Happy Coat
Sometimes you find a pattern, or two, or a million, that just SCREAM at you to "MAKE ME NOW!" Throw in that's it part of a CAL (Crochet-A-Long) and it's purchased and downloaded before I realize what's happening. Yeah, there's a million other projects screaming at me too, but THIS IS THE ONE!
Can you relate?
When I saw there was a CAL planned by Peppergoose (Susan Walsh) for her Sashiko Happy Coat, I was in. No question. No thinking twice. ALL IN!
I'm SOOOO glad I went for it.
1. Anytime I have an excuse to use my stash of Friday Night Fibers yarn, I'm up for it. Especially if it's something I can use and show off at fiber events.
2. I have been drawing a lot of clothing designs that I want to create patterns for someday, but I know I need to hone my skills more when it comes to garment making.
3. The shape of this jacket and its drape is FABULOUS!
4. PURPLE! I knew this would be stunning in Purple Haze.
As you can see I made some modifications. While I absolutely love the contrast and the design that Susan created, I knew it was a bit much for me. My original plan was to do the embroidery work in the same color as the main coat, which I still did. However, as I was trying to do the sashiko pattern I lost my mind. After several unsuccessful attempts, I went for freeform swirls. (NOTE: This happens to me with quilt projects too. I tend to do more art quilting than traditional blocks for the same reason. I sure appreciate those of you that can do this detail!)
I'm super happy with how it turned out. The fit is absolutely perfect for me as Susan explains all the places to make modifications. I'll probably crochet this one again but make the collar a bit wider as I really like big collars that you can pull up over your head if it suddenly starts raining.
I also used one strand of DK instead of two strands of Fingering as I wanted something more suited for Texas. I think I will try two strands and make a heavier coat for the 2 weeks of winter we get. Maybe I'll attempt the sashiko again - we'll see.
Susan includes videos of the various steps on her blog, so if you feel at all timid, DON'T! There were a couple of places I got stuck, but when I watched the video it became crystal clear.
What do you think?
Craft Joy!
Caré
