Modesty's Costume Closet

 Continuing from my previous post on my adventure with this potential yarn project: Tomioka's Haori. Once I knew how much yarn I'd need, I needed to buy it. However, turns out 15 balls of yarn is expensive! (Who knew!?) So...this started me on a journey of research for the best price! This leads me to consider other yarn brands and yarn weights.  Finding Similar but Cheaper Yarn It will be a roll of the dice whether you're lucky to find a more economical price and have the yarn include all the same features as your original plan or whatever the pattern called for. This is where the internet helps us. Some websites have categories of different yarns that you can search by weight, fiber type, price range, gauge, and more. Ravelry has an extensive yarn database. But I also like to use Yarnsubs.com.  Search engines or AI can help identify alternatives for you as well by typing in "an alternative to brand name yarn".  Or you can go to your preferred yarn shop in person...

 I have no focus lately. 😝 But I have be weirdly distracted by a potential NEW yarn cosplay project...Tomioka's Haori. Went to see the Infinity Castle movie at the theater and remembered that I had made a color chart. So busted that out...saw I did the cube pattern wrong and fixed it. Also re-calculated measurements and adjusted things because I had set it to the gauge for loom knitting...and I'm going to crochet this one.  But that's not the point of this post...just the inspiration. This post is going to be the various ways I tried to estimate how many balls of yarn I'd need for this project. So...here are the facts. This is my own pattern and it is untested! I know the brand and colors I WANT to use but we'll see how much of a budget buster that will be. As well as a yarn stash hog.  Okay, so there are 4 methods I'll suggest. Incremental Pattern Inspiration Weight + Area Measurement Weight + Stitch Count Incremental Purchasing This is a method that takes bas...

Shoemaking is not something I thought I'd really get into but I've been doing my research and making some prototypes. This is in part because my feet are very small so finding thrift shoes in the style I want is difficult. So, I've been learning and remembering different ways of making costumed footwear and I'm making a little series about it. So here we go.  Fabric shoes with EVA soles and toe covers Now a common method that's tried and true in costuming is modifying an old shoe or using a shoe as a base. Shoe/Boot covers are fairly common. However, I'm not going over that method. (I like Simply Spandex's Tutorial on boot covers , so you have a resource.)  This series is going to focus on making a shoe from scratch. And I'm stopping short of leatherworking and actual cobbling. Which is another thing you could do. (Here's a Shoemaking Course List) .  I wanted to focus more on crafty methods for making shoes including:    Yarn-craft shoes (knitting or...

 This may be a bit tangential from my usual topics but it was inspired by some character bounding shawl ideas I had so we can tie it into that. But Ombre or Gradient yarn cakes are really pretty. I have been crocheting with one. However, the challenge comes with finding the right colors in the right sequence. So that go me curious as to how to make my own Ombre yarn. So here's what I've researched as possible ways to get that color change effect along with some of the pros and cons of each.  1. Purchase Skeins of Colors Sticking with the idea of using solid color yarns, you purchase yarns in the colors you want and create the cake. However, color choice is important here. To make the change of color more gradual, you will need yarn colors in the transitional color. So if I'm going for yellow to red, I may get an orange that is a good blend of those colors. The more "steps" of colors you get the more gentle the transition is between colors. Below is a video example...

I've been experimenting with knitting socks on the loom. I found a tutorial on sandal socks and have adapted it to suit the loom I have. I've been able to knit ONE sock so far and it does fit, so successful test!  Supply List In the Round Loom (suggested below)  Sock Loom CinDwood wedge Loom KB Universal Loom KB Flexee Skinny  Loom Pick Stitch Markers Yarn Needle/Darning Needle Tape Measure Calculator  Technique List Basic Cast-ons, Bind off, Knit stitches, purl stitch, etc Kitchener Cast-on Drawstring Cast-on German Short Row Heels and toes Short Row Heel and Toes Kitchener Stitch Measurements For Tabi, these are the important-to-know measurements so you know how many pegs you'll need to cast on and how many rows you need to get Length.  Circumferences Ball of Foot Big Toe Group of Little toes Lengths Whole Foot Base of Toe to Ankle bone (insole) Length of Big Toe Length of Index Toe Length of Pinky Toe More Detailed Explanations The Best Way to Loom Knit Socks...

Because my whole thing lately has been anime related knitting projects, I do a LOT of color work. I guess I did start in an unusual way by learning some of the trickier aspects of knitting. This post will go over how color charts "work", how I use them to make a pattern and how to make your own.  Types of Color Work In knitting there are many names for color work:  Color Change, Striping (horizontal stripes) Marling, Marled (Speckles) Illusion/Shadow Color (It's just cool looking. Knits and purls that hide a pattern unless you look at a certain angle or stretch it.)  Stranding, Fair Isle, Mosaic, Norwegian (Carrying strands of yarn behind the work.) Intarsia, Color Block (Changing color at key points and rejoining old color.) Double Knitting, Reversible Knitting (Knitting two pieces of fabric at the same time.) Duplicate Stitch, Monogram (Stitching on top of current stitches after the work is fully knitted.)  Regardless of how the color work is done, color charts are...

Currently, I have cast on and knitted my first sweater parts. So far only have the back done, but I'm going to share my process so you, too, can knit along or try it yourself.  I will share my supply list, techniques used, calculating the sweater size, and color charts. I think I'll need to make how I do color charts in its own post. Here's a post I made about how I go about making a color chart.  Supplies Flexee Loom Chunky  4 Skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Black 1 Skein Big Twist Natural Blend Winter White Bobbins, Loom Knit Pick, Stitch Markers, and Yarn Needle (not pictured) Color charts Alternative Supplies You do not have to use my supplies exactly to get this sweater result.  You can use any blend of a Super Bulky Weight yarn (#6) in black and white. You can also use a Bulky Weight (#5) or Worsted Weight (#4), but it will change your gauge, the calculations and color charts will differ. (I made color charts for both weights because I was not...

I don't know why I just can't focus on one thing at a time. But I was inspired to learn another thing because I was tempted by a Circular Sock Machine. I saw the loom as a more economical option and realized, I had fallen down another rabbit hole.  What is it? Spot my knitting in the clutter! Loom knitting is still knitting, but the yarn is wrapped around pegs arranged on a board. Using a hook pick, yarn is manipulated on the pegs to form a knitted piece comparable to something knit with needles. It's like the love child of crochet and knitting.  What I like about 'em I find it's a little easier in some cases than needle knitting. At the very least, the concept is easy to grasp for the most part.  I can keep better track of how many stitches I knit because I can count pegs. Very useful for furry or dark yarn.  My gauge has been more consistent with looms than with needles.  Sock knitting seems easier.  It can do most things knitting needles can do. (but not...

 GUYS! I learned a new thing. This may be a "Yeah, duh!" kind of situation, but I never thought to knit or crochet sandals. Seems like a legit thing, especially for ME, who has small feet and a hatred of that round plastic between the toe rod of normal flip-flops.  These techniques can work for other series too that use the zori aka thong sandals. (AKA the bane of my feet's existence.) Method Considerations This is more than likely going to be a crochet project than a knitting one, to be honest. But all in all, there are 3 main methods for making knitted footwear:  90% Yarn  Hole punched Soles Repurposed Flip-Flop/Thong Sandals With mostly yarn, you're going to basically have super floppy, uncomfortable sandals unless you include some sort of stiff material like a stiff felt or EVA foam or an old sandal.  Hole punch soles or insoles let you knit up around the sole instead of knitting the sole itself.  Repurposed sandals provide the base, and you knit or cro...