Drop by and see what I'm working on at the moment!
it holds wool too!
A frantic late-night, last-minute bidding frenzy saw the the latest addition to my ‘wish-it-was-the-40s’ vintage knitting fest arriving on my doormat yesterday. It’s pink, it’s bakelite, it goes rather nicely with my vintage Lee Target Campanula wool.
I love it in a way that’s bordering on pointlessness (apart from the fact that it has a purpose and is actually extremely practical). The bottom screws off to put the wool in, and there’s a handy needle gauge incorporated. I’m thinking of petitioning Patons to re-make them in a range of colours, but then plastic just wouldn’t cut it in the way that bakelite does. Feels so solid and smooth and satisfying.
They were manufactured between 1930-1960, although I’m not geek enough to know if there are any ways of checking the dates through any design quirks (anyone out there got any more details?). They come in green, red, orange, cream and blue too … I feel a senseless collection coming on.
Watch out for that right hook
I know it’s a bit old hat to laugh patronisingly at kitsch and quirky images from yesteryear … but check out this kitsch and quirky vintage knitting pattern I just came across (laughs patronisingly).
Looks like a lot of thought went into setting up this mis en scene, so I’m trying to get imagine the storyboard meeting: man comes home from work, he’s been slogging at a dull 9-5 he hates. The boss hates him, the feeling’s mutual, he feels impotent and frustrated … but he’s got dreams, he’ll fight his way out of this somehow. He opens the door and finds a bunch of women in his living room - they are (from l to r) his sister-in-law, his sister and his wife. This irritates him even more - he’s out earning a dollar while they sit at home chatting and knitting. But wait, what’s this? Darn them all, they’re wearing HIS SWEATERS!
He threatens them with a right hook - they laugh coquettishly, they’ve seen it all before, he’ll never carry out his threat. But maybe he will this time, maybe this is just enough to push him over the edge …
Well, whatever the outcome, I figure the formidable lady on the far left would give as good as she gets so he’d better watch out.
