Golden Hands

Ages ago, while op-shopping, I found a copy of Golden Hands - a British craft magazine from the late 60s/early 70s. Then I discovered volume 1 of the collected Golden Hands (you know, one of those deals where you buy the first volume for a dollar and each consecutive edition ends up being $20). Wow, I thought to myself, imagine if I found all of the collected Golden Hands volumes... Then lo and behold, I did exactly that about three weeks ago in my local Salvos op-shop. I was gob-smacked. The whole 18-volume set! Although the covers suggest cheesy 70s crafts unlikely to appeal today, inside they are really well done with all sorts of very nice projects - knitting, embroidery, dressmaking (the maxi is back, you know!) and other, perhaps less considered crafts, like wall hangings and weaving. I am thoroughly enjoying looking through them and I've discovered that the trick is to take elements of the project that work for me, that I like, rather than taking on the original idea in its entirety and ending up with something that may well look a bit dated. For example, the stitched motifs on the back of the gloves above, inspired me to try out similar shapes and designs in stitches on a bit of felt.

Fun for all the family!

What craft projects are you working on at the moment?

Are you on the bus? *

I especially love the blue one...

Image from: http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.280470956.jpg
Item from Etsy shop: Ajs Patterns

Lately I have been getting in touch with my inner hippie. I have been scrolling through Etsy's vintage shops for far too long looking for maxi dresses, patchwork skirts and flowing handknits. Perhaps it has something to do with identifying with the era I was born in or maybe it is just listening to too much Judy Collins at the moment? Or maybe the clips of Life on Mars I have been enjoying all over again on You Tube? Whatever the case, the advice to tune in, drop out and turn on can never be bad advice for a stress monkey like me!

Do you remember the 70s? Or the 60s? Or perhaps you're just a hippie at heart?

Classic Maxi dress updated
Image from: http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.313108008.jpg
Item from Etsy shop: HippieGypsyBohemian

Gorgeous original Jean Muir dress

Image from: http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.293739377.jpg
Item from Etsy shop: Martin Mercantile

Image from: http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.318124195.jpg
Item from Etsy shop: Ruby Chic Boutique

The lovely Judy Collins
Image from: http://www.elektra60.com/images/judy-collins-wildflowers-out-take-guy-webster/

* The American writer Ken Kesey, in relation to the 1960s Counterculture, said "Now, you're either on the bus or off the bus. If you're on the bus, and you get left behind, then you'll find it again. If you're off the bus in the first place — then it won't make a damn."

Hey Hey

Sad news today that 60s pop star Davy Jones has died. I so clearly remember watching The Monkees on Sunday morning tv when I stayed over at my grandparents house, with my grandmother sitting beside me complaining about 'this modern music!'.



And how well Davy Jones summed up that sweet, boy-next-door 60s look when he was in The Brady Bunch.



Didn't you just long for your favourite pop star crush to turn up on the doorstep and ask you out? Innocent days :)

When Vintage goes bad...

My husband just emailed through some old adverts that someone sent him and while some are really quite funny, others are just kinda creepy...

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I have a real desire to knit at the moment. I have become a lot more interested in knitting this year and I am learning a lot about it - different tensions, different stitches, different sized needles. I have even finally taught myself how to cast on! But now I want to knit something substantial but it's got to be simple. My adventures in moss stitch and to a lesser extent purl have been holey disasters so far. What I'm thinking is a garter stitch cardigan for myself. What do you think? Garter stitch I have down pat and making something for myself will give me (ahem) plenty of motivation.

A piece of toast, a British sitcom and thou

You know of old my slightly peculiar obsession with 60s/70s British sitcoms. Well, it hasn't diminished. Morrissey, lead singer of the Smiths (who it could also be said I have a slightly peculiar obsession with), once said words to the effect that there is little quite so nice as watching an old movie on tv on a cold afternoon, armed with a warm piece of toast. And so it was yesterday, a cold winter's day, that I watched an old ep of "Doctor in the House" on You tube while eating Tuesday night's leftover meatloaf on toast. The early episodes were the best, I think, and perhaps this is at least partially because, as I noticed with surprise, they were written by John Cleese. I'd love to show you a clip but Blogger is being naughty again so here's the link if you're so inclined (and suitable equipped with some toast):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4juSDIP05PA&feature=related

Winnie Pooh

I discovered this yesterday on You Tube - a 60s Russian version of Winnie the Pooh. I have no idea if the subtitles are accurate but I just love the look of it - the colours, the different style of Pooh and of course his little song with the affirmative 'Da!' at the end. Beautiful stuff!

A Taste of Honey

Like my favourite pop culture icon Morrissey (lead singer of the Smiths), I have always been attracted to the 'kitchen sink' British dramas of the 1950s and 60s. So called because these books, plays and films were realistic to the point of including even the drab kitchen sink, they appeal to me because they focus on people just trying to lead their lives even when that life may not be infused with glamour, adventure or sweeping romance. I was first introduced to them through Stan Barstow's "A Kind of Loving" trilogy of books.

How people make their way along life's path is a constant source of fascination for me because how I myself have done and am doing just that has taken up a lot of my own brain-space over the years. This clip is the perfect combination - the music is "Hand in Glove" by the Smiths and the film is "A Taste of Honey" starring Rita Tushingham. The film was taken from a book of the same title by Shelagh Delaney. The song speaks, for me at least, of finding moments of happiness wherever you can - finding the diamond in the dustbin, looking for just a taste of honey - even though those moments may be fleeting. And this also sums up the 'kitchen sink' genre in my eyes.

I have tracked down "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" with Albert Finney and "A Taste of Honey" on DVD so I think I know what I'll be watching on the wet and cold weekend that awaits us...