SPANGLED!!

Sequins, Spangles and Sparkle

It is of no surprise that sequins and sparkle are back on everything fashionable; clothes, purses, shoes and hair accessories that were all the rage in the fall and winter 2011 collections.

The House of Worth in the late 1800’s mentions that one of their dresses was embellished with gold spangles – dashes of gold on the fabric.

Okay, this is the 50^th Anniversary Barbie, but her dress does have Spangles! And 1886 Harper's Bazaar gives a description of how to clean and use real fish scales in handywork! (precusor to sequins...?)

In the 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalogue – trimming is offered:

Sorry, this picture will not turn around.

1914 illustrator Etienne Drian made a watercolour of a long hobble gown in “evening dress moon-blue sequined silk” Costumes Parisiens, 1914 (no picture)

In the October 1918 Modern Priscilla magazine a headpiece – shaped like a tiara has black jet spangles:

Below - sequin detail on the shoulders of a black velvet, ivory silk lined hooded cloak from the late 1920s.

1920’s Hat and Detail

1930’s long black dress with green sequins

1940’s beaded cardigan

Black beaded and sequined purse, lined, metal  zipper; hard to say which decade this is from.

1952 Norman Norell, an American, designed a strapless, body hugging gown with all over red sequins.
(no picture)

1963 Vogue cover with black and white top using large sequins in a swirl pattern by Geoffery Beene. (love the hair)

1960’s red silk dress with silver sequins

1972 Halston – mauve and white jersey sequined evening gown with light silk mauve silk chiffon scarf trailing from the back neckline to hem. Sequins form flame pattern from hem to waist. Sleeveless, fitted bodice that drapes from the hips. (no picture)

1980’s pink silk short dress with pearl drop beads and sequins

1990’s wedding dress bodice with beads and sequins

2011 December Elle Canada cover featured a sequined dress with many other dresses and purses in the issue.

We knit with sequins,

Gene, the doll, wears sequins,

   

And Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz wore the most Famous sequined accessory of all time….the Ruby Red Slippers!  ( you get the picture…)



Dear Angora,

I LOVE YOU!  I am sorry that ‘Brain’ waited 24 years before finding you and needing a reason to touch you again. Thank you Fate for intervening. Thank you glove knitting project for running out of merino/silk (actually Brain was not working on that design day). Brain then redeemed itself by thinking to find matching angora and add fingers…don’t ask.

Alpaca and Qiviut you are wonderful fibres too, but Angora, it has been way too long.

Love,
Fingers
(who hope that Brain will work harder and finish/design projects with Angora)

Angora through the years.  Touch is one thing a computer can not give…

Angora toque from late 1980s

Note the color picture in the middle; from a flyer today - white angora hat and scarf. See above right hand scraf from late 1940s or early 1950s knitting pattern book.

aahhh...

Sweater Panic

I don’t have a sweater on needles…not from this decade anyway, and I, I feel ...weird. How does that happen? I have at least four sweaters projects in my head, the yarn bought and I haven’t even started the gauge swatches, let alone the designs.

I list the projects in notebooks, in the ravelry queue, favorites, in my head; but until I go upstairs to the ‘loft’ and find the yarn, touch it and become inspired again, look through magazines and I don't start knitting.

What to start? The fair isle cardigan that I promised my niece two years ago and is six now? (I did buy a lot of yarn).

A cardigan for my Aunt who is nearing ninety years old…eek!

 My mother who has knitted all her life but nothing for herself since the 1950s and she is also in her eighties, a sweater 'top'.

A shrug for my hair stylist of 20 years and her bare shoulders make me cold just looking at her.

Or a vintage inspired item – not even an image yet in my head, for a successful business woman, my niece (sorry girls, husband side of the family!) A sister in-law who needs a hug...(husband's sister) and most likely will not be a sweater.

The fair isle cardigan is winning out. I have not designed or knitted color work for at least 15 years. Design decisions – am I going to steek the centre front – not for a six year old! I can only stretch the mind and fingers so far. But I do know how to chart a pattern...and I have not coloured for years!!

yes Vicki, there is a knitting fairy!

The alpaca teddy bear and rabbit have been found…..

It helps to organize, clean out the loft more than once a year. Okay, searching through piles of magazines, bags and boxes of yarn, many unfinished projects and drawers with doll parts!

They were knit from a Debbie Bliss pattern and one ply alpaca…before progressive lenses in glasses.

To go where no knitter wants to go….

I wanted longer socks! I had left over yarn and by the time my stout foot and leg filled out the socks, they were too short.

So I used a ‘technique’ called ‘cutting’ that I have used when ‘mending’ sweaters and needed the same yarn to make the patch.

I see knitting as fabric so it doesn’t bother me to cut it.

Heart stopping moments, but once you cut, you are the point of no return.

Keep picking, keep the faith and within an hour all stitches will be safely on the needles ready to be knitted.

Knit On!

Oh Henry!

What did you bring me today? The last pieces of your memories?

Upon further inspection...and a closer look, there are issues!

Not all things can be saved and choices must be made.



When there is hope, I will try; sometimes we just have let go….but I will save the Buttons!!

Out with the Vintage, In with the New!

20^th century stove, white coil burners, brown accents, condition fair to poor.

21^st century stove, stainless steel, ceramic burners under glass top, black accents, condition minty new!

Flooring, can I hope for new flooring in this century?!