a time for everything

There is indeed a time for everything...

And that time to step away from my blog has come.

Abundant blessings to EACH one of you.  

~

You ALL have touched me in some very special ways.
~
Thank you SO much for impacting my life in such a positive way!

back & front

Well.  I am astonished!

The back of my sweater is completed.

From this book:  VINTAGE KNIT

The more I progress with this sweater, the more I am besotted with this book.  In my collecting of vintage knit & crochet books, I have ALWAYS wanted to somehow make those garments pictured in black & white but ALWAYS got completely lost with the terminology of the antiquated directions.

That's why this book is becoming more & more dear to me --- Marine Malak & Geraldine Warner have revived those classic designs and made the patterns SO do-able with beginner knitters like me.

And this sentence ...
The main thing to anticipate when approaching an older pattern is often patience.
...can be applied to so many things.

 Not just patterns.

Ohhh!  Something else I have also learned from this endeavor:

Don't be afraid to take/scribble copious notes when constructing a garment.  

Make a copy of the pattern from the book - find an old spiral notebook the kids' used in science class - and start tabulating all those increases, decreases, repeats, etc.

How lovely is this?...the front panel involves a lace pattern.  And to see just a peek of it nestled among the ribbing is just perfect.

I am learning so much from all of this.

And honestly -- I'm quite shocked (but ecstatic!) that one book sent in the mail could cause such a dogged response from me...

review: VINTAGE KNIT

I was asked by LAURENCE KING PUBLISHING LTD  if I would like to review this book: VINTAGE KNIT.

Hmmm.

Let's see...

1.  Pictured above is just a sampling of the many vintage knit & crochet books that I have in my possession (psssst!  I am obsessed with owning these!  I hunt these down.  Devour them.  Search the world wide for them.)

2.  I love to read books.  'Nuf said.

3.  And then there is knitting.  Sweet, sweet knitting.

So when I was asked to review a book that "offers lovers of retro style 25 beautiful knitting patterns from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s"...

..well?  Yes!  How fast can you get it here?

And this book does not disappoint!  While there are some patterns I would never attempt because they are so not my style, there are just as many lovely, LOVELY sweaters and cardigans that I would love to see will see on my needles.

But wait a minute!

A few pages into the book and I read this:

VINTAGE KNIT is aimed at intermediate--advanced knitters.

What?  I am definitely NOT that.  There is no way I can do any of these patterns.

But then I read this key statement:

The main thing to anticipate when approaching an older pattern is often patience.

I read that sentence over.  And over.  And over.

And then sat down to attempt to knit a proper swatch.  Proper, indeed!  It actually came out!

Then held my breath and cast on for the back.

and look!  ---> an actual back of a cardigan with increases and decreases for shoulders and arms.

I have never (huge emphasis on NEVER) made a garment.  Whether is be sewn, crocheted or knitted -- I have never been able to get over that invisible - but very obvious - hurdle of completing a home-made garment.

So if this sweater gets completed -- then this book is quite possibly one of the best knitting books I have ever owned.

a review

I am reviewing a book.

Me!

S  U  P  E  R   excited...

...and I will tell you more about this in just a bit.

linen & lady slipper market bag

If you love to traipse thru a farmer's market as much as I do ~ you must never forget your market bag.  And when that bag is hand-knitted?...well, you have just sweetened the pot.

I am trying my hand at intarsia knitting & I love the whole idea of this technique ~~ ok...seriously LOVE that I can knit a pattern with just 2 simple colors & it looks like something so labor-intensive.

The pattern is this Harvest Market Bag  from this must-have book:

I think about this bag when I go to sleep at night and when I wake in the morning.  ...You can really make something so wonderfully beautiful with a simple stockinette stitch??... 

I know.  I frighten my family when I obsess about this stuff.

And obsess I do because I even love the back of it.

This is the yarn I used:

...and I can't seem to put this project down.  Wait 'til I knit the handles in a round and insert twill tape to finish it off!

Whew.

Such. Excitement.

star~spangled banner

A perfect granny star...

...for the makings of a star~spangled banner.

Zooty Owl has the most delightful pattern here.

f i n a l l y

F i n a l l y ...

...a finish.

My daughter's birthday socks started here.  But now they are done!

(Only 2 months late, but nevertheless --  a just peachy finsh.)

a doily with peacock thread

I am working on a doily with peacock thread.

Pattern and thread details to follow once I finish....

strawberry cupcake with a cherry on top

It is my sister-in-law's birthday and not only is she celebrating turning turning 54, she is also celebrating the loss of 130 lbs.

Amazing, to say the least! 

She has sworn off of all sweets --- including cake.

So why not crochet a cupcake that can not be eaten, but just enjoyed.

And oh!  I ♥ this pattern!

I've tried crocheting a few different cupcake patterns and all I thought was, ehhhhh.

But this one?  I just love how each piece is made separately and joined at the end.  I know that some will scoff at the extra sewing involved, but I am finding my love for sewing too.

This all came together so quickly and so enjoyably.

That IS the key.

I wanted a little bit more stability to the bottom of the cupcake so I put dried kidney beans in the base (with a circle cut out of cardboard placed before the beans were added.)

Then lots of polyfill.

Sewn together and now Lori has a cupcake that she can enjoy for a long time.