After months of strict self-control, I appear to have let the genie out of the bottle and have been buying All The Things.
This is either because:
(1) I think I will give up my job and so will no longer have a personal disposable income, therefore I had better stock up NOW; or
(2) I think I will stay in my job and will therefore need to sew and knit more to
(a) appear presentable
(b) stay sane.
It’s probably (2)(b) (or not to be… that is the question?!)
Anyway – new things!
Sewing
I am besotted by the new Merchant and Mills Workbook.
It chimes perfectly with all my talk of uniforms and a psychological need for a simple, comfortable wardrobe which allows me to get dressed in the dark.
Of course, the longer I spend poring over its pages, the more likely it is that I will start with the trickiest project in the book, the Strides wide-legged trousers.
Or the fantastic 1980’s drama student meets Philip Larkin in the library coat – ooh yeah!
I am a bit shy of the Curlew dress. It describes itself as “sexy”.
Um… really?
But it planted the doubt in my head – that’s not a look I aspire to.
Good sense suggests I kick off with a Bantam Tank – if only because I think The Girl would like it too.
I have already bought Cali Faye’s basics.tank pattern in anticipation of a flurry of Girl-ish sewing, but there’s no harm in trying out two patterns, is there?
The Brumby Skirt from Megan Nielsen also awaits my attention. I purchased some lightweight denim and washed it mid-week, in preparation.
I have been buying quite a lot of fabric lately. Mostly denim and chambray, with a dash of cotton chino fabric. There was some lightweight wool before that. All excellent choices for my new patterns, though I might still “need” some lightweight cottons / linens for tops.
Knitting
My new Instagram account (I am theroobeedoo if you want to follow me) led me to a yarn purchase.
This is natural-dyed sockweight from Gregoria Fibers.
The blue/green is dyed using red cabbages, while the tweedy yarn is dyed using a mixture of onion skins and nuts.
Gorgeous!
FL cracked me up by sniffing the yarn to see if he could detect any “eau de legumes”. I can assure you there is not a soupcon of soup-fragrance!
I plan to knit a Swedish Spring Shawl using the cabbage-dyed skein.
Such a beautiful pattern!
Meantime, I cast on the Tailspin Shawl by Josh Ryks.
I have wanted to knit this ever since I saw early fragments of the design on Josh’s podcast.
I am using The Knitting Goddess yarn in Bigger on the Inside (black to navy variegated) with a set of Blackened Rainbow mini skeins for the kite stripes.
The yarn was bought with this project in mind, and has been squirrelled away, awaiting the right moment.
That time is now!
Although I have been buying new things, I have also been paying attention to what is already in my stash. Not least because I am currently in the midst of a moth epidemic – noooo!
I have been assassinating upwards of 20 of the beasts every evening in the bedroom and sitting room.
I have put down pheromone traps, with some success. But the old-fashioned “smash them over the head” approach is very therapeutic!
And yes, there is lavender everywhere.
And cedarwood balls.
Update on FL:
A few kind readers have extended “get well soon” wishes to FL, in the wake of his attack of shingles.
He has been very unwell and unhappy over the past few weeks. However, his back is beginning to heal, so we are hopeful that the pain will reduce soon.
He is having his dressings changed by a nurse at the GP surgery, so I have the reassurance that an “expert” is in charge of that now, after my early attempts at First Aid using Always (with wings, naturally)! LOL Poor FL!We get our laughs where we can around here!
Edited to say: I am clearly going senile – I already told you about that!