It was a lovely drive home yesterday, all bright and sunny and extremely colourful although I was very glad of my new prescription sunglasses in the low sun. I go to my parents in the afternoon and drive into the autumn/winter sun and I come home in the morning and again drive into the sun!
My mum has always been an excellent needlewoman. She learnt as a youngster, as almost all girls of her generation did, and by the time I and then my brothers came along, she was making all our outer wear one way or another. Later on she went to tailoring classes and made many a beautiful suit or coat. A favourite maxi-coat of mine when I was at college was mum-made.
Sadly, she no longer sews and she has very kindly lent Beth and me her lovely sewing machine. It's quite old now (as sewing machines go) but was top class when it was bought and is still a good machine so we are thrilled to bits. I brought it home with me yesterday and at bedtime went to sleep reading the manual. Very dry and not that easy to understand beyond the basics.
Did anyone watch Doctor Who on Sunday evening? I thoroughly enjoyed it and I thought it carried a powerful message. I'm impressed by this new series. I can now follow the story again without having to rewatch half a dozen times before it all makes sense.
Back to yesterday, you may remember I bought some rather lovely Boho Spirit yarn last week and am knitting a jumper with it. I looked at some of the free downloadable patterns on their site and printed off this one, a rather nice and not too difficult Aran hoodie pattern.
I ordered some Aran yarn from Deramores yesterday, going for the natural cream Aran in the end although I was very tempted by an attractive lavender shade. So that's my next project.
Today there's still nothing in the diary. Great. I will do some crafting and some ironing, I might garden for a bit and I must cook a vegetarian dinner for me and Beth. I think it's going to be a pleasant day!
I hope yours is too.
Looks like a lovely piece to knit as you say not too difficult an Aran pattern and Aran knits up quickly. Have a lovely peaceful day.
ReplyDeleteIt does, I agree. Also, once you have the pattern in your head (which doesn't take long as it's so structured), it helps to work from block to block. It seems to grow faster.
ReplyDeletexx
"Not Too Difficult" Ha! it looks very very difficult to someone who can only do dishcloths!!
ReplyDeleteHave fun with the sewing machine - something else I never learned from Mum or school.
I saw Dr Who, I'm really enjoying it as it's the first I've watched for years and years(Col wasn't keen on anything like that) thought Saturdays was a good way of mixing history and Sci fi. and still very relevant after hearing about that man who racially abused the elderly lady on a plane. He should have been chucked off - from a great height!
My goodness, I can't knit at all, so that would be a real challenge, ha ha! My mother tried to teach me but had to give up. All craft work is beyond me. I have made curtains (but everything was straight for those!) which were lined and fitted a 12 ft long picture window, but that was the sum total of my needlework. Oh no, I did make a cushion once from a kit, a sort of tapestry affair. It wasn't bad and I still have it and use it for kneeling on when I'm cleaning out the base of the shower! I sew on buttons, that's about the sum total of my needlework - well, I used to. Husband does that now, he makes a better job!
ReplyDeleteMargaret P
I had to laugh at your 'not too difficult' assessment of the pattern ... I can't knit to save my life, so wouldn't even look at this complex a pattern let alone attempt it. The finished garment will be lovely so I hope we get to see you modelling it. I can sew anything and my twin sister can knit but not sew, so combined we have the full range of skills!
ReplyDeleteLovely cardigan and it might be a straight forward pattern but cabling gives me the heebie-cheebies, all that picking and dropping the cable needle doesn't do it for me, yet. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI've still got an Elna Lotus sewing machine, which is one of their early fold-up baby ones. I remember my husband's auntie buying it nearly 50 years ago, it went to my mother-in-law when she died and ended up with me. It was never used much so still works fine even though it has never been serviced.
We hadn't watched Dr. Who for decades and decided to give it a go this time round, enjoying it, even husband manages to keep awake ...
I like the look of that pattern.Have you ever tried Wool Warehouse for yarn.They deliver very quickly usually the next day as they use Royal Mail.
ReplyDeleteIs Beth a friend or a relative?It sounds as though I am being very nosy but I am just interested!!!
Thanks for all the lovely comments.
ReplyDeleteI taught myself to do Aran when I was eighteen (making something for a boyfriend) so I've had plenty of experience over decades. It is a comparatively simple pattern as Aran goes, maybe I should have said. :-)
I was lucky that matching my mum taught me a lot about needlecraft generally and I just carried on.
I'll take a photo when it's done but not of me, I'm afraid. I have a bit of a not-thing about being photographed.
That's a good age for a machine, Annabeth. Amazing that it still works well.
I haven't tried Wool Warehouse but will go over and take a look (I'm assuming it is online) One day delivery is excellent.
And finally, Beth is my daughter (and Alex is my grandson). We get on well and see quite a lot of each other.
xx