Vintage Retro Old Stuff

Or second-hand, as I like to call it. I have been suffering from eBay giddiness this weekend trying to purchase cheap wool for my mum's shoebox projects, and getting massively sidetracked by the number of delightful objets de tricoter. Although I will just say that just because it's second hand DOESN'T MAKE IT VINTAGE OR RETRO yes? So, amongst the many (and I mean many) Bakelite needles coming my way (unless someone outbids me on the one I meant to watch not bid for) I have received some delightful things:

Row and Stitch Counter

Look at it - gorgeous. By eck they don't make 'em like that anymore.

I don't know how I am going to attach it to a needle. But I don't care.

And it even comes with some delightful instructions on the back about how to use it.

Old Style Knitting Patterns

Here's the thing see - I wanted a cheap basic man's v neck pattern, so I got this job lot, and it was quite scary.

Lots of posing with pipes, binoculars (why?) and garden utensils all through the booklet.

Life must have been frightfully jolly, what. Glad I have got satellite tv though.

However there are exceptions in the book - look at this!

Beer AND a fag! Shoot him!

It's like a 1950s Pete Doherty.

And again with the pipe.

Nice.

Anyway enough of that malarkey. I'm off to try and fill the ANTM-sized hole in my Monday night telly viewing. I suppose I could always knit a Tyra...

Lonely Sock Seeks Similar For Long Term Partnership

Gosh. I have finally finished knitting a sock. On five tiny tiny needles. The Needles of Evil. Tiny. I need to get over that really. Were it not for the fact that the sock contains lovely lovely colours it would have been abandoned - as in incomplete - a while ago. I mean, a season and a half of Battlestar Galactica is a long time to spend on half a project when I could have easily watched the same whilst eating or knitting something that didn't hurt my fingers quite so much.

As it is the sock is abandoned, in the sense that it will be a long long time before I pick up the Tiny Needles of Doom again. Also I am not really sure I could make a compatible sock, i.e. one with a really bizarre ruched heel (not great at picking up stitches, me) and a slightly mutant foot.

However we all learn from our mistakes, and many a muckle makes a muckle, as Tyra would say. I shall recover my knitting mojo by working through my lovely new book 400 Knitting Stitches and making some lacy swatches. Oooh.

Welcome

Or should that be woolcome (no) to the wonderful world of yarn.

We like knitting. It is a Good Thing.