Haz Wool, Will Knit ...

One Week, One Pattern

2012-03-06T18:09:00.000Z

Tilly, over at Tilly and the Buttons, has had a great idea for a new challenge to encourage people to wear their self-made clothes - One Week, One Pattern. The idea is to celebrate well-loved patterns by wearing clothes made from the same pattern every day for a week, but styled in a different way each day.

I enjoyed my participation in Self-Stitched September 2011 so I thought I would give this a go. My biggest worry was that I wouldn't have a pattern which would be appropriate. My first thought was Amy Butler's Lotus Cami, of which I have two. Or at least I had two, until last week when my sari silk lotus ripped :(

After consulting my wardrobe I came up with the obvious answer, Burda 8611 - a nice simple skirt pattern, which I have used four times, ideal!

So, I'm all set and ready for the 24th March when the challenge begins. Who know, I might even have time to knock out a fifth skirt by then ...

Starting the fires of inspiration

2012-03-04T16:27:00.000Z

I don't know if anyone has been watching BBC's Let's Dance for Sports Relief programme? (I have to confess I haven't and only know about this because of a tip off.) But if you have you may have seen the charming Miles Jupp dancing to The Prodigy's Firestarter.

The observant reader may be thinking that his jumper looks a little familiar ... rather like this jumper, which I made last March ...

... well, you would be right! Miles' wife is an old friend of mine, and I made this jumper for their son. It has apparently proved to be rather a hit with him and has had plenty of wear. So, when Miles was invited to be on Let's Dance he took his the jumper along to the costume department and got them to make up a full sized version!

Not only that but he even managed to work some knitting into his dance routine

Miles was the runner up in his heat, and will be taking part in the final. I'm pleased to think my jumper played a small part in his success :)

You can watch the full routine here

Refashioning Challenge - Part I

2012-02-26T17:58:00.000Z

At the start of this year I suggest to my best friend Miss D, that we should set ourselves a refashioning challenge. I should say here that is not an original idea, but one I have blatantly stolen from So, Zo. My suggestion was that every couple of months during 2012 we would send each other an item from a charity shop, which then had to be refashioned into a new, exciting and wearable item!

I first made the suggestion to Miss D in an email, and when she didn't get back to me I thought that she wasn't interested. I should have known better, as a couple of weeks later my first refashioning challenge arrived in the post.

This is not the clearest picture, but the item is a patterned velvet shirt, originally from Marks & Spencer. I have to confess that this shirt arrived some weeks ago, but it has taken me some time to come up with a workable idea.

My first plan was to use Twinkle Sew's Eye for an Eyelet, (below left) but it quickly became clear that there was not going to be enough fabric in the shirt. Instead I used a New Look shirt patten from my stash to remodel the body of the shirt into a closer fitting shape, keeping the button bands from the original, and shorted the sleeves (view E on the pattern packet, below right).

Instead of following the shirt patten completely and making a standing collar, I instead when back to my original idea and copied the neckline from Eye for an Eyelet. And here is the result ...

Despite a few false starts, and a mid-project wobble, I really enjoyed the challenge of re-working this shirt. I feel that in going for a shirt shape, and keeping the original button bands, even if it is only a small section of them, has kept some of the original aspects of the garment. I'm fairly pleased with the result, it is certainly much more wearable than the original item, and I think I probably will wear it. I need to move the lowest button, as it is not quite in the right place and is making the top gape.

Aside from what to do with the item, the fabric was a nightmare to work with. It slipped around and the difference in thickness across the fabric made it very difficult to make a neat seam or dart. This also made it very difficult to hem, and because it is partly see-through the hems need to be quite neat. In the end I finished the neck line with some bias-binding, and the lower edge with ribbon. As both came from my stash, and I reused the buttons from the original, I didn't spend a penny on this project - very thrifty.

I'm now off to send my revenge, sorry that should be challenge, to Miss D. I won't put a picture of the whole garment up here, so as not to spoil the suprise for her, but I will put in this little sneaky peak.

Getting started

2012-02-14T21:00:00.000Z

I was complaining last week that I had lost my crafting mojo. Well this weekend it and my sewing machine (which has been for a service) both came back.

I spent most of Sunday afternoon working on Colette's Macaron Dress, using some cotton lawn fabric from Dubai - its two parts of a Salwar Karmeez set. The third part being a matching shawl, which I think might be a bit much if I wear them all together. The body of the dress will be in the flowered pink, with the contrast yolk and sleeves in plain pink. Its going to be quite a summer-time dress, but making it has at least brought some brightness to winter days.

I've also started on a new knitting project; the Acer cardigan using some Kerry Woolen Mills yarn I picked up on my visit to Kerry last summer.

But enough about me. I've also been sharing my love of knitting with some of the girls I work with, who have asked me to teach them how to knit. We are a is Miss A, who after failed attempts at learning to knit in the past, has now succeeded and produced this fantastic cowl.

It's made from two balls of Drops Eskimo, a pair of 9mm needles, a slightly modified pattern from ravelry and, in this case, not too much blood, sweat and tears!

How To: Marmalade

2012-02-11T22:08:00.000Z

Last week I received an exciting parcel in the post from my Sardinian uncle; a batch of beautiful Sardinian marmalade oranges, freshly picked from his friend's orange grove. On a side note - isn't the plate cute? I found it when I dropped into the charity shop on the way to buy the rest of the ingredients to make my marmalade!

My mother is a fantastic jam maker and preserver, but although I've watched and helped her for years - it was a little nerve racking setting out on my own! I used as a guide The Basic Basics Jams, Preserves and Chutney Handbook, a book which had previously received the maternal stamp of approval, and this is what I did.

To save having to prepare the oranges before cooking when they are fairly tough, I simmered 5 oranges and a lemon (roughly a pound of fruit) with 2 pints of water for about an hour and a half until the fruits were very soft. I then lifted them out, and once cool enough to handle, I cut them in half and pop the pips back into the cooking water, and boiled for a further 10 mins.

While this is boiling, I chopped up the rest of the fruit - skin, pith and all. This can be as thin or as chunky as you like - depending on how chunky you like your marmalade.

After the ten minutes boil fished out the pips - this is a bit of a fiddle, I used a small mesh sieve, but a slotted spoon would do as well. Once all the pips (or in my case most of them) are out, throw in the chopped up pulp and bring back to the boil, then add about 2lbs of sugar. Turn down the heat and stir slowly until all the sugar is dissolved. They whack up the heat and boil until it reaches setting point - I used a jam thermometer to measure this.

Following a tip from my mother I let the marmalade cool for about 25 minutes before putting into jars. She says if you don't do this, all the chunks of orange will rise to the top in the jars. As it cools in the pan you can also start to see if its going to set, as a skin will start to form on the top. Once its cooled down it can go into sterilised jars (I heat mine in the oven to sterilise them - and then try not to touch the inside while filling them.)

The quality I used makes about 3lbs of jam...

I really enjoyed making the marmalade, and although it does take quite a long time, for the first hour and a half you can really leave it to itself, and then there is just the burst of activity towards the end. Its also very satisfying seeing the jars of jam at the end. And I certainly think I'll be stocking up my cupboard with other preserved treats in future. And for now I've got some delicious homemade marmalade to eat on toast for my breakfast, just like Paddington.

January: Month of the Blanket

2012-02-05T09:37:00.001Z

I've rather lost my knitting and sewing mojo over January. Partly as my sewing machine has been in for, what turned out to be, its decennial service and partly as I don't seem to be able to commit to a knitting project. But what I have been working on is my blanket, which is luckily one of my new year resolutions.

I've got so much done in January (well over a square a day) that I decided to try it out on the bed for the first time in a long while.

I'm so pleased and I think it looks great. I reckon I'm somewhere between a third and a half of the way up the bed. Which means, I'm looking to meet my target of getting half way up the blanket this year ... and perhaps even a little further. I guess it will depend on when my knitting mojo comes back and how many other knitting projects I take on this year.

How To: Fashion Croquis

2012-02-04T15:36:00.000Z

Sadly, not me!

One thing that I regret not being better at is sketching and drawing, especially when I'm trying to plan or design things I'd like to sew. In the past I've used a fashion croquis (or fashion figure) to draw my designs on to. You can get loads with a quick google image search, but they a have the same problem - the figures don't have a very realistic shape. Like dummies in shop windows, they are proportioned so everything looks fantastic on them - and sadly I am not!

Last Christmas I was given The Colette Sewing Handbook. Its a mixture of sewing manual and reference guide, with a number of patterns to teach the new techniques as you go along. Early on in the book there is a lots of sound advice on planning your projects, and making things that suit you and, more importantly, which you will wear. They also suggest making your own croquis, to your own shape.

That's more like it - I know those hips!

I had a go last weekend. I took a picture of myself in a close fitting black outfit (tights and a t-shirt), and then traced the outline from the picture. Colette suggest printing out the image, but I cut a corner and just traced mine straight from the computer screen. Having made a pencil sketch from the computer screen, I then traced the final outline in black pen, so that it would be easier to trace again. I wasn't to horrified by my final product, or indeed seeing my shape on paper. I know that I'm bottom heavy, with larger hips and bum, and a relatively small waist - which is, I guess, why 1950s style tight waists and wide skirts work well on me.

I spent a happy Sunday afternoon 'trying on' different outfits on my croquis, it was like shopping without having to deal with shopping centres and changing rooms, which I loath. Its also rather like playing with the dressing-up cut-out dolls I had when I was little. Which I used to love, and am really a bit too big to being playing with now.

Well I say I'm too old, but I do have two set of cut out dolls in my bookcase, presents from my nearest and dearest, who no doubt know me too well. There for inspiration, honest, its not like I've actually cut them out...

How do you knit?

2012-01-29T14:21:00.000Z

I've always been aware that nearly everyone knits slightly differently, in the way they hold the needles and yarn. It is really interesting when teaching people to knit to see they variety of different ways people develop to hold their knitting. However, I've never really considered trying to describe how I held my needles until the end of last year. Over Christmas I was knitting a jumper, when a family friend who was staying suddenly exclaimed;

'You knit just like I do ... like a hedgehog riding a bicycle!'

What a description! I was slightly nonplussed at first by this statement, but when I began to think about it, I could see some sense. For a start I do hold the needles in much the same way as bicycle handles, with my hands over the top and round the needles.

The hedgehog piece is a little more confusing. I decided in the end, it could refer to the small spiky movements I make to wrap the yarn around the needles in making each stitch.

What ever the meaning you want to put on the words, I'm delighted with the idea that I knit like a hedgehog riding a bicycle. Anyone else have any nice descriptions of how they knit? Or perhaps a different interpretation of the description of how I knit?

This was the only picture of a hedgehog on a bike I could find!

An Ode to an Old Singer

2012-01-23T18:09:00.001Z

This thing of beauty is my mother's old Singer sewing machine, originally a hand driven one, which has since be moterised. It is the sew machine I learnt to sew on, and has see two generations of seamstress in my family though many disasters and triumps. Including meters and meters of curtains, items of the latest fashion of the last 40 decades and many pairs of jeans.

In common with, I suspect, many ladies, I find finding the perfect pair of jeans a bit of a nightmare. Then of course when you have found one, the shop immediatly decides to change their design! Argh! My solution? When I finally decide my jeans can't last any longer, I take them apart and use them as a pattern for a new pair. I've been carrying out this process since I was a teenager, athough I have updated my patterns since then :)

This Christmas I was at home for a two lovely weeks with my family, and of course, my mum's sewing machine. I have my own sewing machine in Dublin, but it is a new Singer, and although lovely in many ways, it doesn't like denim. It can't cope with the thickness of denim, especially in areas like the waist band where there are several layers of fabric.

At home for two weeks I was able to churn out two new pairs of jeans. The first using the pattern from a pair of jeans I bought years ago from Miss Selfridge, and have since re-made several time. I really like them, they are a nice relaxed fitting, slightly flared leg. I know they are a little long, but I do like my trousers a little on the long side.

The second pair are a new re-make for me. The original jeans were from UPIM (an Italian department store) in Sardinia, I bought them the last time I was there, which was probably three and a half years ago, and I have wore them to death! It was a bit of a wrench cutting them up, as they were still just about wearable, but I decided I had to risk everything on being able to recreate them.

Thankfully, it paid off. I decided to make them up in black denim for a change, which I think works quite well. You can't see in this picture but I used some black and white pattern petersham ribbon to make the belt loops, as I find making belt loops out of denim can be very fiddly. I also have to confess, that although I made these over Christmas, I only put the finishing touches to them this weekend. Lovely as my mum's old Singer is, it doesn't do button holes, and after trying to do one by hand on their first pair, it seems that I don't do button holes very well either! So this weekend, I cheated, and put on a hook and bar trouser fastener. I also had to do some running repairs on my first pair, where the 'hot needling' on the waist band turned out not to be able to stand up to the washing machine.

Why do you knit?

2012-01-21T21:03:00.000Z

The new year is here and it is a time for making New Year's resolutions and, for many, taking up a new hobby, craft or challenge. It is, unfortunately, also the time for newspapers to publish article that get me a little bit cross, with their lack or research and sweeping generalisations. The Irish Times Magazine last Saturday 'Web spins a compelling yarn' is not the worst I've come across, they have done some research, and have some useful links and nothing too patronising. But, despite this, the first sentence did get me a little annoyed;

'Thanks in part to the downturn knitting has seen a steady renewed interest in the past few years'.

First, 'the past few years', now what does that mean? I would say maybe two to three, perhaps five at a stretch. But the Stitch'n'Bitch Handbook, which could be seen as the start of the mass re-vitalisation of knitting was first published in 2003, which is nearly a decade ago, and Stroller's first group was held in 1999 - and that is really not 'the past few years' in my book.

However, my really problem is the 'in part to the downturn'! Now, I've NEVER met a knitting who took up knitting to save money. And, if you are reading this and thinking knitting can save you money, I would recommend putting down the needles and walking quickly away.

With some of the cheaper yarns, it is possible to get the material to knit a jumper for about €20-€30. My The Killing jumper is one example, the wool for this was about €25, but this is an exception not the rule. Jumpers can cost €60, €70, €80 and upwards. And this doesn't include your work hours, which admittedly most knitters wouldn't really consider including, because they enjoy knitting. Compare this with Penny's where you can probably pick up a jumper for under €10 (I can't guarantee this as I've not been into Penny's for years.)

Now, you can argue that I am not comparing like with like. And you would be right. If you are looking to get a 'couture' jumper, made in you choice of colours and fiber, to your choice of design and your size, then it is almost certainly cheaper to knit it. Also in last Saturday's Irish Times Magazine, was this Yohji Yamamoto wool dress, priced at a hefty €2,780. Now, yes, you could get the wool for this for less than that, lets estimate a generous €200, and if you rate your hours at the minimum wage level of €9 you have over 280 hours to knit it, more than enough I would say.

So yes, you can save money with knitting if you would normally buy hand knit couture, but if you just want a cheap jumper, knitting is not the way. And I've not even addressed the stash issue, as any knitter know the stash is a drain on both money and space, but in a lovely way :)

I don't want to put new knitter off with this, knitting is a joy, I love it. It is a great hobby, you can meet lovely new people through knitting groups and you can produce fantastic garments for yourself. And, with the range of yarns now available, most knitters can find the yarn they want within their own price bracket. I've just set up a new knitting group with some of the girls I work with, who either want to learn to knit, or take it up again. And, not one of them has said to me they are wanting to take up knitting as a way to save money!

Writing this post has made me think about why I knit? Mainly, because I enjoy it. I enjoy the process of knitting, and I am at the stage now, where if I am watching TV without knitting, I feel like I'm wasting my time. I also enjoy the outcome. I like wearing things I've made myself and it is nice when someone complements you on something, and you can say nonchalantly 'Oh, this? I made it myself'. I also like knitting for people who appreciate the result, especially the foxy whiskered gentleman.

But what about you, I'd really like to know, why do you knit? or why are you thinking about taking up knitting?

Fashion Inspiration: The Artist

2012-01-19T22:22:00.000Z

I'm just back from the cinema where I saw The Artist, the much hyped silent movie. I really enjoyed it, it is a really original idea, has lots of laughs and is a real upbeat movie. There were a couple of points where I thought there could have been a tiny bit of editing. However, my major problem was that I kept getting totally distracted by the lovely outfits, and especially Miss Peppy Miller's (Bérénice Bejo) amazing range of hats. It obviously helps if you are a stunning at Bérénice Bejo, and black and white film is always quite flattering.

I'm a fan of 1920s and 1930s style, and I love hats, so it was win-win. I only hope I can incorporate some of the ideas into my own projects. Just in case you have not been to see The Artist yet, here are some of my favorite outfits;


Lovely hat ...


... with a snappy outfit!


Smoldering looks!

And just when I thought she couldn't produce another, even more, exciting hat, she pulled it out of the bag with this one.

Handmade Christmas Gifts III - Stash Busting

2012-01-15T20:33:00.000Z

This is the last reviews of this Christmas's handmade gifts (the earlier posts are here and here). All of the projects on this post were excellent stash busters.

Skinny Clapoccinie - a thinner version of the now classic clapotis, made from some charity shop sourced sock wool.

This sting bag is made of some swapped cotton yarn, using this free pattern. Again it was using up some yarn which was left over from another project.

I think these are probably the items I'm most pleased with of all the gifts I made. I found the pattern in book I took out of my local library Joel Dewberry's Sewn Spaces. The book is very attractive to look out, and contains a number of nice little patterns for around the home, all made of very lovely fabric which helps.

These little birds are very simply and quickly made from small pieces of fabric. In the case of the four above the fabric is left over from other projects; from left to right - a waistcoat for my dad, a chair seat, my new PJs and my summer sari dress. In all three cases the bottom oval shaped piece is made from pieces of silk from a fabric sample book I found in a skip. So very thrifty gifts altogether :)

I filled all the birds with toy stuffing and dry lavender, so they have a range of different uses - from pin cushions to lavender bags to ornaments.

Tweet, tweet

Well that's Christmas over for another year ... now on with this years projects, all adhering to my New Year's 'resolutions', of course!

My Killing Jumper: How To

2012-01-12T21:30:00.003Z

Not that I like to be seen to pander too much to my blogger stats and comments, but it does seem that there are a few people out there who would like to know how I made my Killing Jumper. I'm not going to describe what follows as a pattern, it is more working notes on what I did. I hope they make sense and provide some help, if not drop me a line.

Ravelry References:

- Alison Moreton's Sarah Lund Charted Motif, the pdf can be found here.

- Salassam's Sarah Lund jumper from the Killing, I used Salassam's notes as the base for my jumper.

Equipment

- 8mm circular needle, nice and long mine was 100cm

- Stitch markers

- Stitch holders or spare yarn

- Garnstrudio Drops Eskimo, which is a super bulky weight. I used 14 or possibly 15 balls, three of the contrast colour and the rest the main colour. I got mine from The Constant Knitter

Gauge

11st x 16 rows to a 10cm square of stocking stitch

Finished Size

I am somewhere between a UK10 and 12 on top, the finished measurements of my jumper are

Length of back from neck: 66cm

Length of body to underarm: 42cm

Length of arm from underarm: 47cm

Working notes:

This is basically a simple top down raglan, with the charted motif work in. This is exactly what I did, with my 'fudges' included. I'm not saying its the best way to do it, its just how I did it. I used Alison Moreton's Charted Motif and generally followed Salassam's pattern notes (see links above).

Neck

Cast on 54 stitches, join in round

Knit 8 rows of Knit 1, Purl 1 rib

K21, place marker, K6, place marker, K21, place marker, K6, place marker

Short row shaping on back

This helps the neck to sit forward at the front, it is worked on the first 21 stitches only, these form the back of the jumper

K17, wrap & turn

P13, wrap & turn

K15, wrap & turn

P17, wrap & turn

Raglan Increases

Knit 1 round

Knit 1 round increasing at either side of all four markers

Work these 2 rounds a further 10 times (11 increase rounds in total)

Knit 1 round

Knit 1 round increasing on each side of the front and back only - This will give you 45 stitches on the front and back and 28 for each sleeve.

AT THE SAME TIME - after 12 rounds (6 increases) start working the charted motif

Placing of charted motif

The pdf of the charted motif I used has instructions for working in the raglan increase, I didn't really understand these, and they didn't fit with the number of stitches I had. I placed the motif so the star was at the centre of each of the front, back and two sleeves, and 'fudged' the increases.

All the raglan increases should have been work when you get to the end of the charted motif, you should now have 45 stitches on the front and back and 28 for each sleeve.

Body

I worked the body straight without any shaping, the wool is so bulky it seemed pointless to put in any.

K45, place 28 stitches on a holder, cast on 5 stitches, K45, place 28 stitches, cast on 5 stitches (50 stitches on needle for body)

Knit 15 rounds

Knit 12 rounds of charted motif

With 50 stitches for each side and with the star centered on each side, I found I had room for three and a bit repeats of the pattern, with an odd stitch at one end. I modified it slightly at the sides so there was just a circle, as I felt this looked better, you should get this across the front and back

The pattern join at each side between the front and back should look like this - note the single odd stitch between the circles

Knit 16 rounds

Knit 12 rounds of charted motif

Knit 8 rounds

Work 8 rounds of Knit 1, Purl 1 rib

Cast off.

Sleeves

Knit 28 stitches from holder, cast on 4 stitches (32 in total)

The observant reader will notice I cast on 1 less stitch for the arm than the body. This is another 'fudge' and it has to do with the placing of the charted motif. I'm sure there is a better way of doing it, but this is how I did mine and it works fine.

Knit 15 rounds decreasing two stitches evenly.

This is so you have 30 stitches and can fit in exactly two repeats of the pattern, I decreased mine on the under arm so you can't see them

Knit 12 rounds of charted motif

Knit 16 rounds

Knit 12 rounds of charted motif

Knit 6 rounds

Knit 12 rounds of Knit 1, Purl 1 rib

Cast off

Repeat for 2nd sleeve, sew up under arm, weave in ends, put on your jumper and find some gritty Scandinavian crime to solve ...

Handmade Christmas Gifts II: The Foxy Whiskered Gentleman

2012-01-08T15:31:00.000Z

A couple of weeks before Christmas someone in my knitting group asked what 'extraodinary project' I was making for my boyfriend's brother this Christmas. This is following on from the amazing knitted trousers I made him two years ago and slippers made the following year. It was a very good question, as the gift I had been working on is truly fantastic.

Some months ago I was given 'The Knitting Book' as a gift, its a fantastic 1980s volume which was found in a charity shop. Some of the patterns are quite extraordinary, for example the baby outfit suitable for 'cold weather outings', with the enticing title 'Calorific Comfort'.

Yes, the outfit designed to make your child look like the Michelin man

I unwisely left this delectable volume lying around when my boyfriend's brother could find it, he immediately pounced on it, and picked out his favourite pattern. Thankfully, not the Michelin man suit, which would be difficult to scale up for a 26 year old, instead he picked this hat.

The project presented me with two problems; scaling the hat up from the largest size in the book (for a 6 year old) and finding mohair in the right colour. I couldn't get a perfect match on the mohair, and it is a bit light, but the final outcome is clearly a fox. The sizing was more difficult, as its not a normal hat shape but it more like a fox balaclava. It took a couple of attempts and some patience but I did finally manage to produce a passable fox hat in time for Christmas.

I think you will agree, it is quite a beauty, and as ever the recipient was extremely pleased. He really is a pleasure to knit for. I know most of my Tuesday knitting group don't believe he wears the trousers I made him (he does, we have even had discussions on how the next pair could be improved), and no doubt they will have the same reservations about his wearing the hat. However, I am reliable informed he has been wearing it around the house over Christmas, and here is the photographic proof.

Yes, the perfect Stephen's Day outfit, hand knitted trousers and slippers, topped of with a fox hat. I just need to make him a jumper and he will be entirely in à la mode HazWool.

Happy Birthday

2012-01-07T19:08:00.000Z

Happy Birthday ... not to this blog, although it is nearly two years old, but to my boyfriend, whose Birthday Tea has just been consumed.

We've been going out for quite a while now, and I know his favorite Birthday cake is Black Forest Gateaux. Shockingly, I've never made him one, at least until this year. I had a bit of trouble finding a recipe, as although I was given two new cake recipe books for Christmas (to add to my existing collection) I couldn't find a recipe in any of them. It would seem that Black Forest Gateaux has not been re-discovered in the recent love of tea parties and all things retro. However, my mother's copy of Delia Smith' Book of Cake (originally published in the 1970s, the hay-day of the BFG) stepped up to the mark. You can find a 're-invented' version of the recipe on Delia Smith online.

The scones (just popping in from the left of the picture) are from Dan Lepard's Short and Sweet one of the books I got for Christmas. They are buttermilk scones and very tasty, although they didn't rise as much as I would have liked.

Handmade Christmas Gifts I - The Great Sock Marathon

2012-01-05T22:43:00.000Z

For the last three years I have knitted my dad a pair of socks for his Christmas present. This is the result of this fine looking lady, my great-grandmother Edith Lily. She loved knitting socks so much she was painted knitting them. As my dad was from a very large family (he was one of seven and his father one of nine) she couldn't knit enough socks for all her children and grandchildren, so my dad never got any.

The first two pairs I knitted for him were fairly simple (you can see last years ones here) the biggest problem has been the rather large size of his feet. This year I decided to knit him a pair of argyle socks. Why embark on such project you might well ask? It's partly because I was given a book with a pattern for argyle socks in, and partly as I remember dad telling me his father used to wear argyle socks with plus fours.


Not my grandfather, but what fine trousers and socks these chaps have!

Well all I can say is filial piety known no great love than knitting a pair of argyle sock for your father when he has size 13 feet! But they were completed by Christmas, and here they are modelled by my dad, although not in plus fours.

Channelling Edith Lily Socks

I am pretty pleased with them, although I won't be rushing to make another pair. And dad seems fairly pleased with them too. Even my mum is happy with them as I used machine washable wool, unlike last year!

Zio Calze

And because knitting one pair of large and complicated socks in time for Christmas is not enough, I decided this year to make a pair of sock for my Italian uncle as well. Lucky, he takes a modest size nine shoe, so there was a lot less knitting and I stuck to a simple ribbed sock pattern. I forgot to take a picture of them over Christmas, so here is a picture I took half way through knitting.

I think you can see why I was complaining in my last post that I felt that I hadn't knitted something for myself for ages. Plus, this is only the first instalment of my handmade Christmas gifts ... there is still the foxy whiskered gentleman hat, amongst others, to go.

[Insert you New Year cliche here]

2012-01-04T20:21:00.001Z

I'm a little late on the band wagon with the New Year looking back/making resolutions posts, and most of the snappy titles have already gone. It also appears that I have been a bit lazy this last year as some of the sewing bloggers I look at have produced over 50 projects this year, and one was into the 70s! Crikey, I really need to pull my finger out this year.

Last year, according to MySewingCircle, I completed 15 sewing projects which is not to bad. I also think that not everything I made this year is on there, so I might be pushing 20 projects. Without a doubt my favorite was my memento dress.

On the knitting front, Ravelry informs me that I have 26 projects completed this year, which seems to be about my average. I was going to do complicated sums to find out how much yarn I had knitted in the last year, but I can't find my calculator! My favorite knitted item is certainly my Killing Jumper, which is keeping me warm this winter. This is closely followed by the foxy whiskered gentleman hat, which I will be posting about soon.

As for the next year, I have a few 'resolutions' or perhaps guiding principles;

Knit selfishly - I feel like I've not knitted something for myself for ages. This is partly as a result of the sock marathon I took on in the run up to Christmas. I've already started on this while I was at home for Christmas, as I'm 3/4 of a way through a new jumper.

De-Stash - Ah, the knitters favorite resolution, but [more] realistic this time as at least part of my stash is ear marked for nice project for myself. In terms of space, I need to get a handle on my fabric stash, which is growing at an alarming rate.

Back to the Blanket - I feel I have been ignoring my sock yarn blanket and that I need to get back on this project or it is never going to get finished. I'd [tentatively] like to say that I will get to the half way point this year.

Think before you start - My sewing especially seems to result in party dresses (lovely but not everyday items) and separates that don't match anything else in my wardrobe. So this year, I will try make items which are more wearable everyday, and fit in better with what I already have, so I have more chance to wear them. Again, I'm off to a good start as over the holidays I made two pairs of jeans. But as with most resolutions I expect I'll fall of the good intentions band wagon very soon.

Another seasonal treat

2011-12-11T14:16:00.000Z

I've celebrated this cold and wet weekend by having a second attempt at making a Chocolate Yule Log. My first attempt was this time last year, and I burnt the sponge. I was planning to have a second go at the cake then, but I broke my wrist in last years snow and that rather upset my plans.

This years attempt was much more successful, I didn't burn anything. However, much like the contestants in the Great British Bake Off earlier in the year, I had considerable trouble with the rolling up. It was more strips of sponge held together with whipped cream, then a roll of cream and sponge. So, no before pictures, but there is an after shot, with all the mistakes hidden by a layer of chocolate icing.

What I've learnt, butter cream icing hides a multitude of sins, and that this cake is really just a vehicle for whipped cream and chocolate butter cream icing, YUMMY!

Christmas Jumpers and Stollen

2011-12-05T12:53:00.000Z

Its that time of year again, and thinks are starting to get christmassy! I usually like to wait until December starts, but last Wednesday (30 November) I was invited by some of the girls at work to come along to a Christmas Jumper Make Night at the Science Gallery.

It's a fantastic idea, participants were asked to bring along a jumper and the Science Gallery provided Christmas themed bits and pieces, and glue guns. Ah, glue guns, I've not used one since wood tech at my old Comprehensive School, and I forgotten how much fun they are ... and how easy it is to burn your fingers!

The evening was really fun, not just because of the glue guns, and I decorated my jumper. Although, there were some suggestions that mine was a bit too tasteful. I think I put all my creative juices into helping make a jumper with S for someone else, which is going to be a surprise (or should that be shock) when they get it! (I don't have photos of it at the moment but will get some.)

Once I got into the Christmas spirit, I decided to have a go at making a stollen. I've never made one before, a couple of years ago my bread making genius friend WellBread was experimenting with different recipes and produced some lovely examples. I wasn't intending to aim quite so high, and it was probably just as well.

Its not the prettiest stollen I've ever seen, and it is a bit flat. I don't know if I didn't put enough yeast into it, or it wasn't warm enough where I left it to rise, but it still tastes good. The icing sugar is also, not very convincingly, hiding that the Stollen is a bit 'high baked', aka burnt.

I know when WellBread was making Stollen she was aiming for the quality of Lidl Stollen, which she rated very highly. I certainly not at that level, but I'm not down in the Tesco Value range either :)

Spinning - the final frontier?

2011-11-28T18:38:00.000Z

The Sunday before last I went to Dublin's spinning group for the first time. I was convinced to come by R, who offered me a lift and promised me a trip to a museum afterwards. I had brought my knitting along, and intended to carry on with it quietly in a corner, but once I was there I was pounced upon and made to spin!

I've never spun before, and its not ever really appealed to me, which sounds odd as I love my knitting and sewing. I think that the time needed to spin enough yarn to make anything really puts me off, and to be honest I don't need another hobby!

So what do I think now I have had a go? I enjoyed the process of spinning, thanks in no small part to the excellent tuition of D, who made it all very easy and straight forward. And once you get into it, it is quite relaxing and pleasant. I was very luck that Laura Hogan had some small bags of sample roving for the group, thanks Laura. Also R has lent me a drop spindle, so I can finish of what I started on Sunday. (Well I say lucky, clearly its a way to get me hooked, it's just peer pressure R, I know your type)

So with all this lining up in favour of spinning, have I changed my mind? Well, not really. I enjoyed the process of spinning, but that was never going to be the issue, as it does look quite fun. And I am quite proud of my small amount of spun yarn, which is no doubt very amateurish and lumpy. But I still don't feel the end product is worth the effort. I like a quick(ish) result. I like knitting and sewing as you can see the garment grow as you go along. I think, for me, spinning is too much like pattern drafting, I can do it and I can see why you might want to, but you can buy very nice yarn/patterns in the shop - and the quicker option appeals to me in this case.

Thank you mum!

2011-11-25T18:09:00.000Z

This post is a special one to say thanks to my mum. There are many reasons why my mum deserves thanks, but this time its knitting related and horribly overdue!

Some time ago, in fact in May, I posted about the buttons I had just selected for a new garment and said 'I am so pleased [with the item that] I am going to give it a whole post of its own soon'! Well, I think the phase 'better late than never' springs to mind, as over six month later I finally write the post.

When I was home last Xmas my mum showed me some Sirdar Hug, which she had brought to make something for herself, and then decided she didn't like it. Instead, she said that if I could find a pattern she would knit me something. I know, what a lovely mum.

A quick search on Ravelry later and I selected the Heather Hoodie Vest. It turned out to be quite hard to track down the pattern, as it was published at the end of 2009, but with the help of some fellow ravelers I laid my paws on a copy.

A few click clacks of mum's knitting needles later and my brand new Heather Hoodie arrived in the post. Mum hadn't found any button she liked to finish of the top, so I raided by button tin. Although I couldn't find a matching set, I am pretty pleased with my 'harlequin' set

My hoodie finally had its first proper outing last weekend (I'm so ashamed it has taken so long) when I went to my first spinning group (the craft not the exercise).

Pretty good no? I'm very pleased with it, and happy to say that knitting wise my mum taught me all I know!

Chocolate Stout Cake

2011-11-19T18:29:00.000Z

As I may have mentioned before, my boyfriend brews in his spare time. (He is out in his brewing shed now working on his mash tun, don't ask!) One advantage of the brewing is the nice beer I 'have' to drink, as a supportive girlfriend. Secondly, the newly kitted out brew shed also keeps him out of my kitchen (well mostly he did spent most of last Sunday brewing a 'mini-mash' in my kitchen while I was trying to bake bread). Thirdly, I get interesting brewing side products to cook with, last Sunday's bread was made with spent grain from brewing.

At the moment we have a polypin of stout in the kitchen. Because it is in a polypin, not bottles, we have to drink it quicker before it goes off. *Sigh* what a hard life it is! I decided to help this task along by using some of the stout in baking, and settled on Delia Smith's Chocolate Beer Cake.

I love Delia, her recipes just always seem to work, you follow her instructions and you get what your expecting. This recipe seemed sure to be a hit, when I had to whisk 2oz on cocoa into 200mls of stout ... hum, sticky chocolate beer :)

Yummy, cake mix ... I could have stopped at this point, but I managed to get some of it into the tin. Leaving enough in the bowl for a decent spoon licking session.

The finished cake is fantastic. It's moist and full of flavour, and although its quite rich, it doesn't feel heavy after you have eaten a slice ... or two ...

Not a very good picture, as it was early in the morning and dark in the kitchen.

(I should point out I was cutting cake to take it to work for coffee with a colleague,

not because I was eating it for breakfast!)

Making the Cut

2011-11-15T17:57:00.000Z

A couple of months ago I posted about a trip to the theatre to see a double bill of the Importance of Being Ernest and Travesties, and the lovely costumes. One of the outfits I really liked was a simple blouse, with short sleeves and a contrast collar. I was just considering if I would dust off my (not very good) pattern drafting skills, when I came across Colette Patterns' new fall design Jasmine. Which was just what I was looking for. I decided to treat myself to the pattern and, as I was ordering, I also got another pattern for the Macaron dress.

I already had some nice flowered cotton, which I bought a couple of years ago, in my stash, so all I needed was the contrast fabric. This turned out to be more difficult than I expected as I couldn't find the right blue to match the flowers, so instead settled on a blueish sage green. I'm still not quite sure about it, but I'm going to give it ago.

I started on the pattern cutting last week. The pieces are cut on the bias (at 45degrees to the straight line of the fabric) which means they have a bit more stretch in them. Allowing the top to be constructed without any closures. I've made enough mistakes in cutting fabric, cord going the wrong way, pattern-upside-down, not enough fabric to cut everything out, you name it, I've probably done it. But, for once, learning from my mistakes I gave myself plenty of time on Sunday afternoon to cut everything out. I seem to have the correct number of pieces, all with the pattern running the right way, so its onto the sewing now.

Not a great picture, but it was dark by the time I'd finished

Back to Baking

2011-11-07T11:18:00.001Z

Hello! ... I've had a manic couple of weeks at work, resulting in a down turn in the time I've had to spend on my crafting hobbies, and a resultant lack of blog posts. Also, the few projects I have had time for in the last couple of weeks have been Christmas related and won't be appearing here for a little while, so as not to spoil any Christmas Day surprises.

Things are (final) back to normal this weekend and I have had time to get to know my new cookbook. A couple of weeks ago I treated myself to Alexa Johnston's second baking book, A Second Helping, More from Ladies, A Plate. I was given the first volume, Ladies, A Plate, last year and have loved everything I've made from it. The books are beautiful to look at, the photographs accompanying the recipes are full of lovely vintage china and embroidered table cloths, not to mention being stuffed full of lovely tea time treats. I love reading cook books anyway, and this one is an especial treat. Based in New Zealand, Johnston has collected together traditional recipes from a range of vintage cook books, and recipes passed down through families, each recipe being accompanied by the history of the recipe.

The second volume has turned out to be just as good. I've made Hokey Pokey Cookies, which are like the middle bits of Crunchie bars in biscuit form. (no picture I'm afraid, as we've eaten them all!) My second recipe choice was Crunchy Topped Lemon Loaf, which is lovely - light and moist with a lemon zing. The loaf is not very sweet, but it has a sugar and lemon juice syrup pored over the top while its cooling, which makes a delightfully sweet and crunchy top. (No picture of this, as there does not seem to be a working set of batteries in the house! Once I've got some charged up I'll put in a picture as the loaf looks pretty good).

I've treated myself to a day off work today, to recover from my exertions at work, and I'm off now to hunt threw my fabric stocks to match them up with my newly expanded stock of sewing patterns, but that's a story for another day...

My Killing Jumper

2011-10-23T11:53:00.000+01:00

I'm so excited! I have finished my version of the famous jumper from The Killing.

I worked out the pattern myself, based on several helpful notes on Ravelry, from others who had worked out their own patterns. The motif pattern I used can be found here.

My jumper uses Drop's Eskimo, which is a super bulky 100% wool, and 8mm needles. Resulting in a very quick (two weeks) and very satisfying project. I worked the jumper from the top down, with raglan increases.

I made a bit of a mess of carrying the charted motif across the raglan increase, even though the charted included details of how to work this out. Its not too bad, but if I was making this again I would take a bit more care with it.

Because of the number of stitches I needed for the body, the pattern repeat of 15 stitches didn't fit exactly, so I made a slightly modification on each side, see right.

When I stared on the sleeves I realised I had 34 stitches, so I put in a couple of decrease rows in before I got to the first motif row, so that the pattern would fit round the sleeve exactly.

All in all, I love this jumper. I really enjoyed knitting it, and I'm very pleased I've managed to work out a pattern all by myself, which has resulted in a wearable item! I'm wearing it as I type, and its like having a constant giant warm hug, it is just so cosy :)

Here I am, doing my best Sarah Lund impression. And as the cold winter weather has arrived in Dublin this week, all I need is some gritty Scandinavian mystery to get my teeth into!

DIY Bed Head

2011-10-19T18:31:00.001+01:00

First of all you need a headboard for your bed. I was quite lucky in this respect as, although I was planning to make my own, the boyfriend's brother volunteered (or was volunteered) to make this for me. He's just finished university and has time on his hands so it's OK.

We have a divan type bed, I think, it's just a base and a mattress, but it does have fasteners to attach a headboard. The headboard is, as you can see, a rectangle of MDF the width of the bed (135cm) and about 60cm high. It has two slats running down to attach to the fasteners on the bed base.

I started by covering the head board in a layer of wadding to make it a bit softer, in case I bump my head off it. I am very clumsy, see the falling off the chair while sewing a duvet cover post for proof. (You could also add a layer of foam under the wadding if you want to make it super soft.)

The piece of wadding needs to be about 10 cm bigger on each side than the headboard, to allow it to reach round the sides and onto the back. I attached the wadding with a handful of upholstery tacks, purchased from my local hardware store. Again, you could use a staple gun if you have one, but I don't.

It's best to start by tacking the wadding in the center of the short sides, pulling it tight, then the centre of the long sides, again pulling it tight. Because, I was adding a second layer on top, I only put a couple of other tacks in, just to hold the wadding in place.

Once the wadding was safely in place, I then covered it with the top layer of fabric. I used a remnant of patterned upholstery fabric I found in Hickeys, again about 10cm bigger all round than the headboard. As with the wadding, its best to start by tacking the middle of the sides first. Is also a good idea not to drive these tacks full in, until you are sure the fabric is stretched tightly enough and to make sure you have not pulled the pattern out of line. To keep the back tidy, and to stop the fabric fraying, I folded over the edges before I tacked them down, and, as far as possible, tucked the wadding underneath.

I had a bit of trouble working around the support struts. I cut a vertical slit in the fabric to about an inch from the head board, in the middle of each support, and folded the edges over so they could be tacked down. I've not made the neatest of jobs, and you can see some of the wadding sticking out, bit it looks OK on the front.

After about half an hour of stretching and tacking, I was all done and the headboard was ready to do back onto the bed.

Re-thinking the triangle

2011-10-17T20:59:00.000+01:00

I've never been very fond of the triangular shawl. I don't know why, I've never been subjected to making/wearing an especially hideous example. Indeed, the triangular shawl forms part of my national dress, the 'traditional' welsh costume.

Clearly, I hope, this is not a photograph of me, I've done my best to suppress all images of me as a child in welsh costume. (No mother, they are not sweet!)


Welsh fashion on market day, 1851

I was not even convinced by Ms Middleton, who on one short trip to Waitrose did much to rescue the large triangular shawl from fashion oblivion. Its all a bit to big, green and frilly for me.

What has made me re-think the triangular shawl was the latest Jane Eyre film. I managed to tear my eyes away from Michael Fassbender long enough to notice the very nice little shawl Jane was wearing while hiding out with the Rivers on the moors.

A quick search of Ravelry showed that I was not the only person who was taken with the shawl. And, as the film came out in America some months ago, there are already several patterns available. I'm especially taken with Sunday Knits' pattern 'To Eyre'.

As is so often the case with Ravelry I also stumbled across a completely different pattern to what I was looking for. Coincidentally it is also another triangular shawl (I can't escape them today) and inspire by an early version of Jane Eyre.

Nebula Designs - Wandering the Moor based on a shawl worn by the Rivers sisters in the BBC miniseries of Jane Eyre made in 2006.

So from not liking triangular shawls at all, I know can't decide which to make ... any suggestions?

Loving my local library

2011-10-13T19:00:00.000+01:00

One of the reasons I was sorry to move away from Rathmines earlier this year was the public library, which was always delightful and rewarding to visit. It had been closed for over a year for re-refurbishments and finally re-opened the week after I moved. But I need not have worried, because although my new local library is not quite as aesthetically pleasing from the outside, it turns out to be a treasure trove inside.

The first visit I stayed safely in the fiction section, where I managed to pick up several books I was wanting to read, including the next C J Sanson books. Last weekend I ventured further back into the depth of the library, and explored the Cookery and Craft sections.

The library turns out to have a great selection of sewing books. Couture Sewing Techniques is fascinating, if a little terrifying. I think I probably need a bit more practice at the hand sewing before I am quite at this level. I've also already lined up a couple of sewing projects, and started one, from Sewn Spaces, more details to follow.

I was also tempted by the fine selection of baking books, I've been watching the Great British Bake Off and it always makes me want to bake. I found both the recipes I made from the Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days to be very sweet. The apple crumble cake was nice, if a bit over sweet, but both the boyfriend and I found the plum cup cakes much to sweet to enjoy. Although, this didn't seem to bother my work mates who wolfed down the whole plate in the blink of an eye!

I had more success with Baking Made Easy, although not the bread recipes which both turned out a bit dry. However, the chocolate chip cookies were really good, as they should be given the ingrediences list. The recipe states the mixture will make 8 cookies, now I used the ingredients stated and made nearly three times as many cookies, and they seemed pretty big to me.

Tuesday Knitters Night Out

2011-10-11T19:30:00.000+01:00

Last Tuesday my usual Tuesday night knitting group went on an exciting knitting related expedition. Having been contacted by a group of visiting Canadian knitter, we agreed to meet them at their hotel, as there were so many of them we didn't think they would all fit into our normal venue.

We spent a very happy evening knitting in the lobby of the Mespil Hotel, with the Canadian knitters. As well as a few other knitters who happened to be staying in the hotel and spotted us. To be fair you could hardly miss us!

The visiting knitters were on an organised knitting tour of Ireland, and had been travelling round the country visiting knitting shops and mills. You can ready about their adventures here. (You'll also see where I took the pics from, but I forgot my own camera). It was really nice to meet the group, and with a shared interest in knitting we were able to start talking straight away, and not stop all night! Not a difficult task for some of those in my knitting group ;-)

I really enjoyed the evening, and love the idea of 'knit-tourism'. In fact I think it would only be polite if the Dublin knitters headed of to Canada on a return visit. I'd also like to say thanks to Anne from Wool-Tyme, the leader of the group, who gave us all a nice little knitting gift from Canada.

Now I just need to knit a shawl to go with my new shawl pin, any excuse!

Making a Killing ... jumper

2011-10-07T20:24:00.000+01:00

I'm a big fan of stats, the more complicated the better. When on a Sunday evening Downton Abbey ends and the boyfriend comes down to watch Match of the Day 2, I stay for the fantastic stats. (That the reasons, honest, it's not because I want to do some more knitting and am in a Sunday evening slump in front of the telly). Anyway, I like the stats that blogger provides. It tells me that I am not talking to myself, and that some people are listening. They also tell me that my most popular post by some way is the one in which I discuss Sara Lund's jumper in The Killing and my plans to make one.

Not wanting to be seen as playing to the crowd, I've now cast this on. Last mouth I went to one of the Constant Knitter's monthly tea parties/yarn orgies and picked up a lovely soft squidgy pile of Drop's Eskimo wool. Working using the charts available on ravelry, I've started on my own Killing Jumper. Its the first I've worked with out following a pattern (I like following instructions, I find it really comforting and reassuring) but so far I'm finding it quite liberating working without one. I'm going for a combination of the two jumpers in the show, the pattern of the first one, with the brown and white colour scheme of the second.

This is what I have done so far...

I'm quite pleased on the whole, I've not done the best job with the pattern over the raglan increase, but it's not too bad. Also, if I was to make it again, I'd make the collar a bit shorter, but I'm not going back at this stage and it turns down well.

Self-Stitched September '11 - Round up

2011-10-04T22:50:00.000+01:00

So from reading the blog, you might have thought that I had fallen off the Self-Stitched September bandwagon, but you would be wrong. September is over, and I am glad to say that I managed to wear at least one thing I made myself every day of the month.

Overall I really enjoyed the month. At the beginning of the month I found it very exciting as I wore items that have been hiding in my closet for some time. However, by the end of the month, I was finding that I was wearing the same items again and again. Which seems to indicate that I should do some more sewing. Also I think I need to consider making things that match, or at least can be worn together. Finally, for the whole month of September I only wore one dress. I've taken to wearing more dresses in the last year, but still tend only to make dresses for special occasions. So from the last month I have learnt that I need to do more sewing, make more items that go well together and make more dresses.

So as not to bore you with loads of photos of me over the last two weeks, and because I wore the same items several times, I'm just going to give you a quick round up.

My newly made tartan skirt was a success ...

as was my spotty vintage skirt and net petticoat

Bye, bye self-stitched, its been fun!

DIY Duvet

2011-10-03T17:47:00.001+01:00

Last weekend when I was at home I found some lovey striped cotton fabric. It was such good value (£1.50 a meter) that I bought 8 meters. This weekend I've been working away on turning this fabric into a double duvet set.

I had considered writing a tutorial on how to do this. But given the number of expletives used in making this, I'm not sure that would be a good idea! There are also plenty already available on line. I will however offer a few suggestions; don't use stripped fabric - it shows up an slightly wonky sewing. And a tiny bit out over a two meter hem can make a big difference. Also, you need a big sewing table and lots of space to handle the amount of fabric in a duvet cover. I manged to knock over my sewing stool moving the fabric, didn't notice and fell on my bum on the floor, owwww! Not an essential, or even recommended, part of the process.

Once I had recovered, and demanded some sympathy from the boyfriend, I got on with the sewing.

Although my collection of teddy bears' don't look so sure, I'm quite pleased with it. Once it is on the bed, you can't see all the problems I had with getting the line straight, and I like the pillow cases, which have the fabric going the other way.

This photograph also give you a good view of the mdf headboard, made by the boyfriend's brother, which is just waiting for a lick of paint to finish it off. Its very nice of him to make it for us, I suspect he is feeling guilty about him and his friends drinking nearly all of the Weiss beer my boyfriend made me for my birthday. In retrospect, it probably was unwise to leave it unprotected in the cellar.

I'm looking forward to sweet dreams in my newly kitted out bed ... night night!

The Day By Day Cookery Book

2011-09-26T15:12:00.000+01:00

I'm still at home in Wales, and have spent a happy morning pottering around the charity shops and haberdashery shop of my home town, more on this later. But what I'm going to blog about today is one of my mum's favorite cookery books, although I don't think she has every made anything from it.

The Day By Day Cookery Book by A N Whybrow was published in London in 1900. It details, as the name suggests, menus and recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner for every day of the year. I remember loving the book as a child, and looking up what amazing fare we should be eating that day. The book is very 'on trend' now as it is all about seasonal produce and using up leftovers. For example on January 2nd you use the neck and shoulders of a rabbit to make mulligatawny soup (I've only ever had it with chicken), the rest of the rabbit is then used to make potted rabbit for breakfast the next day. I also suspect there was a companion volume that had you making a hat from the skin.

However, health fanatics might find the book a little more difficult to stomach, as the sheer amount, and range, of food present at each meal is mind-boggling. With you potted rabbit for breakfast on 3rd January, you should also have hot rolls, honey (fair enough), brown and white bread (as well as hot rolls!?!), fried scallops and potato rissoles. Well, all I can say is that would certainly keep you filled up until lunch time.

On the menu today (26th September) is a breakfast of Quaker oats, honey, hot rolls, rolled tongue and foie gras. (yes, for breakfast!) Lunch of tongue fritters (you can never have too much tongue in a day), macaroni cheese and compote of greengages. Rounding of the day with a dinner of tomato soup, curried calf's head, roast snipe, straw potatoes, spinach and strawberry whips.

An in case you want more time to prepare for following the recipes I will let you know what you should be making tomorrow:

Breakfast: Wheat meal porridge, buttered scones, radishes, potted tongue and fried slips.

Lunch: Minced tongue in macaroni (using up two lots of yesterday's left overs), grilled stake, horseradish sauce, mash potatoes, cheese and celery.

Dinner: Mock turtle soup, sirloin of beef, cauliflower, mashed potatoes, roast partridge, bread sauce, lax (Norwegian salmon) on toast. You will be glad to know that 'Lax, which is rather an expensive luxury, can be procured in tins, and will be found very delicious'.

Bon Appetit!

Mum's copy of the book, which has just been very beautifully rebound

by our local book binder, Jenny Bevan.

Ernest Travesties

2011-09-25T17:52:00.000+01:00

This weekend I am on a visit home to Wales, Aside from visiting family and friends, the main reason for coming home this weekend was to go the Birmingham to the theatre. I went to see the Birmingham Rep's double bill of Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Ernest' and Tom Stoppard's 'Travesties'.

'The Importance of Being Ernest' is one of my favourite plays, and this was an excellent production. I was more excited to see 'Travesties'. which I had heard a lot about from my parents who saw the original production in the 1970s. The plot is rather difficult to explain, it is the reminiscences of an aged British Diplomat Henry Carr, who in 1917 was working in Zurich, and knew Lenin, James Joyce and Tristan Tzara (one of the founders of the art movement Dadaism).The reminiscences centre round a production of 'The Importance of Being Ernest', staged by Joyce with Carr as Algernon. Carr's reminiscences increasingly become confused with the plot of the play, and there are a number of 'dadaist' scenes. As well as being extremely funny the play is, like most of Stoppard's, very wordy, and it explores a number of different ideas.

However, rather than give a theatre review, what I wanted to talk about was the costumes. The same actors played in both plays, and the costumes were designed to reflect this. In both plays clothes, and especially trousers, are important, especially to Algernon and Carr. I really liked Cecile's two outfits, and have been considering how to recreate parts of them. Unfortunately I can't find a picture of her costumes, and I'm not good as sketches, so you will have to take my word for it. All I could find online is this sketch for the costumes of James Joyce and Gwendoline Carr.

I will finish with one of my favourite outfit related lines. As you can see from the picture Joyce's jacket and trousers never match. Towards the end of the play Carr finally asks him;

'And I have one request to make of you - why for God's sake cannot you contrive just once to wear the jacket that is suggested by your trousers?'

Joyce: (with dignity) If I could do it once, I could do it every time. My wardrobe got out of step in Trieste, and its reciprocal members pass each other endlessly in the night.'

Pattern Review: Hotpatterns Metropolitan Slouchy Trouser Jeans

2011-09-17T19:43:00.001+01:00

Another pattern review inside of a week? But the two are related. As I mentioned in my last post I bought a couple of patterns from makers I'd never used before, and part of the reason for writing the last post was to cheer me up as I was in a total state with my other pattern!

This project was a pair of jeans, which had been on hold for a while as I was having trouble finding any denim in Dublin, which wasn't made with Lycra or very lightweight. Unlike the Colette pattern which impressed me as soon as I opened it, hotpatterns was less inspiring. The pieces are printed on normal paper, which was alright but I don't really understand why they had done this. Although they were printed on big sheets there were obvious breaks where they had been copied(?) from different sheets and the line of the pieces didn't match. Also all the size were printed in solid black lines which made it very difficult to know which line you should be cutting along. However, I will say this would probably not be annoying me as much if I had been successful with the pattern.

The instructions are not clear, which is fine if you have some sewing experience, and they do say on their website 'we assume that our customers have a reasonable knowledge of basic dressmaking'. I was doing OK until I got to inserting the zip, I have never come across the method they used, and I just couldn't follow the written instructions and the diagrams were anything but helpful. (Again they don't use the normal convention in the diagrams of shading the right and wrong sides of the fabric piece differently). I even called on the boyfriend to see if he could make sense of the instructions, he couldn't! I eventually managed, with some choice expletives, to get the zip in. Its not very well done, but it would do. However, when I put them on they were horrible. I don't know if it was me or the pattern, but they don't look anything like the ones on the packet.

The line of the crotch goes up into a weird point in the middle, who is shaped like this? They had odd jodhpur like shaping at the sides, and the front is very odd and kind of square shaped. I was so upset, the pattern looked so appealing! I've spent most of the last week and this morning trying to sort them out, and all though I have managed to reduce some of the more unpleasant eccentricities, I know I'm never going to be happy with them. And, if i do get round to finishing them, I will always feel the horrible leaden feeling of disappointment whenever I put them on.

Phew ... rant over.

So, what have I learnt from this experience. Well, all new and shiny things are not wonderful, but those that are, like Colette Patterns, are delightful. Secondly, don't forget those good faithful old staples that have stood by you for years. Before embarking on my disastrous jeans, I spent a happy afternoon making a very nice little skirt out of some left over (from an unsuccesful dress) tartan check fabric using a Burda pattern I've used before. Good old Burda, nice designs, clear instructions and they work.

Pattern Review: Colette Crepe

2011-09-13T20:41:00.000+01:00

When I first started sewing as teenager, there was rather a limited supply of patterns and fabric. This may partly have been because I lived in a small market town in Wales, with only one, eccentric, haberdashery shop. This shop did have its charms, but the selection of both patterns and fabric could best be described as limited and dated. I am sure that some of their fabric remained in the shop the entire time I was growing up, and would probably be their still if they hadn't been taken over and moved.

However, I think part of the reasons was that there was less interest in sewing, and their was just less market and less products. Certainly on my last visit, the current incarnation of my home town haberdashery shop had a much more tempting range than 10 years ago. Anyway, this is all heading to me telling you that last month I treated myself to two new patterns from, at least for me, new designers.

My first project was Colette's Crepe dress, described as 'A sweet and easy wrap dress with no closures to sew. The dress wraps in back and has cap sleeves. ... Version 2 (my choice) has a shaped sweetheart neckline and waist ties in a contrasting fabric'.

Of course when the pattern arrived I realised that I only had 2.5m not the 3m I needed of my planned fabric for the project; Amy Butler Memento. After some thought, I decided to change the construction, by inserting a zip on the left side, I would need less fabric as it didn't have to wrap. To keep the nice design of the back where the two piece cross over, I made the top half of the back in two bits, and attached them to the back of the skirt at the waist.

I really like the pattern, and not just the design but the physical object. Instead of the envelopes most patterns come in, Colette patterns come as a little booklet with a pocket at the back to keep the pieces. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, and the booklet was much easier to handle than a big printed sheet.

I'm also incredibly pleased with the result. I know I put up a picture last week, but in case you missed it, but really just because I like it, here it is again.

I think the fabric works really well with the design of the dress, although the design is a little bit out along the front seam. It took me ages to find the blue for the sash, you can't see so well in this picture but it matches the blue flowers in the dress. I dragged my poor long suffering boyfriend round most of Dublin's fabric shops in the hunt for the right blue!

My only difficulty now is which of Colette's patterns to buy next. I had almost decided, and now they have brought out their fall range and I'm back to a state of complete indecision ...

Self-Stitched September '11 - Week 2

2011-09-11T11:57:00.000+01:00

I've reached the end of the second week of self-stitched September, and am still managing to keep to my pledge of (at least) one self-stitched item a day. This week has, unintentionally, been all about the skirts, and unlike last week there is a bit more repetition of outfits.

September 5th

Monday's outfit featuring my self-stitched zebra skirt. The fabric was a gift from a friend, and there was just enough to make this little skirt. A sign of the changes of seasons, my black knee-height boots came out for the first time in months!

September 6th and 7th

On Tuesday and Wednesday my vintage knitted vest made its debut. I finished it a week ago, and I think it turned out really well, I'll put up some more details of this later. The skirt is one of my charity shops finds, its really a little too big for me, but I love it so pretend not to notice :)

September 8th and 9th

A bonus outfit with two self-stitched items, the skirt which I made quite recently (more details here) and the cardie which I made years ago. Every time I put on this cardie, I remember how much I like it, then it seems to disappear into my wardrobe and not get worn for months. I would never had thought of putting it with this skirt if it hadn't been for SSS'11, and I'm glad I did as I think the colours work well together.

September 10th and 11th

And finally, this weekend has seen the return of the zebra print skirt!

The Lady's Guide to Perfect Gentility (1856)

2011-09-08T18:24:00.000+01:00

I received a belated birthday present in the post earlier this week. A re-print of part of a 1856 guide to perfect gentility for ladies. Its full of fascinating and useful advice such as

'do not be tempted to indulge in another proof of feminine in decorum .. that of addressing young gentleman of your acquaintance, who are unconnected with you, by their christian names. It opens the way to unpleasant familiarities on their part, more effectually than you can well imagine'

There are also strong words against sarcastic remarks;

'Be careful also how you indulge in sarcasm. If you are constitutionally inclined to this, you will find that there is no point in your character which needs to be more faithfully guarded'

Perhaps, something I should be taking myself to task over!

My favourite part of the book provides sample letters for a range of situations, they mainly seem to relating to questions of the heart. Examples include 'A letter refusing proposals', 'A widow in answer to a proposal' and 'A letter expressive of her apprehension that her suitor has transferred his affections'. If that turns out to be the case then there is 'A letter in answer to a letter in which her suitor intimates his wish to discontinue acquaintance', which includes the fantastic line 'Sir, I shall endeavor to banish you from my affections, as readily and completely as you have banished me'.

Sadly, the book does not provide a template for a letter to a female friend thanking her for the receipt of a most delightful belated birthday present, so I guess I will just have to manage on my own. Starting by saying thank you sparklydatepalm!

But I will leave you with an extract 'From an aged lady in the country to her niece in New York, cautioning her against keeping company with gentlemen of bad reputation'

'The sincere affection which I ... have prevailed on me to write you what I have heard concerning your too unguarded conduct, and the too great freedom you manifest when in the company of a certain Mr. Buxby. You have been seen with him at the theatre, at Niblo's, at the Museum, as well as promenading Broadway! ... Your familiarity gives me no small concern, as his character is extremely bad, and he has acted in the most ungenerous manner to two or three estimable young ladies of my acquaintance ... I have heard that he is deeply in debt, as also that he is privately engaged to a rich old widow in the Jerseys. In short, he is a perfect libertine, and is ever boasting of the frailty of our sex, and adducing proofs to sustain him'

Self-Stitched September '11 - Week 1

2011-09-04T12:12:00.000+01:00

Its the end of my first (part) week of self-Stitched September '11 (SSS'11), and so far I've really been enjoying wearing more of my home made clothes. Here is a quick round up of what I've worn.

September 1st

This was quite an easy choice, as I wear this top quite often. Its made from India Sari fabric (from my fabric mule) using Amy Butler's Lotus Cami pattern. I love the pattern (I've made another top using it), the only difficulty is doing up the buttons on the back.

September 2nd

This top is quite similar to the last one, although it has been lingering in the back of my wardrobe since 2009. I designed and made it as part of the fashion design course I took in the Grafton Academy. I don't think I quite got the design right, the sleeves are too tight, and the shaping not quite right. The fabric is a charity shop purchased wrap-round skirt.

September 3rd

Party frock time! I love this dress, its made using Amy Butler love memento fabric and Colette's Crepe pattern. I only completed it two weeks ago, and I'll save the details for a separate post.

September 4th

Today, as I type, I'm wearing possibly one of my favourite handmade tops, and also one of the simplest. I made it at least fours years ago from a small piece of lace fabric. I cut the piece in half and sewed up the sides, leaving spaces for arms and a cowl type neck. You can tell how much I love it from the amount it has faded, it used to be a lovely vibrant lime green

Self-Stitched-Sept '11

2011-08-27T19:11:00.001+01:00

I've made an important decision, I decided to sign up to Self-Stitched-Sept '11. Run by 'So,Zo...' the aim is to encourage people to wear more of their homemade clothes. As she points out a lot of people end up with all their lovingly handmade items languishing in the back of wardrobes. I know this is something I am guilty of, and I think the idea is great, so my pledge for the month is as follows;

'I, Hazbo of http://hazwoolwillknit.blogspot.com/, sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-Sept '11. I endeavour to wear at least one self made item each day for the duration of September 2011'

I decided that wearing one self made item a day would be enough of a challenge, several other people are rather more adventurous and are pledging to wear only self made items. I'm not sure I could manage this, so I am starting of with one item only, and I'm going to try and keep the use of self made accessories to a minimum.

Having decided to take part I then thought I better have a look at just what there is in my wardrobe that I made myself. It turns out I have rather more than I expected, including;

5 dresses, most of which are probably not suitable for wearing in September in Dublin

7 skirts (I know there are only 6 in the picture, one is in the wash)

8 knitted tops

and 6 sewn tops

Looking at them all together it occurs to me that I need to take a more ordered approach to my knitting and sewing, and produce a slightly more coordinated wardrobe!

Monsignor Richard Rutt

2011-08-24T21:15:00.001+01:00

I received a copy of The Times' obituary of Monsignor Richard Rutt in the post this week. On the face of it this seems an odd thing to be sent in the post. I'm not very interested in religious matters, either Anglican or Catholic. (Rutt started his career as an Anglican bishop and ended a a Roman Catholic priest). Nor am I overly interested in his scholarly works on Korean literature. But near the end of the obituary is an interesting paragraph which reads as follows

Rutt was an accomplished knitter for many years, a pastime to which he had been addicted since the age of 7. He was often described as "the knitting bishop", and frequently wrote a mitre that he had knitted, as well as a cope that he designed and machine-knitted at de Montfort University. An acknowledged expert in this field, in 1987 he published A History of Hand knitting.

I felt that this deserved some more research. A quick google later and I realised that I had heard of Rutt before. I recognised the cover of his History of Hand Knitting from a post last year by sheknitupthatball. Who could forget this cardigan? Anyway, as I have not read the book and sheknitupthatball has, I can only recommend the interested reader to study her informative post.

From my googling I also discovered that Monsignor Rutt donated his extensive library of historic knitting books to the University of Southampton's Library. The library has since digitised a selection of the 19th century knitting manuals from the collection which are now available online here

Oh my goodness, what a fantastic resource! I've only just dipped in and out of a couple of the items and there are some fascinating items. They range in date from Miss Myra Knitting Lessons (c.1800) to Ladies Work for Sailors (1902).

Knitting in Archives

2011-08-20T21:30:00.000+01:00

As I'm sure you all know today is the start of Ireland's Heritage Week, which aims to raise awareness of Ireland's shared heritage through hundreds of events hold across the country. In addition next week also see the start of Ireland's Archive Awareness Campaign, which aims to raise awareness of archives (as the name suggests) and encourage new users.

The poster of the campaign is particularly appropriate for this blog as it shows Lily Yeats and her assistants in the embroidery room at the Dun Emer Guild in 1905. (The image comes from the Yeats Archive in the National Gallery of Ireland). Although the images is lovely, what I am really interested in is the slogan 'Everyone has a history and we have a bit of yours', so what do Irish archives have about knitting?

I've written about this subject before in this post about Agnes Sweetman and the Meath Home Industries Branch, and created one of items from the pattern notes. At the time I had recently qualified as an archivist and was unemployed, so had plenty of time on my hands, and I did some further research about what else there was in Irish archives about knitting. Since then I've not had a chance to look at any of the documents I located, as I found a job and other things overtook me. But maybe as I don't have the time someone else out there might, so to whet your appetite here is an overview of some of the items I found.

The National Archives hold a number of official documents relating to this history of knitting in Ireland, especially government schemes in times of economic downturns (notably the Irish Famine and the 1940s). One of my favourites is a file of documents from 1941 described as relating to 'travel facilities for Irish girls resident near the border for the purpose of attending knitting classes'. No amount of political trouble should come between and girl and her knitting! In the 1960s there was also a fair trade commission on women's stockings and knitting yarn. Was there a big problem with cartels driving up the price of knitting wool and stockings?

IDNH3345 - Aran Islanders (note the jumpers)

Both Trinity College and the National Library of Ireland hold commonplace books (note books) which contain handwritten knitting patterns. I did have a look at the one in the National Library and it was really interesting, I took some digital images, but I lost them when my external hard drive exploded. You can also often find knitting patterns in the printed reports of hospitals from the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Friends of the hospital were encouraged to knit items to donate to the hospital. Trinity College also hold a manuscript poem by Samuel Lover (1797-1868) to a Miss Muspratt 'on her knitting a purse for the author'. I'd love to have a poem written to me on my knitting prowess, sadly I couldn't find a copy of this poem online. I image its not one of his best works as the only quote given in the catalogue description is 'what very good eyes you must have'. Sounds a bit like Little Red Riding Hood to me! The National Library also has the music scores for 'Knitting songs' from the 1890s. What are they? Songs about knitting, or songs to knit too?

There a lots of other items scattered across Irish archives, but one place outside of Ireland which rates a special mention is the Shetland Island Museum which has an extraordinary collection of items relating to the history of knitting. A simple search of their archive catalogue produced 233 records, including interview, letters, manuscripts and published works. There are also over 150 photographs, including several like this one showing ladies using their 'free time' while carrying peat home to do some knitting! Maybe I should take this up when I'm walking home from work ?

Slow, Slow and Slower

2011-08-17T20:15:00.001+01:00

I've not posted much lately about my crafting enterprises, so I think a quick round up is needed. This absence is partly due to the fact that I have been very slow at completing anything.

I've been working on this very simple skirt for the last 5 months, and there really is no excuse for its taking me so long. I bought the fabric during a trip to Belgium and Holland last year, and just wanted a simple skirt from it. Originally I was going to make an a-line skirt and cut out the piece for this based on my own skirt block. When I got the pieces out again last weekend, I decided to change the pattern and make it a more like a pencil skirt, although not too close fitting. I think on the whole it worked out quite well. I've been wearing it to work this weeks with some deep purple kitten-heeled shoes and have been happily click-clacking my way around.

My next slow moving project is the vintage knitted vest, which I posted about here. Now there is a bit more of an excuse for my slow progress on this project, there are simply hundreds of rows of 1x1 rib ... in 4ply. But still, I think I am making a bit of a marathon out of it. I just need to knuckle down and get on with it. To speed myself along I've decided not to start any new knitting projects until this one is completed.

The vest is knitted in one piece starting at the bottom of the front and working up to the shoulders and then down the back. As you can see, I'm about half way down the back, so I'm nearly there.

My final ongoing project, for which there is more excuse for the slow progress, is my sock blanket. Looking back I've not posted a picture of the blanket progress since July last year, when it looked like this

Now, it looks like this

Still a long way off my planned double bed size blanket, but moving in the right direction, if slowly.

Knitting too extreme for dragons

2011-08-15T19:04:00.000+01:00

Last night Rachel John, the extreme knitter, pitched to the dragons on Dragons' Den for their investment in her business. Rachel John specialises in what she calls 'extreme knitting', which seems to be knitting with multiple stands of wool. Last night she showed of the worlds first item knitted with 95 (i think) stands of wool. Impressive yes, but is it worth the investment?

She was pitching for investment in her company which makes extreme knitting and crochet tools, i.e. very large knitting needles and crochet hooks. These are already available through her website and range in size from 15 to 27mm needles, and are handmade from wood. Much as I love knitting, I have to say I think I probably agree with the Dragons, that although interesting this is not really an good investment opportunity. I think the market is probably rather limited. I can't really imagine when I would every want to knit anything with 95, or even 1000 stands of wool? Certainly not if it takes this much work.

But then, maybe if I read Rachel John's book I might be inspired? And it would certainly be an efficient way of using up my stash.

If you are in the UK you can watch last nights episode on BBC iplayer here

Sackcloth and Sheep's Heads, it has to be ICA Bootcamp

2011-08-10T19:14:00.000+01:00

I have to admit that I am just a big fan of RTE's ICA Bootcamp, and this week I have been enjoying Charity ICA Bootcamp, which is enjoyable if not quite as good.

For those of you not from Ireland, ICA is the Irish Countrywoman's Association. The ICA is over 100 years old and is the largest women's organisation in Ireland, according to their website they organise a varied programmes of activity including trips and visits, crafts and art, speakers and competitions. To a large extent they are the Irish version of the Women's Institute.

For Charity ICA Bootcamp four 'celbraties' (I don't know who most of them are) are sent to the ICA headquarters at An Grianan, where they compete in a number of tasks. Including 'traditional' women's tasks of cooking, farming, household duties, sewing and 'party pieces'. All under the watchful eyes of the three no-nonsense ICA mentors. I especially like Josephine (on the right) who over sees the sewing, and has an eye for the young men, she was very taken with Mr World last night.

Although I enjoy the 'extreme ironing' task and the thrift cooking (last night it was sheep's tongue which had to be removed from the sheep's head first), my favorite is the sewing task. Over the week all the contestants have to make an outfit for the final day's party from some fairly un-inspiring materials. On Sunday, they were presented with sackcloth, and the results were extraordinary.

You may be wondering about the belly dancer, but she did have a sackcloth shrug. Many of the ICA ladies at the final party were somewhat nonplussed by the burlesque outfit, especially when she performed a 'party piece' which involved putting a snake's head in her mouth ... yuck!

An additional charm in this series is that the narrator seems to have hit her stride, and is very funny, although not yet up to the standard of the narrator on Come Dine With Me. He really does make that show. There are also some rather charming clips of ICA members from years gone by.

If I've managed to tempt you to watch ICA bootcamp, you can catch up now on the RTE player here.

And here is a clip from the normal ICA Bootcamp, where 'sex and the city-esque' modern young women are sent to try their hands at some traditional tasks.

Brightening up the home made home

2011-08-08T19:01:00.000+01:00

There are many reasons why I love the house we moved into last month, but the interior decoration is not one. The house has been recently redecorated and majors on unexciting neutral colours. Its a bit of a contrast to the bright colour we chose to decorate our last apartment in.

As a complete repaint is out of the question for the moment, I've been doing my best to brighten up the house with some home made touches. Flying off the needles, of both sorts, this weekend were

The exciting looking monster on the top of the pile, is me finally giving in to the ghastly tradition of knitted loo roll covers. Although with a modern twist. I felt in need of a quick knitting fix on Friday night, and this pattern popped up on a raverly search. The pattern, available here, uses chunky wool and large needles, the happy combination that makes a quick project. It is knit in the round and is about the size of a small child's hat, the legs are made using i-cords. They are all different lengths, and taking the advice of another ravelry member, I've put pipe cleaners into the legs so they can be manipulated. The wool is some Iceland Lopi wool, I found in a charity shop a few years ago, and the buttons are from my enormous button box.

My second, even quicker, project was new covers for the sofa cushions. Although I'm very fond of the cushion covers I made last year, I feel they don't really suit the new sitting room. So a quick rummage in my fabric stash and I turned up this lovely brocade like material. The covers are simple and really quick to make and you can get two out of a meter of fabric.

I'm Back ... again!

2011-08-05T20:21:00.000+01:00

So it is will over three weeks since I announced by triumphant return to the blogosphere, and its fairly clear that I've not been blogging much, or indeed at all! I'm sorry, I could blame being busy at work (I am), and the stresses of moving (not quite so true), but mostly its because I've been away for the last couple of weekends.

First I went home to Wales, to visit the parentals and for the annual get together of my father's family. We had lovely sunny weather for once, and one day, after I left, the rest of the party were able to have a luxuriant breakfast on the lawn.

Then last weekend,I hopped on the train down to Kerry, to meet up with my parents again and to visit some of my mum's family. Sadly the weather was not as nice as it had been in Wales, but we were able to get in a few walks.

As we were in Kerry it seemed to me that it would be plain rude not to visit the Kerry Woolen Mills ;)

The mill is located in a lovely range of buildings, down some country roads a few kilometers outside Killarney. The weavers were on their summer holidays, but I did get to poke my nose round the doors of the weavers shed and was very impressed by the number of looms and machines.

The mill shop had a selection of knitted goods, and more interestingly, from my point of view, knitting wool; their own spun aran weight. The range of colours was really good, and it was difficult to choose. (Well having gone all the way to Kerry, it seemed rude not to buy anything). In the end I settled on a light moss green (top right, of the left hand image below). I'm thinking of a nice cable cardigan - maybe this one, even though I know its the wrong weight wool.

As I was buying my wool I noticed a sign on the desk saying 'Please ask about our fabric?' ... well I think you know what is coming next! I was whisked away to the upstairs storage space where there were bales and bales of fantastic fabric - tweeds, wool silk and wool cashmere. I was really taken by some beautiful red and white hounds tooth fabric, and I think I might order myself some when I find the right pattern.

I'm back ...

2011-07-12T22:19:00.000+01:00

Hello faithful readers, fear not, I have not fallen of the face of the blogosphere, I've just been a bit busy. The main reason for this is that I've moved house. The boyfriend has changed jobs, necessitating a move to the other side of town. I'm especially excited as we are now renting a house instead of an apartment, and have a front and back garden. The former is small and overgrown and the latter is a yard, but there is lots of potential.

All the packing has caused me to face some home truths, such as the size of my fabric stash (its sitting next to the desk, still in its moving boxes looking reproachfully at me). But, on the brighter side it does mean a trip to Ikea, and as an archivist friend said to be recently, you can't beat there home organisation section. I think its a professional thing, we just like to put things away in nice neat, organised boxes. Also, flicking through the Ikea catalogue I noticed needles and wool sticking out of several of their storage boxes.

Because of the house hunting, packing and unpacking I've not been up to a great deal on the craft front. I've been without a sewing machine for two weeks, and separated from most of my knitting stash and accoutrements. However, since moving in I have been making use of the bigger kitchen, and more reliable oven...

Twice baked (although only once baked at this point) watercress souffle and a blueberry cake :)

Dubrovnik and Folk Embroidery

2011-06-26T14:07:00.001+01:00

I've not been blogging much the last couple of weeks partly as I have been on my holidays, a last minute deal to spend a week in Dubrovnik. The old town is very beautiful, although rather full of tourist shops, and when the cruise ships arrived totally packed with visitors. (I know, I am a tourist too and just as guilty). I went round several of Dubrovnik's museums, which were in the main not fantastic with one major exception - the Dubrovnik Ethnographic Museum.

The museum is housed in an old granary just below the town walls, and has the most amazing collection of traditional/folk embroidery and lace clothing and decorative items from across Croatia and the neighbouring countries. The collection was put together by Jelka Mis, born in Dubrovnik in 1875 she trained as a school teacher.

During her holidays she travelled across Croatia and its neighbouring countries, amassing a huge collection of samples from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. She felt that traders were paying a tiny amount to purchase items, and then selling them at a huge profit to tourists. In the 1930s she returned to Dubrovnik where she established the Atelier for Folk Embroidery, to train local women in the skills of traditional embroidery. She was already a member of the People's Female Collective which since 1919 had done much to promote the status of folk embroidery and crafts. Jelka Mis donated her collection of over 1000 artifacts to the Dubrovnik museum.

The collection contains samples of embroidery, many of which Jelka Mis had worked out the designs of for her students.

As well as full costumes, these examples coming from Kosovo and Macedonia -

Sadly, Dubrovnik is no longer the centre for traditional folk embroidery. There are a number of stall selling overpriced items, the quality of which would probably break Jelka Mis' heart. On a brighter note, I did come across a fantastic millinery shop with some beautiful handmade summer hats.

Neillí Mulcahy – Irish Haute Couture of the 50s and 60s

2011-06-16T15:21:00.003+01:00

A couple of weeks ago, for the first time in the decade that I have lived in Ireland, I went to the Decorative Arts & History Museum in Collins Barracks. I don't really know why it has taken me so long to get there, I put it down to the museum being a bit out of the city centre, and me being a bit lazy.

The museum is one of those which I find a bit overwhelming - it just contains so much stuff! Two of my favourite bits were the Curator's Choice, which gave a nice snap shot of the museum's collections and the Out of Storage section, which is a huge gallery with a jumble of items form across the collections arrange a bit like a storage room.

After wandering through room after room of silverware, I finally found my way to The Way We Wore rooms, which look at dress in Ireland from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. I have to say I found it a little disappointing, I didn't think they had made the best use of the collections/area and I found the dummy's a bit freaky, also their clothes didn't fit well.

However, what I really did enjoy was the Neillí Mulcahy – Irish Haute Couture of the 50s and 60s exhibition. I had never heard of her, but i discovered that from 1951 to 1969 she ran a very successful haute couture business in Dublin, focusing on the use of Irish tweeds. And working with Irish hand weavers to produce new designs and colours. The exhibition includes clothes designed by Neillí, as well as material from her archive (including sketches and order books) and some tools from her workroom.

I really enjoyed this part of the museum and think I might go back with my sketchbook to jot down one or two ideas. Indeed I took the idea from the half slip net petticoat I made last week form on on display as part of the exhibition.

Sorry the pictures are poor quality, you are not allowed cameras in the museum and there was not much available online.

Dreamboats and Petticoats

2011-06-12T21:15:00.008+01:00

A couple of months ago I blogged about a full circle skirt I made using a vintage pattern. As a treat to myself, after the 5 meters of hand-sewing the hem, I decided to buy a net petticoat. Well, having been outraged by the price of net petticoats, I looked instead into making one myself. A quick google later and I found Sugardales' excellent tutorial on how to make a net petticoat.

So, armed with 3 meters of net and 20 meters of ribbon, I got underway. I have to say the tutorial is fantastic, well explained and with clear pictures. I followed the instructions, except I used meters instead of yards for the measurements, which probably resulted in the petticoat being extra full. It was easy to do, as it was mainly long runs of straight sewing, the only slightly tricky bit was attaching the ruffled net to the next layer.

I think (modestly as ever) this turned out really well. For once, after the mistake I made of the sari summer dress, I read the instructions fully, and twice, before starting - and as a result - I made no mistakes :)

And what a difference it makes...


A plain and spotty skirt


Bring on the dancing girls!

And Voilà

In fact, the petticoat is so full I decided that it might not be ideal for everyday use, I have a feeling I could get stuck in doorways and would be continually knocking things over. So, for day to day use, I made a second petticoat, with the left over net and some spare lining material. I used another good online tutorial for the base of the petticoat - which is just a basic half slip. I then gathered up the remaining net and sewed it onto the completed slip, with the net finished just above the hem, so it wouldn't scratch against my leg.

Not as pretty as the first but rather more practical, giving a little lift to the skirt, but not so much as to take up two seats on the bus!

I have to confess that the title of the post is a little misleading, as its really just about petticoats and not dreamboats. But, so as not to be done under trade descriptions, I think I better at least mentions dreamboats. But do all knitters/sewers have the same taste in dreamboats? I think not, if my knitting group is anything to go by - Diarmuid Gavin and most of the Irish rugby team (you know who you are ladies). So, as I'm probably not going to be able to please everyone, I will just please myself

Aunt Celia's Elderflower Cordial

2011-06-08T11:06:00.000+01:00

Just under a year ago I blogged about making elderflower cordial, and from the response I got it was clear that lots of you had never made, or in one case never tasted, elderflower cordial. So this year, as I was rather more organised, I thought I would show you just how easy it is to make!

I use Aunt Celia's recipe (Aunt Celia is not my aunt, but the aunt of a family friend), for it you need;

* 20 heads of elderflower
* 3lbs of sugar
* 2 pints of boiling water
* 2 lemons
* 2oz of citric acid

Elderflower is in season at the moment and fairly easy to find, it grows in many hedgerows and on wasteland. The citric acid can be more difficult, I got mine in an Asian supermarket.

In a large bowl pour the boiling water over the sugar, it looks like a huge amount of sugar to water, but keep stirring and it all dissolves.

De-rind of the lemon, but without taking too much of the white pith, as this is very bitter. Once the rind is off, peel off the pith and throw it away, and slice up the flesh of the lemon, and throw the rind and flesh into the water and sugar mix, with the citric acid.

Finally, add the elderflower. The heads can sometimes have some little flies on them, so you need to check for this. Some people suggest washing the heads, I tend not too, just shaking of the flies, or if the heads are very badly covered not using them. Throw the elderflower into the bowl as well, and give the mixture a good stir. Now cover it up and leave it for 24 hours.

24 hours later ....

Time to bottle up the cordial, I used some old swing-top lemonade and beer bottles, sterilised using some of the boyfriend's sterilising solution for his brewing, but you can also keep it in screw-top glass or plastic bottles. You need to strain the cordial, I use a sieve lined with a piece of muslin, and then poured it into the bottles. Warning; the cordial is very sticky, and if like me you are not very tidy, this can be a messy process!

Yippie! - three bottles full of lovely summery elderflower cordial, ready to be mixed with water and sipped on a sunny afternoon! Hum, all I need now is that sunny afternoon ...

Literary Knitter for June

2011-06-05T11:09:00.000+01:00

This month's literary knitter was sent to me by thesparklydatepalm. I had always wondered if anyone reads my literary knitters, and she obviously does. Although what she is doing in Dubai reading PG Wodhouse's golf stories is beyond me! Anyway, I'm glad she did as she came across this fabulous quote - its quite long so I've just put a taster in the literary knitter box, and the rest is here ...

"The girl seemed to like them both equally. They never saw her except in each other's company. And it was not until one day that Grace Forrester was knitting a sweater that there seemed to be a chance of getting a clue to her hidden feelings.
When the news began to spread through the place that Grace was knitting this sweater there was a big sensation. The thing seemed to us practically to amount to a declaration.
That was the view that James Todd and Peter Willard took of it, and they used to call on Grace, watch her knitting, and come away with their heads full of complicated calculations. The whole thing hung on one point - to wit, what size the sweater was going to be. If it was large, then it must be for Peter: if small, then James was the lucky man. Neither dared to make open enquiry, but it began to seem almost impossible to find out the truth without them. No masculine eye can reckon up purls and plains and estimate the size of chest which the garment is destined to cover. Moreover, with amateur knitters there must always be allowed a margin for involuntary error.
... Peter and James were accordingly baffled. One evening the sweater would look small, and James would come away jubilant; the next it would have swollen over a vast area, and Peter would walk home singing ... In affairs of human tension there must come a breaking point ...
'To settle a bet' said James, 'will you please tell us who - I should say, whom - you are knitting this sweater for?'
'It is not a sweater,' replied Miss Forester, with a womanly candour that well became her. 'It is a sock. And it is for my cousin Juliet's youngest son, Willie'
'Good night', said James.
'Good night', said Peter.
'Good night', said Grace Forrester."

From P G Wodehouse's 'A women is only a women' in The Clicking of Cuthbert

Retro Tea Time continued ...

2011-05-29T12:12:00.000+01:00

After last week's successful trip to the charity shops and my new tea cozy, this weeks charity shop trip resulted in more retro tea time accessories. I'd spotted the items in the window display in the Cancer Research charity shop in Rathmines earlier in the week, and headed down at ten yesterday morning when they went on sale.

I find the idea of not selling items on display in charity shop windows really odd, its not something I'd come across before I came to Ireland. In the UK you can wander in and buy whatever is on display. I used to volunteer in my local Oxfam shop, and while putting together a window display of 'youth fashion' I sold most of the items before I had even finished dressing the window! It seems to me the more items you sell the better, and you don't make any more money by holding the stuff on display for two weeks.

Anyway, back to yesterday and my purchases ...

First this cute blue weighing scale and a flour sifter, made in West Germany. However, my absolute favorite item, and something I've been wanting for a while, is a tiered cake stand.

It's so pretty! It's made by an English firm Palissy, a quick look on wikipedia informs me that Palissy was probably founded around the 1850s and was bought up by Royal Worcester in 1958. I'm guessing from the style and the marks on the china that this was made shortly before the factory was finally taken over. And just when I thought it couldn't look any better I filled it up with some freshly made chocolate afghans!

A Taste of Sardinia

2011-05-24T21:15:00.001+01:00

My uncle T (really uncle by marriage, he was married to my late aunt) lives in Sardinia, in a lovely flat directly above a bakery. Its fantastic to wake up in the warm Sardinian weather to the smell of freshly baked bread. The bakery does a fine line in Sardinian cakes and sweets, many of which are almond based.

This weekend I decided to have a go at making the Sardinian favorite almond macaroons, as my brother is coming to visit and he is a big fan of them. They didn't turn out quite like the Sardinian ones, they are not as light but as a first attempt they are not half bad. They have a rich almond and lemon taste, rather more like marzipan than the lighter biscuit they should be, but successful enough that I will be giving them another go.

You can read more about the bakery in Sardinia here and my uncle T here in Wellbread's tales from her bread tour of Italy.

Tea Time!

2011-05-21T17:33:00.002+01:00

First off, the wisp has been received by the fabric mule. There is a sentence I never thought I would be typing, sadly the story is rather more mundane than this spy-like code statement sounds, and you can read all about it here.

Today's trip round the charity shops, this afternoon rather than this morning after rather too much fun last night, was very successful.

I found this very cute handmade tea cozy. I've been thinking of knitting a tea cozy for myself for a while, but am delighted to have found this one instead. We used to have a cottage tea cozy at home when i was little, so I've always thought that a tea cozy should look like a cottage.

The cottage is made of felt, with the design worked with squares of felt, and flowers embroidered on with wool. I especially like the little latticed windows. The roof seems to be made of some kind of rough thick felted wool, a bit like carpet underlay, but it makes a very nice thatched roof.

I also picked up a new book from Oxfam Books - Its been on my list of books to read for a while, a murder mystery, set in Tudor England - what could be better!Although I doubt I'll be finding any knitters in this one.

So with my new book and tea cozy I'm all set to curl up on the sofa with a nice cup of afternoon tea for a good read!

Knitting Adverts

2011-05-17T18:08:00.000+01:00

First off, I have replace one of the images in my last post as I hadn't realised how out of focus it was, sorry readers!

Secondly, I received this postcard today

Isn't it great? It's a reproduction of a Second World War poster, and not one I've seen before!

Vintage Knitted Vests

2011-05-14T21:23:00.001+01:00

A couple of years ago my mother found a selection of vintage (c.1930s) knitting patterns in a local charity shop. They are a treasure trove of knitting delights, from 1930s jumpers and traditional baby bonnets to an astonishing full length knitted petticoat! Knitted underclothes were clearly a popular knitting choice with the original collector of the pattern books, as there is an entire booklet on 'Knitted Vests for Ladies and Men'.

The knitted vest book is a delight, and not only for the patterns - there are some fantastic period pieces of adverts as well.

I love the idea of vest wool, especially supervest wool - do vests made of it have special powers, aside from being daintier that other vests? I imagine superwoman's vests are made out of supervest wool!

And its not just knitting supplies the booklet advertises, it also covers that delicate area covered by the euphemistic phrase of 'women's troubles'

Anyway, back to the vests. I've been considering knitting one for a little while, and so when going through my stash I came across some 3ply wool I thought I would give it a go. I picked a pattern, which I hope I have enough yarn for, called 'Another pretty style'. Its a simple ribbed v-necked vest, with a crochet collar and sleeve edging.

I love the way the patterns are written - no messing about with tension square, or different sizes or, in fact, any indication of finished size - just very straight forward instructions assuming the reader has a good knowledge of straightforward knitting skills! The only measurement the pattern gives is a finished length, which is a slightly staggering 27 inches. That's a good long vest, no danger of drafts around the mid-rift. I think I might make my version just a little bit shorter.

I realise this is a slightly peculiar knitting choices - especially as I have no idea if it will fit when I have finished. The lovely ladies in my knitting group obviously think its a crazy choice - but then they have never quite recovered from the knitted trousers I made a couple of Christmas ago.

Sari Summer Dress

2011-05-11T19:27:00.000+01:00

I've been making a determined effort to try and reduce my fabric stash, slightly undermined by last weekend's fabric acquisition.

This weekend I completed a summer dress from some cotton sari fabric which I was given earlier in the year. Its a really pretty cream colour with a green pattern, with a green, gold and black border. I based the design on a New Look pattern which I picked up in the sale earlier in the year.

I wanted to make the wider skirt versions, but this needed a few modifications. To use the border at the bottom of the fabric as the bottom of the skirt I needed to change the skirt design so it finished on a straight rather than a curved line. I also needed to work out the skirt length before I cut the pieces, as it didn't need hemming. As the fabric is quite thin, I extended the lining from half to full length, for modesty reasons! Finally I removed the built in belt, and replaced this was a thinner separate belt, made from some of the border at the bottom of the fabric.

Everything was going fine until it got to the moment to insert the lining. As usual, I had cursory scanned the instructions and then carried on regardless, thinking I knew how to make a dress. However, in making the full length lining, I had changed the construction slightly, and this resulted in a bit of problem when it came to attaching it!

After a, fairly reasonable, number of expletives and the ever reliable quick-unpick tool, I bodged my way to attaching the lining :)

Here is the finished article, I'm really pleased with it and the alterations I have made seem to have worked out in the end. Of course, the nice sunny weather has now departed from the Irish shores, so perhaps I will just have to treat myself to a nice sun holiday this year. Just to justify making the dress of course ;)

I've also got yards of the fabric left over and I'm thinking it might make a nice light shirt, any thought?

Quick knits and buttons

2011-05-08T12:13:00.001+01:00

A round up of some quick knits I've been working on recently.

This cute little baby cardigan is from drops design, I picked it to use up the left over ball of bamboo cotton from knitting my still.It is a nice little pattern, knitted in one piece up to the arms, then the short sleeves, knitted separately are added in. Its finished off with some vintage buttons from my button tin.

The pattern is free and is available here.

I think this is my favourite of these small projects, an owl ipod cozy. Its is such a nice pattern, another free one available here. I made it in Sublime Cashmere marino silk DK, rather finer than than the suggested bulky weight but it turned out fine. It a snug fit round the ipod, but then I don't want it falling out :)

I bought the sublime wool to make a hairband for myself, and the ipod cozy was an after thought to use up the left overs. But I think the after thought turned out to be rather better than the original idea. The pattern is another free one, available here. I like the colour and the pattern, but its doesn't have quite enough substance to control my rather untidy hair.

Next is, a slightly longer knit, a wisp scarf in kidsilk haze, finished off with more stashed buttons -

This is a present for my boyfriend's sister, aka my fabric mule. I made her one a few years ago to say thank you for all the fabric she brings me. Sadly it recently had an unfortunate encounter with a washing machine, and is a shadow of its former self. She hadn't been going to tell me about this accident, until her husband (sensibly) pointed out that if I didn't know I could make her a new one. I sent it off last week, so I hope it will arrive safely soon.

And finally, I choose these buttons from my tin for a garment, which I am so pleased I am going to give it a whole post of its own soon, so for now I'll just show the buttons -

Stripy Cat

2011-05-06T17:07:00.000+01:00

Stripy Cat? A crazy name for a crazy baking idea ... chocolate soda bread! I came across a recipe for his in the Ballymaloe Bread Book, another charity shop bargain this time from Oxfam Books. It sounded crazy but I thought I would give it a go.

And what do you know? It turns out to be a quite nice. Its not a sweet bread as its just a standard soda bread dough with chocolate chunks, its more like a savoury chocolate cookie. The chocolate goes really well with the crunchy nuttiness of the outside of the soda bread. Even the boyfriend who is not a fan of soda bread, ate up a couple of slices with his afternoon cup of tea :)

Corsets and unmentionables

2011-05-03T18:56:00.000+01:00

Last month I attended a course on corset making at re-dress on Hatch Street, I've been wanting to try out one of their courses for a while and their one day course on the making and history of corsets appealed to me.

The course was taught by the Irish designer Sinead Doyle who uses her training in tailoring and corsetry to design some amazing clothes. I got to try on one of the jackets from her next collection, which was beautiful, and with all the corsetry elements included made me stand up very straight!

Anyway back to the course. Corsets, as I learnt, take a huge amount of work to produce properly, and there was no way we could have made one in a one day course. Instead we started by looking at the history of corsets from their earliest origins up to the present. There is a huge range of different corset shapes and designs, used to create different body shapes depending on the fashions of the moment.

We then learnt about some of the techniques needed to make corsets. These included pattern drafting, the method of construction of corsets and flossing. No not cleaning your teeth, flossing in this context is a decorative stitch used to keep the boning in a corset in place.

Flossing how it should look and my first attempt

I really enjoyed the course and I learnt loads, and soon I might just be brave enough to have a go at designing and making my own corset. Although nothing quite as complex as these examples I think :)

While we are looking at historic underwear it seems a good time to show off these bad boys ...

I found them in my local antique (or perhaps more accurately junk shop) in my home town a couple of years ago. My dad was selling some old prints to the shop and I got these thrown in as part of the deal. The owner, always one for a tall story, told me that they had been worn by an important Victorian lady who lived at Windsor! They are pretty fine though, and the lace trim on the bottom is lovely.

Not very practical for everyday wear I admit, but if you do fancy a pair of modern day bloomers Collette Patterns have a free pattern for this cute modern version ... not modelled by me ;o)

Saturday Bargains

2011-04-30T19:20:00.001+01:00

I went on my usual trip round the local charity shops this morning and picked up some great bargains. For all of you near Rathmines the Irish Cancer Society shop has loads of fabric remnants, all 1 euro each. There are two baskets in the shop and more out the back. The very nice lady on the desk suggested I might like to look through these. I had a rummage through two further boxes and was told there were more again which was yet to be sorted!

Bearing in mind the size of my stash, and that the boyfriend was watching, I was very good and only bought four pieces ... but I might go back again ... just to look of course!

Still

2011-04-25T17:21:00.000+01:00

It has taken my a long time, I started last October, but I have finished Still at last.

I don't know why it has taken me so long, it is not a difficult project and I've really enjoyed knitting it. I think it just disappeared into the bottom of my knitting basket for a couple of months and was forgotten about.

The pattern is from Kim Hargreaves Thrown Together, which is, I think, one of my favourite pattern books. I've already made Olivia (see below) and have plans to make Rosa, Hannah and Evie. Which I think is pretty good value from one book.

Back to Still, the original is knitted in cotton which I don't like knitting with, so I opted for King Cole's Bamboo Cotton. This is beautifully soft and easy to knit with, and is extremely good value! Although it does split a little. The only mod I made was to lengthen the torso. I would normally make the sleeves longer too but they are deliberately long in the pattern so I didn't need to.

Pattern:    Still from Thrown Together
Needles:    3.5mm and 4mm (I had to go down a needle size)
Yarn:        King Cole's Bamboo Cotton, just over 4 balls
TV:           Lewis, The Killing, Silk, Midsomer Murders ... its been a bit of a TV detective fest recently, and there is more to come with The Suspicions of Mr Whicher tonight. I'm looking forward to this, I just need to find myself a little project now this one is done!

Urban Pirates

2011-04-13T19:26:00.000+01:00

I'm so excited to be finally posting about this FO. I finished it last month, but I had to wait for the arrival of the recipient's new little sister, who was rather bashful about putting in an appearance. But she is here at last, and the jumper has been sent from one urban jungle to another.

I've wanted to knit this pattern - Pirate Sweater from Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knits for Tots - ever since I was given the book a few years ago. I think the pattern is just so much fun and very cute. So I made this for young Nye, to celebrate the arrival of his new little sister. She received this jumper which has been in the FO project bag for a little while.

I knitted this in a machine washable acrylic, to preserve the sanity of the busy parents, and the yarn is nice and soft and not plasticie at all. The pattern was easy to follow, and pretty quick to knit, except for the skull and cross bones. Given the series of knitting disaster I've been having recently, it was good to have a quick and very satisfying project.

Edward Lee & Co, Drapers and Outfitters

2011-04-06T22:23:00.002+01:00

The weekend before last while out enjoying the sunshine in our roof top garden, the boyfriend noticed that on the end wall of our building, half hidden by a later extension, was a tiled advertisement for the original occupiers of the building.

I'm so please to think that I live in a former drapers and outfitters shop, I only wish they were still in the building. It would be like having an enormous extension to my stash, and I'd never run out of thread or needles on a Sunday afternoon!

Anyway, back in from the sunny weather some quick googling provided some fascinating tit bits on Edward Lee. The shop was already in Rathmines before 1910, when it was a one level building only;


On the right of the photograph, next to the fantastic Bovril tram.

Then in 1911, obviously with trade booming, Edward Lee & Co. expanded their Rathmines store with an additional two levels. The building was designed by Kaye-Parry & Ross, a Dublin based firm of architects who had already carried out several projects for Edward Lee & Co on their other shops in Dublin. All the pictures I could find were taken from the other side of the building, so you can't see the tiles we found but you can see the ones on the other side of the building;

Edward Lee & Co, Rathmines, c.1911-1920

So there we are, a quick snapshot of Rathmines in the early part of the twentieth century, and a Happy Centenary to my building. And to finish off a few more shots of Rathmines in the early years of last century...

Springing into action

2011-04-04T19:03:00.000+01:00

We've been taking advantage of the lovely sunny spring weather over the last few weekends to get our roof top garden ready for the new seasons. After last years success, we've extended our enterprises this year, but kept to last years ideal of using the pile of rubbish on the roof and in the back yard to make the plant pots.

I'll admit its not looking spectacular at the moment, but there are lots of seeds planted and, hopefully, ready to spring into action. Some of the hardier plants have survived last winters snow, including the boyfriend's hop plant and the random tree which I rescued from the gutter it was growing in -

Mother's Day

2011-04-03T14:12:00.000+01:00

Prompted by Sheknitupthatball I've decided to talk about my mother for Mother's day. Although we don't really 'do' mother's day in my family. I used to make her paper flowers - which I've not done for years, and now feel bad about.

This is the least winsome image I could find.

As with many knitters, my mum taught me to knit. I remember my first project which was a red and yellow scarf for my teddy, I still have both the teddy and the scarf. Despite having taught me to knit, Mum still knitted away for me, and my teddy. She made him an evening suit, complete with bow tie and evening gloves. He was an extremely well dressed bear! As well as teaching me to knit, mum also taught me to sew. Another skill for which I am extremely grateful. Her whole family were keen crafters (knitting, sewing, embroidery and tapestry) and I'm glad to be carrying on the tradition.

So thank you mum, and Happy Mother's Day :)

If only mum and I had looked this stylish!

The Killing Jumper

2011-03-21T22:43:00.000Z

I was home in Wales over the weekend and while there was introduced by my mother to the hypnotically addictive The Killing. A 20 hour Danish detective crime thriller currently airing on BBC4. Exciting and intricately plotted as The Killing is, what has really caught my attention, and others, is the jumper worn by the female detective Sarah Lund.

Ain't it lovely! Apparently it is a traditional Faeroe Island's design, the jumper is made by a firm in the Faeroe Islands, Gudrun & Gudrun, who can't keep up with the demand since The Killing was on Danish TV two years ago and Sarah Lund and her jumper first sort to stardom. As hand knit items the price tag is a healthy 280euro!

With that in mind, I thought I better turn my head to how to work out the pattern for myself. Looking at the pictures I thought that a simple top down raglan in a chunky/bulky wool was what was required for the base with the pattern worked in at regular intervals on the way down. A quick search on raverly confirmed this, unsurprisingly other knitters are already on the case, and also provided me with a chart for the pattern.

Having watched a couple of episodes (she does wear the jumper quite a lot, and in one it does seem to be slashed with a knife, but fear not it reappears undamaged shortly after) I thought that I might prefer the jumper with the colours reversed. Hardly had the thought crossed my mind, when bam there she was in another lovely Gudrun & Gudrun jumper.

My only dilemma now, which colour way and design combination to go for? or should that be which one to go for first...

De-stash and Re-stash

2011-03-19T20:42:00.000Z

I've been trying to get a grip on my various stashes over the last couple of months, a fairly never ending task as all you knitters/crafters will know. For once, my knitting stash does actually all fit into the one (large) basket on the top of the wardrobe where it is supposed to. This is partly the result of the lovely stash swap I attended in February, where I managed to off load some of my stash and, unlike some people, came back with less than I came with! Quality not quantity may just be the way to go :)

However, while my yarn stash is finally under control by fabric stash is expanding at an alarming rate. I decided to go into town last weekend to take advantage of the New Look pattern sale and picked up a couple of patterns so I could set to work on reducing the stash. However, after picking up the patterns I meet my boyfriend's sister (aka my fabric mule) who was home on a visit from Dubai, and see had more fabric for me. Not that I'm complaining it lovely and I will use it ... eventually!

The fabric is a set to make a Salwar Karmeez (the traditional dress of central and south Asia) which means you get three piece of matching fabric; two to make the pants and top and the third is the matching scarf.

Literary Knitter of the Month

2011-03-16T20:59:00.003Z

I feel I need to apologise for this months literary knitter (to the right of the page) as they are neither a knitter or terribly exciting. I seem to have been going thought a absence of knitters in my current reading material, and I already fell back on the most famous of literary knitters Madam Defarge last year. Part of the problem is I've been reading history books recently which have been rather low on knitters. I've read a biography of Isabella de Medici, who doesn't seem to have included knitting amongst here many talents, and The Invention of Murder.

The latter deals with how the Victorians 'revelled in death and detection and created modern crime'. Its a really interesting read, and looks at some of the key murder cases of the Victorian period and how they impacted on popular culture - newspapers, fiction, theatre and music. Its an excellent read, if short on knitters. (Obviously knitters are not the murdering type). Which is why Nanny, a minor character in a Handful of Dust, is this month's less than exciting literary knitter!

Vintage Chic

2011-03-14T18:18:00.000Z

As I've mentioned before my parents' house is full of all sorts of exciting stashes. One, which I have frequently raided, is the combined sewing pattern collection of my mum, aunt and grandmother. This weekend I finally got round to making up one of the patterns I swiped, which I suspect has been lying unused since my mum/aunt was my age.

The pattern is for a full circle skirt, with two versions one made in three pieces and the other with 10 gores (pieces which are wider at the bottom than the top). There is no date on the pattern but I'm guessing its maybe 1950s or '60s. I was quite glad that the pattern had been used before or I might have felt a bit bad about cutting it. Which is, I know, silly as it was made to be used, but still ...!

Unlike which ever member of my family had made this in the past, I went for the full circle skirt in 3 pieces, using some blue and black spotted fabric, which I brought back from Dubai a couple of years ago. The only slight problem I had was the missing pattern piece for the waist band but from the construction it looked to be just a straight band and this seems to have worked OK.

I finished it off with a old button from the stash the boyfriend's granny gave to me. The only slight drawback is that I need to finish the hem by hand, and as it is a full circle skirt there is about five meters of hemming to do, sigh! But, I think I might treat myself to a net petticoat to go under the skirt when its all done, so that is something to work towards.

And for my next project, I have these rather snazzy hats lined up. I quite fancy tacking up millinery, and think these might be a nice introductory step.

Crochet-a-long Chaos

2011-03-12T11:33:00.000Z

Some of the ladies in the Rathmines Knitting Group thought it would be a good idea to have a crochet-a-long on Tuesday nights so we could all improve our crochet together. We selected a pattern on ravelry, Klamath Shawl, and all agreed to bring along some yarn and a hook on Tuesday to start. Unfortunately, it was all down hill from there ...

A combination of a lack of experience, confusion of terms - English or American stitches? and, I think, a not entirely clearly written pattern and we were rather at sea! Several budding crochets were entirely put off, while one or two more struggled on, I managed about 6 rows of the pattern. I gave up entirely on the written pattern and changed to the chart which I found much easier.

Unfortunately, after all that work I don't really like what I have produced. I think the problem is the texture of the shawl is too dense, I'd like it to be a bit lacier and lighter. I did however, for the first time really enjoy the process of crochet, which as I have mentioned before has not always been the case! So I have decided that I will preserver with my attempts to crochet a shawl, just not this one. I've searched ravelry for a pattern to use with the same wool (Colinette Jitterbug) and decided on the Elise Shawl. So fingers crossed that my new found love of crochet continues!

Solutions to knitting problems.

2011-03-03T21:40:00.000Z

I've been having a bit of a disaster in the knitting stakes, but by looking the problems squarely in the face I have found some solutions.

Problem the first:

I've decided I don't like my Skew socks. I think it's the wool not the pattern. I just don't like the colour repeat. I've frogged the sock, but I think I will have the same problem with the wool which ever pattern I use. If only I had a project that needs lots of sock wool in small patches ... just a moment, I making a sock blanket! (Unlike some people I'm not in denial that I am making a blanket, yes, that means you R - we all know its going to be a blanket!) Also, I have some colinette Jitterbug in my stash which should work well with the skew pattern.

Problem the second:

This is rather a bigger one. I've nearly finished my summer solstice cardigan and it doesn't fit! It's my own fault, not that it makes me feel any better knowing that. I thought after I'd done the main part of the cardie that it would be to small, but I hoped against hope that the border would solve the problem. It didn't! And there is no way that I am frogging and re knitting this one. I was having this disaster last weekend when I was out at my boyfriend's family home, and it turns out the cardie fits my boyfriend's mum perfectly. So, that's another problem solved. I do still have to knit finish the sleeves, but she has shorter arms than me so it shouldn't take to much longer.

So there we are, my disastrous knitting weekend. To cheer myself up I've put the summer solstice aside, and cast on a pair of fingerless gloves to match my lovely cowl. A rainbow snugly treat to cheer me up, and just what I need on these cold mornings!

Happy Saint David's Day!

2011-03-01T18:13:00.000Z

Saint David, or Dewi Sant, is the patron saint of Wales and the first of March is his feast day and the national day of Wales. When I was at school in Wales we used to hold an eisteddfod, with competitions for poetry, drawing and making welsh cakes. Welsh cakes were my strong point, I won several prizes :) I put it down to having been taught how to make them by Auntie G, who wasn't my auntie but was a old family friend, and a proper welsh lady.

Although I no longer live in Wales I still make Welsh cakes every year. This year I took some into work, and they seem to go down well. They are made of butter, flour, sugar, egg, dried fruit and mixed spices, and cooked on a griddle pan or bakestone, kind of like flat scones.

Welsh Cakes - these are not mine,

I forgot to take a picture before they were all eaten.

I only tend to make Welsh Cakes on Saint David's Day which is odd as I really like them. I guess as I associate them so much with Saint David's Day it seems odd to make them at another time of year, kind of like pancakes. Hum .. pancake day is coming up soon, I do like my seasonal baking dates!

What's in a name?

2011-02-21T21:39:00.000Z

What do you think when I say Afghan?

Well, perhaps most obviously, I could be talking someone from Afghanistan. One of my knitting pals, is more likely to come up with an afghan blanket - a knitted or crochet blanket of coloured yarn, or maybe an Afghan rug or carpet.

And dog lovers might go for an Afghan hound. But until yesterday I was unaware of the culinary delight which is an Afghan biscuit.

Afghan biscuits are an Australian and New Zealand specialty, the ever reliable wikipedia states that the origin of the recipe and name is unknown. My cookery book suggests that they might date from the 1910s, recipes were common by the 1940s and the bible of New Zealand cookery Edmonds Cookery Book has included them since 1953.

Afghans are a kind of rich chocolate cookie base (butter, flour, sugar and cocoa) with crushed cornflakes which give a nice crunchy texture, with a rich chocolate fudge icing, topped with a walnut. I don't even like walnuts that much and I'm loving these little beauties!

Not enough crafting hours in the day!

2011-02-18T19:16:00.000Z

When non-knitters find out that I knit they do tend to say 'Oh yes, knitting is becoming very fashionable again theses days'! Well these days have been going on for quite a few years now, and I've never really been a slave to fashions of any kind. Although I do find this kind of statement a bit annoying, and maybe just a little patronising, there are some benefits to the "fashionably of knitting".

Knitting shops are no longer like the one in my local town when I was a child, stacked to the rafters with pastel colours acrylics and pattens for frilly baby matinee sets. New and lovely shops are stocked with an eye popping range of colours, textures and fibers, not to mention the explosion in knitting accessories - food shaped stitch markers, who had this crazy, if genius, idea? There are knitting circles springing up everywhere, and of course Ravelry, the internet mecca for knitter. The source of knitting inspiration and envy, and a drain on time. You log in to look for one little pattern and hours later you are still there!

Anyway, I am reliably informed by my friend with her finger on the crafting plus (that's you R) that sewing is THE NEW knitting! This statement fills me with a mixture of delight and dread. Dread that another of my hobbies is about to become fashionable and I can read more vacuous article in the press about how 'sewing is the new big thing', and how its a way to beat the recession. Its not, in that you can buy a skirt in Pennys much more cheaply than you can make one. But, it is cheaper to make you own skirt to you own size, in the style you want, that to have one made for you to the same specification. And its a one off, you will never walk into a room to find someone wearing the same thing as you.

On the delight side, sewing could do with the same shot in the arm that knitting has had over the last few years, and it is already happening. There are nicer fabrics turning up in the shops, and newer more 'fashionable' patterns, Amy Butler being a great example. And, D has just pointed me towards ravelry for sewing - mysewingcircle. Set up, perhaps unsurprisingly by a knitter and user of ravelry, it offers lots of the same things - stash area, project pages, friends and groups. (I like the idea of sewing groups, but sewing machines are heavy to carry around and I don't like hand sewing.) Its a new site, only launched earlier this month, but there is already a lot of information on the site, and I've already lost track of time browsing pattern ideas, and discovering exciting new sites and resources along the way - Collette Patterns and Casey Brown Designs for a start.

Its all so exciting, but there are just not enough hours in the day. All these resources, all this crafting and all these potential projects, there is just too much to do!!!!!!!!! Where to start???????

Well, firstly I'm going to stop rambling, and secondly I'm going to spending an evening up loading my fabric stash to mysewingcircle, as I can never remember what I have and maybe this way I'll use up some of it instead of buying more. As an archivists the idea of doing this fills me with excitement, organising and fabric in one task! Heavenly!

Tea Time Treats

2011-02-15T22:23:00.001Z

The last couple of weekends I've been on a bit of a baking drive, whipping up a range of tea time treats many from the lovely cook book I got last year. So, to make your mouths water here are a few of my favourites ...

Ginger kisses

Treacle Soda Bread

A tea party for friends

The tea party was for Stout Fellow and his charming lady companion, who was the first and indeed only person to respond to my promise (or threat, depending on how well I cook) to hold a tea party a few month ago :) The party comprised Chelsea buns, a modified version of Nigella's retro pineapple upside-down cake, apricot short cake and that staple of tea parties, and Oscar Wilde comedies, cucumber sandwiches. The last much to the boyfriend's disgust, as he can't see the point in them.

And finally just in time for St. Valentine's Day, although made for my knitting friends not the boyfriend ...

Rachel Allen's lemon biscuits

Cowltastic

2011-02-12T10:19:00.000Z

I'm not feeling the love for my summer solstice cardie, I'm not sure what it is. I like the pattern, I like the interesting method of construction and I like what I have knitted so far. Its just progressing very slowly and not really flowing, part of the problem has been the combination of bamboo dpns and boucle wool, which is a sticky combination. I popped out on my lunch hour to get a different pair of dpns, so maybe that will solve the problem.

In the meantime, I've been distracting myself with knitting a cowl. After some wide advice from She Knit Up that Ball, I ditched my original plan to use the Forest Canopy Cowl and went for a simple pattern which would suit the variegated yarn better. The Mochi Plus Zig Zag Cowl turned out to be the ideal pattern, totally by chance where I choose to start the cowl meant the variegated yarn worked out like this -

I think if I started pretty much anywhere else in the ball I wouldn't have got this effect. I love the cowl, it is very soft and warm, also ideal in the current windy weather as there are no ends to flap about like with a scarf.

Pattern: Mochi Plus Zig Zag Cowl

Yarn: Colinette Art, Mardi Gras, 1 skein

Needles: 6mm

Old Linen and Lace

2011-02-06T13:57:00.000Z

The house where I grew up, where my parents still live, has been in my mum's family for over 100 years and as a result there are lots of corners full of all sorts of exciting stashes of this and that. A couple of months ago my mum was asked if she had a christening gown she would be willing to loan to an exhibition of christening gowns in one of the local churches. A bit of hunting around produced the family christening gown, but shock and horror it was a little yellow and tired, having last been used at my aunts christening about 50 years ago (in the photo with my granny. Note also the hand knitted shawl, my granny used to whip up these for the babies of friends and relatives, and my mum has now taken over the practice). However, an overnight soak in a basin of Vanish perked up the gown considerably. We didn't think of taking a before shot but here it is after ...

Its not a very old piece, it was probably fairly new at my aunt's christening. My mum, who is the older sibling, obviously can remember what she wore to her own christening, and can't find a photo of the occasion. I suspect she is worried about it appearing here on the blog!

After such a startlingly successful result at cleaning up the christening gown, mum and I decided to send the days between Christmas and New Year cleaning up all the bits and pieces of lace and linen which were in the parcel with the gown.

There were all sorts of exciting things; lace scarfs, afternoon tea cloths and mats, pyjama case and one of my favorites a lace tea cosy (how very practical)

And an a old family sampler giving names and dates of birth of some of my mother's ancestors

It's not the prettiest of samplers, but it is in good enough condition, (it didn't get treated with vanish). From a crafting point of view I appreciate the handwork, if not the moral platitudes, but as an archivists, often dealing with family history enquires, its an amazing record. Although I suspect my brother is glad that some traditional family names have died out, Oneslphorus is quite a difficult name to carry off!

Better late than never ...

2011-01-24T20:51:00.000Z

Due to the unforeseen circumstances occasioned by my fractured wrist my Christmas knitting, which had started so well with dad's sock, was put on hold. Mostly, I decided to cut my losses (or rather my recipients) and not bothered making anything I'd not already started. But my brother's hat was already on the needles in December so I finished it off as soon as the cast came off.

Bowser Hat

My brother is very difficult to shop for, so I decided to make a hat for him. Browsing on ravelry I found this fantastic bowser hat, just right for my Super Mario fan of a brother. I especially liked the description on ravelry for the sizes the pattern is available in - child, youth and adult, the last being 'a very large hat, for people with exceptional heads'!

The hat is made from some Avoca yarn from 2009, its DK weight so I doubled it up. I worked Bowser in scraps of tapestry wool I pinched from my mum, it looked a bit complicated to work as I knitted so I Swiss darned it on after. This did take about twice as long as knitting the hat, but it was a quick hat to knit up so I didn't mind. My brother tells me he is delighted with the hat, and that it fits his 'exceptional head' very well :)

Hot Water Bottle Cozy

I actually finished this before Xmas, but I forgot to take a photo before wrapping it up so I'm only posting on it now. Attentive readers may notice that this is made in the same yarn as the Bowser hat. Its a very nice soft and cosy wool, and I was on a stash busting exercise. The cones of yarn from Avoca seem to go on for ages, I've already made a hoodie out of this yarn as well as these two pieces and I've still got plenty left.

So back to the cozy, I used the ISBN Cabled Pattern, working it in the round with a line of cable up the front and the back. I understand from the recipient that cozy is very effective and is still warm in the morning. When sending me the photos of the cozy I asked for, she told me that 'the best location to photograph it would be on a boat, with the white cliffs of Dover seen in the background across a rough sea. Or a quarry. It is quite the most ruggedly handsome hot water bottle cover I've ever seen.' That would indeed be quite a nice photo, but in the absence of a rowing boat and the white cliffs she settled for the cozy next to the aga warming up.

Cast off, Cast on

2011-01-21T17:27:00.000Z

So the cast is off, and a world of knitting opportunities is open before me, but I don't know where to start! I should have followed R's suggestion of making use of my enforced knit free time by sorting out my stash and matching yarn to projects. Ah, if only!

Where to start?
First, I know I want to knit a cardigan. It strikes me that as a knitter I seem to be a bit sort of cardies. Looking back on last years knitting I think I have identified the problem, I seem to have mostly knitted small accessories/socks and gifts. I've put in a good couple of hours ravelry searching and feel in love with the Somerset Cardigan, but it doesn't match the wool I've identified in my stash for a cardie, sigh! Instead I've decided on Summer Solstice, and being a bit of a swat I've run up a tension square already...

The yarn is from the Avoca sale last February, and is a 90% wool 10% nylon boucle. I'm hoping to have it done before the summer solstice and even maybe before the Vernal/Spring equinox, which is on 20th March this year. Its also going to be the first time I've started, let alone finished, a project with Avoca yarn within a year of purchase :)

Secondly, I think I want to knit a cowl, they seem to be the latest knitting crazy and most of my knitting friends seem to have been making them over the last couple of months, and I feel some knitting envy. I've some beautiful Colinette Art which I think would be good, and I quite like the Forest Canopy Cowl but I think the pattern might get lost with the variegated yarn, any thoughts? The Colinette is an aran weight, and any suggests for nice cowl patterns are very welcome :)

Finally, I bought some nice sparkly sock wool which my Christmas money and am planning on knitting some monkey socks for myself. I think its always good to have a pair of sock on the go, they make an excellent travelling project. And if all that fails I've still got Still (a 40s style jumper) on the go since last November. Its looking like busy few knitting weeks ...

2010 in stitches

2011-01-14T19:28:00.000Z

So I've decided to have a look back over what I've accomplished in the knitting world this year. Unfortunately I've not followed R's excellent example and kept a running tally on my blog, but then there is always Ravelry!

So, according to Ravelry I've completed 24 knitting projects this year, and have another four wips on the go, including The Blanket. The 24 projects have used up over 8200 yards of yarn, which is about 7.5 kilometers.

Meaning that if I unwound all my completed projects for the year, the yarn would stretch along the road from outside Hodges Figgis on Dawson Street, round the front of Trinity College, past Christ Church Cathedral, along the quays to Heuston Station, over the bridge, up to the main Phoenix Park Gates and all the way along Chesterfield Avenue to the far side of the park!

Its difficult to pick a favorite from a years knitting, but I think my favourite project in terms of outcome, although I didn't enjoy knitting it that much, was my annis. For pure enjoyment I think it has to be Lizzy, quick and fun to knit and a very satisfying outcome! And as far as I know she is living happily in Royal Leamington Spa :)

I also had a couple of disasters the mystery orange shrug, the retro ruby twinset (which was my own fault I picked the wrong yarn and made it too short) and the ribbed cotton vest which didn't hold its shape (I like to blame the yarn not my knitting).

And for 2011? Well there is a whole basket full of opportunities in my stash and the small matter of the blanket ...

It's an ill wind that blows no good!

2011-01-12T18:49:00.000Z

I'm back! Many of my plans for December, including my Christmas knitting, had to be put on hold because of my accident in December. Although not able to knit, I discovered I could crochet, or at least the fractured wrist didn't make my crochet noticeably worse, although it was a bit slow. And so I am pleased to present my (I think) fifth ever crochet item ...

I'm quite pleased with it, although not sure the effort it took is quite justified by the outcome, but it's a nice enough little piece. Although I think it will go as a gift for someone, as I think if i kept it every time I used it I would be reminded of the fractured wrist, which might spoil the enjoyment.

And the really good news, the fracture is healed and the cast off and I can knit again! My wrist is still a bit stiff and I've been told to use it as much as possible, so it seems to me that knitting is now not just a pleasure but a necessity :)

Pattern: In Bloom by Ileana Rodriguez from Stitch'n'Bitch The Happy Hooker

Yarn: Jaeger Kathmandu (discontinued)

Hook: 4.5mm

Notions: Buttons from my button tin, with lining to come from the scraps in my sewing basket

Six weeks without knitting ... it's snow joke

2010-12-13T19:44:00.000Z

Having celebrated the unusually early snowfall in Dublin in an earlier post I'm now feeling distinctly less joyous about it. I have joined the growing number of people queuing up at A&E with weather related injuries, in my case a fractured wrist :-(

I'm feeling a lot better than I was on Wednesday when I had my fall, but the realisation that I am facing six knitting free weeks is starting to hit home! The situation got so desperate over the weekend that I turned to crochet. (Apologies to all those crochet devotes out there but its just not my craft.) I have just about mastered the art(lessness) of one handed crochet and am making my slow way towards a (very small) bag. So will the experience kindle a love of crochets? I'm not sure, I fear the experience will just associate crochet with my fractured wrist.

On a more cheerfully note the lovely R took me out for a jaunt on Sunday to Dublin's newest wool shop, the fantastically names Winnies Wool Wagon in Blackrock. [Which included an exciting navigating role for me, but I wasn't quit up to the technological challenge of google map, oh, for a tradition paper map.] Winnies is a beautiful and tempting shop full of a lovely range of wools to suit all tastes and budget. The back room is a delicious cafe serving yummy cakes and sandwiches. All in all a great day out, even if I didn't buy any wool, despite R's peer pressure.

(Sorry about the lack of photos, I didn't have my camera with me, but R did, so hopefully better pics will follow).

Long John's Socks

2010-12-01T18:01:00.000Z

First off, if you are my Dad and reading this - stop, right now, and go do something else. (I don't think he does read my blog, but just in case)

Last year, while on holiday with my parents, my dad saw me knitting socks and started dropping some none to subtle hints about how he would like some nice knitted socks too. He played the emotional blackmail card looking sad and saying sadly that even though his granny loved knitting socks enough to be painted knitting them, he never got a pair himself. He does remember his father being given a pair of hand knitted knee high golf socks. To be fair to the knitting granny she had 9 children and about 30 grandchildren, and my dad is one of the youngest on the list. I don't like to think how look it would take to knit socks for all of her family!

Anyway, as a dutiful daughter I set to work on a pair of socks for his Xmas present last year. I didn't really leave myself enough time, and he has very big feet, so it did require a last minute secret knitting drive on Christmas eve to get them done in time. This year, I'm well ahead of the game, and have a pair of sock done already, and it's not even December! And in a number of firsts its my first pair of toe up socks and the first pattern I've created for myself.

A couple of months ago, when I was unemployed and have more time, I wrote about a discovery I made in the National Archive of a knitting home industry established by Agnes Sweetman. The papers included some sketchy instructions for a pair of men's socks, and this is what I've based the pattern on. Because I found last year that you can only just get a pair of sock for my dad out of 100g of sock wool, I also decided to start from the toe up to make them as look as possible.

So here it is, my very own designed pair of socks;

I like them but what would Agnes have thought? Well the records in the archive shows that she was quite tough on her knitters and expected a high standard of work. I think I might just pass the test, though she might think the colours are a bit frivolous, she had her knitters working in sober and improving grey or brown!

Pattern: My own, I've decided to call in John as that is my Dad's name and also Agnes Sweetman's husband's name.

Yarn: Yarn D'Amour Rhiannon (4ply) in colourway Crispen (a nice name and colour)

Needles: 2.75mm

TV: Not so much TV watched knitting these sock but plenty of train journeys round Belgium and Holland.

Snow, snow, snow

2010-11-28T13:19:00.000Z

Loving the early snow this year, here are some pics from my snow covered roof garden