DIY Christmas Wish List: Butchcraft

30. November 2016 ~ claraundco ~ Kommentar hinterlassen

This year I have two books on my wish list for christmas and they seem to follow a topic: Butchcraft. They feature practical outdoorsy projects, lots of (handmade!) tools and beautiful photographs. They are a nice surprise in a sector that is mostly considered feminine, and a great addition to The Manly Art of Knitting. There are many exciting patterns out there with an androgynous, menswear-inspired or outdoor feel, like the new Kelly Anorak pattern, the Cooper Backpack or the classic Archer Button Up. It is nice to have some more butch patterns in book form now!

Here we go!

Molla Mills: Crochetterie – Cool Contemporary Crochet for the Creatively-Minded

crochetterie

Molla Mills, the reigning queen of crochet, has outdone herself again in her latest book. Her designs feature lots of typography, geometric patterns and great colors. What I am very excited about is, that Crochetterie features the instructions on how to carve your own crochet hook! This is right up my ally – making literally everything, even the tool you use! She also writes about how to stretch your hands and body after crocheting, a great addition for this risk group for carpal-tunnel syndrome… I cross my fingers that this book will make it under the tree this year, maybe I will be able to show you some crochet projects in 2017 (I think the last crochet project I finished was a yellow mouse in primary school…)!

Anton Sandqvist: Heavy Duty Sewing

heavy-duty_sewing

One of the founders of the Swedish backpack company Sandqvist seems to be a passionate maker, as a side project he has published a book on how to make functional and beautiful accessories yourself and sells the fabric you will need in a small online shop. The style is similar to the ready-made bags and backpacks they sell, colorful, with leather details and a simple, timeless design. Sadly this book exists only in Swedish so far, but I have asked, and apparently an English publisher is interested in translating it. But to be honest, the book looks so great, I would be totally ready to google translate my way through it (and focus on the photos…)! If non-Japanese people are buying Japanese knitting patterns, then Swedish should be doable, no?

Maybe you are inspired to gift one of these to yourself or your favorite crafty butch?! I am just ignoring, by the way, that Molla Mills‘ book is dedicated to the crafty men in her life and doing a queer reading of Sandqvist’s work. Admit it, both books have a very dykey feel to it 😉 I am very convinced the outdoors, practical crafts and crafty adventures are not just for guys and women in general are very underrepresented in this field, just like the creators of Misadventures Magazine (another great gift idea by the way!). I get, that it’s interesting for (small) creative businesses to open up and directly speak to another demographic, but wouldn’t it be even greater to smash these stereotypes?

Anyway, for now I will keep my fingers crossed that both books will find their way in my christmas present corner, so I can hopefully present you some good Butchcraft in the new year! Maybe I will collect my thoughts on arts, crafts and gender for another time…

A Cherry Fuzzy 80s Sweater

22. November 201623. November 2016 ~ claraundco ~ 1 Kommentar

I already finished this cardigan early this year, but never came around to write about it (or attach buttons…). I love vintage knitting and sewing patterns and clearly have a soft spot for 80s fashion and this cardigan combines both. I found the pattern browsing in the Drops Garnstudio Pattern catalog, it is in one of the earliest collections from the late 80s. I highly recommend having a look at the patterns! They are all for free and available in many languages. There are some great 80s and Norwegian sweater designs…

Weiterlesen „A Cherry Fuzzy 80s Sweater“ →

How to Make Longer Jeans Pockets

17. November 201617. November 2016 ~ claraundco ~ Kommentar hinterlassen

We all probably know these nice women’s jeans, well fitting, nice color… But then the usual disappointment: A move with the hands to the pockets – they’re tiny (or even worse: fake)! So tiny that your hands don’t even fit as fist, not even considering keys, phone or a wallet.

So I have these jeans, and the pockets don’t even fit the first half of my fingers. To make them more wearable I decided to give them an easy and invisible makeover (This also works for pockets that are ripped, have holes or a re worn out!):

This is how far my hand enters! Ridiculous!

Step 1

Cut off the bottom seam of your pocket in a straight line, the pocket is now open.

Step 2

Chose a nice non-stretchy fabric you have leftover from another project, you don’t need much. Measure the width of the pocket opening, and how much length you want to add to your pockets. You can do this by measuring your hands, your phone or the pockets of another pair of jeans that are big enough.

Step 3

Cut your new pocket rectangles from the fabric (add seam allowances!) and start by sewing the rectangles to the bottom of the original pockets. It doesn’t have to be especially beautiful, you won’t see the pockets from the outside of your pants.

Step 4

Close the side and bottom seams of your new pocket and finish the edges as desired.

Step 5

Try on and enjoy! Bury your hands in your new pockets! Stuff everything you need inside! No more annoying handbags at parties!

This is how far my hand fits now! Success!

How to… Make a Roll-Top Camera Bag

9. November 201613. Oktober 2016 ~ claraundco ~ Kommentar hinterlassen

photopocket4

I made this simple but effective set of bags a while ago for my girlfriend, who is a photographer, and therefore needs all sorts of bags for different lenses and cameras. I don’t like these giant camera bags that fit exactly one specific camera with one specific lens, so I thought about a bag that gives some protection and is easily adjustable for all sorts of lenses and cameras. Here it is!

photopocket3

The lining is a wool felt that I had leftover from making mittens and the outer fabric is a simple black cotton, and the bag is closed using pink velcro. You could easily make it waterproof by swapping the outer layer.

photopocket2

Camera Bag:

For a bag with the finished measurements of 15x11x25cm you need to cut a 25x55cm rectangle of lining and fabric (add seam allowances depending on the thickness of your fabric) for the sides and a 11x15cm rectangle for the bottom (add seam allowances). Sew the bottom part to the long side of the large rectangle and close the side seam. Finish your seams and hem the top of the bag. Add the velcro: the scratchy part in the lower middle of the back of the bag, the scratchy part to the lower middle of the front of the bag, so you can attach the two parts while rolling the top.

I cut the lining a bit shorter to avoid having to fold over the thick wool felt.

Lens Bag:

The construction is basically the same, just start out with a 18x27cm rectangle and a circle with a 9cm diameter.

photopocket1

Inspiration: Knitwear Designer Laerke Bagger

5. November 20163. November 2016 ~ claraundco ~ Kommentar hinterlassen

The other day, while procrastinating on Instagram, I discovered the colorful work of Danish knitwear designer Laerke Bagger. Especially when the weather is getting more and more grey here in Berlin, the multicolored and multitextured sweaters and cardigans make me want to start knitting with pearls and leftover yarn right away. I might start with a fuzzy pillow or a pearly hat. But I am definitely also considering a pearly sweater for fancy winter events. But see for yourself!

Maybe this Wild Mohair Cardigan pattern could be a start…