The booklet I am going to show today is one of those that I got at the fundraiser booksale last week. It is in excellent condition and dates to 1940, shortly before WWII. The inside cover makes the case for sweaters in every woman's wardrobe: 'Wherever you go...whatever you do... you can do it in a sweater, for it's a sweater world whether you're a stay-at-home or on the wing! These Chadwick's Red Heart Sweaters consider the comprehensive sweater needs of the smart American woman...casual little affairs (quite a different meaning in 1940)...honest-to-goodness sports types...classic designs...and sophisticated sweater-blouses for town.'
The cover sweater is a cute blouse-type cardigan. The instructions just call for Sweater Wool, which the inside cover explains was a new type of soft, fluffy thick wool. The needles called for are Casein Knitting Pins, which were made from a biopolymer plastic invented in the last years of the 19th century (1899 or thereabouts). The plastic was made from the proteins from skim milk, and produced needles that were firm but flexible and good for arthritic hands. They supposedly produced much less static in the yarn when in use.
The sweater at top left in the photo below has ribbed sleeves and what is described as a 'spongy' front. The biggest size included in the instructions in this booklet was a size 20. The finished bust measurement for this size was about 40". Notice that these two sweaters are much longer than the sweater shown on the cover. During this time, the 'long-bodied line' was in style, and the ribbed sweater at the bottom of the page is a good example of this type. The instructions for the ribbed cardigan call for 'penny buttons' up the front. I have never heard this term before and wonder if it refers to how the buttons look or how much they cost at the time.
The sweater set below, knit in sports yarn, has a pretty, staggered cable design with moss stitch in the center of the fat part of the cables.
Zippers were just starting to be used in men's trousers in the late 30's, having previously been used in boots and things like that. They first started to appear in women's clothing around the time of this booklet or a little before. In some quarters, zippers were considered risque because they allowed women to disrobe faster. However, with the invention of zippers that could open at both ends (separating zipper), their usefulness in jackets and cardigans made them more popular. The lacy cardigan below, with the zipper front closing, has bands of color in the yoke section that create a scalloped design because of the stitch pattern. The white pullover has waist-cinching higher ribbing, puffed sleeves, and a pretty stitch pattern that looks like fagotting.
The pullover below is called 'Campus Belle' and is knit in sports weight yarn. I like the entwined cables. The pin she is wearing on her sweater is kind of peculiar and I can't figure out what it is supposed to be. This sweater uses 'Phantom Knitting Pins which I think were made of aluminum.
It is still really cold here, but the days are bright and sunny, and I saw a tulip tree in bloom yesterday, so maybe Spring is on the way.
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