Meet the Girls

There have been a number of reasons why my blogging is somewhat erratic at the moment and hopefully these will gradually sort themselves out, however, a very positive reason why I didn't blog over the Easter holidays was the arrival of these four lovely ladies.

Gertie



Dolly



Peggy Sue



& Betty



They are 19 weeks old and in three days we have already had three eggs. They have settled in wonderfully and are completely captivating and have absorbed me totally over the long weekend taking my mind off more worrying matters. Dolly and Peggy Sue are like peas in a pod and follow each other round. Dolly actually has more black feathers in her tail than Peggy Sue so you can tell the difference. Gertie is the oldest and has already got her comb, but the other three aren't far behind. She's definately the boss but the others are getting more confident each day.

I will be back in a couple of days with a 1940s evening dress - finished, Two garments out of Stitch in Time - finished, Galliano sweater - sewing up in progress, Mary Quant original 1960s sweater dress - sewing up in progress.

Take care everyone,
speak very soon,
for now
Ruby xxx

A little post

I'm not very good at blogging when life is troublesome or getting me down as these things aren't what my blog is about, and when I am wrapped up in lots and lots of work and decisions and problems and stress, all of which depress me, I just find it impossible. Also, its not what I want to write about. My blog, for me, is about creativity and fashion and inspiration and I don't want to fill it with my depressed ramblings. So I'm not going to burden and bore you all with what life is throwing at us at the moment, but just apologise if service is occasionally interrupted for a while.

There are good things to talk about which I will work through over the next few weeks:

I'm are featured in April's Prima magazine talking about vintage clothes. There is a gorgeous full page photo of me and Charlie which I've asked for permission to use but haven't heard back yet. This is the photoshoot that was being done several weeks ago.
I can't get over how lovely the photo is. I normally hate any photo of me and far prefer to be taking them.

knitonthenet should be online this week and its looking fantastic. I'm getting more and more into 'fashion' (clothing, basically) photography and am learning how to use studio lighting a bit more with each session. I'm quite surprised how much I like studio work (I say studio, I mean the house extension) as I always thought I preferred natural shots, but I have found I like the control over the conditions that studio and lights give you.

The Celia gloves pattern will finally be ready and in this issue, along with two other of my designs.

The Galliano pattern is nearly finished. All the pieces are knitted (photos to follow soon). However, I am going to knit it again as we have had to basically rewrite the pattern. Another lady has also been knitting the sweater and I will compare our patterns and then write a final version. If anyone wants to have a go at this once I'm at that stage I'll prepare it as a proper pattern. It will still be a WIP I am sure and open to change and suggestions.

I will get the spats pattern written up and put on the blog once I come back from London. I will be working at the Stitch and Craft show in Olympia from Wednesday to Sunday next week so probably no blogging! There will be lots of friendly faces there. The lovely Theo is working on Sunday, my friends Larissa, Lazykate and Biggan will be popping in and the lovely Jane Waller will be there from Thursday through to Sunday too. It will be a hard working show but I'm looking forward to spending time with so many friends. Theo and I have lots of out of hours plans too, and hope to get to I Knit on the Thursday night. (If you are interested in coming to the Stitch and Craft show, there will be a draw on knitonthenet to win free tickets).

Speak very soon,

love Ruby xxx

Computer trouble

I can't think of anything witty to call this post. I have had such a lot of bother with my computer over the last few weeks, and since my last blog TEN whole days ago I've barely been able to use it. I have bitten the bullet and ordered a new MAC, which I hoped would be here on Friday but is now due tomorrow or Tuesday. I really can't wait. I spend so much time on this thing as we all do and there's nothing more frustrating than it wasting your time. However I've managed to get some photos processed of mine and Charlie's matching berets that we knitted together, from the latest Rowan Cocoon book. I knitted the green and Charlie the red - Charlie's modelling both as she looks so cool in berets.



wearing the beret at a 'jaunty' angle



the back view



giving her mother 'lip'



close up of the pattern

The pattern states one ball of Cocoon. You only just have enough. On the green one I've missed the last two rows of working straight out of the pattern to have enough left to cast off. Charlie just managed to get the full pattern out of hers. Other than that though, its a really enjoyable, quick to knit pattern. Great for presents.

On the same day I took photos of a couple of projects I was working on for the I Knit day. There will be two free patterns from me in the programme that's given away on the day. This is a little teaser from one of them.



Does anyone remember those halcyon days when Elle used to print a monthly knitting pattern? My friend Julie lent me this one that she found buried deep in her collection.



A John Galliano knitting pattern! Not only that but it is gorgeous. I am desperate to start knitting this but know that I can't yet. Its done in Jaeger Matchmaker 4ply, of which I have mountains. The body is knitted in one piece from front to back, folded in half and sewn up. The neck - inside of the cable cross over - is knitted by picking up stitches on both sides of the cross over. There is then also a placket and a seperate collar. The sleeves work so well too with the cross over cable at the bottom of the sleeve rather than at the top like the front.

Seeing Galliano's name on a knitting pattern reminded me of a Pinguoin booklet I used to have from the 1980's. It was called Pinguoin Creatures. There was more than one of these, but this particular edition had patterns from Jean Paul Gaultier, Azzedine Alaia and I think Anthony Price and Sonia Rykiel. Does anyone else remember this? Does anyone have a copy or know where a copy may exist? I would love to see it again. I might not even like the patterns anymore but it really saddens me that I lost it.

But at least I have my Galliano now.

for now
Ruby xxx