Retro Knit Friday!

Here's the start of a new sweater: the February Lady Sweater. The color is a dark sage green, very dark. I have always liked the sturdy nature of garter stitch and use it for bands a lot, but this will be the first time I have made a sweater with a whole section of garter. Also in its infancy is another new cardigan. I was going to make a yellow one but couldn't find the yellow yarn. Naturally, I found the yarn as soon as I had finished the ribbings for the periwinkle blue. I am not sure yet what design features to put on this blue 3/4-length sleeve cardigan, but I am sure I will think of something. I am waiting for my knitting books to come back from storage so I can use them for ideas.

We are down to the last few pages of the Bear Brand 1949 booklet. The striped vest is knit at 6 sts/inch of knitting worsted. It is very fitted and the biggest size, an 18, only measures 36 inches through the bust of the finished garment with the front buttoned. The edges are finished with single crochet.

This blouse really appeals to me. Wait, I am having a memory flash, and I think I like it so much because it reminds me of a my mother's best dress. This dress was made in the mid-fifties of wool jersey in brown with reverse applique yellow trim. There is something about the contrast trim on this blouse that brings the dress to mind. The edges of this blouse are finished with knitted hems, and the collar is knitted separately and sewn on.

'Brief Interlude' is knit of sport-weight yarn at 7 sts/inch. The pattern stitch is an all-over pattern of cables and rib. The bands are of single crochet.

Also included in the booklet are instructions for three skirts, a straight skirt, ribbed skirt, and 8-gore skirt. All are knit of dress yarn at 8 sts/inch.

Last is the ad from the back cover. Really, it makes this yarn sound terrific - no shrinking or matting and with 'remarkable resilience'. The ad also offered free instructions for the four sweaters shown.

My FIL's birthday is coming up soon, and I have to decide on what kind of cake to make him. He is very fond of a lovely chocolate cake with whipped cream, though I am not sure of the health consequences of all that whipped cream. But then it is only once a year, right? And it seems to me that when you are turning 86 you can eat whatever cake you want.

Vintage Knit Friday! and Progress Report

Back to 1949! This first sweater blouse is knit at 8 sts/inch in 'Angel Crepe', a lovely name for a yarn. This cap-sleeved blouse has a Peter-Pan collar and is embroidered with metallic thread for the flower leaves and studded with 5 sequins for each flower. The instructions tell the knitter where to mark the garment with a short length of colored thread during the knitting process to mark the place for each motif.

The striped top has the stripes knit in a chevron pattern using bobbins of 4 different colors. The shaping seems to be minimal, just a rectangle with extra stitches cast on for the sleeves and with an opening in the back that is faced with ribbon . The bottom edge has ribbing, and the sleeve and neck edges are turned under and stitched down.

'Arrowhead' is a top of classic design with embroidery on the front yoke. The collar is knitted separately and sewn on . I like the name of the yarn used - Wonderized Ladylaine!!. The perfect yarn for Wonder Woman to use for her knitting.

The Monkey socks are nearing the heel. M wants 5 repeats to the heel because she has made them before and knows what she likes. The yarn has stopped making vertical stripes, thank goodness, and is now wrapping around in a diagonal pattern.

I have most of the strings sewn in on the cardigan and just need to sew on the buttons and block it. A cute 6-year-old girl in Joann's helped me find buttons that match pretty well.

Heirloom Laces

This Jarbo yarn is pooling in a peculiar manner, vertical stripes so far. I am into the second repeat of the Monkey pattern and am enjoying knitting patterned socks for a change. I have made one pair of lace socks and a few Blueberry Waffle socks, but most of the socks I make are plain.

We are slowly putting the bedrooms back together. We have a large IKEA chest of drawers in the girls' room, and during the recent construction activities the bottom drawer jammed in the open position. I was taking everything out of the drawer to see if I could fix it (yes, I could) when I found the big bag of linens from Grandma G that my mother-in-law gave to us. This particular batch of linens were sheets and pillowcases with handwork. The knitted lace is sewn to pillowcases and is knit of a very fine but very strong cotton thread. It is paired on the pillowcases with a band of drawn-thread work. I would say that these are around 100 years old.

Another pillowcase is trimmed with this insertion of crochet. I like this design because it is crocheted onto a length of commercially-made braid which you can see in the middle of the insertion.

These items are in such good condition that they were probably considered too good to use everyday. As a result, they just languished in storage for most of their life and turned brown on the edges of the folds. I am going to have to look up info on laundering such old linens because if they can be washed successfully, they should be used and enjoyed.

Starting New Socks

The Trekking red/black/fuchsia socks are finished. Now on to the next pair. M was over for Sunday dinner and chose this yarn, Jarbo Garn in a dark red, grey, fuchsia colorway. She wants me to knit her a pair of Monkeys. I really must be one of the few knitters on the face of the earth who hasn't yet knit some Monkeys.

The apple green cardigan is nearly finished. I have both sleeves set in, and now I have to find some buttons and do the button and buttonhole bands. There is still a whole bunch of stuff piled in front of the knitting machine, but the spouse is almost done painting the bedroom so we should be able to move the stuff out in the next day or so. I am starting to get ideas for the next sweaters I want to make. All my stuff for the rescue mission hats is sealed up in the girls' bedroom closet, so I'll have to wait a bit to continue with that project.

Retro Knit Friday!

We had a short stretch of very hot weather, but the weatherman just said that the temp should fall by twenty degrees this weekend. That's good, because the spouse plans to paint the kids' room, and it would be nice to open all the windows without letting in 106 degree air. I am nearing the toe on the second Trekking red sock and have set in one sleeve on the green cardigan.

Now, on to more outfits from the 1949 Bear Brand booklet. The one-piece dress with lapels is called 'Year Rounder'. It is knit of Caprice, a textured dress yarn at 8 1/2 sts/inch that blocks out to 8 sts/inch. The skirt has 8 faux gores formed by purl ribs, and it is attached to the bodice at the waist. The lapels are double thickness with sc around the edges.

'Tailored Cable' is a suit of classic shape trimmed withcables at the front button band, the pockets, and the cuffs. There is also an all-over cable pattern of short lengths of cable on a stockinette ground.

I think 'Smart Lines' is very chic looking with the smooth lines and stripe trim at bodice and pocket. Also smart are the gauntlet gloves and cute hat. Her head is turned but I think there is some kind of feather or trim on the other side of the hat. Not that that has anything to do with knitting, but the accessories make the outfit!

'Two Toner' also has a classically simple shape with contrast trim at color and tab trim on the front. Most of these outfits are knit on size 1 needles at 8 - 8 1/2 sts/inch.

'Rope Twist' is a very fitted, cropped cardigan with the cables knit in contrast colors. Judging by the accessories, this cardigan is more sporty and casual than the other garments.

The classic pullover has a texture pattern and is knit at 9 sts/inch. This is 1949, but already the little tied scarf around the neck is making its appearance.

I am already thinking about the next sweater. Will I start the yellow or blue?

Back To The Cardigan

Now that we are digging ourselves out of the construction mess, I found that I had lost the two sleeves of the green cardigan. We still have one bedroom to paint, so that closet is still sealed up with dropcloths, and I suspected that the sleeves were stuck in there somewhere. But no, I found them yesterday in a knitting bag in another bedroom, so now I am gung ho to finish this sweater. As you can see in the picture, I have finished knitting the neckband and am sewing it down. Today I am going to start setting in the sleeves.

I have finished one of the Trekking socks and started the other. When I bought the yarn, the color looked all dark red and black, but knitted up it is full of fuchsia and goldy highlights. M has been hinting that I should stop making plain socks and make her some with a stitch pattern, and she suggests Broadripple (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer03/PATTbroadripple.html). That will be my next sock project.

We seem to be heading into another session of hot weather, perfect for sock knitting. Since I was out of town last week and skipped the retro knit day, I will show one picture from the 1949 booklet. This sweater is named 'Decolletage', and is knit from fingering weight yarn on size 1 and 2 needles. The pattern is written in only one size with a finished bust measurement of 34 1/2 inches. Here's the description: 'Instructions are written for sweater with a low neckline both back and front as illustrated. Changes are given (at end of instructions) for a High Square neck in front and High Neck in back, giving a choice of a high or low neckline either back or front.' There's no picture of the alternate necklines though.

Back Home

We just got back from two business trips, one to Carmel two weeks ago, and just now to Vegas for a tax convention. I went to Knitting-By-The-Sea in Carmel and got the Sockotta and Tofutsies.

We decided to drive all the way to Las Vegas which takes about 10 hours. During the week, while the spouse learned even more wonderful things about taxes, I went shopping. I went to Wooly Wonders on E. Tropicana and another yarn shop whose name I can't remember. I bought (what else) sock yarn. The green yarn is some alpaca sock yarn I got at a booth at the farmers' market in Tehachapi on the way home. We were surprised to see that someone torched the train station in Techachapi last month and they are raising money to rebuild. I think the tragedy was due to fireworks and adult beverages from what I heard from a local fundraiser.

This is going to be a busy weekend with two birthday parties. Today I have to bake a chocolate cake and some rolls and wrap some presents. I may be able to get to the retro knits by Monday.