Show us your vintage knitting and crochet!

[Inky]

I definitely will give a review - I waited and hemmed and hawed about spending money on it, but my sweater wardrobe is sadly lacking and I have so much yarn on hand (why why why am i looking on knitpicks!), so I sold those black hand-tooled shoes and justified the book purchase

Actually. I was just looking through yarn cabinet number one (this does not include yarn in the closet, under the bed, or in the garage, sigh) and found a 2000+ yard spool of Jaggerspun Heather fingering weight in a lovely lilac color that should make a nice version of that sweater. Stash busting, woohooo, now I am dying to get that book - but I have to finish a cashmere scarf first.

 

[kamikat]

Does anyone have Vintage Knitwear for Modern Knitters? It just arrived in the mail today. There are quite a few projects I want to knit.

 

[HoneysuckleRose]

Hello everyone... This is my first post!

I received Vintage Knitwear for Modern Knitters for Christmas, it's such a great book! I'm currently in the middle of making the Angora Leaf Scarf and I've also got my eye on the Jacket with Frog Fasteners and the Tube Top and Bolero.

It's so nice to finally be able to knit up some vintage patterns, so often I come across really lovely ones that call for 2ply yarn or even finer. I need to swatch more I think!

 

[mackenzie]

I made this from the vintage knitting for modern knitters book. Sorry for the bad pic, it looks better in real life. Now I just need to get a white belt.
I'm currently working on the blue bird from A stitch in time. Still have to do a sleeve and then I'm done.

 

[kamikat]

I made this from the vintage knitting for modern knitters book. Sorry for the bad pic, it looks better in real life. Now I just need to get a white belt.
I'm currently working on the blue bird from A stitch in time. Still have to do a sleeve and then I'm done.

That is VERY cute! Nice work!

 

[mackenzie]

Thank you!

 

[Foofoogal]

amazing. I am a cardiganaholic. Love the contrast.

 

[imoldfashioned]

That's a fantastic collar! Excellent work!

I made this from the vintage knitting for modern knitters book. Sorry for the bad pic, it looks better in real life. Now I just need to get a white belt.
I'm currently working on the blue bird from A stitch in time. Still have to do a sleeve and then I'm done.

 

[Inky]

A Stitch In Time

Well, my first review of this book is a resounding hurrah for fast shipping! I ordered it on the evening of the 27th, it shipped the 30th and I received it today, 2/4 in California from the UK - and for only 3 pounds shipping cost.

At my first glance, all I can say is wow, this book is huge! It's softback, 356 pages, color and black and white. The black and white photos are actual copies of the original patterns that were done, so you can see a actual vintage photo and then the modern version on a model (Hi Fleur, you look marvelous!).

I can't wait to digest it all and decide what to make first. This book, with shipping, ended up costing me $45.01 US, and appears to be well worth it, even just as eye-candy, but hopefully to inspire me to use my stash and increase my wardrobe (thank goodness it's a moderate climate here and I am always cold - I can wear sweaters virtually year round!)

EDITED TO ADD: It now appears this book is on Amazon in the U.S. for $39.44 (free super saving shipping).

 

[michou1930]

Lousy pictures, sorry.

Here is another very simple little knit which is not as perfect as I wanted it but anyway ...

I don't think I will wear the blouse with this skirt but I wanted to show the skirt on my blog and still had the jumper on Blouse is 1934, skirt midforties btw.

Next knitted item will be a sailor cardi which will be not only in trend 1932 but also 2009 - I love it when this happens!

 

[michou1930]

Ahoi, Sailor!

Came out a bit short and I will have to look for the perfect dress to go with it (suggestions would be more than welcome )

 

[imoldfashioned]

That's an adorable sweater michou, I just love it! I bet it would be cute in red too.

Came out a bit short and I will have to look for the perfect dress to go with it (suggestions would be more than welcome )

 

[kamikat]

Very cute, michou!

 

[michou1930]

Thanks, ladies :-

Well, red would be an idea, too - but will have to wait, my to knit list is already that long ;-)

 

[JupitersDarling]

I finally gave in and won myself a small lot of vintage knit booklets that included one from 1938. Now, does anyone know any good sites that teach one how to size up knitting patterns? I'm guessing I'll have to do some sizing up.
.
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[michou1930]

Couldn't be easier

I finally gave in and won myself a small lot of vintage knit booklets that included one from 1938. Now, does anyone know any good sites that teach one how to size up knitting patterns? I'm guessing I'll have to do some sizing up.
.
.

As most of the early 30s patterns are simply shaped it is quite easy to resize. There are two possibilities depending on your size and your tension.

First of all if you need to change the size it is really necessary to make a gauge (yes, we all hate that but unless you have worked with the same yarn and the same needles you want to make the jumper with you will need to do this)

Given the tension is the same as in the pattern and you want to go from the typical 34" bust to 35" you could just change the needle size. The tension will be looser and therefore the jumper will be a little bit bigger.

If you wanted to change the pattern to a bigger size it would be better to increase the number of stitches.
You have the pattern for 34" and need 38" - there are 4" more. The pattern tells you to cast on 112 stitches, you add consequently 28 and will have to cast on 140.

Next look at the pattern and see what is says or shows about the length from waist to armpit - typically a number between 10" and 13". In most cases (if you want to wear the jumper with a vintage skirt and not with low-waisted jeans) you won't have to change something here.

Next comes the casting off for the armholes - if you resize to a real big size you should now do some maths and look at your shoulders and how narrow or wide they are. Most bigger women do have shoulders that look quite narrow compared to their bust. If this were the case: measure your shoulder line, compare it to the pattern. Resize in the same way as explained before.

Let's say the patterns gives 28 stitches for every side and you need 1" more you will have 14 stitches more. If your neck needs a little bit more room, cast off more stitches and probably add another 7 stitches - would be a total of 35 stitches more than in the original.

So if they told you to cast off 20 stitches for the armholes you would have had left 92 stitches on the needles. 56 would be for the shoulders, 36 for the neck opening. You would like to have 70 for the shoulders and 43 for the neck = 113 stitches. 140-113= 27 (make it 26).

Now change the numbers for the armhole by adding three stitches for the first cast off and continue as the patterns wants you to.

(O dear, it is really easy but now I find myself talking and talking and fighting against the English language - sorry)

Vintage pattern sleeves are mostly narrow - something between 6.5 and 7.5 inches will be given for the armhole each for back and front. If you need more space add the needed amount divided by two.

You need perhaps 16" for your upper arm, add the missing amount, knit to the shoulders and cast off, changing the number of stitches as necessary.

The same goes for the sleeves: just add the stitches you need when casting on, increase as given in the pattern and when it comes to the casting off part start with the same number of stitches you casted off for the armholes.

Now the top of the sleeves needs resizing if changed the armpit-shoulder part. The last stitches you should cast off should now be the given number in the pattern plus the inches you want to have more.

Let us say: cast on was 80 - you want 2" more make it 94. Increasing is 2 stitches every inch five times, you keep that. Makes now 104.
You casted off 9 stitches for the armhole, do the same now = 86 stitches.
Pattern gives 20 stitches for the last remaining ones - you want 34 which means decreasing 70 while the patterns decreased 60.
Depending on your arms (normal or quite big) you decide what to do now: just decrease in the same manner as in the pattern and having more rows gives the bigger arm more space. Decreasing a bigger number of stitches at some point will give you the same rows as in the pattern and more of the original look but less space.

Well, that was a long talk and I hope it is understandable. This is the way they did it in those days and you will find that a lot of pattern books give an explanation on How-to

If you need further help just ask

 

[AllaboutEve]

That's wonderful Michou, just what I've been trying to figure out with my sweater as I had to take out an entire pattern repeat from the smallest size to get it to the right size and now have to figure out the neck and arm shaping.


I'm printing that advice of yours, it's great!

 

[michou1930]

Happy to be helpful

That's wonderful Michou, just what I've been trying to figure out with my sweater as I had to take out an entire pattern repeat from the smallest size to get it to the right size and now have to figure out the neck and arm shaping.


I'm printing that advice of yours, it's great!

Dearest, I am happy that my bubbling is helpful. But ha! When you mentioned the pattern repeat I noticed I wanted to say something about this, too.

Ok, when you have a pattern repeat of more stitches than you need to add you will have once more two possibilities:
If you wanted to add say 14 stitches and the pattern is 8 (x2=16) you can just take those 16 instead of the required 14, that won't make an enormous difference in the result.
But if you have a pattern repeat of 14 stitches and only wanted to add 7 than it would be better (and true vintage) to add those stitches in stockinette or even in garter stitch. That will look much better than a somehow crooked pattern whose center is not in the middle. Especially when knitting lace the garter stich version will look very nice

So, enough of my talktalk

 

[Miss Hattie]

I'm in love!

Came out a bit short and I will have to look for the perfect dress to go with it (suggestions would be more than welcome )

I think a white dress would look quite fetching

Hullo there shipmate!
Wow, Michou you look fantastic!
That little sailor style cardigan would certainly be a dream pattern of mine, just too adorable for words.
I’m in love with all your knits to date but this is by far my favourite (at the moment!)
Well done!

Well that’s it- I’ll just have to finish my fathers jacket and start knitting myself some jaunty little numbers too. (Though they wont be half as good!)

 

[JupitersDarling]

So, enough of my talktalk

Well, I am saving all your talktalk to my knitting inspiration folder. Thank you soooo much Michou!!