Saturday, March 26, 2011

New Wool From Scotland! It's Here!


I've gone mental on knitting. And today I wore my new cardigan and felt fabulous! My One True complimented me twice, once before I left to see my daughter and once when I got home! This is for a traditional style Fair Isle vest. I haven't finished the design yet, or choosing the patterns to use, but want it to be old fashioned, like this maybe, or any of these? I'm doing my own design.
So, the wool is from Jamieson's of Shetland... Which REMINDS me! I found some amazing old films to download from the National Library of Scotland, about the Shetland Islands in the 1930's. It makes my heart come close to breaking. They knit like mad people! So fast you'd think it was sped up, only I've just been reading about them.
And while I'm at it, my favourite books at the moment are:
Mary Thomas's Knitting Book
Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting
Traditional Fair Isle Knitting by Sheila McGregor
Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys, and Arans: Fishermen's Sweaters from the British Isles by Gladys Thompson
Michael Pearson's Traditional Knitting: Aran, Fair Isle, and Fisher Ganseys
and
Mary Thomas's Book of Knitting Patterns, which hasn't arrived but I know it will be good too.

Thses books talk about a time now past, where shepherds walked around knitting in the south of France and all over Scotland of course. They have old, old photo's of how fishermen always dressed... in a manner that would be guaranteed to make me swoon (I told the fella and he sees my point but doesn't want one). I mean really, properly swoon. With fringe benefits.
I love the history.
Crikey, I sound just like Ross! He gets into something and life as we knew it is over... it's 100% whatever it is. No other thought or activity invades the space! I think I compatmentalise my activities... I like to have a bag of something for the train, something for when that thing is too demanding and I need an easier something for the train. Something for the couch and something serious for the sewing room. Plus a book to read, and drawing book and maybe an audio book for walking or when knitting something easier for the train and don't need to think.
My bag for work is full of things to do while I'm not working.
Do you want to hear something funny? Recently at work, it was reported that potentially hazardous things were being brought into the lunch room... and it was (my) knitting needles! True! A report was written or threatened to ne written. My boss announced that he'd get OH&S (which is me, and he nodded at me while I sat in the lunch room doing my knitting in my break) to do an investigation. Which amounted to my going into his office and we collectively shaking our heads while smiling broadly. End of! As my freind would say.
Ha ha ha!

4 comments:

Erica Spinks said...

Do you like murder mystery novels, Robyne? I highly recommend the Jimmy Perez series by Anne Cleeves - they are set in the Shetland Islands! Lots and lots of local detail and a wonderful sense of place. It makes me want to go there immediately!

Inthesky said...

http://yellowpinkandsparkly.blogspot.com/2011/02/maggie-pattern.html I think you might like the above that I saw on Yellow pink and Sparkly blog. I think it would look beautiful in your colours. :)

Bobby La said...

Hey thanks guys, I get sick of crime, but might give them a go for the scenery! And THANKS a heap Inthesky! You're completely right and I love it! I'm having a go at a 2 ply version(Sparkley's is 8 ply) and have started working it out! You are a not just in the sky but are a star in the sky!
x

Inthesky said...

I am so glad you liked it, I knew you would. x