Knitting Iris

Every day is Earth Day, right?

So, you know when you're supposed to be packing the car and tidying up the house and paying the bills and just generally wrapping things up before you head out of town?  But then, instead of doing those things, or rather, on top of doing those things, you suddenly decide that RIGHT NOW you need to take a walk down the road with the wheelbarrow and clean up the trash on the side of the road?  That's because you didn't do it three weeks ago on Earth Day when you'd planned to because then it was SO cold and you were afraid you had an ear infection that you didn't want to make worse by traipsing out and about with it?  And, now the grass is starting to sprout up so quickly that you're thinking it'll have grown so tall by the time you get back next week that, by then you won't be able to find all those cans and bottles and plastic bags and stuff?  And then you'll have to wait until next spring when the grass is gone again and you'll spend ALL YEAR feeling guilty for not getting around to it earlier?

Well.  The bonus is that by waiting so long that, back at home, while sorting the trash from the recyclables, you realize that you're leaving for Seattle the next day and so, rather than tossing the glass bottles (which aren't recyclable yet in Montana, %#$^&!) into the dumpster, you realize that you can bring them along with you and recycle them when you get there.  Duh.  You used to do this all the time but, I know, I know, it just all seemed to be more than you could deal with when the boys were little and there were so many more little things to think about, especially while preparing for a road trip.  But don't you think it's about time you got it together and started doing so again?  I mean, really, it's not like there isn't room in the minivan to haul a few bags of bottles along with you?

Besides, once you're there, you can bring the bottles to the self-serve recycling station and have the satisfaction of tossing them into the big bins one by one, smashing away your worries and troubles along with each and every bottle.  Seems to be an all around win-win situation, both for your little country road and for the state of your own mental health.

Ford Treasury of Station Wagon Living

Ford Treasury of Station Wagon Living, the long promised predecessor to Station Wagon Living, Volume 2, blogged almost 2 years ago.

As always, click on the pictures for a closer look.

Really just advertisements for products, these two volumes disguised as books.

A little sock knitting in the woods, of course.

Tailgating, 1950's style.

I'm liking the idea of the 12 volt coffee maker.  Can't you just smell the coffee brewing, at 55, 65,or even 70 mph while driving down the interstate?

As for the picnic table with four attached seats that folds down into a suitcase sized version of itself, several years ago a friend picked one up at the local dump and gave it to us but we passed it on.  So regretting that now.

Apparently this is a good shade tent design as it's still available today here, here and here, but certainly not at 1957 prices.

Regrettably, long gone are the days when you could drop on into Abercrombie and Fitch  for a folding canvas wash basin or a camp torch.  As are the days when plug-in electric razors were "available at any Ford dealership".

"With the middle seat down, the rear of a wagon becomes a play room approximately 7 feet long by 4-plus wide.  Pad the floor with a mattress, put the luggage at the rear and strap it down..., toss a cushion or two on the mattress, strew some toys and books about and turn the kids loose."

"Devise your own means--either mandate or closed windows--to keep the kids from broadcasting books and toys over the passing landscape....Keep rear doors locked to keep the small fry from falling out....If you stack luggage in the rear of a station wagon, lash it down.  In case of sudden stops, free luggage can wreak serious injury."

Surely  you wouldn't want that precious luggage being injured in case of an accident, would you?  Let your children roam freely in the back of the car, but...

"In camp there's always the problem of what to do with toddlers when parents want to visit the neighbors....wise parents take measures to limit the range of travel."   

I'm pretty sure that, as a baby and toddler, my parents brought along a small play pen for me to sleep in inside the tent.

"Novel ideas for containing youngsters on automobile trips have come along in recent years....Wood lugs, wedged betweeen seat and back cushion, hold the seat securely in place." 

Different times, different times.

But not really so different.

Transparent bottom canoe/kayak available today, if you have the $$$$.

Inflatable boat that packs down into a suitcase.  Just be sure to bring along a patch kit.

Skin diving and aqualungers.  Remember?  How can you not love that kind of terminology?

About the last third of this volume is a guide to campgrounds at the time, state by state.

Well, tomorrow we're headed off on the road to Seattle, in the minivan (station wagon of the nineties and beyond) children and adults securely strapped in with the lastest of technologies.

I'm thinking of having some posts ready to auto-post while we're gone but may or may not pull that off before we go.  If not, I'll be back here in a week or so.

Off to finish packing the mini.

 

Living Stones

OK, so these scans aren't vintage.  They're from Maisons Coté Sud, the November 2005 and March 2006 issues and they're for Stephanie because of her fabric covered stones here, here and here.

A French friend here had a subscription to the magazine for a few years and he would pass the issues onto us after browsing through them himself.  So much color and texture in every issue.  A subscription isn't cheap so it's worth a peek through at the magazine stand.  I'm sure the other ones are lovely, too.  Jane talked up the Coté Ouest version here.

When these issues came out I couldn't find much of anything online about the designer of these "Living Stones", another Stephanie, Stéphanie Marin.  Now there is more out there and at her website.

More felted stones on a smaller scale here and here.

And Barb and Stephanie's real ones here and here.

Years ago, my big brother took me to a beach that he calls "Cool Rock Beach".  It's littered with white striped stones but it requires quite an effort to haul them up the cliffside from the beach.  Fortunately people have constucted a hodge podge system of ropes to hold onto as you ascend and descend.

One of the last times he was out on the west coast from NYC my brother filled his luggage to the maximum weight allowed with some of those big striped beach stones.  Apparently, back at the airport in New York, when his backpack came through the baggage carousel the zipper had undone and it came out onto the belt with the stones stacked on top of it.  He said he just slipped those 40 pounds of stones back into his backpack and walked away to catch the Metro, ignoring any funny looks he may have been getting.

We'll be walking the beach (not Cool Rock Beach) ourselves within days and my brother will be there with us to share and celebrate each and every beach treasure found.  I can't wait!

Spiral Boot Socks

Pattern:  Spiral Boot Socks, by Véronik Avery, Interweave Knits Summer 2007.  The pattern was fun to knit and easy to adjust as you go along, although I think it's pretty forgiving in general as far as fit goes.  So many more knee socks are rising to the top of my Ravelry queue, thanks to the success of this pair.

Modifications:  Lighter weight yarn and smaller needles than called for.  Knit an extra several rows in the top edging section with an eyelet row for lacing a ribbon or crocheted tie through to prevent slippage, just in case they need it, although they fit perfectly right now.   They were lengthened, too:  25 repeats in first leg section before the first decrease row, 25 repeats in second leg section before the second decrease row, and 30 repeats in third leg section before starting the heel, which is my usual wrapped heel.  Also, as usual, the heels an toes are knit with two strands of the yarn held doubled for durability.

Yarn:  KnitPicks Gloss, Cocoa, 3 skeins, salvaged from frogged Clessidras.  This yarn has been guilt tripping me ever since then, begging to be knit up, and then all of a sudden something clicked, putting it together with this pattern.  After that, cast on was immediate, and the knitting of these was obsessive AND very enjoyable.  A very nice yarn.  My only regret is that it's not machine washable as the similar Regia Silk is so, unfortunately, these won't be every-day-knock-around-the-house-picking-up-shedding-dog-hair-socks.  Occasional wear only.  I suppose they'll last longer that way.

Needles:  size #1 dpns.   

A good part of progress on the second sock took place thanks to two solid hours of knitting at the DMV waiting to get my driver's lisence renewed.  While there, overheard between a sweet elderly couple waiting there too:  "Well, we'll never have to do this again."   : )

And, because they're "boot socks":

Born Brenners, found locally and deeply discounted at the end of the season, after having my eye on them all winter long.   With these, my 10 year+ search for the perfect boots (within my price range) has finally come to an end.  Phew.  They even came pre-darkened at the toes so I don't have to worry about getting them dirty, as I would so quickly do on my own.

Belated

Happy Mother's Day.  : )

Yes, spring is still yet to come, as is attested to by these teensy pussy willows I came across out by the pond.  Have you ever seen such small ones!

I keep coming back to the last lines of the poem Amanda quoted here last week, how appropriate they are, how they express exactly what I've been feeling as I try not to dwell on the winter still at hand and the spring I wish had been here ago: 

"and the soft rain -
imagine! imagine!
the long and wondrous journeys
still to be ours."

Nomadic Furniture 1

Another favorite, Nomadic Furniture 1, by James Hennessey and Victor Papanek, published 1973, Pantheon Books.  At once retro and current in a

Readymade/Make/Ikea-hacker sort of way.  Although I've never made anything from this book, it's the second copy I've owned, the first having been given away at some point during a move, I'm sure.

As always, click to enlarge picture.

Cardboard seating, both for sale, and to make at home. 

The relaxing chair, of plywood, masonite, and optional egg carton foam, because "in our society (we) need to get the equivalent of 3-4 hourse of relaxing time in one hour..."

The ubiquitous bean bag, then still in its infancy.

The best and worst of the book, in my opinion: the please-don't-try-this-at-home disposable cardboard car seat.  Sure, it makes sense, environmentally, but do you think that it would meet the NHTSA safety standards?

You've just gotta love those single-sheet-of-plywood projects plans.  I really should think about aquainting myself with the table saw.  Or not.

Four collapsible, hardware-free stools from one sheet of plywood.  Cool.

Doll-sized version of above left seat here!

These, I think, are some of the funnier ones, with several takes on "the cube" including the entertaining and relaxation cubes here and also a work cube, and the children's cube on the book's cover.  Why, exactly, would you create a false, wall-free room within a room?  Foreshadowing of office cubicles?

Lighting from styrofoam cups, paper lanterns (Ikea?), and milk jugs.

The original rope lighting and adjustable swing arm lamp?

Storage, both homemade and high end, even more so now: Uten.Silo storage system was $90 then and is available again today starting at $295 here on up to $865 (!) in chrome here.

 

 

I sewed some bean bags for the boys last summer using this pattern instead as it seems preferable because the top and bottom pieces are round and the side pieces curved to fit them, rather than the straight edged pattern pieces here.  Still trying to figure out what to stuff them with, trying to avoid buying polystyrene pellets.  Even after saving all the packing peanuts from presents sent at Christmas they still weren't even a quarter of what one bean bag requires.  We've been bringing extra packing peanuts to the local shipping store for them to reuse for years now so they always tell me that if I ever need any I can just come and ask.  Might be time to call in my chips?  They are rather squeaky and lumpy compared to the tiny styrofoam pellets typically put into bean bags.  Hmmm.  I know Blair has been there before with the bean bag stuffing dilemma..  I'm going to have to go poke around over there for her post about this and see what others had to say in the comments there.

As for cardboard furniture, I've been thinking about purchasing the plans for this play kitchen.  E still asks for a wooden play kitchen for each birthdays and Christmas (Yeah, yeah. I know.  The cabinet maker's son....) but frankly, with the boys at age 5 and 8 now, I can't see spending a whole lot of time or money on either a homemade one or a purchased one.  Of course, I still want the real thing but that isn't really reasonable.  I'm thinking that he also might enjoy helping with the assembly of a cardboard one.  Then, when he tires of it, it can be taken apart and stored flat and eventually recycled or used as mulch in the garden or fire starter in the woodstove rather than taking up precious space, and money.

Oh, and look, there's a Nomadic Furniture 2.  I never knew.

Weekend

Sweets:  Pseudo-strawberry shortcake (sustituting soy milk for whipped cream), ice cream cones, pancakes, root beer floats, chocolate chip cookies, ice cream cones.

Second hand:  Friday church rummage sale, Saturday yard sale, Sunday thrift store, yielding only one pair of shorts for R and one children's picture book.  Still fun to look.

Friday: most of the day spent dealing with icky paperwork, followed by Thai food out and an overnight getaway soaking in Hot Springs, just the two of us. (Thank you "Lucretia and Jbird" for taking in the boys and giving us a break!)

Saturday: Taco dinner with friends.  Sleepover at our house with the nephews so their mama and papa could have a break.   The four cousins, ages 1 to 8, slept in a big puppy pile right outside our door in a bed made up on the floor.  So cute, and crazy fun.

Sunday: C poured the concrete countertops for our house!  A kid birthday party at a bowling alley for the boys and I.  Back home, an ultra-easy dinner of preroasted Costco chicken with Costco spring mix greens.  Phew!  Then, collapse asleep by 9:00 pm, which, if you know me, you also know is an extremely rare thing.

Monday:  Leftover pseudo-strawberry shortcake for breakfast.  Chicken and dumpling soup made from last night's leftovers.  Yummy!

 

Native Funk And Flash

Native Funk and Flas, An Emerging Folk Art, by Alexandra Jacopetti, photographs by Jerry Wainwright, Scrimshaw Press 1974, probably my most treasured book.  Need I say more?  Apparently I'm not alone.  Just read the reviews.  See what others have said and others have scanned, knitters, even.  Not sure when or where I ever came across this book, 18-20 years ago in a used bookstore Seattle, I'd guess. 

It tickled me to no end, one day at the Boulder Public Library in Colorado when we were living there, to come across not one, but TWO copies side by side on the shelf.  Check your local used book store or library catalog, or check WorldCat.org (what an amazing resource that is!).  Oh, and see here: the Missoula Art Museum, housed in the former Missoula Free Public Library building, opened it's doors in 1975 with the exhibit associated with this book.  You gotta love the internet for some things.

As always, click for a closer look:

Hmmmm,  haven't I seen french knots again somewhere lately?

That's not the Laurel Burch, the one who's dangly enameled cat earrings I wore in high school in the 80's, is it?  Why, yes, apparently it is.  Read more about her.

So much eye candy

and inspiration, it's difficult to decide what not to share.

This a good part of what's in there, at least my favorite parts.

"sunflower-patch-ecology", it doesn't really explain quite what they meant by that, but it sure sounds like something I'd like to subscribe to.  There was a time long ago when I hoped to someday have girls so I could one day make a shirt like this out of scraps from their old dresses.

Somewhere in the back of my brain, it must have been images and stories like these, burned in my mind's eye, that inspired this tank, sewed, embroidered, and never blogged, last summer:

Ultimately, though, it was Amber's sleeved linen version here, and all her sweet and creative embroidery, that is directly responsible for my copy-cat version of the same Simplicity 4589 pattern.  I like it best worn over a t-shirt. 

The linen for this tank was some I bought at the Seattle IKEA for $6.00 a yard way back when they carried fabric. (Is it true they have fabric there again now?)  I hoarded it for quite some time as it wasn't easy to find 100% natural linen back then, especially not at a price that low.  Some of it was made into a jumper dress in the mid-to-late 1990's.  Later, I cut the bodice off when it no longer fit and could no longer wear it while nursing, putting elastic into the lower part making it into a skirt.   Even later, the skirt was turned into a pillow case, which is now nearly worn out.

 

Just something pretty to look at.

It's been a wacky couple of days, too many hours spent going through piles of paperwork.  The scanned pictures I promised will have to be on hold for a day or two.   

So, here's something pretty to look at in the meantime.  This pair of trumpeter swans is living in a small lake between here and town.  It looks like one of them has a numbered tag on it's leg (not visible here).  They were being pretty vocal with eachother.  Here's hoping they'll settle in and nest there so we can watch their family throughout the summer.

There's been a great blue heron circling around high above our place squaking like crazy much of the day.  I guess Spring finally is here, as it never really feels like it to me until the air is filled with bird's songs from before dawn until after dusk.

Be back soon. 

More longies, or shorties, more or less.

Thank you for all the comments on yesterday's post.  There were a lot of great suggestions, and words of encouragement, both here and over at Flickr.  Mulling over the possibilities now.  I was reluctant to even post about those for fear you'd all now KNOW how insane I can be...miles and miles of k1, p1 ribbing. 

(Someday) I'm going to knit a version of these longies, too, in the softest of  natural off-white alpaca.   They won't be machine washable but will be so cozy that it'll be worth it.  I was given an obscene amount of approximately fingering weight alpaca yarn last summer, so much so that I've been too stunned by the quantities to post about it yet.  My mom is knitting a sweater with some of it right now and I'm so curious to see how it turns out.

These patterns come, possibly, from those vintage Golden Hands booklets.  They're torn out so I can't be sure.  Check out the great knitting schematics and charts they published with their patterns.

Appropriately cheesy pictures, of course, too.

Fast forward to the Spring of 1990, Knitter's Magazine.  This issue I bought new off the rack at the time.  I'm pretty sure this was the same issue that also contained the pattern for the first pair of socks that I ever knit (itchy ragg socks that inevitably ended up felted in the wash) in grey Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair.

Again, cheesy pictures with good schematics, this time for both knitting in the round and knitting flat either by hand or by knitting machine.  I might be wrong here, and probably ought to take a closer look at the current issues before saying this, but I'm thinking that Knitter's magazine was a bit more "meaty" and informative back then.

Nothing much in the way of finished knitting quite yet, only a string of unsuccessful sewing, so I'm thinking it's time for the next handful of posts to be scans from the random pile of some of my favorite vintage and not-so-vintage books and magazines that have been stacked by the computer now for ages, OK?