At Her Leisure

It took ten months, but I finally tried on my 1930's swimsuit and got it all wet to see how much it would sag when wet. Happily, the answer was "not much." The stitch pattern used a lot of slip stitches, which I'm sure is the reason for the success. I did not try wetting the skirt. It isn't actually attached to the main body of the suit so I assume that the original intent of the pattern makers was that it would be removed before swimming.

I didn't test how well it works when actually swimming around since I wanted to try it out in the privacy of my home, just in case it sagged disastrously, but I feel that I could wear it to a vintage pool or beach event without fear.

Since I actually put the whole thing on, I was going to take a couple of pictures, but I couldn't find my camera in its usual spot so I didn't.

The pattern doesn't actually tell you how to fasten the skirt. You leave buttonholes at each end of the skirt's waistband, but it doesn't tell you what goes through those holes. I had thought perhaps they meant for the straps to go through the holes, but the back of the suit is definitely too high for the skirt waist. I think I might look for a 1" blue button to hold it closed with. In the meantime, I could use a short length of blue ribbon.

I finished sewing all the bits and pieces together today so the knitted bathing suit is officially done.
I still need to figure out exactly how the skirt is supposed to be fastened on, but I'll try a couple of things whenever I get around to putting it on for pictures.



It took nine balls of yellow yarn and two balls of blue yarn.

I finished knitting the last of the trim strips for the 1930’s swimsuit tonight. Now I just have to block them and finish making up the swimsuit. It’s so close to being finished.

Now that that knitting is finished, it’s time to cast on something new. I’ve still got the shawl lace to work, but that’s no good for carrying back and forth from work. I’ve knit four repeats of it so far, but I don’t have the pattern memorized yet so it’s not really good for car riding either at this point. I’ve been wanting to make the comb bag to match the nightdress case I made earlier this year so I’m casting that on tonight. It’s best to make it before I really have to relearn the lace pattern.

I finished the skirt front for my swimsuit and cast on the back. The skirt back is the last big piece of the swimsuit. Then it will just be a couple of yards of trim in twisted ribbing.

I finished knitting the back of the 1939 bathing suit last night and am blocking it today. I'm hoping I can sew up the side seams tonight and see whether it even remotely fits. It's supposed to based on the sizing from the pattern, but my confidence isn't especially high. It does stink when you have to do a whole lot of hours of work before you can be sure that it's going to work. (With 6-7 minutes to the row and about 400 rows so far, I've got forty hours in it at the very least already.) Fingers crossed!

I did astonishingly well on my goal list for the weekend. Apparently if you don't actually try to accomplish anything around the house for three solid days, you can do a lot of needlework. I not only finished everything on my list of goals for the weekend except for ordering the yarn since it wasn't available, but I also did all the stretch goals. I even finished a third book that wasn't on my stretch goals.

In sum, I finished reading three books that I was partway through reading, I put the straps on a pair of stays, I finished my cross-stitched Christmas stocking, I started the next piece of each of two knitting projects, I bought and prewashed Hallowe'en costume fabrics, I cut the fashion fabric for one of the costumes, and I assembled the pattern pieces for the other costumes since they've got oversized pieces that had to be taped together. I even blocked or pressed the two knitting projects that I finished.



Officially, I could give one more cross-stitching update, but it's just to say that at the end of week 11, the embroidery was finished. Week 12 assembled the stocking on Monday. I enjoyed doing it, but I'm ready for something else.

I've still got an hour before bed, but I'm not going to do any more laying out or cutting. There's enough time before Hallowe'en that I don't have to cut more than one fabric a day for a bit. I might knit. Or I might start a new book since now I only have one in progress, and it's in my desk at work so I can't read it right now.

I tried my Regency stays with springs on under a dress, and they really don't raise the bust like my other stays do. I don't think that's necessarily a problem; it just means that these can't replace my existing stays. They still might be really comfortable for wearing all day. They might work under the sari dress I made for the Jane Austen festival last year since it goes over the 1790's stays which are a little longer waisted. I also need to move the straps out a bit at the back. They definitely show at the back with them at the point as they are now. Moving them out 2" should be sufficient to fix that.

I've done some knitting this week too and joined in the next ball of yarn on both the 1930's sweater I'm making and the 1930's bathing suit I'm making. I just have 2" left on the bathing suit before anything changes. I get to cast off half the stitches then. I also only have a couple of inches left before the armscye shaping starts on the sweater.

I seem to have more projects in hand at present than usual so I thought I'd do a progress report post on the knitting projects I have on needles at present.

1. 1897 star and leaves circular shawl


The body of the shawl is more than half knit, but I ran of out yarn a month ago. The yarn was supposed to be back in stock in the latter part of August, but that date has slipped to Labor Day weekend. I hope it doesn't slip more than that.

I actually wouldn't be too excited about working on it right now while the temperatures are over 100. It has gotten big enough that it's rather a lap full of wool, which is not very agreeable at present.

2. 1930's bedjacket/cardigan


I finished the first sleeve over the weekend and cast on the second one. I'm on my third ball of yarn. This one is progressing nicely, partly because it's the project I usually work on at lunchtime after I've finished eating.

I still have a long way to go because I still have to knit the back, the second side of the front, and the second sleeve. Yes, I know knitting the sleeves before the body is weird, but I was trying to gauge how much more yarn I would need after I used more on the front than I had anticipated.

3. 1939 suimsuit


I haven't done a lot with this one yet. In a fit of backwardness, I started this even though I only had the contrast yarn and not the main yarn so I started with one of the brassiere and strap pieces and am working my way down the strap. I still have another foot to go to finish this piece. I ordered the yarn for the main body of the swimsuit over the weekend and will start on it after it arrives.

My main project continues to be my cross-stitched Christmas stocking, but if I get tired of that, I expect the swimsuit will bubble up and take over my evenings for a bit.