Neopolitan

Just typing that title makes me want ice cream. It was 106 degrees here yesterday, and the last thing I needed was a long-sleeved shirt and a sweater vest. Well, I know just how to fix that!

Super Simple or Something Special

I have discovered that skirts made from t-shirts are, by far, The. Most. Comfy. Skirts. Ever. Starting out with tees that already have a built-in waistband just makes the conversion process that much easier.

Quick Fix

I made a couple tweaks to a top I've had for a while. The armholes were far too loose, and the length was all wrong for my abbreviated torso. I always felt like it made me look preggo. But the crochet detail and the ombre effect (orange!) were great.

Big Dress to Small[er] Dress

I love orange. Pumpkin, rust, cinnabar, apricot, tangerine, construction cone orange, you name it. So when I saw this lovely orange jersey dress at the thrift store, I knew its rusty ruffles were coming home with me, despite the fact that it was a 3XL. No worries! I had a plan.

Eastern Influence Necklace and a T-Shirt Remake

I've had an incredibly crafty weekend, but let's start off slow.

Saturday evening, we celebrated a friend's birthday with delicious Ethiopian food, followed by English cider, Belgian lambic, and German beer (don't worry - that wasn't all consumed by one person). To match the multicultural evening, I gifted this friend a necklace with a bit of Chinese flare.

I found these little coin charms at Hobby Lobby for half off, and combined them with some red seed beads and brass findings. The birthday girl seemed to really like it too!

Secondly, I confiscated an old t-shirt of my husband's, never worn anymore due to a small hole under one arm and a large one at the bottom of the back. But since I planned to cut both of those pieces off, those holes didn't phase me a bit! I followed this lovely tutorial to turn this...

into this!

My only deviation from the tutorial was the addition of bust darts on the sides. There was a considerable amount of gaping at the armholes once I removed the sleeves, so those needed to be closed up for modesty's sake.

Stay tuned for more weekend projects!

Lacy Nightie Makeover

I picked up this little cotton nightie at the thrift store for $3 a little while back. I wasn't overly thrilled with the floral design - pale pink and peach, but blotchy in a way that made it hard to tell if it was an intentional color pattern or just faded weirdly. A plan began to take shape in my mind. I had never dyed anything before, and it was about time I gave it a whirl!

Summer Stripes

A few weeks back, I was given two button-up tops. They were the exact same shirt - same brand, same size, but with different stripe patterns. And although they were too large for me, I did really like the stripes.

Oh Captain, My Captain

I know, I know - long time, no blog. I have no excuse but the tendency of life to continually get in the way. However! I plan to be better about it in the future, and I offer my sincerest apologies for my negligence.

So what's been happening in CarissaLand this past year, you ask? Well, I, like so many others, have discovered the joy, nay, the ecstasy of a little website called Pinterest. Over the past 12 months, my creative juices have begun to flow at an alarming rate. Now if only I can figure out how to stop pinning, put down the laptop, and actually craft something! It's more difficult than it sounds, honestly.

My most recent obsession: refashioning. Yeah, it's a word. Or at least, it is now. Due to recent weight loss, none of my clothes fit anymore. So what's a girl to do? I can't really afford to go out and buy an entire new wardrobe (though I can't deny there's bit a decent bit of buying). Now I'm not going to promise to craft only from my old fat-clothes, or to make something new every single day, like some awesome people. But I will try my best to make do with what I have, or with what I can find at thrift stores and on clearance racks. After all, there's no point in spending tons of cash on clothes that I'll just [hopefully] under-grow in another few months.

Behold, my latest creation! I found a Brendan Morrow (captain of the Dallas Stars) t-shirt at the thrift store for $1. Being the hockey fan I am, I knew I needed this shirt, but the collar was way too tight, and my head way too large as to make pulling it on and off a pain.

A Little Summer Somethin'

The beauty of this pattern is in its simplicity and adaptability. It is essentially a basic top-down raglan, but only the back and sleeves involve raglan increases; the front starts with the total number of stitches already. This gives the neckline a nice drape. Elegant, but also versatile! Use a textured yarn, maybe work in a lace pattern, lengthen the sleeves, or perhaps use a lace-weight at a bulky gauge for a gauzy top – whatever you like!

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Finished Bust Measurement:


Gauge:
Your yarn and needle size are not terribly important for this pattern, as long as you can achieve one of the following gauges per 4in/10cm in stockinette stitch.


Materials:
Depending on your gauge and bust size, below are approximate yardage requirements.

Two 40/in/100cm long circular needles, one in the appropriate size to obtain your chosen gauge above, another two sizes smaller for ribbing
Four stitch markers
Waste yarn
Tapestry needle

Concentric Socks

Imagine dipping your toes into a swimming pool on a warm spring day, testing the water temperature before diving in. Watch the ripples on the surface radiate outward and slowly disappear. Now imagine those ripples mirrored onto your leg. Due to the angle of the knitting, these socks are constructed without the need for a heel-flap, or a short-row heel, or an afterthought heel, or any of the conventional methods. The heel is instead shaped using increases and decreases alone. The sample was knit by changing yarns every four rounds to synthesize that rippled effect. However, self-striping yarn could easily be substituted for a similar effect.

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Materials:
Color A - Schachenmayr Nomotta Regia Cotton [41% Wool, 34% Cotton, 25% Nylon; 215yds/197m per 1.76oz/50g skein]; color: #152; one skein
Color B - Classic Elite Yarns Summer Sox Solid [40% Merino Wool, 40% Cotton, 20%
Nylon; 175yds/160m per 1.76oz/50g skein]; color: #5581; one skein
US #1/2.25mm 40-in/100cm circular needle
Tapestry needle

Finished Measurements:
Foot circumference = 8in/20cm
Foot length = Adjustable

Gauge:
30sts/46rows = 4in/10cm in stockinette stitch