Talking patterns, knitting and sewing

I found a knitting pattern for my stashed rowan moordale yarn. The yarn is quite rustic and did not need cables and intricate details, I also wanted bottom up. Good yarn is massively expensive nowadays and I am careful to be precise when matching gauge and pattern

It took me 4 hours but I found one and have knitted 6 inches so far, a very easy nice mindless knit. Leana in a book called the croft, dk collection 1 by west yorkshire spinners.

My knitting patterns were not well arranged, I had so many and so many rav downloads too. I bought some ring files and poly pockets, put labels on and everything is now sorted, easy to see at a glance. Apart from what is in my many books, I have a lot of Kim Hargreaves and other rowan books. Too nice to sell on ravelry but not so easy to see what is in them

Sewing patterns now, I have hundreds and mostly indie. I have pdfs and paper and they are all catalogued so I go to my eg skirts section and can see at a glance the mini drawings and brief description. I use business cards in folders for that. I have 4 x 300 card folders from amazon, they are not full folders btw

Last night I got into my many ottobre womens magazines and remember the wonderful parka coat I made, the beautiful fit and design and how I wore it for many years.

For a cheap way to get patterns, then look at ottobre women, I think 16 patterns in a magazine. All traceable and the briefest instructions. A bit more work to get the paper pattern out of it as it needs to be traced from multi pattern sheets but excellent drafting

I have a stash of 18 these magazines on my coffee table right now and that will occupy me today.

I have taken all my ottobre off my shelf and am copying and filing the outline pattern page of each, some have 19 patterns and they are all shown on one page. My first copy is from 2006 and there are so many garments that I would wear now. Those pages are going to a simple ring binder on a handy shelf

I have found my parka coat pattern in autumn/winter 2013 and am happy to say that I can go down two sizes. I shall have to start again with tracing and adding a seam allowance and yes it is daunting but I have done it before and the result became one of my best ever favourite garments, it has a lining and I am going to choose the perfect fabric later today

I believe that filing the outline pattern pages will enable me to keep using these lovely magazines. I have topped up a few back issues from dots n stripes and btw their childrens ottobre magazines are outstanding and so is their quick service

dotsnstripes.co.uk/

New-ish to sewing, I'm remaking charity shop buys plus going through my wardrobe and refashioning various items, but in due course I'll certainly try using patterns and love the look of the Ottobre magazine, which I'd never heard of.

I re-started using ottobre yesterday and thoroughly recomend, provided you are meticulous in tracing, adding the markers etc. Everything is there but it is not hand-holding

I did the initial tracing with normal thick tracing paper on a big roll as it is easy to see through. 17 pieces for the parka and I was supposed to use french chalk to draw around the pieces, to add the seam allowances. I would do that for tops and especially for childrens clothes but not for this complicated garment. I am now in process of tracing over the drafting paper with papertrace, which will store easily, adding the seam allowance of 3/8 and will end up with easy-use pattern pieces

There are 19 patterns on the pattern sheets, really all the patterns in my ottobres are lovely. , works out at about 50p a pattern and there are many with only 3 or 4 easy pieces. It is about getting used to it. There are coloured numbers on the bottom edge and eg black number 7, follow the number up and the pattern piece will be there with the 7 marked

Sounds fascinating, and I do like a challenge! I may buy a single copy and see what's involved. Adult patterns though, not children's.

I am trying maison fauve at the moment. Their patterns are so `french` chic and stylish. Almost finished their free pattern, am trying it for fit as the measurement layout is very different to the spoon -fed ones from other companies. I am only using a `cheap` tencel from a remnant sale but I think I will end up with a nice cool wearable garment for next summer

free patterns. I am making the tilda blouse

maison-fauve.co.uk/collections/free-patterns

Dressing gown with zip, none has been available in pattern form for many years. This one has been released this week

Butterick B6967

Can easily be converted to buttons

Been sorting through the last of my knitting stash. Patterns and wool. Only keeping a small amount of wool to make things for me. So many patterns and Rowan magazines!!!!

I empathise readsalot, I took some of my rowan mags to the cs. I would never wear some of the fashion knits

Nina Lee southbank sweater/dress, downloaded A4 from pdf this morning, took me 1 hour to stick and cut out. I did layers sizes 14 and 16, graded to 16 from armscye down. Its a miserable day so I`ll be happy to sew the dress version in a length of fleece- back from stash. Only alteration was reduce sleeve length by 2"

If below hip does not fit then I will just cut off to make the sweatshirt

I never used Nina Lee patterns and am impressed at the clarity, unlike juiana martyjevs turtleneck, I am deleting JM poorly constructed pattern from my laptop

I love Ravelry for inspiration. If you have a creative mind you can look at the construction of the garment from the photos and also the projects as people post sections of the garment they've knitted. I knitted Bristol Ivy's Anther after studying the photos. I worked it top-down, making the shoulders/sleeve caps first, then picking up stiches for the back and fronts, joining them under the armholes and knitting down to the hem and finally the cuffs and neckband. The feather and fan and umbrella lace can be found on any platform search. I also knitted her Waits cardigan. This to was an easy to knit from studying the photos. I don't buy sewing patterns as they need to much alteration, instead I make my own simple designs