antique beaded purses

I finished the Tellum cowl (sorry for the crappy photo-in-the-mirror phone picture):



It still need a button (the one in the photo is just sitting on top, not sewn on) and weave in the ends. Its just what I wanted... a neck scarf without long ends. And I love that it's also a hat. I love to walk in the rain, but I hate the feeling of cold winter rain on the top of my head! and it's just cool that it's convertible.

Today I wanted to show you a most beautiful gift that a friend sent me some weeks ago:



It's an antique crocheted purse, of course, crocheted tightly from silk twist and it's design is crocheted in with steel cut beads. The fringe and tassels are twisted beads and their cut silver sides form a unique sparkling architecture.

These beaded purses amaze me. I always imagine the person who might have painstakingly made it, counting out one of a couple thousand tiny beads, then another and another, following a complex pattern.



That's one of the things I love about vintage pattern books - the connection with the actual person who used them. Some of the booklets, like the Fleisher Knitting and Crocheting Manuals, have beautiful pen line drawings of knitters and crocheters going about their happy pastimes. They read by bow windows and ski in hand knits down small natural slopes, and gather with friends to window-shop. And all the time, they're creating these beautiful items that take so much skill and detail. It really makes me want to up my game, and stop doing small instant-gratification type projects. Well, I can dream. :)

Oh, by the way, last night I ordered another set of needles. I got the notice that they had shipped this morning. This afternoon, I found my original unused set, in the very place I had looked all week. It must have happened for a reason, but my poor credit card is saying "ouch!"

funhouse

ETA: Editing my blogpost to be a little more coherent - I am really struggling with jetlag, or the time-zone change or something!!

I'm back home now and having serious re-entry issues. I miss my little family on the west coast and the new friends I made there soooooo much!! After a month of sleeping on the floor on an air mattress, I'm having trouble sleeping in a real bed and after walking and taking the MAX everywhere, my legs get really restless - they miss walking long distances, (very fast because everyone but me had such long legs) and uphill both ways. ;)

So I've spending this morning (or the hours somce I wole up at 4 am) on the couch watching VH1 music videos. I love Pink's new song" "This used to be a fun house, but now it's full of evil clowns..." ha ha! I know she's serious, but it's really funny because clowns are scary! It's a perfect "get ready for Halloween" song.

I've had to start all new knitting projects because I am in such a funk. AND (speaking of evil clowns): I somehow lost my new Hiya-Hiya interchangable needle set! It arrived just before I left, in August. I put it away in a safe place so evil clowns wouldn't steal it when they broke into the house while I was away (I know, I have irrational fears about clowns breaking in). Now I can't remember where I put it and I've looked everywhere. If anyone who reads this is psychic, please tell me where my new needles are. I didnt throw them out in the mailing box by mistake, did I?

Well, back to the new knitting projects... Don't you love Knitquest'a patterns? I've started Tellum, a scarf/hood thingy and am using a *new* yarn: MacKintosh Yarns in Iona (small amount of cashmere!) in the oceany colourway Taurus. {{dies}}. I love this yarn. The colour is a prefect deep teal - not solid, more shaded hues of the colour. Okay - I gave you the link to this fabulous yarn, but if you buy it all I'll never forgive you.

Off to sleep now, and try to rebuild my poor brains. Maybe they were lost along with my needles?