At Her Leisure

I got marianme to take pictures of my new stockings this weekend.





I kind of hate them. They're a little hard to get over the heel just because cotton doesn't stretch as much as wool does. Whenever I went downstairs, my boots rubbing the back of the legs would pull them down just a little so that I'd end up with a wrinkle under my heel. Walking on a wrinkle is not comfortable. It's also not easy pulling socks back up when wearing boots. I am happy enough with the foot, though I had thought I'd have more length in the foot based on my first try-on where I ended up ripping back an inch. Go figure; knitting is squirmy.

So now I have a definite second-class pair of stockings. That makes two pair of cotton stockings I've made (one plain and one patterned), and they're my least favorite pairs out of all the stockings I've made. These weren't even fun to make. If I say I'm going to make another pair of cotton stockings, someone please talk me out of it!

Now that the bathing suit and stockings are done, I'm starting a shawl to use up some of the leftover yarn from the 17th century waistcoat. It's another Weldon's pattern, this time from the first volume. It's meant to be patterned eyelets on a garter stitch ground, but I don't want a garter stitch ground so I'm going to do it on a stockinette ground. I'm two rows in so I have a very, very long way to go.

Meetings most of the afternoon meant I got to the toe of my stocking. I expect it and the swimsuit will be finished this weekend.

I turned the heel on my stocking!

Here's the back of my current 1930's bathing suit project, all steamed and ready to sew up.



The front of the skirt is drying now.

I pinned the bathing suit together and tried it on. It looks like it will fit just fine. I pinned and pressed the first section (back of the shorts). Now I'll go through a cycle of pinning and pressing the various pieces, which will take several days since I like everything to dry thoroughly.

After a couple of days off of it, I started back up on my stocking. I finished the decreases in the leg and have about seventy more rows until I start the heel flap. I did the math today, and if I do ten rows per day, I can finish on the way to Port Townsend. So maybe I’ll have new stockings for that?

I’m halfway through the decreases for the ankle on my stocking. I’m making rapid progress, too rapid, in fact. My hand is a little sore from too much stiff knitting these last few days. I had been trying to do ten rows per day this week, but I’m going to give that up the next couple of days. I had a crazy idea I might be able to finish this stocking by Pt. Townsend, but I think that’s probably not tenable.

I spent yesterday evening working on the bathing suit. I finished the front of the shorts and started the front of the skirt. I'm about halfway through the stripes at the bottom. The shorts took a little more than half a ball of yarn, and I only have three so I might need more. I'll see how far I get with the first one and then decide.

I had enough orange yarn for the edging but not the handle or the tassels. Fortunately I bought it from a physical store instead of an online one so I should be able to go in and get more.

Instead I wound a couple of balls of wool for another 1930’s bathing suit. I know I don’t need it, but they’re so much fun.