Throwback Thursday

I am fully aware that today is Monday. However, I failed to give you a Throwback Thursday last week as that would have forced me to leave the air conditioning and head out into the bungalow. Which has no air conditioning. Wasn't gonna happen.

I'm making it up to you all by giving you the glorious Book 50 from Vogue Knitting, from March 1957. Form an orderly queue, please.

First up, we have the fabulous Princess Dress. Perfect for walking your oversized poodles with.

A SUIT. An actual knitted suit. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

A very cabled dress with a cinched in waist and oversize sunglasses. I'm in Grace Kelly heaven here.

C'mon! You know you want a boat. Ask your cat. Your cat is thinking about buying a boat.

This vest comes in 12 sizes. That's 12 different people to dislike you for knitting them a vest.

If you don't want to knit this upon sight, we can't be friends. We just can't.

Evening wear in lurex and 2-ply? Not a chance, but I love the look of it.

I want to grow up and be this model, honestly I do.

So, should I scan this pattern book and add it to the site for download? Let me know, my readers, and it shall be done.

Oh, and nobody show this to my dad or he'll request it. Cables & crew neck? My dad's idea of happiness.

Day 5 of HOT weather

I have a tad too much yarn. Some I bought because it was there, some because it was on sale (oh sale yarn! You vile temptress!), some is leftovers from a project that I over-ordered because having too much is better than having too little.

On the other hand... some space in the bungalow would be nice. So I'll be spending next week with the better weather tidying up the bungalow - yes AGAIN, what of it?! - and finishing up on Friday with a massive blog destash sale! That's right: yarn for people to own. I have more than enough to be getting on with, and any money earned will be put towards a spinning wheel!

Wait, I fib, 20% will be going to the One Voice charity organisation. They're currently building mobile showers for the homeless and I think it's a wonderful idea.

There's a lot of work to do getting it all done but next week, but with my lovely niece Ashleigh helping out I'm sure I'll get it all ready!

Um, Ash? Are you busy next week?

Day 4 of HOT weather

I'm cold.

Lovely and cold.

It's beautiful here.

Lots of ice and snow.

Bliss.

My imagination is lovely. In reality:

I'm now leaving in 43 degree heat to go to work. *whimper*

Day 3 of HOT weather

On Monday and Tuesday I braved the elements to go off and work in the evening, at my Weight Watchers job. It was ridiculously hot and I whimpered a lot. While we were packing up I was talking to two members about how I was knitting up Joannah's wedding bouquet of roses and crocheting love hearts for the decorations, which are going to look wonderful.

"You must love showing it off, then." I laughed off the comment, but it grated. I've been thinking on it for the last few days and now I'm ready to think it out loud.

I don't make things to show off. I don't go "over the top", I make an effort*.  If I make something it's because I like to make things, and I think it will make other people happy. If your response to my creation is that I'm showing off (which most people would never say out loud) I think you might be projecting your own issues a little. If what I made makes even one person happy, then I've succeeded in what I wanted to do.

I'm making roses for Joannah's wedding bouquet because I'm brilliant at it and it makes her giddily happy. At least I think it's giddily happy, because she got fairly squealy when I made this first one.

* This does not include my children's birthday parties. They are over the top. Shamelessly, ridiculously over the top.

Day 2 of HOT weather

Only one thing to do when it hits 34° at 10:00am: browse the internet for the perfect winter knits!

The perfect winter beanie: Contempt headband (just add a crown!). Understandably, I want the one that states "I love winter"!

The perfect winter jumper for me: Kobe, from Amirisu online magazine. Go and browse, it's worth it!

The perfect winter jumper for Felix: Guido, by Debbie Bliss. I have some very yummy charcoal Zara for this one.

The perfect children's jumper:

I want it for both of them. The question is do you make two the same, or two that co-ordinate?

Day 1 of HOT weather

It's going to be a nasty week. 35°, 43°, 39°, 41° and 40°. I'm not looking forward to the overnight low of 28 between Thursday and Friday, either. That's not a low, that's a summer day! Thankfully we have an air conditioner in the lounge room and a portable air conditioner we'll be using in front of the bedrooms on Thursday night.

Only one thing to do, and that's crochet love hearts and sew in a HUGE amount of ends, then get more yarn and start all over again.

Knit? In this weather?

Are you CRAZY?!?

It's 11:55pm, and I just turned the air conditioner off. Knit?!? Not likely!

Throwback Thursday

My darling Joannah has atrocious taste in knitting books. As in, going out and finding the most terrible, tacky, over-the-top 60/70/80's knitting books she can discover at op shops. Then she gives them to me. Because I love them.

That means I'm the one with the atrocious taste, not to mention a plethora of tacky/vintage/insane knitting and crochet books. And pamphlets. And leaflets. And things cut out of newspapers. So from now on I'll share them with you all every Thursday and even have copies to download (Only the ones out of copyright. I like not being sued.).

Today brings the glorious epistle "Knit Me A Rainbow" by Ye Goode Olde Family Circle. Ahhhh, Family Circle. I miss you. Especially the stories about Selby, the world's only talking dog. And Cocky's Circle Club.* As you can see by the cover, this book was printed in the 80's. Now, when it comes to knitting books it's great to make fun of things. In the 60's books it's the models terrible poses. In the 70's books it's the flares and the men's moustaches. But the 80's? Hair and makeup. Soooooooooo bad.

Look at this bowl cut. Mummy obviously foresaw a future where this photo would not get her child mercilessly teased. Mummy was an idiot.

Awwwww, crimping! Who didn't love the crimper in the 80's? My own sister Leah had one in high rotation in 1985. It doesn't help that the poor model/victim is posing in the most fluffy mohair jumper. With an off-centre hairband.

Oh, so much to say. I can't. It's just too cruel.

Lest you think I'm being mean and just picking on these poor children I present to you a blonde version of me on the right. Picture her with brown hair and it's me at 12. Especially the head scarf. Except mine would have had a HUGE bow.

Once you move on to the pictures without models you can concentrate on the jumpers more. This one isn't bad, per se, just needs a different collar, less 80's sleeves etc. I like the idea of it in cream.

If this was in a different colourway I might make it for Dot. I loathe pink with a passion, but I like this effect. I'd have the button bands the same colour as the jumper, though. Ditto the collar.

Cables. I am a sucker for cables. On little boys it just looks perfect. I really am quite old fashioned sometimes. The pattern used Patons Herdwick, which is one of the itchiest yarns available. Knits up sloppily but washes like a dishrag, again proving that you can't have it all in yarn.

Final opinion? One or two possibilities, but generally worth it for the laughs!

*Kingfisher 294

This is why people get murdered

My bronchitis is driving me insane. After a massive coughing fit and the discovery that I had only one remaining Butter Menthol with Lemon & Honey (aka bliiiiiiiiisssss) I drove down to Woolworths to buy some more.

At the self serve I was trying to discretely hack up a lung when the stranger next to me leant across and said "Sounds like you should give up the smokes, love." After I stopped coughing - which also gave me time to rein in my homocidal tendancies - I informed the gentleman that I had bronchitis and had never smoked in my life. Which was completely different to what I was saying in my head.

Now I shall sit back and watch two episodes of "Sleepy Hollow", perve outrageously on Ichabod, eat strawberry sorbet and Butter Menthols and knit.

That man should be damn grateful I didn't have knitting with me. Two pointy sticks, two eyeballs. You do the maths.

Getting better

After an evening at work I get home to finish off a ho hum day.

Dinner, second episode of Sherlock and sewing up a customers jumper. Quite a nice evening ahead.

Sympathy for the devil

I've been unwell now for three weeks. I realised today that I've been running at less than 100% for a while, closer to 60% most days, and it sucks greatly. I also realised that I know quite a few people with chronic illness and I now have a very small amount of understanding as to how much every day must suck for them. I bow before you all.

My current problem is that I have to suck this up and take care of two unsympathetic kidlets who think that Mummy is lying on the floor to give them horsey rides, not trying to cough up a lung. Bless 'em...

Couch Thoughts

1. It turns out that my hacking cough is bronchitis. A course of antibiotics have been procured, so fingers crossed it goes away.
2. How can one family create so much ironing? I'll be working on it for a few hours, once I get up off the couch.
3. One of my guesses paid off in "Sherlock" and I was happy. There was a moment where Felix had to pause the video because I was laughing so hard I had a coughing fit that lasted a while, followed by explaining why I was laughing so hard, but it was a VERY in-joke. Moffatt, you are a bugger!
4. I really do feel as if I've been run over by a truck.
5. I've knitted up two roses in the last day, and I have red-stained fingers from the yarn. It worried my doctor for a moment yesterday until I explained why.





6. Told you they look like roses eventually.

Everything's coming up roses

We came back from a Christmas visit to Port Macquarie on Monday, with approximately 3000 Butter Menthol wrappers in the car door pockets. I'd had a sore throat in the week before we left, but by Christmas I sounded like a barking seal, and my lungs vibrated each time I coughed. End result is that I'm sick, but going to my doctor on New Years Eve or New Years Day was out if the question. After last night's coughing fit Felix decided I needed a day off.

I got out of bed about three quarters of an hour ago and now I'm lying on our very comfy couch in very slobby clothes and I'm knitting roses. My darling Joannah is to be wed in March and I have the great honour of knitting up her wedding bouquet, full of beautiful red roses.

Trust me, this does turn into a rose.

Thank goodness that's over

2013 was my anus horribilis. Worst year I've ever hard. It was hard, painful and contained very few moments of joy.

It's over now, so let's move on.

Wait! I forgot to look at how much knitting I've done over the last year!

1. Lace-Edged Aran Beret (with pompom)
2. Lace-Edged Aran Cardigan
3. Hands of Cerise
4. Green Jet Cardigan
5. Knitting BFF
6. Doctor Who Selbu Mittens
7. Felix's Dapper Scarf
8. Jade's Purple Gloves
9. Radiant
10. Marcus' Green Jumper
11. Cat Draught Stopper
12. 221B
13. Sea Shells Jumper
14. Chocolate Easter Bunnies
15. Bald Child Beanie
16. Crocheted Button Bracelet
17. Marcus' Green Cabled Vest
18. Jade's Scarf
19. Butteryarn Socks
20. Lounge Room Wreath
21. Lucy and Sadie's Cable Hats
22. Da's St Kilda Beanie
23. Silky Cabled Jumper

 Niiiiiiice. Maybe it wasn't such a rubbish year after all?

......nope. It still sucked.

Conversations on knitting - Felix & Andrea

So, Andrea, you've been working hard on reducing your UFOs this year. How is the ‘Two out, one in’ thing working for you?

Pretty well, actually. Since the beginning of this year I've managed to reduce my WIP list from 56 to 29, but I keep starting new stuff without trying. Like last month, I started a *cardigan*, solely because I needed tv knitting. Then there's the projects that need "fixing".

Fixing how? Repairs, or the dreaded pattern mistakes?

In the words of Old El Paso, "Why not both?"

My crochet wreath didn't fit the wreath form properly, so I've frogged that to try again, either as the same style as my previous wreath or maybe a finger knitted one.

Then there's the sleeves on Marcus' orange jumper. I *finally* got more of the same colourway (different dye lot, though) but now that I'm up to sewing in the sleeves they seem too narrow to fit. I think I'll have to undo and make them wider. Hopefully the colour’s close enough not to make a difference.

How about the 95% projects? How many of those do you have left?

What 95% projects?!?

The ones that you only have 5% left to finish.

How do you know about them? Have you been rummaging through my projects again?

No, but I remember the spreadsheet you made :P 

Yet you couldn't remember we'd run out of bananas?

I only have two 95% projects: Dot's Hatchling cardigan which needs 6 buttons sewn on, and my Granny Triangle Bunting which need to be joined up. The problem is that there is sweet nothing of the yarn left and none left anywhere. IN AUSTRALIA. The rest of my projects are a bit less than 95%...

So if you had to choose three projects to line up next, what would they be?

To finish or to start?!?

To finish.

Can I start something else if I finish them? And if so do they have to be less than 95% to finish, so they’re something I really need to work on?

You can choose any three projects, and then nominate the next one to replace them.

In that case, I'll add the buttons to Dot's cardigan, finish off the bunting (somehow) and knock off that @#$%* doily. Then I'll start the decorations for Joex's wedding. How does that sound?

Sounds perfect :)

Nope, wait, changed my mind. Marcus responded *really* well to animal finger puppets at Speech Therapy today. I think I'll knit some. They shouldn't take too long, right?

Probably not, no.

Found a pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/down-on-the-farm-animal-finger-puppets--sheep-cow-horse-sheepdog-pig-hen

That looks perfect :)

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Well, smeg it. The cardigan is done, the bunting is done, but the doily needs a circular needle. There's too many stitches for the double points. Looks like I'm back on Marcus' blanket.

I hate sewing in ends

I really do hate sewing in ends. I like the end result, yes, but sewing them in takes so much work, no pun intended.

Last night I managed to sew the ends in on 10 of my squares. Unfortunately, that leaves me with 8 rows of 10 squares to go. At my current rate of 2 squares a day, I might catch up soon, but I don't think I can sit down for another hour each night just to sew ends in.

I really do hate sewing in ends.

54 and 53

The next two squares are done.

Dark green and aqua.

One square/day at a time

Marcus had his 4th birthday party on Sunday and was spoiled rotten by all. It was miserable weather, but who needs outside when you have cars, bubbles, Legos and cake?

I need to block all of the triangle bunting today, along with sewing all the ends in. Now that my finger is able to crochet again without twinges I think I'll get back to working on Marcus' crochet blanket. (I haven't forgotten Dot's cardigan, but I need yet another ball of cotton and I haven't had time to get it. Ditto Marcus' orange jumper, because the yarn has FINALLY come in).

Marcus' crochet blanket has been going since February, I think, and there still seems to be no end in sight. Being me, I've drawn up a spreadsheet to work out how many squares I have to go and I'm marking them off as I go. If I join on two squares a day, I'll be done by mid-November (there's 55 to go). Then I can take the blanket with me as we drive to Port Macquarie for Christmas and add the edging which will be HUGE. I can't wait.

So, I've attached the brown square, time for a red.

Almost back to normal

Well,  Daylight Savings has kicked in now,  so hopefully some decent sleep is in my future. Thankfully I had a brilliant night's sleep last night, even after an afternoon nap. I have knitting and a cat  now the naps. Future nana in training, me.

I did start a project with the California 8ply. The yarn was a present from Mum's best friend Marg,  so I'll make it up for her granddaughters. They're adorable little tots, who like bright colours and decorations so I went for something that had both.

Attic 24's Granny Triangle Bunting. It's a zoomy hookup and the colours are brilliant!

Faaaaaaaaaar too tired to knit

It's almost time for Daylight Savings to start again, and as is usual my body has announced an interest in sleeping.

For some reason every year just before and just after Daylight Savings I feel the need to sleep. A lot. A lot of a lot. I'm yawning as I type, in fact.

End result is I pass out each night. Not fall asleep, pass out. It's exhausting.

As you an imagine surprisingly little crafting has happened. Soon it will be all over and I can knit again. In the meantime I need to work out what I can make from this:

197g of Cleckheaton California 8ply. I'm stumped.