I went along in search of some bric-a-brac and a butterfly cake or two and came back with this lot:
Trish’s aunt was a knitter so she had a basket full of attic-smelling yarn. I left the acrylic 'mohair-feel' yarn behind but made off with all the wool I could find: a small bit of beautiful forest green, a cone of navy and these funny hand-wound sausages. Have you ever seen anything like them? These two aren’t my favourite colours, but being wool could be dyed quite happily I think and would be ideal for something felted.
The little French knitter was sentimental really, I used to have one when I was little and she looked so forlorn stuffed into the bottom of a plastic holdall with all the steel points of straight metal needles poking into her. The knitting patterns originally sold for 6d and 8d! I don’t plan on wearing the cardigan with the same hair and makeup (and, let’s hope, facial expression!) but I quite liked the shape of it so thought it a worthwhile buy for 5p. The TOTS Book contains patterns for combinations (ooh), but also hoods, knitted dresses and children’s socks which I am very pleased with. The tea tin needs painting, but is nonetheless a tea tin – hooray! – and large enough to keep my English Breakfast in.
The books are fairly self-explanatory I think, except perhaps for the Nancy Mitford. I remember that Anna likes reading the Mitford sisters, so I was curious (and thought copying her reading habits might inspire me with some of the same design skills! If only). And if you haven't heard of Cod you can read about it here.
Also of note: woven sculptures for architectural spaces, an Artweeks exhibition that impressed me greatly and afforded an opportunity to talk about yarn, Richard's mum has picked up her crochet again as something to do in the evenings, and I shortened a pair of jeans, proving to it and myself that the sewing machine and I can have a harmonious relationship if we treat each other gently.
(Hush, don't tell me I should've been in the revision world. I know).
4 comments:
Ooh, ooh! Read "love in a cold climate" and "the pursuit of love" by NM. I haven't read any other Mitford lit, but I loved those two.
Have you read Salt (by the same author as Cod)? Very impressive for a lengthy book on a single subject.
The tea tin looks very pretty...is it painted already or is the pattern just printed on?
Yay for cheap wool yarns! More fun stuff for you to try out dyeing. :) Do you plan on doing kool-aid or acid dyes?
i enjoyed Nancy Mitfod, silly but fun
apparently the bio of the Mitford sisters that came out a couple of years ago is really good too - they had rather interesting lives. Think one of them was married Oswald Mosley. And Nancy's husband was Oscar Wilde's ex. all very exciting.
i love your book finds
i have enjoyed the mitford books
a very interesting glimpse into a small
universe
i have never seen yarn in that elongated shape
i wonder how it was achieved
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