I love going to op-shops and buying a stack of old knitting patterns. My most recent purchase included patterns from the 1960’s to the 1980’s and while some of the designs are hilarious to me in 2011, some are really stylish. The patterns which currently interest me most are Australiana – featuring…
Blocking Hats
Once upon a time I would knit a hat and just wear it – no washing, no blocking – nothing. Now I know better because blocking does wonders for any knitwear, especially where lace is concerned. Here are some pictures of my Dandelion Beret (available to download for free) before blocking… ……
Yarn Bomb Your Bike
According to Wikipedia, Yarn Bombing started in 2005 but in my recent haul of vintage patterns from the op-shop, I have found evidence to the contrary. I picked up a 1972 copy of Mon Tricot – one of the coolest knitting and crochet magazines ever. It’s full of knitting and crochet patterns of…
Stash – Part 1
I took a photo of my stash last night. I had planned to do some sorting and culling and I thought I’d make a start. It took me a while to decide whether to post a picture or not. I’m scared my mother will see it and I’ll get into trouble. So…
Buttons and Birthdays
This weekend we “celebrate” the Queen’s birthday in Australia with a three-day weekend, (except Western Australia where everyone has to go to work tomorrow – sorry guys). I put the word celebrate in inverted commas because 1 – Elizabeth II’s birthday is actually 21 April and 2 – I don’t think anyone…
Rib
I love a good rib stitch. I have my favourites and my not-so favourites – and of course this changes depending on what I’m knitting. For the band of a hat I love a 1 x 1 rib (1 knit, 1 purl, repeat ad nauseam), but if it’s a fair isle hat…