The Shellac Sisters - a 78 rpm adventure in pictures

Jenny, Virginia, Jane and Theodora

The Shellac Sisters celebrated ten years of spinning 78s together at the end of 2014 with cocktails and dinner at The Gilbert Scott, part of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. I've been meaning to put up a blog post and a page about The Shellac Sisters for a long time, so here it is. 

The Shellac Sisters (with cocktails) at The Gilbert Scott Bar
Mine's a Corpse Reviver No.2.

The Shellac Sisters began DJing with gramophones in 2004, after a birthday picnic that summer when one of the sisters brought a gramophone and a handful of 78s along. It sounded great, and filled the picnic spot with sound loud enough to dance to. It didn't take long before we had all 'found' a gramophone (or two).

One should never dress down to a picnic.

It's been an amazing ten years, with gigs varied and exciting. Take a look at the page if you want to see more, but here are a few of my favourite pics from the past ten years.

On a platform in the middle of a man-made moat at

The V&A

This has to be one of my absolute favourite gigs of all time: A private party for a publishing company, which had the fantastic idea of hiring the V&A for a summer party. They flooded the outside area, and we had to jump on the platform before it got too high! We were then stranded there for the whole performance. Or, at least I thought so. Thankfully Jane had had the forethought to purchase some wellies in advance. Mine were leopard print.

Tate Britain 

I don't know who took this photo, but thank you whoever you are. My hubby doesn't dance much anymore, so this is a very precious picture. It was a Late at the Tate night, and we drew a huge crowd of Lindy Hoppers.

 I Knit Day 2007

I shouldn't have been at this gig, as it was on a Saturday when I work. It was for the wool shop I Knit in Waterloo. A whole day of knitting workshops, stalls and a talk by Jane Waller, whose 1972 book 'A Stitch In Time' I'd long coveted. It was a real turn of fate that got me here - one of those days when everything changed for me.

It wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been scratched by a cat in my garden a couple of months before. I got a really bad infection in my hand that needed surgery (Cat Scratch Fever)! I couldn't work for about six weeks, so at the last minute my mum and hubby convinced me to go along to this gig, as it wouldn't be too strenuous. That was the day that I met Susan Crawford and Jane Waller. Jane was talking about the re-issue of 'A Stitch In Time', with Susan, and when she saw The Shellac Sisters she offhandedly asked us if we would model for the book. I immediately said 'Hell yeah!' I wore my knitted dress that day, which later came to be featured in the book.

I've thought about that day many times since, and what got me there. It sounds a bit trite, but out of something awful, really awesome things can happen. Well, they did for me on this occasion.

The V&A

Another V&A shot, with both of us beaming with happiness. A very gallant gentleman kindly waded out and supplied us with refreshments of the bubbly kind, which may help explain it.

This was shot in an alleyway next to The Rose & Crown pub in Walthamstow for a newspaper article. I honestly can't remember which newspaper, though I've got a copy somewhere. I nearly didn't go, even though it was only up the road from me. It's not that I'm lazy (though I am!), just that I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. I was five months pregnant and feeling sick all the time. In retrospect (and in spite of the look on my face), I'm glad that I went.

This is from a picnic, and one of V's photographer friends took a couple of shots of us for promotion as we really needed them in the early days. I don't know why the other ladies' faces are cut off though. It wasn't me, really!

 The National Theatre

A nautical themed party for the National Theatre. We were on the roof, the deck, with views over London and the river. It was summer, an English summer, so there was a torrential downpour. Like the hats? They are all made by Jane (in the red hat), who is a milliner.

Gotta love that moat!

Theodora.

Free Pattern Friday - Herringbone Lace Turban

I'm changing my name to Chesty LaRue. I'm still fighting this chest infection with the help of yet more penicillin. I'm not knocking it. I'm not anti antibiotics, like so many people, but they have probably never really needed them to like, you know, save their actual lives. There, rant over. I have a story about how antibiotics did actually save my life once, but I'll bore you with that another time. (It does have a knitting connection - a major one).

This post is about knitting, as it should be. A knitted turban to be precise. After seeing a pattern for a vintage 1940s turban on The Vintage Pattern Files, and knitting it, I thought I would do another in a lacy stitch. As I didn't do a free pattern for February - (did I tell you I was ill?) - it is a bit overdue.

Photograph by Shanthi Sivanesan

The yarn I used is called Semilla, by BC Garn. I picked it up at Nest a while ago, for no particular project in mind, I just couldn't resist the shade. It only took two balls, as the meterage is very generous for a DK weight at 160m to 50g. I think it was under a fiver too. It is 100% organic wool, and has a good firm twist to it. Any DK weight yarn would work though. The original vintage turban pattern is done in 3 ply, but I just couldn't face all that knitting, and actually knit the vintage one in aran weight wool, which was a super quick knit. This one took a little longer, but still a lot quicker than with 3 or 4 ply.

I am very happy with it, as it goes with my 1940s dress and Copleys cable knit jumper. The pattern has a lot of stretch width-wise which is what I wanted, to cover my ears on a cold day.

Photograph by Shanthi Sivanesan

The photos were taken by my good friend, Shanthi, whom I've known since I was 18. She's always had a keen eye when it comes to taking a good pic, so I went over to her place, and we went out in the garden, It was cold sunny day, perfect weather.

She captured the colours perfectly.

Photograph by Shanthi Sivanesan

I have put the pattern on a new page, called 'Free knitting patterns'. You can find it under the banner at the top of the page, or here.

Photograph by Shanthi Sivanesan

Photograph by Shanthi Sivanesan

Photograph by Shanthi Sivanesan

We had a bit of fun with the styling.

I found my old Doc Martens recently, in the loft at my mum and dad's, so I've been living in them. I've always loved clashing colours and fabrics, so teaming my 40s dress with a faux leopard print jacket felt right. I have to admit I get slightly bored of dressing vintage head to toe, (sorry)! It's good to grunge it up a bit.

I have been listening to a lot of music from the 90s again, as my husband and I have just launched a night at our local here in Walthamstow. It's called Mixtape, and we play a mix of 80s and 90s stuff. This probably explains my fashion choices right now.

I really enjoyed rummaging in the loft for my old clothes from back then. I even found a hand knitted cardigan, in acrylic, (originally from a charity shop, in the days before I could knit).

You can just about see it here, with lace panels down the front. I'm with my good pal Nese, we grew up near each other in Norf' London. Nese is convinced she, (and I), invented the selfie, in 1992, before it even had a name. But Shanthi has confirmed that it was in fact Madonna, back in '85. And of course with that Polaroid in Desperately Seeking Susan. These are the issues that matter to us.

Can't beat a bit of red vinyl!

Theodora.

What's on my Needles Pt 2 and a New Crochet Course

Just sewing up my Starring Stripes now, then I will pick up around the neckline and do the last of the ribbing to finish off. I ran out of the main colour, green, but picked it up at Loop on Saturday after work. I got there just 5 mins before they closed, which was probably fortuitous, as they were having a 10% off sale, so I didn't get the chance to be weak in a wool shop.

I just hope it fits, it measures between 17.5 and 18ins unstretched, so if I just steam it very lightly it should be OK.

Matching the stripes isn't too tricky, I'm using mattress stitch, which is what I use for side seams too. I just can't seem to get on with back stitch, it seems bulky and I like sewing on the right side of the work, so I can make sure I'm not messing up.

I will post more pics when it's finished. Hopefully not crappy ones taken with my phone. I do like my new tablecloth though, an oilcloth from good old Walthamstow Market.

In other news, I signed up to a five week crochet course with Claire Montgomerie, a knit and crochet designer, and editor of the best craft magazine around.

Inside Crochet is pretty much the only craft mag I buy now, as I rarely see anything that interests me in the knitting mags these days. I got a gift subscription to Mollie Makes, which also has some good projects, but there is ALWAYS something in Inside Crochet that I want to make. I think that is what re-kindled my interest in crochet. The projects are aimed at all levels, so as a beginner I was able to leap right in and make something really fun and quick! Wow, it really is SO much quicker than knitting. 

I've just had the first class, and it was great. We were told we can bring in any pattern we would like to make, so of course I have been trawling through my vintage patterns. Can't wait til next week.

Free pattern Friday

Not an original idea, but a great one. Lots of lovely bloggers, including Wendy at The Vintage Pattern Files, post free knitting and sewing patterns. They are usually posted on a Friday, so who am I to argue? Here's my first free pattern for you:

 

 

This was one of the first successful vintage jumpers I completed, back in 2004 (10 years ago already). I was seriously pleased with it. I didn't know much about tension then, and don't even think I tested it. The yarn I used was from The Handweavers Studio when it was still near me in Walthamstow. A soft merino, it came on little cones. The pattern called for a 2 ply - I still don't know the exact weight of the yarn. It came out very well, except it was far too short. I ended up having to pick up along the hem and adding some more ribbing.

This is something I am aware of now - my long torso, and measuring the length before I start the armhole shaping. I think most knitters have to add length to vintage jumpers now - we're taller, and broader. You just have to look at the models in patterns from the 30s, and they were slight - narrow shoulders, small busts, slender hips, like this lady:  

I love that pose, and her regal face. The column is pretty awesome too.
I modified the jumper, using the yoke of this pattern:

I liked the effect so much, I knitted one in red.

This time I added extra pattern repeats, giving a slightly more relaxed fit. I used Misti Alpaca lace.

Here is another pic of me wearing it in a more 50s beatnik style with my Shellac Sisters, at a gig we did in South London somewhere.

So that's my first free pattern, but not the last. I hope you like it.