Saturday 10 March 2012

Various Textile Doings

My first textile doing to share with you is a cardigan I knitted for our friends' new little person. I'll be honest - it was a bit of struggle to finish. I've mentioned before why I prefer crochet to knitting, and completing this little article was a forceful reminder of that fact. I am not a natural-born knitter.
I actually started this about 6 months ago, while he was still just a bump. At first, it was great - don't little baby clothes knit up quickly? But then it all started to go wrong. The pattern I'd got off the internet didn't give the required quantities of yarn. Like a fool, I cheerfully assumed I'd be able to get some more if I needed it. Nope, it was discontinued. I ran out of the mauve and blue yarns, but just managed to scrape together enough for the body. The pattern was for a hooded cardi, so I thought that I could do the hood in plain green. The green ran out just short of the end, and I had to undo it all and improvise a collar instead. The final straw was when I managed to break one of my knitting needles in two!

But I got there in the end! (In case you're wondering, the different coloured buttons was a deliberate design decision, and not just another cock-up.) Despite my mishaps, I am very proud that I managed to get the stripes to meet up on the raglan seam, and also that I managed to get it finished before his twenty-first birthday!
Moving from the ridiculous to the sublime, I have been meaning (for a little while) to show you this lovely handmade purse I received from Jenny of The Custards. Isn't it wonderful? She printed an image of a wartime envelope (from her family) directly onto fabric, and then sewed it into a purse, with some vintage patterned fabric on the back (which you can just catch a glimpse of in the photo). She is so ingeniously creative and has the most enviable vintage fabric stash I have ever seen. Her blog is well worth a visit for all the vintage loveliness!

And on the subject of enviable amounts of vintage fabric, I went to the Vintage Rag and Remnant Rummage in Trull, last Saturday. It's a great new event organised by Lizzie of The Washerwoman blog. Trull is close to Taunton, where Mr Kitsch's family live, so we were able to combine it with a lovely family visit, on a gorgeous sunny day. Hooray for Spring!
A bag of vintage buttons for £1 from the fair. Result!

4 comments:

The Custards said...

Late arrival at the party Elaine! I am very, very envious of your wonderful knitting skills - a once knitted a jumper...never, never again. I have only ever reached the dizzy heights of scarf knitting! Please let me know when you have been able to print one of your wacky postcards and fashioned it into a purse! Have a cheery week!

TK said...

Since you persuaded me of the joys of crochet, I've hardly knitted anything.

That jumper is impressive, I hope getting the stripes to line up didn't involve too much swearing! I made a knitted cushion cover with a big skull design for a christmas present and there was much swearing and gnashing of teeth.

The collar is really sweet and it works really well on the baby (I've seen photos of the sprog wearing it).

Lakota [Faith Hope and Charity Shopping] said...

Oh I'm more than impressed by anyone who can even follow a pattern, let alone improvise! It's very cute.

Good stash of buttons for a quid too, looks like some really pretty ones in there.

Ticking stripes said...

Loving the little cardigan! Also a big fan of Jenny's. As you say - she has a stash to die for! Not to mention her tins,tablecloths etc etc...