To celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary my husband and I planned a day trip to Glasgow. Yes a day trip, you might laugh at the thought of travelling so far twice in a day, but my husband just loves driving, so whilst I dozed off we made it 280 miles in 2 1/2 hours. Yes, I can do the maths, and guess he probably broke the law at some point along the way!
Id mapped out a route around the city, taking in the most interesting shopping sites.
First up was a centre of 32 jewellers. "Its a vintage gucci watch I want","I could buy 3 cars from ebay for the price of that"was the response.
After several miles of walking, a trip through the Vivienne Westwood shop and a drool at the beautiful architecture what did I take home?.....
Three pairs of brightly coloured vintage knitting needles, astonishment at the young couple who ate a full english breakfast and drank a bottle of rose wine with it, and the memory of a bright pink balloon floating in the window of a beautiful apartment looking out across a city park.
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Sunday, 6 March 2011
The cheering up jumper
I've had some bad news recently and have therefore been relying on the cheering up jumper rather heavily.
I was using it to conquer my fear of trains in order to be able to visit someone in hospital when the old chap (who had been asleep for most of the journey) woke with a start and asked "are you a Blackpool fan?" I replied that I don't really follow football, but if I had to name one team it would be Manchester City (ah the memories of feeding city ted boiled egg yoke all come flooding back). "ah, he replied, only I just wondered why you would be knitting with such a vile colour and thought it might be because its the colour of your favourite football team." I supposed anyone with a bit more courage would've defended the jumper and explained how it was my 'cheering up jumper', and had successfully nursed me through flu, and was at that moment controlling my desire to run screaming from the train in a claustrophobic panic. However in my usual meek way I simply said the wool was cheap and it was my first attempt at a jumper so I didn't want to spend a lot of money incase I messed up. How pathetic!I then went on to explain that I too thought the colour was garish, but at least I would be easily recognisable if he met me again on the train, particularly if I was wearing it.
He said that when he was younger he had a shirt the same colour and everyone called him horrible names because of it, until a famous group started wearing the same colour and then he was "the talk of the town". Ah well, perhaps JLS will make a style decision which will make me and the cheering up jumper popular eventually...
I was using it to conquer my fear of trains in order to be able to visit someone in hospital when the old chap (who had been asleep for most of the journey) woke with a start and asked "are you a Blackpool fan?" I replied that I don't really follow football, but if I had to name one team it would be Manchester City (ah the memories of feeding city ted boiled egg yoke all come flooding back). "ah, he replied, only I just wondered why you would be knitting with such a vile colour and thought it might be because its the colour of your favourite football team." I supposed anyone with a bit more courage would've defended the jumper and explained how it was my 'cheering up jumper', and had successfully nursed me through flu, and was at that moment controlling my desire to run screaming from the train in a claustrophobic panic. However in my usual meek way I simply said the wool was cheap and it was my first attempt at a jumper so I didn't want to spend a lot of money incase I messed up. How pathetic!I then went on to explain that I too thought the colour was garish, but at least I would be easily recognisable if he met me again on the train, particularly if I was wearing it.
He said that when he was younger he had a shirt the same colour and everyone called him horrible names because of it, until a famous group started wearing the same colour and then he was "the talk of the town". Ah well, perhaps JLS will make a style decision which will make me and the cheering up jumper popular eventually...
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Bargain hunting
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!
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!
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...
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