Sunday, May 31, 2009

iKnit London Visit


Had a wonderful visit yesterday with the team from iKnit London - Gerard, Chris and Vanessa.

They've got a great shop, and I picked up a couple of books. One I've been reading about for a while - the reissue of Jane Waller's Stitch in Time. It's a fabulous, detailed and serious survey of knitting fashions, patterns and techniques from the 1920s to 1949. Some of the "vintage knits" books just have updated patterns. This book actually reproduces the original pattern and has an update, and discusses how the pattern uses and represents the styles of the time. There's a volume 2 coming sometime, apparently. Can't wait to get my hands on that.

Also the classic first volume of Modern Lace Knitting. It's full of the sort of madness I adore: knitted bedspreads and curtains and tablecloths.

And because I've been noodling on it for a while, I picked up a tatting shuttle (at John Lewis; yes, the department stores have very decent craft sections). Now all I have to do is learn how to use it. I've got an old needlework book I acquired from an older knitter, with full instructions. I'm intrigued. It seems like precisely the fiddly and slow sort of work I love...

1 comment:

Ali P said...

I had always hoped that my aunt would teach me to tat, but she passed away before we could coordinate our time together.
Good luck. Tatted laces are exquisite.