Miss Veedol

トトロ Totoro

2012-02-23T18:45:00.001Z

Totoro is a character from a wonderful Japanese children's film called My Neighbor Totoro. He is a magical spirit who helps protect the forest. From childhood he has been a favorite character of mine!

Last month I knit my first stranded colorwork project: a pair of mittens featuring Totoro on the front and a swarm of soot sprites on the palm! [pattern]

For Christmas my sister crocheted for me the wonderful Totoro amigurumi below! [pattern]

My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Sevice were my favorite movies when I was little, and Studio Ghibli's films are still my most beloved films. Recently I learned that Studio Ghibli has released two new movies I haven't seen yet: The Secret World of Arrietty and From up on Poppy Hill. The Secret World of Arrietty is based on the book The Borrowers and has just been released in the U.S.! From up on Poppy Hill hasn't been adapted for the U.S. yet, but I'm hoping that it will be. I'm really excited to see these movies when I get the chance!

The Secret World of Arrietty youtube trailer: link.

Poetry

2012-02-22T20:01:00.000Z

As I was organizing and packing for the movers, I rediscovered a couple of poems I wrote last year. I used to write poetry all the time, but I rarely write now. I'd love to start again if I could find the right inspiration. :)

Country Lane

Rambling scenic mile

Over footpath stile,

Through kissing gate,

Across footbridge lode.

Byway I travel

Natural estate:

My country abode.

Ancient Orchard
O, ancient orchard, fruitful,

Planted in precise straight lines,
Ye make me wonder of the
Attendant carer of thine.

He who pruned and harvested
And walked proud amongst thy rows,
Kept earnest thee'd be healthy,
Prayed ye'd be strong as ye grow.

Utmost, I tell ye,
He poured His heart into thee:
He made His livelihood of the trees.

Winter Fields

2012-02-15T08:04:00.000Z

Natural Dyeing

2012-02-12T12:55:00.000Z

This weekend I made my first attempt at dyeing yarn! I have wanted to give dyeing a go for so long, and I particularly wanted to try a natural dye. I decided on onion skins easily, because they are so easy to obtain. I started saving onion skins from our kitchen perhaps as long as a year ago, although I don't remember precisely. This was my last chance to use the skins, knowing that packing for the move meant I must either use them or lose them!

I was happy to read in my research that onion skins do not need a mordant, which would have been inconvenient for me. I combined cold water and all the dyestuffs I had collected, and I let it soak for a day. I then simmered the concoction for an hour, let it cool to room temperature, strained the water into a large bowl, discarded the onion skins, and transferred the dye-water back into the pot.

I cleaned 200 grams of wool yarn by giving it a little bath in the sink with some gentle detergent. Then I placed the clean wool in the dyebath, added water to cover the yarn, and soaked it overnight. In the morning I simmered the wool for 20 minutes, and then let it cool again. I thoroughly rinsed the yarn of all excess dye, removed excess water, and hung it up to dry. I'm thrilled with the color!

Resources:
TheEcologist.org, natural dyeing article: link.
Back to Basics book, second edition, published by Reader's Digest.

Leaves & Grass

2012-01-31T22:18:00.001Z

(Click on the photos to view them larger in the browser.)

December Woods

2012-01-19T23:14:00.000Z

The days are becoming busier for my family as we draw nearer our move. In one to two months we'll be relocating to the United States!
Recently I've started working a lot more. I'm also studying for a test that's coming up very soon. After I take my test, I'm going to concentrate on sewing a wool coat!

Self-Drafted Skirt

2012-01-08T20:49:00.000Z

I made this black skirt with a pattern I drafted myself. It is the first pattern I’ve ever drafted, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome! The fabric is gathered at the waist, and there are two small tucks around the hem. I'm thrilled with the style of this skirt. It suits me perfectly! I have decided to make it my goal to sew versatile garments, and I believe this skirt is a wonderful success! I will certainly be making more with some variations!

This project is also my first with an invisible zipper. It's neatly hidden in the side seam. I've found that an invisible zipper is stupendously easier to insert than a normal zipper. I feel a lot less intimidated by zippers now!

Resources:
I drafted the peasant skirt (as well as the skirt sloper) with the book Modern Pattern Design by Harriet Pepin. The book is out of print, and I believe it is in the public domain (published in 1942). I have a free pdf version of the book which I downloaded here: link.
I drafted the waistband using a tutorial from Coletterie.
I also used a Coletterie tutorial to help me insert the invisible zipper.

Christmas Lace

2011-12-30T09:42:00.000Z

This Christmas I made small lace presents for my mom and sister. For my mom I tatted a red heart [pattern] and a pair of red earrings. I tatted three pairs of lace earrings for my sister. I made a red and a white pair from the same pattern [link], and a black pair from another pattern [link]. I enclosed these gifts in origami envelopes, and then slipped them into my family members' stockings.

I made a few Christmas tree ornaments as well. I crocheted two snowflake ornaments from a magazine I bought in Germany, BurdaStyle 12/2011. I made another ornament by folding an origami crane, threading it on a string, and attaching a bead and tassel.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T10:32:00.000Z

Germany

2011-12-20T00:28:00.000Z

In mid-November my mom and I went on a four-day trip to Bavaria, Germany. We traveled by bus, plane, train, and taxi with a group of other ladies to attend a Christian conference. I loved seeing the Bavarian Alps. One thing that amazed me was that the mountains were so distinctive; although so simple and usual, they looked essentially different from every other mountain I had seen. It reminds me of a line the character Captain said teasingly in The Sound of Music: "Trees, lakes, mountains. When you've seen one, you've seen them all." This couldn't be more untrue!

We were kept busy during the conference, but during our free time we went out to explore. We strolled through a barn speckled field on a gravel trail, passing by German denizens walking their dogs. I loved the quaint little barns that were everywhere! They were different shapes and sizes, and appeared to be used for storing firewood. Walking in the village, I noticed every house had a chimney, and many homes had piles of firewood stacked perfectly in their yards.

On one day my mom and I went on a walking trail through the woods leading to an icy lake. We decided to take a different trail back, but we got slightly lost on the way! However, by taking a different trail, we stumbled across old Olympic bobsledding slopes that twist through the woods. The slopes were carved into the grassy earth. We found it very interesting!

We explored the local town, where we saw the lovely Lutheran parish church, white with a rounded side and a characteristic steeple. I remembered seeing steeples like it in the towns we passed while riding the train. We did a little shopping for family gifts and ate at a couple of German restaurants. We really enjoyed the German food! I ate leek and cheese spaetzle (dense noodle), and jagerschnitzel (pork with mushroom sauce), and I tried waldmeister eis, woodruff flavored ice cream. It was all delicious!

We returned home the way we came. At the train station's bookshop I bought a German publication of a sewing magazine and looked at the pictures on the train. Traveling took a lot of energy. I was plain exhausted by the time we got home!

Sweater, Trousers, and Mitts

2011-12-09T22:32:00.000Z

In September and October I knit my second sweater! I am very happy with the result, and I'm even more happy that I was able to finish this sweater so quickly. I knit it in 34 days, a big improvement from my first sweater! Although this sweater is not perfect, I feel like it was a big success! It's knit with a wool-mohair-angora blend yarn which is very cozy and warm.

The pattern is Forestry by Veronik Avery. I think that the pattern is a lovely design; however, it unfortunately has a lot of errata. Ravelry's projects pages helped me immensely to anticipate and correct the errors. I have more details about the corrections and modifications I made on my Ravelry project page.

In October I sewed my first pair of trousers with the pattern McCall's 6361, option A. They were quite easy to make. In fact, the fly zipper was the funnest part! I made the legs an inch slimmer than the pattern called for by taking half an inch extra for seam allowance. This, unfortunately, made the openings for the pockets too small, so they are a bit too tight for the pockets to be useful. Ah, well. I'll learn from the mistake! For my first attempt, I am satisfied with the fit. I will make several adjustments next time to try and better it! I plan on making two more trousers soon. I have the fabrics already, a brown and a dark gray.

In November I knit these sanguine, autumnal mitts from the pattern Oak Grove by Alana Dakos. They feature a lovely embossed oak leaf on the wrist. To be honest, the leaves wrinkle quite a bit when I bend my wrists, which is a little annoying. But it doesn't bother me too much. I still admire the leaf design and enjoy wearing the mitts.

All these photos were taken with the assistance of my sister. I really appreciate all her help!

Autumn Woodland, Part II

2011-11-25T10:00:00.000Z

Autumn Woodland, Part I

2011-11-16T00:04:00.000Z

I took these photos on a couple of walks through the woods. There are so many spiders about, many strewing their webs betwixt the trees.

Scotland

2011-11-02T23:29:00.001Z

In September my family went on a wee vacation to the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh! I was thoroughly impressed with Edinburgh. It's a lovely, clean, and compact city. My family had a really great time. We first explored Edinburgh Castle, where we saw a demonstration of a canon fire. It was louder than anticipated! Afterward, we went to St. Giles's Cathedral where we admired the stained glass windows. Traditional stained glass is my favorite type of art. The Scriptural subjects of the windows are captivating to me, and the light shining through the windows gives the art such power and depth. My family also enjoyed visits to the National Gallery and the National Museum of Scotland, both of which were very interesting and fun. On one particular day we took a guided bus tour to the northern region of Scotland, the Highlands, to see Loch Ness. When we arrived at Loch Ness, we strolled along the paths near the shore. We got to see so many beautiful landscapes on our excursion through the Highlands. On our final day in Edinburgh, my family hiked up a hill called King Arthur's Seat. The panoramic views overlooking Edinburgh were wonderful.

See more photos of Scotland on my flickr.

Last Summer Days

2011-10-24T23:18:00.000+01:00

Autumn has come and settled in, but I still want to share these final photos of the end of my summer with you. This past summer is actually the last summer that I will experience here in England, as I am moving in the early spring. The environment is so lovely here, especially in the summer.

Sewing and Knitting

2011-09-26T12:31:00.001+01:00

In August I made a linen tunic with tucks down the front. I really love this shirt; it's wonderfully comfortable. I love the feel of linen. I would definitely like to sew with it again! I used the pattern Simplicity 2365 option A, and shortened the length of the body and sleeves by several inches.

I had been wanting to make these yellow mittens for a while now! The tops of the mitts flip and button down to expose my fingers. For this reason, I think they'll make lovely photography mittens. The pattern is Snapdragon Flip-Tops by Ysolda.

I've had this lovely merino wool for a long time, and I've been unsure of what to do with it. It is very, very soft so I thought what better than to wear it close to the neck. I chose the pattern Hydrangea Neckwarmer by Anne Hanson from the book Brave New Knits. I really like the design and enjoyed knitting it. However, it has errata to take note of! I didn't realize there were errors until I had nearly finished knitting it once. I had to rip back to the beginning and start again. I brought it along with me on a trip to Scotland (which I'll tell you about soon!), and I knit it mostly on the train rides. It is very soft and pleasant to wear.

I am now knitting a sweater, and sewing my first pair of trousers!

Botanical Garden Part II

2011-09-23T19:33:00.000+01:00

Botanical Garden Part I

2011-09-21T23:10:00.001+01:00

July Tunic

2011-08-27T00:15:00.003+01:00

I made this tunic during the first couple of weeks in July. I believe it is the most challenging sewing project I’ve completed so far. 'Twas my first project with buttonholes — it has nine of them! The drawstring was a nightmare to turn right-side-out, despite the clever method I attempted to use. The front-side seams were a learning experience because of the differing curves of the two pieces. Overall, it was a challenging and fulfilling project. This is now one of my favorite shirts in my closet! The pattern I used is Simplicity 2365, option D.

I just finished sewing another, different tunic yesterday — one with tucks! I will share pictures soon. I'm currently knitting mittens.

I finished my summer hire job about three weeks ago, and since then I've been resting and sewing. I've also been trying to get my ducks in a row. Prioritizing my time amongst so many things is hard. I tend to become so occupied with one thing (crafting, usually) I forget about making time for the other things. And not to mention, I'm tempted to be lazy.

I've been slow to post more on my blog because I've downloaded a different photo editing program (GIMP), and I don't know how to use it yet! I have so many photos from the summer I want to share, or at least upload to flickr. So I've decided to challenge myself to develop my photo-editing abilities. I want to undergo a self-study of photo-editting through GIMP and resources I can find via library or internet. I hope to be uploading a lot of summer photos to flickr and posting them on my blog in due time. Hopefully this little challenge will also make me a better blogger!

P.S. My 19th birthday is on Tuesday!

Pretty Peas

2011-07-22T22:13:00.004+01:00

Early this year my sister and I decided we wanted to plant some vegetables in the garden. Around May we planted pea plants, and in June and July they were ready to eat! The first ones we ate straight off the vine were so sweet, like watermelon! Unfortunately they became a bit bitter after we kept them in the fridge for a while. We ate them anyway in salads. This month my dad picked the remaining peas and grilled them unpodded. They were absolutely delicious! Much better in the pods, I think. We also planted leeks in May. I can't wait until they're ready to eat!

A bit more recently, I started a full-time summer job! It's a great experience, although I admit I'm a little sad that I don't have more free time. It won't last the whole summer though, so I will still have time-off. Very exciting for me, I just this week got my first computer! I'm hoping to post on my blog a lot more often, work permitting. ;D

Bees

2011-07-17T17:03:00.001+01:00

Here are some pictures of bees in my garden. I really love bees. They're my favorite insects. The last one, however, is actually a bee-mimicking fly, but I wanted to include it anyway. :)

Love Birds

2011-06-16T21:45:00.003+01:00

I had been working on this doily for my mom for quite some time, about two months! It was originally intended to be a Mother's Day gift, but it wasn't finished in time. Making this project was my first time using filet crochet techniques. I finally finished the doily last week on my parents' anniversary. [pattern]

Rainy Country

2011-06-01T23:41:00.008+01:00

Recently, my mom and I went on a nice walk through fields and a little village. It's a really lovely local path that we were surprised we had never been on before. It started to rain as we finished. Here are some pictures of the scenery.