Christian de Falbe

A second-hand find. There is an introduction to the book by the Guardian fashion editor stating: these designs will not date. I wonder if she still has her job? There are only three designs in the book that you could even think about wearing as they are. The one above is lovely but I suspect that when I measure the sleeves, I'll find that the sleeve cap is too wide for classic fashion BUT what lovely details. It's beyond me at this point, but when I do get to the point where I can design my own garments, this will be a great resource book. I've learnt a lot about design by checking out 80s knitting books. The better the designer, the more attractive the designs still seem. The cheaper books look horrible now - the question to ask is why?

I also spent £2 on the stash: a ball of Rowan Felted Tweed in brown - partly to swatch with to see how I like it, and also, if I ever do reknit that Ralph Lauren ski sweater, it's the right colourway for that stash, then a full ball of green double knit wool, a full ball of flecked green and pink double knit acrylic and a few scraps of pink mohair all for Poppies.

So, with the book, the magazine and the stash, that's £8 I spent this week on knitting. It's amazing how much you can spend, even when you're not supposed to be spending!