I was off bargain hunting yesterday at Dagfields antiques centre which is to me as the chocolate factory is to Charlie.
I found a vintage sewing kit which I stripped out and relined so that I can keep all my large needles in there. I'm always losing them, which is why it took me a while to finish my project because I had to find them before I could make use of my new device for not losing them.
I also bought a lamp which according to the label is from The Orient Express. I have no idea if this is true, but it does have a copper label on it which says so, so I'm going with the fantasy.
I also bought a knitting book from the 70s which has fabulous patterns it, one of which is for a knitted set of trousers and matching jumper for a small boy, (well not really that small, the little boy in the picture looked around 8 years old) it also has matching cardies for a Dad and son to wear whilst they stand leaning on the car having man chats (as demonstrated in the photograph).
I'm not confident in my pattern reading skills just yet, so I've bought the book in the hope it will break me in gently, but the pattern I love the most has the most confusing instructions, my eyes glazed over just pre-reading them so it will definately be one for the future, I will stick with the father and son cardies for now!
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Monday, 14 February 2011
Yellow for cheering up purposes
Ive had the flu all weekend, boooo! but on the positive side its given me plenty of time for knitting. Earlier in the week I'd bought some bright yellow wool which I spotted from a distance in a charity shop window and just had to have. Its proved the perfect thing to occupy my time whilst layed up coughing and sneezing. I wouldnt go so far as to say its nearly finished yet but but it's definately past the stage where it could be 'anything' and actually looks like it might be 'something'. The only problem is (without going into too much detail) Ive been coughing and sneezing whilst making it so I will definately be giving it a good wash before wearing it to avoid re-infection!
So what else have I been up to? Ive bought some beautiful embroidered brooches to go with my new pastel cotton scarves, and ive finally finished my hat and scarf set that has been waiitng for a wooden button for months, and now it has one, doesnt really need one.
Ive also been making presents for my friends, again which are now waiting for magic buttons to add the finishing touch. Oh and I also found a brilliant pattern for knitting hearts, which I then used to knit my husband a heart (which he is clearly over the moon with because its still on the coffee table 4 weeks after I made it for him, and on that subject, I havent been able to go out and get my husband a valentines day card so I will be spending the rest of the day in my sick bed making him one.....now where did I put that glitter?....
Ive also been making presents for my friends, again which are now waiting for magic buttons to add the finishing touch. Oh and I also found a brilliant pattern for knitting hearts, which I then used to knit my husband a heart (which he is clearly over the moon with because its still on the coffee table 4 weeks after I made it for him, and on that subject, I havent been able to go out and get my husband a valentines day card so I will be spending the rest of the day in my sick bed making him one.....now where did I put that glitter?....
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Excessive buying
Hello again,
time flies, flyes? especially when you are shopping for wool in the sales. I went to Abakhan for some wool that knits like fur, I got a parker for christmas and want some mitts to match the hood lining. Anyway to cut a long story short they had a sale on which meant I spent far longer in there looking at fabric (which I then decided I didnt need anyway because I still havent done anything with the last two lots I bought!)
I finally made my way to the back of the shop (the wool part) but of course it was 2 for one on the wool I wanted, so rather than buy what I needed I ended up buying BOGOF wool and now have more balls of 'knit to look like fur' wool than I could ever need even if I wanted to knit a lifesize replica of a very hairy polar bear! (If you want anything furry get in touch).
I also bought some beautiful pale blue and pale gold stuff, I say stuff because its not wool,and its not material but something inbetween. The colours are a little bit 40s so I just had to have it.
Ive decided I need to move to the next stage, scarves, bags and mitts are all very well, but I feel ridiculous buying Primarnie jumpers and calling myself a knitter, so after buying a 70s style jumper with batwing arms which I've decided is very much shaped like two triangles I am determind to take the plunge into an actual full jumper. I dont know how to increase.....or decrease, but Im determind to learn this week and begin the epic jumper over the weekend. Hopefuly by the time Ive finished it will still be cold enought to wear it, otherwise it might end up being a Christmas present for someone later in the year.
Aside from knitting I was inspired by a rug in an antique shop to get back into my rag rugging and so started yet another rag rug, this time with a heart as the centre piece. I had enough red t-shirts to do the outline for the heart, but my bag of old clothes mainly comes from my husbands wardrobe so the remaining material is made up of black t-shirts that have washed to grey and white t -shirts that have washed to grey....so that would be lots of grey. If anyone knows of any charity shops selling very bright coloured clothing at very cheap prices please shout up, other wise the rug will be looking very dreary.
Well as sad as it sounds Im desperate to get back to knitting with my 'stuff' so I'm off for now,....perhaps I could buy a cat to sit in the drawer of 'knit to fur' wool so I dont feel so wasteful, mmmm....I wonder?
time flies, flyes? especially when you are shopping for wool in the sales. I went to Abakhan for some wool that knits like fur, I got a parker for christmas and want some mitts to match the hood lining. Anyway to cut a long story short they had a sale on which meant I spent far longer in there looking at fabric (which I then decided I didnt need anyway because I still havent done anything with the last two lots I bought!)
I finally made my way to the back of the shop (the wool part) but of course it was 2 for one on the wool I wanted, so rather than buy what I needed I ended up buying BOGOF wool and now have more balls of 'knit to look like fur' wool than I could ever need even if I wanted to knit a lifesize replica of a very hairy polar bear! (If you want anything furry get in touch).
I also bought some beautiful pale blue and pale gold stuff, I say stuff because its not wool,and its not material but something inbetween. The colours are a little bit 40s so I just had to have it.
Ive decided I need to move to the next stage, scarves, bags and mitts are all very well, but I feel ridiculous buying Primarnie jumpers and calling myself a knitter, so after buying a 70s style jumper with batwing arms which I've decided is very much shaped like two triangles I am determind to take the plunge into an actual full jumper. I dont know how to increase.....or decrease, but Im determind to learn this week and begin the epic jumper over the weekend. Hopefuly by the time Ive finished it will still be cold enought to wear it, otherwise it might end up being a Christmas present for someone later in the year.
Aside from knitting I was inspired by a rug in an antique shop to get back into my rag rugging and so started yet another rag rug, this time with a heart as the centre piece. I had enough red t-shirts to do the outline for the heart, but my bag of old clothes mainly comes from my husbands wardrobe so the remaining material is made up of black t-shirts that have washed to grey and white t -shirts that have washed to grey....so that would be lots of grey. If anyone knows of any charity shops selling very bright coloured clothing at very cheap prices please shout up, other wise the rug will be looking very dreary.
Well as sad as it sounds Im desperate to get back to knitting with my 'stuff' so I'm off for now,....perhaps I could buy a cat to sit in the drawer of 'knit to fur' wool so I dont feel so wasteful, mmmm....I wonder?
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
MMmmmm cocktails
I had a lovely peaceful evening last night sipping long island iced tea and finishing off my husbands scarf.
As I sat relaxing disturbed only by the sound of keys tapping and swearing (as my husband tried to build a virtual island and defend it from attack) i thought wouldn't it be lovely to do cocktails and knitting with my friends for an evening, tea and cake with knitting is so last season.
I finished the scarf (which turned out to be slightly longer than designed by the time I'd ironed it flat), and by this time my husband was watching Will Smith on his own in New York killing zombies. I couldnt bare the thought that his dog was about to get shot at any moment so switched over to 'Sue and Giles do the good life'. He was a bit disapointed at the change in mood so I watched it in bed as a compromise.
I laughed out loud at the program but was slightly disturbed at the similarities, the throw on their bed (yellow and orange flowers) was the same as the curtains in my livingroom. They wrapped their Christmas presents in brown paper packages tied with string as did I (hence the name of the blog), their funiture is almost identicle to mine...the list continues but I wont 'go on' about it, I havent decided if living as a replica of a 1970s self sufficient and slightly mad couple is something to be proud of yet!
Well I have the day to myself today so I need to decide what to do. Do I laze around the house eating lots of cheese and crackers and finishing off all unfinished projects, whilst watching Breakfast at Tiffanies?
Do I head into town in search of the only knitting shop which has recently opened(and taken the wind out of my sails slightly because that was my plan).
Or do I stay in, stay sober and attempt to make a handbag out of a jumper?
Watch this space...
As I sat relaxing disturbed only by the sound of keys tapping and swearing (as my husband tried to build a virtual island and defend it from attack) i thought wouldn't it be lovely to do cocktails and knitting with my friends for an evening, tea and cake with knitting is so last season.
I finished the scarf (which turned out to be slightly longer than designed by the time I'd ironed it flat), and by this time my husband was watching Will Smith on his own in New York killing zombies. I couldnt bare the thought that his dog was about to get shot at any moment so switched over to 'Sue and Giles do the good life'. He was a bit disapointed at the change in mood so I watched it in bed as a compromise.
I laughed out loud at the program but was slightly disturbed at the similarities, the throw on their bed (yellow and orange flowers) was the same as the curtains in my livingroom. They wrapped their Christmas presents in brown paper packages tied with string as did I (hence the name of the blog), their funiture is almost identicle to mine...the list continues but I wont 'go on' about it, I havent decided if living as a replica of a 1970s self sufficient and slightly mad couple is something to be proud of yet!
Well I have the day to myself today so I need to decide what to do. Do I laze around the house eating lots of cheese and crackers and finishing off all unfinished projects, whilst watching Breakfast at Tiffanies?
Do I head into town in search of the only knitting shop which has recently opened(and taken the wind out of my sails slightly because that was my plan).
Or do I stay in, stay sober and attempt to make a handbag out of a jumper?
Watch this space...
Monday, 27 December 2010
Why?
OK, so is it odd to start a knitting blog in order to get a break from knitting?
I've had a massive knitting session in the run up to Christmas. 3 scarves (2 mens, one extra long lady's), a hat (which was too small for the intended recipient but eventually found a suitably sized head), 2 headbands, a pair of baby mittens and a pair of fingerless gloves.
Currently 'on the go' I have an extra long cream scarf which may have pockets (or something less ambicious) on the ends. I have one mitten to complete a matching scarf set,another mitten to complete a freestyle, crazy coloured, ribbon threaded extravanganza of another mitten set. A mans scarf, a hat which is still in ball form and numerous other ideas which pop into my head and occasionally stay there long enough to eventually get knitted. (not knotted).
So what have I learnt today?
I learnt why my knit and purl curls. I learnt that extracting silk is a painful process (for the worm). I learnt that my gloves are going bobbly (pilling ) because they are Merino.
I also learnt about Soy and addded it to my every increasing list of knitting related things to google.
Oh, and I also learnt to Blog!
I've had a massive knitting session in the run up to Christmas. 3 scarves (2 mens, one extra long lady's), a hat (which was too small for the intended recipient but eventually found a suitably sized head), 2 headbands, a pair of baby mittens and a pair of fingerless gloves.
Currently 'on the go' I have an extra long cream scarf which may have pockets (or something less ambicious) on the ends. I have one mitten to complete a matching scarf set,another mitten to complete a freestyle, crazy coloured, ribbon threaded extravanganza of another mitten set. A mans scarf, a hat which is still in ball form and numerous other ideas which pop into my head and occasionally stay there long enough to eventually get knitted. (not knotted).
So what have I learnt today?
I learnt why my knit and purl curls. I learnt that extracting silk is a painful process (for the worm). I learnt that my gloves are going bobbly (pilling ) because they are Merino.
I also learnt about Soy and addded it to my every increasing list of knitting related things to google.
Oh, and I also learnt to Blog!
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