Special Things

Vintage tart tin, sunny pom pom, tiddly winks.

Vintage needle book with tapestry needles, leather needle, upholstery needle.

Vintage gift wrap & ribbon for baby

Spring Knitting

It would appear that I had fallen off the face of the earth, if the earth consisted only of the blogosphere. Instead, I've been busy & have not photographed any of this busyness. I must have photos to blog. It's the only way for me. Today I've got a few images, so blog!

The Lace Ribbon Scarf from Knitty Spring 2008 issue. This is a beautiful scarf when finished & blocked! It took me quite some time to find just the right pattern for this Jade Sapphire Silk & Cashmere loveliness. Unfortunately this is the dullest knit ever. Now the weather is getting warm, further demotivating me on this project.

Ditto the black Garter Yoke Cardigan which combines simple beauty & everyday wearability. It's almost complete with one sleeve & a bit of the second remaining to knit. The body went very quickly, the sleeves on two circular needles are tedious & slow. Here's what that project looks like:

There's not much to see here either, but for a long term carry around project I've been working on an Elizabeth Zimmerman Stonington Shawl. Two greens, doubled lace weight merino. The edging will be a solid green, one or the other of the two. I've completed about 50% of the center square. I need to figure out how to put progress bars on the sidebar of my blog!

One more WIP - I'm making a Forest Canopy Shawl with this new Auraucania Lonco Multy. I had to find out for myself why this pattern is so popular. Now I know; I memorized the pattern within the first set of eight rows. No chart needed until I reach the edging!

Last but most importantly, I'm doing a major destash. A considerable chunk of my stuff (vague quantity). But really.

Mid-Century Monday: California Pottery

Mid-Century Monday

Paul McCobb.

Mid-Century Monday

Beautiful color on a foggy day ~

Look! Click on individual pictures for larger view.




























I was casting about in my fog-surrounded home this morning, looking for something colorful. The most wonderful book jumped off the bookshelf; colorful & timely too; inspiration for my doll project! Each figure wears a colorful layered folk-costume. The costumes pictured are tremendously varied in pattern & style.

I can provide no information about this book other than its publication date of 1965. Although over half of the book is text, it is Russian. A quick check on my magic computer tells me that Russian is one of the world's most widely spoken languages, used in numerous countries including Chechnya, Ukraine, Serbia, Bulgaria, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan and Mongolia. Hmm (thoughtful absorption).

All of these potteries are dated & labeled, but alas they remain a mystery to me. And that's ok.

Mid-Century Monday

Palm Loom - Economical Home Rug Maker

Thrifted Treasure.

This is the sort of thrift store find that prompts me to audible exclamations of pleasure (TMI?)

I love tools, I love fiber arts, I love vintage things...& I love items made from 'the finest quality molded plastic'. I couldn't find an example of a rug made from the Palm Loom, but I'm sure they exist. I enjoy the tool, its direction sheet & its box, but I will not use it to make a rug. I'm not that dedicated.

Vintage Holiday Humor

Candolier by Noma & many other companies. Graphics on the box are more than half the fun ~

Electric candles; how very funny. The thrift stores near me used to have boxes of them every year. Now they are fewer & further between. Not that I need any more.

Blue flames, green flames, why not? It's the idea of a candle with an electrical cord that I find so funny. Is an electric candle safer than a wax candle? Not if it's got a cool vintage cord & plug. The cord winding down from the windowsill to the wall socket below - an odd aesthetic. I think I like it!

Sought after accessories include these 'halos' which attach to the candle right below the bulb. I've never seen them in colors before. Perhaps that's why this set is $50 firm.

Vintage Paper Crafts for Teachers

"The colorful world of paper is a realm both wonderful and wide. It is bounded only by the imagination, which is, at the same time, the only effective key to its treasures."

This book was published just a bit before my time; however, we did still have 'pants day' when I was in 3rd grade. When I was in 4th grade the designation 'Ms.' came to be.

For Sadie Lou's LolliShops -

A few frilly things for LolliShops - opening day November 15th

vintage Japan

New Homes Guide, Winter - Spring 1963

Cover Home -

'A detailed study of 72 plans you can buy...'

(however, there are detailed schematics included with dimensions for each room)

Dozens of great modern home plans.

Might this interest my bi-coastal friends?

Circa Ceramics

link

Crown Jewel of my vintage pattern collection...

From the Metropolitan Museum website regarding the Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress:

A climax to the American sportswear wrapping tradition came in the 1970s via the sensation of Von Furstenberg's wrap dress. Its fundamental form was already deeply embedded in the American designer sportswear tradition; a new woman designer translated the style into 1970s fabrics and colors, generally brighter, bolder, and more synthetic (and stretchy) than the early examples to which the silhouette and design principle are indebted.

Wrap dress, ca. 1975

Diane Von Furstenberg (American, born Brussels, 1946)

Green-and-white dotted cotton/rayon blend jersey

Gift of Richard Martin, 1997