I am pleased to report that I have reached the stripey portion of my hap shawl.
As soothing as miles of plain garter stitch in a lovely soft yarn is, it is fun to have reached this point. New colors! Fun lace!
The pattern is a simple “old shell” lace, so it was easy to memorize and is fun to knit. Each color stripe is 4 rows, so I get to switch colors before I get bored.
This is going to be such a lovely snuggly shawl for next winter!
My “New” Serger
Little HuskyLock 431 is feeling quite welcome after Sunday’s blog post. As a couple of you mentioned, vintage sewing machines and sergers are virtually indestructible. They really knew how to make ’em back then.
I found my serger on Esty, purchased from Stagecoach Road Sewing. They sell vintage reconditioned sewing machines, and an occasional serger. My experience with them was great. When I saw the serger listed on etsy, I messaged the owner of Stagecoach Road Sewing, Mike, to ask if there was a manual that came with the serger. I wanted to make sure I’d be able to figure out how to use it! He responded immediately and sent me a pdf of the manual so I felt comfortable that I’d be able to work the serger. It was shipped FedEx, carefully packed in plastic and foam to keep it safe. Mike had taken the thread mast off for shipping and he included perfect detailed instructions (complete with hand drawn diagrams) for re-attaching the thread mast to the machine, so I had no problem doing so.
My main area of concern was threading the machine — would I be able to do so successfully? The manual had threading diagrams, and there was also a color-coded diagram on the machine itself, once you open the front panel.
The threading is fairly complex and somewhat difficult to access in places, so I was surprised and delighted that I got it right on my first try. I was equally surprised and delighted that the tension seemed nearly perfect. The serger hums like a . . . well . . . like a well-oiled machine. On Stagecoach Road Sewing’s website they state that all the machines they sell are completely reconditioned and restored, and I can well believe it. And they all come with a guarantee.
This serger is not ultra-fancy with a lot of different options, but it is exactly what I wanted and needed: a basic but good serger that I could use to finish raw edges of fabric before hand-sewing. It seems that there is virtually no learning curve with this little guy, so that makes me very happy. I had never used a serger before this and I was successful on my first practice piece. I think I can just do a couple more practice pieces and I’ll be good to go.
Now, for your viewing pleasure, the Little Prince, relaxing at home.