The past few weeks I had an up and down time.
I revived my inspiration by spending a bit of time on pinterest, looking at upcycling a $2 find I bought at Cobargo when I was there for the Folk Festival early March. It’s a fabulous green, and has some mohair and some other wools in it. warm and pretty, but size XL (which I knew when I bought it).
I didn’t take many in progress photos – but I’ve been enjoying getting advice on the technical issues (needles, tensions, why my cheap brother sewing machine was bird nesting). I’ve acquired a library of needles and upgraded my threads, and learnt the difference between them – there’s a fair bit of arcane witchcraft there, which the Gemini Gem I made for sewing has been enlightening about.
I took the jumper in along some existing seam lines, making darts, I shortened the sleeves and shortened the back (so the jumper is long at front, and short at back – i can’t buy things this shape but it works for my body type – apple shaped, belly in front).
With the leftovers I thought I’d make an infinity scarf. Which I thought would be as quick as renovating / upcycling the jumper had been, maybe 2 hours. About 24 working hours later, over more than a week, I have an infinity scarf I love, using the green offcuts and the offcuts from some older burnt orange jumpers I bought on sale at blue illusion, because they were my colour, and only $35 (in the context of $2 for the opp shop one, it seems excessive, but in the context of $150 for a new one, they were cheap). The orange ones I had slowly butchered over time, getting rid of a big cowl (i wish i’d saved the wool for use later).
The green and orange set each other off nicely.
I upcycled one of the orange jumpers too, adding front pockets, which don’t actually work, so having washed it, and discovering it wanting that will go back to the drawing board to become shorter, sans poches, and who knows maybe I’ll make a cap out of the offcuts.
Here are SOME photos, and more will come next time the jumper goes on.
