I'm wearing this t-shirt right now and I love it. I made it two weeks ago (you saw a peak of the fabrics in my weekly 365 post) and have worn it as frequently as I could wash it since then. It's really that comfortable.

The fabric is a bamboo jersey (in two colours) that I got from The Workroom a while ago. The pattern is a version of the raglan style from Wendy Mullon's book Sew U: Home Stretch. Wendy provides wonderful guidance through the world of knits. She makes them so much less intimidating and prompted me to do something that I'd never have thought of by myself: I read my sewing machine manual.

You see, I don't own a serger (overloack machine) - I'd love to but right now I don't - so I'm sewing my knits with a regular sewing machine. It actually works pretty well if you follow Wendy's suggestions and check out what your machine manual has to say. It turns out my machine has a few different stretch stitches including a straight stretch stitch (say for topstitching binding and hems) and a mock-overlock stitch (for doing all the seams). It's slower than a serger and you have to trim all the seam allowances yourself but it really opens up the range of things you can play with.


For my t-shirt I mostly followed Wendy's suggestions for Raglan Project #1 "A League of Your Own" but added few alterations of my own: When I tried on my t-shirt part way along I thought the neckline was a bit high to be comfortable for me so I lowered it 1" everywhere and 2" at the centre front. I didn't have any 1x1 rib to use for the neckline so I did a binding instead; it doesn't lie quite as flat as ribbing would but I still think it looks very nice. I also added only 2" to the length of my t-shirt and didn't do the scooped hem; it would be nice to have a longer shirt but this was the absolute longest I could make my pattern pieces and still have them fit on the grey jersey.

I love the colours in this shirt by the way; the camera really doesn't do them justice. The dark brown makes me think of espresso and very dark chocolate. The grey is one of those fantastic changeable colours that is sometimes grey and sometimes mauve and sometimes blue.


This pattern, or something like it, is very high on the list of things I want to sew right now. I can hardly wait to get my hands on some more jersey. I just love the idea of making all sorts of soft, comfy, stretchy clothes myself, Especially with warm weather on the way soon; I can see some gaps in my summer wardrobe that need to be filled.

I got the chance for a little sock knitting earlier this evening and thought I'd share my progress. I've got three and a half repeats of the foot pattern to do before I start my toe shaping. As the weather has been much to cold to wear anything other than my winter boots - and all those bobbles will not go easily under boots - I'm not worrying about going quickly. I had a little set back on the weekend when I discovered I'd missed a yarn over nine rows back but I was able to frog and re-knit that section so, aside from a slight tension issue that should sort itself out with wear, I'm very please with how this sock is going.

I really like this pattern and will probably knit it again but I think I might try using beads in place of the bobbles. I've never knit with beads before but I saw a picture of a pair someone else did with smoky blue beads instead of the bobbles and they look so pretty ... kind of like raindrops. I'm thinking of silver beads on a shaded blue yarn.


Abby sat on the ottoman (it's under the blanket) while I was knitting so you get a picture of her too. She hangs out here a lot and watches all the comings and goings on our street.

My sieve hanging in the kitchen. This was one of those "it's bedtime and I need a picture" days.


My carrot barrels emerging from the snow. It's so exciting.


Missed photo number 2. I'm not sure what happened. I guess I just forgot.


Abby and her "star." This was a super tough toy starfish we got for Abby a while ago. Despite multiple layers of quilted nylon she had gnawed a hole into the batting within forty-five minutes and was happily tearing away at the rest of it in no time at all (after I'd pulled out and disposed of all the stuffing). While the rest of the star went pretty quickly the binding really has held up very well and it is still one of Abby's favourite toys. Neither of us are sure how she ended up wearing it but I did manage to get a picture before I collapse laughing.


Our annual civic carnival, in celebration of the returning sun, always begins with a dog race. It's not totally apparent from the picture but the dogs really seemed to be having the time of their lives.


One of those random pictures I took on Saturday afternoon. A Christmas decoration I keep forgetting to take down.


We had a Sugar Shack meal (hosted by the local Francaphone Association) at the carnival. It was really good but very sweet. This was dessert: Grands-Père dans le sirop (Grandfathers in syrup). Imagine a dumpling but instead of cooking it in soup cook it in maple syrup and you'll have this dish.