Classic Woolly Toppers Book Tour

“Why do you wear a hat?” What you really should be asking is “why are you not?” *

I have always worn hats even in the dark days of the 1980s, when as a teenager I was laughed at for doing so. When my daughter was born in 1992 I engulfed her wardrobe with hats, both for play and dressing up and for ‘real-time’ use. Throughout her teens, hats have been once more, a fashionable item, and she has been able to wear her many, many hats without being ridiculed. To quote my hero, Stephen Jones, “Hats are the important accessory. ..when worn with verve, they are often the raison d’etre of many an outfit”. I believe hats complete an outfit and create a frame to a face, adding something that isn’t there without it. Imagine Marlene Dietrich here in ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ (1957) without her trademark beret.

Or Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in ‘My Fair Lady’ going to the races without one of the most famous hats in fashion history.

If I was asked to name three of my favourite hat designers, I would undoubtedly choose Stephen Jones, Cecil Beaton (because of My Fair Lady) and Woolly Wormhead. Woolly is without doubt a milliner in the truest sense of the word using knit fabric as her medium of choice to represent her constant stream of ideas. Like Stephen Jones, Woolly has been inspired heavily by natural forms and architecture but for her latest collection, Classic Woolly Toppers, has delved into classic hat shapes and styles, re-interpreting them in her own inimitable way and updating them for the ‘modern’ knitter. I am truly inspired by the way Woolly has looked at established hat styles and found a way of putting her own unique stamp on these and creating a contemporary, forward-looking collection. 

Classic Woolly Toppers contains 10 fabulous hat designs perfect for all different face shapes and hair lengths. In fact, Woolly provides some very useful advice on picking the right hat. The patterns are clear and as always with Woolly, well written and carefully thought out. And to top all of that, my daughter the hat-wearer is on the front cover!

Copyright Woolly Wormhead

In this photo she is wearing the Camden Cap which shows how effectively Woolly has interpreted well-beloved hat shapes.

My favourite of the ten designs however is Ravine. 

Copyright Woolly Wormhead

Closely reflecting the cloche hats of the 1920s, this hat sculpts itself to the crown of the head and frames the eyes and mouth of the wearer. It instantly made me think of the helmets worn in Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis’ 

and also of these crocheted cloches from a ‘Woman and Home’ magazine from 1930. 

I really wanted to see how Woolly’s hat would look with a bit of vintage styling (and I wanted an excuse to make myself Ravine!) so I decided to knit the hat for myself. I used two balls of Excelana DK in Saharan Sand to go with my classic tweed coat and worked the hat exactly as specified for the fifth size in the pattern, which is for a 22 inch head circumference. I probably should have reduced the depth of the hat by about 4 rows to get an absolutely perfect fit but I wanted to see how my head shape compared with the pattern so I would know how to adjust in the future. If I had reduced the length by 4 rows I would actually have got the hat out of just ONE ball of Excelana DK. And here you have it. Ravine by Woolly Wormhead worn by yours truly! I'm still not used to seeing myself in photographs but I am really trying hard not to hate every single photo just because I'm it. However  I love my hat!

copyright Gavin Crawford

Copyright Gavin Crawford

It fits snuggly and naturally on the head. It frames the eyes exactly as it should. It feels and looks extremely stylish and is very, very warm. So does everything that a good hat should. Fabulous! And I added a brooch for a little vintage flourish.

So what better way to round off the blog tour than to offer a prize! For a chance to win a digital copy of Classic Woolly Toppers courtesy of Woolly Wormhead and two balls of Excelana DK in your colour of choice from Alabaster, Persian Grey, Cornflower Blue, French Rose, Ruby Red, Saharan Sand, Powdered Egg or Nile Green, just leave a comment telling me who is your favourite iconic hat wearer and why. They can be ‘real’ as in Marlene for example, or a character such as Holly Golightly. I’ll choose a winner at random on the 7th November. Please leave me an email address so that I can get in touch.

If you can’t wait to hear if you’ve won, you can purchase the book from Woolly’s website. The print edition is $16.99 and the digital edition is £9.

Good luck!

for now

Ruby xx 

* (from Hats an anthology, by Stephen Jones, Published by V&A Publishing)

Travels - Part Two

Only 24 hours after returning from Bournemouth I set off on my next journey. This time all the way to Shetland for Shetland Wool Week. it has been several years since I have travelled alone. Gavin and I, with working together, tend to travel together, so this long journey was a big and important one, proving to myself I was still able to travel alone. And of course I did, and enjoyed the journey very very much. I arrived in Shetland on Sunday 7th October and the action packed week that it was went by in a flash. So here are just a few images to remind me of the great time I had at Shetland Wool Week:

Jen Arnall Culliford teaching pattern writing using my Bubble Stitch Yoke

discussing my cardigan!

Working hard

learning to knit a hap with the lovely Gudrun

A tiny tiny hap in progress

Ella and Sandra, the lovely ladies of Jamieson and Smith

Native and natural organic Shetland wool

Beautiful Cockleshell scarf using organic Shetland wool

Kate Davies capturing this incredible black lace shawl by Sue Arthur on display at the Textile Museum

How to pick a prize winning fleece

A very handsome native Shetland white ram lamb

for now
Ruby xx

P.S. I'm afraid blogger has been very tempremental this evening so I've been brief as I have to admit to running out of patience with it!

Travels - Part One

Just over two weeks ago I journeyed down to Bournemouth on the South coast of England to conduct a hand knitted swimsuit experiment which was to be filmed by the BBC as part of a documentary they are making tentatively called Handmade Britain.

The experiment was to be conducted at Boscombe beach which is a truly beautiful typically british beach with a pier, crashing waves, white sand and beach huts. Perfect.

Boscombe/Bournemouth

Boscombe Pier

Beach Huts at Boscombe

To be able to conduct the experiment on the hand knitted swimsuit, I needed a kindly participant who would not only wear a handknit swimsuit but would be prepared to go for a dip in the chilly autumnal sea off Boscombe beach.

Amazingly, the wonderful Fleur, who some may remember, modelled for the first volume of A Stitch in Time, very kindly agreed to take part.

Fleur in Sun ray ribbing from A Stitch in Time Vol 1

I met up with Fleur at a cafe on Boscombe beach while we waited for the BBC. 

  

I wore my Princess Twinset and Crowning Glory beret all from Coronation Knits along with a vintage 1950s skirt and my Rocket Original  sandals in navy blue - all very nautical!

Later that afternoon the BBC arrived. The crew consisted of the Producer, the camera man, and Thea, the researcher, runner and production assistant.

And so, filming began. I was interviewed about hand knitted swimsuits of the 1930s and the purposes of my experiments.

I did feel a little rushed as I didn't get the opportunity to answer questions put to me more than once, but the crew were happy with my responses so I guess we shall see in the final edit!

I handed the swimsuit to Fleur and off she went to get changed ready for her dip in the sea. I'll go into the details of the experiment in a separate post as this also formed the basis of my lecture at Shetland Museum a few days later, but I wanted to see if in the right circumstances, with the right construction and fit, if a hand knitted swimsuit would actually behave itself. And on this occasion it did! Here are a few more photos of the day:

Fleur before going into the water

Off she goes!

being incredibly brave

getting wet!

speaks for itself!

Fleur and swimsuit still looking amazing

even the camera man got wet!

filming the filming

me trying to look serious

What the camera saw

 The swimsuit Fleur wore is "The Call of the Sea" also from A Stitch in Time Vol 1 and it performed marvellously. But more about the results and progress of the Swimsuit Experiment in the next couple of weeks.

The programme is apparently scheduled to be aired this coming Spring but when I know more I will of course let you know.

so for now,
Ruby xx

All images copyright Gavin Crawford 2012 except for A Stitch in Time image, copyright Susan Crawford 2008

Nicky Epstein's Book Winner

Phew, I've been rushing from one end of the British Isles to the other over the last couple of weeks and have lots and lots to share on the blog, but first of all, without further ado, the winner of Nicky Epstein's Knitted Circles book is Taloferia. Congratulations! I used a random number generator which picked comment number 8 as the winner. Taloferia had this to say about which era she feels is the golden age of knitting:

"Wow, the cover of that book is so beautiful!
Like others, my immediate answer, even before reading Nicky's, was 'now'. I could make an argument for other eras as well (particularly ones in which knitting was taught in school). But we have such access to materials, patterns, and tutorials now that I have to say this present time is a really great one to be a knitter."

It was fascinating to read all your responses to the question asked. I think we are very lucky to live in an age when not only has knitting found its way back out of the doldrums it found itself in not so very long ago but also that with the help of the internet we now have access to such a wealth of material, designs, inspiration, history and resources alongside a truly global community. Long may it continue!

Taloferia, I will check if you have left an email to be contacted on, and be in touch for your name and address so that the book can be despatched. If you didn't leave your email, could you email me at susan (at) susancrawfordvintage [dot] com with your details.

 I will be back very very soon,

but for now
Ruby xx

Nicky Epstein's Knitting in Circles blog tour

When I was asked recently to take part in the blog tour being organised for Nicky Epstein's latest book, I perused my book shelves and realised that even without this new publication, I own 7 of Nicky's books. This got me to wondering, why so many? And the reason I came up with is because her books are a wonderful combination of techniques, inspiration and awe inspiring design.  Which brings me neatly to her latest book "Knitting in Circles" published by Potter Craft.

 And this book is no exception, with 100 circular knitting patterns to experiment with, the inspiration to be gained from its pages is breath-taking. As with all of Nicky's books, all the techniques used are explained clearly and illustrated particularly well. Each circle pattern has both written and charted instructions backed up by added information explaining its construction. Nicky also provides lots of additional information on sizing, shaping, joining and much more.

So what exactly is knitting in circles. Its most obvious use is in circular shawls, however the circles can be constructed from the outer edge, from the centre out, as wedges worked backwards and forwards, sideways, even as spirals. Also known as circular medallion knitting, this particular type of knitting was extremely popular in both the 18th and 19th centuries when circular medallions were used as bonnet backs or linked together for bed spreads. Mary Thomas talks about medallion knitting at length in her Book of Knitting Patterns first published in 1943. I also found the pattern for a beautiful bedspread created by medallions in The Encyclopaedia of Needlework by Th de Dillmont, a much earlier publication. Montse Stanley and June Hemmons Hiatt both cover knitting circles in their books too. However, Nicky's book really explains what you are doing and why, so that you grow in knowledge as you work from the book.

And if you are not sure how to use these knitted circles, Nicky has also created a beautiful collection of patterns all using circles. There are a wide range of projects in the book, but three in particular caught my eye.

The first, the Rotunda Cape is cleverly formed from one huge circle and is constructed using short rows in a very similar way to my own Shrimpton Collarette which will finally be released as a single pattern next month!

The next project I particularly like is the Hoopla Bag. It has great make do and mend potential as odd balls of yarn can be used to make each circle. The way the bag is constructed also reminded me of a vintage pattern I had failed to reconstruct several years ago, and looking at Nicky's fantastically clear construction diagram, I can now see where I went wrong!

Another project I fell in love with is the Circle Sampler Afghan. I don't know if I would wear it myself but it is a remarkable garment.

The colour scheme, the shape and the drape have a real early 20th century feel to them. There are echos of Paul Poirot, Lanvin and Mme Vionette. I could see one of The House of Elliot girls curled up in this in their London flat, wearing it with coordinating silk pyjamas and a stunning pair of ear rings of course! I also love that you could so easily put your own stamp on this by changing the order of the circles or even completely changing which circle pattern you choose to knit.

So, how do you get a copy of this beautiful, inspirational book? It can be purchased via the GMC website OR you can enter my competition to win a copy. GMC have generously provided one copy to be won by one lucky reader. If you would like a chance to win, please leave a comment on the blog answering this question:

Which era do you feel deserves the title the 'golden age of knitting' and why?

To help you along, here is Nicky's own response to the same question:

Ours..right now!...It was the forties when the world noticed, Fairisle, Aran, Estonian knitting etc. People knitted for economic and functional reasons…Today we knit for pleasure, relaxation and to create fashionable designs that express our individual sense of style.

The closing date for entries will be midnight (UK) on Thursday 4th October and I will choose and announce one winner in a random draw on Friday 5th October. Please make sure you include your email address when you post your comment so that I can get in touch with you if you win.

To read more about Nicky's book and for more chances to win a copy do pop by the other blogs taking part in the tour, which are:

27th Sept – Knitting Institute  

1st Oct – Cut Out + Keep  

2nd Oct – Make and Craft  

3rd Oct – Black Cat Originals  

4th Oct – Jessica Biscoe  

5th Oct – Jo Simmonds  

8th Oct – Kate Heppell  

9th Oct – Alix Beech  

10th Oct – ConnieLene Johnston  

Good luck,
Ruby xx

Pumpkin Soup

I don't normally post recipes on the blog but earlier today I made Pumpkin, Sage and Parmesan soup for my lunch and was asked numerous times for the recipe, so it seems to make sense to pop it on the blog.

Copyright Susan Crawford 2012

What I really loved about this soup, other than how delicious it was, is that both the pumpkin and the sage are out of my garden. However a shop bought pumpkin will do the job just as well I am sure and its a great little recipe for using up the remains of a pumpkin thats been used as lantern at halloween!

So first of all the ingredients are:

The flesh of a medium pumpkin, chopped into cubes (mine was frozen pumpkin from last year's crop)
25g of unsalted butter
1 chopped white onion
1 chopped clove of garlic
Nutmeg
A good handful of freshly chopped sage leaves
800ml of vegetable stock (I use Marigold)
3 tablespoons double cream
Parmesan
Salt
Black Pepper

Begin by melting the butter in medium sized pan with a good heavy bottom. Add the onion and gently cook for about 5/10 mins, then add the garlic for a minute or so. Next add all of the chopped pumpkin, along with the sage and a healthy grating of nutmeg. (I like a lot of nutmeg but obviously that's down to personal taste, however I think pumpkin needs plenty of other flavours added to it so don't be nervous of the nutmeg or the sage). Finally add the vegetable stock. Now keeping the heat pretty low, cook until the pumpkin is 'pulpy' stirring occasionally - mine took about 20 minutes with the lid partly over the pan, but use your own judgement on this. Turn off the heat and either mash or preferably roughly blend the soup. I use a cheap little hand blender for this and it does the job in next to no time. Don't over blend as you don't want a completely smooth soup. Pour in the cream. When serving add a plentiful quantity of grated parmesan all over the surface of the soup so that it melts into the soup. Add salt and pepper as preferred (you can always add the seasoning during cooking, but I like to do it at the end so that everyone gets it seasoned as they like it).

Serve immediately. On this occasion I served it with garlic bread and it worked perfectly but any bread of your choosing will work just fine I would think.

And that is that. Two of us had a healthy bowlful each for lunch and I would say there's at least the same again for tomorrow so I would say serves 4 to 6 depending on how much you like it!

Hope some of you try it, that you enjoy it and that it makes you good!

for now
Ruby x

A cardigan for all shapes

This month has proven to be quite a traumatic one, with my mum and dad both suffering serious health scares and life once again having to adjust to accommodate the changing circumstances we find ourselves in. I don't want to dwell on these personal difficulties to be honest as how life chooses to unfold is quite frankly, completely out of my control, and I'm finding the best way of dealing with it is just to deal with each day as it unfolds.

Maybe these shifting circumstances though have made me think "what the hell" for example, when I have been reading a lot online about our perceptions of our own body image, and I realised how reluctant I have been to 'show' myself on my blog and that maybe it was time to face this issue head on. I am not as young or as slim as many of the very photogenic people who write blogs in either the knitting or the vintage worlds and therefore tend to avoid 'showing' myself very often on my blog, and certainly not in a 'what to wear' post, which is frankly, pathetic. So I'm coming out! I'm a little older and a little fatter than I would choose to be in an ideal scenario but on the whole, I like who I am and have no desire to be very much different so what am I scared of?

Why we criticise ourselves like this I really don't know. I am confident, articulate, educated etc., etc., yet I still go into freefall at the thought of going somewhere and having to get dressed for the occasion. I think for me it is because my clothes say so much about who I am. After being bullied at school for several years I found that expressing myself in what I wore gave me the confidence to enter a room full of strangers, to speak and to stand up for myself. As the years have passed, I no longer 'need' this help as much as I used to but just like putting on red lipstick makes me feel good, the right outfit gives me confidence. I have been a punk, a goth, a steam punk, a mod, a rockabilly, I have dressed head to toe in 40s or 50s clothes. Contrarily I have never been scared of standing out in what I wear. Yet I have to admit, maybe because of the bullying, other people's possible opinions and reactions still un-nerve me. Somehow though, clothes have helped me find a confidence that wasn't there when I was 16 or even 18 and for that I am very grateful.

I also have to think about what suits me a hell of a lot.  My shape is seriously hourglass - I measure 44-34-48. And even if those measurements each had 10 inches knocked off them I would still need to think about how best to dress to suit my shape.  So I believe the way to approach what I choose is thinking about shape rather than focusing on my size. If I wear clothes that suit my shape its just a question of them being the right fit for me.

I have been endeavouring therefore to knit more of the patterns from my books in my 'size' both so that I get to enjoy the garments myself but also so that I can model them for the blog - can't quite believe I'm saying that!

So the garment I have finished most recently is the Princess Twinset Cardigan from Coronation Knits. The Pattern is designed using Excelana 4ply pure wool and is shown in the book in both Cornflower Blue and Ruby Red. The pattern comes in 11 sizes from 30 to 50 inches (76 to 127 cm) and is designed to be worn with approximately 4 inches (10 cm) of positive ease at the bust.

from Coronation Knits - copyright Susan Crawford

I knitted it in Cornflower Blue Excelana 4ply as in the book and only made very minor tweeks to get the right fit for me. The cardigan is knitted in separate pieces with gradual increases worked on the side seams of the front and back pieces. These main body pieces end with a straight edge to allow for the saddle shoulder which is knitted on from the top of the sleeve heads. The front slopes of the cardigan are scooped quite wide to allow for the full pattern of the Princess Twinset Jumper to be seen when they are worn as a twinset.
 

I wanted a neat fit as opposed to a loose one, so followed the instructions for the 42 inch chest. I have a narrow back and even narrower shoulders so it always pays for me to go down a size. Often on shoulders I have to decrease stitches to a much smaller size to get the right width but with this cardigan having a saddle shoulder and set in sleeve the shoulder width was fine (more on the importance of shoulders soon).

Due to a bit of a tummy bump I decided to also knit the welt in the same needle size as the main body to make it a bit more of a relaxed fit more me around the middle. I also wanted to be able to wear the cardigan straight rather than pouched at the waist.

I have ridiculously short arms for my height so I also reduced the sleeve length so that the sleeves didn't start to get folds in them.

And finally when finishing off the garment I added extra press studs so that I didn't get any gaping.


I love how this cardigan looks. The back detail really creates a lovely shape and adds interest both to the finished garment and also to the knitting process. This clever little twisted stitch doesn't even require the use of a cable needle!

 The back detail is repeated on the turned back cuff and also one repeat of the pattern is worked around the fronts and back neck where the two ends are joined using three needle bind off. With the shortening of the sleeves I only used 9 balls rather than the 10 specified in the pattern. However if I had needed the sleeves any longer than 17 inches I would have broken into the 10th ball.

I teamed the cardigan with a dress I got from Cath Kidston last year or possibly the year before. The skirt has a really flattering cut with four vertical seams which really help how the skirt drapes and keeps its shape. This dress has been washed countless times and still looks as good as it did when I first got it.

I also managed to borrow my daughter's fab royal blue nail varnish which matches the cardigan exactly.

 However I did forget to put on my lipstick for which you must excuse me! In short it really is a cardigan fit for a princess and also for me! You can see all of the garments or purchase your own copy of Coronation Knits from my website and I'm now going to quickly publish this before I start doubting my judgement!

for now
Ruby xx