Project 333: Winter 2018

I confess, I swapped out my fall rotation almost two weeks ago for my winter things, because the weather turned rather suddenly at the beginning of November, and I got sick of being cold all the time.  My fall rotation can handle some pretty large temperature shifts (100+ degrees to about 40 degrees) but the amount of clothing I was wearing to be comfortable at 30 degrees or below just seemed silly when I had all this wool waiting for December 1st to be brought out.

Tartan wool blend skirts (I have two more coming in the post)

Previously, I wrote about my emerging Shetland style for this winter, and I still stand by it.  The one nice thing about pulling my winter things out early was that I used these couple of weeks to live with it, and tweak it a little.  I'm nearly there, in part because I have a few things on needles or in the queue that will round out my rotation nicely.

Knitted neckwear!  I wear something around my neck nearly the whole winter, and I have a nice selection of me-made and ready-to wear options.  Most of these are me-made.

The tartan wool skirts I ordered are amazing--I really can't say enough good things about them.  They are lined and have pockets!  I bought three, and ordered a plain navy one too.  At that price, I cannot make anything even close.  I am totally warm when wearing them (and I really can't say that about anything else in my closet) and so comfortable too.  I have enough sweater options that I think I could just swan about in those skirts all winter and be fine.  I've decided it is okay to have a rotation that is totally different from the others in weight and style, because this is about weather and my personal comfort.  My summer rotations have a similarly distinct feel because of the heat.  Right now, I'm tired of being bone-deep cold all the time.

These aren't really in my winter rotation proper.  They are hanging out in a separate place in case I want some variety or need a black dress for some reason.  I can layer up the dresses with wool sweaters and silk unders but they still aren't warm enough for really cold temperatures.  I don't know what is wrong with my internal thermostat this year--these cotton dresses would have been workhorses of previous winter wardrobes with the right layers over and under.

I think I'm moving in the direction of a more or less three season wardrobe: summer, spring/fall, and winter.  I used to do a distinct spring and fall rotation, in part because the temperatures differ dramatically in those two parts of the year--spring here is often more winter-like and chilly through mid-May, and fall is sometimes a long Indian summer all the way through to Thanksgiving.  But it's pretty variable too--I can remember years where it is arctic in October already, and sometimes spring can start in February.  I also find I like slightly different color palettes during the two seasons, so that was another factor.  I think what I might end up doing is a less rigid three-month rotation, and instead rotate my clothes when the weather shifts a bit, as I did this fall.  I suppose that means I'm not doing Project 333 per se, but the spirit is there, I think.

My winter dresses: unblogged holiday flannel Frankenwashi dress, the denim piny, Spruce knit, and Night Owl flannel Frankenwashi.  I'm not confident that the flannel dresses are going to be very warm (I wore the Night Owl dress last week and with two shirts under and a heavy sweater over and I was still pretty cold and uncomfortable in all the layers), but I wanted a holiday-type dress for Christmas, and I just loved the owl flannel print.  Maybe my in progress Carbeths will work to warm them up.

What I'm trying to get to with spring and fall is a core of clothing that goes with either season, plus a few pieces that are season-specific either for temperature reasons or color palette reasons.  For example, I never want to wear my Hobby Horse skirt in the fall, but I like it in the spring.  I also tend not to want to wear my rust or burgundy clothing in the spring, but I love it in the fall.  I think I can get away with wearing my marigold linen both seasons by wearing it with blue in the spring and olive or evergreen in the fall.  Yellow is a neutral, right??

Sweaters and tops: the bottom layer are all wool blends or heavy cotton, the top is thinner cotton layering shirts

 But for winter, the name of the game is warm, warm, warm.  My winter uniform is shaping up to be: tartan maxi skirt with heavy cotton tights and woolen long socks over top, heavy sweater with an undershirt of some kind, either silk or cotton, and a wool neckwarmer.  Obviously, I have All The Shawls on needles at the moment, in addition to the Carbeths and gift knitting.

Heavy weight cardigans in wool or cotton, plus my garnet L'Enveloppe

My rotations have mostly gotten smaller, which I think is no bad thing.  I appreciated Madeleine's recent post about the "just right" closet, and while hers is more spare than mine, I'm getting a feel for what is just right for my own sartorial needs and laundry cycle.  

Orange wool blend Everyday skirt, denim skirt, Geo flannel skirt.  The denim skirt is a bit thin for super cold weather, but I'm keeping it in just because.

One thing I'm trying to work out is when to retire a garment.  I tend to wear most of my clothes to bits, and it is hard for me to decide when a garment is truly done.  I can mend stockings and sweaters and the stress points on dresses and continue to wear them, but at certain point, things start to look very shabby, and I have a hard time determining that line.  I shave my wool sweaters regularly, which helps keep them looking nice longer, but I have a sweater right now that just went into the "wearing with pajama only" category because it looks tired after two years heavy wearing.  But I keep looking at it and thinking: is it really done for day wear?  Surely another shave will take away the long teeth on the thing?  

Ditto my Geo Flannel skirt.  I think I'm going to retire it, as the flannel is starting to have a halo and the pattern on the skirt isn't so distinct any longer because of it.  I don't love how it fits me right now, I'm not even sure it is worth wearing this season, to be honest.  (Which is probably just as well, as I'm not as warm in it as I would like and the sweater that goes best with it is difficult to layer).  I've had this fabric in my closet for close to five years now, and I think it is okay to retire it after this winter.

So still some things to tweak for winter, but I'm getting there.

Shetland Style

I don't know what it is like where you are, but the weather has turned quite cold in the past week or so and I've been feeling it.  I love cold weather and winter, but I do not like being cold.  It's a fine distinction.  Nothing I see in the shops (with the possible exception of Uniqlo) seems to be well suited to cold weather, and I'm even having a hard time sourcing heavier weight fabrics that don't cost the earth.  I also find that the cold weather legacy brands like LLBean, Land's End, and Eddie Bauer tend to look kind of mumsy on my figure.  

Maybe all the fashion designers live in Southern California.  

I pretty much had my cold weather layer thing down when I was wearing my Dottie Angel frocks--silk long underwear, cotton undershirt, cotton dress layer, then wool sweater and scarf outer layer, ditto for the legs: silk long underwear, heavy cotton tights, then wool knee or thigh highs over top with shearling boots.  (I'm keeping that dress in the winter rotation, by the way.)  I could add or subtract layers as the weather changed (the silk long underwear was the first to go, followed by the woolen socks). My frocks mostly no longer suit me, and I'm still struggling to figure out what does.  

Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Perez in Shetland

With style changes come layering challenges.  A long while back, I started watching a BBC detective series called Shetland, with the always excellent and understated Douglas Henshall.  I first saw him in Angels and Insects and have casually followed him since.  The series is set on the Shetland Islands in the far north of Scotland, and those people know how to do knitwear and cold weather gear! I remembered that I'd never finished the series this week and restarted it.  It's been fun to watch, and the scenery is gorgeous.  

Kate Davies Designs, Carbeth Cardigan

In my quest to find some visuals that seemed stylistically inspirational to me on Pinterest, I remembered Kate Davies' wonderful knitwear.  I've looked at her patterns many times, and put them in my favorites on Ravelry, but I've never pulled the trigger on a pattern until I saw the new Carbeth cardigan and instantly fell in love.  I've been looking for something just like that, and the pattern image really stuck with me.  I appreciate that she styles so much of her knitwear with skirts or dresses, since I don't wear pants.  A lot of modern knitwear is designed to look good with pants, and often looks frumpy with dresses or skirts unless you are shaped like a coat hanger, which I am not.

I love Kate's pattern art--the sweeping Scottish vistas and colors are fabulous, and I really like a lot of her designs.  I considered the Carbeth pullover last winter when Tasha made one, but was concerned that it would be too boxy for me.  Tasha made a few modifications that made hers more fitted (and encouraged me to have a go when I commented on instagram!) but I was still leery. 

After drooling over Kate's Ravelry page and subscribing to her blog, I've decided that what I really want to do is swan about in maxi length tartan circle skirts and chunky cropped sweaters.  In short, the Carbeth pullover and cardigans.  Ha! 

Mostly, I'm tired of being cold, and I want to feel good in my clothes while being warm.  I think the above photo perfectly captures what I'd like to wear right now.  At the current moment, I'm wearing so many layers to get warm that I feel like the Michelin man. At night, I'm wearing an ankle length, long sleeve flannel night gown, a wool sweater and fleece vest over top, cotton leggings underneath with heavy woollen socks, sleeping under a down comforter, fleece blanket and cotton quilt, and I'm still cold.  I know, there's something wrong with me.

I also like her cute maritime outfit (and was very tempted by the kit to make it):

But that sort of thing is more useful in transitional seasons, and I want to make good use of my somewhat limited knitting time right now.  I have a gift on needles that I need to keep working on before I can get to anything else!

While I was dreaming knitting projects, the Sixareen Cowl caught my eye.  I adore this whole outfit; it's very me:

Kate Davies Designs, Sixareen Cape

I did buy the cape pattern, and for a hot minute considered using a KnitPicks gift certificate to buy the wool for it, and then reconsidered.  The cape is fingering weight, stranded knitting with five colors, and I've never done anything stranded before.  And I rarely work in fingering weight because I knit so slowly.  It is not a great project for me right now given that my last fingering weight project took almost four years to complete.  So I found another worsted weight version in a solid color that I think will be more doable for me.  Plus I have stashed yarn I can use for it.

In the meantime, I still need some warmer things for winter (not a lot, just a couple of pieces) and in particular, a warm long skirt.  After the image inspiration above, I really wanted a maxi length tartan skirt in a wool or wool blend.  I did some hunting for fabric (no luck) and then looked on ebay and etsy for thrifted tartan skirts, but didn't find much that would fit me or suit my coloring or my budget for this.  I did, however, find a skirt on amazon, and am hoping it works.  I still have all that Jade Swish worsted yarn from frogging my Yellow Brick Road cardigan last year, and if I hold it double, I should be able to get gauge for the Carbeth.  So perhaps I'll get to swan around in tartan and chunky knits this winter after all! 

You'll find me over here swatching that Jade Swish while I finish watching Shetland.

Watching: Outlaw King

Over the weekend, I watched Outlaw King with Chris Pine, and I have Thoughts.  I've been waiting for this film since August, after reading a preview article in a magazine.  Braveheart was a huge movie for me (I went through a brief phase in high school where I wore warbraids in my hair as an homage), and sparked a love for Scotland that only intensified once I discovered the Outlander series sometime in 1998.  I wrote a Rather Long Paper on Robert the Bruce in college, so I've got a stake in the field, so to speak.

I did like Outlaw King--rather a lot.  Chris Pine's performance is wonderful and understated, and his Scottish accent is quite good.  Florence Pugh as his wife was an interesting choice, and I enjoyed her performance as well.  The chemistry between the two of them was fun to watch.

The film picks up approximately where Braveheart leaves off, but I would have appreciated a better line of succession between the two films, given how closely they are related.  One cannot possibly make a film about Robert the Bruce that picks up the story in 1304 without at least a nod to Braveheart.  I did read that there was more of the history in the original version of the film that showed at the Toronto Film Festival, but that director David MacKenzie trimmed about 20 minutes from the beginning to streamline the story, so perhaps there was more of a connection in the original film than what I saw on Netflix.  There is a bit about William Wallace in the text at the beginning of the film (all the text on screen was incredibly tiny and not on screen for very long--I'm not sure what the post-production people were thinking) and there is a plot point at the beginning that revolves around Wallace's execution, but I would have liked a better through-line.

My main complaint about the film is Billy Howle's slightly unhinged depiction of Edward II, as well as the choice to cast Stephen Dillane, who was almost unrecognizable as Edward I.  Edward I, known as the Hammer of the Scots, was a big man by the standards of the time and quite forceful; his other nickname was Longshanks.  Dillane is not a particularly imposing figure nor is he a scenery-chewing actor.  Truth be told, I think both men were miscast for these roles.  I love Stephen Dillane, so it pains me to say this.  Patrick McGoohan was so brilliant as Edward I in Braveheart, I confess, Dillane just didn't live up to McGoohan's portrayal.  Edward I of history is a ruthless, ambitious king, a man who brutally subdued both Scotland and Wales, instituted law and order rule, and had a fierce enough temper that a man once died of fright in his presence.  I saw none of that in Dillane's performance.  The script sidesteps Edward II's well-documented weakness, and his general unsuitability as king, choosing to portray him as an immature hothead, rather than the weakling later killed by his own nobles in a particularly gruesome way.  My research suggested that the Braveheart portrayal is closer to the real man, as Edward II was obsessed with frivolous things and focused heavily on his relationship with Piers Gaveston, caring little for war.  There is also little evidence that he and Bruce were childhood friends, as Outlaw King wants to suggest.

I did wish the film had a grander sweep, and that the stakes were a bit higher or better articulated.  Perhaps I am too well-acquainted with the story, but I was not surprised by what happened to Bruce's wife or the fate of Red Comyn (indeed, I was waiting for both events to occur).

What the film does well is to show the Bruce as a man determined retake Scotland from the English, and to demonstrate his brilliance as a tactician.  One of the points in my Rather Long Paper was that Bruce was extremely adept at taking current military strategy and adapting it in new ways.  He took the schiltron, or rows of wooden spikes, used to great effect under Wallace's campaign, and made them into rectangular mobile units, which was truly devastating to the mounted English.  I also posited that one of Bruce's strengths was in choosing battlefield sites that best suited the legendary Highland charge, rather than allowing the English to mow them down on flat solid ground.   In the Outlaw King, the pivotal battle scene is the battle of Loudoun Hill, and the geography and stationary schiltron are both used to great effect to beat back the English.  It must be said, the battle scenes in the film are very bloody.  I had to avert my eyes.  They are on par with Braveheart's battle scenes, and there are still parts of Braveheart that I can't watch.

Bannockburn was the final battle for Scotland's independence in the 14th century--Bruce chose the high ground and the Scots were able to come screaming from on high to terrify and defeat the British camped in the valley below.  I was able to visit the field of Bannockburn in 2005, and was gratified to see my theory held, based on the geography of the place and what we know about the troop movements in the battle, which was the final confrontation between the British and Scots before the Declaration of Abroath, which effectively declared Scotland's independence.

The film makes some interesting cultural choices that I appreciated, showing people singing songs together while working or marching or in domestic scenes, and the chanting in the churches is of the period and not simple Gregorian.  It all brought to mind the wool waulking songs on season one of Outlander.  Speaking of Outlander, Duncan Lacroix (Murtagh) has a small part in this film, as does Stephen Cree (the elder Ian Murray).  To which I say: Wherever you go, always take a Murgtagh with you.  I also liked the synchronicity of James Cosmo, who played Hamish's father in Braveheart, and also played Bruce's father in Outlaw King.  (I did play a little game of "Find the Scottish Actors from Braveheart" in this film; there were a few, I think).

In the end, I think it is a film worth watching, and an interesting take on Robert the Bruce.  I'll be curious to see how Angus MacFayden's Braveheart sequel compares.

Maudie Skirt and Night Owl Dress

Fresh off my sewing machine:

A denim skirt!  I've had in mind to remake my Zwei Leben denim skirt for at about two years, since I shrunk out of the last one, but have dithered about actually doing it because it is a pain to fit and I worried about my rapidly changing shape.

But last week I decided enough, and pulled the fabric out of my stash to make it up already.  I'd rebought the same denim shortly after the original skirt since the price was good and I wanted to be sure I'd have replacement fabric ready!  I do think this might be slightly different, as it has a bit of stretch, whereas the original denim did not.

That said, I'm pleased as punch with this skirt--it fills a huge hole in my closet, and I now feel confident about my redrafted Anne Adams 9481 pattern.  I still love my Everyday skirt, but it doesn't work well with heavier fabrics, and I do like separates in winter.

I ended up with 7/8" side seam allowances, and 5/8" on the back seam, plus I added an extra set of 1/2" darts to the back to get a snug fit around the waist.  I also put a 3 1/4" hem on it, so I might shorten the pattern in the future.  Although, I kind of like the deep hem with the gold top stitching--it looks somehow dressier than a standard 1/2" hem.

I put this outfit together yesterday to photograph the cowl and skirt in one go, and I love the combination!  I will definitely be wearing this one again.  I think the Garnet Boneyard shawl from yesterday would also go quite well with this.

A completely successful make, in my opinion.  I feel great in this skirt.

Next up: a successful Franken-Washi!  

This is the Night Owl dress,  and it is the Washi Dress put together with the M7353 bodice.  After my first attempt, I made a few more tweaks to the bodice.  I went back to my original mods to the M7353 in woven, and that was the ticket.  The fit is good, the dress is comfortable and cozy but I still feel like I got dressed in the morning.  Win-win.

The dress is really for my winter rotation, so I just put it on to photograph, but I'm looking forward to wearing it next month.  With the Rusty Ribbons shawl, natch.

I have another cowl that is a bit more peach that I think would also match.

The fabric is brushed cotton from Cotton+Steel, and I lurve it.  I have another length in a different print that I want to make up for Christmas.  I'm a bit nervous about it, though, as my track record with holiday dresses is less than stellar. 

I suppose I just need to get it done before the madness starts (hence making this version in October to get the fit right!)

For the record, my bodice mods are: 1/2" to top and bottom sleeve seams, tapering to nothing at the curve of the underarm, and adding 1/2" to the bodice front bottom.  Since the back is all cut in one on the Washi, I just laid the back bodice piece over the top and lined up the bottom edge with the taped join on the Washi.  I had to piece the sleeves at the bottom, but that was easy enough.  I added 1" of length to the skirt, which is about right for my current tastes.

~watching~

Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins may have given the performances of their careers in this delightfully subtle and nuanced film.  I loved it, and highly recommend it.  I watched it while making the denim skirt yesterday, hence the title.

I finally finished this Russian series about the Soviet Sophia Loren.  The show is loosely based on her life, and while it took me a little while to get into the story, once I was hooked, I couldn't stop watching it.  Her life is kind of a train wreck, and you feel bad for all the poor choices she makes in the given circumstances.  I thought the last episode in particular quite poignant.  It's all very Russian.  Excellent show.

I've been waiting for this show to hit the States since the winter, as I follow Richard Madden on Instagram and saw his posts about filming this show.  Kudos to Keely Hawes and Richard Madden for great performances!  The writing is superb, and I was guessing about the story from start to finish.  Lots of interesting (and unexpected) plot twists.

This is a wonderful film!  I loved Sanaa Lathan in Something New, and if you liked that film, you'll like this one too.  It is about a woman's journey to self-acceptance, and it is brilliant and body positive and I loved it so much.

I expected to adore this film, but I merely liked it.  I enjoyed the Downton Abbey cast reunion (of sorts) and I liked the story, but I wasn't wowed.  I thought Lily James' character wasn't fleshed out quite enough, and I didn't like the guy she was supposed to be in love with for most of the film.  The supporting actors were great (Penelope Wilton will break your heart), and I especially enjoyed Matthew Goode's performance as her publisher.

I finished, I finished, I finished!  The final season of The Americans was tense, well-written, and the ending extremely satisfying.  I was guessing about the ending until the very last second.  I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but wow.  It is great.  I'd like to discuss with someone who has seen it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this reboot, and thought the updates to the story were brilliant.  Who knew John Krasinski could be an action hero?  He gives a wonderful performance here, and I loved his subtle nods to Harrison Ford's portrayal of the character.  Wendell Pierce is a great James Greer--I enjoyed him a lot.  The writing is excellent, and I'm hoping they'll do another season.

In the meantime, Droughtlander is over!  So you'll find me in North Carolina with the Frasers for the next month or so. Ha!

Yarn Along: November

This is a long post, so grab a cuppa and settle in!  

(I made Russian tea again last week and it has been delightful to have a cup each day)

I usually cover what I'm sewing and watching in these posts, but it got so long, I decided to split them up.  Stop by tomorrow for what the latest off my sewing machine and on my screen!

~knitting~

Lots of finished objects this month!

Garnet Boneyard shawl:

Nothing unusual, just a straightforward knit, my favorite kind. I used two balls of DK Swish and two balls of Worsted Swish in garnet heather, and couldn't tell a lick of difference when the weight changed.  It is a great shawl, and I've worn it quite a bit since I finished it.

Rusty Ribbons Boneyard shawl:

I made this one from a single ball of Chickadee (about 360 yards) that was hand-dyed, although the variation is extremely subtle.  I was hoping it would come out a little bit bigger after blocking (the Garnet Boneyard doubled in size with blocking) but it seems to have felted slightly instead.  Oh well.  It is still wearable at the current size, and matches my new flannel dress (more on the dress tomorrow).

Major John Andre Rivel cardigan (with bonus Hitchhiker scarf):

I finally finished it!  So named in honor of JJ Feild's portrayal of Major John Andre in the brilliant AMC series, TURN: Washington's Spies. I knit the majority of the sweater while watching (and rewatching) seasons 1-3 in May.  

Ah, Johnny, we miss ye so.

I am reasonably pleased with how this sweater turned out!  I think it will look better with a dress instead of separates, but I was happy enough to wear it yesterday in the cold damp rain.  

The sweater is made in pieces and then seamed, with the neck band picked up in one long row around the whole front and knit in rib for 4 inches.  That took a bit, since there were something like 350 stitches on my needles.  I used worsted Swish in Lost Lake Heather, and it is such a pretty olive green with hints of blue in the undertone.  Just right for my complexion.  Most olives tend a little too brown or yellow for my skin tone and wash me out.  This one is perfect.

There are three cables on the sweater, one down the back and one to either side of the fronts.  They were actually quite easy to execute, and I was pleased with how they looked in the end.  I found the pattern easy to read and follow and the shaping is interesting--there is bust shaping on the fronts, but not on the back, and waist shaping on the back, but not in the front.  All in all, a nicely fitted sweater.  

I could see using this pattern as a base for future sweaters and just modify the cable details.  Ravelry notes are here.

I also made the sleeves long, because seriously: what is the point of a worsted weight sweater with elbow length sleeves?  If I'm going to wear a heavy cardigan, I probably need my forearms covered.

The Hitchhiker is growing on me.  I reblocked it and it seems better now.

Triangle cowl:

I posted about this in October, but I don't think I had the buttons on it yet.  I went with the butterscotch buttons, and I like this cowl a lot!  I might make this pattern again.

After all that, I don't have a lot of projects left on needles, but currently in progress: 

boring dark grey legwarmers for Ponchik

Gift knitting (shh!)

Another shawl in hand-dyed Chickadee, this time in a light teal color.  I'm not going to do another Boneyard, but I need to find something that will work with the yardage and not frustrate me.

~reading~

I finished two books last month:

The Awakening of Miss Prim is delightful!  I highly recommend it.  I already wrote about Matt Haig's book, and while I did enjoy it, I had a couple minor quibbles about it.

I immediately picked up a book I've had in my stack for two years, Stasiland.  I bought it when I was doing a lot of research about the gulags, the Communist bloc, and the like, but didn't get to it before I ran out of steam.  I'm enjoying it a lot--it is very interesting, and the author writes in a narrative style that I like.  My interest in this topic never seems to wane, but sometimes I need breaks.  I think I also went back to it because I finished The Americans (finally!) and finished a Russian television series I've been poking through for a while called The Red Queen (more on that tomorrow).  It all seems to be of a piece for me in my mind.

The Jasper Fforde book has been languishing, and I picked up The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society after watching the film of the same on netflix.  My friend Claire has been bugging me to read this book for a couple of years, so I guess I'd better get to it!

Joining Ginny for Yarn Along!