tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71590457465353586322018-07-01T03:35:58.474-04:00Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-60845878178523244612018-04-25T17:44:00.001-04:002018-04-25T17:44:45.659-04:00

Hi everyone!  Welcome back!  I'd like to start off by saying that being able to sew again, even in little fits and starts, has made me feel so HAPPY!! Just being able to sit down and create something I've been imagining is so empowering, isn't it? I've got another Fen Dress to share with you today.  Like my plaid version, I used double gauze for this one.  I freely admit to falling down the

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-55000632240653813282018-04-21T17:40:00.001-04:002018-04-21T17:40:19.421-04:00

I'm really pleased to have two finished objects to share with you today.  A recent string of good days allowed me to get back to my sewing machine and check another item off my 2018 Make Nine List.  But first, the cardigan.  I am really proud of this cardigan.  It's the Comfort Fade Cardi by Andrea Mowry and it's my first fade garment project that I really love.  I treated myself and used

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-45598736654475104032018-04-09T08:42:00.003-04:002018-04-09T08:42:41.957-04:00

  Hello everyone and welcome back!  I'd like to share my makes from the first quarter of this year, which, quite frankly, feels like it's whizzed by! Except for last week which felt 19 days long for some reason! I've really felt the need to get back to basics in my making this year.  I've fallen back in love with simple stitches, simple construction, and simple silhouettes. I bought the

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-3098417973416973802018-03-21T17:34:00.002-04:002018-03-21T17:40:25.044-04:00

Since my last post, lo these many months ago, I have been quietly working away behind the scenes on my Make Nine projects.  First up is a new favourite: the South Bay Sweater.  The simplicity of the stockinette and garter stitches caught my attention and rebooted my love of simple knits.  It is an engaging knit, and, like the So Faded Sweater, the project starts out knitting short rows flat

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-84723161832479236862017-12-24T19:11:00.002-05:002017-12-26T19:36:25.852-05:00

Hello and welcome to you, friends! I want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  If you don't celebrate those holidays, I wish you a happy winter and hope that you have some lovely hygge-filled nests in which to snuggle and relax.  I have a pot of fish stew bubbling away on the stove and a large bottle of Bailey's cooling in the freezer for my after dinner

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-50234102145790375212017-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:002017-11-09T08:00:13.580-05:00

I have finished my second Find Your Fade Shawl! Whew! It turned into a bit of an epic knit as it hibernated for a few months while I deliberated over the last 2 colours to use, but it's finally off the needles, blocked, and on me!  I really enjoyed knitting my first Fade Shawl.  I had not knit anything so big before and the stitches became meditative.  As that shawl now lives with my

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-52616162942903432262017-11-01T08:00:00.000-04:002017-11-01T08:00:11.949-04:00

  Despite the woes of crafting with chronic illness, as I talked about in a recent post, I have been able to do a bit of sewing lately in small spurts with long rests in between.  I saw my Rheumatologist recently who confirmed that I have Psoriatic Arthritis and Fibromyalgia, which explains the chronic pain I've been experiencing for several years outside of the arthritis pain.  It feels so

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-63418109194768108112017-10-25T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-25T08:00:02.413-04:00

I love sewing; it's one of my most favourite creative pursuits. Coming back to blogging has been such a positive experience; my mood has been in an upswing since my first post.  With the exception of my Fen top and lemon Roberts Dungarees, all the makes I've shared here were made over the past year and a half.  Sewing is still a full-contact sport for me, which has been incredibly hard to

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-35345514023914408362017-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-18T08:55:01.563-04:00

Oh, have I got a whopper for you today!  These may be the craziest things I've ever made and I am unabashedly in love with them.  It all started with Roisin's 'Good God, Lemon' dress. Roisin is a pretty inspiring Sewcialist, isn't she?  Her handmade dresses are beautiful and I love how she uses a variety of prints that really show off her personality.  When I saw the Good God, Lemon dress on

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-45424613301612248062017-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-17T18:09:52.341-04:00

I knit this jumper late last year (I finished it just after Christmas) and wore it constantly until the weather warmed up.  I finally managed to block it just a few weeks ago and now that it's 'presentable,' I'd like to share it with you. Mist is a self-drafted, top-down, seamless, raglan sleeve jumper, which is my very favourite to knit and wear.  This was definitely a therapeutic knit as I

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-88810077824810531792017-10-04T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-17T18:10:03.313-04:00

Dottie Angel tunic worn with a Briar Top in ribbed knit I've got another pink make to share with you today!  Pink really is my happy colour and when I'm well enough to sew, I'm darn well going to work with something that makes me feel good :) This is my most recent Simplicity 1080; otherwise, known as the Dottie Angel Dress.  I started working on these late last fall and slowly plugged away

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-2808183413260132922017-09-26T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-17T18:10:13.653-04:00

Long time readers will know that hot pink is a neutral in my wardrobe, so it's no surprise that today I'm sharing another pink themed garment. Over the last few months, I have been slowly sewing a small collection of Marilla Walker's Maya Tops.  As Katie said in a recent Love to Sew podcast, if Marilla Walker became my personal pattern designer, I would love it! The Maya top is a beautiful

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-70041841111039700652017-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-17T18:10:46.342-04:00

I made a thing!  Hallelujah, I can still make things! It takes me about 2 weeks to sew a garment nowadays.  While that does make me feel frustrated sometimes, I am trying to be positive and embrace the slow.  That being said, I chose to sew this top with French seams and it was so satisfying. This is the first garment I've finished for my fall/winter capsule.   I'm coming out of a

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-23751517413761976162017-09-13T15:03:00.001-04:002017-09-22T15:53:44.905-04:00

Wristbands from Stickman Communications Chronic illness sucks.  Autoimmune diseases suck.  They drain the life out of everything that you value and take over your life like a plague.  They skew your thinking and impair your mobility.  You become a full-time patient; the exact opposite of who you are as a person.  I am one of those people. In trying to find balance between illness and

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-69702962989716135392017-07-03T13:43:00.000-04:002017-09-30T18:44:36.013-04:00

  Over the last several months, I've made a conscious choice to embrace simplicity on a deeper level than I have previously.  I have always lived simply - smaller home, smaller car, buying second hand instead of new - but taking a more mindful approach has had a tremendously positive effect on my health.  Choosing to worry less means less anxiety.  Choosing to be 'unbusy' means less guilt

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-13954076384616266782017-06-25T13:45:00.000-04:002017-09-30T18:45:07.168-04:00

I have finished my first item from my Summer of Basics plans!  Right off the top, I have to say that I am delighted with how it turned out.  I do realize that Harriet looks nothing like my originally planned item, Clio, and I'll chalk that one up to the best laid plans of mice and (wo)men.  I did cast on Clio and soon realized that this lovely sweater needed the bounce and stretch of wool and

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-54528240621641377502017-06-01T13:25:00.000-04:002017-09-13T13:44:43.648-04:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-2743529595716159582017-05-17T13:47:00.000-04:002017-09-13T13:48:57.943-04:00

My sewing practice has switched over the last 18 months to 75% planning and 25% sewing as my energy still depletes quickly.  While initially frustrating, this has turned out to be a blessing in disguise and I have slowed down my sewing process.  I now sew French seams in the bulk of my makes and I am making much more thoughtful decisions about what I add to my handmade wardrobe.  I need to

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-70176049473544238432017-04-28T13:56:00.000-04:002017-09-13T15:49:37.824-04:00

Today I'd like to share one of my recent makes, which is, quite frankly, a personal knitting triumph.  Like many others, I was captivated by the Find Your Fade shawls as soon as yarn combinations and WIP photos began popping up on Instagram. It took me a little while to cast on my own as I was quite a bit intimidated by the sheer size of the shawl and the fact that it was knit with fingering

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-5012727571116041692017-03-03T13:53:00.000-05:002017-09-13T13:55:30.825-04:00

One of the amazing things I've learned so far this year is sock knitting.  I am enchanted by it and have fallen in love (as well as fallen down the rabbit hole) of sock yarn.  Self-striping preferred.  It's been raining for days here and there's no decent light to be had for love nor money.  I had to lighten these photos quite a bit, so if they look wonky, that's why. The turning point in

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-63793169239106555122017-02-14T09:40:00.004-05:002017-04-28T01:02:19.974-04:00

Friends, I am an official sock knitting addict.  It's true! Never in a million years did I think that knitting socks would be so satisfying!  To date, I've knit four pairs and have another on the needles. My daughter has also fallen in love with handknit socks, as well as merino yarn.  My mulled socks and aloha socks now reside on her feet and in her sock drawer, respectively.  She finds the

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-32908210677434810862017-01-16T13:26:00.001-05:002017-04-28T01:02:19.883-04:00

I never thought that I would become a sock knitter.  Being under the impression that DPNs were required for the entire sock project was not something I relished - they often feel like wrestling octopuses (octopi?) - and I felt that was definitely more trouble than a pair of socks were worth. It wasn't until Lucy of Attic24 started knitting her own socks on tiny circular needles that my

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-53369485299181077782017-01-01T21:16:00.002-05:002017-04-28T01:02:19.946-04:00

I don't discuss politics or activism on my blog as they are something I prefer to do quietly and in  my own time.  However, global events of 2016 and their potential repercussions in 2017 have prompted me to discuss them today. I want to reiterate that my blog will continue to be a safe place where your gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation  will never be held in judgement.  You can

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-25413467940178570802016-10-22T18:45:00.001-04:002017-04-28T01:02:19.860-04:00

The more I knit the more I like to experiment with knitting.  That's where this jumper came from.  I had just finished my Anya cardigan (something I'm debating about publishing) and had fallen hard for Cascade yarns. It was August and I was in my local yarn store deciding on yarn for the Campside Shawl when I saw this beautiful green heathered yarn on their Cascade wall.  I was hooked. 

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7159045746535358632.post-20208121029713346622016-06-23T17:13:00.000-04:002017-04-28T01:02:19.852-04:00

Yesterday, I finished knitting my first ever shawl.  I love it! I had never knitted shawl before thinking that they would not be practical for my wardrobe and that they were generally knit with 'skinny' yarn that is hard on my hands.  I was wrong on both counts. This is the Miami Vice shawl.  I knit is as part of Katie and Erik's Void Shawl KAL.  Sadly, I couldn't knit the Void Shawl

Sarah Sparkleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148287053331634511noreply@blogger.com0