The young chemist at work

Now, I was never very good at Chemistry at school (miraculously scraped an E in my O Level) but I can confidently say that that is an enormous test tube full of copper sulphate. When we used copper sulphate in our Chemistry lessons, it was only ever dispensed in tiny, tiny quantities. Maybe that's because I went to a comprehensive school. This lad must be reaping the benefits of a private education: enough copper sulphate to bathe in.

I don't like the way he's looking so smug about it. Nice 4-ply hand-knitted v-neck jumper, though. I can't imagine hand-knitting school uniform these days.

Norwegian sportswear

Now this is what I call proper sportswear. If the racks in JJB Sports were full of nothing but hand-knitted Norwegian-style jumpers and bobble hats like these, I would sign up for the loyalty card.

Any guesses which sports the couple are about to partake in? Something that you can do while wearing tweed trousers and full make up... is posing by a sports car actually a sport?

This late 1950s pattern from P and B gives directions for his and hers jumpers and hats, worked on dinky little size 11 needles, using 4 ply yarn. The Norwegian patterning is beautiful - if you were knitting this you would tackle a band of Norwegian twiddliness at the start of your project as you begin at the base of the main body, then a calm period of inky blackness, before finishing with a flourish of more twiddle at the top. A good combination of yin and yang.

The Queen is a shape-shifting Reptilian

The Queen is a shape-shifting reptilian. One way up, she's a respectable monarch - but turn her upside down and pull her skirt over her head and she magically transforms into her true form: a reptilian entity who has come from another dimension to enslave you with fear.


You can knit the shape-shifting Queen using scraps of DK yarn on 3.75mm knitting needles. I'll email you a simple to follow PDF pattern with many colour photos and clear step-by-step making-up instructions. First page of pattern is shown as a photo.

This double-ended doll is a potent reminder of the dark side of power that lurks within every leader. She's approx 7.5 inches tall when completed.


You're buying a PDF pattern only, not the completed doll - pattern will be emailed to you within 24 hours, usually quicker. Buy my shape-shifting Queen doll pattern now on Etsy for £3.50!

True vintage

This picture pleases me because it is sailing in the opposite direction to the current prevailing vintage crafting style. The modern definition of vintage equates to folksy, chunky knit or felted cream-coloured natural doodads photographed against a distressed white wall and scrubbed wooden floors. There may possibly be an artfully inclined black bicycle or 1940s wooden packing crate lurking in the background, too.

However, for me, true vintage is summed up by this page from a Patons Bazaar booklet, circa late 1960s. Brightly coloured acrylic cushions having a fight with some inflatable clown heads over who is going to sit on that rocking chair. It was a challenge to find a background colour that would clash with every single cushion but by heck, Patons managed to pull it off.