'Tis the Season
Busy!! as we all are this time of year: with two sons' birthdays, Thanksgiving with family, and preparing for Christmas, it's a blur. One son relocated, so I spent a few days helping and hauling, in the midst of the busy whirl.
This:
is one of the few photos of work-in-progress I can show as of now: it's not a gift, or a deadline knit, it's not for publication or anything! Just a time-filler, simple project for out and about or traveling. It is leftover-yarn-knitting: gloves, whether with fingers or not to be determined. It's been living in this grab-and-go bag:
A simple rip-stop nylon bag, made by a friend a few years ago. It's effectiveness makes it the go-to bag of the month: secure drawstring closure, lightweight and small, easy to pop into a larger bag, and the carabiner hangs it onto a strap, or my seat belt on airplanes. It holds yarn, scissors, markers and needles close at hand, nothing falls on the floor or rolls around or escapes, and it leaves me hands free to knit.
The Big News! is the acquisition of this:
1909 Singer 31-20, tailoring and upholstering machine, with a 1.5 horsepower motor. Whoop! I've been playing, practicing and learning how this works, and soon! I will have it down. It's a simple machine, made to sew straightforward seams, but it is strong, and durable. Heavy too, all cast iron, and serious!
Given the time of year, I will have to wait to learn its intricacies, but it is installed, and ready. And? I got it in trade for beads. I feel like I just bought Manhattan!
More soon! But until then: it's a continuing happy and productive advent season for me, and best wishes to you, whatever holiday you may choose to celebrate.
This:
is one of the few photos of work-in-progress I can show as of now: it's not a gift, or a deadline knit, it's not for publication or anything! Just a time-filler, simple project for out and about or traveling. It is leftover-yarn-knitting: gloves, whether with fingers or not to be determined. It's been living in this grab-and-go bag:
A simple rip-stop nylon bag, made by a friend a few years ago. It's effectiveness makes it the go-to bag of the month: secure drawstring closure, lightweight and small, easy to pop into a larger bag, and the carabiner hangs it onto a strap, or my seat belt on airplanes. It holds yarn, scissors, markers and needles close at hand, nothing falls on the floor or rolls around or escapes, and it leaves me hands free to knit.
The Big News! is the acquisition of this:
1909 Singer 31-20, tailoring and upholstering machine, with a 1.5 horsepower motor. Whoop! I've been playing, practicing and learning how this works, and soon! I will have it down. It's a simple machine, made to sew straightforward seams, but it is strong, and durable. Heavy too, all cast iron, and serious!
Given the time of year, I will have to wait to learn its intricacies, but it is installed, and ready. And? I got it in trade for beads. I feel like I just bought Manhattan!
More soon! But until then: it's a continuing happy and productive advent season for me, and best wishes to you, whatever holiday you may choose to celebrate.
posted by Sara at 11:36 AM
3 Comments:
You sound so happy! And what a beast that sewing machine is - lovely.
Have fun...
Nice looking stitcher. I have a 1900 31-20 treadle that I bought back in 1970 from a saddle maker. We put a after market ac/dc electric drive on it and used it for 20 years on our ranch to make seat covers and tarps. Last week I decided to reclaim it from the junk pile. Oiled her up good and then cleaned. After the dirt and rust was removed, put in new needle and thread and timed her. Sews as good as new. Had to replace the laminated deck with plywood. The old deck just fell apart from being out in the heat and cold for 40 years.
Before you touch the dials on your new baby, go to this site:
http://www.thehcc.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1103&start=900
Read all the comments about trouble shooting your new prize. Took me 4 hours :-( very valuable time spent My tiny drive just broke thread and needles when the sewing machine was out of time. Your 1.5 hp drive might spit nails and gears. Have fun. pg
That machine reminds me of grad school in Israel: I was renting an apartment from someone on sabbatical (in the US I think) and in the second bedroom was a Pfaff that had come out of germany before the war. The leather drive bad was dried and brittle so I used a braided sleeping-bag drawstring which was perfect. The machine was rather particular, wouldn't sew with anything except pure cotton thread, but it was quite the workhorse.
There was nothing it couldn't (or wouldn't) sew through.
Including fingers. Ask me how I know... (They had to cut me open to remove 7mm of sewing machine needle from the bone in the fingertip of my left ring finger).
Hope you enjoy yours - and be CAREFUL!
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