Vintage Knit Saturday!

Just thought I would use the work 'vintage' instead of 'retro' for a little variety. I have lots of old knitting magazines in the cupboard behind my sewing table, so I don't look at them often. Getting to them involves moving the sewing table (an old wooden typing table which is the only one I could find that fits in that corner) without a major avalanche, and getting the magazines off the bottom shelf. I have to get to them more often because some of my best old pamphlets are in that cupboard, including the one I am showing today, Spinnerin Warm Weather Knits, Volume #126. This was published in 1954 and highlights the yarn, Coolaire. This yarn sounds like it was pretty fab, being a mixture of 'Irish Linen, Mercerized Cotton, and Rayon'. The booklet has patterns for sizes 12 through 20, though the size 20 is only for a 38 inch bust.

The cover outfit is called a 'Tweedy torso knit dress' and is made up of a skirt and top. It is knit on sizs 1 and 3 needles at 7 1/2 stitches/inch. The top seems to be a shaped rectangle with a little bit cast on for the cap sleeves and some shoulder shaping, but no neckline shaping. The skirt has a pleated look which is formed by K2, P6. I would be intimidated by directions that have you cast on more than 650 stitches.



This pretty dress has a scoop neck and flared skirt. The pattern, which uses k's, p's, and yo's on the same row, widens gradually into the skirt. The sleeves are raglan. It is knit with size 2 needles at 8 sts/inch.

The sheath dress is crocheted with a size 7 steel crochet hook in a star stitch lace pattern. She certainly looks elegant, though look how solidly her eyebrows are painted on.

This page features several blouses worn with the same skirt. The skirt is called 'knitted umbrella skirt' probably because it is knit in panels, in this case in pastels, and joined together with white crochet to look like fagotting. The booklet says that each blouse is a different color to match a different panel color in the skirt. The first blouse has a lace front V-shaped section in the front, set-in sleeves, and a trim collar. It is knit at 7 1/2 sts/inch, while the skirt is a firmer fabric at 9 1/2 sts/inch.

The white blouse is also shown on the back cover. It is a simple top with short set-in sleeves and a front opening trimmed with moss stitch knit at 8 sts/inch. The collar is just picked up from the neck edge and knit up straight for 2 inches, than a row of crochet is done around the collar and opening.

The last blouse to wear with the skirt is hard to see in the photo, but the booklet has a line drawing to show what it looks like. The neckline trim and ties are not I-cord - the instructions have you cast on almost 300 stitches and work for 10 rows, then bind off, and you have to make two of them. This is then sewn to the neck edge. It is also knit at 8 sts/inch.

We are having some lovely sunshine today. I plan to do some house cleaning and a little sock knitting and a little reading. Right now I am off to watch Ina Garten cook.