1.29.2010

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90 year old beauties

I absolutely adore this collection
of thread crochet booklets from 1917-19.
I just wish my fingers were nimble enough
to actual create some of these works of art.

Here are two photos from each publication,
the cover and one interior page.
Click on the images to see more details and
if you interested, I put many more
up in a set on Flickr.



 

  

  

  

 

  

 

  

  

  

  

 
  

  

  

  

  

 

Earlier this week I listed them as a lot on Etsy.
I hope someone out there has an appreciation for them,
either to follow the instructions for creating garments
and housewares or to use the images in their own artwork.

1.27.2010

Three makes a collection, right?


I added the beauty on the right
to the two I already had,
so I now officially have a collection
of vintage wool men's robes.

 
I love to wear them on cold winter nights
and Sunday mornings when I'm tempted
to stay in my jammies all day.

 
The official Lindsay tartan one is from Pendleton.
I bought it because Lindsay was the tartan
of my son's last bagpipe band.
I even brought it to Scotland last year
when they competed at the World's.

 
There is no tag in this one
so I think it was homemade,
with gorgeous French seams no less.


And here is my newest addition.
Tag says it is a Luxurobe, a tailored lounging robe.
A sewn-in label says it was owned by George B. Wingate.


George must have been an elbow-leaner.
There are cool suede patches on each sleeve.

Now all I need is a log cabin in the woods
with a roaring fire and a rustic peg rack
to hang them from when not being worn.

1.26.2010

In the shadows

I spent a few hours tonight sorting through older photos on my computer. I wanted to share them here and pulled out ones that fit the category of "shadow, light and reflection." I found so many, I need to separate them into a couple of posts. Here are the shadows and silhouettes.





 
















1.25.2010

Pure as the driven snow


Such an easy process with such great results!
Here are the bowls I crocheted then felted.
Or I should say, the washer felted.
I ran them through the washer (hot water with a few towels in the load
for more agitation)and dryer twice to get them to this state.


When I do it again, I will flip the bowls inside out
so the inside gets equally soft as the outside.


Looks like a snowman when they are stacked.
I wonder if I have any black wool to make it a top hat.




1.23.2010

Winter whites

Might as well embrace the color of the season
since we have so much snow on the ground.
Much of my crocheting of the past week has involved
creamy white yarn-- three different kinds.


Friends are visiting this weekend from Florida.
They moved down there four years ago and los
their northern blood already. And you can't find
warm head gear down there, so I made them some.

 
 She requested a cream-colored beanie cap which I embellished
with a bit of scalloped trim. For her seven-year-old daughter,
I made a headscarf in the same lambswool blend yarn.
Can't wait to see them on their heads --
and to see them for that matter.

 
I bought a huge cone of cotton yarn for making pot holders, etc,
but when I found the pattern for a little girl's hat
in my crochet-a-day calender made with the same type yarn,
I had to do it up. I now have usable directions
for making hats in double crochet!!!
I added the flower and leaf from other pattern books.


Aren't little felted bowls so sweet
for holding coins, jewelry, craft stuff
I bought this pretty blue one at a craft show.
I realized while making hats lately, crocheting bowls has to be
the same concept as crocheting in the round to make hats.


I combined the directions for an actual felted bowl
with the way I make caps and came up with these sweet
I bought in Scotland last August.

 
They are now in the washing doing the felting thing.
I'll share what they look like once they are blocked
and dried. I can't wait! Then I want to make more.

1.21.2010

Alice immortalized




Check out how artist Kimberly Kelly Santini
at Painting a Dog a Day has immortalized our Alice.
It is a birthday present to myself!