dolly dimple knits

It's Not All About the Knitting

Those of you who have been reading this blog for some time will know that I am a simple creature - hence the name, DollyDimple=Simple - and that pretty much it's about the knitting. But sometimes, just sometimes, I am tempted over to the dark side that is sewing !

I used to sew a lot. Really a lot. Like when I was a teenager and into my twenties I probably made a good 50% of my clothes. Of course this was partly for reasons of style as much as economy. When your personal style could best be described as Doris Day in fishnets and Doc Martens, you don't find much that suits you in Top Shop or Miss Selfridge.

There was one shop in Edinburgh that I loved called Hand in Hand. It was in Stockbridge and only sold vintage clothes from Edwardian to the 60's. Given that this was the 80's, '70's retro was still a little too close for comfort to be cool and I bought some fabulous things there.

Original Edwardian full length frilled cotton petticoats that made gorgeous summer skirts, a 1950's black and white devore cocktail dress complete with circular skirt and starched underskirt, a black velvet skin-tight mini dress from the mid '60's. I loved all these things so much that I still have them hidden away in cupboards even tho' I'm about 20 years and 2 stone too heavy to wear them again :0)

But what fascinated me about them was so much of the clothing was handmade. Even tho' it was clearly "shop-bought" with shop labels stitched inside, the finishing was definitely done by hand and I really loved the care and teeny, tiny stitches that had gone into them. So I tried to emulate by designing and sewing my own stuff. Such was the confidence of youth that I even wore most of what I made !

At least until I hit the slump. I sewed and sewed all the way into the 90's, right up until my wedding day - I made my own dress and all the bridesmaids - and then I just stopped. I don't know what happened. Work and children probably. It all suddenly seemed like too much effort and with the exception of 2 ill-advised occasions when I was persuaded to make wedding dresses for friends and relatives - never again, brides-to-be are a nightmare - I really haven't sewn much for ages. And somehow, along the way I've sort of lost my skills and all that confidence.

So I'm re-instituting a bit of sewing on this blog from time to time. Just a little bit. And I'm starting small with this little notions bag for all your knitting goodies (see, it's still really about the knitting !)

Fully lined of course, with an inside pocket and holders for scissors and stitch markers - I haven't completely lost it yet !

If you fancy having a go, I've written up the instructions as a pdf. Download file

It is genuinely a really easy little project and unlike most knitting projects, done from start to finish in about an hour - see ? Sewing does have some advantages over knitting :0)

Today's post is brought to you ...

by the letter S.

S is for SICK. Yeah. Me and the rest of the western world or so it seems. I have the hot-cold-sneezing-scratchy-throat-streaming-BRIGHT-RED-NOSE-headache-actually-everything-hurts-lurgy. Today, I am not a pretty sight :0(

This I could live with, were it not for the fact that I am at the beginning of a week's holiday !! I swear, every time I take some time off work it's like my body just goes "Oh thank god she's stopped..." and goes into meltdown. So tea and sympathy all round please.

On the bright side, at least I've got it now and hopefully it will be gone by next weekend when I'm going visiting a knitty friend. Now there's a reason to feel better :0)) Check out those blankets btw - I'm keeping everything crossed I'm going to win one of those !

S is for Scoop Neck Vest

A quick (one week) and easy knit. Instant gratification. I LOVE it :0)

It's knitted in 4 skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk in Sapphire (originally meant for the ill-fated Elizabeth 1st) and 2 skeins of KSH in Heavenly which I subbed in when I couldn't get the Brushed Suri the pattern calls for in this country. So it's entirely knitted from stash - aren't you proud of me ??!

I added some short row shaping to the front as this is pretty fitted .... and one day when I get a decent live-in photographer in this house (honestly, you don't want to see the photos Al took of me in it. Scary) you may get a shot not taken at arms length in the mirror ....

Note to self : in future make bed before standing in front of it to take photos. But don't I match the walls beautifully ? :0)

S is for Sheila. Or, as I knew her, Mum :0)

I don't have a huge number of pictures of her. When you grow up in a house with two blind parents, photography does not feature large in your childhood :0)

It being December 1961, all of their wedding pictures were black and white except for this one, my favourite hand-coloured one. I LOVE that she got married in red velvet (I still have her dress) with holly in her hair instead of flowers. My mother had style :0)

But that's not why I'm telling you about her. In 1983, when I was 17 and she was only 44, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Being a brave, hardy and uncomplaining soul she carried on working and dealing with life until she finally couldn't. She died in 1988 just before her 49th birthday. Far too young and missed to the core of my being to this very day.

And that is why I'm telling you about her. My knitting friend Lilith, lost her Dad to cancer in 2001 and in memory of him she's going to run in this year's Race for Life. Her goal is to raise £1,000 through sponsorship and to encourage us all along she has scored some fabulous prizes - so for every £5 you donate, you get an entry into a draw for a prize !

So go on - Roll up ! Roll up ! between Oliver and Lilith the place is awash with goodies being raffled for outstandingly excellent causes. Just make sure there's something left for me ??? .......;0)