Vintage at Goodwood

August is turning into rather a crazy month for needing to be places. We're not having a holiday this year (again!) but the lovely people at Vintage at Goodwood have invited me along to take a vintage knitting class in the fashion workshop run by Oxfam at this weekend's extravaganza. Originally I was only going to go on the Sunday and run my workshop but with recent changes to my teaching calendar up in Scotland (as previously mentioned) I am able to travel down with Gavin and Charlie and spend three days camping in Sussex enjoying this wonderful festival of five decades of British Design. If the weather is good I hope to sit outside the tent and make some hand knitted buttons to demonstrate how quickly you can knit something useful! Then the dilemma of what to wear. Now this isn't your usual festival, there's going to be a lot of dressing up going on. So what on earth to wear? And what to pack! There's a great post over on retro chick's website giving some useful advice. I'm going to set my hair tightly tonight and hopefully it will get through four days, however there are hairdressers on site! So if I get desperate I might go and get my hair done by a vintage expert. I am definitely taking my favourite 50s original dress.

I'm wearing it here with one of the new designs from A Stitch in Time vol 2 from the 1950s section. Its a gorgeous bolero with this pretty harebell stitch up the sleeves and across the front yokes. I've knitted it in Biggan Design 4 ply wool and the colour is very close to that shown in the original pattern. There is a short sleeved sweater to wear under that will be getting knitted very soon.


Really, this is just an excuse to show photos of me with my lovely Charlie on the day of her 18th! On this photo you can see the detail on the sleeve more clearly.

I love this photo.

I am working on some very special knitting while I am away. My very good friends John and Juliet of John Arbon Textiles get married in 10 days and they have both requested a knitted garment as part of their wedding outfits. More will be revealed after the event but I'm particularly excited as both garments are being made from a new vintage inspired yarn that we have been working on called Excelana. It is pure wool from the Exmoor/blue face Leicester cross sheep, a rare breed that live on Exmoor in Devon. Initially there will be a 3 ply, a 4 ply and a double knit weight in each of 8 vintage colours that I have carefully selected. It is a wonderful, wonderful yarn, with an attractive halo and is surprisingly soft to the touch for a british breed. I love it and can't wait to tell you more about it over the next few weeks, but right now, I've got to go and get packing. I'm not quite sure how to fit 26 dresses, 60 jumpers and 8 pairs of shoes into a small bag so I might have to cut back slightly!

Here's hoping for no rain this weekend!
for now,
Ruby xxx