It Took A Doll

It's taken this doll to make me want to photograph knitting again. She, along with her sisters and many other mementos, had been in offsite storage for over three years. Little did I know that, packed along with them, was a host of the wee beasts that lived in the carpet of my old place. A small area rug appears to have been the host of the eggs. The beetles had been reproducing in the dark of one storage bin all that time - happily munching away at my belongings.  I discovered this last month, as I unpacked the last box from our recent move. 

How sad and bizarre it felt to throw away a lifetime's worth of paper and cloth things. Teddy bears, letters, The Daughter's childhood art - all tossed along with the bin itself. The dolls were in a different box, so were saved but their clothes were ruined.

Right now the dolls are wrapped in fabric togas awaiting a new knit wardrobe. This is the first completed garment. It's knit from a bright Koigu I've kept for ages but had no idea what to do with. It suits this project perfectly so I'm glad I held on to it. I've had the flu and knitting this little dress has helped me pass the time at home. Now I'm off to find the next pattern.

Would You Wear It?

I have to say that I am still uncomfortable with labeling the 80's vintage. I suppose everyone feels that way about their youth? Even if we laugh a little at the things we wore, we still don't consider them to be in any way "vintage" or, heaven forbid, "antique".

That being said, I still love these sweaters from this 1985 Scheepjes magazine I found at a sale. Would I wear this bobbly, dropped shoulder, extra wide cardigan? Definitely yes! Well...probably not in golden yellow but otherwise, yes. I still have such fondness for the shapes of the era. So bold yet cozy. Dramatic but comfy.

And check out the lovely jacket below. On a crisp fall day? With boots and a scarf? Gorgeous. 

I'd probably forego accessorizing with that guy on my arm. I would however, steal his scarf.

Socken

I knit a sock. Knit from Regia, a good reliable yarn. Knit on transit, mostly. Knit from yarn that was on sale and then sat and sat.

The black portion was so much longer than I had imagined it would be. And it was right at the top of the leg. All anyone would see, as if many might be looking, was black above a boot. How dull.

So I added lazy daisies. Arts and crafts and poorly rendered - they break up all that objectionable black. They were also a delight to embroider. Process

The photo was an accident. I pointed the camera at my legs and captured the legs of another. Aren't they beautifully framed in the curve of my socks?

Yarn. Pretty.

Mineville Wool Project, Merino Nylon. Colour 3106
All Dyed Up Fibres, Hand Dyed Fingering w/ Stellina

Saturday was the annual DKC Knitter's Frolic. I missed the last one because of work so I was determined to get there this year. As I've mentioned before, Spring makes me feel like knitting and what better way to get inspired than to spend an afternoon wondering several rooms full of yarn. The event is a great opportunity to catch up with other knitters one runs into. How to describe the delight of having a good old chat with someone you've not seen in years while standing between overflowing vendor booths.

My budget wasn't large so I bought just some sock yarn and one shawl kit from Wellington Fibres. However, since Saturday, I've wound a bunch of skeins, finished a stalled shawl project, and am now almost done a sweater that's been languishing for years. Yes, You could say that I've caught inspiration. Thank goodness.

Subway Knitting

Here we have a basic vanilla sock using the ever reliable Regia.

I believe I already mentioned that I got a new part time job last fall. It involves a commute of just under an hour on the subway. My shifts are at odd times, so I'm never travelling at rush hour and I always get a seat. I've actually been enjoying this time immensely. I pop in a podcast and knit away.  After a solid 45 minutes of knitting and listening to favourites like  The Guilty Feminist, The Poetry Magazine Podcast or Stuff You Missed in History Class, I arrive at work quite calm and refreshed. These days, one takes "Me Time" where one can.

Spring is finally here. I know most knitters get the cast-on bug in winter but the light and air of spring inspires me. Knitting outside, blocking on the balcony, taking natural light photos - the prospect of all these things make me hopeful. Regarding photos, I do intend to try to get back to blogging more regularly. It's been a hard winter here and my creativity, other than some personal writing (a sample of which is in my last post), has been at a low. I miss the chatter of the blog and taking pretty pictures of pretty things. Even if no one reads it, I remember enjoying it and am going to keep at it for my own sake if for no one else's. If you are reading this, Hello!

Re: Gift

About ten days before Christmas I realized I had not knit a gift for my daughter. December was hard and long this year. Creativity was little to none.
"Oh well", I thought "She just won't get a knitted gift this year".

Now I have knitted the kid something for Christmas every year for the past ten seasons. This simply would not do. So I trotted off to Yarns Untangled and bought the same yarn as last year (Lichen and Lace Superwash Worsted) in a different colour and quickly knitted the same hat I made her in 2017. She opened it on Christmas Eve and was delighted - especially as it was wrapped around the sweater shaver she had requested. Whew.

Sometimes it's the little things.