Flicca Frustration & Retro Fabrics

I've been waiting for the yarn I need to finish Flicca for more than 6 weeks now. The staff at Strikk have no idea why it's taking so long. I don't feel like scanning the city for other retailers (who are likely to have the same problem anyway). Annoying, indeed, I would like to be able to wear the sweater while it's still winter!

Nothing bad comes without something good, or what is it the optimistic say? While waiting for my Flicca yarn I've worked on several small ideas I've had for a while.

This sweater was boring and never worn. The orange shade is wrong for me. Too much pink? I'm not sure why, but I don't like it. I didn't dare to attempt dyeing it, instead I tried to cheer it up with some appliqué, et voilà:



I'm not sure I'll wear it more often, but it certainly looks more interesting this way.

I recently recieved some very cool retro materials. A distant realtive to Chris, who has worked a lifetime as a seamstress, was moving and needed to get rid of some stash fabrics. Of course my patchworking and quilting mother in law was called in to salvage whatever she could use. She rescued some awesome fabrics for me. Lovely, boldly printed textiles from the 60's and 70's! Most of them were already cut into pattern pieces for large blouses or dresses. But that's something that certainly doesn't discourage me. Future projects:

1. Blue printed cotton - use for retro dress

2. Silky blue floral - use for handbag

3. Crazy 60's floral print - use for blouse

4. More flowers, semi-transparent - use for skirt

5. Wild flowers and bees - Use for dress

Finally I'll get to use some of the dress patterns I mentioned about 6 months ago!

Dad's Socks

Finally, I present to you my father's socks, finished back in September and modeled by the man himself:

He reports that they are very warm and way too fancy to walk around the house with. Perfect to put on before he sits back in his armchair to peel himself an orange and watch the evening news.

Yarn: Swedish wool yarn in three different natural shades of grey.
Pattern: Knitty's univeral toe-up sock formula combined with a traditional Baltic mozaic pattern that I found in the book Vantar från När och Fjärran by Eva Maria Leszner

Sketches

Labwork and Studying have kept me busy lately. So not a lot of crafting going on. I have spent some time at my dad's place however, and he has a shelf full of old photo albums that I've rummaged through. Except for nostalgia and longing for loved ones who are gone, the photos also gave me a strong urge to pick up my pencil and paper and draw, which is something I haven't done since I was in art school three years ago. Lately it seems the only thing I use pencils for are taking notes.




These are quick little sketches, nothing I'm going to frame and hang. But I did enjoy making them. I just wanted to make the top one as a tribute to my Grandpa, who I got to see way too little of. I don't remember talking to him very much, just that he was one of the kindest people I've known.