Art for Art's Sake

This post was supposed to appear last week, but my usually helpful immune system decided it needed a summer holiday on Tuesday and left me open to a lovely little virus. Many varied and interesting symptoms ensued, and I'm only just starting to feel human enough again to sit down and start typing.

An Exhibition
 After a staff meeting at work last Monday I decided to make the most of my train ticket and visit the new The Cult of Beauty exhibition at the V&A. I left feeling almost dizzy with inspiration and the urge to buy a peacock (visit the exhibition and you'll see why!), although a nice cup of tea and a sit down in their beautiful cafe room helped calm me down a little. I'd never been to an exhibition on my own before and it was really freeing to take as much time as I wanted to experience it. The exhibition focuses on Aestheticism, an artistic movement which involved creating art for art's sake; beauty has intrinsic value, they argued, no meaning required.

This is a really attractive idea for me, although my interpretation of it is rather less high-brow. I like to surround myself with beautiful things and I like being able to create beauty in my life. That's one of the biggest attractions of crafts (or should I say arts?) like knitting and sewing, I think. There's nothing like the rush of adding something beautiful to your life. We can't all be Rosetti or Leighton, but we can create a little beautiful something that gives us pleasure every time we wear it or look at it. And that's worthwhile in itself. So the next time someone asks why you would spend all that time making a pair of socks or a sweater when you can just go and buy one, you can tell them that you are adding a little beauty to the world, and that the Aesthetes would approve.

 
FO - The Jan Sweater

Speaking of sweaters, I have a finished object to show off. This is the Jan sweater, a sneak peek pattern from the soon-to-be-released A Stitch in Time Vol. 2. I raced through it in about two and a half weeks and I am so pleased with it. I had to sew up about an inch on each side of the neckline to stop it from falling off my shoulders (the pattern has the front  and back attached only by the sleeves) but I think it's really flattering.
The yarn is the gorgeous Tern by Quince & Co, which is a lovely merino/silk blend that's drapey, but not so much so that it immediately looses its shape. Having said that, I think the ribbing might benefit from some elastic sewn on the inside..

You can see more photos and stats here.


Next time I shall tell you all about a certain Crazy Colourwork What Were We Thinking Sockalong with the fabulous R, but for now I will leave you with a little exchange that occurred on my way home from the exhibition:

Mr Suitey Commutey: "May I ask what you're making?"
Moi: "A sock"
Mr SC: "Just the one?" *confused face*
Moi: *equally confused face* "...no. I've just finished one. This is the second."
Mr SC: "Good for you!"
Exeunt

You are too kind, Mr SC. Although I rather wish I had replied, straight faced, "Yes, Sir, just the one. The other leg's made of wood"

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OPI Nail Polish Review

I've heard a lot about OPI nail polishes on the internet and spent quite a bit of time ogling the beautiful range of vintage-esque reds they have, but never got around to buying any until discovering them at John Lewis yesterday. At £9.95, they are a fairly pricey nail polish for me but are absolutely worth it

Colour
So maybe I'm just a sucker for advertising but I adore the name of this colour. "Vodka and Caviar". How evocative is that? It brings to mind a romantic Russian-influenced dream land: silk evening gowns and luxurious fur capes amid frosty blankets of snow. Lovely. It's a nicely balanced blueish red; not too dark, not too bright, but just the right shade to introduce a touch of glamour into the everyday.

The Brush
I'm very picky about my nail polish brushes, and they often disappoint (I'm looking at you, Chanel...). OPI are extremely impressive in this area, however. The brush is my holy grail of polish brushes: wide and flat, making application easy even on my extremely short nails. I'm also a fan of the chunky brush handle which gives even greater control. There are some things I'm quite good at, but painting my nails with my left hand has never been one of them, so I need all the help I can get!

Drying and General Wear
The superficial drying time was good, but I found it took quite a long time to dry properly. This is only a real problem if, like me, you find it hard to sit and do nothing for a long time. Either way, if you're using this polish I would suggest setting aside a fair bit of time to do your nails. A good excuse to avoid doing housework, perhaps? It also seems to have worn well, although I haven't been that active. The real test will be whether it lasts while I'm working.

 Overall
A really wonderful vintage shade with the best brush in the world, as long as you don't mind waiting for a while for it to dry. Go ahead and unleash your inner vixen!


From Russia With Love by Opalrose

Colour Obsession

Every so often I become obsessed with a particular colour, or colour combination. This usually manifests itself through yarn. One minute I'm looking at my stash and it's 90% purple, the next I've acquired 10 skeins in varying shades of light blue  (without quite remembering how it got there - a dangerous situation that is no doubt responsible for the avalanche of yarn every time I open the cupboard door).

My current obsession, however, is grey and pink. It may be influenced by the weather, of course, which has indeed been rather grey and gloomy here. A kick of fuschia pink seems just the thing to liven it up.

Pink and Grey by Opalrose on Polyvore.com


I'm thinking a cowl with fairisle in grey and pink is just what I need to face this new season. After all, I may not be able to afford that gorgeous dusky pink coat - but at least I can knit!

J.

(You see that OPI nail polish? Well, after eyeing them up on the internet I discovered that John Lewis carries them! I bought "Vodka and Caviar" (fantastic name! will go well with my MAC Russian Red lipstick) today. Review coming soon!)

Beginning Again

*blows off the cobwebs* Well, hello there!
Guess what? I am done with University. Well, not officially at the moment, it's true. I still have to graduate, after all. But the last essay (or rather, the beast of a dissertation: female power and the courtly mistress in 16th century English poetry in case you're interested) has been handed in, the last exam has been sat, and the 7.5 million trees worth of notes have been stuffed in boxes for storage.
And it feels weird. Crazy weird. Shouldn't I be analysing something? Reading too much into something? Finding the phallic imagery in "The Cat Sat on the Mat"? Nope. Nothing to do now except knit, knit and be merry. Also knit.
Now, this knitting ad infinitum is all very well but I think I'm going to need a few goals to stop me from wasting time. Clearly everything must be turned into work!

1. Design a sweater from start to finish. Grade it for multiple sizes (this part has me quaking in my patent leather pumps)

2. Learn to sew. Properly. Begin with Amy Butler Birdie Sling, version 2.0. End by designing own dress.

3. Learn to cook things other than pasta bolognese. Also cupcakes.

4. Master colourwork. Definitely begin with fair isle.

5. Get designs written up. Publish online. Maybe even try submitting them somewhere...

6. Blog at least 3 times a week. Actually post on Ravelry forums once in a while. Establish online presence. Take over world.


Ok, now that they're all written out I'm thinking I might have been a wee bit ambitious. Time will tell. In the mean time! Just before I left halls for good, A and I had a bit of a photoshoot and so I shall close this post with one of my favourites. This is the beautiful Haruni shawl which I urge you all to go out and knit right away. Details can be found at my Ravelry page.

Sorry!

Very quick post to say that I haven't forgotten this little blog, it's just reaching the end of term so the work situation is a little...interesting. Essays all handed in on Friday so come the weekend I'll be able to focus on this poor neglected blog of mine. Promise!
See you then :)

Oopsie!

Talk about falling at the first hurdle! Terribly sorry, people. I have little to show for the past fornight, although 16th-17th was taken up by going to two Alice in Chains gigs which were incredible. Well, the second one was incredible at any rate. The 16th involved being crushed (and smothered: ew) by an extremely hairy, loud, obnoxious and TALL guy for an hour and half, which was less fun. The next day we got there early and so were at the very front and it was amazing. And I got a plectrum from Jerry, which was very cool. A got three but I'm happy with mine :) and who knows, maybe I'll get more on the 7th. Surely buying tickets to all three London shows demonstrates one's true fangirl obsession with Alice in Chains and  therefore earns one many plectrums?

Ok, I think it's time for some knitting talk don't you?

So, you know how in my last entry I was up on my high horse about how I didn't mind seaming and it was part of the tailored beauty of knitting and blah blah blah? Well...um...

This cardigan-to-be (Jen, from Precious, by Kim Hargreaves) has been like this for a while and I cant seem to bring myself to seam it. I have a couple of the raglan seams done, so it's not been entirely ignored. Still pretty shameful though, right? Of course, the problem isn't precisely the seaming; raglan sleeves are quite fun and easy, not a big problem. The issue is what comes after, i.e. the bit where I have to pick up 191 stitches for the neckband. I really don't like picking up stitches. At no other point in a project am I as likely to set it aside "for now" and begin the ignoring process. Even when knitting socks I dread finishing the heel flap because I know what comes next.

While this was lounging around (I'll try and finish it soon, promise) I needed something to take to knitting group that was fairly simple and that I didn't have to buy new yarn for. After a bit of stash diving and Ravelry queue-browsing I came up with this Noble Cowl pattern and some Manos Silk Blend that I had lying around. Readers, I present to you the first FO of the blog:

•  Pattern: A Noble Cowl, by Emily Kausalik
• Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend, roughly half a skein
  

I loved this project and I am so so pleased with it. It was one of those perfect moments when a yarn has decided what it wants to be and everything just...works. Plus it was a quick and short enough project that it was finished before the stitch pattern got boring, but was simple enough that I could knit it and talk to people/watch tv etc. without any problems. I would definitely make another one. The only thing I would say is that I kind of wish the lace pattern had been charted instead of written out but hey, the pattern is free, I could have charted it myself but was just lazy and as far as written instructons go it was pretty easy to visualise as I went along.

I have about half a skein left so I'm thinking about making a little pair of fingerless mitts to match. Cosy stuff!

As a final note to this post I want to show you how awesomely yesterday's pincurls attempt turned out! This was before the wind destroyed it, of course. I'd love to know how people stop that from happening.

I'm still very much at the experimental stage with pincurls. I did this one by splitting my hair down the centre, then splitting that into three layers. I curled  inch sections of the top layer counterclockwise, middle layer clockwise and bottom layer counterclockwise again. Then when I brushed it out I flipped the hair over to make a side parting, fiddling with the ends a bit to curl them under.

Incidentally, the lipstick I'm wearing is brand new Retro Matte in colour Ruby Woo by MAC, possibly the most expensive piece of makeup I've ever purchased. Twelve pounds is not to be sniffed at when you are a poor student. I'm not entirely sure if it's exactly the right colour for me, so the search for the perfect red will continue. I'm planning on writing a little review of it soon though, so stay tuned.

Sunday Book Review: Precious by Kim Hargreaves

(I'm hoping to make this a regular feature: I thought I'd start out with a knitting book review, but I'm a bookworm so I'll be talking about normal books too. I'm an English Lit student - it's what I do :))

Precious: Twenty One Designs, by Kim Hargreaves

There are some pattern books that don't require any work on the knitter's part to enjoy. They are the kind of books that can be “read” or at least visually feasted on, because you don't need to have made the items to appreciate the beauty of the styling and photography. Precious is one of these. Set in deep (and characteristically grey) English countryside, in a rustic, stone-walled house, the setting reminds us what autumn and winter knitting is all about: cosiness. Precious not only contains twenty-one patterns that are beautiful to look at, but also recreates the feeling of warm, soft garments that ask to be worn, rather than just displayed.

Precious primarily consists of garments rather than accessories. The majority are cardigans and sweaters for women, with a couple of jumpers for men, two hats and a wrap. The male garments are appealingly simple; beautiful as heavily cabled jumpers are, the pared down cables of “Ed” are far more likely to fit into my own male knitting recipient's wardrobe, without the mind-numbing acres of stockinette that can often accompany sweaters for men.

It is the garments for women that really shine in Precious, however. I have made, or am planning to make, nearly every single item in this book. In fact, I want to make many of them in multiple colours and no doubt some of them will be appearing on this blog in the near future. As is usually the case with pattern collections, some pieces might require a certain body type to look their best; for example, “Dusty” (a chunky cabled tunic/dress thing with an amazing wide collar) is beautiful but probably not going to work if you're a shortish girl like me. On a tall figure, however, it would look incredible with opaque tights and boots. Another pattern, “Effie”, is knit from Rowan's Kidsilk Haze and features delicate ruffles down the front: a look that might not suit large busts, but reminds me of the 1920s flapper look, especially if worn with pearls.

As I believe is usual with Kim Hargreaves' books, not all of these patterns are original to this particular collection. However, since I think this book is worth the price for the beauty of the photography alone, this is not really a problem. The cover pattern, for example is a long-sleeved version of a pattern from Heartfelt, an earlier collection, but looks beautiful and fresh with button detailing at the cuffs and although I have made the original, I would quite happily knit this new version as well.

It is this detailing that makes Hargreaves one of my favourite designers. From the ruffles on “Effie”, to the buttons at the hip of “Fay”, a lacy scoop necked sweater, the beauty of these patterns comes from the finishing touches. These items therefore require you to put some effort into the finishing; all the garments are knit in pieces and seamed. This, for me, was not a problem, because I love seaming.

Let me repeat: I love seaming.

Now, please don't run away. Probably one of the most common things I read on the internet from knitters is that seaming is the devil and that knitting in the round is the best thing ever. It definitely has its merits, of course. Being able to try it on as you go is a wonderful feature, along with the pattern control that entails. However, for me, there's nothing quite like the feeling of sewing up seams, sewing on buttons, weaving in ends (although I'll admit I'm not exactly in love with that last one!). It is those finishing details that make me feel like I am creating something truly beautiful, a tailored, hand-made garment and seaming seems to give me that satisfying sense of completion. Who knows, maybe one day I'll change my mind, but for now...bring on the pieces!

Kim Hargreaves has produced yet another wonderful book, one that I know I'll be pulling off the shelf again and again, and that will continue to inspire by reminding me just how beautiful knitting can be. If you are a fan of beautifully finished, classic, vintage-tinged knits (and you don't mind all that seaming!), or just gorgeously styled fashion and photography, I highly recommend it.

You can buy Precious and see photos of all the patterns here.