Lace Exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

A quick train ride this morning, took us to Birmingham.  I had heard about this exhibition from a knitting friend, and thought that this would be the outing for this weekend.  The collection of antique lace was beautifully set out in cabinets with glass tops, so it was possible to look down onto the pieces.  This handkerchief with hand made lace border was on the wall.

The detail was wonderful, and the work so fine, that I cannot imagine the hours of work that it would have taken to make them. 

The type of flax plant, which made the very fine fiber  is 'extinct'...well if this is not a challenge to plant hunters to find it again, perhaps growing wild along some grass verge. I wonder if there would be some commercial use for so fine a linen thread, as silk and artificial threads are used.

A short walk to another gallery took us to the modern part of the exhibition....this was art which purported to take its inspiration from lace....fairly interesting, and a clever use of new materials, defunct computer punch cards, drilling holes in mdf etc...

The lack of expertise or hours spent on the work compared to that of the lace designers and makers was glaringly obvious.  Of course there would have been no eye strain, no years of training from the age of six, no back ache, and pay beyond the wildest dreams of (mainly) those women who would get less than the value of a meagre meal for a whole day's work!  No one now would want to commission intricate lace, and there are grants to pay for artists to come from all over the world, to fill space.  However I doubt any of the modern pieces will be on show in 300 years time.

Autumn Sunshine

Unlike this time last year, it is usually warm and most days sunny.  Getting out and about at weekends for Mr S is a must, as he mostly indoors during the week, and it quite dark when he gets home.  Last weekend we drove out to Compton Verney.

There was a Display of Fireworks, with posters and packaging, and Mr S pointed out those he used to buy and let off in his childhood....I am getting more to the place where for me fireworks now mean frightening all the poor birds and animals and letting lots of pollution into the air...We seem to spend so much time and effort trying to protect the environment, then it seems quite OK to spoil it all just for fun.

Another special exhibition which was really very charming and unexpected was one containing numerous sketches by Quentin Blake.  I recognised the style, and was charmed by those which he had drawn for hospitals.  Sadly no photography is allowed, but I caught a lovely view from one of the windows.....

On the way home, we stopped by a farm close to Barford, and bought a couple of culinary pumpkins to add to the couple I already had at home. 

Gothic Shawl by Jane Sowerby

This is name of the shawl designed by Jane Sowerby, featured on the front cover of The Knitter Issue 37.  Coming back home with my pancheon, I had in my mind my offer to knit my aunt a shawl.  I am ready to tackle some complex lace knitting again, and when my latest magazine offered this beautiful design, I felt driven to accept the challenge.

One of the substitute yarns suggested was one by Old Maiden Aunt.  After looking at her site, I emailed my aunt, and she was able to view the yarn I had in mind.  On Thursday I ordered it and it arrived Friday morning. 

Hand painted in shades of brown and chestnut, with the wonderful feel of baby suri alpaca, fine merino and silk, this will knit up into a beautiful lightweight and warm shawl.

  It took me just over half an hour to wind the yarn, using my wooden swift.

I found a size of needle suggested and knitted up a trial swatch.  I need to buy more needles: two 100 cm needles, and for hours I was wondering whether I should get the addi turbo or lace needles.  I tried the knitting shop in Warwick, but no luck there.  As I knitted the swatch on bamboo, and I know that with my hands as they are, wooden or bamboo needles are much kinder, I decided to stick with my hunch.  It was like looking for needles in a haystack, finding the right top quality ones, right length etc...and now two Addi Bamboo Circular needles  are on order from English Yarns.  Next week when they arrive, I shall start in earnest.

The Pancheon

A couple of weeks ago, my Uncle Noel and I ventured north to the land of our forefathers and mothers!  We stopped en route at his son and his wife, my cousins. 

Before we got there he and I had a great lunch and a visit to Hardwick Hall....what no photos!  I had left my camera behind...but perhaps this meant I took more in....

At my cousins, where we were made most welcome, I got to taste some wonderful jellies, chutneys and preserves.  We visited sisters/aunts and brothers/uncles with uncle Noel sharing some wonderful vintage family photographs.

On this visit I was given my Grand Mother's pancheon.  I found out later that my grand-mother had this handed down from her mother.  Therefore to my knowledge this was my great-grandmother's.  Who knows it is was new then or if came down from even earlier in the family. I feel honoured to be the current user, and so very grateful to receive it.  It is on account of this blog, and the fact that my aunt reads this, and her generosity, that it is now here. 

When he saw first saw it, Uncle Noel said he could remember it standing besides the hearth when he was young, covered with two tea towels.  My aunt has a very roomy and superb kitchen, so it was not until I got it home that I realised how big it was and why it would have needed two tea towels to cover it! 

Mr S approves of the place on the work surface where it is on display.  It is just above the under the counter freezer, where I used to keep the fruit basket.  I only realised this year the reason that our fruit ripened so quickly was that it was a warm corner.  Dough using 1.5Kg of flour looks really small but there is plenty of room to rise.  I guess with a very large family, a big pancheon would be needed.  Today Mr S and I went into Warwick, and I found a lovely hardly used vintage Huckaback towel with pretty pansies, at Oops-a-daisy at the antiques galleries.  It is large enough to cover the pancheon nicely.

With this dough, I made two walnut free form, two small and one large tin loaves.  Two loaves went to friends.

 

As I left my aunt, I thought it would be nice to ask her if she would like something, and she said that next time I went up, she would like some bread.  I also felt a nice knitting project coming on, and she was delighted when I suggested that I knit her a shawl.  More about this later!

Warm blanket for cooler evenings

Its a few weeks now since a blanket left here.....I think it was started over a year ago. 
A gentleman arrived at our Knit and Natter group, with a huge amount of knitting yarn.  His mother had recently passed away, and she had been a stasher too.  The main part was distributed, but amongst the bags, I spied a couple of packets of Irish tweed knitting yarn, each had the same dark tones, one with orange and the other green.  With these, I thought a nice blanket could be made for someone.  I had only just learnt to crochet squares, and asked if anyone would like to join with me.  Janice, Nicki, and Jacki volunteered, and over the months we croched our way through most of the two packets.

As a result of all of this, and several get togethers here with tea, coffee and cakes, and much nattering,  with several others turning up to encourage and cheer us on, we completed the 'lap rug'. Thanks so much to each and every one of you.

The pattern I thought was inspired  by a simple mosaic in the bottom of a water pool in Pompeii.  I've looked through all my photos, but cannot find it....maybe in my dreams, squares of dark green and red marble with a simple geometric pattern shining through water....

It took me a couple of weeks to come up with the best pattern and to sew up all the 99 squares...then I hand washed and also machine washed, the piece of sleeve which this lady had knitted up, and knew that it would be safe to machine wash the blanket on the wool wash.  After it was blocked...well not tightly but spread over towels in the conservatory, it was time to think of whom we would give the blanket to.

Here Janice and Nicki pose with the completed blanket.  It is now its new owner.  May they feel the warmth, laughter and companionship which went into making this.

Just before the final squares were sewn on, my little Izabelle visited, and grabbed the blanket to put over our laps at story time...I think she also enjoyed playing peek a boo, and being able to see out through the holes....so now I am using up some ends of sock yarn balls, and making a small lap rug for her.