Quilt for Simon with old clothes.
Notice anything missing from the "On The Needles" section? I have finished my jacket. After three weeks of working on it, it's finally done! So, without further ado, here are pictures of the finished product.
Before I go into what the title is all about, I just want to let you know how the jacket is coming along. I'm almost done. I just need to do the sleeves of the lining, attach the lining to the jacket, finish the collar, do final hemming and attach the button(s) (I might put two instead of one like the pattern says). I've been sick, so I haven't been feeling up to doing much of anything other than sleeping. Bleh.
So, on to the actual subject. I was looking for some holiday present ideas since I'm poor but I have toooons of yarn to make stuff when I came upon this awesome site. The picture to the left will take you there if you want. It's called Vintage Purls. They had some awesome clothes to knit back then. You just don't see that kind of quality nowadays. . .well, you do, but it's rarer than it was then. And they have patterns for men, babies and children. How cool is that?
Apparently, there's more than one vintage site out there. I did find some more. You could, too. Just do a search for vintage knits. I accidently stumbled onto these searching for "holiday knit ideas." See? Accidents can be beneficial. I'd love to try and make some of the articles listed on Vintage Purls, but my project list is so long and I need to come up with some Christmas presents for family that I probably won't be able to start anything until after the big holiday season (mid-January if I'm lucky).
Well, I hope you enjoy the site as much as I do! You're welcome.
Burda is a fun little anomaly to me. I know it's a mainly European company and they [seem to] aspire to be cheap and easy patterns, which I appreciate. They try to be funky and sometimes fall short, but in a fun, "Aww, they tried," sort of way. I also love that their costumes are labeled as Carnival costumes, which sounds ever so much cooler and adult than Halloween. (And don't get me wrong, Halloween is my favourite holiday.) This pattern is, obviously, not in their Carnival collection:
My first thought upon seeing this trim little jacket? "Your grandma's going to be so pissed you turned her couch into a jacket." I understand the appeal of upholstery fabrics, really I do. Every time I go to the fabric store I squeeze to the very back with all the big, thick tapestry-type bolts and imagine having rooms full of couches, sofas, and chaise lounges with all of those prints. But the thought never crossed my mind to actually wear them. It's not like the print screams "Young and hip!" and with the way the model is standing, I'm thinking she's more likely to have a hip problem. The black bands across the 'pits make me think of a couch even more, you know, those couches with the leather bands across the base to hold the seams together and make it look not-so-monotonous?
But I'm evening the karma with Burda by unabashedly coveting this coat:
It's cute! It's houndstooth! I must admit I was very happy to see that houndstooth is en vogue again, because I've always loved it and it's always in season to me. It also reminds me of the C&R my dad used to get his suits from in the mall, for some weird reason. Anyway, I love coats that are cut in more of a 50s or 60s style but are really timeless, and this is it. I want to buy it and make at least five copies and wear one (maybe more) at all times.
So, are we cool Burda?
God, this sweater is so warm! With the high collar and the thick yarn and the long sleeves, it's just perfect for a wintery day.
So perfect you don't need to even bother with pants, apparently. Other than that, I have absolutely no problem with the jacket or its pattern. I just, you know, like to cover my bum before leaving the house. Maybe I'm just a prude, or maybe I just get cold too easily.
