Retro Knit Friday!

I finished the fuchsia cardigan and am now starting in on the grey pullover with cable panel. Now that I have found the afghan I was working on and have made a few more squares, I am remembering how my grandmother used to make tablecloths of fine cotton crochet thread. She must have given them all away because we don't have any of them, but she was always crocheting something. Imagine making an item that required hundreds and hundreds of little squares. She would have memorized the instructions, of course, and worked away while watching her favorite shows. I remember that she was fond of a soap opera called Young Doctor Malone and of a cowboy show starring Chuck Connors called Rifleman (because she said the little boy on the show looked like my brother). She also liked anything with Victor Jory in it because she had once met him in real life.

Today's booklet dates to 1958 and highlights one of those banlon dress yarns that were so popular through the 70's. The one I am most familiar with is Bucilla Paradise because the store where I was a knitting instructor made me knit a dress out of it (at my own expense). The booklet says that Bucilla Glace was made of Ban-Lon and lofted Estron (not sure what that is) and contains no wool at all. It also claims that dirt 'practically rolls right off' and that it was quick drying. So it must have made nice resilient garments good for traveling. Most of the garments I designed for ladies during my stint as a knitting instructor out of Paradise were for cruisewear.

The cover outfit is a blouse and pleated skirt knit on size 3 needles at 7 1/2 sts/inch. This would make attractive cruisewear, and it looks like that is what it is designed for, since the model appears to be standing on a ship deck. The collar is nicely designed, being a peter pan collar knit in 4 pieces. It starts out at the neck edge with ribbing which then changes to stockinette, which is probably what gives it the nice stand.


The lovely polka dot dress is made by the intarsia method with bobbins. The center of the dots on the front bodice are studded with rhinestones. Because of the popularity of argyle socks in the forties and fifties, knitters were more familiar with color knitting with bobbins. Girls used to knit argyle socks for their boyfriends during those years. I wonder if the knitting curse applied to argyle socks?

The suit is double-breasted with pockets and kimono sleeves. All these garments have the same gauge, 7 1/2 st/inch. These yarns would have made nice straight skirts because they were very resilient so the seat would not sag after awhile.








The sheath dress is not polka dot but has daisy motifs embroidered all over it after the knitting is completed. The ascot is included as part of the pattern, and it is knitted from a ribbon yarn with the classy name of 'Ruban d'Art'. There was a theme during the fifties to highlight a long willowy neck, so you will see shirt collars turned up or longer neck treatments such as this one.

Did you ever think you would see a crochet dress worn with a mink stole? The body of the dress is made with Glace and the ribbon yarn held together.

The blouse has seed stitch borders around the neck and front opening and lace panels to simulate tucks. It is drafted up to a size 20, which at the time was only a bust 38.

This lovely lace sheath dress is knit in two sections, a skirt and a 'waist' and sewn together at the waistline. A very 50's cocktail dress worn with a velvet ribbon belt.

Now I am off to listen to a book-on-tape and knit on the machine. Tomorrow the Harry Potter book comes out. the bookstore says I can pick up my reserved copy at midnight tonight, but that is not going to happen.