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!

Manly Pursuits (as depicted in vintage knitting patterns)

I am often entertained by the front covers of old knitting patterns and have been known to buy patterns that I have no intention of ever knitting just because I find the picture funny. Sometimes it is down to the garment, or the model, or the colour, or the staging, or the props or the scenery. Some moments of comedy gold are down to all of the above. I like to look at them with my mum and my friends, adding captions etc. Sometimes I do wonder what the yarn company were thinking and how they thought that particular image would help to sell their pattern.

I was sorting through some patterns to put some new ones away and was struck, yet again, by this. I realised I had a lovely pile of men's patterns which showed men 'doing something' in their knitwear. Almost like it might be embarrassing to model knitwear unless you were also doing something stereotypically manly such as posing against your car or map reading. In a manly manner of course. Maybe with some facial hair, a stern expression, or a pipe. Or all three.These are my favourite manly pursuits as seen in knitting patterns.

This is photo heavy, I liked so many I included them all!

Sporting activities are acceptable, of which golf is the most popular:

Archery

Fishing

Golf

Golf - lovely band of Fair Isle

Golf

Golf  - nice cravat

Golf - explaining the finer points

Tennis

Map reading  - as long as you are on an adventure, leading the way, or are an explorer:

Explorer

Map reading

Map reading

Map reading - in a smug manner

Map reading

Arctic explorer - in your string vest

Posing alongside your vehicle:

Teaching your son to pose with the wheels

Car maintenance

Scooter

Tractor?

Leisure activities:

Drinking beer

Having a pint

Frowning at your girlfriend as she plays the drums

Hanging with your grandad

Yachting in your chunky jumper and your tighty whities

Woodwork

Sailing yachts with my boy

Sailing yachts with my son

Gardening - chopping logs with a very large axe

Gardening - let loose with the shears

Being outdoors  - manly holding of benches

Jobs:

Author - of boy's adventure stories

Author - travel and adventure books

Lighting director for films, especially Westerns

Executive - reading the finance news

Studying is also an option:

On the way to the library - so smart

Using the library as a place to meet girls

Maybe you are in charge of the family pet?:

A big knit for a big dog.

Awww

You may go to the local camera club:

Explaining your latest gadget. Lovely Fair Isle

Checking through your photos

Working out the technical bits

Maybe you belong to your local shooting club?:

Down the range

I love this one, it makes me laugh. Green jumper and red jumper clearly have no idea how to shoot a gun and are likely to shoot someone else instead. Yellow jumper is about to fire and put them both to shame. Pink jumper is too busy posing to get his stance straight and is about to miss the target.

The other activity that men do in knitting patterns is smoke. Pipes or cigarettes or both (not at once). This will be the subject of another post as I have a whole collection of men smoking patterns!

Weldons B1272 bolero

What a jolly woman! I love the styling of this 1950's knitting pattern cover. Her hair and make up are so lovely, I wish I could set my hair like that. I like the bolero as it works well as a cover up but because it is knitted in an openwork lace pattern it need not hide too much of whichever pretty dress one chooses to pair it with. So obviously, I had to make it!

The construction is quite interesting as the main piece and sleeves are knitted all in one, the sleeves are integral and not set in. Sadly I didn't take a photo of it at this stage but it really didn't look like much at all except for a bit of a sad rag and I wondered how it would ever be a beautiful garment. Once the sleeve cuffs were sewn up and the sleeves were formed and sewn it began to look much better. The final stage was to knit the band of ribbing which goes all the way around the bolero, giving it shape and structure. This is not many rows of knitting but is over 200 hundred stitches! I was very pleased when that bit was done as each row seemed to take an age!

So this is what it looks like from the front, I borrowed the mannequin in my friend's lovely haberdashery, Ribbon Circus to model it. The mannequin is currently wearing my 1940's trimly tailored jacket which is for sale.

I have to admit here that this bolero isn't mine! After I knitted mine my Mum also made one and somehow I didn't photograph the front of mine. But, I did photograph the front of Mums so here it is!

I knitted mine in Sublime extra fine merino double knit in dusty pink. It is a beautiful colour, the wool had a good stitch definition, is great to work with and importantly is very soft indeed.

This one is mine, this is the back view. It is a lovely pattern and it is shaped nicely around the small of the back. It is a size small.

The side view showing the neat ribbed cuff.

It looks so tiny when it is flat! This is a close up of the stitch detail and also shows my label. These two boleros were made for sale. The kind and lovely owner of Lucy and the Caterpillar, a vintage boutique, has put them in her shop. She has a dressmaking label, Lucille, for which she makes delightful vintage inspired dresses. The boleros pair up really prettily with them.

How exciting, this is the pink one in among the Lucille dresses. So gorgeous!