The Sisterhood of the Traveling Coat

The Jaywalker sock has been frogged and a new version, a simple stockinette sock, has been started. I love the colors in this Trekking yarn, and it seemed a shame to complicate it with a pattern stitch. Well, third time is the charm.

When the department store I worked in as a knitting instructor decided to eliminate the fabric and yarn departments, I had already decided to leave the job. My husband was in the army at the time, stationed at the Sacramento Army Depot. His hitch was about to be over, and he had never taken leave so he had two months of leave pay due. We decided to use the money to travel all over the country for two months, because it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and we were young and unencumbered with property or children. It was going to be the Bicentennial year, so I planned a travel wardrobe in red, white, and blue, mostly in the popular doubleknits of the time. We were going to be traveling through the fall, and would come home in early winter. I needed a coat for the trip, and a knitted coat seemed like a comfortable option. Of course, I was from California so I had no idea how cold Real Cold could be, but I was lucky and never really ran into any extreme weather on that trip.


I found this pattern for a coat and bought the yarn with my discount at the store where I worked. I think the yarn was Bernat Berella Bulky. It knitted up very fast and was indeed very very comfortable. I only have one picture of me in the coat, and there I am seated in front of Boscobel in Garrison, NY, on the Hudson River. This picture makes me laugh at the strange spacey expression on my face. The spouse and I had picked up a case of food poisoning in Boston and when this picture was taken, I was still a little lightheaded and queasy. As a matter of fact, the lady giving the tour in Boscobel thought I looked faint, so she gave me the one and only dose of smelling salts I have ever experienced. That stuff really packs a wallop. So there I am, sitting in front of the mansion in the Red Coat, post smelling salts, looking woozy.


I had the coat for some years after that, but I didn't wear it anymore, and it didn't fit anymore anyway. My mom was telling a fellow employee at UCBerkeley about the coat, and since the girl really liked it, we gave it to her for a trip she was going to take. I like to think of the coat still out there, being passed along like the traveling pants, seeing the world. It was acrylic, so I doubt if it would ever wear out.

Needles

My knitting needles span a long time period, maybe up to 75 years or so. Some are Bakelite, some wood, some plastic, most metal. You would think that knitting needles would look the same from generation to generation, but manufacturers have been creative about how they form the unpointed end.


The most peculiar ones I have are these with flattened ends with the size number embossed on them.

These are my favorite needles. I like the conical ends and the smooth feel of the needles. They are size 4 and I use them a lot for knitting ribbings.










These are my very first knitting needles. They are size 5, and were once pale green. I used them to make the doll blanket that was my very first project. I like the way the points bend with use.

And because It's All About The Color, here is a picture of a flower bouquet at the Costco. I just love the colors in these flowers. I should try to transfer this color scheme to a sweater.

Retro Knit Friday!

Today we are going to bypass the sweaters and look at some accessory patterns from 1953. The cover shows scarves and mittens for him and her. Look how wide the scarves are. These are serious 'Keep You Warm' scarves. That guy looks a lot like the actor who played the weird new roommate on Friends, the one with the fishy cracker.


This handbag looks almost contemporary. The handles look a little like I-Cord, but no, they are crocheted, and the whole bag is lined with fabric.











Here is a very nice assortment of socks, including cables, ribs, and argyle, some short and some knee length.

Looking at these hat patterns would make one think that it did not get too cold during the fifties, because the hats are certainly on the skimpy side. The man's hat is more of a beany, perched up there on the top of his head like that.

The yellow stocking cap is OK, but why is the pompom dangling from it by a very thin and very long thread? The girl in the white skating cap looks a little like Pam on The Office.

Two attractive and warm-looking stoles. I especially like the black and white striped stole worn with a black dress and pearls.

Still working on the last sweater front. I haven't knit much on it for a few days, but perhaps the weekend will help.

Excavation

I had been going through some old boxes in the sewing room when I got distracted while dusting, and these two old old projects turned up. The green one I have almost no memory of starting. It must date back to my time as an instuctor, because the color is very 70's, much more mod than appears in the photo. I don't even know what happened to the rest of the yarn, though I would guess that the spouse has packed it up long ago and stored it in the garage. I would hate to just rip it out and lose all that earnest pattern knitting, so maybe I will sew it into a cushion. It certainly is green. Wait, it just might match M's current bedspread, so I should definitely make a cushion.





Here's the booklet that was in the box with the green sweater back. I do like the cardigan pattern, so my taste hasn't changed over the years.



The pinky striped yarn I do remember. I was knitting a vest, but somehow the project got put away until it no longer fit. I looked it over (still love the colors), and it does not seem to have any moth damage at all. I will rip it all out and make a scarf or hat or both. I found the instruction sheet, too, and the yarn is Unger Nine Color Yarn.





I really should dust the sewing room more often.

Adventures in Knitting

I used to work at a local shop owned by my mother-in-law. The shop carried country decor and handmade items. I knitted and sold sweaters for children and sweaters for the 18" girl dolls that are so popular now. Here is one of the leftover sweaters, knit in knitting worsted from the neck down. I can't remember what I charged for these teeny sweaters, probably about $10.

One day a nice lady came in to the shop carrying a very small stuffed cat toy. She told me that she had heard that I knitted and wanted me to make some sweaters for the cat doll (which was about 8" tall and shaped more like a person than a cat in that it stood on two legs). I was very overscheduled at the time and really did not want to take on any piecework, but she was very determined to get what she wanted, so when she asked what I would charge to make these teeny tiny sweaters, I said $25 each to discourage her. She was not put off at all but seemed to think this was totally reasonable (and considering that I had to experiment and draft a pattern, maybe she was correct). She wanted seasonal sweaters for the cat so that it could be displayed during different holidays. I remember that I ended up making about 4 sweaters, a St. Patricks Day green one, a Christmas one, and can't remember the others. She cheerfully paid the $25 each price and went off happily with her sweaters. So, in honor of the rich lady who paid for my husband's Christmas present that year, here is the pattern for the little cat sweater:


She also later came in with a stuffed dog toy that was quite an odd shape and a lot bigger than the cat. She wanted a dog sweater to fit the toy, so I made one with short rows over the chest area. Looked quite cute when I was done. I remember struggling with the wraps on the short rows since the garment (a doggy sweater) was so oddly shaped, and I finally gave up, took it off the knitting needles, hung it on the machine and did the short rows in two minutes flat.

Utopia Yarn Book 1916

I like the feeling of being in the home stretch on a sweater, so I hung the rest of the ribbings on the machine and finished up the back and both sleeves. Now I only have to finish the last front.


Here is my latest knitting notion. I think these are going to be great for pinning in the set-in sleeves for seaming. They were just what I was looking for.





Once, when we were living in Northern Virginia while the spouse worked in Washington, D.C., he had to go do some research at the Library of Congress. I went too, to look up knitting pamphlets and books. I had heard that they would have a copy of everything ever published in this country, but the pickings were much slimmer than that. I did find some nice old booklets, though, and spent the day at the xerox machine making copies. These pages are from the Utopia Yarn Book, printed in 1916. The baby clothes in this book were very attractive, using mostly garter stitch with some lace patterns, and trimmed with embroidered or crocheted roses. Look at the baby afghans, done with garter stitch, simple lace panels, and rose trims, and they look fresh and pretty. Somehow I neglected to copy the pages with the lace pattern, but it looks simple enough to work out. Here's the pattern for the baby jacket in the bottom picture:

Of course, the old needle sizes and yarn description no longer apply, but it appears to be a fingering weight yarn and about size 2 or 3 (American) needles to get the 7.5 sts./inch. The sweater seems to fasten with crocheted loops over buttons.

Baby's Utopia Knitted Sweater
1-2 Year Size

Materials
4 skeins white Utopia 3-fold Saxony wool
1 1/4-ounce spool crochet silk
2 yards ribbon No. 1
1 pair bone knitting needles No. 1
1 steel crochet hook No. 8

Directions

Back - Cast on 89 stitches. (these sts. will measure 12 inches), (so this works out to about 7.5 sts/inch) k. 5 ridges, this sweater is knit in pattern illustrated on page 20, following directions from first to twentieth row inclusive, this will not be referred to again. (This is the part I don't have).

K in pattern until the back measures about 8 1/2 inches from the start, then cast on 42 sts. on each end of the needle for sleeves, having 173 sts. on needle, K in pattern for 4 inches from where the sleeves were cast on.

For over shoulder and front sl. 74 sts. on a knitting needle (to be held for other front), bind off 25 sts., and on other 74 sts, K following the pattern for 10 rows, cast on 29 sts. towards front, having 103 sts. on needle, K in pattern for 4 inches, bind off 42 sts. for sleeve, and K following the pattern on the 61 sts. until sideseam is same length as sideseam on back including the 5 ridges, bind off. (They assume you know enough to use the stitches on hold on the needle for the other front)

Cuffs - Pick up 56 sts. around sleeve, K 1 row, P 1 row.

Third Row - K1, *YO, n. (here is an abbreviation I don't know, but it might mean K2tog since this is an eyelet row. OK, I looked it up online and it means Narrow, or Decrease, so I was right), repeat from *ending row with YO, K1. P 1 row, K 8 ridges, bind off, sew up sleeves and side seams.

Collar - Pick up 108 sts. around neck of sweater, K1 row, P1 row, repeat directions from third row on cuffs, P1 row, K1 row, K 15 ridges, bind off.

Silk Edge on Front of Sweater - Ch 1, 1 s.c. in st., repeat skip 2 ridges, 6 dc in next st., skip 2 ridges, 1 sc in next st., 5 times* skip 2 ridges, 3 dc in next st., ch 6, turn, 1 sl st in third dc on last shell, ch 1, turn, 9 sc in space made by ch 6, for buttonhole, 3 dc in same st with first 3 dc., skip 2 ridges, 1 sc in next st., repeat skip 2 ridges, 6 dc in next st., skip 2 ridges, 1 sc in next st., 3 times, repeat from * to top of sweater, ch 1, break off silk.

Edge Around Collar - Ch 1, 1 sc in st., * skip 2 ridges, 6 dc in next st., skip 2 ridges, 1 sc in next st., repeat from * around, making 8 dc in each of the 2 corners.

Repeat silk edge from collar around cuffs.

Draw ribbon through spaces at neck to tie and around sleeves.
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Don't you like the idea of having silk thead in various colors to crochet around all your baby sweaters? It would have added a touch of shine to the garment.



Addendum: OK, I have been trying to figure out the lace pattern so here is my first attempt. Can't tell whether the 5 st. panels are garter or reverse stockinette, but since the original was knitted in wool, probably garter. This has a 9-stitch lace panel with 5 stitch garter panels between. This seems to work out to the 89 and 61 stitch counts of back and fronts if you have a 5 st garter panel on each side . The back would have 6 lace panels and 7 garter panels, the fronts would have 4 lace panels and 5 garter panels. Haven't test knitted this yet.

Retro Knit Roundup

I have a few photos of retro knits left over so here is a sampling from several different booklets. The first picture shows a jacket in 'accordian rib'. It is knit of knitting worsted in white with navy borders. The sweater at the bottom of the page is a variation on the fifties boxy jacket with the popular large turned-back cuffs, a v'd neckline and front pockets.


These are all variations of the same pattern for a classic cardigan. Top left has short sleeves and is trimmed in a beaded braid. In this outfit, it serves as a blouse and looks very chic. Top right has an added collar and is trimmed in french ribbon. Bottom right has long sleeves and a collar knitted in black angora. Shows you the mileage that you can get out of one pattern, producing three very different looks.


The booklets from the fifties often had patterns for the 'mature woman' as if she required a whole different set of fashions. Usually they were done in larger sizes too. The next two pages show a variety of cardigans worn by an attractive older model. Three of them have V necklines and one is a ribbed cardigan.

The top cardigan with white trim is called a 'lumberjacket' cardigan. It is knit in a fine gauge and is in a short, to-the-waist length. The bottom cardigan is knit in stripes from cuff to cuff. I have always wanted to try a sideways knitted sweater because you could use a fairisle pattern for decoration and the result would be a slimming vertical line instead of horizontal.

This last example is not from a booklet but is either a little free pattern that would have been available in the yarn department or it is the instructions for a kit. This pattern shows 4 different short bulky cardigans with short, 3/4, or long sleeves in different pattern stitches. I like the classic top left cabled sweater, though the bottom left collar is also very nice.

I have the back of the Ranch Red sweater hung on the machine and knit up to the armholes. I would be done with it by now except for a stupid error that resulted in major ripping and rehanging. These 3/4 sleeve sweaters are using up much less yarn than usual, so I am building up a collection of leftover yarn. This means that I have to get started making some baby or toddler sweaters to use up the extras.

Strange Attraction

As you can see, one front is finished and the other is moving along well. I also got out the jumbo yarn winder and made the yarn cakes this afternoon. I continue to be so glad that I saved up my money and bought that jumbo winder at Stitches. It is one of my favorite knitting gadgets.



I am almost ashamed to admit that I think I like this cardigan. Well, I am alternately attracted to it and repulsed by it, but I will probably end up knitting it. The pattern is in a booklet I got from the store where I was an instructor, and I have been eyeing this sweater for 30 years. So, is it ugly or is it retro chic? Inquiring minds want to know!

Ice Cream Sweater

I finished one of the fronts of the Ranch Red Cardigan and have cast on the ribbing for the second. I hope the second one goes a little faster than the first.

Here is a toddler sweater I have been working on. This is the first incarnation, since I think it would be better with a slightly larger neckline. The ribbings were knit by hand, and the rest was done on the bulky machine. The ice cream cones were done later by duplicate stitch. I often use cross stitch patterns as designs for sweater embellishment, but I add an extra row to the duplicate stitch design for every two rows on the cross stitch chart because most knitting stitches are 2/3 as high as they are wide. This keeps the design from looking squat.

The sweater zips up the back, from bottom to top. I once had a commercial sweater with a zipper like that when M was a baby, and it is so convenient for dressing a less than cooperative baby. Naturally, if this were not a design prototype, the zipper would match. Maybe.

I use the same yarn for the duplicate stitch as was used to knit the sweater. This was an acrylic yarn, so after the duplicate stitch is done, I cut a negative template out of cardboard in the shape of the design, which means that I have a sheet of cardboard with a hole in it the shape of the design. I use this to shield the rest of the sweater while I gently press and steam the design. This flattens the design and makes the thickness the same as the rest of the sweater. You have to be really careful not to fry the yarn though. I use a damp handkerchief as a press cloth.

I had to pry this sweater out from under a huge pile of fabric in the sewing room like a magician pulling the tablecloth off of a full table, so I'd better go check to see if there has been an avalanche.

Rainy Tuesday

I really should have done both fronts at the same time since it makes the whole process seem much shorter, but I was too lazy to get up and go get another ball of yarn at the time. My progress is slow but sort of steady.



Here is my birthday present from M. I could use a winter scarf, so that is what I will use the Patons SWS for. I love the look of this yarn. M says that it doesn't look too great in the ball but looks fabulous knitted up, and it should look good with my green winter coat. Not sure what I am going to do with the Lamb's Pride though, but the color is great. And Knitpicks needles size 1!


I went back to the library book sale on Sunday afternoon for the bag sale, and someone had put out a whole box of knitting and needlework magazines. Here is what I got. Most are from the sixties or seventies, and that blue booklet, second from the left on the top row, is an instruction book for a gadget I have never heard of. This gadget is shaped like a punch needle and is used to make a sort of faux knitting.

I have been getting questions about the patterns in my collection and whether they can be downloaded or not, but all of them are still under copyright protection so I can't put the patterns online. Another question I have been getting is where I find the vintage knitting booklets. I have never bought any online, but I see that there are some on ebay and etsy, and there are some websites that sell vintage patterns. Googling 'vintage knitting patterns' or 'retro knitting patterns' will find many possibilities. I go to thrift shops to look for old sewing and knitting patterns, and to antique shops. I also like antique fairs with booths from many many shops. I can usually find a booth or two selling the old pamphlets. I was lucky in that I started my collection many years ago when no one else was interested in the booklets so I was able to buy lots of them for practically nothing.

I have lots of design ideas in the works, but those sweater fronts are holding up my momentum, so I better get busy on them.

Not Retro Knit Friday!

Today, for a change of pace, I decided that instead of retro designs, I will show my recent purchases at the Japanese store, Kinokuniya. My birthday was Tuesday so I hopped in the car and drove down to San Jose to visit one of my favorite shops. My first selection was this fabulous book of stitch patterns. This is a beautiful, beautiful book. It was pricey at $28, but hey, it was my birthday. The layout is lovely, each page a poem of color. The stitches included are unusual, so I feel the book is totally worth the money.

I also picked out this book of knitting patterns from the Let's Knit Series. My favorite sweater is the brownish one with lace trim on sleeves and lower bodice. There were also some great crochet publications, but by then I was out of money.

I know that I said I hate bobbles, but this grey sweater looks more like a stitch pattern and less like bobbles. I am liking the flared sleeves that are everywhere in fashion this season. Not for me, exactly, but they will look cute on my daughters.




The sweater front continues growing:

Post Script:
The apple does not fall far from the tree. Here is M making a beeline to the knitting books at an early age.

Lessons

The first sweater front is coming along. These cables are different from the usual 6-stitch cables. The right hand cable is done with two stitches crossed to the back leaving 4 for the front, and the lefthand cable is crossed 4 stitches to the front, leaving two for the back. I am not sure I really like them as much as regular cables, but it is interesting to try something new.

My sister, for whom I got a bulky knitting machine a while ago, is coming down for a visit this weekend. She needs a lesson on the machine, never having machine knitted before, and she says she finds the machine intimidating. I will cure her of that.

New Projects

Here is a dawn view of the back yard on a not so crisp October morn. We are having a fairly warm fall this year. Notice that everything is still green, since we don't get fall color here until around Thanksgiving.

I finished off the grey sweater so it was time to ponder a new project. The new sweater will be a color called "Ranch Red', sort of a barny red color. I planned a cardigan with cable panels up the fronts, and since there seemed no point in knitting the narrow little panels on either side of the cable panel on the machine, I am knitting the whole fronts by hand and the sleeves and back on the machine. I find that I can pretty much match the gauges that I get on the bulky machine when I knit by hand. To find a cable panel to use, I consulted my 1971 volume by Barbara Walker.

I chose this panel, except that the center pattern calls for twisted stitches on the design edge, and since I am not a fan of twisted stitches, I changed that.

I like to type out the instructions for cables onto an Excel spreadsheet so that I always know where I am in the pattern. I mark the knitting every 20 rows with a safety pin, and the spreadsheet goes up to about row 150 for a center panel. I haven't gotten very far yet, but it is looking good so far. I add about two stitches for every cable right after the ribbing to account for the pulling in of the cables. I later decrease these extra stitches right before binding off for the neck.

The Jaywalker socks are going very slowly because I haven't been knitting on them much. I have the pattern going now though so the pace should pick up from here. Or not.