Audrey's Teashop

My cousin posted this as his Facebook status this morning. My cousin, who was climbing pretty much before he could walk and has spent as much of his life as possible outdoors doing bold, crazy action man stuff. He lives in Australia now, working as a tree surgeon (e.g. climbing for a living) and surfing. When someone asked him what his answer to this question would be, he answered ‘I’m doing it’.

Oh, would that I was that brave! Because obviously, seeing that question, I had to admit to myself once again that it’s really being afraid that keeps me in my regular pay cheque work. It’s not that I don’t love teaching. I am passionate about education. It’s a privilege and a thrill and an inspiration to have such an important role in a young person’s development, even if it’s only for one year out of their young lives. It’s what keeps me going when the marking piles up and Education Ministers seem hell bent on destroying all that is good in our schools in pursuit of their misty-eyed, wrong-headed nostalgic vision of what ‘proper teaching’ should be.

However. If I were to win the lottery or, heaven forfend, find that I had some life-shortening illness, I don’t think I’d be a teacher anymore. The satisfaction I get from designing (the pic shows the first finished sample for an outrageously exciting project I’m working on at the moment) outstrips all but the very best days of teaching and if I could find a way, I would do it all day and every day. The only reason I don’t is- I’m afraid. I’m afraid that the amount of money I could realistically make would not be enough of a contribution to our family income. It’s not that we live a lavish lifestyle, but these days even a modest lifestyle takes some considerable funding. Unlike my cousin, who is as yet unencumbered by a spouse and children, decisions I make have a direct effect- financially and otherwise- on others. I worry- what if I don’t have enough of a pension when I’m old? What if we can’t pay the mortgage? What if the children want to go to Uni?

On the other hand…what about the value of having a mother who was working outside of the home less (I am part time, but still have to use childcare facilities for several days a week) for my children? The value of having a mother (or a wife, in my husband’s case) who was creatively fulfilled? Who didn’t have to banish everyone from her presence for large chunks of her so-called ‘free time’ so that she could mark and plan and ponder over results?

Thinking about it, maybe the reason my cousin can be so unafraid of living as he does is because the other option- working the 9-5, sitting at a desk- would be even more scary, like being a bird in a cage.  And maybe one day, if I get a few pattern successes under my belt, learn a little more about what makes money and what doesn’t in this world I’m learning the ropes of, maybe then I’ll stop being afraid of those other ‘What if…’s and be more afraid of ‘What if I never get to enjoy getting all these ideas out of my head and into the world?‘

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Mums are brilliant. You don’t need me to tell you that, but I offer this post today as proof of just how super-brilliant my mum is. I should say as a background that my own crafting ways owe a lot to the ready availability of scrap material, threads and a sewing machine at home, not to mention the example of Mum making clothes and soft furnishing for us as we grew up. Add to that the knitting expertise of my Grandma, who patiently taught my best friend and I to knit when we were about seven, and you see how I ended up where I am today. Both of these fabulous women continue to create for the family today- Grandma keeps my daughter in hats and cardigans (when knitting designer mummy is too busy with commissions) while my Mum’s remit takes in curtains, party dresses, the skirt of my wedding dress, several beautiful patchwork quilts, school bags- you name it really. She’s also a dab hand at remaking clothes, as I discovered to my delight this week.

I found this skirt languishing in the bargain box at a vintage fair in Morecambe several months ago. I think it was about a fiver, hence I took a punt on it despite the fact I knew it was going to take a bit of adjusting work. The labels will tell you why- it’s pure wool and it’s Jaegar. In its original form it had a slightly A-line shape, falling to just below the knee. The front and back waistline came down in a v-shape at the front and back and fastened at the side with a set-in zip and button. Big patch pockets were set over the seams on either side. A little bit classic, even school-uniformy, I could see it being a really useful garment. With the label reading size 12, so in theory it should only have needed the hem taking up to a more flattering length.

In theory. The thing is, a size 12 back whenever this skirt was made (I’m not sure of the era to be honest) meant a 26″ waist. 26 “!! I think only surgery could get my waist down to that size these days, but wearability was tantalisingly close. I couldn’t do the button up, but the zip was fine over my hips. I did the only thing I could think of- tossed the skirt into my workbasket and waited until Mum came to stay.

Thankfully, she didn’t tell me I was daft to buy something that didn’t fit. She could see how the quality of the fabric had attracted me, later commenting on how the close weave of the wool made it great to work with. She also noticed that it must have been much loved and altered before- someone had even spent the time oversewing the hem edge by hand where we’d spend 5 minutes machining zig-zag stitch these days.

Before I knew it, Mum had unpicked the waistband across the back. By losing the gathers around the back v-shape, she freed up more width at the top. Knowing that I wanted to shorten it anyway, she lopped a good few inches from the hem and used the extra fabric to make extending sections for the waistband. The v-shaped waistband section from the back was returned to where it came from, then the new sections joined the gap between this and the front waistband. This meant the button and zip could stay in place and the only difference is that the pockets and side seams are slightly further towards the front than they would have been.

With the hem measured and finished at my ideal not-quite-mini length (enough room to run around but not so short that you fear bending over) I’m now the proud owner/wearer of a remade, vintage, pure wool Jaegar skirt. I will get some proper pics of me wearing it at some point, but believe me, I am totally in love with it- classic colour and fabric, shortish, A-line and comfortable. Thanks Mum!

Snowball. I love this hat design. I like that  it has its roots in the vintage and retro knitting patterns I trawl the charity shops for. I like that its a little bit quirky, a little bit hipster street style, where my other published designs have been more mainstream due to the audience they were published for. At the same time I like that its got a certain 60′s glamour to it that was inspired by my favourite style icons. I like it because it represents my being brave and submitting an idea outside of the place I was known and supported (incidentally the support I got in publishing this design was brilliant and I don’t really know what I was scared of!)

The thing with designing, though, is that you can’t really tell what will fly and what won’t until it’s out there. And the response for Snowball since it launched as part of the Holla Knits Fall Accessories collection has been, well, muted is probably the kindest way to put it. Maybe it was because it was in that collection with other, utterly stunning designs- they really are stunning, check them out if you haven’t already. Maybe it’s just a bit too quirky and out there. Or maybe when it launched it just wasn’t quite chilly and drear enough for knitters to want to cosy themselves up in the super-insulating warmth of loop stitch. Now that the cold and drear weather is here, the marvellous Allyson (the genius behind Holla Knits) and I thought it was time Snowball had a relaunch. Yep, these pics are more than just an excuse for me to show off my Christmas holiday project Boreal- details are here on Ravelry, don’t you just love it though? I’m urging you to take a second look at Snowball and maybe give it a whirl!

As sometimes happens to all of us, I’ve a little too much on my plate at the moment. It’s kind of a case of too much of a good thing, as the vast majority of what I’ve got on is enjoyable, but the deadlines involved-stacked up behind each other as they are -mean there’s a danger of things becoming less pleasure, more chore.

With this in mind I’ve decided that, even though time is of the essence when it comes to the stuff that’s due for finishing, I need to grab a chance here and there for unchallenging, pleasurable, dare I say selfish projects?

This is one such project. The chance I snatched was just a few hours that constituted the drive to and from a christening we went to at the weekend- no good for any proper designer work, but fine for some simple knit and purl. The project was the hugely popular French Press felted slippers. They’re hugely popular for a reason- super quick to knit, easy to follow instructions and pretty good results (incidentally I thought French Press must be something exotic or vintage, but it’s just the US term for cafetiere!). Actually, you’d probably get really good results if you used the yarn recommended – I used Schachenmyer Wash + Filz it – and if you had a US style top-loader washing machine- I used the standard 40 degree cycle and eco-balls in our front-loader. My only issue with the result is that they turned out slightly large for my size 6.5-7 feet, and as I say, I don’t think this was the fault of the pattern, as felting is an unpredictable business.Felting is also a bit of a leap of faith. Even if you’ve done it before, you look at this floppy, oversized, misshapen object that you’ve knitted and wonder how on earth putting it through the wash is going to help when lighter fluid and a match seems to be the only answer. Sometimes you’re right, and it comes out after the felting process, less floppy and oversized but still misshapen and hopeless. Not this time, though. This time the magic worked and although they aren’t perfect (organic, I like to call it!) they are pretty in their own way and very warm. Now back to work…

Woohoo! It’s Holla Knits Blog Tour day! I’m very happy to be part of the tour and to be able to offer a fabulous giveaway, of which more further on in this post.  As I wrote about the collection in general on launch day, I thought that today it would be good to give a little more background on my contribution to the collection

I’m not 100% sure where the idea for this design came from. It’s likely that my habit for trawling charity shops for knitting patterns from the 50′s and 60′s had something to do with it. The ideas of loop stitch and bonnets then twirled around in my head with the current vogue for blogger/street style like this and the glamour of 60′s ski resorts and winter wear.

The result was this loop stitch bonnet, made in two pieces- a flat piece with shaping for the back, with a short seam to fit it at the back, then a long tube of stocking stitch to make the front and ties.  The first version, shown here, worked as I hoped it would, either tied under the chin (surprisingly flattering for the cheekbones I discovered!)…

…or worn loose with pom-poms flying.

However, hen it came to developing the pattern for the Holla Knits Fall 2012 Accessories Collection, I decided some adjustments were needed. The depth at the back of the original version had a tendency to look a bit ‘Little House on the Prairie’ when untied and a little bit like Marley’s Ghost from ‘A Christmas Carol’ when untied- not a look that everyone can carry off, especially if you don’t rock a big hair do.

The Holla Knits version is therefore a much neater, cuter affair. As you can see from the pattern shot, below, it suits long or short hair on the wearer and although it’s quite small, it gives great ear coverage (from the ties) and warmth (from the loop stitch- all those grannies making pramsuits knew what they were doing!). It’s quite bold and a wee bit ‘out there’ but I love it, and can’t wait to see how people work it in their own style.

Image copyright Sweatshop of Love

The search for the best way to do loop stitch, or fur stitch as it’s sometimes known, was another point of development for this pattern. While the basic method of making the loops by wrapping the yarn around your finger or thumb then knitting it into the base of the stitch is similar, I found a number of different techniques described in my vintage patterns, stitch dictionaries and online. Some wrapped forwards, some backwards. Some made a loop every other stitch on a row, others every stitch. Some needed a lot of tugging after completing the stitch to stop the loop loosening up and shrinking as I knitted on.

In the end, I found the technique I thought worked best to use for the pattern- which includes detailed written instructions for the stitch (road tested by Allyson when she made her version of the design, so we know they work for UK and American style knitters!) It’s also worth noting that there’s a nice clear tutorial on the Crazy Aunt Purl blog here , which is worth checking out as its one of those stitches where it’s a lot easier to see or do it than describe it.

One thing to note about loop stitch is that, with all those loops, it’s quite yarn hungry. Which is why it’s so great that the lovely people at Artesano UK have provided not one, but two sets of yarn for today’s giveaway prizes!

One lucky winner will receive a copy of the Snowball Pattern, along with three skeins of squishy, warm and subtly haloed Artesano Alpaca DK in the Cream colourway used for my original Holla Knits sample.

Another, equally lucky winner will receive a copy of the Snowball Pattern, along with three skeins of Artesano Alpaca DK in ‘Venezuela’, a sumptuous deep berry/wine colour that is so on-trend at the moment, it hurts.

To be in with a chance of winning, please share your thoughts on the Holla Knits Fall 2012 Accessories Collection in the comments section below. Two comments will be picked at random to each win one of the prizes described above. Comments will close and winners picked on 23rd October. Comments closed! Winners will be getting an email soon… Remember, if you aren’t lucky enough to win, the pattern is available to buy here.

Be sure to keep following the tour, because there are still more giveaways to come…

October 17: Gynx – pattern giveaway
October 18: Adaly Myles Place – pattern giveaway
October 19: Canary Knits – Subscriber exclusive yarn giveaway, pattern giveaway

October 22: Webs Yarn Store Blog - yarn giveaway
October 23: The Sweatshop of Love Hosts Homestead Heirlooms! – subscriber exclusive purse kit giveaway
October 24: Knitted Bliss – pattern giveaway
October 25: Stash, the Knit Picks Staff Blog
October 26: Holla Knits hosts Tara Shade! – Subscriber exclusive yarn giveaway, pattern giveaway

I am ancient enough to have been one of those little girls who attended parties and special occasions in handmade, proper party dresses. When I was very small, these included some beautiful smocked numbers made by my Grandma, then by the time I was at primary school I’d graduated to ankle length, empire lines in printed floral cottons (it was the early ’80s and the Laura Ashley influence was still strong). By the time I was nearing a double figures age, things had moved on and junior versions of grown-up’s ra-ra skirts and ski-pants were more standard wear for pre-tween partying.

These nostalgic musings are not so unconnected with knitting as you might think. The proper party dresses I mention were invariably accessorised (in my memory at least) with a fluffy white bolero style cardigan, along with white socks and sandals. The cardigans would have been hand-knits by my Grandmother or great aunt and usually passed from my older sister to me, then on to my younger sister.

There’s nothing like having children of your own to make the nostalgia-prone go into overdrive. It’s not that I’m trying to recreate my childhood wholesale for my daughter, but there are aspects I’d like her to share. Fortunately my mum has slightly more time on her hands these days to indulge her talent for sewing and quilting and needs very little encouragement to get stitching for her grandchildren. As a result, M’s birthday party was Liberty print, hand smocked (front and back, I’m amazed my mother didn’t go blind). For an upcoming wedding Mama came up trumps again, going all the way to London to source the perfect dusky rose coloured silk to make this traditional style party dress, complete with big bow at the back.

So what was M to wear with a short sleeved dress to an autumn wedding? Of course, it had to be a fluffy white cardigan. Trouble is, with the amount of work I’ve got on just now, between the avalanche of paperwork that accompanies a new term of teaching, a satisfyingly hefty pile of commissions, a couple of birthday presents and the grading course I mentioned here previously, designing and making a cardigan in under a week was an insane idea.

So I didn’t design it. I just made it. Not insane at all, ahem. I had just enough Artesano Alpaca DK to make a little number with the sort of fuzzy halo I remembered from my own party dress days. I chose the pattern Jane by Georgie Hallam, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s a simple, seamless, button-free number that I felt I had a fighting chance of getting through in the snatched late-night hours I’d have to put into it. Secondly, when I’d previously made her ever popular Milo I’d been really impressed by how clear and well-written her pattern was. Again, I thought that this would give me a fighting chance of getting through it, even when I was tired.

True to form, the pattern was a joy to work with- clear, easy to follow and so satisfying as the top-down design took shape. The moss stitch edging and eyelet band (which you can thread ribbon through) adds just the right amount of detail, and having taken the designer’s advice and decided which size to make according to M’s measurements, rather than her age, the fit is perfect. I’m really pleased with it, and can’t quite believe that I’ve got it finished and blocked in time for this weekend.

Even though I’m delighted with this one, however, I still suspect that one day (it will have to be soon as it will probably seem like no time before M gets past the party dress and cardigan stage) I will have to design my own version of the cardigan that exists as much in my memory as in the handful of old photos of a late seventies/early eighties childhood.

I love September and always have. I’ve never really lost that ‘brand new shoes and freshly sharpened pencils for the new term’ excitement and even after I left school I’ve always felt that the turning of the year from the excess of summer towards the cosiness and festivities of winter was the real start of a new year. Actual New Year I’ve always been able to take or leave.

Of course, these days, back to school actually means back to school as I’ve just started a new term of part-time teaching, with a classroom set up and running my way for the first time in years (I’ve done a lot of taking over from others, which has it’s challenges, but this time it’s my own domain, mwah-ha-ha!). In addition to this, my little boy has just started his first term at primary school, adding a new layer of complication to our busy little lives.

In case the flurry of name-tape sewing, packed lunch making and curriculum planning wasn’t enough to keep me occupied, I’ve also embarked on a bit of studying of my own. Having decided recently that I needed to add proper, sized sweater design to my repertoire, I signed up for the brilliant Rock & Purl’s online Grading Class. Given that I’ve got all the real-life school stuff and a slightly scary number of commissions (not that I’m complaining!) on the to-do list at the moment, I’m probably crazy. However, so far the quality of materials and support has been brilliant and I even get excited about getting homework- what can I say,  I always was a bit of a swot.

Enjoying every blessing of the recent days when the weather remembered it was summer, this yurt was our home for the past week, courtesy of Secret Cloud House Holidays. While there were admittedly some challenges (anyone tried to get small children to sleep before ten at night when the light is still streaming through the canvas walls?), we nonetheless had a wonderful time, cooking food on barbecue or woodburner like this:

In addition to exploring the nearby Peak District, there was more than a little of this:

Those of a tender disposition please excuse the rather exposing, not to mention unflattering angle! But you get the picture. While I had daylight (solar powered fairy lights and headtorches do not make for happy knitting, so it was early nights and early starts) this was very much a knit-working holiday.

My main intention for the week was a whole heap of swatching, using the little pile of loveliness above, which included two weights of Fyberpates Scrumptious and three shades of Eden Cottage Bowland DK. Here’s the resulting stack of idea-sparkers:

As you can see, I’m in a very textured place just now. This in itself isn’t unusual, but lace rather than cabling or knit/purl based patterns is less familiar territory for me. I particularly like the way lace patterns show off the lustre of silk blend yarns like the Scrumptious, and while some silk yarns set my teeth on edge, I love both the feel and look of this and Manos Silk Blend.

Also on my ‘to-do’ list was a whole heap of sketching for submissions- it’s funny to be dreaming up ideas for what people might want to make in January and February when your sketchbooks is sitting on your bare legs and the sun makes it almost too bright to work on white paper, but that’s just how it works. Another wintry job was finishing up my Holla Knits Accessories sample- which is all done bar the finishing touches. More on these soon.