Wool in my soup

I am a 67 year-old grandmother living on Vancouver Island. I have crocheted, cross-stitched and rug hooked, but I always had yarn on needles. Recently knitting has become my primary hobby!

Name:
Location: Canada

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

A Book About Knitting - with no patterns, just knitting stories!



I was in my local Winners the other day and this book jumped off the shelf into my basket. I did not put it back, as it only cost $7.99 and it has a gorgeous cover. The beautiful knits blowing in the breeze at the top of the cover is called Labyrinth of Rebirth, 2001 and is 33 colourful mohair panels flapping in the breeze like clothes on a line. It is the work of Debbie New and traces the mystery of fetal development, from conception to birth. I wish I could see it and walk about among the hanging pieces! The photo on the bottom left is from the art work, and they are certainly sperm. I love the picture of the hands knitting. My DIL carves faces and hands for her old world Santas and I have noticed hands so much more since she is always looking for good photos of 'working' hands. Any basket of yarn as beautiful as that photo on the cover is a delight to a knitter!

I love many of the photos and stories. There are stories of how some of our more famous knitters got started knitting, such as Elizabeth Zimmerman, Meg Swanson (no secret how or why she started to knit), Melanie Fralick, etc. There are also some photos of old knitting books and ads.



I was born in 1940, so the hair dos, cloths and runners (we would have called them sneakers) in this photo bring back so many memories. I would sit on our front verandah with my grandmother and knit in summer. In fact, I can remember wearing overalls with a ruffle on the straps just like the girl in front. I can also remember wearing a puffed sleeve blouse with a ruffle on the collar - was that me - NO, just someone very like me!


This photo intrigued me, as I had never seen a shearing 'machine' like this, but then I did not grow up where sheep were raised. Can you imagine the arm strength of both those men in the photo. I would think that it would be much more quiet than the electric shearer! The one man turned the device that gave 'power' to the clippers! Clever I think.

It was interesting to have people comment about knowing someone with one eye that was two colours. My second cousin, when he was young, had a blue eye and a brown eye, but when I saw him a few years ago and he was about 60, both eyes were a dark blue! My two-coloured eye is considered a birth mark!

I will add a few more photos from the book in my blog later. I also bought the 12-month knitters' calendar at Winners for a good price. It is wrapped and ready for my Christmas stocking. Santa has a beautiful garden book under wraps for me too.When you get older, if Santa does not bring you what you want, you have no one to blame but yourself. I am planning to have Santa bring me some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in a beautiful red to knit Bristow I joined both the Debbie Bliss KAL and the Red Sweater KAL - you know killing two birds with one stone - I do NOT kill birds, but I do feed them. The other sweater that caught my eye was Cropped Cabled Cardigan known as C3. Isn't it odd how you can look at these things in a group, but when someone singles them out on a blog, you take another look at them and wonder why you were not taken in by that particular pattern before.

Well, I must get back to my sleeves for the mauve/purple sweater. I hear knitters talk about 'sleeve island' and I hope a ship comes sailing over the horizon soon. I prefer doing the two sleeves together, but when you have all the increases for both sleeves, you have a bit of a slog ahead! I have a good book on my MP3 player, so I am off to knit and listen!

7 Comments:

Blogger Marianne said...

Peg, I love those old photos, seriously, those 'fashions' are so endearing to me...That book looks to be a real beauty. I do believe I'll keep an eye out for that one. I love your Santa, btw.
I still call them sneakers! Much more fun than 'runners' or 'tennis shoes' don't you think?

3:08 PM  
Blogger Shelley L. MacKenzie said...

That book looks and sounds so interesting!

7:05 PM  
Blogger CelticCastOn said...

ohhhh I'll have to look at winners here, I'd liek to have that book, and the calendar too.
I love seeing olden days pics like that. so interesting!

7:39 PM  
Blogger LaurieM said...

I do take a peek at the books when I'm in Winners but I've never has such luck as you. Nice find!

4:32 AM  
Blogger Susanne said...

I will have a look at the Winner's here and see if that book is in the bin...loooks marvelous!!
My oldest DD has blue eyes with a brown "pie piece" in one eye! We consider that her birth mark as well.
btw, your links you put in your blog don't seem to work..I would love see that "C3" sweater..

7:08 AM  
Blogger Charity said...

Peg, that looks like a wonderful find you made at Winners! What book are you listening to? :0)

10:09 AM  
Blogger Jan said...

Thanks for the info on those KAL's. I love Debbie Bliss and red is my favorite color. Sound like your all set with your knitting and books to settle in for a nice cozy winter!

8:08 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting