Vintage knits

Wow, I have not participated in Ginny's yarn along for such a long time. Somehow, this yarn along (and auntie Leila's {phfr}) keep me entertained and fascinated.  Glimpses into lives, sometimes filled with more order and wonder, and sometimes even a bit more chaotic than mine. 

But I feel quite proud of the latest outfit - a charming raglan  pullover, and tiny trousers, both from Vintage Knits for Modern Babies.

The lace detail on the sweater was just enough to make it special.  On the back panel I did it incorrectly - I did not slip both stitches together when the pattern stated sl2, but rather one by one (see below).  Turns out it does make a difference, but only if you know where to look.  I also forgot to make the third buttonhole, but the last one is luckily not that important anyway.

 This is just a little human interest story on the side.  He was carrying a battery for his dune racer when his brother ran into him from behind.  He fell forward, and you can see the line where his face hit the battery, the poor thing.  He screamed blue murder for about 5 minutes, and today he has a beautiful black eye.

I modified the trousers a little, by adding little eyelets and an i cord drawstring instead of sewing elastic tread into the ribbing.  I thought it would look nicer, and I had no idea how to sew in the elastic tread anyway.  I am quite happy with the result, all in all. Considering it took me only about a week to knit.  The outfit went home yesterday, to a friend whose baby is due in August.  (One day, I dream of having an etsy shop - don't we all? Except for those who have one already, I guess!)

I am reading "The Hidden Art of Homemaking", by Edith Schaeffer.
It is hard to describe, but I am learning as I read, agreeing with most of it, but not everything.  It helps that I know someone whose parents met while they were working for L'Abri in Switzerland, who then became missionaries in South Africa.  Visiting with them has always been a special treat, I have often felt they know something I do not, and I think I am starting to understand it a little better now that I am reading this book.

Here is one quote that struck home:

“Interior decoration is not just one's artistic efforts, but it is that which your home (even if it is just a room) is. If you are 'decorating' with clothes draped on every chair, with scratched and broken furniture- it is still your interior decoration! Your home expresses you to other people, and they cannot see or feel your daydreams of what you expect to make in that misty future, when all the circumstances are what you think they must be before you will find it worthwhile to start. You have started, whether you recognize that fact or not! We foolish mortals sometimes live through years not realizing how short life is, and that TODAY is your life.” 
― Edith Schaeffer, The Hidden Art of Homemaking

Also this one:

“It seems to me that whether it is recognized or not, there is a terrific frustration which increases in intensity and harmfulness as time goes on, when people are always daydreaming of the kind of place in which they would like to live, yet never making the place where they do live into anything artistically satisfying to them. Always to dream of a cottage by a brook while never doing anything to the stuffy house in the city is to waste creativity in this very basic area, and to hinder future creativity by not allowing it to grow and develop through use." pg 66” 
― Edith Schaeffer, The Hidden Art of Homemaking

I highly recommend this book, to be read in small dosages, as inspiration.  I cannot read to much of it at once; she inspires me to put the book down and go do something.

Knits men want (yawn)...

Part I

I felt excited when I saw this book on amazon, and clicked before doing any research.  I gave the book to Jacques and asked him which sweater he wanted - he chose the Baseball Jersey and could not be convinced otherwise.  I like the pictures of the sweater too, but I know about seaming and huge panels, I have never done a "saddle shoulder", and the first projects I looked at on ravelry all complained about mistakes in the pattern and the designer not being very helpful. However, I have been very careful, I have made notes and I am counting and measuring every step of the way, so there is hope!  Two sleeves and half a front/back panel down, and I feel optimistic about the end product.  I am sure I will have to tweak around the neckline to make everything fit, but that's okay.  It is never that cold in Texas anyway, I have time.
About the book:  I recommend it, the patterns all involve miles and miles of stockinette in a shade of brown or gray, but that is very realistic. Jacques would wear every one of them.

The sleeves and half a panel, spread out, could cover at least 3 babies!

 I cast on a honey cowl for me, too.  I am modifying it a bit (see Ravelry notes).  I discovered linen stitch and all the other types of slip stitches very recently, which made me wonder, again: will knitting ever get boring? 
On a different note, I need input:  I want to give this cowl a crocheted edging - considering that I plan to wear this mostly with a white t-shirt and a denim (i.e. my uniform), what solid color would work best?

See the notes?

 About the literature:  Jacques recommended Herzog, by Saul Bellow.  It is very entertaining.  Some of my favorite quotes so far: "If I am out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog."

The book is about a troubled man, in New York, who writes letters.  Incessantly, and to everyone that he happens to think about.  I am not yet sure if he mails any of them, or if it is just his internal dialogue.   Introspective is a good one word description.

I love books written a while ago - it serves to remind us that the problems we face today, the debates raging today, have been raging for ages.  All is not lost, if you feel as if all is lost, yet you cannot be sure that anything is won, either.  For instance, he writes:
" Dear Mr President, Internal Revenue regulations will turn us into a nation of bookkeepers.  The life of every citizen is becoming a business.  This, it seems to me, is one of the worst interpretations of the meaning of life history has ever seen.  Man's life is not a business."

The book was published in 1964.  It does not elaborate, this is just a snippet, almost an intrusive thought, while his (Herzog's) real life is continuing.  I fear you might now think the book is very political; it is not.  Most of the book is about interpersonal relationships, from the perspective of a man that has, to a degree, lost his mind. Fascinating.

Part II

 Melva's latest project.  It started with a science experiment, where we used red cabbage to make a pH indicator. It evolved into dying yarn using the indicator and baking soda, and knitting Baby Fan Mitts.  She adapted the pattern to ensure that it fits perfectly.  She made some knitting needles too.

 More about all of that in a different post.

Once again, linking up with Ginny's yarn along at Small Things, and looking forward to seeing what everyone has been up to!

A pop-over halter dress

This dress did not turn out as bad as I thought it did.  When I finished it, the first time, it was far too wide - the dress was gaping at the back.  I undid one seam, removed 3 inches from the back panel (that was just a  rectangle), and also took 4 inches off the elastic, and now I think that it could work.  I was hoping that it could be a dress, but I have to admit - this won't work as a "real" dress.  It will be a dress for the beach.


 

If I make the pattern again, I will choose a softer fabric with more drape - my friend Leslie from The Seasoned Homemaker suggested cotton lawn.  I will also make it one size smaller (maybe even two), to see if I could get the neckline to a level where she would feel more comfortable. I think the white is perfect.














Pattern from: "Girl's World:  Twenty-One Sewing Projects to Make for Little Girls"