Those Blasted Argyle Socks

I have been working on a pair of socks for my boyfriend for three years. Yes. THREE. And I still have not finished the first sock.



We do living history re-enacting. He demonstrates the pennyfarthing bicycle. I demonstrate hand-crank sewing machines. As you can tell in the photo, Argyle socks are the right thing for a pair of knickerbockers. Alas, commercial ones that we have found are too short. (He's wearing a very stretched out pair of my knee socks for this photo, if I remember right.)

Now I knit. I can do color knitting. What should be so hard about knitting a pair of Argyle socks? I started them three years ago. I admit I distract easily, but after about 10 months, the first sock was ready to try on. (Grr. Top down knitting is for the birds. Toe-up I'd have had them ready much sooner.)

Leon was able to squeeze them on with lots of help from me tugging them over the heel. The socks were too small. All that work... and I'd have to rip it out! Well, on the good side, I did learn that the socks should be one more pattern of diamonds taller. (Faint consolation.)

I haven't been as diligent with the new socks, and I'm into year two on the first sock. I will finish them but they are a chore now, not a joy. Other projects lead me away but I come back to them. The new socks are on larger needles and I am being very careful about stitch count.

Things I've learned:

1.  Stitch count means everything. It is very easy to lose a stitch along the way and that throws the diamond pattern off and contributes to the socks not fitting.
2. Lifelines are critical.  Every so many rows, I weave a "lifeline" into my work. This is a line of contasting color threaded through a row of stitches like a permanent "needle" going through the loops. If I have to tear back my work, I need only go as far as the last lifeline to find a point where the stitch count was accurate. I can rebuild from there and not have to tear back to the cuff.  Believe me, I did that a few times before I remembered the art of the lifeline. It was not pretty.
3, Intricate patterns need to be worked where you can concentrate. These are not traveling socks. Most of my knitting is done when I am a passenger in a car, gazing out the window, chatting and knitting. Not these. They require total concentration. No TV. No conversation. No fun. :(

I will post pictures of the final socks (in a year or so at this rate.) Leon says that knowing how hard I have worked on them, he will be nearly afraid to wear them.

No, that's not the point. The POINT is not even this pattern will get me to quit. :)

Pincushion Dolls and Living History Garb

This Victorian kick has been a lot of fun.  Besides contra dancing, Leon has a high-wheeled bicycle, called a penny-farthing, that we like to take to living history events. Recently we have started adding hand-crank sewing machine demonstrations to our living history endeavors. Some folks may focus on Renaissance period, or Civil War or Colonial or Mountain Man. We are finding ourselves happy with the Gay 90s.

I have a black and white gingham prairie outfit that works when Leon wears his cowboy hat and stresses our farm roots. Recently I have finished an 1890s walking skirt and mutton-chop sleeve blouse that suits the penny-farthing better. It was for this I made the Victorian corset. I have patterns for more garb, such as a Gay 90s split bicycle skirt.

Honestly, I don't know if I enjoy doing the stuff as much as I enjoy making the garb!

But all this sewing reminded me of the pincushion my Mom had when I was a girl. It had a china half-doll sitting in a pincushion that formed her skirt. That pincushion fascinated me. (After the doll broke, it was never the same. [sigh]). So... you can find anything on the Internet, can't you?

I found several inexpensive ceramic half-doll bodies on Etsy. I ordered a few and have been making dolls. I have already planned who will get one, but gee! Which will I keep for myself? As it turned out I gave them all away and ordered a fifth half-doll that will be my pincushion. She is a French court doll rather like the pink and blue one with all the lace. Hm... What fabric should I use for her skirt?  I wonder. Could a skirt be knitted?


Two of these dolls are technically sewing baskets rather than pincushion dolls because their skirts have extra pockets and loops to hold notions. I made them from a Simplicity pattern that I have had for years. (Simplicity 7105) Sure glad I kept that pattern. It is no longer in print.

Corset Making Class

My girls, Jennifer and Lala and I have had a great weekend learning to make Victorian corsets from Marti McCartney. Each of us has a different reason for wanting a corset. Jen has always got a sore back. I am doing more and more re-enacting and need the right foundation for my garb. Lala is a beginning seamstress. Each new technique she learns adds to her skill.

I started with the hand crank Singer 99K. I thought it would be a hoot to say I made my Victorian corset on a Victorian machine (1919 or so, but hey, that was very late Victorian, right?)  I didn't use it very long before granddaughter Lala took it away from me. She didn't like the speed the electric machine had. She wanted the control she could get with the hand crank.  It wasn't nearly as intimidating to a beginning seamstress. Who am I to complain? She sat quietly in her corner, cranking away and like the turtle and the hare, she plodded along and got more done manually than her Mom did with an electric machine.

 In Jen's defense, she is making the most complex corset. We started this class knowing that Jen was about to have gastric bypass surgery. How could she create a corset that would shrink with her?  Marti pondered and decided that Jen needed a maternity corset that she could tighten as she got smaller. Inventing this has been a challenge for Marti. She says teaching the three of us has been the longest class, the most fun class, and the most challenging class she has ever taught. (We are taking more time to get it done because we chatter, laugh, sing, and tell stories, but we are always sewing, too.)

 I got a head start on my corset because Marti had a partially finished one that someone had commissioned but was not able to finish. It fit me, so I picked up in the middle and went from there. Here I am at a fitting. Look at that. I am getting a waist!
 I really like the embroidery embellishment that was put on at the end. Some of it is functional. There must be stitching over each stay to keep it flat. Now that stitching can be plain and white, or a lady can get fancy with her needle. Marti showed me some decorations in one of her books. I copied some onto my corset and then started playing. The "ribbons" on the cups are actually satin stitching.
Now all I have to do is adapt my Victorian garb to work with the new foundation wear. Who knows, I might corset under the Renaissance Faire garb, too.