Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Wednesday -Thursday

Way back when I worked in an Roading engineering office, in the mid 80's, we had a set of made up weekday names, Thursday-Friday, or Monday-Tuesday, or Wednesday-Thursday. When ever we had a short week at work, when there was a public holiday, usually on a Monday or Friday, the workflow seemed out of kilter. Having a Monday off work made Tuesday a bit like a Monday so it became Monday-Tuesday, and Wednesday a bit like a Thursday so Wednesday-Thursday. When working I try and blog in the weekend and on Wednesdays, this week I'm not working and my weekend post happened on Monday and my Wednesday post on Thursday - hence the Wednesday-Thursday of the title. I've been busy - in a good way, comfortably working away at the things that I need to do and the things that I want to do, and even at some things that other people want me to do. I'm enjoying this not being at work, at 8:45 I find myself able to do things rather than preparing for a day at work. Oh I'm not planning to leave work but I am enjoying not having my days ruled by a 8:30-4ish timetable, and not being ruled by the cubs school day of 9-3.


Today there is progress on Toad, the sleeves seemed to have come out well, I've entered three proposals for Handmade 2012 (from beginner to advanced knitting), there is a very full tucked and gathered petticoat to puff out younger cubs dress, I've prepared next years diary, and Bubble socks grow(but no new photos of that today).
Oh and news - heads up keep 9, 10 and 11th of March 2012 flagged in your diary. There is to be a knitting retreat in Dunedin - code named Unwind, more once details are finalized.

So Toad, which is so named because that is what we have always called older cub when his behavior drives us to distraction - as in he is a being a bit of a Toad. Toad now has the beginnings of sleeves, and after two or three partial frogs I'm happy with these and have started on the body.
Most of the shaping in the sleeve cap is at the top, with almost not shaping for the second half of the armscye.





This is one of my all time knitting inspirations, the last page in a Mon Tricot 1800 Patterns, Knitting Encyclopedia. I bought it some 18 or so years ago when I knew how to knit and followed published patterns that I bought at the yarn shop or found in knitting or craft magazines. At that stage my knitting was quite conventional, knit flat and seamed as I had been taught and as most of the patterns encouraged one to knit. I was working early mornings in newsagents and heading off at 9 to study at Uni. This book came in amongst the magazines and I was fascinated by it. Partly because it was a book of knitting stitch patterns not garment patterns and this was the first time I was introduced to a library of stitch patterns. But I admit it was a little series of diagrams on the last page that hinted at other ways to knit garments that really caught my imagination. At the time I was studying for a Clothing degree and learning about construction and pattern-making and was curious about what the last page showed. Ever since then I've continued to be curious about the simplicity of the method that page illustrates, the neckband, the shoulder strap and the simple construction in the round. My first few sweaters for Toad as a baby were knit this way and I felt so brave starting without a pattern and mastering knitting on dpns. Of course I'm not convinced that this is by any means the True Aran Knit Technique, just one way of many, and I understand the myth of the Aran sweater is questionable - but I'm still inspired by the last page in a book I acquired 18+ years ago and it really did spark my knit journey.


Bookbinding, I love this, not as portable as knitting but very satisfying. And look I can make books that look like books that shops sell! The orange bound book is the diary I have made for next year, using DIY Dayplanner software, Nice fountain pen friendly paper, card and gifted end-papers (thank you Karen). Because I made it and I'm impatient - this diary starts with October of this year and continues right thru to March of 2013. I've found that I need a few months overlap at the beginning and end of a diary to plan the next year, so this should work well. Next to it are two Copic bound books which open flat and are lovely to use, I like those but think I like my books with hard cased spines. Maybe Coptic for workbooks and notes and the hard spine for other uses?


Like this.This one took me a few tests to make it work neatly - but I think I understand the maths and measurements now and would make fewer mistakes next time.

Look I even worked an old fashioned index to mark the months! I have vague recollections of my dad doing this to some of my school books in Primary school but no idea why or which ones.
Looks like one of Toads Best friends has arrived for a sleepover - so I'll go and make sure all the cubs are comfortable and lunch is sorted.

na Stella

1 comment:

Knitting Linguist said...

Ooh! I love your diary for next year - so much nicer than the store ones (and wonderful that it's made with fountain pen ink in mind)!