Monday, June 04, 2007

Monday catch-up

Etsy Update

is live.




Go get 'em.

A nice little find

On Saturday morning, after an exciting Little League game, the Indifferent Outfielder and I went to our local library. Unbeknownst to us, it was the day of the semi-annual Book Sale.

Now, sending me to a library book sale is dangerous, certain to necessitate at least one trip to a MAC machine. I tried to exercise great restraint, and looked mostly for the kids. I scored with some princess-themed Little Golden Books and some transportation stuff for the twins. Elvis the Eldest found some back issues of National Geographic Kids (shut up, he is NOT a nerd) at ten cents an issue. My only personal score was this:



Isn't it the coolest? It's from the 1930s, according to the copyright page. The introduction immediately won my heart by stating:

Beauty in construction and originality are equally essential factors, and there is no more adaptable craft than hand-knitting for the introduction and display of these qualities.

Unfortunately, far too many knitters rely upon stereotyped directions and designs, and copy slavishly these printed directions. As there is so much difference between the work of one knitter and another, two garments knitted to the same instructions seldom come out to the same size. These stereotyped instructions, given in knitting books, do not always work out to the required measurements, and, what is more, leave no scope for originality.

[It is the author's aim to] enabl[e] all hand-knitters to make jumpers, cardigans, babies' woollies, etc., to their own measurements , and to their own designs, thereby converting the monotonous and parrot-wise method of knitting into a really creative art.
Peonies courtesy of my yard.

[Please don't send me nasty-grams telling me how you knit as a hobby and to relax and so you don't care if you ever design your own patterns. I understand that is true for many people. But even if you never design your own garment, learning about fit and how to tweak garments to the measurements of the individual who is going to wear it is a wonderful skill and will make your knitting less frustrating, and therefore, even more relaxing.]

21 comments:

Mona Schmidt said...

*snort* by the rate the yarn is flying off the etsy shelf, I don't think you need to encourage anyone to go get'em...

Mona Schmidt said...

Oh, and that book is priceless. That lady seems an intelligent knitter.

mindy said...

Mona's right on both counts- sounds like a fantastic book, what a lucky find!

Skeins were snatched out of shopping carts, it was a fiber feeding frenzy... (and who got (stole) the lovely blue, violet, grey? Bet it was Carol ;-) )

Bridget said...

Great book! The only things that ever seem to be on the "for sale" carts at my library branch are science fiction and former bestsellers. Makes me wonder if the library staff doesn't snatch the goodies before they even make it out to the public (not that I have ever done anything like that ...)

Carol said...

Alas, I got nuthin from the update. I was unusually waffling over colors (yes Mindy, I nearly went for that blue violet grey) when the yarn disappeared.

And I STILL call them MAC machines. Hard habit to break I guess.

Anonymous said...

In her day, Tillotson was a very important knitting personage. I believe that Richard Rutt mentions her in his HISTORY OF HANDKNITTING. Tillotson's book is a "collectible", and it looks like you scored a copy in excellent condition!

Anonymous said...

I like the photo of the book and your decoration of it, I love the citation from it and your final conclusion of the subject.

Can you please have some of your shop updates later in the day? it is quite frustrating to get to the computer in our morning (out west) and find all the goodies already in the sold section. Thank you.

Carol said...

Sure, Rachel. I tend to do them in the morning b/c my kids are all at school then, but next update I'll do sometime in the afternoon to level the time zone playing field. Thanks!!

Marlena said...

The phrase "Indifferent Outfielder" got me. At my nephew's last game, I overheard him talking to one of his teammates (who was trying to pay attention to the game) about outer space! Just one of the myriad reasons I love him.

Anonymous said...

But wait! I don't get up until noon because I work the night shift. So could you post the Etsy updates at exactly 12 noon so I don't miss any, either. It's only fair, don't you think?

And what about those people in the Fiji Islands?

Anonymous said...

Now, me, I'm just certain that you're against lefthanders (we prefer that term to the demeaning "lefties") as well.
I haven't figured out quite how yet, but I will...

Carol said...

Hey, now wait a minnit. My HUSBAND and my sainted Lithuanian mother are both left-handed. No antisouthpawism on my watch.

Anonymous said...

Well, yeah, so the fabulous and cute T is a gaucher.
You're a dexter.
You guys are all against us sinistras.

Unknown said...

Excuse me, Ms. Merrick, but I am tres gauche aussi. And I do use my left middle finger ever so well. Mwah!

Ann said...

What a great book! Book sales like that are my downfall. Oh, and yarn sales. Nice yarn!

Anonymous said...

Ha, ha! Knitting to relax. What a concept. I finally admitted to myself recently that knitting is just as stress inducing as anything else in my life. Why do I do it? Because I have something tangible, useful, and (maybe) beautiful at the end of a project. That's a lot more than I get out of the cycle of paperwork at work or cleaning the house!

Franklin said...

I would just like to say i think your photo of the book is very nicely lit and styled. Mwah!

Courtney Kelley said...

Love the "note" at the end!

Anonymous said...

I thought the parrot was dead. Or is it just pining for the fjordes?
I think "pining for the fjordes" would be a great name for some BB silk-wool laceweight.

Anonymous said...

Marjory Tillotson worked as a designer of things knitted for 50 years. She started as the designer for J and J Baldwin, the largest of the British yarn companies. She visited the US in 1912 and there may be signed patterns from that time in existence in attics here. Your book was first published in 1934 and was in print until the mid-60s. All this great info comes from Richard Rutt's book which was mentioned by an earlier commenter. As for me, I get the nicest feeling out of connecting with the knitting tradition--centuries of people turning heels and mumbling at gussets.

Nora Mackebee

Anonymous said...

WOW! And I'm a happy owner of a copy, too!
My son came over it in one of these stores for used books this summer, and immidiately thought of his (not knitting nerd) of a mum! Isn't he the cutest son ever? OK, one of two, to be more precise...