Tag Archives: rainbow

6

ANOTHER RAINBOW GROCERY BAG

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I had a tiny bit of yarn left over from my first rainbow sack, so I decided it continue the momentum and use it as the base of another grocery bag.

knit rainbow grocery bag, made by Julianne Continue reading →

I followed the hex bag pattern pretty exactly, except at the handles. I decided to make two handles to more evenly distribute the stress, since the white yarn is a little thin. I think the mesh pattern for this bag (YO, k2tog for one row, k next row) creates a stronger netting that works well with this yarn.

knit rainbow bag, made by Julianne

The white yarn came from the Boys and Girls Club stash. I think it’s sport weight, and definitely acrylic.

knit rainbow grocery bag, made by Julianne knit rainbow bag, made by Julianne

Damn, I love the rainbow yarn in a garter stitch! I want wallpaper that looks like that. Can anyone recommend some great garter stitch patterns to take advantage of those gorgeous colors? If I make a garment, I will invest in a nicer fiber.

I’m half-heartedly working on my third bag right now. I’ve realized that knitting with larger needles bores me; but when I’ve got size 7 or smaller in my hands I get so jazzed as seeing the yarn slooooowly turn into fabric. It’s ironic that chunky knits are supposed to be quick projects, but since I’m not excited to work on them it takes me forever (I’m sure I will revisit this statement halfway through my first sweater).

knit rainbow grocery bag, made by Julianne

Let me tell you, the cashiers and baggers in LA love my rainbow grocery bags. I’ve gotten most compliments from teenage boys. They just love the knitting, and the colors. LOVE IT.

knit sock, made by Julianne

In other knitting news, I’ve started my first pair of socks! It’s using a vintage wool/nylon blend and Liat Gatt’s charming instructions. This is one of the reasons I learned to knit, and I’m thrilled to be accomplishing this goal. However, my needle is too big (my yarn is sport and the pattern is written for worsted), and there are holes all over the sock. I know that in the end, I will be happier if I start over with smaller needles. It’s just a little sad to actually frog my precious sock, but that’s what must be done.

5

COOL CONTRAST TEE

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At a recent sewing party I got a copy of Twinkle Sews, and was instantly drawn to the chic and effortless style of the Cool Contrast Tee. The pattern calls for chiffon as the main and lining fabrics, but I knew that this design would be a great stash buster. Since I didn’t buy any fabrics and the book was a gift, this blouse cost me nothing.

cool contrast tee, made by Julianne

I’ve always been intrigued by achieving rainbows beyond ROYGBIV, via texture or pattern, particularly in black and white (I have sketchbooks filled with luscious pen and ink drawings). I was very excited to use so many of my colorless scraps in this top.

cool contrast tee, made by Julianne

I cut a size 8, which seemed pretty true to my measurements, although of course there were fit adjustments. Since I used so many different fabrics of varying weights, it’s difficult to make any fair judgments on the pattern. It was definitely too low and wide at the top. I took in all the seams about 1/2″ which helped with the gaping at the front and back. If I were making this again, I would add 1″ to the front pieces; the back is fine. The only version of this top confirmed my suspicions that the hemline is way short, so I lengthened the pieces by 2″ at the bottom.

cool contrast tee, made by Julianne cool contrast tee, made by Julianne

I omitted the band at the bottom. Since I added length to the panels, I didn’t need the band for modesty. But my main reason that I left off the band, and usually do, is because I feel that the bright horizontal stripe across my hips makes me look way wider than I normally do. It’s calling attention to the widest part of my body, and while I’m pretty comfortable with my shape I don’t feel like that’s a flattering look on me.

cool contrast tee, made by Julianne cool contrast tee, made by Julianne

I love the princess seams and raglan sleeves–all those seams make fitting very easy! To showcase the style lines, I opted for exposed seams, which I serged with teal threads to tie in the sea-foam bias tape at the neckline.

I’m happy with this blouse, although I had a hard time figuring out what to wear with it. Pants might be better than a skirt, but we were spending the day walking around UCLA and Westwood, and I wanted to catch the breeze. I’d like to see the pattern made entirely in knits, as well as the double chiffon suggested by the book.

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RAINBOW BALLOON PANTS

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I made these pants for Burning Man 2013, but they were also great for New Year’s Eve.

rainbow stripe balloon pants, made by Julianne

The metallic rainbow fabric is just that, found in the clearance section at Joann, back in 2010. The teal waistband is a wonderful modal jersey that is now all gone from my fabric cabinet (but I also have two shirts and a turban from it).

rainbow stripe balloon pants, made by Julianne rainbow stripe balloon pants, made by Julianne rainbow stripe balloon pants, made by Julianne rainbow stripe balloon pants, made by Julianne

I’d been planning on making balloon shorts out of this awesome metallic rainbow stripe, but felt that night-appropriate pants would be more spectacular. My #1 dream would have been to line the shorts with hot pink silk charmeuse to feel it sliding against my skin with every little step, but at night I tend to wear plain leggings underneath the genie pants for warmth, and so I simply used a striped cotton that was taking up space in my fabric annex (cardboard box under my desk).

I’ve been stash busting for a few months now, and I’m gaining a lot of momentum. And free space! Free space in my sewing cabinet, but not in my closet…

rainbow stripe balloon pants, made by Julianne

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