Retro Baby Knit Tuesday!

Back to the Nomotta Baby Book from the sixties, probably. The first design is a hooded cardigan knit in worsted weight on size 5 needles. The textured design is made with cable stitches which would give a weight and thickness to the fabric. I like the tab with the button at the neck.

Most knitting books with garments for infants and children from the 40's and 50's showed knitted snow suits. I've always wondered how warm a knitted snow suit would be, even in wool. It would have to be only one of many layers of clothing. The following snow suit has a cabled cardigan, pants, hat, and mittens and is knit of 'Germantown Zephyr' at 5 sts/inch. I think that if I was knitting a suit for my toddler to wear in the snow, I would make it bright red so you could spot the child when he falls into a drift.

These are well-designed, classic-looking coats in a pattern stitch and tweed stitch with matching hats. Though I don't know what good it did to bundle up your child and leave them bare to way above the knees. The very short child garment was common beginning in the thirties, I think.

The sleeping sack below is called a 'nightie', so it must be to keep the child warm when the covers are kicked off in the night. It is crocheted in baby wool.

The little two-color jacket and bonnet have textured stripes in a contrasting color. The picot edging gives it a feminine look, and it would be very cute in pink and white. It's knit from the bottom up in baby wool at 8 sts/inch.


I am still working away on the blue socks and have just turned the heel. The yarn is very soft, having bamboo in it (Deborah Norville Serenity), but I am using size 1 needles and the going is slow.