new books

I just got more knitting books for my continually expanding collection. Both are good too. Luxury yarn one-skein wonders edited by Durant is full of great ideas which can easily be adapted. For example, there's a crocheted baby hat by Edie Eckman that calls to me for myself and all I need to do is use a heavier weight yarn and crochet until it fits. Also some really good looking scarves and some patterns for neck warmers which could also double as hats. My friend Bracha knit something that works like that. Pull it up and it's a sort of hat and down it's for the neck.
The other book is an old one edited by Jane Waller: The 30s family knitting book from 1981. I found it on ABE.UK as I don't think it was ever published in the US. I have a few of her other books so I knew pretty much what to expect and was not disappointed. She has reprinted the pages of old knitting magazines of the 30s and added a 2 page historical note and material showing what size needles and hooks and yarn to use with each pattern. There are some quirky ones here like a baby boy sunsuit in something called swimwool. But the men's patterns would be great for today as they are not complicated patterns but rely on nice stitchwork for their effect. The women's side has some great items too which could be knit as is. Others provide ideas for stitches to use in projects. There is a sweater called tuck-in which is meant to do just that so as to emphasize the waist. In fact the sweaters are all figure flattering and would be useful today as we are returning to that style. Also included are a few suits and dresses which I won't be doing. Another unusual item is a vest and panties set to be worn apparently as under clothing. The yarns are all mainly thin wools being mainly 4ply and dk weights. One nice pullover though all in angora. There are no arans but two calling for a little fairisle work. Two nice simple shawls, a lovely scarf. No hats. I'm waiting also for a new book she's bringing out in England later in the spring also similar to this and her others.

zigzag finished

I bought this yarn around 1997 or at least that's when I began to knit it. It's Ellen's half pint farm falkland merino. I paid $50 for 1350 yds in one hank at Stitches East (Valley Forge, Pa.). I met her there and liked t he ocean colorway. Now that I'm wearing it, it's really pleasant to wear. The pattern is my own based on a stitch from the second Barbara Walker treasury on p. 123 and called Zigzag ribbon stitch. She suggests it will be great for variegated yarn. I found the pattern pretty hard as I did it in the round. I did th e sleeves in plain st st or I never would have finished it in Dec. 2007.
I just got some wonderful news tonight. The biopsy on the strange thing on my leg (which was a burn scar from 1945) turns out to be ok even though 2 doctors thought it was probably cancer. I knew about it for maybe 15 years an d even have a letter from the Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minn to watch out for anything red on my leg. Well, it was pink so I just ignored it all those years. I am a very lucky person and feel like I've won t he lottery twice this past half year.
I also received my new mattresses tonight about 10 days earlier than I figured they'd arrive.