Hey! I didn't know that was there!

This morning, we will start with the knitting.  

All my colours are now in the sock.  The green will start again tomorrow.  I am still having a lot of fun with it.  Stripes are always fun.

I worked on Cassie's blanket for most of the day and am thrilled to be able to tell you that it is 45 inches long.  So a couple more repeats of the three yarns and it will be done.  It wont happen today, but soon. 

After I was done for the day, I pulled out a couple of books from my shelf.  It always surprises me when I look at the old things.  They are such treasures.

The first is  Practical Home Knitting from 1949 published by Odhams Press Limited.  

It is filled with sweaters, twin sets, ladies suits, kid's things, men's things, big and small.  Many of the patterns are lovely and would work well even now.  

What I really came for was this.  

Every year at this time, I think about knitting myself some soft undershirts.  I have been thinking of this since forever.  I even have the yarn.  These thoughts strike each year as it gets to the true start of winter.  Its a baby pattern but there is no reason why that same idea and shape wouldn't work for me.  Olga bought this book for me in Kyiv and it is one of my treasures.  

Next I picked up another treasure from deep on my bookshelves.  The Good Housekeeping Needlecraft Encyclopedia.  Its a compendium of how to in all  kinds of handcrafts.  This goody was published in 1947 and was edited by Alice Caroll.

I was wandering my way through it, idly turning pages, stopping to admire things here and there, when the book opened on this page.  The day became considerably more interesting.

It is Pin Loom instructions.  Specifically the kind of pin loom that is now sold as Schacht's Zoom Loom .  

There is no header other than weaving and it does describe the most basic instructions about other looms, but this small pin loom is described as being produced as a 'Weave It'.  It gives complete instructions about how to use the loom and more.

It has several patterns included for producing various textures!

I was really excited to see these.  

I can honestly say that till I had experience on my little Zoom Loom, I would never have noticed the instructions.  Immediately before it in the book was Swedish huck weaving and I would have just skipped over that part.  I am familiar with huck weaving and while it is an interesting technique, not really my sort of embroidery.  My brain would have passed over the four pages before, unseparated and non titled or noted in any way as it is.  Now that I am familiar with pin looms, my brain recognized it and paid attention. 

I might try some when I get back to Zoom Looming small squares to make... you guessed it, a blanket.   

Will I never escape blankets?  Probably not.