Retro Knit Friday!

I can't remember where I found this booklet, probably in an antique mall in Monterey. It dates to 1955, and for a purchase price of 60 cents, gave the knitter 18 different fashions to make. It is Spinnerin Volume 132.

The cover dress is a special occasions dress made of two different yarns. The basic sheath is knit with a stockinette background with a purl ridge every 12 rows. The purl ridges are the foundations for the scallop crochet, done is a sparkle yarn. The crocheting is done after the dress is finished and assembled. The dress is knit on size 2 needles at 8 sts/inch.

Here's the description for this lovely dress: "A swirl of a dress, light and lacy, a breeze to knit, it is made with a double strand of yarn and big, fat needles. . . . belt it with a rope of multi-colored beads." It is knit on size 10 1/2 needles with a blackberry stitch at hem and wide neckline. The instructions start with 'cast on 475 sts' which is much less than you would expect of a dress with such a full skirt. The dress above is a two-piece dress with a very fitted top that is trimmed with a two-color cabled trim. The skirt is a variation on the knitted-in pleat skirt with the wide portions knitted in reverse stockinette and the narrow bands in stockinette. The directions in this booklet for assembly and finishing are really skimpy since the knitter of the time was expected to have those skills.

The very fitted, feminine dress above is crocheted. Black velvet ribbon is threaded through the single crochet beading strips at neckline and hip. The materials list calls for 2 yards of Nylon tulle which is used to make a petticoat. The tulle is gathered and sewn to the inside skirt top and the edge is covered with seam binding.

The black sheath dress is knitted in a lace pattern. The description says, "Sophisticated as a siren song: a knitted Satinette Ribbon sheath knee-deep in fringe". It is hard to tell even in the large booklet photograph, but there is very long (25") fringe starting several inches above the knee.

Today is supposed to be a little cooler than the rest of the week was, so I am going to go out and plant some beans and onions and see if any seeds have sprouted.

Spring Is A Lot Of Work

Because the spouse wants to have a large and productive vegetable garden this year to help with the budget, I have had to do less knitting and lots more gardening. My favorite part of gardening, besides eating the produce, is starting the seeds and taking care of the baby plants. Over the years I have accumulated the right equipment, like heating coils to put under the flats, lots of pots and containers (I have trained all the relatives to give me their 'empties'), and the usual garden tools. Sometimes I make my own tools, like two table knives I got at the Goodwill and bent into the right shape to lift out the soil cubes. Here's the scene inside the coldframe this morning. I am going to try and raise lots of lettuce in the coldframe to keep it away from the earwigs and slugs.

The next picture shows the middle garden bed with things just getting started. There are lots of cucumbers (30 or 40 plants), sugar snap peas, shallots, carrots, and beets. I still have lots more onions to set out.

And here is a picture of my arch enemy, one of a gang of marauding squirrels who dig up the lawn and garden and knock my fruit out of the trees. I need to get a Super Shooter (a toy that squirts water) and fill it with a pepper solution to spray up into the trees as a deterent. Notice how he is looking at me so insolently.

Started Some New Socks

We just went through a very busy two or three weeks, during which time I did very little knitting except starting two new pairs of socks. The first pair is for A in a solid color, using the New England pattern from Nancy Bush's Knitting On The Road. As you can see, I haven't gotten very far.

The next pair is a plain stockinette sock on size two needles, 64 sts, using the new Red Heart sock yarn. This is color 3940, Green Envy, and I really like the colors in this yarn. I am trying out my first Eye of Partridge heel, and it seems to go well with the jacquard patterning. Looks like it would be comfortable, too.

I still have that cafe cardigan sitting in the background, making me feel guilty for not sewing it together yet, so one of these days I am just going to have to pick it up and finish it.

Retro Knit Sequins!

I have never knit with sequins, or really, done much of anything with sequins. This booklet, still Spinnerin Volume 181 from the sixties, has a few paragraphs at the beginning of the booklet to teach how to work with sequins. I always wondered how people strung all those sequins onto the yarn, thinking as I did that the sequins were purchased in a box or bag. According to the instructions, the sequins of that time came on a string, and the user tied the end of the string to the yarn and slid all the sequins onto the strand of yarn. Here's how the sequin was worked into the knitting:
"K1, *insert right needle in back loop of next st, slide sequin close to work, K st drawing sequin thru st to front of work (1 sequin worked), K1"

This first top is rather nice, with classic styling. Worn with black velvet slacks or skirt, it would still be fashionable today.

I can't really see what use anyone would have for a sequined tennis sweater, though.
Sequin suit, also nice. I love the color, but I wonder how sequins would hold up to the wear of being constantly sat upon.

Sequin sailor top, strange, but I like it.

I finished the Sockotta socks, finally. This is color # 15.

In honor of the event this weekend that we are looking forward to the most, I say, "Live long and prosper!"

Springtime

The poppies are blooming all around the deck. One year I threw out a packet of seeds, and now they come back every year with no effort on my part.

We are enlarging the vegetable garden this year in spite of the drought talk. Here's the view inside my coldframe with the beginnings of the season growing fast. This year I am going to try growing lettuce in pots inside the frame after all the other starts are planted out. So far I have started cucumbers, winter and summer squash, lettuce, collards, swiss chard, beets, shallots, and sugar snap peas. I try to start something every day. Each flat holds 50 starts.
I am trying to finish up the second sockotta sock this week so I can send it off to A, so I'd better go start a movie and get knitting.

Retro Knit Friday!

Here are some more fashions from the Spinnerin Volume 181, undated but obviously from the 1960's. The ponchos shown are a little on the wild side, but I had a poncho back in the day, and it was very comfortable and flattering to wear. Or, at least I thought so then. The ponchos all have the same general instructions, and they are varied by changing the yarn color, some fairisle patterning, or the application of 'daisy loom' flowers which are sewn on after knitting. The yarns used are mostly knitting worsted weight or bulky weight at 3 sts/inch on size 11 needles.

One of the nice features of the old Spinnerin booklets was that the instructions were often written for three weights of yarn. The following dress and jacket combo could be knitted in fingering weight, sport weight, or knitting worsted weight.

Photographed in a ski lodge (as I recall, skiing was popular during the sixties, and the reason I am currently in one piece is that I never tried it), the three outfits below consist of knitted skirts and matching jackets. Though I have seen a lot of these outfits in old knitting booklets, I don't think I ever saw anyone actually wearing a knitted suit in real life.

I would have to put the next suit in the 'ugly' catagory. The shape is fine, but the contrasting sleeves, the plaid, and the color scheme make me cringe. Pink and brown is not my favorite combo for some reason.

I was out buying some sale Vogue patterns today, and the young salesgirl expressed anxiety about serving the public during an epidemic. This shows that the media has succeeded in freaking out just about everyone, but I have been through these epidemic scares a time or six and will wait and see what happens. Before he died more than 30 years ago, my grandfather made some audio tapes, talking about his life history. One of the things he talked about was the time right after the War (WWI) in 1918 when he was in a demob camp in France waiting for the boat home and the flu struck the camp. His descriptions of his friends dying around him and his surprise at escaping infection make the current hysteria seem a trifle overblown. I have prepared, of course, have my masks and supplies ready, but I am not going to fret too much. Time to relax and knit some socks.