for 60" will need 1 garment length;
                 for 54" 1 garment length plus sleeve length;
                 for 45" 2 garment lengths plus additional for sleeves.

 

Bands: depend on length and width of main pieces.  I bought 2 yards of 40" wide for the bands and probably 1 3/4 was enough.

 

Neck bands:  measure from center front to center back and add two seam allowances.  Cut two.  Bands will be seamed at cf and cb.  Since cf is a V allow enough length for this.

 

Side bands:  I made 2" finished so doubled and added two 1/2" seam allowances so 5 times the length of shoulder to hem, plus two seam allowances.  Will need four of those. 

 

The neck band finished width is 1 3/4", the hem 2 3/4".

 

You can make them any width--just remember to double and add 2 seam allowances on all edges.  I also cut them longer than needed "just in case".

 

For a better fit you can shape the neck bands rather than cut them straight, but be certain to allow enough fabric.

 

One of my (stupid) mistakes is seen below:  I attached the wrong edge to the garment which is why the sleeve swings upward instead of downward.  Yes, I did correct it.

 

 

The sleeves could be cut as one piece, but I prefer to attach them to the main pieces, then sew shoulders and sleeve seams at the same time.

How I proceeded (excluding mistakes of course):  (You can vary the order according to your needs.

---stitch sleeves to main pieces
---stitch shoulder and sleeve seam
---apply neck band

Stitch one neck band piece from cf to cb.  Do same with the other.  Since I was using light-colored bands I decided to make the band facing in the darker color, to keep it cleaner a little longer.

---Stitch cfs together in one from neck band to hem.
---Stitch cbs together in one from neck band to hem.

---Fold bands in half and stitch to inside.  I stitched "in the ditch" from the right side, but you can also stitch together the seam allowances of the band and the garment instead.

---Stitch garment bands to body and sleeve hem.

Before turning side bands to inside they will be stitched to each other.  Line up the front band to back band and stitch down the center, beginning at the seam where the sleeve joins body, down as far as desired (I selected 12" above the hem as that was the way it was in the original purchased one).  You are forming the side seam which is approximately 19" long.  Do same for other side.

 

"

---Fold these bands and sew "facing' seam allowances as done for the neck band, trimming any excess in length if extra  "in case" amounts  were cut initially.

---Stitch the front and back hem bands to main pieces, which includes bottoms of side bands as before, folding under seam allowances at sides to make a nice finish.

---Sew on "Made With love for You" label. (optional)

Clear as mud?  This caftan is so much easier to make than to explain.  The wonderful thing about it:  no real fitting required.

This entry is dedicted todfr2010 to prove that I am sewing. :)

Testing with Pics

In my previous blog I tested the typing; I should have tested putting in pics!  I'm having a terrible time, especially getting them where I want them on the blog.  It says multiple pics can be put in but doesn't tell how to arrange them the way they are wanted.  One pic disappeared from the blog. 

Guess it will be awhile before my sewing blog entry will be up. :(

Testing, testing the new Blogger

Before I write my sewing entry, I thought I would try the new Blogger to find out how it works.  As with anything new it probably will take awhile to work out the bugs.

One thing I forgot when I wrote the above was to ask if there is any word verification on my blog when trying to comment.   It seems that there were problems with that, and even those who had "no verification" checked, as I do,  still had it included with this new format.  The letters are difficult to read so some pass on commenting. 

Cameras Old and New

Technology doesn't always make things easier.

The Sony camera is approximately from 2000 purchased by my mother-in-law. It was one of the first digital cameras out. Yes, it takes floppies (which always causes a laugh when I mention that; in fact, some think I'm joking.)

When she purchased a newer one she gave this one to us. We didn't use it for a few years as we were quite happy with our one-step-down-from-a-pro-model Minolta.

The Sony is so easy to use: it is pretty much aim and press the shutter button. It isn't difficult getting the pics on our p.c. as we have a tower with a floppy drive, on of the last ones built with one.

The pics aren't always the clearest but it could be because we are using old discs.

It does get a little time consuming when trying to send a pic from my laptop because I have to get it on the p.c., then send it to myself in an e-mail, the save it to my laptop computer.

A few months ago we bought the Canon Power Shot ELPH 100 HS. The pictures are more clear, but the sizes of them! Holy moly! The buttons and functions on it are far too numerous! We certainly don't need all of those and would prefer larger buttons. The booklet which came with it is approximately fifty pages, just telling the basics; the remaining 150 pages I had to get online. That's a boatload of instructions.

I go to Paint to make them smaller in size. I was so happy with myself for learning how to do that. LOL.

After floppies went by the wayside I found out I really like them: you can abuse them and they don't care.

I must admit that it is nice to attach the camera with the cable and just download the pics to my laptop.

Ah, technology! It's just advancing too quickly for some of us, and doesn't necessarily make things easier.

Easy Fun Dishcloth

This is a simple fun stitch pattern designed by dfr

http://sewingmissadventure.blogspot.com/2012/01/variegated-washcloth-pattern-and.html

who is not a professional designer. She's done some very nice items.

Dfr made this as a washcloth. Since I wanted a dishcloth I chained 2 more and did more rows as I get fewer rows per inch. Since I noticed that half way through the directions, I wasn't halfway in the size, I added two more rows of the hdc rows in the center.

I used an H hook and Peaches & Creme in Shaded Pastels. The finished size is 9 1/2" x 10" including one border round.

Give it a try.

I would have posted this earlier this week, but I was having trouble with the new digital camera--well, not with the camera, but the operation of.

Top Down Raglan Pullover

My first top-down pullover raglan, a crew neck. (Does anybody wear these any more?)



In my previous post I gave a brief description of how a top-down raglan is developed.

The picture above shows the beginning from the point of view of the knitter.

The picture above shows the beginning of the sweater as if you were looking at a sweater.

The yarn was a gift and I had plenty of it--good thing--because two of the three colors didn't match each other even though they are "no dye lot" yarns! Yeah, right. Because of this I had to separate the colors because the two non matching skeins would be quite obvious.

I will definitely make more of top down raglans. Besides being fun to do, there are a lot of new techniques to learn.

Why top downs over the traditional bottom up and seamed sweaters:

--they are seamless

--will know if are running short of yarn and can adjust

--can try it on to check for fit as you go along

--they are fun!

The basis of this brown sweater is The Complete Book of Raglan Sweaters from Leisure Arts, 1997

Top-down raglans 101

When I was writing about my top-down raglan cardigan a lot of non-knitters were confused.

http://gloriastitches.blogspot.com/2011/07/light-rose-sweater-re-do.html

So, to make the process as basic as possible, picture or sketch a cape.

Most likely you began at the top and went downward.

A bottom-up (traditional) seamed sweater has several parts: front, back, sleeves and all are seamed (as well as the shoulders.)

The top-down raglans can be seamless and the entire sweater is made at the same time. The cape is made just like the top-down raglan until the shoulders.

The neckline is begun and stitches are added to increase. On the sketch of the cape I indicate two seams (plus are two seams in the same locations on the back).

When you drew or pictured the cape, your increasing came at the side; on a sweater the increases are at the "seams", one stitch on each side of four "seams". That is how the sweater gets larger. Note that they are not seams in the sense that they are stitched together as in a traditional bottom-up sweater; rather, stitches are there. If you have a raglan-sleeved sweater you can check this.

This process is continued until the underarms when the sweater is divided: front and back are joined and worked as one; plus two sleeves.

Soon I will be posting about my recently completed top-down raglan pullover and will show how a top-down is begun.

Pinkness

To those of you who have an aversion to pink--and you know who you are--I apologize for what I have done to your brain.

To those of you who love, love, love, pink--and you know who you are--enjoy!

I said that this was the brightest pink on earth. It doesn't look all that bright in this photo, but trust me, it is bright.

It was a good price at an estate sale and enough for a sweater. Worn on a rainy day, it could just brighten someone's day.

Sweater in Fluffy yarn--old before it's new

This is one of the nearly completed sweaters I discovered in a closet a few months ago. All that was left to do was the bottom half of the sleeves.

I bought this yarn before some of you were born! I had knitted it in an all over rib but made the stitches too loose so it was too large.

I undid it and later made it into a different pattern but similar to the one in the photo. I undid that one because I didn't like the way it was turning out. Thus, this version.

I began it about ten years ago, which explains the style. I didn't want to start over , once again, as this acrylic mohair wannabe is not easy to take apart. It is Fluffy by Unger and was manufactured for years and years.

It is supposed to have a lot of ease but not 47" worth! Those drop shoulders shouldn't be that wide either. Guess I didn't measure! The V-neck should be a lot smaller.

Old style or not I love this very soft yarn and I love red. I knitted a garter stitch strip to sew in the V to make it somewhat smaller and to give it more stability and since I wasn't certain how to do a V decrease, I just overlapped one edge over the other.

If the 80's really are coming back, then I am going to be in style.

Most people like to complete a project which is the latest style. I am happy just completing a project, especially one which was started so many years ago.

Crocheting in 1917

These items are not something that I plan to crochet in the near future, but they were the style in 1917.

I obtained this booklet for 10 cents, the price it was in 1917. It is #9 of 18. Other booklets contain scarves, pillows, corset covers, knitted and crocheted sweaters for the entire family, aprons, etc.

The directions for the items on the cover and on the pages above are included, but not for

all of the items in the booklet. Some of the directions for the caps are in issue #10. We do encounter articles where they continue it in the next issue. So this practice is nothing new--they used it in 1917!

The print is extremely small, reminding me of the "small print" at the bottom of pages. It is quite difficult to follow.

Information which is not provided: thread size, hook size, gauge, finished size.

This certainly makes me appreciate what we have now even more.

Anonymous, still can't comment?

Since May, "anonymous" has been doing a lot of commenting. It was something Blogger was supposed to fix, in May, they said. Umm, not yet done. Having read the pages of what we can do--and finally semi-understanding it---I can offer some advice.





My offering computer advice is a joke in itself, so, if you prefer, you can go to the pages I read and decifer it for yourself. You will need to click on all the links provided, and each one offers more links.





http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=598fff8a262de49b&hl=en





Not having figured out the difference between Blogger and Blogspot, I will problaby interchange them incorrectly, but the info itself will work.





You start out with your Dashboard and all looks good, including your e-mail address at the upper right. You click on the latest entry from someone you are following, read it and want to comment. For some blogs you will see your name as one of the options, so you click on that, your comment is published and all is well. However, for most blogs, your name does not appear; instead, there are various options. Clicking on Google Account doesn't give the desired effect.





Look at the upper right of that person's blog. If your e-mail address is there, then you shouldn't have a problem, but if it says Create Blog, then something needs to be done.





There are three options, two of which you can do yourself; the third needs to be done by the blogger.

1) You can go to the top right of someone's blog and click on Sign In (next to Create Blog). This takes you to your Dashboard (or you can go there directly) and you click on Sign Out at upper right which will take you to the Sign In page. You think you're signed in--and you are--but not fully. Uncheck Keep Me Signed In.

2) You can "Allow Third Party Cookies" on your computer. (I'm somewhat iffy on doing this).

So, why and how did all of this "anonymous" posting come to be?

In June, 2008, Blogger started an Embedded Comment form. The people cheered. I found Blogger's explanation of what this is.

It must be the default for commenting because those whose blogs get "anonymous" comments have this type.

How to tell: The box for typing the comment will be under the previous comments and on the left when you are on the comments page.

Those who have other set-ups will have the comments box on the right (and your name will show as an option.)

I just changed mine to this because people were saying that they still couldn't comment as other than anonymous.

I sometimes pass on commenting to a blog cause I'm tired of being Anonymous!

What is happening is that Blogger is no longer able to authenticate because of the code changes they made in May, 2011. There was supposed to be a fix but it never came.

Thus, if you want people to be able to comment on your blog who don't allow third party cookies and who don't want to have to sign in each time, change the way your comments are set up.

Go to Settings, then Comments. Next to Comment Form Placement if you have "Embedded Below Post" selected, change it and save changes. I had clicked on Pop-Up Window but it jumped to Full Page. I have the most basic Blogger set-up so tht could be why.

For more info: http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2011/01/technical-sophistication-of-your-blogs.html

Please feel free to mention it if you find any different information.

Lt Rose Top-Down Sweater--Reprise

This is a repeat of the entry which I accidently deleted last week. I discovered that you cannot delete a photo without deleting the blog entry, or at least I couldn't. I am putting it here again in case I need to refer back to it and there will actually be a post here. The comments will be included but I'll have to put them in myself.

Friday, August 5, 2011

It's done. I had to un-do about a total of 1/4 of it, either because there was a stitch problem or I didn't like the way it looked. I really didn't mind as this was my first knitted top-down raglan (crocheted ones are so much easier).

I see that I went too deep with the raglan, thus making the sleeves too large above the elbow.

This sweater was a good choice as the neckline rib is done at the beginning. I can use the measurements of this sweater as reference for future sweaters.

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70111.html?r=1

Edited to add: you may have to be a member of Lionbrand to view this pattern. If you cannot see it, trust me, except for the sleeves and the color of it, mine looks exactly like it. LOL

Open-Shell Afghan

I did manage to accidently delete my previous post and will re-post it later.

A few at Ravelry have commented on my afghan so am posting it here so the stitch pattern can be seen better. For a larger view, click on the photo.

I made it for my inlaws a few years ago. It is from McCalls Crochet, Book 4, 1970.

Light Rose Sweater Re-do

This is the Light Rose sweater re-do so far. There were a few things which delayed my progress. I tried the neck ribbing until I felt it looked like the pattern photo. I undid a few rows because I found an extra yo (eyelet) a few rows down. Do you have any idea how much time is involved in taking out over 1,000 stitches? Answer: longer than it takes to knit them. This first pic shows the yoke part of a top-down raglan cardigan.

This is after separating the sleeves from the body. I don't care to seam pieces but I dislike using dpns (double pointed needles) more, so the sleeves need to be done first if not doing seamless top-down raglans.

I like to do both sleeves at the same time which creates quite a mess of yarn until a few inches are knitted. It was a bit confusing when I began the sleeves but got easier. From photo left to photo right: the right front, right sleeve, back ("circle" in center), left sleeve, and left front.

The final pic makes it easier to see how a top-down sweater develops.

I don't have a pic but I put the sleeves on holders and have joined the fronts and back, to be knit as one piece, and will knit a few inches, then try on the sweater to determine the fit and length I want for the sleeves and the sweater.

Knowing When to Fold 'em

The Light Rose sweater is no more. I was unraveling it when I got all of these strands of yarn and couldn't figure out why. I checked the sketch and yup, was undoing it in the direction it had been done. Except I wasn't. After I turned the sketch around a few times, I realized that I was trying to undo it in the opposite way that I should have been. Doh.

Yes, it was made across, cuff to cuff. I was thinking the right front was the last part knitted. Doh. Had I continued and begun to unravel it from the right cuff up--the correct way--I would have undone more than 3/4 of the sweater.

It was doomed from the start. My yarn wasn't quite to gauge so I used larger sized needles. Then I discovered that I knitted with a looser tension when working on the part with the circular needles. I wound up using four different sized needles. At the same time I was trying to knit to two sizes, one for where I was narrower and one for where I wasn't.

There is no sense of giving up, frustration, or similar. It's just that I have a lot of sweaters in my queue, including some UFOs, and limited time in which to do those and all my other crafts projects. There is only so much time left in which to do these things (getting old you know.)

You gotta know when to hold 'em; know when to fold 'em. It was time to fold 'em.