Buttoned Crochet Jacket

We're nearing the end of winter here in Wellington and the flowers are beginning to bloom and remind me that sunny summer days aren't too far away.  The magnolia tree near our house always reminds me of spring's imminent arrival.  

Over winter, LP (little person) needed a few warmer layers to get through the colder weather.  Rather than purchase I wanted to use up stash to make her something.  I crocheted a 'Buttoned Jacket' by Mon Petit Violon Designs.  

Its got an 'average' difficulty weighting. It wasn't a difficult crochet but I'm not super impressed with the pattern.  On the plus side, it has three different stitches.  Double crochet for the yoke with increases, a cluster type stitch (double then single) for the body, and a single then chain for the sleeves. 

I used two types of yarn for the cardi; the lighter green was left over from blanket I made for LP (and finished while in the early stages of labour!).  I'm trying very hard not to build up my yarn stash again!  The darker was three new balls from knitworld bought to match up the weight and finish off the cardi.  Of course, now I'm left with a different green in stash!  I even bought the  balls one at a time so I could just work with what I needed - but didn't quite manage to finish with the end of a ball.

I love the cluster stitch in the body - but the yoke increases at the back make it bobble out a bit and I don't think I got the tension right on the sleeves - they're a bit tighter than the rest of the make.  The jacket is also a little on the short side so I added a few rows to the arms and body.  I also changed the fastenings as I didn't really like the additional straps.  The cardi doesn't close up/fold over in front (I should have paid more attention to the photos of the pattern) and I should have probably blocked it to reduce the bobbled in the yoke at the back.  I *think* the pattern may have the wrong numbers for the body part row 1 as the numbers didn't seem to stack up for me.  But I winged it and didn't spend the time trying to figure out if it was me or the pattern.  Not a make I'd be keen on doing again so I didn't waste the time.

Yarn: 1 ball of Peter Pan merino baby (light green) and 2.5 balls of Broadway yarns Merino DK (100% superfine merino superwash - 50g balls - darker green - colour 31 - wash at 30 degrees and cool iron).  Both purchased at Knitworld.

Pattern: 'Buttoned Jacket' by Mon Petit Violon Designs.  Size: 12-24 months.  

Changes: Lengthened sleeves and body by a few rows by eye as it was a little short on LP.  Possibly something weird on row 1 for the body for size 12-24 months.  I also didn't bother crocheting up the front and just finished the neckline in the darker green.

Hook size: can't remember (but I did swatch first!)

New me!

I started my blog just after I moved to New Zealand over 10 years ago. I’ve really enjoyed cataloging my makes and joining the great international sewing and crafting community. I've made some wonderful sewing friends as part of Fabric Hoarders (you wonderful people!) and really enjoy seeing their bloggy makes.  They've also taught me a tonne (especially Wendy of Sew Biased who introduced me to the world of FBAs!). Further fueling my sewing journey, I also joined the Wellington Sewing Bloggers Network and managed to meet even more sewing superstars as well as get the low down on fabric sales in the Wellington Region (which has led to both fantastic fabric purchases and serious FOMO).

But I wasn’t ever happy with the blog name. I work in a very public facing role in a heavily male dominated area so am keen to keep my personal and public life separate. (I'm already odd enough - in comparative terms anyway!)  I don't want to put my real name on here.  I don't want it to be searchable when I'm in my normal role, a consulting expert, serving on a government committee, or stepping into or applying for new roles.  It just feels a little 'off' to link my hobbies to my work.  Although I could completely understand someone else in the same situation choosing the other way.  What ever feels right for you!

But I wanted a blog name that was a little less 'girlie' - the blog was called Crafty Mermaid after a nickname a friend gave me but as a blog, it never really felt like me.

I'm not sure that sewmancer does either but I adore the -mancer suffix.  I came across it as geomancy (and necromancy if I'm also being honest!).  Geomancy according to Wikipedia (the fount of all verified and unverified knowledge) is:

"a method of divination that interprets markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rocks, or sand."

The suffix can also be use to describe "a manipulator of a certain element".  So the sewmancer blog is born.  - I am hoping to distance myself from the other less favourable mancer :) -

When I started crafty mermaid, I had just started to sew but now its my primary hobby and most sanity saving pastime. I *was* about to say primary crafting hobby but a lot of the others have significantly reduced with fewer 'me' hours after little person was born about a year and a half ago.  I also crochet and card make.  But while still crochet quite a bit, I'm just not as prolific and card making has fallen off a lot.  Jewelry/beading, cross stitch, baking, or fimo haven't really gotten much of a look in for years.

I'm going to leave the old blog up and running as I'd hate to lose my catalog of makes and just start posting here.  I've a bit of a backlog to get through so posting is likely to be intense then sporadic as per usual!

So hello and welcome to the new pad...  Feel free to stay a while and to say hi!

[photos from random previous makes on crafty mermaid]