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When I heard that Magda Sayeg was visiting Sydney I hoped that might lead to some knit graffiti sightings. And then this week I spotted a new hat on the Guerilla Gardeners troll in Annandale. It seems like a very appropriate spot for guerilla knitting. And hopefully will keep his head warm.
Ever since I stumbled on this amazingly beautiful cardigan via Ravelry I have been looking out for the old Patons toddler pattern book that it came from. I finally found a copy, and am so excited. Not only does it have the cardigan pattern, but lots of other cute ones too.
The other vintage knitting pattern I am obsessing over is this romper / jumpsuit from the Vogue Vintage Collection book.
I thought it would look cute over a t-shirt, but others in the household say this would be a form of child abuse. Maybe it's too much for a toddler - I think it would look really sweet on a tiny baby though.
I hope I"m not turning into the Toni Collette character from About A Boy who inflicts hideous handknits on her son.
My brother in law and his girlfriend are visiting from San Francisco, and they brought these with them. SOOOO good. Even better than the Reese Peanut Butter Cups, because the chocolate is better, and they're smaller so less sick-making. The packet is emptying with embarrassing speed.
Flowers in the house make me so happy. This huge bunch of blossom branches was $10 at the markets, and now that the buds are opening it really feels like spring. Even if it is only July.
I had a crochet tutorial yesterday and am now feverishly making granny squares. They are wonky, and my tension is totally wack, but it is crochet nonetheless. Very exciting. The tutorial took place in a playground and was punctuated by having to search and rescue missing toddlers, so I am amazed that I remember any of it. In the end I practiced perched on a rock while Ali leapt in puddles gleefully. All credit to Bianca for explaining it so clearly despite the interruptions.
Next up is learning how to read the charts so I can figure out amigurumi.
Ali has been very interested in my scarves this winter. He swipes them, drapes them about himself and swans around the house, muttering "Ali 'carf" and twirling in front of the mirror approvingly. Which although very cute, is problematic for us both, because he trips himself up and covers the scarves in toddler grot.
So I decided to make a little, non-strangling scarf for him, from a free pattern and some leftover yarn. I quite like it, but Ali does not - he shouts " 'carf OFF!" when I put it on him. Luckily it is very soft and not at all scratchy, so if I sneak it on while he's distracted, he forgets it's there. Maybe I'll start wearing it myself, and see if that makes it any more appealing.
For a long time I avoided knitting - I was used to picking up crafty things quickly, and was frustrated by all the mistakes I made. My grandmother taught me when I was little, but I never really got it. So I stuck to sewing, while wistfully admiring the things people like Kat made.
And then one day in Tokyo I picked up a knitting book on sale in an English bookstore there. And realised that knitting scarves was really quite meditative and relaxing. But, I thought, I would never want to try anything as complicated as a garment, with all that fiddly pattern-reading and seaming and yarn substitution.
And then I was pregnant, and my sewing stuff was all in storage because we'd just moved back from Japan, and knitting seemed like a nice, compact, portable thing for me to work on while I fretted through my first trimester. I bought another book and started making very simple baby garments. Patterns weren't that hard after all. But, I thought, I would never ever try anything as complicated as an adult garment. Or lace. Or socks. People who attempted such things were obviously either extremely gifted or crazy and I would leave them to it.
And then along came Ravelry. Suddenly there were beautiful knitted things everywhere. And free patterns. And the yarn substitution wasn't so hard anymore, because I could see what other people had used. And I started to think that maybe I could make something for myself, after all.
So this February Lady Sweater, while it's a fairly simple knit and not perfect by any means, represents the end of a whole lot of knitting neurosis for me. It's adult sized, it involves lace, and I finished it. Even if it only gets worn around the house, I am very pleased. And now, having conquered a whole lot of my knitting phobias, I see inspiration for other things for me everywhere. There's even a sock on the needles. And I am dangerously tempted to try crochet.
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Details:
It's the February Lady Sweater in Bendigo Luxury 10ply (Koala).
The buttons are vintage bakelite - I picked up a bag for 50c at a neighbourhood garage sale.
More here.
I guess I have just outed myself as an AM radio listener. I think these podcasts are only up for a couple of weeks after the program airs, so check them out soon if you're interested.
It's the dead of winter here. Cold and wet and grey. But a lot of my favourite sewing blogs are from the other hemisphere and so I keep reading about beach trips and ice cream and cute summer dresses. There were a couple of white sundresses that I particularly liked - this one and and this one. And then I went to the Remnant Warehouse sale, after a tip-off from Bianca, and found some beautiful soft white linen, which was too hard to resist. So, it is all the internet's fault that I am making deeply unseasonal clothing instead of practical winter wear.
The pattern is New Look 6775, again, but instead of gathering the front I made an inverted pleat. And altered the front yoke piece to make two overlapping front pieces with a button. The pockets on the front are from the pattern, but it's the first time I've ever made something with pockets, and they make me very happy. I think that, like the first version of this dress I made, this will be perfect for pottering around with Ali when the weather warms up. Luckily Sydney winters are short, so when the sun comes out I will be all ready.
It's hard to sew practical things. There's a MOUNTAIN of mending in the study that's been waiting forever, and a couple of pairs of jeans that need hemming and I should really make Ali some corduroy pants. So what have I been making? Dresses. This is the first one, I finished it at the craft day.
Not that I really need a metallic shift dress.
But it is kind of cute.
(The pattern is New Look 6775 (same as this one) and the fabric is a fabulous silk metal blend I bought at Tessuti at the start of the year. It looks gold in some light and silver in others.)
