knitwise

Things to do in 2012...

I wish you all a very happy New Year 2012!

As a rule, I never make New Year resolutions for the simple reason that I know for a fact that I am unlikely to stick to them...  All I allow myself to do instead is to make a  "To do" list with the hope to tick at least a few items off that list before the new year is over... (No promises that I won't be able to keep, just a few things I would like to achieve).

• Finish my WIPs, or at least finish one BEFORE starting a new project. I have currently 3 ufo's : two vintage knits and one crochet blanket.
• Eat healthily and take some exercise to regain my lost waistline... (This might mean more time spent in the kitchen!)
• Have a go at sewing tops and dresses for myself (can only be done  if the above is achieved).
• Try to use as much from my stash as possible (wool and fabric)
• Have a critical look at my current wardrobe: get rid of the unwearable, recycle or revamp the acceptable. I would love to adopt the "make do and mend" attitude this year.
• Be more creative.

As you can see, this is quite a short list. The hardest might be the "healthy" bit!...

Happy...

I was very excited by the relase of Stitch in Time vol 2, but now that I have received it and had the chance to discover all the 80 patterns featured in it, I am over the moon!...

This book was well worth the long wait. The patterns are divided in sections covering the 30's, the 40's and the 50's decades.  Here are my top favourites:

Kasha

Don't you love the lace pattern? I even love the colour which is very "in" at the moment.

One never tires of ribbing

I am not generally fond of ribbing but I love the unusual construction with the flaps at the front and the cuffs.

Quick work in thick wool

Once again a rib pattern but the details of the buttons along the raglan seam makes it interesting and knitted in Aran wool, it should grow faster.

Simple - But so attractive

Okay, ribs again, but I just love the collar!

Summery - And a new pattern

Love the sleeves, the lace pattern and even the colour. This would be a beautiful top for the summer...

Trimmed with roses

I love the colors and even so I am not confident with intarsia work, there isn't too much of it so, maybe, I will be able to tackle it.

Those patterns are my top favourites  but there are still many more  that I love in this book. If you want to see more, all the patterns are now in the process of being added to the Ravelry database here.
Winter can come now, I am looking forward to the many happy knitting hours ahead...

Things to look forward to...

This is mid-October already and in a week's time it will be half-term.  We have had a beautiful Indian Summer, but apparently this should come to an end pretty soon, probably as we are about to change our clocks to Winter time.  I have already seen Christmas cards displays in the shops and people are starting to book their Christmas office parties!...

So, what has October got left to offer us, apart from Halloween? Well, rumours say that the new Kim Hargreaves' book  Scarlet is due out at the end of the month and I am really hoping for a beautiful collection of feminine and elegant knitwear. Her last book was a bit of a disappointment for me and I didn't buy it so all my hopes rest in the forthcoming one. 

The other book I am impatient to see is  Stitch in time vol 2.

 

I am not keen on the cover as I can't imagine wearing such sleeves, but I have seen a couple of other knits that will be featured in this book and I am looking forward to seeing more!...

If these two books make me happy, then I am ready for Winter!

Peace at last...

Once again I must apologise for the long silence... Sometimes life just becomes too busy for a break even a coffee one! But now the holidays are over, school term has started and it will be nice to go back to a quiet routine (I hope!...) Autumn is getting close and it is time to pick up my needles again.  

For my next project I have chosen to go back in time. My heart settled on this little number from the 1930's. My love for vintage knitting and my yearning for a lace cardigan drew me to this pattern at once.

 
I am enjoying the last of the Summer warmth outside with my new project. Peace at last... Bliss!....

Christina

I do apologize for not blogging lately. Summer seems to be such a busy time with work, visitors and children at home!...  I had finished Christina ages ago but could not find the time or energy to sew it up.  I am quite happy with the fit but I am not sure about the cotton which I find heavy to wear. It should be cool though in hot weather, but I will have to wait to put it to the test...

Now that it is finished, my needles are free again!!! I was looking forward to the new Kim Hargreaves book but I must admit that I am disappointed this time.  I was hoping for more fitted knits with a vintage feel and nothing in this book fits the bill. Never mind, I have quite a big collection of knitting books and it will be nice to browse through them on a rainy afternoon...

 

Wips...

 
I have been very good lately at restraining myself at one project at a time...  BUT, the approaching Summer with all this sunshine (going to my head) and the constant inspiration from Blogland have changed all that!!! I feel like a butterly flying from one flower to the next. So I have to keep my head cool and get organised!

Christina is growing nicely on my needles and is reserved for evenings in front of the TV. The back is done, so is one sleeve. I love the constant changes in stitches, the work  progresses  in stages, I am happy...

The beginning of Christina's left front

Everytime I go to the bedroom, the sight of my granny stripes blanket feels my heart with a sense of warm happiness. I have decided to give her a twin sister to go on the other bed. It won't be an identical one but the colours will be more or less the same. This project will be for the long Sunday afternoons I will be spending watching the children cricket matches this Summer.

 

The very first stiches on the Twin...

Finally (I hope), I have been literally dizzy with all the sewing achieved by all the talented ladies on Sew Retro. Through these posts, I have discovered some truly inspiring blogs. I have been bitten by the sewing bug and must do something about it!... I am a bit of a novice in this subject so I have to start by something not too ambitious. I have bought a pattern for a blouse from the 50's era. Strangely enough, I have seen a similar blouse in a shop recently. Is the fashion turning into a retro mood?...

 

The pattern. Note: it says "Simple to make"

I am waiting for the pattern to be brought to me by the postman. I have already got the fabric which I think will do just nicely.  When will I have the time for this project??? Well, I am sure I will find it...

Pink gingham for a retro look. What do you think?... 

Vintage cardi...

 

I  wanted to knit from a true vintage pattern for ages, but I always hesitated because I was told that old patterns are usually obscure to read due to vague instructions.  It goes to show that we should not always believe what the others say and follow our heart. I didn't change a thing to the original pattern apart from knitting the button/hole bands together with the fronts instead of individually. I have used Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 ply which was very nice to work with and I now hope it washes well. If it does, I will surely use this yarn again... maybe for other vintage projects.

I might not be as elegant as the 1940's model and my waist is not as slim as hers but I am very happy with the way this little cardi turned out.

 

 

 

 

Casting off, casting on...

My vintage cardi is finished but is now waiting patiently for some buttons.  I must wait next week to be able to go to town and hopefully find what I want. It sounds as if I live in the middle of nowhere, which is not really the case, but haberdashery shops are very sparse on the Isle of Wight and a special trip to the "big" town is needed if I want to find what I want. So the photo shoot will be for next week, keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that the weather will stay fine...

It is always nice to finish a project but, for me, the best part of knitting is casting on... I have received the new Kim Hargreaves "Whisper" and I love it! My needles didn't have a chance to rest because, as soon as the last stitch of the vintage cardi was cast off, they were busy casting on again...

 

Things to look forward to...

The Cricket season will start soon, I have been told by the experts at home  and this means hours watching the games on Sundays. This also means (to me!) hours of crochet time and I have already a blanket project planned in my head for those long, hopefully sunny, lazy afternoons.  I don't understand much about the rules of the game  but  my Granny stripes blanket was created essentially on "cricket" time last year and I am grateful for this great British sport...

The new Kim Hargreaves book is due out very soon and this, to me, is always a major event in my knitter's life.  As usual I can't wait to find out her new designs for this Spring/Summer collection. I am trying to race through my Vintage cardi's sleeves to free my needles just in case they are needed urgently... 

A time to read, a time to knit...

It might be old news for you, but I have just discovered that 3 books in the Penguin Classics Deluxe range are to be reprinted using covers by the artist Jillian Tamaki. The amazing thing about these covers is that they will be reproduced from embroidered work!

Now, whilst the old saying "You must not judge a book by its cover" is certainly true, I must confess  that, most often than not, I pick a book just because I like its cover. Don't you? And these embroidery works are simply stunning. You can read more about it on Jillian's sketchblog. The books are also available to pre-order on Amazon.co.uk for their release in late October.

 

 
Knitwise, my vintage cardi is growing well and I must say I am enjoying every stitch of it....