Free Pattern - 1940's A Charming Stitch Jumper

This knitwear model has an amazing hair do! And those eyebrows! I think this is such pretty jumper, perfect for under your suit for spring. It is knit in a lacy rib and has a moss stitch yoke and has typical 1940's strong shoulders. It is finished with a set of crochet buttons. The pattern is for a 32-34" bust. Remember to check your tension before you start!

I like finding a pattern with the stamp of the wool shop that sold it. This one was sold at The Readicut Wool Co Ltd, Briggate, Leeds. I managed to find a picture of it here. If you know Leeds the wool shop was where Harvey Nichols is now. Readicut was founded in 1928 in Wakefield. They supplied pre-cut wool for rug making. Prior to this crafters had to cut the wool themselves from skeins. I have some vintage rug patterns somewhere, it was a very popular activity. I will have to dig the patterns out.

So here is another pattern to add to my ever growing list!

2017 in knitting

It is time to look back over last year and see what I got up to with my knitting. You can read about 2015 here and 2016 here. I feel like I haven't knitted all of the things that I wanted to knit this year. There are just so many great patterns! I am very pleased with what I have made and I enjoyed making them so I have to remember that. These are more or less in the order that they were made. Things do get moved up and down the list when deadlines or other occasions mean a change in project is needed.

This 1960's cravat and tam makes a super set but the pattern required a bit of tinkering. The cravat works very well and I made it and the tam in a lovely mustard Sirdar Baby Bamboo. It is 80% bamboo and 20% wool. I love everything about wool but it does not love me back. It itches me beyond belief, even a fine merino or when blended with silk. That is why I always wear a scarf and long sleeved tops with my cardigans. I thought I would get away with this one but not round my neck, so my mum now has the cravat. The tam is lovely but has no rib and no hatband (as per the pattern) so it just does not stay on my head. I have threaded elastic through it and that kind of works now. I can cope with wool in a hat as I have a big fringe so it never touches my skin!

I wanted to crack the pattern so I had another go in this lovely red Wendy Merino. I added some rows of rib and this one does fit and stay on. I don't normally wear red so this one was going to be for sale but I was surprisingly pleased with how it looked on so I kept it! I knitted the matching cravat too but I don't seem to have a photo of it.

I knitted this Aran pattern hat for my niece in Sublime Merino. She loves yellow and I love knitting cables so it was a good match. It was great fun to knit. There was a small moment of difficulty when she found that the pompom wasn't quite the colour green that she had picked out in the shop, (well remembered by her, age 3), but we have got over that now!

Next up was the completion of this lovely 1950's lace panel cardigan which I knitted in Millamia. I knitted the back, sleeves and one front in 2015!! It then sat in the naughty corner for a good long while as I got a bit confused working out the instructions for the other front. As is the way of vintage patterns, it just said to reverse what you did on the other side and I could not make it work. Helpful with lots of yarn overs and lace. Eventually, I sat down with my mum and she read out all the possibilities that a row could be whilst I knitted them to see what looked right. That way we got the pattern and I could finish my cardigan! It is a beautiful teal, the colour isn't exactly right in any of these photos.

This Marriner's tank top was one that I put on my 2017 knitting wish list and is in fact one of two projects from that list that got started in 2017. I started it on the train on the way to Edinburgh Yarn Festival. I have knitted the front and back, in Fyberspates Scrumptious and have stalled on the armbands. It is currently languishing in the Knitting Bag of Doom from which it deserves to be rescued rather soon. I would like to wear it.

This 1940's cardigan from a Canadian pattern has such a lovely texture, nice and squishy, and has great forties shoulders. It was knitted in Drops Merino and the colour is more like the second photo then the top one. It was a great pattern to knit. This one hasn't featured on the blog before as it was a commission knit.

I knitted this baby helmet from a 1950's pattern for a lovely friend's baby. I like the look of these traditional helmets and they must keep a baby's head nice and cosy. The decoration on the top is a button that you knit a little cover for and then sew to the centre of the helmet. I first knitted one of these helmets for my niece as a Christmas present when she was four months old. It has a bit of a family tale behind it. You can read the story of here.

This was another one from my knitting wish list. The model is holding an egg timer as the pattern states that this jumper can be knitted in eight hours. If you follow me on Instagram you will already know the sad story of this jumper. In brief, no, you can't knit it in eight hours and nor can you knit it with the yarn that I used (a Sublime silk/cotton mix) without it looking like a dish cloth. An expensive dish cloth at that. So it had to be pulled back and the yarn is back in my stash waiting for a more suitable project.

This is another unfinished project, it had to be put aside for more pressing matters but I do intend to go back to it. I really like 1940's tank tops/pullovers and have a great collection of men's patterns. This one gets bonus marks as it also fits into my Men Smoking collection. I have knitted the back and done the rib of the front. It might be for sale, it might be for me, we shall see!

I was on a beret mission in the latter half of 2017 as I wanted more of these most useful hats and had plenty of patterns to try out. This 1960's one is knitted in Debbie Bliss Aran in a fabulous duck egg colour. It was lovely to knit and I like the pattern. No photos of it on yet but I plan to remedy that soon.

I recently wrote a post about this beret pattern which you can read here so I won't repeat the details.

I also made a black one as a commission:

Squeezing in as the last knit of the year on the 29th December was a cream version, in alpaca and silk, for me.

In November I started another garment for myself. It is a 1960's sleeveless jumper with a big collar for pining brooches on. It is not finished yet but I can share the beginnings of it. I have knitted most of the front and have about an inch more to go on the collar. So about halfway there.

2017 appears to have been a year of hats and unfinished things. I'm aiming for more garments and more completed projects in 2018. What about you?

A 1960's knitted beret

What an outfit! What a colour!

However, for the purpose of this post all we are interested in is the beret. I have been after a knitted beret for a good while, and am going through a phase of finding all the beret patterns that I have and knitting them up one by one to find my favourite. Berets are so versatile in their look and in their period correctness and I have a gap in my hat wardrobe.

I have knitted the Sunday Pictorial Beret from A Stitch in Time by Susan Crawford but I can't get it to look right on me, though I have seen it look fabulous on others. It has a separately knitted and stitched on bow and I think it might be the placement of that which is causing me problems. I need to remove the bow so the weight doesn't pull the beret down and then I can position it on my head more to my liking. So whilst that is on the 'to fix' pile I am trying other patterns out.

I bought this fabulously soft, beautifully coloured yarn from Temporary Measure when I saw them at Yarndale in September. It is 100% baby alpaca DK and it knits up beautifully with a lovely drape and good stitch definition. It is most lovely and warm too.

The colour is a bit lighter than this really but I can't get a good photo of it in this winter gloom! I love the radiating decreases.

This is quite a big beret; I would say it is larger than the pattern suggests. I rarely check my tension if I'm knitting an accessory for myself and the yarn is pretty drapey. I rather like the extra slouch; I can wear this like a tam which is a style I am comfy wearing. I'm going to go down a needle size for the next one for myself for comparison. The headband is just garter stitch so I probably would like that on a smaller needle for a closer fit.

This is it hot off the needles and straight on to my head, hence the bad lighting and the sofa selfie. I liked wearing it straight away.

It has continued to get lots of wear. This is me early in the morning on a freezing station platform waiting for yet another late train to work! It keeps my ears nice and cosy. This is a better idea of the colour too.

I have knitted another one as a commission knit. Here it is:

This one is knitted in black Drops Merino DK and it feels lovely.

Finishing touches - woven labels and vintage thread.

I have a beret from another pattern knitted up which just needs seaming so that should be getting tested out in a few days.

Do you have a favourite beret pattern?

From 1978 to 2018

Some 1970's crochet goodness to start off with there. I'm pleased they have given us two different styling options just in case you weren't sure how best to wear it.

A trio of wonder. I'm sure that we can all find two friends who would willingly wear these so that we can recreate that photo.

Assuming that you didn't get enough tabard wearing time in science lessons you could knit yourself one (or both) of these stunners. The one on the right does have a wave pattern on it after all.

Words fail me.

This is not just a post about slightly suspect 1970's knitting and crochet. Although it could be, I have plenty of patterns in my collection. The real reason is this:

This is the most recent edition of Slipknot, the journal of the Knitting and Crochet Guild. The Guild is a charity dedicated to UK domestic knitting and crochet. The Guild has a network of local groups which meet regularly where people learn new skills and share knowledge. I have shared one of my local group meetings here.The Guild also has an archive collection of garments, patterns and equipment to enable it to preserve our textile heritage. I have written about the Guild before here, here, here, here and here.

I have an article in this latest edition and wanted to share it here:

If you think about the fashions of the 1970’s, what are the knitwear themes that stand out for you? Tank tops made from granny squares? Knee length tasselled ponchos? Crochet trouser suits? Lurex spangled sun suits? String vest loose knits on punks? Sequined crochet skull caps? Flick through any book on 1970’s fashion and you will indeed find these items. Dig a little deeper and you will find a whole lot more, much of which chimes with current fashion trends.

Good old granny squares.

Sun tops and skirt.

His and hers tank tops

The 1970’s started with a craft revival; people were drawn back to traditional crafts such as knitting, crochet, weaving, macramé and patchwork. This allowed people to express their individuality through what they wore and also acted as a rejection of mass consumption. Not too dissimilar from now in fact.

Knitting (both hand and machine) and crochet became very popular and this was reflected in the wardrobes and homes of ordinary people and in the top flights of fashion. Crochet skirts, dresses, suits and shawls were hugely popular alongside crochet home ware including throws, blankets, cushions, pot holders and items made from the good old granny square. Knitwear ranged from long line cardigans, aran jumpers, argyle patterns and skinny rib tops to picture knits, knits featuring many different types of stitches (bobbles, cables, diamonds, blackberry stitch), Fair Isle (taking 1930’s and 1940’s garments as inspiration) and striped garments.

Traditional Aran knit.

A long line knit

Fashion designers Missoni and Sonia Rykiel were producing fantastic knitwear. Most of us can recognise the iconic Missoni knitwear featuring multi coloured stripes, flames and zigzags. Sonia Rykiel was designing intarsia jumpers with cartoon and Pop Art motifs. As is usual, these fashion trends trickled down and you did not have to be able to afford designer fashion if you could knit or crochet yourself something similar.

Knitwear designers such as Kaffe Fassett, Sasha Kagan, Patricia Roberts, Sarah Dallas and Elizabeth Zimmermann were producing some wonderful designs and patterns using colour, innovative techniques, intarsia, Fair Isle and graphic patterns.

In 2018 the Guild is 40 years old and we will be marking this milestone with a series of events and celebrations along the theme of ‘from preservation to innovation’, reflecting on our past and looking towards our future. We thought that members might like to work within that theme and make an item using a pattern from 1978 with an innovative twist to make it into something that would be at home in your current wardrobe. A 1978 pattern would be ideal but we recognise that poses some problems as patterns are not usually dated and we can not release any from the Collection as they are covered by copyright. So 1970’s patterns in general, which cover the fashion trends above, are good enough. You may be lucky enough to have a 1970’s book of patterns. If not, 1970’s patterns are easy to find in charity shops and online, sometimes for free. Have a look and see what you can find.

I would happily wear this one. And the sunglasses.

I like brown so I would happily wear this but a change
of colour way would also produce a stunning cardigan.

If you ignore the polo necks and hair cuts these are good,
classic jumper shapes and the geometric one is nice and fancy.

Innovation does not mean that you need to redesign a whole garment, though do go for it if that is where your skills lie. You might want to look at the work of the designers mentioned above and use one of their patterns. On the most basic level you could use a 1978 pattern but change the colour way to update it. You could use the shape of a 1970’s jumper but add your own graphic pattern. You could take the granny square as your starting point and see how you could incorporate it into a garment. You could take a popular garment of the seventies and update it for today’s taste. For example, you may not have a need for leg warmers but the pattern could be used to make welly toppers which you might wear. You might want a long line cardigan and you could knit it in Missoni stripes. You could just add some metallic thread to your knitwear.

Sadly the knitted leggings are not included in the pattern. The
polo neck insert is though. If you left that out and made it to
our preferred length this would work for modern day. 

I would wear the jumper without hesitation. If I had the
blouse I would wear that too.

I’m imagining next year’s Convention with everybody wearing their 1978 inspired knitwear. What a fascinating and interesting sight that would be. Better get planning!

Lovely tank top and great hat.

You can read more about the Guild here. A head's up for vintage knitters, as a member of the Guild you have access to their pattern archive. It is a treasure trove!

I've got a bit of time to decide what to knit for the anniversary but I have a lot of patterns so I need to get thinking!