Retro Knit Friday!

The cafe cardigan is very nearly done. I have to sew in the ends, block it, and sew on the buttons. The next cardigan will be royal blue, but first I have to start knitting some hats for the rescue mission.

This week's vintage offering is a needlework catalog from, I think, the late 40's. This mailorder company carried supplies for all kinds of needlework, including embroidery, knitting, crochet, rugmaking, and quilting. It is fun to see what kinds of things ladies were working on 60 years ago and what they paid for their supplies. The cover shows a jacket that was available in several fabrics such as linen, linene, and wool felt, which could be purchased with a collar or without. The jackets were plain and were meant to be decorated with applique and/or embroidery. They came in several colors, and the prices ranged from $1.98 to $4.50.

Here's the page that shows the yarn selections available then. The knitting yarns offered were Infants' Wool, Cotton Yarn, firm (for slippers, potholders, toys, etc.), Germantown knitting worsted, and Baby Pompadour. There are listings for crochet hooks, but no knitting needles. The yarn sold for about 39 cents an ounce.

The next two photos show some of the kits the knitter could buy. The baby shrug and bonnet only cost 85 cents for the pattern and the yarn.

Well, time to go knit on the lace sock for awhile. I only knit on this sock in the morning when the light comes brightly through the side window. If I try to knit on it while watching TV at night I goof up the pattern. I have had to rip it back a little but have the pattern back on track now.