August 04, 2005

The fruits of my vacation knitting:

Look at this pile of knit pieces screaming at me to block, block, BLOCK us already!

Pardon us. Our ends are hanging all out.

And then I'll have to seam them so that they look like this cute little Flowery Cardigan and this cute little Flowery Jacket. I don't know about you, but when I see a little pile of knits like that waiting to be seamed I want to dive under the bed and knit a scarf or something in the round. Anything that doesn't require seaming, slappy.

But I'm not doing that. Instead, I'm working on the matching culotte with flower on the po-po that goes with the Flowery Cardigan. Yeah. Nothing like a spot of intarsia to keep us from blocking and seaming.

How I love working this flower!
But I dread sewing the sides together*. Sigh.

I'm having so much fun working that flower that I flew through most of it while watching Sofia Coppola ruin Godfather III with her monotonous speaking voice and sorely lacking acting skills. [ But we loved how you directed Lost in Translation, Sofia!] And speaking of the intarsia, I can't think of a better yarn than Phil Eponge for intarsia work. It's elasticity and stitch definition are ideal for it.

So, now that you've seen the pile of finished pieces that constitute the fruit of my vacation knitting, I've got Postcards from La Loire Slideshows for you! We did and saw many things, so this is just the first of a series of snapshots. (There will more in future entries. The fun never stops here, people.) Click to view:

*I'm getting mad ideas now that I have a sewing machine. While I love working the intarsia with Phil Eponge, I don't think I'm going to like seaming this bad boy fluffy yarn. The culotte has edges that are shaped via bound-offs and increases, so that coupled with nearly nil stitch definition will not a happy seaming party make unless there is much pouring of kir royals. While I don't mind a kir or two while seaming, I like to avoid the dancing on table with lampshade on head variety so I'm actually considering sewing the sides of the culotte using my sewing machine. I may not get the courage to do that, though, so don't take that as a promise.

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37 comments to this entry:

Wow - I come back from holiday, pop over to see what you've been up to, and there's a BRAND NEW LOOK! Well - brand new to me anyway. I like it :) Plus the intarsia flowers are adoreable!

[jen on 04 aug 05 @ 04:40 pm]

Wow!! You have been a busy little beaver! That's such an adorable baby outfit; I desperately want to make it, but since my friends and family are pretty much done with reproducing, unless someone has an "oops" I won't have much call to do so! Interesting idea about sewing the seams with a machine....hmmmm....now that I've dusted off the Singer, I can just imagine the possibilities...... My knitting bud here and I have seaming parties together, since we both hate it so much. We alternate homes (who ever's kids are asleep is the house we choose), or sometimes, if the seaming to be done is really ugly, we hit our local pub. Can't wait to see the finished product!

[Michelle 2 on 04 aug 05 @ 05:30 pm]

All your stuff is great. I love this blog, it cracks me up. I do have craft envy though. You are so talented. I am not worthy!! :) oh yeah and love the photos/slides, more envy-looks like a wonderful vacation!!

[Punkie on 04 aug 05 @ 05:38 pm]

Oh, your pictures from France were wonderful. Almost as though I went, too. The baby outfit is adorable, and I love all the things I've ever seen from a Phildar mag/book, but unfortunately we don't get it here in the states translated (that I know of). My 8th grade semester of French leaves me with a song to learn the days of the week and that's sadly about it. Oh, well. Such is life.

[Robyn on 04 aug 05 @ 05:44 pm]

Wonderful pile of pieces to sew. Except the fact that there is Phildar Eponge in the pile... not my fav yarn for sewing, even if it is possible to use it. But the ready fabric of Eponge is wonderful. Beautiful vacation pictures, as always!

[Maud on 04 aug 05 @ 07:25 pm]

Love your vacation photos - looks like you and your family had a great time. The intarsia flower pattern is adorable. Haven't seen a lot of Phildar yarn in my area, but it looks like interesting stuff.

[Gaile on 04 aug 05 @ 07:33 pm]

I have actually seemed with that yarn and it's wicked easy. It just lookes like it should be hard. But it's impossible to be perfect, so you just kind of have to access your zen state to do it.

[Brianne on 04 aug 05 @ 08:31 pm]

Thanks for sharing your castle hopping adventures!! I especially love the picture of your small one frolicking along the well trimmed hedges. Too precious.

[Sarah on 04 aug 05 @ 08:35 pm]

Wow! You really are cleaning house! The intarsia flower is so cute, and your vacation looks like it was tons of fun.

[Jennifer on 04 aug 05 @ 08:40 pm]

Thanks so much for posting pictures of your vacation! The next best thing to being on vacation (which I am but not in France) is experiencing it vicariously through a generous person's blog. Hey, I'm with you on the seaming front . . . sometimes it just takes time to get the courage, but the little cardi is adorable!

[Brenda on 04 aug 05 @ 08:48 pm]

Great photos! Nice little flower set as well.

[ashbloem on 04 aug 05 @ 09:08 pm]

My day would have been much the poorer for not seeing the walking bird-leg bush. Love it.

[claudia on 04 aug 05 @ 09:14 pm]

Aw, I can't wait to see the modelled shots of the sweet little flower pants and sweaters (but mostly the pants, how cute!). Do you think you can get the baby to whack dance?

[jodi on 04 aug 05 @ 09:30 pm]

thanks for the vacation photos! very, very cool...and what great photos of the captain, how cool is that da vinci session?!?!?!? loving that textile garden...oh, OK, i love it all. i hated seaming the eponge, and sewing sounds like a perfect solution. go for it! (in my best Rocky III voice)

[mrspilkington on 04 aug 05 @ 10:11 pm]

welcome back Becky!! Your trip looks like so much fun - ah, France - so beautiful. Fiery bolero is lovely (as is the sun dress - good job on that!) And those baby clothes are just so cute - lucky little girls!

[Vicki on 04 aug 05 @ 10:13 pm]

I do really love this flowery suit you are making and your bolero is a stunner! I'd like to be able to knit at the same speed as you...

[francoise on 04 aug 05 @ 10:55 pm]

Flower on the po-po! I love it! And I can't wait to hit the Phildars of France like a madwoman! Only 15 more hours until my flight takes off...yee haw! Oh damn, I gotta go pack. Happy Knitting!

[Anne-Caroline on 05 aug 05 @ 12:08 am]

Ohhh! I can't wait to see the cute baby sweaters when they are all seamed up! And if you do get the courage to sew them together on your machine do tell! I've always wanted to try that but never had the guts myself.

[rachel on 05 aug 05 @ 04:47 am]

Oh so cute! Those flowers on the bootay is the best...hmmm...nah, I'd look a fool. You bet you can sew that up with the sewing machine. Try a very skinny zigzag that will let the cullottes stretch and not pop a stitch. Do it!

[Silvia on 05 aug 05 @ 05:31 am]

Oh well, I see I used the word sew when I ment seam. I only excuse me with the fact that English is my second foreign language. Anyway, I envy Brianne who can work up a zen state while seaming with eponge - I have seamed three sweaters/cardigans with it and never reached anything close to zen. But it is quite nice to knit, and that make up for the seaming.

[Maud on 05 aug 05 @ 07:28 am]

Thanks! That's all the encouragement I need to attempt joining the sides using my sewing machine. I'm going to buy the needles for sewing this type of fabric and will use the skinny zigzag. Woooooot!

[Becky from fluffa! on 05 aug 05 @ 09:14 am]

Love the vacation pics...the de Medicis...don't even get me started on my strange facination of powerful evil women who had affinities for poison...Loved the slideshows! Cap'n looks like he had a great time! that po-po fleur is just too cute! cheeky little po-po!

[heather on 05 aug 05 @ 01:44 pm]

Your pics always turn out so nice! I am also suffering through sewing up the seams of three baby sweaters I've made for my expecting sister. If I knew how to work (or owned, for that matter) a sewing machine, I'd attempt it, too! Good Luck!

[Darcy on 05 aug 05 @ 02:33 pm]

Ah...vacation is two weeks and change away for me, but somehow I don't think there's a prayer I will get as much knitting done as you did! (Of course, that won't stop me from bringing plenty of it along.) At least my bolero is done too -- perfect for the airplane. Perfect for the office. Perfect for everywhere. I think I may have to make it again in red!

[Chicago Evelyn on 05 aug 05 @ 02:43 pm]

Oh my gosh, my week is made...I've been quoted on Becky's blog! (My Uncle John is actually the coiner of the po-po phrase, as far as I know. When we were real little tackers, he would chase us, saying, "I'm going to give you a pat on your po-po!" He never caught us, but there was always lots of squealing and giggling and running about madly.) The baby outfit is so darn cute. And, as always, so beautifully knit. And the travel pictures...so beautiful. Looks as though the Captain had a blast. And I love the googly-eyed bird bush, too. The Maison de la Magie looks wild...what is it exactly?

[Sarah R on 05 aug 05 @ 03:17 pm]

Ah, your pictures have me dreaming of France! The flowery baby sweaters and lil bitty baby pants are super cute, too. Can't wait to see them seamed up! (I'm sure you can't either.)

[Val on 05 aug 05 @ 04:19 pm]

Oh, do please give us an update on sewing the seams with the sewing machine! What a wonderful de-stashing, you have such great taste.

[Laura on 05 aug 05 @ 07:38 pm]

Hey Becky--love the intarsia! That is too cute!

[Lolly on 05 aug 05 @ 08:03 pm]

I love that little bottom! Where do you find such great patterns all the time!?!?! Amazing work as always!

[Dani on 05 aug 05 @ 11:54 pm]

Wow Becky, those are some really cool & beautiful photos! Don't you just love taking pictures? Those baby sweaters have to be the cutest ones I've seen in a long time. Just adorable!

[Eilene on 06 aug 05 @ 12:14 am]

Seam me already will ya! Block me already will ya!! You crack me up!

[elisabeth on 06 aug 05 @ 01:40 am]

Block, block, block them already! ;-) Woo-wee that IS some stashbusting!

[Jenny on 06 aug 05 @ 10:37 am]

Those mini-chateaux are adorable! It's amazing to see the Captain looking so grown-up! Waiting with bated breath for the seaming slideshow on the Eponge...

[Barb (way) outside Boston on 06 aug 05 @ 03:38 pm]

Perfection as always. That's a lovely twinset. I agree I would want to dive under the bed as well...absolutley use your sewing machine for that. Oh, I was going to say, whatever you do, don't watch lost in translation b/c it's IMHO borring...but I guess it's too late for that =)

[Orli on 08 aug 05 @ 02:52 pm]

Wow! There's some serious work going on there in the midst of summer vacation. Even this the comment is linked to the latest entry -- that sundress is beyond cute. If only the Copenhagen weather could accommodate such summery-cute-ness! Excellent, finely finished work!

[Meg on 08 aug 05 @ 03:42 pm]

My experience says that it ALWAYS is better done by hand. I never use sewing machine for knits, except for steeking. But who knows - if anyone can do it, it must be you...

[helene on 08 aug 05 @ 10:57 pm]

So glad you're back, this site i visit every day and i was getting lonesome! I love everything you have ever made and can't wait to see the cullottes all made up... (hint hint) you are SO cool

[happy spider on 09 aug 05 @ 12:12 pm]

August 04, 2005

The fruits of my vacation knitting:

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