Finished Objects and… not so finished objects

Hey there, lovely! I have some fun things to show you.

Apparently, I have been in love with fair isle berets without knowing it.

Tasha Moss’s Victory Hat

I finished my first fair isle beret in September and just adore it. It is a 1940’s beret from none other that Susan Crawford’s A Stitch in Time Volume 2. I opted out of a fourth color, sticking with the grey, black, and purple colors for a winter palette. Every time I put it on, I feel like I should throw on my Land Girl pants and go milk a cow after scraping the frost off my milking bucket. I am in love.

Linky to my ravelry page with more information here.

The other hat I made was a test knit for Tasha over at bygumbygolly! She is such an inspiration to me. If you have never read her blog, leave this page immediately and immerse yourself in her vintage-crafty life. When I got the email to be a test knitter for her first self-published pattern, I nearly fell out of my chair. I feel so honored that she turned to me to be a test knitter for her beret inspired by the end of WWII, I made an exception in my vintage knitting. I absolutely love this pattern! It is so well written and the motifs are clever and well thought out. Check out Tasha’s Knit for Victory Knit-a-Long too, which I will be joining.

Photo credit goes to roommate and photographer extraordinaire Michael Banh.

And now, for the not so finished pieces.

I mentioned in my last post about plans for Operation: Finish! in which I finish the four non-finished garments I have started during my year of vintage knitting. Because I also have 11 knitted Christmas gifts going at the same time, my deadline is December 31st. Some only need part of a sleeve, others need a bit more. But I have a good feeling that I can get them done by my deadline!

xoxo

Sydney

Nightmare on Yarn Street

It happened. I told myself it would never happen. I said to myself,

No, that only happens to knitter’s who don’t pay attention;

You’re an experienced knitter, you know how much to get;

Don’t worry, this will be plenty.

Well folks, I’m here to tell you that I made one of the most fundamental knitting mistakes: I didn’t buy enough yarn.

Not only did I run out of yarn, I ran out when I only had one teeny tiny sleeve cap left. That’s right, everything else was knit up, button band and all, all I had was a couple of inches of sleeve cap.

This 1936 cardigan is what I call a “sad-girl-cast-on.” My friend (and also my fabulous photographer) Michael and I have been house hunting for months, and we thought we finally found our dream place. The upstairs of a gorgeous 1893 home. Yes, you heard me, 1893. I was in love, it was perfect in every way. Long story short, we didn’t get it. I was probably more torn up than I should have been, but I knew the cure: cast on something. Cast on something you’ve been really wanting to knit. Disregard all other WIPs, disregard the fact that it’s 95 degrees and you’re wanting to knit with Shetland wool, just do it.

 

So I did. But, as you can see, it backfired. Oh yes, did I mention I got the yarn out of town, a year ago? I will get the yarn by mail order or online, but it won’t be the same dyelot. And lastly, to be frank, I don’t really want to be knitting on this! It didn’t come out the way I thought it would, and the Shetland started getting to me. It was never a good idea to knit on this in the same room as my madelinetosh stash, as I would all too often look over longingly at the merino, cashmere blends, hand dyed colorways… excuse me as I wipe some drool away.

I have some other WIPs going at the moment, I will give you a small teaser picture of them, and hopefully one or two of them will be up soon in a finished object blog post.

 

And, in case you were all wondering, Michael and I found a wonderful 1950’s duplex that we just adore. I am currently getting the rest of my yarn packed up as I move in officially tomorrow!

xoxo

Sydney

 

Impromptu Hiatus

tumbleweed tumbleweed tumbleweed…..

Is anyone still here? I had so many plans for different blog posts this summer, and then, well, summer happened. So first off, I’d like to apologize for my disappearance from the blogsphere. But I won’t waste any time, let me get you caught up on my summer knitting!

Many fun and exciting projects have been started, and unfortunately, not many have been finished yet.  For one issue or another, my WIPs have reached stopping points.

The lavender blouse, which is The Jan Sweater in Susan Crawford’s A Stitch in Time Volume Two, is a 1930’s lacey delight that I’m knitting out of Madelinetosh light in the colorway “La Vie En Rose.” The body seems to be too long, so I’ve been nervous to block it in case it stretches more. It also needs sleeves. 

I will remember this summer as “The Summer When Sydney Had a Weird Aversion to Sleeve Knitting,” because really, that’s what all my WIP garments need.

The minty green blouse is an Oops! projects because I didn’t buy enough yarn last year when I impulsively got two skeins of this Knitted Wit Fingering solely for the love of the color. I’m currently on the hunt for a similar yarn base in a contrasting white for the rest of the blouse.

Some knitting I have been finishing are socks. Lots and lots of socks.

 

I have a lot of other exciting WIPs going right now, but we’ll have to save those for the next blog (I promise I won’t wait three months to post it). I have been ready for Autumn since July, meaning that cardigans and sweaters, warm wooly hats and socks are on the needles.

Thank you to all of you sweet readers who have stuck around!

xoxo

Sydney

Treasure Hunting

Treasure hunting weekend! And boy, did I come home with a loot!

The wonderful Emily and I went to our local Flea Market and had a grand old time! We also stopped at Nobody’s Baby, a vintage shop incredibly dear to my heart where I know all the lovely ladies by name. And finally, I drove out to Coburg to peek at a new vintage store, Retro Rejuvenation, which was amazing! The young woman who owned it was so sweet and had a great stock for only being open a few months. Okay enough chit chat, here is what I got!

…..I know. I may have went a bit crazy. Here’s all I got: 6 headscarves, 5 hankies, +/- 100 buttons, 5 needle craft magazines, 3 postcards, 2 brooches, 3 pairs of shoes, a lipstick, a 1928 beauty notebook, a coin purse, a 1950’s purse, 1940’s hat, an apron and…

This stunning titanic-era blouse that is in impeccable condition. I will admit to trying it on, but mainly it will sit on my wall as I day dream about tea parties at Downton Abbey.

Wait, isn’t this a knitting blog?

Yes, lovlies, and I’m sorry I don’t have anything fun to show you at the moment. I am almost done with the back piece and finished the stripes on the front. Next blog will have some progress pictures, I promise!

xoxo

Sydney

And so it begins.

Happy New Year kittens!

I am so looking forward to this year and all of the warm vintage hand knits and I am going to create. To make it more fun, I am going to name all of my projects after old movies based on characters that the garment reminds me of! So, without further ado, I introduce my first garment of the year…

Trimmed with Roses in A Stitch in Time: Volume 2!

Now, normally I do not knit my garments in the same color as the sample, but oh how I love the combination of the natural & bright red! I will be using Jamieson Spindrift for the main color and Element Affects for the contrasting red. So excited!

I am naming this jumper “Roman Holiday.” It reminds me of Audrey Hepburn’s character Princess Ann when she is exploring Rome pretending to be a normal girl and escaping the pressure of being a Princess. It is so youthful and fun, just as she is in the movie.

You will be able to see the work in progress soon, darlings!

xoxo

Sydney

Santa was good to me..

I hope everyone had a marvelous holiday, and the New Year is approaching so quickly! I still have a tiny bit of Christmas knitting to finish, but I will admit to swatching some of my Jamieson’s Spindrift and a delicious naturally dyed merino by Swan’s Island. I have decided on my first project, but no peeking for you, lovely reader, until January 1st!

This is that beautiful Swan’s Island in the colorway Sky Blue. A Christmas present to myself, Merry Christmas to me! Thanks, me! You’re so welcome, me! 

Santa also brought me some other wonderful goodies that will enhance my 2013 vintage knitting. I have 9 skeins of Excelana Yarn 4-ply coming my way! Eeekk! I peek outside for the post man in hopes that he is carrying a large box of Nile Green Excelana every day.

Isn’t that gorgeous? Can’t wait can’t wait!

I also have something else coming..

something very special..

something that every knitter can’t help but day dream about……..

Signature. Needles.

Oh what? Huh? Did she really say that? YES.

Size 2 fourteen-inch straight needles to accompany all my jumper knitting.

So luxurious.

You can find them here if you want a pair for yourself!

I can’t wait until I get to use them.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year’s and I will see you next year!

xoxo

Sydney

Day Dreaming

Good day, sweet peas!

I have been queuing up designs and taking mental notes of vintage patterns I want to knit, and now that January is coming so soon, I must start planning! There are oodles upon oodles of patterns that I have said “Oh yes, I must, oh I must knit that!” But there are a few that I am certain you will see in 2013. Many of these are by the talented and amazing Susan Crawford, co-author of A Stitch in Time, Volume 1 & 2, who has re-created over 100 vintage knitting patterns and accommodating them to different body shapes, which is so helpful. She is a godsend. If you have not discovered her yet, here is a link to her ravelry page! Miss Susan Crawford.

Without further ado, here are a few that you will be seeing in 2013! ❤

This is probably my favorite re-creation of Susan’s. I am a sucker for stripes and flower motifs. It can be found here on ravelry. This may even be my first project of the New Year!

I. love. this. cardigan!! I bought some lovely Shetland wool in Boston that has been eyeing me from my yarn shelf, begging to be this cardigan. Found here on ravelry.

My final Susan Crawford masterpiece is this beautiful jumper. I don’t have yarn for it yet, but I am thinking some type of robin’s egg blue or burgundy. So lovely. Found here.

Did I mention I love stripes? Well, I love stripes. This is from an old Australian Women’s Weekly, and many of the patterns can be found here on ravelry for free! Yes, cupcake, free!! If you love vintage patterns just as much as I do and have not seen these, I would highly recommend to check them out.

I hope you all are having a marvelous day!

xoxo

Sydney

Welcome, Kittens!

Hello my darlings!

Welcome, welcome, pull up a chair, let me get you some tea.

Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Sydney, and I am a compulsive knitter and vintage collector.

Oh, and lover of sheep.

This blog is going to follow me and my New Year’s Knitting Resolution of only knitting from vintage patterns in 2013. Something I have wanted to do for a long time, but always found myself eagerly browsing vintage patterns and never casting on. Cast on starts January 1st, 2013, and I won’t look back. I had developed a fairly substantial pattern collection and hoarding of Jamison’s 4-ply Shetland yarns, so I am ready to go! I will be photo- documenting my process and patterns that I am working from. My next blog will be lots of fun, so stick around!

You can also find me lurking ravelry as Squidneyknits.

Toodle-oo!

xoxo