What knitter doesn’t stash? It is expected and I really have no idea why it occurs. Sometimes I buy just for the color, making sure I buy enough for a full project. Stashes grow when you have big remainers of yarn left but still keep buying for new projects. I’ve already knit from the rose color and derby grey but still have enough left for baby items or maybe softies. Here I was given a whole cone sample of the white 1ply cashmere. The red also came free since it was accidententally wound with another red color. Stashes form from the folly of imagination. That 1ply white would make a beautiful lace scarf. That brown yarn has a teddy bear formed already in my head. I already see his face with embroidered nose and felt eyes. Black cashmere will get me a very sleek deco sweater, long sleeved and hopefully a cardigan for winter.

Just a quick update today. All major pieces of my husbands sweater are done. I just have endless seaming, sewing in zipper and to pick up neckline stitches. Yes, still a lot of work! Maybe I will be brave and finish some of that this weekend?

My sweater is up to 6 pattern repeats. I need 8, then I do the neckline decreases. At the moment I am on sleeve decreases. It’s looking so lovely though! I think this color is a good Fall/Winter transition sweater, cotton and cashmere for when it just starts getting chilly. The California Bay Area has the best weather in September and October.

It’s hard to fight the temptation of starting on even something more! I bought all these lovely vintage stuffed animal patterns. I have patterns for teddies, rabbit, cat, duck, penguin and even koala bear.

I scored some really lovely patterns this week. Isn’t this charming? It is dated 1933.

I’m starting to enjoy the look of doilies. There is an charming artful mystery about them. With modern lace weight wools in variegated colors they can quite endearing. Maybe it somehow makes you think of your loving grandmother and the comforts of home.

I used to fear doilies and had an unknown vengeance towards them. My mother at one time tried to shove off the ones her grandmother made on me but I hid them in a drawer never to be seen. Maybe they are still there? I can’t really explain why I hated them so much. Maybe I had a fear of “old people” as a child. Maybe most of them smelled like moth balls, turning me off them unconsciously?

Now I think my feelings changed as I realized all the work that goes into making them. Lacey patterns done by hand are no small task. They can evoke so many styles beyond “Grandma Chic” as I’ve heard it been called. Dark variegated colors give a very Celtic look. Light frothy colors give a dreamy feminine vintage look. Maybe you might use them to set up a tea party. Doilies help you practice lace work in small format helping you perfect your skills.

I have to say, though I am picky about doilies this is a lovely one. This pattern was generously donated to us by Rick and Kary of Toad Hollow Presents from eBay! They reproduce beautiful patterns for sale that are mostly crochet but some knitting too! When donating this pattern they told me “…we like to make sure that these wonderful patterns can be preserved and that anyone can afford to own and use them. I hope this pattern is enjoyed by many.” Check them out!
Pattern under cut. (more…)

This weekend I made some headway despite stopping and starting for 100 other errands and the intense heat that makes my hands clammy and knitting hard. Here pictured is two patterns repeated but I accomplished three so far. Two more then I start decreasing for arm holes. The pattern looks pretty self explainitory from my first complete read through. It’s pretty easy to finish a pattern repeat a day, even on a work night. I don’t have the whole lace pattern memorized but when I recap each line when I start it, it is quick sailing through each one. Maybe it’s due to being squished on a twelve inch needle but the lace “lily” pattern does seem to hollow and seem like the cup of a calla lily. I’m sure when blocked and streached on my body it will be less pronounced. Still, it’s an interesting detail of this lace.

I’m glad I swatched last night. This tedious task, though often time consuming always results in good discoveries. I tried the recommended size 3 needles last night but ended up going with size 2. The pattern calls for celluloid needles which I don’t have. I thought the sizing was the same, and is relatively. Funny thing is that I just gifted my only pair of size 2 celluloid Bucilla needles to a friend that is interested in learning how to knit. I figured I had double of that size, so what do I need two for?!

The measurements were more correct on my wood size 2. The stitches looked much nicer. The lacey pattern is called a lily pattern. I guess I can see Calla Lily in here a bit. Here it looks much laceier and a lot less like diamonds than the vintage picture. I think this is going to result in a perfect vintage confection of femininity. I can’t wait to finish!

For anyone curious, I have about 10% of the last sleeve of my husband’s sweater done. Thankfully it is much to hot for him to want to wear it so I can take my time with that.

Thanks to all thee kind ladies on my blog who helped push me in the right direct. I decided to pick up and knit this 1930’s Frill Blouse in the Vol. 58 Bear Brand Bucilla book I got from Ivarose.com. (This book is filled with 15 great patterns and only $16.96) My yarn is 50% cashmere, 50% cotton in color Lilac Moon from colormartuk (eBay!) as always. I’m almost done with ribbing thanks to this long weekend. I’ve been working on so many projects though besides this. I got the most amazing apothecary cabinet that I’m painting black. All my craft items will fit in here so perfectly. As drawers dry I excitedly fill them up with things like lace, ribbon, rubber stamps, glitter, paper scraps, vintage millinery flowers, thread and so much more. I’ve got so many drawers left to paint still. I can’t complain though, I swear this unit is going to change my crafting life!

Last week I ordered all these great pattern books from Ivarose.com. For those of you who do not know about this great site you really should! Peggy at Ivarose.com has made it her dedicated passion to reprint antique & vintage needle arts pattern books. I find this work very admirable since she is preserving these old titles. Old paper tends to deteriorate with age. Also many people threw out these old knitting pattern magazines just as we throw out magazines we’ve already read and no longer use today. This makes some titles very rare. It is very possible we’d never get our hands on certain titles. Peggy digitally touches up the images with perfection then prints the copies into a spiral bound binding. This makes for very easy reading when your using the books. You don’t have to worry about bending the spine of an old title back, possibly breaking it.

Her selection of titles is vast. If you can’t find what you want in your own collection or on eBay, you’ll be sure to find endless patterns to lust over. Her collection has inspired me to learn not only knitting but crochet and possibly tatting and embroidery in the future.

Which leads me to tell you I still am completely fickle and undecided about what to knit next. These two IvaRose.com patterns are at the top of my list to do in this cotton/cashmere mixed yarn in color “Lilac Moon”. I guess I’m feeling very girly this spring. Ruffles and lilac seem to go well. I hope everyone doesn’t abandon me before I ever finally decide what to knit!

It’s been a good 80 degrees out lately which puts me in no mood to touch cashmere, none the less knit it up. I knit and my hands get clammy. For a change I picked up some J.P. Coats & Clark size 3. cotton along side a set of vintage steel hooks I finally scored on eBay. (Size 2 pictured) I started teaching myself crochet with more patience these last few days. I finally have the hang of holding the yarn and doing all the stitches. I think the practise needs to lie in getting those ends of rows accurate. Here is the third swatch I’ve ever done,going for accuracy in stitch count. I did swell with sc, dc & tr but when I went to do some half double crochet I think I scooted the work over somehow one stitch so it’s a little off kilter. I’m hopeful though. I’m anxious to hook up cloche hats, frilly purses lined with silk & ofcoarse those lacey blouses I’ve shown everyone here.

I’m still alive! Just a quick update to tell you where I’m at. I’m slowly ticking away at the end of the first sleeve on my husbands sweater. (between getting very distracted by flickr.com) It has increases it’s stiches once over and is quite squished on the needle at the moment. One more sleeve to go and a neckline, then voila! It should be done. This has to be sheer proof that I love my boy and want him as warm and snug as a bug in a rug. Strike me dead if it doesn’t fit!

I think I want to do a post on my yarn stash soon so I can meditate on using the yarn I already have for my next project. Stay tuned!