Boots

For a long time, I was fantasizing about green boots with red metal zippers - here they are! Custom made for me by Waldviertler in Austria, with riri zippers. Waldviertler offers customization of their shoes for a small extra fee and they let you choose from many different leather options (you could even combine different colors if you wanted to...). Since I wanted these special zippers, I bought them myself and sent them to the factory directly. I ordered the boots in one of the Vienna stores and they were shipped to me six weeks later. Awesome!
Peter took the pictures in Golden Gate park on our way to the Velo Rouge Cafe today. It was such a bright and sunny day that the green seems a bit lighter in the pictures than it really is. This is a more accurate picture of the color (and also features Peter´s Ethletic chucks):

Baby Stuff

I made this hoody for the baby girl of a friend of mine. Back in San Francisco, I used to have an expat support group knitting group and this particular friend was one of the "members" (she was actually not a knitter but made gorgeous jewelery). She´s now back in Europe, too, and when she announced her pregnancy, it was clear to me that I would knit something for her baby. I used this free ravelry pattern as a reference, especially regarding the size. Since I was using a different yarn, I had to make some adjustments. The hoody was fun and easy to knit (small an cute) and I finally had the opportunity to use some new to me techniques: provisional cast on and attached i-cord. My friend received the hoody last week and apparently, it is a huge success.

For another friend of my expat group, I sewed this cardigan last year:

Her baby boy was born in spring, so I figured that something not too warm would be of more use than a wool sweater. The pattern is self drafted after some measurements I found online.

And finally, my first baby garment ever, for an other baby boy:

A romper, also designed by myself. I used the size charts from a vintage baby knitting magazine and made the pattern up as I went. The yarn is Lang organic Baby Cotton.

Rain Coat

Pattern: self drafted
Fabric: performance fabric (breathable, windproof and water resistant) from Shelby
Lining: antistatic polyester lining from Shelby, too, and mesh fabric for better breathability in the back and at the upper sleeves
Zipper: riri (melange tape)

The fabric looks and feels like a cotton canvas, it does not look technical at all. This makes the coat very versatile and suitable not only for rainy weather. The lining is truly antistatic, no electricity incidents so far;-)

Collar detail
Inside, back

Cables

This pullover was inspired by a Rowans design, Cheadle. I liked the huge horizontal cable insert, but was not too fond of the idea that each of the three bands of the braid are knitted separately. Therefore, I figured out my own pattern. I started by knitting the cabled part from elbow to elbow, front and back in one piece. Then I added the ribbed waistband and cowl. The yarn is 100% merino Bernetta Davos in black.

Covered

Peter asked me to make a cover for his custom made bag. He wants it to be protected if he needs to check it in on a plane, for example. I found the ideal canvas: sturdy but not heavy at all. I assume it´s even water resistant since it´s coated with a wax-like layer. The sack closes with a velcro strip and a clip - this construction forms the handle. I copied this system from a backpack cover that we already have and which works very well.

Introducing: The Badger

Isn´t it just cute? No dead animals however - this guy is handmade of felted wool! The artist is a veterinarian who makes the most amazing fake taxidermy. The badger is the latest addition to our bedroom and makes us smile each time we enter the room.

White Linen Men's Shirt

Another shirt for Peter, made in a crisp white linen with dark mother of pearl buttons. Given the season, I think the next shirt should be one with long sleeves.

Kopenhagen

If I were a knit designer, I would name this cardigan Kopenhagen. Its color and pattern remind me of the beautiful Art Deco Houses there (plus there´s at trip to Kopenhagen coming up in December - that´s probably why it´s on my mind;-)). Well, acutally, I am a knit designer: everything is designed by me including the lace pattern. It´s my first top-down project and I am a convert already! It´s so much easier to get the right shape and length. And especially for this project, where I was reusing the yarn of this bolero, I could just determine the sleeve length on the go. I used up the yarn almost entirely, only a couple of yards are left. The whole cardigan is knitted in one piece - it took me quite some time to figure out how to distribute the stitches for the collar and raglan shaping. And of course, I also wanted to make sure that the lace pattern is placed nicely and symmetrically. But once this work was done, knitting went really fast.

I am totally in love with this little cardigan, it´s so cute and the mother of pearl buttons just make it perfect.

Quilted Vest

Quilting was not really on my mind until I discovered Natalie Chanin´s Alabama Stitch Book and other modern quilters. While I´m still not ready for a wall quilt or a bed cover, I like the original idea of using up old fabrics and reinforcing them by stitching several layers together like in this sample.
For this vest, I used a grey and a black wool sweater plus the sleeve of a red sweater. The grey sweater had some holes after washing (I tried to felt the sweaters before cutting). I decided to integrate the holes into the design rather than cutting around them. I quilted the pieces with grey thread before assembling the vest together with red thread. The knots on the inside are intended to be visible, by the way... I'm just not entirely sure if it looks like a designer piece or just awkward and handmade? My really fashion savvy sister says it's design - it must be, kind of, after all these hours spent hand stitching!


update - I shortened the back peplum and I think it looks much better now:

Hot Patterns Riviera Côte d’Azur Knit Top

This is Hot Patterns Riviera Côte d’Azur, the top version. I made the top as a kind of wearable muslin for the dress version. I only made two changes: I omitted the front seam and did some shaping at the side seams. I think it´s a great pattern for a knit dress and I will definitely make one for next summer - red would be nice...

Welcome To The Hut

Recently, we bought a bed frame made from Swiss stone pine (Zirbe). Its classic but rather rustic design inspired us to decorate the bedroom alpine themed. I imagined that red and white gingham curtains would be a great feature and when we strolled over the local fleamarket some weeks ago, we found an old bed sheet which was just perfect for this. I ripped the seams open and cut the sheet in half. I first intended to hem it properly, but when I had finished the top hem, I decided to leave the bottom just like it was: with the button holes and buttons visible. The fabric is rather thin and there are several buttons replaced, so I assume it was already intensely used in its first life as a sheet. And I totally like the thought that even though it´s old and worn, it now gets a second spring as a curtain!The second alpiny object I made is this fake fur blanket: it´s a simple piece of fabric bound with another red and white gingham fabric, this time with really tiny squares. It almost feels like being in the Alps each time I enter the bedroom ;-)

Glitter

This is a rather belated birthday gift for my mother... I made up the pattern according to her wishes and measurements - she wanted a simple design with darts and a v-neck. The back of the collar band features short rows and the seams are held in place by a row of crocheted stitches. I tried top-down set-in sleeves for the first time and found these instructions very helpful. The yarn is an out-of-stock quality from my stash.

Pannier 2

My father loved this pannier so much that we organised one for his birthday a couple of weeks ago. Not such a big deal since it's Swiss army surplus :) But of course, because it came directly from an army shop, it didn't have hooks or straps to mount it on a bike. Not a problem for my father - he just made his own construction. So cool!

Vitu gefiel diese Radtasche aus Schweizer Armeebestand so gut, dass er diese Munitionstasche zum Geburtstag geschenkt bekam. Natürlich hatte die aber keine Befestigung fürs Fahrrad, da sie im Originalzustand belassen war - Nichts, was Vitu nicht beheben kann wie man auf den Fotos sieht. Kultig!!
Pics/Fotos: Vitu

The Last Summer Dress (For Now)

After 3 foggy and chilly summers in San Francisco, I was actually looking forward to spending a "real" summer in Europe - but so far it's more rain than heat. Not that I'm complaining - I love the rain and the fog, but I would love to wear my summer dresses again... So, since July is almost over, I decided that this is the last summer garment that I make for this year and that I will start sewing fall and winter clothes. There's a leather jacket on my list as well as a couple of dresses from fabrics that I have in my stash. Back to this dress: I wanted to make a bustier line shirt or dress for a long time and here it is. The pattern is self drafted, I just went from my kimono sleeve shirt pattern and drafted the bustier line. Zoe has a tutorial on her blog for a similar t-shirt. The grey fabric has unfinished edges and I stitched it to the black top yoke with a twin needle. Pretty easy.

Finally: My Excalibur Dehydrator

I am beyond excited to announce that my Excalibur Dehydrater was delivered today!! It's been quite a while that I wanted one... It would have been silly to buy one in the US because I could not have taken it with me back to Europe (different voltage). And here, they are really expensive (especially compared to the US price...). But now, with the great exchange between the Swiss Franc and the Euro, I finally made the deal:-) So, no more dehydrating nuts in the oven and I can now make my own jerky, live crackers, vegetable chips, sprouted and dehydrated lentils.... I'm off in the kitchen!