Crafty Crafters

Last nights meeting was fun (as always!). Here are some pictures of the crafters getting crafty:


New member Afra brought along her sewing machine that she had bought on Marktplaats to get some advice on the tension and to help get the thing working (job done!).

Megan has only been knitting for 4 weeks but she's already buying yarn and knitting up to a good tension a nice blue scarf.


Donna working on a nice scarf in pink and blue stripes using a drop stitch pattern that she's 'mixing up' as she goes, freestyle scarfing!

Jose has some beautiful yarn that he bought in Scotland and is making a vertical stripped scarf and teaching himself the 'Intarsia' technique;

And Afra, once machine was seen to be working, picked up her needles and worked on her two-pin winter gloves for her boyfriend. Doubled yarn for extra Dutch winter warmth.

A gezellig evening as always, with biscuits, tea, bit of whisky as the night draws to a close.

Come join us!

2 new vintage patterns

Here are two new vintage patterns that I have bought to add to my collection. They are both from around 1940's - one is a fair isle sleeveless jumper and the other is a fun cowboy themed long sleeved jumpe! Which one to make first?

Men's lace scarf challenge

As you saw in my previous post I have finished a lace triangular scarf in a simple repeat pattern. This is for a friend's wife. But I love the look of lace and have got to wondering if there are lace scarf patterns for men out there. I searched through Ravelry and there are the regular wrap scarfs that are unisex but I'm talking about an open-work lace piece, something that is delicate, that could be worn by a man (namely me, as I have a really nice red 2ply lace yarn that I would like to use for myself).

So the challenge is to find a repeat pattern that could be made in to a rectangular scarf that would be considered "masculine" enough. I'm thinking at the moment of a 'drooping elm leaf' pattern or 'christmas trees' as shown in B. Walker's A Treasury of Knitting.

Let's see what happens...

Besides this idea I'm still working on Edgar. Having to adjust the arms to meet the tension of modern yarn, and the first sock is almost finished.

Keep knitting!!!

New Piece - Lace Shawl

Over the last couple of weeks I've been working on a triangular shawl project and here is the finished article. Knitted on UK9 (3.75mm) straight bamboo needles using Zitron Filigran Lace no.1 (which was from Schouten Handwerken, Hoorn):

Edgar: 2

So the back, left and right front of the cardigan are now complete (just all those ends still to sew in). I've begun working on the first arm. I'm having to adjust the pattern slightly to fit the yarn that I am using but I'm happy with how it is going at the moment.

It's beginning to get colder in Amsterdam now and this top will be perfect for winter, and especially Christmas with it's greens and reds!

I can't wait :D

Nanny's Buttons

I spent weekend with my family in England - got to see my nephew and have a play in the garden with him :-D Anyway... whilst I was there I thought I would ask my Mum for some buttons for the "Edgar" cardigan I am working on. I could just go and buy 6 buttons from the sewing shop but since I like vintage things (being raised in a family of antique restorers) I thought that some old, used buttons would age the cardigan nicely.

There was always a tin of buttons hanging when we were younger and I used to love looking at them - all those colours and forgotten clothes that they had come from - and it was also where old Scout and Girl Guide badges ended up too. Unfortunetly Mum had given her tin of buttons away (to a local knitting group), but she had a collection that belonged to my Nan Eva that they hadn't given away.

So out came the old tea tin, battered. Dad took the lid off, and we poured out the "gems" on to a tray. Wow! what a nice collection. A real mix of ages - from early 1930s-present. There was pearl buttons, and green glass buttons, and red plastic buttons. And I found 6 cream, cracked buttons that will work great on "Edgar" giving me the finish I desire.

I've taken some pictures for you to see the few that I brought home with me for future projects or just to keep in my sewing draw to make me think of my Nan. Enjoy!

Crafty Me

So next week, after a summer recess, my knitting (crafting) group starts up again - 14th September. We're based at the ABC Treehouse, Voetboogstraat, Amsterdam and meet every Tuesday 6-9pm. It's a great, informal evening. Friends and new people just turn up with a snack or a drink and we sit around with our projects and put the world to rights, may be listen to a bit of music (what ever is on my ipod - usually Bananarama or Peggy Lee).

We're always open to new members - experienced or novice alike. There is always someone willing to teach you their skill, whether that be knitting or crochet. We even have a box of spare yarn and needles so if you're not sure if its the right hobby for you you can try it out without spending a penny (or Euro cent).

I can't wait to get back to the group - the nights are drawing in, it's getting cooler - perfect knitting weather, and I love to see what others are making.

See you guys soon!