Sunday, February 10, 2008

What I found today

I collect Kaffe Fassett sweaters, and last Thursday I found this one in a charity shop, about a year after the last one.

This is Squares jacket from his Family Album with Zoe Hunt so it is not clear how much input Kaffe had to this, or any of the other patterns in the book. The cardigan is knitted precisely according to the pattern, except that the pattern on the fronts have been switched around, so that the colours of the half squares along the seam match. It is well knitted, but with slightly loose tension, and there are holes in the corners where the wool hasn't been wound around tightly. All the ends are securely fastened but not cut closely, so it will be easy to unravel. The wool (Rowan Botany 4 ply) is lovely, really soft, and the colours fantastic.

I knit blankets inspired by Kaffe's knitting, and it is my intention to unravel this eventually, and use the wool in the blankets. It helps that the lengths are short, although in this one they are on the extremely short side. I wondered when I read the book whether it would be a good idea to buy this pattern, but I had no hesitation when I actually saw it.

elsaxenia

Friday, February 08, 2008

Communist Kitsch


Today was my first day of volunteering at Opportunity for Animals, and scored this enamelled Mao Tse Tung cigarette lighter from one of the donation bags. I can see it forming the centrepiece of a collection.