I’ve been less on the blog these past few weeks, getting ready to transition into a new job based in Vancouver.
Oddly enough, up until recently, I never saw myself one day moving to Vancouver. This may have something to do with my two years in Calgary – a city I unexpectedly fell in love with for it’s proximity to the Rocky Mountains and it’s friendly people. I unknowingly developed a bias against Vancouver, comparing the down-to-earth and easygoing Calgarians to the less friendly, Lululemon-clad, health crazed Vancouverites. This said, I had never actually lived in Vancouver, so of course my image of Vancouver and it’s people was primarily based on my own negative stereotypes.
Since adjusting to the new reality of moving to Vancouver, so has my perspective. The cost of living in Vancouver is high, yes, but not as high as I had initially expected. And just like moving to any new city, new friends and experiences can easily be had by making use of social networking sites such as Meetup. Or, I could just start another Knit Nights in Vancouver group, because you can never have too many knitting friends! And let’s not forget the countless yarn shops to visit and knit conferences to attend! Based on this Seamworker’s Guide, Vancouver sounds like a true crafter’s paradise.
As for my current WIPs, I’ve got a couple things on the go.
Ramble Shawl
The Ramble Shawl is coming along nicely! The pattern, now that I’ve done more than a few rounds, is now perfectly knitflixable. Of course, if you look closely you might find more than a few mistakes, signs that I was trying to knitflix when my brioche skills weren’t quite up to par.
Freak Street Cowl
I’ve got a new design in the works. I knit this while in Nepal, using a milk cotton yarn I had bought in Malaysia. I liked the look of the cowl, but want to use a ‘stiffer’ type of yarn to give the cowl more structure. I’ll be knitting another version of this once I’ve got the perfect color combo figured out (likely will be some variation of the image below).
The Bridesmaid Dress
I sewed the majority of my bridesmaid dress yesterday, having dyed the fabric the previous week with madder root. I had no idea that sewing was so mentally exhausting! The stretchy fabric turned out to be more of a challenge than I was expecting. The fabric seemed to pucker no matter what I tried. I changed the needle and thread, and played with the tension dial. This all seemed to help a bit – but not enough to completely eliminate the puckering. I think I may start looking for a walking foot to try! The full details (including pics of the final result!) will be in a Part 3 post that I hope to finish later this week. Make sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the series.
The Summer of Making
I can’t believe we’re already half way through July! There are still so many things I want to sew for the Summer of Making, but I think that this may require a trip to either Vancouver or Victoria to get some good fabric. I’ve knit a very comfy summer dress which I love in the same pattern as my bridesmaid dress (Kielo wrap dress by Named). Still on the list of things to maker are the Lazo Trousers, the Victoria Blazer, the Aurora Tank and the Ariane Slip! Okay, I know this sounds like a lot, but it would feel so good to walk into a new job with an entirely new wardrobe of clothes handmade by me! Might as well get a new haircut and tattoo while I’m at it. 😉
Yes, with the start of a new job fast approaching, a big move to go with it, a wedding a month away, and a full plate of crafting, it definitely feels like there is a lot going on! To get the full details on the move, the latest blog posts, and future knit nights in Vancouver, make sure you subscribe to the Wooly Ventures newsletter!
