A handknit Golf Vest from Rowan

 To start off 2025 I managed to finish my 'golf' vest.

Having played right through my first Winter of golf, I found that a short-sleeved top with a sleeveless vest managed to keep me warm and not too hot. All I had was two of Peter's golf vests, which were fine, but as they were commercially made, I preferred to have one of my own. 

I've been subscribing to the Rowan magazine for only a year previously to the issue where I found my vest.

I wanted to completely stash dive and made this in green tones, including a yarn that was a cardigan I knit when I was a child. It's the lightest green and the mid green was some handspun yarn. I'm very pleased with the result.

I do love my magazines, however, my usual goto magazines have disappeared in various ways. Vogue Knitting (Designer Knitting by the time it reaches Australia) has not published an issue since early 2023. This never arrived in Australia, except, I think for a few subscribers. They've never announced that they're done with, which hardly surprising as they've been difficult to deal with as an overseas subscriber and is the reason I've not had a subscription for quite some time relying on it's delivery to Australia, via the UK after getting a new cover.

 Pom Pom magazine announced it's closure and I got a digital copy of the last issue. This has been my goto for funky young designs and I'll keep using the copies I have as they are really lovely. I'm sorry to see them go, but I understand that two young publishers have finally found it too difficult. They are, however, continuing to work and publish in this space. I do look forward to see what they're doing next.

Then the Crafts Council UK magazine 'CRAFTS' has gone to a model where you join up and receive other benefits of a community. Unfortunately, it is not worthwhile to do this in Australia, as the only real benefit is the magazine and the cost is not suitable. I am bitterly disappointed as this magazine has been an inspiration for a long time. And now I find that they're discontinuing the magazine entirely.

And we come to Rowan magazine from the very famous stable of Rowan Yarn Company. I found, in Vinnies in Wonthaggi, the very first issue, just by chance and bought it without thinking about subscribing. 

I did like the issue and it had quite alot of interesting articles, and the patterns were still interesting after all these years. So when my magazine options ran out I decided to try Rowan. A subscription for a year is only 2 copies and you do become part of their community, so I don't find it too expensive.

I've been very happy with this. It doesn't have as many articles as the first issue, but enough to be interesting. The patterns are lovely and it arrives quickly after being released in the UK, so quickly, in fact that I get the latest copy before the previous copy arrives in Morris & Son in Sydney

So I have continued my subscription and received this next issue (No 76), in which was my pattern for my vest, along with a couple of contenders for inclusion in my wardrobe.

And, yes, I like the cover jumper!

Five on Friday - new year, new start, new idea!

Ok, so I haven't blogged much, but after a relaxing Summer holiday I feel that perhaps I need to take a new approach. It is fun and I like the discipline of having to do something so I can blog about it!

Taking a leaf from Leanne and her photography blog, where she has themes for her various, varied and numerous posts, I thought I'd start a 'Five on Friday'.....five pictures of the work I've done through the week. Hopefully, they'll form the basis of more extensive blog posts, but lets start with this.

Here they are:

1. Coming back from the beach, where I've been taking pictures of shells. More food for my A-Z of shells design project, which is a bit slow at the moment because I need to do some spinning and/or some dyeing.

2. Having finally started, after years and years (yes, really!) of spinning a multi-coloured fleece that was a gift from a good friend, to design and knit this fairisle jumper. The pattern is loosely based on banksias and is coming up quite nicely.

3. Knitting more socks. Now I'm trying to time how long it takes me as I want to try out for the Sock Madness Forever Groups', Sock madness 9 on Ravelry. It opens up on the 1st February for Registration.

4. I like to have a few bobbins of fine spun singles to ply with so I've been topping up my natural and purple. I want to do alot of spinning this year, a definite stash busting year!

 5. And today, I went to see Jean Paul Gaultier at the NGV International. It's finishing soon and it full of amazing stuff, though I did think I saw something labelled as knitting when it was crochet!

So, don't forget to see Jean Paul Gaultier, it finishes on February 8th....that is, if you're in Melbourne!

A finished project

Finally finished the jumper for my oldest son. I'm quite happy with it, though the sleeves are longer than I would like....HE likes them. The colours for the fairisle pattern have worked out really well and he does look very handsome when he's wearing it. Yes, despite the warm weather, he has worn it out at night.

The pattern is from the Yarn Forward (now called Knit, for some strange reason, they renamed the magazine, so I can't pick it out from all the other '...knit....' magazines. An original name would have been nice, I'm sure they used a focus group to decide that!) and I did wait a along time before he decided that he wanted me to knit a jumper for him, but it was worth the wait.