Knitting, and The On-Line Auction

 A friend asked me to knit a baby sweater for an expected grandchild... which I am happy to do, since it gives me an extra reason to do something which I enjoy anyway!  

I gave her a pile of books and patterns to browse.  I of course have my favorites, like the hooded sweater with the back zip that I've made probably a dozen or more times.  

The hoodie...

The picture on the pattern, which was copied from a 1986 knitting magazine that I bought, was horrible, so I think she didn't notice the sweater's adorable quotient.  I made a copy so I could laminate it, without destroying the magazine.  (I don't even know where the magazine is now!!)  Maybe seeing the sweater in person would be better, or I need to replace the 40 year old black and white picture on the pattern!

My friend choose at least five patterns as favorites, and I started in on a couple of them.  The one that was her number one is a new pattern for me.  And a first time to knit using a provisional cast on.  So in addition to knitting an adorable sweater, i am learning something!

                                       

The yellow row at the bottom is a crochet chain, and the first green row is a row of knits that are picked up into the back row of the crochet.  The yoke is then knitted up to the neck, the sleeves are added, and then you go back to the chain.

I ended up picking out the sleeve since I did the decreases too fast... every second row instead of every fourth row.  That was complete inattention on my part.  The taper should be much more gentle.  Lucky me it's a small sleeve and I noticed it before I did BOTH of them!

So after the sleeves were corrected, it was back to the crochet chain.  I pulled it out and put the stitches for the body back on the needles.

Now all that is needed is to knit to the hem, bind off, add the button band and sew on come cute buttons!

The next project I cast on is called Norwegian Fir.  You can see why that's what it is called...

The sample from Cream City Yarn.

I'm using a lovely warm beige called Parsnip in 220 Superwash Merino yarn.  So far I've only knit the neckband, so not much to see here.

                                                                    

I participated in an on-line auction from Iowa that was called The Art of Homemaking.  The stuff for sale was from a collection of items belonging to Rita Farro.  She and Mary Mulari, famous both in the home sewing industry, have written books and booklets about all kinds of project including aprons and bed linens.  If you go to Rita's blog, link in my right panel, her banner includes a photo of some beautiful pillow cases with pink crocheted trim that now belong to me.

I also picked up a chenille bedspread in like-new condition, and a number of redwork pieces that I plan to use in a future quilting project.  Also a few cross stitch items destined for gifts, and this one which is framed, which is probably my favorite:

Was it a typo or did the maker intend it to be Murph's Law??  LOL!

The Spooner!

Additionally I bid on and won one cut glass 'spooner'.  According to Rita, your grandma probably had a spooner full of teaspoons (what else?) on her table for guest to use for sugar for their coffee.  I'd never heard the term spooner before, but my aunt says that my maternal grandmother had one on her table for years.  I must not have noticed it... but then we moved away when I was in middle school, and I never did drink coffee.  

Anyway, I'm so happy with my acquisitions that I can't bear to put them into drawers or cabinets yet.  I'm letting them sit on the 1912 Singer sewing machine cabinet that's outside of the linen closet, and will enjoy stroking the pile for a while.

I hope you find joy this week in the things you have.      

Knit on...