Working with embroidery thread

I recently blogged about the French knitting (also known as spool knitting) place mats my dad made as a kid some 60 years ago. I have long since harbored an idea to knit meters and meters in a fine thread in order to make an interesting neck piece to wear with anyone of my grey silk or linen dresses. After coming across his knitting, I grabbed my money and legged it to the nearest haberdashery in South Africa to buy a knitting spool and hook to slip into my luggage destined for Qatar.

I visited the Singer shop in Doha over the weekend and fell in love with Hungarian pearl cotton embroidery thread available in the most beautiful colours. I chose 6 colours and am aware that it is probably going to take me forever to knit up meters and meters as the thread is barely thicker than sewing cotton!  I specifically wanted the lacy effect to enhance both the fragility as well as the strength of the cord and am pleased with how it is turning out.

Apart from discovering all the amazing embroidery threads in Doha, I have also discovered that  sleeping in pajamas is compulsory when one lives in a glass box!  We are currently hauled up in a serviced hotel apartment in the diplomatic area of Doha and our corner apartment boasts floor to ceiling windows in the bedrooms and lounge. The working day starts early here - between 6:30 and 7:00 in the morning and The Husband opens the blackout curtains before leaving for work. 

One morning I was greeted by the window washer and I still don't know whether I was more shocked by his mere presence or actually by his precarious balancing act of sitting on a swing, washing windows! I managed to sneak out of the bed for a photo as soon as he made his way down to the floor below ours.

A blast from the past!

FABULOUS FRENCH KNITTING

Made by my dad 60 years ago when he was a 10 year old kid in Primary School!

Don't you just love it?

The Tween, Teen and I are having a blast in our store room today! 

I just love how different items fascinate me during different stages of my life. I have had all of these items in storage crates for over 20 years and all of a sudden I have the need to surround me with it on a daily basis.

I will need to figure out how and where to display the Maize Sacks and French Knitting. For some reason up-cycling does not inspire me at the moment, I quite like looking at the raw product and am thinking it should stay like this. Putting it in frames for example will not fit with the raw, industrial feel of our home.  I also do not want to bring a scissor near the sacks - maybe 10 years ago cushions would have been a great idea. Now I am not so sure that it would be a good idea to cut up a piece of vintage cloth.

 

VINTAGE MAIZE SACKS 

These beautiful sacks (more than 50 years old) are from South Africa and given to me by my mom.