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.

patchwork star potholder

Who knew you could do patchwork with crochet!?

After finding the loveliest Leisure Arts Leaflet at the thrift store called NOSTALGIC POT HOLDERS TO CROCHET by Terry Kimbrough (copyright 1991) I noticed a pieced potholder that seemed to be put together very much like fabric patchwork.

Three words?  I. love. this.! 

The way each patch flows out magically like a piece of fabric...

...and yarning over to make a granny hexie for the back.

And I just SMILED when joining the front to the back and seeing the windows of color peeking out.

The icing on this cake was poking out the popcorn stitch in the center of this potholder just like a cute belly button peeking out.

I used up all of my leftover cotton yarn to make this potholder, but now I can see this in so many cute color combinations.

Of course, I'll need to run to the store for more yarn...

a handbag for Ruth

It started with this flower.

From this book:

And it became the focal point of this handbag. 

A handbag for Ruth. 

And being that she is celebrating her 93rd birthday...

And blue is her favorite color....

And zippers don't cut it for a massive stroke victim --- but pockets for tissues and sunglasses (yes, she is still a diva needing her shades...) I sewed this handbag for her.  Now when we go out shopping (which we do frequently) she can do it in style.

~ ~ ~

This flower was so easy & quick to crochet that I started to think about all of the fabric in my stash.  And yarn.

A lot!

And since this handbag was so easy to sew ( I just drew out a purse template on cruddy paper and sewed it from there)...and the flower so fun & fast --

Well. 

It's the makings for some (a lot!) cute handbags with 'crochet-cute' flowers as added embellishment.