Cottage46 Knitter

Unimpressive progress

I'm plugging along on St. Brigid's front.  Notice the nicely (correctly) mirrored side cables.  I'm about half a repeat from beginning the armhole shaping.  Finishing SB is going to be my Knitting Olympics project. 

I've also been working on Cabaret Raglan from the Summer 2004 Interweave Knits.  I'm just getting to the lace pattern on the bodice, so the pictures are pretty stockinettey.  But hey, it's not purple!
The back:    The front: 

We had a nice 4th of July weekend.  We worked on cleaning out the junk/sewing room and the shed (which was exhausting BTW), in part to make room for this:

It's a Singer Model 99 from 1928.  It's electric but I'm planning a motorectomy and a hand crank conversion operation.  And a refinish for the bent wood case. 

I have a couple of sewing projects nearly ready to show off.  I'll wait until next time though since I just accidently posted this.  Aaargh!

I need another distraction...

...like I need a hole in my head.  But this has not stopped me.  But at least I finished a pair of socks.

This is a Singer 503a from the early 60s, also known as the Rocketeer.  The lady that was selling it had several inquiries, but was waiting to sell it to someone who would love it.  Enter: me! 

So would you like to know how this little adventure started?  A couple of weeks ago I got an urge to sew.  Haven't sewed since jr. high, but whatever.  So my mom had bought an old Singer for me a long time ago at an auction.  I had stuck it in storage without even opening the case.   So when this urge hit, I got the machine out of storage and opened it up.  Turns out to be a lovely mocha-color Singer 301.  (Pictures to follow; it's at the repair shop getting rewired.) 

So being a librarian and wee bit obsessive, I start researching my treasure.  Joined all the vintage Singer yahoo groups, etc.  And then I start looking at other vintage Singers.  Also because I'm a wee bit obsessive, I became completely enamored with these machines!   So I went looking on Craig's List and found the Rocketeer.  It came with the cabinet and all the accessories.  I've been having a ball.  Row after row of parallel seams on scrap fabric.  Whoohooo!

So as I'm blabbing away about my apparent new hobby, VK mentions that his grandma's treadle machine is in the shed.  Well, what do you know?  We haven't dug it out yet.  It's been beastly humid.  But knowing that grandma's treadle machine is probably in bad shape, I've been reading up on restoration. 

Then I got this on eBay.  For $.50.  That's not a typo.  Fifty cents.  It's a local pickup which I haven't done yet, so I don't know much about it.  I think it's a model 66 from pre 1925-ish.  I'm pretty sure the cabinet is similar to the treadle machine that my grandma had, 4-drawers, no fancy carving. 

So this is why my only knitting progress is a pair of socks.  It's Socks That Rock, btw, in a 3x2 rib.  My Fir Cone Lacey cardigan is only in need of sleeves.  Oh, and to be ripped back to the bottom of the armholes.  :o<  Apparently shaping can be a little tricky with a lace pattern.  Who knew?

Oh, and I got yarn for the Kauni cardigan.  I think I have adult onset ADD.