Tag Archives: floral

Achoo!

1 Reply

Yesterday was the equinox, so happy official spring everybody!

Here in Seattle, the trees and flowers have decided to blossom with a vengeance!  I swear, when I even look outside my nose starts running, and I begin to sneeze uncontrollably.  Not ideal, sure, but does that stop me from picking flowers and bringing them inside?  Ha! Histamines be damned!  I’m going to enjoy spring!

But, maybe I should just stick to only non-allergy-producing flowers.  Maybe I could work up some adorable knit floral patterns like these:

It’s not quite warm here- a damp chill in the 40s and 50s, so a lovely blanket like this, strewn with gorgeous flower motifs would be just the ticket!

Frida’s Flowers Blanket by Jane Crowfoot

12794767_10209072076018969_2032870089130453054_o_medium2[1]If I had a little girl, I would totally make her this darling cardigan.  (I wonder if my dog would be willing to put up with a sweater like this… hmm.)

Flower Cardigan by Ewelina Murachback_1_medium2[1]And, I have to admit that my teapot is shockingly naked at the moment.  Maybe I should work up this warm-looking tea cozy strewn with adorable little violets and leaves.

Floral Knitted Tea Cosy by Madame Weigel2093437863_88361d4cf1_z[1]I suppose I should just admit to myself that I’ll be stuck in the house, hiding from pollen until July.  I guess I just need to curl up under a nice, warm blanket like this one and watch a lot of Netflix, until spring is done and summer is in full swing.  (I suppose there are worse things to do.)

Floral Baby Blanket by Adi Kerenpic_medium2[1]

What’s the flower situation like in your neck of the woods?  Have your daffodils come up yet, or your cherry trees blossomed?

Flower Loom

8 Replies

A few months ago, I received a little package from my mom.  Inside was a letter from my Great-Aunt Coletta and tiny brass instrument that looked like something Dumbledore would use to cast some esoteric spell.  Or maybe stab people.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The letter said that the instrument (just about 3.5 inches long and about 1.25 inches wide) was a little loom for making flowers that had once belonged to my Great Grandmother Anna (Coletta’s mother).    Coletta wasn’t sure how it worked, and didn’t have the box or any instructions about how it worked, but if you looked closely on the height adjuster (the second spoked wheel can move up and down), you can see a name and a patent number.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Flower Loom, Pat. No. 2011617.

My mom had done a little Googling and figured out how to make a simple rosette using the loom, and had even sent along a couple finished ones that she had made:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Cool right?

But I wanted to know more!  What else could this little bad boy do?  When was it made?  Where did it come from?

A little more Googling later, and it turns out that the patent for the “Bucilla Floral Loom” was filed in August of 1935, and manufactured shortly thereafter.  It was designed to be super adjustable, so that you could make all sorts of flowers-different shapes, and sizes.

sizes[1]But, I still wondered what you were supposed to do with these little flowers.  Sure, they were cute, but not entirely practical.  Well, the internet provided answers for that question, too.  I found a booklet of patterns for the Bucilla Flower Loom (published in 1937, and available for a low, low price of 20 cents!)

lg_302A[1]In it, they show you how to make all sorts of things- baby blankets, afghans, dresses, jackets, and even a glamorous nightgown!

lg_302P[1]This has got me itching to break out my Floral Loom and going to work on some fantastic flowery garments!