I've just written a long article about an exceedingly grumpy delivery man...then some horrid little Gremlin with sharp pointy teeth chewed it up and spat it out...so you won't be reading that 'cos I'm not writing it all out again...
One of the huge disadvantages of living here in the Republic is that crafty type stuff isn't readily available...for instance you'd think wool would be easy enough to buy with the amount of sheep we have scattered about in fields and up mountains...not so. They aren't the 'right' kind of sheep for wool...they're just for producing dear little lambs that people eat with mint sauce. So I have to buy yarn from England and the companies seem to think it's hilarious to charge vast amounts of money for the postage...then you have to change the pathetic euro into sterling and that always makes me feel a bit queasy...
But yesterday I found a shop in Cork city which sells a limited amount of yarn at prices comparable to those in England and they also have a small stock of decoupage paper...not the sort of decoupage for greetings cards...this is exceptionally thin and strong paper used for decorating objects. I'm going to transform the little white cupboard Wendy gave us recently...
Even Donegal...the county known for it's wool and home knitters, is in sharp decline...it is cheaper to buy wool imported from New Zealand than to use the sheep bred for their thick luxurious fleece here in Ireland...
Some years ago I went to Donegal with a couple of friends to buy skeins of wool from a warehouse...we none of us had much spare cash but we came away with bags stuffed full of wool that carried the scent of heather and wild thyme in varying shades of cream and pale fawn...the home spinning and knitting industry kept many families able to pay the rent and to afford a pig to fatten or to send a couple of their children to a school...we saw a display of spinning wheels used by the Donegal cottage women...you could apply for a wheel, which was donated to you via a small Government fund. A man brought you the wool each week which you then carded and spun...he collected it when it was ready, then it was the passed on to the home knitters. They made beautiful shawls for babies of the well-to-do and wedding shawls for the middle classes...thick warm sweaters for the fishermen...those knitters took their work with them everywhere they went...into town on Fair days and the Market days when they'd sell vegetables and flowers from woven willow baskets at their feet while they knitted away...needles tucked under their arms and the ball of working wool in the pocket of their apron...
Even as recently as the 1930's, our tiny village hall was the place where thirty women gathered each day to knit fashionable garments which were exported to the big stores in London.
I remember we'd not lived long in this cottage when I was chatting to Hubert from next door one day...his Mother...Kit...had been a seamstress, using an old Singer sewing machine to produce everything from Irish dancing frocks to wedding dresses for the gentry...and she'd owned and used a spinning wheel. Hubert laughed when I asked did he perhaps still have the wheel...threw it in the bog he said...whatever good would that be nowadays.
My heart breaks sometimes when I realise how many carefully fashioned wheels ended up as firewood or, as Kit's did...in a deep bog hole. They are another reminder of the days when putting enough potatoes on the table was a struggle...they recall the times of the American Wakes and the mass exodus of the young to foreign lands...knitting a delicate lacy shawl that'd pass through a wedding ring wasn't made for love for a daughter on her wedding day...it was made to earn a woman enough money to pay the weeks rent and keep the landlord from her door for a while...
We buy brightly hued yarn made from the by-products of the petroleum companies and yarn from high in the Andes...from Alpaca and Vicuna. You could, if you wished, knit a sweater made from yarn gleaned from bamboo or a soft cotton thread...there are those who spin the wool they comb from their Angora rabbits to make up into the softest bootees for a new baby...
Now we knit for pleasure...we knit as a hobby, to keep our hands busy while we watch the television...we give our completed garments away as gifts for Christmas or wear them ourselves...we follow patterns to the letter and battle over turning the heel on a sock...so long removed from our long ago Aunts and Cousins...Grannies and Gt Grannies who walked to market while knitting socks from memory...not a pattern...carrying a willow basket on their back laden with fresh produce to sell...
My nan used to knit lots and had some really nice stuff but also dodgy stuff, I had a knitted trouser suit ensemble which I wore ice skating, water and wool don't mix!
They were extremely desirable in the mid sixties. Cost an absolute fortune.
We used to groom the wool from our double-coated German Shepherd dogs. Collected it into bin bags. This used to go for spinning to another lady and was eventually knitted up into wonderfully soft jumpers.
Alas all my home knits are acrylic now due to coat. I have two nice Shetland Wool jumpers, but they came from a chain store sale. Even then I felt it extravagant. Rib
Thats lovely Vashti. I used to be in a Knit and Natter group ...I can still knit but too much nattering makes me cough. Yarn is expensive but I get a lot donated or from charity shops to make knee rugs for even older ladies than me, or hats and scarves for charity.
I am trying to imagine snappys knitted trouser suit, I do remember crocheted wedding dresses though.
It is a pity yarn costs so much...it gives a huge amount of pleasure to the user though! Crocheted wedding dresses were all the rage in the early Sixties I think...
it was and normally her efforts were appreciated but when your a teenager and everyone has got the proper thing, not so much. i miss having hand made items, they used to work out cheaper than the shop bought item. many a time we unpicked things and the re-wound the wool to make a new garment, well into recycling in my house in the 60s & 70's
Does anyone remember knitted bathing suits for children? As Snappy said wool and water are not good together!
I still knit and as wool shops are a rarity here in the New Forest, I am having fun buying job lots of yarn on eBay.
I well remeber the feel of wool bathers. I cringe if the old photos come out. My wife goes to a Knit and Natter group every week. They knit, crochet, tat, and tackle a dozen other crafts. It is such a shame that younger people do not seem interested. The unique designs that can be obtained from a good crafter cost far beyond what any average person can afford if they go to an exclusive city shop. A lot of crafters that I know would love to produce some of these for the pure enjoyment of doing so, and would be happy with the price of the materials needed for the job.
At least our local rescue kennel have lots of warm coats knitted from donated wool.
Rib
My nana was a big knitter and made us kids lumber jackets in the 60's they were very warm and we didn't like them much but had to wear them. When they got a bit tatty she would reuse the wool to knit us more! I wish I had a couple of them now. Loved the story as I do all of yours vashti thanks. xx
Morning Vashti, Wonderful as usual, I am a life long knitter and dread the thought that one day the hands won't take any more. I have always adored wool and nowadays knit for the local hospital, little things for the prem. babies,also squares,hats and little tunics to send to Africa. I try to use bright colours for Africa And never white. Can't imagine life without a bag of wool and a pair of knitting needles. My crochet leaves a lot to be desired but can manage to edge things so they look pretty. Very best wishes. Bulpit
Not a great knitter myself but my Mum was - her greatest effort was a knitted bathing suit, when I jumped in the water it ended up round my ankles! Interestingly my family were horse hair weavers in Suffolk, took
me ages to find out what woven hose hair was good for and apparently it was used for filtering beer and
ciders but also for stiffening clothes, an interesting history. I did like to crochet and remember unpicking
worn out knitted jumpers to make into bed throws, lovely and warm and kept the children amused in
My mother crocheted me a trouser suit in the sixties. It was in white, lacy pattern and the top was very short, gave me a bare midriff. Underneath it I wore a white bikini. whenever I wore it it caused a stir. One man came up to me and said "can I marry you" !
another looked around when riding his bike and nearly came off. heard a few tuts and "whatever next" from the older generation! I enjoyed wearing it and couldn't see what was so shocking - after all it's just the bikini on the beach!
thanks Mum, it gave me some wonderful memories in my old age.
do regret not having a photo of it, we weren't so occupied with photos as they are today.
It is our loss that the gremlins got one of your epistles! I do enjoy them so much!
At Gretna Green I bought a Scottish Arran Cardigan for a French friend .....but as normal, I did not buy one for myself. I regretted this as soon as I was home, so I trotted off into Carcassonne to a shop called 'Highlander', which had as many Irish things as Scottish. The only Arran Sweaters and Cardigans were Irish. I am unbiased, so I bought one. I was concerned about the smell emanating from it....it smelled like a sheep pen! The owner of the shop, (who is married to a Scottish lady,) assured me it was only because it had just come out of the bag!
There was no way I could wear this, as: 1. My sense of smell is very acute since my chemotherapy. 2. Even my other half could smell it from across the room. I took it back to the shop and explained all this, but the man only wanted to give me a credit note. The French are really not keen to refund your money! I asked if all the woollens smelled the same and he assured me they did!
We went home and hung the said cardigan outside for a week. It still smelled bad, so I telephoned Ireland, where said cardigan was knitted and spoke to a lovely wee Irishman, as you do, and he was soooo helpful. I explained my predicament, and he said he could fix everything for me. He told me he would contact the shop and get the store owner to refund my money, which he did with very bad grace. I had to get him to repeat everything he said just so I could listen to his lovely soft accent! I always imagine you speaking that way when i read your posts!
I took my money into shop after shop here, but to no avail......there were lots of Arran-style cardigans, and all were guaranteed Acrylic! We are going to UK (to England) for a month in April, so I hope to have more luck there! Knitting gives me a headache! I crochet, but am unable to make a lovely Arran cardigan.
Vashti, have just read your post. Yes,there is something about knitting, I love to knit, and crochet. We have an Ashford spinning wheel, it lives in my daughter's house and she uses it whenever she has time. Her two sons wore sheep to shoulder jumpers when they were small and they were warm and cosy in them. I spin and have two sisters who spin and knit,one who makes felt, our other daughter does all kinds of crafts and I have a cousin who does wonderful patchwork, quilts, cushion etc. with recycled fabrics.
These are all labours of love and most things are gifts to other people. I still get delighted when I see a baby or toddler in hand knits! must be something in the family and we all say that it stems from genetic memories. maybe we knitters and crafters are not so far removed from the days you wrote so beautifully about.
I dare say everything will turn full circle one day, meanwhile I wonder if carding the fleece will make me cough now, will be brave enough to try it soon, our youngest sister runs Jacob sheep and there will be fleeces a-plenty this summer. Regards to you, you make the past so alive for everyone.
Being a child of the sixties, I never had a knitted trousers suit but my future mother-in-law knitted me a dress in bands of pale coloured wool shot through with silver thread which I loved and a white crochet dress which was very short, see through and saucy and I wore brief camisoles (which I made myself) underneath. When I got engaged my nan crocheted a 10" border around a large white damask tablecloth as a wedding present it took months to work a true labour of love on her part, it still makes appearances at the table when there are family the get togethers.
I on the other hand have never really been successful at knitting or crocheting which I'm sure is due to the fact that I am left handed and could never seem to manage wool and needles/hook successfully. But in the last year I have learnt to crochet granny squares left handed with the help from YouTube. So from now on the family will be swamped with blankets at Christmas.
Sewing was my forte and at one time I would make a skirt out of 1/2 yard of 36" wide material, I was built like twiggy but not as tall. I rarely sew now but still get itchy fingers when I see and feel beautiful materials and ideas whizz around in my head.
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