Sunday 15 May 2011

Forty years on...

Well this is just half a HandMade Monday, the other sock will be finished during the week.  I don't know if you have ever made socks before but there is a great feeling of satisfaction when you turn a heel or finish off toes with a spot of kitchener stitching.  These were made with Austerman wool with extra Aloe Vera which means my hands are feeling rather good right now and if you need a copy of the pattern you can find it on Ravelry
And now for some really exciting news, I heard from Sasha Kagan following my last blog and the great news is that she is bringing out a new book.  
" My new book “The Classic Collection” has just been published by GMC, this is my 7th pattern book and it takes an overview of my design career from 1969 to 2009 with 5 patterns from each decade. This book has been written to coincide with my retrospective exhibition “My Life in Textiles- 4 Decades of Hand knit Design” details of venues are on my websitewww.sashakagan.co.uk "


Not only is there a travelling exhibition this year but also a number of workshops and masterclasses, so do take a look at her website and more news of Sasha at the end of this blog.


So I wondered if I had a piece of knitting from each decade of  the last 40 years... and here they are... be warned they are not all pretty!



The first from the 1970s is an Aran Cardigan which I made when I was 11, I don't think it bears close inspection but I did make it all myself, which means every time my mum corrected it, I ripped it back to the point where I had gone wrong - I was a horrid child!



Next from the 1980s, we have a mohair and cable combo, I loved this jumper because of its construction, the bottom cream part is not cast off but sewn onto the cable panel.
Now we hit the 1990s, jumpers were cropped, even when you cabled them and this had such a snuggly neck line... but I somehow don't think my kidneys ever felt the benefit!
And finally into the 2000s, I loved this cardigan but I have never found the right buttons, butIi do still have a ball of wool left over to sew them on when they do appear!  Sometimes I think that this cardie should have been in blue rather than pink for the number of times I go the lace pattern wrong and swore at it.




Now, I have no ideas what the 2010s hold in store, but I do think that Sasha's Scotties may finally make it onto my needles (they are in the new book) but perhaps I will ask her for a suggestion.  That's right, Sasha Kagan has agreed to do an interview on my blog, so I thought I would ask if any of you have a question for her that I could include in the interview?  Pop the question into the comments and I will try to use as many as possible.


PS.  Look out for the cushion tutorial coming later this week :)

17 comments:

Wendy said...

Wow, you've got me thinking. Have I got a hand-crafted item to show for every decade of my life? I think a lot of mine have fallen by the wayside! I know I still have things from my childhood and teens, but not sure about later on!

I am in total awe of your sock making skills. Amazing.

Thanks for taking part in HM - it turned aout to be much more than half a Handmade Monday!!

Caroline Lovis (Redneedle) said...

I have just finished downloading the sock pattern - they're lovely, thanks for that link and now I'm just off to find out who Sasha Kagan is (excuse my ignorance). Love the aran cardigan and am very impressed that you made it aged 11. Caroline x

stylesofcooking said...

Love love love the sock. I couldnt imagine knitting socks as i can only follow a very basic pattern.
Cant believe you were only 11 on your first make it looks fantastic. Great to look back over the years.

cj- catmumdo said...

How great to be able to look back at your achievements! I think all I managed to knit at 11 was a scarf for a doll!!

Jan said...

I'm not a good knitter and admire anyone who is. The socks are great, my mum always knitted my dad's socks. I have loads of handmade / painted items going back to to my childhood so don't be surprised if I pinch your 'decade' idea for my blog at some point in the future.

Jan x

p.s.... I can't believe you were ever a horrid child. x

Carolee Crafts said...

I love the colours of the sock, right up my street. Aran always looks so complicated but effective would not have the patience to even start.

Unknown said...

The sock is great, I can't knit at all but it looks very complicated.
It's strange looking back through the fashions, and seeing how they come back. My daughters started wearing leg warmers a couple of years ago, never thought I would see them back.

Ali said...

What a great post and so lovely to look back. What a talented 11 year old you were!!

Ali x
Ali's Craft Studio

Unknown said...

Ooh, I love that sock! I think that jumper is amazing for an 11 year old! Really enjoyed reading this post :)

Mrs A. said...

Your cable knitting is a wow factor for an 11 yr old. I think at that stage I was into making lamshades and covering everything in sight with broken bits of tiles and grouting it. Mum will still have it all up in the loft I expect Hugs Mrs A.

Your Friend Susie said...

I don't knit, but my sister does (and she spins!) so I'm going to share this with her. Wow!

Helen said...

I don't have an item from every decade but i do wish i kept photos of things i made-i used to like making for other people. Fab idea and i'm most impressed with the aran cardie! My first project was a scarf for my gean and she always wore it. Wonder what happened to it!
Great blog, look forward to reading future installments :)

Helen said...

Ps meant to say that sock wool is gorgeous!

June said...

Beautiful patterns, love the 1980 mohair/combo jumper. I know what you mean about ripping out those stitches, because it wasn't your own work. Its a personal thing and I'm sure that's what's made your work so good today.

fatmonica said...

Love the sock-just my colours!What a treat seeing your makes over the years-fab!

Polly Polkadot said...

I love the idea of something from every decade. Have you looked at laughingyaffle sock yarns? I spend too much time window shopping there!

Pickle Lily said...

Wow - I love knitting, but I didn't do anything as wonderful as your jumper at 11! Haven't tried socks yet, worried they might be too addictive!
Jo x