Happy New Year !

Well, I'm through to the other side of the festivities. There has been little time for blogging with members of the extended family dropping in for short or long stays. Also Steven has had no Day Care for a week and his respite carers have been off sick. Hopefully we will be back to normal ( whatever that is ) tomorrow.
It is very rare that I get any fibre related gifts, but this Christmas was an exception. That beautiful cashmere is crying out to be a scarf ...........

......... and just look at these wonderful handmade stitch markers from Yuca.

Now the Festive knitting is finished I can continue with my 1940's project. I've cast on for a balaclava helmet from Practical Knitting Illustrated by Jane Koster and Margaret Murray published in 1940. I've substituted DK for the 4ply in the pattern and seem to be getting the right tension. I think 4ply was thicker in those days and 3ply was more like our 4ply. The wool is actually more khaki than it looks in the photo.

Finished

I've actually managed to complete some projects in the last few days. These socks for myself have been hanging around for far too long. My usual toe-up pattern, short row toe and heel with picot edge top (a cast off edge is always too tight.

Then meet the boys, who will be off to their new homes shortly. The pattern was from Alan Dart's Hobby Bear collection with a few adaptions of my own.

Presents

I think I can safely post some Christmas knitting as I am sure the recipient does not view this blog. This is an adaption of an Alan Dart pattern.

Although he is still earless, he is in a better state than his friend, who appears to have odd legs apart from being rather disjointed. I'm embroidering the eyes instead of using plastic eyes, safer given the youth of their new owners. I find toys are a good way of using up odd balls of acrylic of which I seem to have an indecent amount, the heads and paws are Wendy/Peter Pan Velvet Touch which gives a fabric like finish and is very soft.
It looks as if I will have to venture out into my neglected garden soon, as this arrived yesterday, climbing roses for my bare fence.

The weather isn't very welcoming for outdoor work today, it is raining heavily at the moment and I have to go out to post a birthday card.

And finally, a message for Chris, who is embarking on her first sock. Hope it is going well and have you got to the heel yet?

Sunday morning

I've plenty to do knitting-wise for Christmas, but that hasn't stopped me from starting another pair of vintage bootees. These are the patterns I've been using.

And what better occupation for a Sunday morning than a cup of coffee, knitting and the Archers.

Winter......

........... has arrived with our first snowfall last night. Luckily, it has mostly melted now so hasn't disrupted Steven going to day care. It doesn't take much to do this as the transport cannot get down my steep drive if it is covered by snow.
I'm getting on with Christmas knitting but nothing to show at the moment as most things are unbloggable.
Instead here are some pictures of a recent visit to Coventry. The shopping was very disappointing, no yarn that I could see, but did visit the Cathedral. These pictures were taken in the old cathedral which was destroyed in WW2.

Reconciliation

As I was composing this post, look what the postman brought!

This means a good sit down and browse with a cup of coffee.

Stash enhancement

Yesterday, I spent the day at the NEC Hobbycraft show. I volunteered for a couple of hours on the Knit and Natter stand, but didn't have the opportunity to teach anyone to knit. Most visitors knew how to knit already and there were no school parties. The yarn content of the show was minimal but I did make a modest addition to stash. My sock yarn is being used rapidly, so a visit to Web of Wool was essential. The yarn top right contains Bamboo.

I also bought this pack of Jaeger 4ply in the hope, probably vain, that I might get round to making something for myself. The colour is more of a grey/green than it appears in the photo.

And finally, these bootees which are heading off up to Scotland for Lou's Loving Hands charity.

The patterns are from some 1960's Patons and Sirdar leaflets. Somehow, modern patterns are so simplified and crude in comparison. Also, the yarns used nowadays are far thicker and must be heavy and uncomfortable for the babies to wear.

Some FOs

Quite a lot of knitting has been going on but not much finishing. Because I hate sewing up, much of it is still in this state............

However, socks need little completing, so these are now in a wearable condition. Yarn was Regia Design Line by Faffe Fassett. I think I would have prefered the colourway without the royal blue.

I've also made a couple of BSJs and matching hats for charity, also needing little seaming.

The yarn was oddments of acrylic from my stash which I am trying to use up without much success, I'm sure it's breeding!

Now something not knitting related. I unearthed the larger of these quilts when I was clearing a space for yarn. I'd had quite forgotten it but think it makes an attractive throw. It must be over twenty years ago that these were made.

21 today

Yes, today is Steven's 21st Birthday! It only seems five minutes since I was blogging about his 20th. He went off to his day centre with a cake to share with his friends. The post hasn't come yet, although some cards arrived on Saturday. And no, he hasn't been at the bottles of sherry so prominently displayed!

I'm in !

Into Ravelry that is. I got my invitation yesterday but have not had time for more than a cursory look around. It is so huge, it will take all my free time just seeing what is there, never mind contributing. As always, housework will go on the back burner although we do have to eat occasionally. I'm Goldthorngirl, of course.

Visitor

I haven't had much time for blogging, or knitting, recently as I have had a friend visiting and we've been out and about. We spent one day in Chester and, of course, a short visit to Stash was essential. Margaret isn't a knitter, so I tried to keep yarn related shopping to the minimum. However these found their way into my bag.......

We also had a short visit from another friend and her two year old grandson. Jacob had never seen unknitted yarn before and was fascinated by the balls of wool I had lying about.

Tomorrow, I should have plenty of time to knit. I'm off to the hospital to act as guinea pig for medical students. It was suggested that I took something to read, so I think there will be a lot of sitting around, but I think the knitting will be coming along too.

1940's knitting

Over the years I have been collecting old knitting books and the advent of Ebay and Amazon has meant an increase in my acquisitions. These Paton's Woolcrafts date from the 1920's to WW2.

I also have several books by Jane Koster and Margaret Murray, published between 1940 and 1950.



All these books are a wonderful source of patterns showing the fashions of those years.
My visit to the Bantock Park 1940's weekend showed little in the way of knitted fashions, so I thought it would be a good idea to knit some of the patterns from these books with the view of putting on a display next year.
The main problem is finding suitable yarns. Most garments were knitted in 3ply, 4ply was considered heavy-weight. There was a little double knitting, but this was extravagant to use as 2 ounces of wool used up one clothing coupon, 2ply was popular for underwear. These days 3ply mainly comes in baby colours, and of course there were no synthetics except for Artificial Silk (Rayon). Also I'm finding getting the tension right is quite difficult, however I'm working on it. More later.

Update

This is a belated update on my NEC visit. I had an enjoyable day helping out on the Relax and Knit stand, picture on Fred's Blog.We taught several young people to knit, although a couple had the rudiments already having been taught by Grandma when very young. One lady wanted to knit socks, and luckily I had taken two socks, one on DPs, one on Magic loop so was able to show her both methods. She prefered DPs and went off happily to Web of Wool to get needles and yarn. In all a satisfying day, and one I would like to repeat.
I must admit I was a bit disappointed in the actual show. I thought that as the show was the Knitting and Stitching show the emphasis would be on knitting, but it was not. I was hoping that Colinette would be there, but no luck. I did get some Jitterbug from Web of Wool.

This was almost the only purchase I made, except for some buttons.

I have a long term project in mind, more of this another day.

Back to Knitting

Yes, some knitting has been progressing; first, socks. Top, we have Colinette Jitterbug on my favourite Magic Loop. Bottom, St. Ives sock wool, yes your eyes don't deceive you, I thought it was about time I tackled the dreaded DPNs. Can't say I am converted, I seem to spend a large amount of time picking up dropped needles and stitches. After all, I now have eight needle ends to lose the stitches from.

Next, yet another BSJ, just needing cuffs and buttons. Yarn, some unlabelled acrylic from stash.

Finally, I spotted this in a local charity shop yesterday.

Ideal storage for ' special' needles including some Peace Fleece from
Woolly Workshop.

Off to the NEC tomorrow, all being well, to help Fred on the Relax and Knit stand, so may see some fellow Bloggers.

Swimmers 1909

I simply had to share this photo with a wider audience. These fine young men, pictured in 1909, were swimming in the open air pool in Cannon Hill park, Birmingham. On the back is written 'Cannon Hill Nuts'. My grandfather, Sidney Wood, is the well clothed man on the right.

1940's Weekend

This is my second attempt at an update, Blogger ate the first one.

We've had a busy week. Steven had a brief admission to hospital on Tuesday, home on Wednesday. Thursday was spent recovering then back to hospital Friday for a scheduled out patients appointment.

I finished my 1940's style sweater in time for the event at Bantock Park at the week end. (See photo at top. Blogger is really playing up and won't let me move photos or make links.) I also made a turban type hat but it was so horrendous it's getting frogged.

There was an interesting display of knitted food but not much in the way of knitted clothing. What I did see was in double knitting acrylic, very much not 1940s when 4ply was considered heavy weight and wool and artificial silk were the yarns used. Cotton was for dishcloths. Must try and knit them some more genuine samples for next year

Greetings from SO9096

I'm afraid I've been somewhat distracted from knitting by this site,

http://www.geograph.org.uk/

The aim is to have a photograph,or several, taken in every grid square in the British Isles, so I've been busy filling in the gaps in my local area. It's a good way to get out and about, something I've been doing too little of lately. The weather has been glorious for the last few days, and it seems a shame to stay in and knit.

Having said that, I do have a deadline and a couple of things needing urgent completion. I finished these some time ago and they have now gone off to their new owner. Mum is Chinese so the red is appropriate as it signifies good luck.

My usual Baby Surprise pattern and Zoe Mellor bootees.

Good News

I see from Andy's blog that Niki has had a baby boy, Peter. She has not had an easy pregnancy so it was good to hear of the safe arrival. I don't know Niki, only from reading her blog, but it is strange how you feel involved in blogger's lives from their blog posts.

Views

There is some knitting going on but nothing completed as there is quite a lot of sewing up to be done which I hate. Hopefully by my next post I will have at least one completed project to show.

Meanwhile here are some views from my conservatory; first, the Brown Clee.......

.......then a view across the Shropshire countryside........

This is the country that Housman had in mind when he wrote, in the Shropshire Lad, of lost youth .........

'Into my heart an air that kills

From yon far country blows:

What are those blue remembered hills,

What spires, what farms are those?

That is the land of lost content,

I see it shining plain,

The happy highways where I went

And cannot come again.'

And lastly, while I was taking these photos, the Robin had to get into the picture. He is in mid moult and was obviously having a bad feather day!

Birthday

On Thursday we celebrated my mother's 90th birthday. After a family meal at a local hotel, we returned home for the cake..........

............ with more family members and friends.

More pictures on Flickr.

This picture was taken around her first birthday when World War One was still being fought.

First

My BSJ was placed first in the knitting section of the Albury Produce Show. Don't know what the competition was though as I didn't manage to go, my cousin entered it on my behalf. I also entered a photograph, but that wasn't successful.

Stash

I've had a good sort through my stash recently. The wardrobe is tidier.......

............ the boxes 'out back' are organised and some very old UFOs have been reduced to this......

My WIPs are neatly bagged up, and untangled, and are going to be completed in an orderly way.

I've sorted a box of odd balls to go to Freecycle and made a resolution to buy only quality yarns, with a project in mind, in the future.

So what do I do? Only order Texere's Big Box of Balls! Well it was a bargain, and will help to fill the gap my sorting out has left.

ASJ and Invasion.

Has it really been ten days since I last posted? Well, at least I haven't been idle. The ASJ is complete! I give you the front..........

and the back ...........

I've also been invaded, by insects. I live quite happily with ants in the garden and don't use any poisons, unlike my neighbours who are out spraying at the first sign of anything with more than four legs. Unfortunately, the conservatory has been built over an ants nest, and they swarmed inside the other day. I must admit they've done a great job disposing of their dead companions (the flying ants die after their nuptial flight) but there are still quite a few running around, so I've had to put some bait down which hopefully will solve the problem.

Rather more serious is this.......

........ a wasp's nest inside my cavity wall. They're going in and out next to the patio door so will have to be removed before they start to get aggressive in the autumn.

Happy 4th.......

........... to any readers from across the pond. Steven went off to day care suitably dressed this morning.

We had an early start this morning when three hefty young men arrived to turn this.......

...........into this............

Can you spot what has gone? Yes, the very large buddleia which was blocking my view is no more. I can see the Clee hills again, (when it isn't misty or raining.)The butterflies will miss it but I won't, and I can see a beautiful rose rambling along the trellis. Probably an English rose from David Austin. who is just down the road.

BTW, does anyone else get reminded of Monty Python when they encounter Tree Surgeons? NonPC now I suppose, but I do get the urge to start singing!

Thoughts on Terrorism

I heard on the news this morning that one of the men being held on suspicion of the recent car bomb attempts in London and Glasgow, was a hospital Doctor. It makes you wonder how someone dedicated to saving lives, could be plotting to kill people.

It takes me back to the 1970s, when I worked in a residential nursery, in London, and shared the care of six babies, with an Irish nurse, a pleasant girl, easy to get on with, kind and loving towards the children. She went on holiday and never returned. The next thing we knew was that the police were looking for her in connection with bomb plots. Her flat had been searched, and explosives found under her bed. As far as I know, she has never been found, although her boy friend was arrested some time later. I had great difficulty in believing that the person I had been working with was a terrorist bomber.

Back to more mundane matters. I have been working on the ASJ and made a little progress, the front bands are nearly complete and I've chosen the buttons. Just the sleeves to finish. Not much point in showing a picture as it hasn't changed much from the last time.

I got a little diverted by another BSJ (baby clothes are so quick to make!) This is intended for a village show later in the month. I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.