leftover reading

The end of last year was so busy I never got around to blogging about some crafty mags that came my way. Some purchased, some gifted, and all offering inspiration worthy of further contemplation. I pulled them out the other day to put into a little pile to take away on Craft Weekend for next week. I have no idea what else I'll be taking along, but it's always good to have some inspiration to hand.

Yarn Magazine A great Australian knitting etc mag- what it lacks in glamour photo shoots it makes up for with local content and inspiration. I picked up this issue partially for the argyle ideas, and I must say the current issue article on seamless knitting is quite appealing to collect.

Vogue Knitting for a bit of glamour inspiration in my knitting basket. Bizarrely this edition has a different cover from the one I've seen on the net before, but it still contains Jarred's richly textured mittens and some beautifully shaped garments.

Debbie Bliss Magazine (Premiere issue no less) for a bit more glamour. I wasn't so sure about the idea of a mag by a yarn producer, but I spotted some ideas and designs that I quite liked.

Stitch I thought this magazine looked like it might be up my alley after seeing the cover. Little did I know at the time that it was Martha's skirt. I have no idea where you can get this in Australia, but Martha kindly sent me one. Some great patterns and inspiration in there. Martha's column about her sketchbook is worth reading more than once, but has already inspired me to start sketching and doodling more often. Now I always carry my Moleskine with me to put down the ideas that wander through my head while I'm in transit or hugging a cuppa.

Hatching

It's amazing what craft events are popping up under your nose all the time. Craft Hatch Incubator Market, hosted by Craft Vic and the City Library, sounds exciting. If you're in Melbourne, might be worth a visit (The next one is on Valentine's Day), or perhaps even you might want to participate... Consider yourself enabled. (Thanks R for the tip off!)

Easier

More Danish Deluxe easy chairs like ours available on Ebay Australia here, including two 2 seaters and one easy chair. Bonus they haven't been left outside to weather for years, but they're not free either!

bloody *&%#@*^

It's funny how some projects run the full gammut of emotions. From satisfying highs, as you find the perfect marriage between yarn, pattern and your creative mood, to the frustrating lows of tangles, twists, dropped stitches and brainwaves, as you struggle to cast on (4 times so far and counting) the second sock. I can suddenly see why second sock syndrome is so common. Thankfully the first sock is so gorgeous I'm compelled to struggle on. After a bit of a rest.

Fur flies

As I sit here, late at night, uploading photos to Inkubook (decided it's a nicer way to get our favorite photos printed than taking a CD down to the photo lab) I thought I'd share some more knitting progress with the world.



More of Kate's fun bunnies. It's been a while since I knitted one of these and I am reminded again of what a fun and easy and quick pattern it is, and why I've made it for so many friends' babies. The first one (Mama size) positively flew off the needles and I pressed on immediately with a Baby sized one, to see whether I could squeeze two out of one ball. Probably not, so fingers crossed there is still some of this stuff left at Cleggs and I'll be able to knit the whole family.

Special K

We're currently deliberating fabric choices for the Easy Chairs.
While part of me would love to use a rich, felted Danish wool in a perfect shade of green (exactly which shade that is, I'm not sure), it wouldn't work in the room. Another part of me is keen on things with Eco-friendly tags, and this CO2 neutral fabric (composition includes 90% Ecowool) from Sustainable Living Fabrics may be just the thing for the chairs and our space.
Something with a bit of texture and colour variation, looks appropriate for the vintage of the chair, that works with our other furnishings. We're reserving judgement until we've finished the timber and can view them together, but at the moment I think that Option 1 might be just right.

ps- if you really like our chairs and want your own, you can pick up the wing-back version on Ebay here.

Cut and paste

I've been trying to find moments here and there to make myself at home in the new workroom (...studio/craftroom/study/bomb site... We're still deliberating what to call it). Aside from attempting to photograph winter knitwear in summer heat, there's been a little bit of sewing (More summer sleepsacks for C), which included discovering my new Favorite Sewing Tool: the humble glue stick. It felt quite naughty, glueing a zip in, but boy was it easy! I'll definitely be doing it again. Tutorial here by the talented Green Kitchen.

Grim Realities

1. It's hard to do a self photo shoot in fading light. Practice is required in cooler weather. Hourglass Ravelrized here (Am I correct in understanding that is the term?).

2. My body shape and size doesn't resemble that of the dress form I've been lusting after, having watched too many episodes of Project Runway (refer to the half form here). Nor does it resemble the ones that I don't lust after but which are apparently very useful if not so pretty (I exceed the adjustment capability of the two sizes- either too small on top, or to big in the middle and bottom) . In the interests of acquiring a dress form that is useful in making clothes for myself, rather than just looking nice, I'm considering duct tape options (see here, and here) and my husband has offered to help me make a plaster body cast. Hmmmmm.

3. Adorable, compliant, happy infants will turn into tantrum throwing, resistant, confused toddlers at some point. This can be hard on the parents and the little being concerned.

4. It's hard to relax and enjoy your new (as of last week) weekly Day To Yourself (a weekday when I'm not at my day job, and my son is in childcare) when your son now feels the need to cry bitterly when you leave him there (see 3, above), and some ingrained code of thinking makes you feel exceedingly guilty for having a day to yourself.

Going green

I seem to have a green knitwear thing going on at the moment.

1. Hourglass. Completed. Blocked. Worn (we've had some very un-summer-like moments here...) and awaiting another attempt at a photo shoot.
2. Sale. Bargain. Cashmere.
3. For and olive sweater for C
4. For a soft pale green cotton cardigan for C

I've given up to the darkness

I wandered into Clegs the other day at lunchtime, and was pleasantly surprised to discover they had a sale on. Plenty of bargain yarns and everything with 10% off (consider yourself enabled if you live in Melbourne). I emerged with some bargain yarns for a couple of cardigans or sweaters for C (he's growing so fast..) and a couple of balls of grey fuzziness to knit a few more of Kate's Bunnies for a few new babies.

Including this yarn that I like to think of as Mock Yarn of Satan. Kind of ironc being as I was inwardly laughing at a YoS beret I'd spotted walking down the street on the way there. I've always been very anti Yos, but this stuff (Orsetto by Filtes King) is the high class version. 96% Merino, deliciously soft, in a classic mottled grey.

Although it's near impossible to read your knitting (You can't see the stitches at all. Makes me wonder why YoS was so popular for beginner knitters a few years back..) Bunny is progressing well, including a few rows at S'n'B this afternoon. (Can't believe I finally made it to a meet. Neither could some of my fellow knitters.) and I'm contemplating going back to get more... (Especially after some Googling, which suggests the manufacturer may have gone out of business, so this is probably remainder stock.)

new surrounds, new sounds

The piano I grew up playing has finally made it's way to our home.

It's been in Melbourne for 5 or 6 years now, but has been staying with friends most of that time. Today it made it's way back across the river and into our seemingly palatial home, taking up residence near the front door (although we're going to have to do something about the heating vent it's perched next to).

C is delighted. His grandpa is a musician, so he knows what it is, although I must add that despite appearances, no he can't read music or play a duet, let alone anything other than a great many interesting notes.

sandpaper

After an afternoon with sandpaper in hand I now feel quite certain that I would prefer to be a painter than a carpenter. However, a nice bonus of the sanding process (a nice counterpoint to the exhaustion it brings) is that I now know intimately each and every subtle shape and curve. I love them all. We still need to do another day of sanding before we start the oil finishing process.

More pictures here

Thanks for all the suggestions re the origins. Indeed they are very similar to Fred Lowen's designs for FLER, but it appears that these were probably made in Melbourne by Danish Deluxe, another firm who were producing furniture like this in the 50's and 60's. Ed from Grandfather's Axe says he's restoring a matching pair which have added winged headrests.

Bit by bit

I don't have a stool yet for sitting at my lovely new workbenches (new to us anyway- the fantastic timber benchtops were salvaged from my parent's home), next to our new window, with the delightful south light.

But I did find a moment this afternoon to do a tiny little bit of crafting in there- hammering the snaps in on C's new sleeveless summer sleep sack.

It's the first of a few that I need to make, but had been stuffed into one cupboard or another for the last month or so, awaiting the minute it took me to finish it off. He's in bed sleeping in it now.

It seems like there are a mountain of other little things that are gradually getting done around here. Objects and special things emerging from hidey holes and finding their place in the new spaces. Final coats of paint being applied to the last little bits of skirtings and patched walls. Utensil rails hung in the kitchen. Storage boxes sorted. Carpet remnants being edged and turned into door mats. It's starting to feel like home, and that's a good feeling.

As luck would have it...

My hard drive decided to die yesterday just as I was about to upload and share with you the photos of our incredibly lucky find. Thankfully my tech support dude is also my live-in-lover and is also now known as the Master Furniture Finder after he spotted these on the side of the road near my parents' home.

I've spotted plenty of old, tired furniture on the side of the road in the past, but never something as beautiful as these. I keep on pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming, and that we actually do have this beautiful (but weathered) pair of chairs in our posession, and for free no less.

We'll be using my dad's fabulous workshop to do the initial restoration work in- disassembly and sanding and finishing the timber frame, before we look into options for replacing the seat and back straps, and the cushions.

The previous owners (who happened to pull into their driveway just as my parents were making off with the free goods on our behalf) said that they were originally very good quality, but had been put outside *gasp* because their lounge was too crowded. They were pleased to hear that they were off to a good home, and Mum promised to give them some photos of them once we've brought them back to life.

I just hope they don't see the error of their ways and decide they want them back...

ps- they're similar to this and this, but I'm keen to find out the original designer- if you do happen to know please let me know! Judging from the (excellent) quality of construction and shaping I'm guessing they are from Denmark, but we couldn't find any makers marks at all.

Sitting down

I'm currently daydreaming about chairs. Danish timber and upholstered easy chairs. It's an old obsession that's been rekindled by the fact that we need new chairs for the lounge.

I wish that money were no object, but such is life that I'm hoping that the pair that were spotted sitting on the side of the road near my parents' home will suffice. One can hope. I get to see and assess them tomorrow, but in the meantime I can't help pouring over my book of Danish Chairs and scouring the internet and dreaming.

Melbourne Great Dane
Knoll Risom Lounge Chairs
House of Copenhagen
Flickr Mid Century Modern Interiors group
Ebay
Matt Blatt "replicas"
Someone else's thrift store find