Finding a series of interesting podcasts about prehistory to listen to, I finally finished converting this vest which I knitted ten to fifteen years ago into a throw rug. Time hasn’t stood still. In its day it was an elegant garment that I wore over black pants and a black skivvy–that photo lost in the mists of time. Shown instead on the old Coorparoo carpet, 4 years ago.

I must have had the vest out thinking to do something with it for I just never wore it in Brisbane. Too warm indoors. Too formal for day wear. Dangerously flappy for outdoors with grandkids, barbecue fires etc etc.

Finally got it out a few weeks ago. Took off the yoke and used it to knit a long strip to finish off and bind the top edge. The bottom edge will be left jagged and uneven.

All these strips were knitted on the diagonal, starting with three stitches, increasing until a desired width, then increasing at the beginning of the purl row and decreasing at the beginning of the plain row. I remember the fun I had inventing new textures.

While sewing the newly knitted strip along the top, I discovered how worn the knitted fabric actually was. It’s probably closer to fifteen years old than to ten. I fixed the half a dozen new holes by pursing the edges together and knotting the threads.

After a little study, decided to leave the bull’s eye repair, ugly though it is. What possessed me to fix it like that? Ripping that off I’d probably be making things worse.