Vintage Knitting

Recently I stumbled across a collection of knitting patterns from the 1940s. Seeing this collection got me searching for even more collections of vintage patterns.

"Mrs. Rosevelt's Mittens"
https://www.allfreeknitting.com

"Victory Jumper"
https://www.vam.ac.uk

Here are a few of the collections that I have found. I highly encourage you to check out these vintage knits whether you knit or not. They are interesting to look at. They give an idea of what people were wearing during different eras, I saw at least one pattern that called for knitting shoulder pads to add to the sweater. Some of the names even invoke the time period such as "Mrs. Rosevelt's Mittens" or "Victory Jumper".   

Patterns from the 1940s

Patterns from the 1950s


Patterns from the 1930s-1970s

Apparently a lot of these patterns have entered the public domain and are now uploaded to be used by anyone who dares to try. Some of these have been typed up and other are digitized straight from the original book or magazine. 

Now this is not the first time that I have looked at vintage knits. I just find them fascinating, they give a little bit of glimpse into the past. Back in college I found a knitting pattern for lace stockings. I had never seen anything like them and I had already made socks using modern patterns. I was excited to try something new (at least new to me).

I quickly found out that sizing can be an issue with vintage knits. Even feet and calves where smaller back in the day. To get around this issue was a lot of trial and error. I had to repeatedly try on the stockings while working on them.

I highly recommend trying on vintage projects while working on them to make sure that the adjustments are working correctly. I find that the best way to try on a project is to put the live stitches on a long scrap of yarn. Doing this gives the stitches the ability to move and hang like they would off the needle. I always use this technique when making dresses or tops in the round. It allows me to see the fit without being concerned about dropping stitches. You can also use this vintage knit sizing tool to see how the vintage sizes compare to today's sizing before you start knitting.

Having found these vintage patterns, I decided that I would try to do another vintage knit. Going into this process I knew that sizing would most likely be an issue. With this in mind I looked for patterns that wouldn't need any adjustments. So I settled on this "Little Scarf" pattern.

Reading the pattern I realized that I would still need to make changes. The pattern calls for a decorative crochet edge done with tinsel and little purls. Do I have purls? Do I even know where to get tinsel? Do I own a tiny crochet hook? Since I answered no to all of these I knew that I had to come up with a different plan.

I decided that I would keep the decorative picot, but would do it with yarn and knitting needles instead. I had never done a picot bind off. However, YouTube videos quickly gave me the confidence to believe I could do this. Now just to pick a color for the edge. To do this I made a Facebook poll asking my followers to choose between red and grey.

I had assumed that this would be my only adjustment. I was wrong. One thing about vintage knits is that they had be a bit vague. For example instead of explaining the technique they want you to use to increase stitches they might just have increase one stitch. Sometimes it takes a bit of work to see what technique would lay correctly and look the best.

My rule is to use the simplest first and if it looks good, continue to use it. No reason to make things more complicated than they need to be. But, the adjustments did not stop there. Apparently even necks were smaller back then. Luckily scarfs are one of the easiest projects to try on while knitting.

In the end I was able to finish up the scarf in less than a week. Now I have a cute little scarf that makes me feel like a 1940's flight attendant. I can easily add a bit of class and vintage flare to any outfit.

If interested in trying a vintage pattern I would offer a few pieces of advice:

• start small;
• try on frequently;
• be prepared to make adjustments;
• have fun. 

In the end you will have a unique vintage knit that is guaranteed to impress.