Knitting America

I ordered this from Amazon a while back, and now it's arrived. It was all I could do to not devour the complete book at one sitting LOL. What a book, and worth the wait in delivery terms.By Susan M Strawn, it's "A glorious heritage from warm sock to high art".Indeed it is. Some absolutely fascinating pictures, huge amounts of information and complete with some twenty old patterns to try. I don't know which one to go for first :) I think it might be the 1890s Victorian Miser's purse; there is also a picture (but no insturctions) for a knitted pence jug, but I have insturctions in another book for that.

One thing that did take my fancy were the Amish socks. I read years ago that soemtimes the Amish had their socks very "plain and simple" below the knee in an appropriate colour, but with a highly patterned and colourful cuff around the top of the leg. I was unable to find any information on them at all, let alone a picture. There are two pairs shown in the book, the ones I like in the most beautiful shade of violet; so, when I manage to get wool of the correct hue, or dye it myself, they'll be on the needles too.

World War 2 mittens

These are now finished. Took a while longer than anticipated as I was knitting other things at the same time! Very pleased with the end result though. They are knitted to an authentic pattern, the one in the photo, I got from a friend several years ago when she was having a clear out. Theh wool is pure wool, in a close approximation of the wool I imagine ws used for the original mittens, knitted in the round on 4 needles. A long rib cuff is followed by several inches of "Ringwood" pattern; this I found very interesting. When I moved to Droset many years ago, I found out that there used to be a glove making industry in Ringwood, just over the border in Hampshire, and that there was such a thing in existence known as "Ringwood knitting", I presumed associated with the glove making. I have been unable to find much out about it though, but here it appears to be, in this pattern. It's a broken rib patter, giving a very nice texture to the knitted fabric - 1 round of 2x2 rib followed by a round of plain knitting. Motivated to do some more research now, need to get hold of Richard Rutt again I think, it may well be in his excellent book, I can't remember. I shall need to invest in that one, I can see :)

I'm not sure what I'm doing next, but I did find a lovely apttern for a vintage tea cosy on the net with which I am very taken, so it may well be that when I find some suitable coloured wool to do it.

1840s nightcap - part the third

In which the nightcap is finished! Turned out really big, although tension was correct, but enjoyed knitting it. Fairly hefty piece of knitting in the end, but pleased with the way it's knitted up. Like the tassel LOL

WW2 mittens

I cast these on yesterday to give me something simpler to do whilst attempting the Aeolian shawl on a Ravelry KAL. Teh yarn is an odd ball from teh stash, so it will help to use that up too. I can't remember where I got theoriginal pattern, but it's seen a lot of use. I'd love to see and touch some of the wool that was issued tot he knittig parties during the war - might need to do a bit of research for that. V&A possibly?

1840s nightcap - part the third..........

Much happier with this attempt; thicker cotton is giving a frimer fabric, and seems so far to have worked out more to size. Fingers and tassels crossed LOL

1840s nightcap - part the second

As I suspected, far too big around, so it is no more, and I'll restart it with some different cotton I have. Lots of comments on Ravelry about this pattern - needle size, tension, sizing, etc, so it was as imagined. Ho hum, here we go again LOL

1840s nightcap

Nightcaps were being discussed over at Crative Living last autumn, and stangely enough (due the X files music.................) a pattern appeared in the Fall issue of Knitty, so naturally, I'm having a go. The pattern is a rework by the lovely Franklin (http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/), and a nice to knit one so far. The cotton I'm using is from my stash - some fine Egyptian cotton rescued from a charity shop a couple of years ago. It's a bit finer than the one used in the pattern, and the result is more drapey, and I'm hoping not too floppy in the end.