For hands that do knitting...

Aft'noon

This blogging lark can be jolly good fun sometimes, especially when ones gets invited to fancy schmancy events, which I have no qualms accepting invites for as frankly it can be pretty draining trying to entertain you lot, y'know *wink* us nose to grindstone types need a break every now and then...

Anyway - I was recently invited to attend an event promoting Atrixo, yes, Atrixo - the chamomile hand cream that we probably all recall our mothers or grandmothers using.  The scent sure does bring back memories.  It was launched back in the 50s - '55 to be exact but is part of the Beiersdorf portfolio of products which includes my very favourite - Nivea - and so can probably be traced back to Edwardian days.  That's like, serious vintage.

The event was held at Home House, a private members club on Portman Square - its a bit posh round there and this venue was no exception - with cakes and nibbles from the Vintage Patisserie and a knitting class from the wonderful Catherine Hirst.  Feast your eyes on the goodies that were laid before us:

An array of Atrixo products were available to sample

Beautifully decorated tables heaved with food

cake stands fairly trembled beneath the mass of scones

Knitting needles were prepared ready for action

Brass deer nibbled on rose petals (where am I going here, I don't know anymore)

decapitated fluffy bunnies stared menacingly into your soul

...and I ate all the jam *bwahahahahahaha*

Unfortunately I am currently mid dryathlon, so could not take advantage of the wine on offer but I did fill up on tea and scones and learnt a few new knitting tricks along the way.  Yes, I have finally graduated from thumb cast on to long tail cast on.  I can now call myself a fully grown up adult knitter.

Here is my little flower - it's pretty ain't it.

As for the Atrixo products - I'm thoroughly impressed.  I've placed a tub next to my bed, one of my work desk and one next to each sink in the home.  I now have the hands of a 10 year old.  Well almost.

Atrixo products are marvellous value, smell divine and are available in your local boots, Tesco or Superdrug.  I strongly advise giving them a try for a real vintage hand care experience.  That sounds almost rude.  I'm leaving it in.

Thank you Atrixo for a thoroughly lovely do.

The lovely Fleur goes into more detail here so to view much nicer pics and read her much more erudite account of the day please clicky.

sewers and knitters: catnip mouse time

Not sure if you have heard but there is a huge cat rehoming problem this year.  Being a cat lover I only wish I could give them all a home. Me and thousands of cats...bliss.

Reality bites though, so instead I'm asking for your help to make catnip mice for all the kitties we cannot house.

Please, if you can, spend a little time knitting or sewing mice, to these patterns or your own, and send them to me or your local cat shelter.  I'll be delivering them to the local rehoming shelter just before Christmas.

if you want to send to me, e-mail me at lisa.prest@gmail.com

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/30/how-to-make-catnip-mouse

 http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=283086.0

please share.

On the needles: Flossy and Dossy quickknit 40s style sweater

I always seem to have a few projects on the go at one time, at the moment I’ve got a couple of unfinished 4ply things languishing in the knitting trunk (must get back to work on those this weekend) and have also just started a work knit. This is a piece of knitting I keep at work to occupy me at lunch time so that I don’t spend the entire hour staring at the screen.

A work knit needs to be fairly simple (no fancy laces) and quick working (stops the inevitable comments of “you’ll never finish that” from sarcastic colleagues), so I tend to pick easy patterns in a thick wool.

I started my current work knit yesterday and it is this marvellous 40s style jumper from wedding dress designers, Flossy and Dossy. While the finished article on their site looks complicated, this is actually knit in a deceptively simple twisted rib.

I say deceptively simple, but I did have a little “logic fail” on knitting up my swatch and followed the pattern instructions to K2, P3 when actually, if I’d looked at the rib I would have started with the P3. Just me being a dumbo though.

In any case, it is knitting up beautifully now in a lovely hot pink Aran from the King Cole Merino Blend range. I adore this yarn and cannot wait to see how it washes.

It doesn't matter how I post this, it still comes out upside down.

Right way up in "my pictures" dammit!

This would be a great first sweater knit as it works up very swiftly, I seem to be knitting at just over 1 inch per hour. It is also easy to resize as the pattern repeat is 5 stitches which - give or take a little - corresponds to one inch. You don’t have to be too precise with resizing a ribbed sweater as there is so much natural give to the stitch.

Right, its lunchtime here. Time to get knitting!

Knitty update

So, I've designated September as my "make do and mend" month and am busily fixing all my damaged vintage and finishing off the many knitting projects I have stacked up and those which need to be sewn together.

Here is my latest cardigan, it is just the warmest thing!

It isn't wonky, I promise, but sadly my old mannequin is on her last legs and is held together with gaffer tape and string, bless her.

I knit this in a lovely pistachio green DK yarn and it was just a dream to make up as it is knit in one piece so had a minimal amount of the dreaded stitching up to do. 

I bought the pattern from one of my favourite sites, The Vintage Knitting Lady.

She has a great collection of patterns, the best I've found anywhere and her customer service is incredible.

This baby is going to look amazing with tweed pencil skirts throughout the colder months. 

New knitting books!

Morning all!

Just a quick post here to share with you some new knitting purchases I made.  The first is one of those marvellous things, an 80's book of vintage patterns.  Some of the pictures are a little blurred, I'm still getting used to my new camera so apologies!

 Blurred but just look at that scarf set, ha!

 I might actually make this one.

A proper "Herbert"

I also picked up this original 1939 knitting book from Amazon for just £5.  Amazon is a great and cheap source of vintage knitting books - always much cheaper than eBay or Etsy where the same publication is being sold for over £20!

 I just love this book, 1939 is probably my favourite year for fashion so I cannot wait to get started on these, though I'm not sure I have the patience to knit that incredible dress!

Double the vintage - an amazing find!

I love knitting patterns, I really do, more than is really reasonable for someone who only started knitting about a year ago.  I think my obsessive hoarding of knitting patterns is bordering on scary and frankly, if I spent as much time knitting as I do sourcing and buying patterns, then I'd have a fabulous wardrobe instead of 4 unfinished projects looking at me wanly.

Anyway - enough of my spending related guilt.  The item I have to show you today was an absolute steal at just £2.99 on eBay.  It screamed 70's from the photograph which can only explain why noone else bid on it.  Noone else bid on it twice in fact, as the first time I missed it due to an eBay, iPhone related cock up.  mutterbloodytechnologymuttermutter.

Looking at the description I quickly saw that this was a 70's book of revisited vintage patterns from 1920-1940.  I had to take a punt on that!

Well, this little marvel arrived today and I could not be happier.  It was indeed published in the 70's, 1979 though, so it isn't quite as old as it's new owner.  Amusingly the publisher was Mills and Boon, yes, that's right, Mills and Boon - the famous publisher of risque short novels for bored housewives.  I can just imagine the former owner sitting on the settee next to her increasingly beige husband, knitting up a 1939 sweater and dreaming of it being removed by a dark and brooding hero from a wartime romance...sigh.

This is a great little book, the title "Knitting 20's and 30's originals" by Nancy Vale, and includes - oh the joy - patterns to knit up with DK yarn.   The book includes both the revisited patterns and some originals.  There are lots of wonderful illustrations and also photos of most of the patterns knit up.

Nancy clearly had a real passion (heh heh heh) for this era and writes floridly about her adoration of the period. 

My only criticism is that some of the vintage patterns are used merely as illustration and the instructions are therefore not complete.   Still - there is enough here to keep me happy!

Enjoy the photos - 70's does 30's - it's official!

 Neither, nor Baby Gene like this ladies brown waistcoat and unstyled hair.

 Loving this DK Tyrolean number.  I'm definitely making this soon.

 Sleazy!

Right - I'm off to do some actual knitting for a change.

Knitting Magazine - vintage edition

I regularly peruse the knitting magazines in my local WHSmith whilst waiting to catch the train home and usually there isn't a lot to interest me but today - wow - I picked up and and subsequently purchased Knitting Magazine's vintage edition.

The magazine includes several vintage inspired knits - everything from jumpers to capes and a fabulous Miss Marple inspired hand bag.  My favourite being an early Thirties style sailor top that I plan on adapting to a shorter late Thirties style.  Yes, I'm getting that confident with my knitting skills these days (famous last words...)

There is also an interview with the inspiring knitwear designer Lise-Lotte Lystrup - author of "Vintage Knitwear for Modern Knitters" - one of my favourite knitting books, available on Amazon.

The magazine is available from most branches of WH Smith and via this website.

For the love of Miss Lemon

I must admit I am a little hungover today following an uproarious night out with the girls last night.  To ease myself through a painful day I have been watching Poirot.  Today's episode was "Hickory Dickory Dock" and heavily featured Miss Lemon, Poirot's faithful secretary.

Miss Lemon is probably my favourite Poirot character and I must admit it is her clothes that I am really in love with.  A lot of you will know about the famous cardigan, the one which many in the vintage community covet, a beautiful long sleeved red knit with a red and white bow at the neck (see below).  This is one of my favourites too, and, fact fans - it has not only been worn by Miss Lemon but also appeared on a murder suspect in a much later episode of Poirot and in the film "La Vie en Rose."

Here is the gorgeous little number:

Here are some other wonderful items from Miss Lemon's wardrobe:

Look at the pocket detail on this, wowzers!

This hat is incredible and I love the colour combination.

Look at the zigzag detail!

Oh, the neckline detail...

I wish I had a clearer image of this dress.

Miss Lemon, played by Pauline Moran, is thought by Poirot to be an ugly woman and in truth she irritates him.  They like to tease one another, Poirot is particularly amused by her love of filing.

"Agatha Christie: Poirot: The Incredible Theft (#1.8)" (1989)

Miss Lemon: This lady keeps telephoning, Mr. Poirot.
Hercule Poirot: Sacré. What a terrible circumstance.
Miss Lemon: There's no need to be sarcastic, Mr. Poirot. I was going on to say that I didn't put her through to you, because she wouldn't give her name.
Hercule Poirot: Ah.
Miss Lemon: I told her you don't take anonymous phone-calls.
Hercule Poirot: But I do, Miss Lemon. Sometimes I think anonymous telephone calls are the only ones worth taking.
Miss Lemon: But how will I know where to file her if I haven't got a name?
Hercule Poirot: Life first, Ms. Lemon, filing second.
Miss Lemon: Very well then.
[Hastings huffs in amusement]
Miss Lemon: Next time she calls, I'll let her talk to you. And on your own head be it.
Captain Hastings: You shouldn't tease her, Poirot.
Hercule Poirot: She makes it irresistible.
Now - time to learn how to knit a stripey bow.