Oh gosh, it’s been ages, again! I seem to have been very busy lately, though I’m not entirely sure what with. It just seems so much easier these days to pop up on Facebook or Instagram than it does to plonk myself down in front of the Big Computer and write something.
Anyway, I decided to take part in Me-Made-May again this year, as I thought it would fit in quite nicely with the whole wardrobe reshuffle that’s still ongoing.
Day One: Socks! I knitted these in 2012, and they’re still going strong. The short length (because I ran out of wool!) works really well under trainers, and I should definitely get around to knitting myself some more of these.
Day Two: Wurm Hat. The silk-and-wool yarn was a wedding gift from a friend, and I turned it into a hat in 2010. I wear this hat A LOT. It’s a bit bobbly underneath, where it folds over on itself, but I love it anyway.
(Sorry about the terrible photos – they’re all taken on my phone. They look fine if you squint at them and imagine them all about two inches across. Promise.)
Day Three: Spotty Corduroy Coat. I made this in 2009, and wore it for the first time on our engagement photo shoot. (Which I apparently did not blog about. The shame!) The front of my hair was pink to match. After six years, this coat really has been worn to death. One of the snap fasteners is hanging off (and yet I never seem to find five minutes to fix it), and the spots are wearing off the needlecord at the front and round the cuffs. I really need to replace this coat. I’ve bought a new pattern, and I even know which fabric I want to buy. Unfortunately the fabric’s £85 a metre, which means I have a lot more saving up to do until I can afford a whole coat’s worth! So, I keep wearing this one.
Day Four was a poorly-in-pyjamas day. These leggings are made from gorgeously soft organic cotton, but I only had enough to make this peculiar under-the-kneecap length. They were never worn much as a result, as I always felt they were neither here nor there. They do make really comfortable lounging pyjamas though, which is good, as I tend to lounge a lot!
Day Five: I knew I was going to be cold at work (it’s always cold at work), so an enormous jumper was called for. I like this one because I can snuggle down into the enormous polo neck. The lack of sleeves means it fits nicely under a jacket without making me feel like the Michelin Man, so it gets worn quite a lot. Its only down side is its tendency to shed fluff all over everything. this is quite a recent make, all things considered. It took an entire year to make (mostly because it was a very boring knit!), but I finished it in 2013.
Day Six also called for an enormous jumper – this time my bright orange, pink and yellow Huggies cardigan. You can see much better photos of it over here. Another piece from 2009 (it was obviously a good year for both sewing and knitting!), but I think this one’s going to have to go on the “not to be worn in public” pile. The yarn has fared very badly, going bobbly almost immediately. The buttons are too heavy, which has stretched the buttonholes out of shape, and the cardigan itself has gone terribly out of shape with wear. Considering it was expensive stuff, I’m really not impressed! I’d still like to knit another one of these, but I’d definitely make it from a much more stable kind of yarn.
Day Seven turned out to be Election Day, and work had been transformed into a polling station. Once again, I knew it would be cold thanks to the extra visitors coming in through the front doors, so I needed to wear something warm. This is a lovely little Childry shawl, knitted in 2013 from souvenir yarn I bought on a trip to Frome. It looks cute, and it is warm, but unfortunately this yarn is REALLY ITCHY. I can only wear this with a polo neck underneath, which is a bit limiting. I’m half tempted to unravel it and turn it into something else, though I don’t know quite what.
Two thoughts come to mind after the first week.
One: Why is is still so cold at the beginning of May that all I want to wear is big warm jumpers?
Two: Where are all the things I’ve made more recently than 2009?! Well, okay, 2013 was the most recent one, but that’s still two years old! Perhaps I’ll wear more recent things in the following weeks. Watch this space!