Knitting - Gradient Socks

Pattern: Basic sock pattern, twisted rib cuff, genuine afterthought heel.
Yarn: My hand-dyed gradient 4ply, approx 100g.
Needle: 2.5mm

After I dyed the gradient red/cream sock yarn, I couldn't wait to start knitting with it! So, I dug out a pair of 2.5mm circulars out, and cast on! I decided to put the darker red at the bottom as it would hopefully hold up better to wear and general grubbiness that socks have to deal with.

This was the first time I have done an actual afterthought heel. Normally I leave a line of contrasting yarn where I intend to put the heel, but as I didn't know exactly how long I was going to knit these socks (I wanted to use the whole gradient!) I had to do it properly.
Once I had finished the main sock body, I decided where the heel needed to be based on that.



Since I'm a bit of a stickler for my socks matching, I counted the number of rows so that I could replicate it for the second sock.

Yarn Harlot describes how to do the afterthought heel much more eloquently than I could.

And there you go. Gradient socks, uninterrupted gradient, genuinely afterthought heel.



A note about afterthought heels
Afterthought heels are especially useful if you want to preserve a stripe sequence or colour flow. Normally if you work a heel in a self-striping yarn as part of the knitting of the body of the sock you get an interruption to the stripes where the heel takes up some of the stripes. You can see this on the below picture where the brown stripes narrow over the top of the foot where the heel has been worked.



So, to avoid this, if you knit the heel afterwards you can be sure to preserve the stripes. The other way is to stop at the end of a stripe, knit the heel and then wind off the yarn to the next sensible place to start once the heel is done. This seems wasteful to me, and wouldn't work on a gradient like this.

Sewing - Simplicity 1458 Amazing Fit Dress

Simplicity are running a bloggers' challenge; there are four patterns and five categories in which sewists can participate.

I requested the patterns in the "newcomer" and "dressmaker" categories, in the hope that I would be able to make at least one of those successfully. I went back and checked the rules and realised that I've actually been sewing for too long to be considered a beginner! Oh well, I'm still going to make that skirt!

Aside from the excellent service I've received from Simplicity, I also find the patterns in both the New Look and Simplicity ranges to be easy to follow. I love the fact that the pattern sizes are stacked because it allows me to trace a pattern in one size at the waist, and taper out to a larger size at the hips, since I'm very much a pear shape! I didn't need to do that for this dress, though, as it comes with an option for a "curvy" bottom half!

In the dressmaker category the pattern is 1458 - Amazing Fit Dress.

I decided that I wanted something which would look interesting and fun, something I could wear to the office or to a nice event. Looking at the shapes in the pattern, I thought that using a contrast colour for the side panels could look really interesting, though it would mean that my seams would need to be matched up well! I chose pink and black because I like those colours (you might have guessed that, if you've seen my other makes!)

This has been an excellent learning project for me, as it's encompassed several firsts. I inserted my first genuinely invisible zip, I under-stitched my facings for the first time, and I used the blind hem foot to do the hem for the first time.

Sorry about the weird pose, I was sinking into the grass with those heels!

The fitting instructions in the patterns were very helpful, and allowed me to reduce the excess fabric both above and below my bust (I'm apparently a funny shape). I also took away a little more excess through the side seams to fit a little better at my waist/hip, tapering out to the bottom of the skirt.

I'm really pleased with the dress, I look forward to wearing it!

With hindsight, I may have made it a little more fitted across the waist/back than the pattern calls for, but with my shapewear underneath that won't be a problem.

I don't know whether I'll make another of these. The neckline is a bit higher than I would normally choose in a dress, but it does look great on. I've made this one quite fitted, so I could try a lighter or stretchier fabric and a less close fit. The option for sleeves is appealing as the autumn starts to make itself felt. The great thing about making your own clothes is that you can choose whether to make them fit closer, and exactly where to make the fit closer.