Monthly Archives: December 2008

08/12

new project: vintage floral tea cosy

I have been stalking Ebay for over a year, hoping for a particular tea service to come up for auction. It’s a Royal Albert design from the Art Deco period, called Foxglove. A few weeks ago a set, complete with teapot and teapot stand became available, which I was lucky enough to acquire.

It’s a delightful teaset, but the pot is in dire need of a tea cosy to match it. So, as a break from Christmas knitting, I’ve started one. The pattern I’m using is this one from the 1930s. I am using Dream in Color Smooshy, and I’m planning to make a variety of flowers for the top from a selection of Kidsilk Haze and Habu in my stash:

If you’re on Ravelry, check out Kgirlknits’s version – it’s fabulous and is what inspired me to use this pattern!

Pretty, no?

PS. I just wanted to say thank you for all your excellent podcast recommendations in the previous post! If you’re looking for some podcast-y inspiration, it’s worth having a look at the comments section.

can we talk about podcasts?

I love listening to podcasts. I listen to them on my way to work, whenever I manage a knitting lunch hour, and on my way home from work. On those days, I can get through three hours’ worth of podcasts. So what do I listen to? Well, some are my favourite radio programmes, from BBC Radio 4 or from American public radio. The others, of course, are knitting podcasts.

The main Radio 4 programmes to which I subscribe are: Thinking Allowed, In Our Time and A Point of View.

Thinking Allowed is a programme by sociologist Laurie Taylor that addresses issues from the perspective of social scientists. Which might sound rather dry, but is not at all. It’s fascinating.

In Our Time is a great show, in which forty-five minutes is devoted to just one subject, by experts in that field. It might be to do with science, history, philosophy or just about anything where there is a history of ideas to debate.

A Point of View is a ten-minute essay, written by a historian or social commentator, reflecting on some aspect of that week’s news. It’s always intelligent and interesting, and is always worth listening to.

I discovered the American programme This American Life fairly recently, and I am stunned by it almost every week. The show takes a theme, such as ‘music lessons’, or ‘home alone’, and tells rich, often quirky stories, sometimes simple, sometimes complex, from the lives of everyday people. Listen to it. Really.

A Prairie Home Companion is short, comforting and funny. I’ve loved Garrison Keillor for years, and when we lived in the States this was one of my favourite radio shows. He tells stories from his home town of Lake Wobegone, where ‘all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the kids are above average’. It’s dry, gentle and funny, and takes me back to our time in the US.

And now for the knitting podcasts…

I love Stash and Burn, as I feel very much on the same wavelength as Jenny and Nicole in terms of what they like to knit, but also their whole attitude to what they like. Their posts take the form of the kind of knitting conversation that I would love to have with my best friend – but as none of my friends knit, it’s not going to happen!

Sticks and String is a great podcast by Australian teacher and knitter David Reidy. His recent essay on choosing how to spend money on our hobby in a recession was excellent and thought-provoking.

Never Not Knitting: Alana is a relative newcomer to podcasting, although you wouldn’t know to listen to her. Her show is great, and the title song makes me laugh every time I hear it (the full version comes at the end of each show).

Sharon, of She-Knits, knits, designs knitted bags, podcasts and takes care of her family of seven children. She is very open about what’s going on in her life, and I look forward to hearing what she’s up to.

I’ve tried to find other knitting podcasts that I like, but so far these are the only ones to which I continually return. I was wondering whether you listen to podcasts too? If you do, what are your favourites? And if you make one yourself, please let me know! I’d love to listen!

A Tale of Two Stockings

I’ve finished one each of Will’s and Steve’s socks – yay! In the end I chose the Thuja sock pattern from Knitty, Winter 2005 for Will’s sock (on the left), using Rowan Pure Wool Aran. It was incredibly quick to make, just taking two evenings and two train commutes to complete. Steve’s sock is the Diagonal Cross-Rib pattern from Favourite Socks, made in Malabrigo Sock (yum!)

So, with one of Alex’s BMP Knucks also completed, that is half of my Christmas knitting done! I’m going to make the second of Steve’s socks next, as that is the most time-consuming item left, and then the other two things should be a breeze!

I still haven’t got it right with regard to taking photos during the hours of daylight; at the moment it’s dark when I get up, and dark when I get home from work. I think I need to be more organised and take lots of pictures at the weekends instead of as I go along during the week. These pictures were taken this evening, and for once it wasn’t the lack of light that was getting in my way: click here to see tonight’s obstruction!