Show us your vintage knitting and crochet!

[C-dot]

For knitting:
201, Socks - Working with double pointed needles, knitting in the round, shaping heels and toes
201, Cable Stitch - Following a pattern, use a cable needle, make a knitted cable

Crochet:
201, Granny square - Following a crochet pattern, making a granny square, joining new colors.
201, Ripple Technique - Following a pattern, increasing & decreasing stitches, joining new colors

For knitting, do the socks one. Cable stitch is complicated and is done by advanced knitters. For crocheting, if you want to make clothing, then take Ripple Technique; Granny Square is geared toward simple blanket making.

 

[SayCici]

Thank you!! Just what I needed to know. I'm so excited, I want to knit a big scarf I can tie into a bow.

 

[Miss Sis]

I cannot for the life of me decide on a color. How do you ladies who knit or crochet choose?

Firstly, thanks for the compliment on my green jumper and white skirt combo. Glad it inspired you.

How do I choose a colour to make a garment? There are a number of ways I go about it. First, I look at the garment I'm making. Is it for Winter or Summer? That will mean either wool or cotton, most likely. If it's a Winter garment, I look at wools in shades that suit me, warm colours like brown, rust, oranges etc.

Next I think about what I want to wear the garment with. No point making something that won't go with any of my other clothes, or I at least have to think about making say, a skirt to match. With the green jumper I had the white skirt and I also made a beige one. I have a lovely deep peach cotton jumper that goes with either skirt too, so it's wardrobe building.

Somewhere along the way I actually look at the range of colours available in the type of yarn I am wanting to use. If I want 100% wool in a 4 ply, I'm possibly going to be a bit more limited than if I'm looking at a double knit. Sometimes I have to compromise a bit, but usually it's close to what I had in mind in the first place.

 

[SayCici]

Thanks everyone who helped when I posted about classes - I really enjoyed my crochet ones and have my first knitting class today.

Has anyone ever seen a pattern similar to this:

?
Or do you think it'd be easy to make one up?

I tried to look for crochet/needlework patterns from the 20s of more than sweaters, but haven't been able to find anything.

 

[retrogirl1941]

For any lady who has knitted the 3-hour sweater: My ribbing at the bottom of my back piece doesn't look that great, Did anyone else have this problem? Maybe I just need to knit a practice swatch to work on my ribbing......

Samantha

 

[Lauren]

SayCiCi- That headpiece is AWESOME. Looks beaded- I think I'd just do it with wire and beads- might be just as fast as crocheting

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I tried to look for crochet/needlework patterns from the 20s of more than sweaters, but haven't been able to find anything.

What besides headband like things are you looking for...?

I have a fairly large collection of 20's ladies craft and home magazines....and can have a look through if you let me know categories to have a look at...

 

[velvetongue]

SayCici -- no, I have not seen a pattern for that, but it wouldn't be too hard to piece together.

the band looks like a lot of treble crochets, and the flower piece would be a flower motif crochet pattern. This site http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/flowers.php has a lot of free flower crochet patterns.

take a tape measure and measure your head (the area where your hat would go, the circumference of the head). do a chain stitch that is as long as this, and then start your treble crochets. make your crochet flower motif separately, and then attach your chain stitch/treble crochet to your flower motif. you might have to block the piece or starch it heavily when you are done to get the flower to not look so floppy... let me know how it goes if you are attempting to recreate it.

I finished my Three Hour Sweater (it took more than three hours) a few weeks ago. I knit the pattern in the round, improvising as I went along.

 

[SayCici]

SayCici -- no, I have not seen a pattern for that, but it wouldn't be too hard to piece together.

the band looks like a lot of treble crochets, and the flower piece would be a flower motif crochet pattern. This site http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/flowers.php has a lot of free flower crochet patterns.

Thank you for the advice! I knew the stitches themselves would be simple but I'm not sure how to do the rows separated? I've seen similar patterns though so I'll figure it out. Unfortunately I don't think I can block as I don't use wool. Thanks again!

 

[Mirinda]

This site http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/flowers.php has a lot of free flower crochet patterns.

Just wanted to say thanks for the link -I can't sew yet but I startet crocheting a few months ago and some of these flowers would make wonderful brooches!

Also, I love your sweater

 

[C-dot]

For any lady who has knitted the 3-hour sweater: My ribbing at the bottom of my back piece doesn't look that great, Did anyone else have this problem? Maybe I just need to knit a practice swatch to work on my ribbing......

I can't see too well, but the ribbing appears to be K2 P2 garter sts. Definitely knit swatches for any technique you aren't familiar with. While you're knitting, you'll notice that the knits protrude to the wrong side, while the purls protrude to the right side facing. It's also a good idea to count backwards if you lose your place.

 

[velvetongue]

SayCici, not sure what you mean by the rows separated? As for the treble crochet, I would chain 2 and then do a treble crochet every 2 or so stitches to get the ladder look -- kind of like this: |-|-|- ... you'd probably need to stabilize the edges with single crochet in every stitch or just block aggressively so it isn't floppy...

retrogirl1941, before selecting yarn I try to visualize the sweater already made (and sometimes it will appear in my head in a certain colour). Other times it's yarn availability, what's good for the price/material.

The bottom of my (improvised) Three Hour Sweater happens to be k1, p1 ribbing -- probably should have gone down a needle size, but I left it at the same needle I used for the body.

 

[Anwen]

This isn't really very vintage (the yarn's too thick, for one thing) but I love my cardigan and I think that, being very fitted, it has a certain '40s aspect:

The reason it's hanging open like that is because I could only find 3 snaps, but I couldn't wait to wear it because it's so cosy and warm! I'm actually planning to sew it closed down the front so it will be a pullover, it fits really nicely when I hold it shut.

Hmm, not sure why this isn't showing up as an image, I've got the 'img' tags...

 

[Anwen]

I sewed it closed up the front, here's another pic (I bothered to put on some lipstick at least! And my hair is a little better...)

 

[pretty faythe]

Minus the beads, do you think this would work for a guys stocking hat?

still searching for other patterns, but wanted opinions

 

[Grnidwitch]

Oh my. You knitting ladies amaze me. I can't knit to save my life. Way too much going on with 2 needles. I can crochet quite well but I haven't gotten the gumption to try a sweater. You girls have inspired me to give it a try.

Keep up the good work.

 

[tuppence]

I sewed it closed up the front, here's another pic (I bothered to put on some lipstick at least! And my hair is a little better...)

That's really nice Anwen. Which pattern did you use?

 

[Anwen]

That's really nice Anwen. Which pattern did you use?

Thanks It's the "Favorite Cardigan" pattern from Custom Knits - if you're on Ravelry the link to my project page is http://www.ravelry.com/projects/purpleanwen/favorite-cardigan which has a few notes and you can get from there to more info on the pattern/other people's projects It's lovely and comfy and only took a couple of weeks to knit up!

 

[velvetongue]

Anwen, that's a great sweater! Sewing it closed helps it look more vintage-like and the dark green is very flattering on you. Definitely another pattern I need to put into my queue at Ravelry...

 

[SayCici]

velvetongue, I meant when you look at the top of her head, there are two different sections to the headband.. one with two rows on the top of her head, at the left, and just one toward her forehead, but it looks like they come together at the bottom/behind her head.

Thank you!