But the leather was soft and good quality so I decided to alter it. But first I had to get rid of the lingering odour. I tried airing it, both outside and inside for weeks, but that had little effect. I washed the lining and that diminished the smell somewhat, but not nearly enough.
When you live in the country, you can't just run to the dry cleaner, and specialist leather cleaning is really expensive in the capital. So I washed it.
I can hear you gasping now - washing leather, that is surely verboten right?!
Well, it worked, that is all I can say. I hand washed the whole heavy thing and drip dried it hanging from a line. (It was so heavy I was afraid it would tear the whole line down).
Then I cut it up
, cut off the pockets, shortened it and generally diminished the volume radically. The seams are not perfect, nor did I want them to be. I wanted the skirt to be a little "rough" with a tiny breath of rock and roll perhaps, but still age appropriate and not too short. I left the hem unfinished to enhance that effect. I wore it last night to a big village do - Þorrablót - and I must say I looked rather good.
But you just have to take my word for it. I completely forgot to have my picture taken. I my household, I take the pictures. That is the reason I very seldom appear in the family albums.
is a part of a very old mitten pattern from the west fjords of Iceland.
shoulders.The cardigan is almost finished - and it almost fits.
All the ends are hidden, the collar is folded and sewn down and the holes under the arms are neatly closed. The steek is open and the only thing lest to to is the crochet edge and the sewing of the buttons. I expect to do that tonight.
The only problem is that the cardigan doesn't quite fit. It almost fit - in fact it fits perfectly over the hips and waist but it's a little bit big over the chest and shoulders. Not a lot, but a bit. Perhaps I can fix it when I block it. I sincerely hope so, because I do love this one. A lot.
I just cast of the last stitches on the cardigan. Now it's hiding of the ends and then the steeking. I'm very afraid that it's a bit too big though - but I sincerely hope that it fits. So much, that I'm almost afraid to try it on...
My cardigan is finally going very well. I had hoped to finish it today, but that is not going to happen. But I'm up to the yoke pattern and the decreases are not far away, so I'll be steeking in two days or so.
I didn't bake anything this Christmas. Unless pancakes count? I made a batch of delicious pancakes yesterday for my family and they disappeared like - well like hot pancakes tend to do. I never use any milk (only water) in my pankakes and only little sugar but that does not matter, they are very good despite of that.
This is the first picture I took on my new camera, just moments after I recovered from the surprise of getting it from my family.
