Patons and Baldwins archive part two - 1930's jumpers and cardigans

Are you ready for some more gorgeous 1930's knitwear? After showing half the jumper and cardigan patterns in part one, here are the rest of them!

Starting off with a couple of sporting outfits:

Apart from the knitwear I am liking the fact that our dapper gent is puffing away on his pipe as he contemplates his round of golf. Miss Asymmetric Block Stripe jumper appears to be keeping score rather than playing even though more women began to play sports such as golf in this period.

Even though I can not ice skate at all I would rather like to have this outfit in my wardrobe. I love the fact that the stripes repeat on every item and that you would be fully kitted out with a hat, scarf, gloves, jumper and socks!

Given the countryside background and the stick I would say that this is an outfit designed for a good walk. It consists of a jacket like cardigan with a low, single fastening and an A line type skirt. Nicely done in a country tweed!

Next is a skirt and top:

The jumper has a neck tie fastening and a raised stitch stripe detail and the skirt gives the appearance of pleats which may be achieved by the stitch pattern used.

Now for a few in colour:

This one is very interesting with it's two colour neck and cuffs and the two colour triangle pattern on the front which is then repeated on the sleeves. The main body appears to be knitted in a tweedy type yarn. Look at her amazing hair, white blonde with perfect waves!

I like the yellow and blue colour work on this jerkin which gives the appearance of lapels. The yarn used in the main body again appears to be a tweed type. I can't tell if the belt is integral to the pattern or is there for styling purposes.

I like the repeating bands of colour on this one too and the low waist fastening for the cardigan. These three patterns were obviously part of a set, presumably for the tweed type wool. I have never seen any like this in all the P&B patterns that I have come across before. It is worth noting that it is possible to just make out some asymmetric button detailing on the front of the skirt.

The rest of the patterns are jumpers and cardigans:

The background of this one says cruise liner to me with its curved lines and fancy rug. Very elegant!

I like this fancy neckline on what is otherwise quite a plain and loose fitting jumper. I think the cowl neck ends in a flat bow on the shoulder and this is possibly knitted in some sort of lace stitch.

I find this one interesting but I am not sure that I want to wear it. I like the shape and fit of the jumper itself, especially the deep band of ribbing at the bottom. But what is that in the centre? A one eyed monster sticking it's tongue out? A buttoned in handy tissue/napkin? I'm really not at all sure.

I do like this. I like the use of the darker colour to add some depth and interest to that large pointed collar. The lace type stitch is very pretty too.

Is this the tweed wool again? I love the striped yoke which makes it look as though she is wearing graduated strings of pearls. I also like the slight puff to the sleeves where they are gathered around the arm. I would definitely add this to my wardrobe!

This is another that I am not quite sure about. I like the simplicity of the dark bottom half forming a triangle in the centre of the paler top half. I like the idea of the scarf with the alternating light and dark bands but I think I would want to be able to tie it. Like this I think I would just dangle it in my soup, cuppa, ketchup etc.

I like this one a lot. I think the zig zag stitch pattern is lovely and very effective. The wide ended scarf looks like it is knitted using the main yarn and then angora (those rabbits again) to form the stripes. It looks to have a woggle/band to hold it in place which is also angora. I think the wide ends may be fastened on with buttons at the sides too. Lots going on but I think that it works.

These two patterns are included to give a sense of what it was like to flick through through the pattern folders in the archive, finding these amazing garments at every turn of the page. The one on the right uses angora to create stripes too and the one on the left has very interestingly shaped sleeves.

Did you have a favourite? Or do you want nearly all of them like I do?!

You may be interested to know that a part three, which does not feature jumpers or cardigans but features other goodies, is on the way!

Patons and Baldwins archive part one - 1930's jumpers and cardigans

I have written about my enjoyable trip to the Knitting and Crochet Guild archive here and here, focusing on the garments that we were shown. As well as garments the archive holds books, needles, magazines, yarn charts, gadgets and many, many patterns. I was very excited to get the chance to look at some of the patterns that were part of the Patons and Baldwins archive which the Guild now holds.

There are folders full of amazing knitting patterns like this fabulous butterfly outfit. I think this may be a swimming costume with a skirt and long line cardigan to match. I was almost drooling at some of the patterns and I hope that I will find them out in the wild one day. Imagine a wardrobe full of these beauties!

A child's geometric jumper.

If you are not a knitter there is no need to stop reading right here as knitting patterns are also brilliant source material for fashion history. Obviously, people wanted to knit fashionable garments so knitting patterns followed the variations in fashions. So in these knitting patterns you can see many 1930's traits: big sleeves, bows, interesting necklines, geometry, chevrons, colour blocking, yokes.

Knitting patterns are also a good way to see how clothing was styled,  to see what normal people rather than film stars wore and to see glimpses of skirts, accessories etc. They are also a good source of hairstyle inspiration!

A pretty button shoulder feather and fan jerkin. Notice the chevron yoke on the skirt.

Patons and Baldwins was formed in 1920 by the merger of two wool companies, John Paton, Son and Company from Alloa, Scotland and J&J Baldwin and Partners from Halifax, West Yorkshire. They focused on producing wool for home knitters and knitting pattern support to go with it.

Cute lace short sleeved jumper with a integral neck tie.

By the 1930's the company had factories and buildings across Scotland and the North of England and also in Canada and New Zealand!

A deep V neck cardigan with a lace stitch and lovely square buttons.

Look at this glamorous evening dress bedecked with bows! The pattern is for an angora evening jacket and a waistcoat.

I have read somewhere that P&B owned an angora rabbit farm which would explain why they produced many angora patterns between the 1930's and 1950's.

There is a lot going on in this jumper. Epaulettes, a chevron yoke and either beads or some kind of metallic thread embellishment.

There is nothing new about colour blocking! This has a lovely ribbed body that continues up the front of the jumper with a striped yoke, a belt and colour block sleeves.

Lovely chevron striped jumper with a high tied neck.

I do like an all over cable cardigan and this one has a lovely pointy collar.

After the Second World War P&B decided to build a new, modern and efficient factory in Darlington. It even had it's own railway siding for speedy transport. The factory was complete by 1951 and was the largest wool factory in the world! It became a tourist attraction, I would have loved to have looked around. Find out more here and here and here.

I like this with the large stripes on the sleeves and the asymmetric front.

Gorgeous voluminous sleeved jumper with an integral bow at the neckline.

This one also has amazing sleeves and a beautiful stitch pattern. The bell type flowers remind me of the pattern on this 1950's cardigan that I knitted.

Patons and Baldwins merged with Coats in 1961. Patons wool is still available to buy.

Such a smart long line cardigan, belted at the waist. It has a lovely stitch pattern.

I want nearly all of these marvellous knits! The 1930's is not the period that I am first drawn to fashion wise, though it is growing on me now that I look into the fashions more and more. I think I was maybe put off by all the slinky, bias cut evening gowns which I would look a total horror in but when looking at everyday clothes I see fashions that I would like to try.

Luckily, this is not the end of the 1930's knitted gorgeousness as part two is on it's way!

Wentworth Woodhouse and a winter wardrobe wonder

This magnificent building is Wentworth Woodhouse and it boasts the longest facade of any English country house. I had trouble getting a picture that would fit it all in! It is the largest privately owned house in Europe, located in South Yorkshire and a couple of weekends ago I went, along with my friend, on a couple of guided tours of it's interior.

The current house at Wentworth is Georgian, built by the Marquis of Rockingham, and was one of the most expensive houses ever built. It incorporated part of a 1630's manor house which was added to in both the early and late eighteenth century by various family members.

The house has been owned by three main families, the Wentworth's, the Marquis of Rockingham and then from 1782 until 1989 the Fitzwilliams. More about the family histories can be found on the Wentworth website. The Fitzwilliams time at Wentworth is written about in a work of fiction called Black Diamonds by Catherine Bailey. I read it a few years ago and really enjoyed it but I wish I had re-read it so that it had been fresh in my head.

After the Fitzwilliams the house was then bought by a businessman who had it for ten years and was then sold to the current family who are in the process of restoring the house.

The house had been closed to the public for a long time but it is now open for guided tours. We managed to find a day where we could book a combination of tours which allowed us to see all of the rooms which are now open. They only make up a small proportion of the rooms at Wentworth but more tours are in the process of being added. Our tour guide had worked on the Estate as a carpenter since he was young so the tour felt very personal, not just like a recitation of a guide book.

Unfortunately photography is not allowed inside the house which is such a shame as there were some amazingly grand rooms. Behind these pillars is a two storey marble hall with a gallery running round it and a huge fireplace and stunning floor. We saw a dining room which had green hand painted wallpaper containing arsenic for the pigment. We went in a room named the Long Gallery whose sole purpose was to provide a long room in which to walk if the weather was too horrid to exercise outside. It really was impressive. Some of the rooms are still a work in progress and some do not yet have their furniture or paintings. It didn't detract from the fascination I felt catching glimpse of this lovely old house.

My friend had been on one of the tours before and she had warned me to dress warmly as there is no heating in much of the house. Our noses were freezing by the end of the tours! I figured that I needed an outfit that consisted of knitwear, layers and a lined skirt. I wanted to reflect the cold weather, in fact, that evening it snowed loads, and this is what I came up with.

Fair Isle Tam - knitted by a wonderful friend

Cardigan - Marks and Spencer

Brooch - vintage from a charity shop

Mitts - knitted by me from a 1950's pattern

Welsh Tapestry handbag - vintage, gift from my lovely friend

Alpine skirt - Lindybop

Shoes - Clarks many years ago

Apart from my nose I was pretty warm! The tam is knitted from a modern pattern but it is very similar to the ones that were common in the 1940's. I love the print on the Lindybop skirt, so perfectly wintry. It was my first purchase from Lindybop and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality, it is fully lined and has fabric covered buttons. I don't think it is available now but a lovely dress in the same print is. I was very happy that my handbag tied in as I adore it. I squealed when I saw it in the shop and my friend kindly bought it for me even though it was some way in advance of my birthday!

If you like big old houses and fancy a day out I can recommend Wentworth. If you are feeling flush you could buy it as it is currently for sale for about £8 million! Sadly, I don't think they are open to cheeky offers!

Top Ten cases of vintage Resting Bitch Face

As I have mentioned before: here, here and here, I sometimes buy vintage knitting patterns for reasons other than wanting to make the featured garment. Some of the categories I also look for are: use of bonkers props, men smoking, odd backgrounds, scary children and the category that I want to share today - vintage Resting Bitch Face (RBF).

So, RBF is an unfortunate situation which occurs when someones ordinary face (at rest, not attempting an expression), is, well, bitchy looking. The person looks mean, angry, annoyed, irritated but that is not how they are feeling. It is just their face. Whilst RBF is a term that has only been used commonly in the last few years, this Top Ten shows that whilst the term may be newish, the look is pure vintage.

Enjoy!

Take a look at my book? Er, no.

Spare chair? Nope, can't see one.

Yep, the spit is still in her hair.

Me? Need customer service training?

Take me for a drink after? No way sunshine.

Just practising my death stare.

One little smile just for you? Creep.

Fashion modelling they said? I am so better than this.

I don't do cleaning.

This is my happy face.