June 9, 2009
Skiff Vintage Knitting Patterns
Hello all, I’ve diversified and have ported my blog over to my new website, Skiff Vintage Knitting Patterns. Can you guess what you’ll find there? Go on, have a stab in the dark. Obviously a host of great 1940s and ’50s vintage knitting patterns for sale, but also free vintage patterns, vintage knitting tips, and of course this blog. I love these old patterns so much, they’ve got such elegance and style about them, and you won’t see many people wearing them!
So I won’t be maintaining this site any more – instead the blog will be updated at the new site, so drop by and let me know what you think (be nice, no swearing please) …
May 30, 2009
it's not that I've got a thing for pink
Getting very excited about my next vintage project – a blouse pattern from Vogue Knitting No.35 with ‘a deep tuck-lined bib with tiny round collar’. I’ve had a scan through the instructions and can’t see any glaring errors, so fingers crossed shouldn’t be too complicated. I’m tempted by the skirt (you can knit it as a dress or separates), but I’m not sure I’m ready to brave one yet … looks simple enough but the time factor could be of biblical proportions. I could start it and keep it going on in the background, but I think by the time I finish it the blouse will be faded through use!
I haven’t really got a thing for pink, but I do quite like the idea of the pale pink in the picture (although am toying with the idea of black with white trimmings) … need to do some tension square but I’m hoping that Jamieson & Smith’s jumper weight 2-ply will do the job.
Just the small matter of finishing the other vintage pattern I’m working on now … so much to do …
May 16, 2009
it holds wool too!
A frantic late-night, last-minute bidding frenzy saw the the latest addition to my ‘wish-it-was-the-40s’ vintage knitting fest arriving on my doormat yesterday. It’s pink, it’s bakelite, it goes rather nicely with my vintage Lee Target Campanula wool.
I love it in a way that’s bordering on pointlessness (apart from the fact that it has a purpose and is actually extremely practical). The bottom screws off to put the wool in, and there’s a handy needle gauge incorporated. I’m thinking of petitioning Patons to re-make them in a range of colours, but then plastic just wouldn’t cut it in the way that bakelite does. Feels so solid and smooth and satisfying.
They were manufactured between 1930-1960, although I’m not geek enough to know if there are any ways of checking the dates through any design quirks (anyone out there got any more details?). They come in green, red, orange, cream and blue too … I feel a senseless collection coming on.
May 8, 2009
Watch out for that right hook
I know it’s a bit old hat to laugh patronisingly at kitsch and quirky images from yesteryear … but check out this kitsch and quirky vintage knitting pattern I just came across (laughs patronisingly).
Looks like a lot of thought went into setting up this mis en scene, so I’m trying to get imagine the storyboard meeting: man comes home from work, he’s been slogging at a dull 9-5 he hates. The boss hates him, the feeling’s mutual, he feels impotent and frustrated … but he’s got dreams, he’ll fight his way out of this somehow. He opens the door and finds a bunch of women in his living room – they are (from l to r) his sister-in-law, his sister and his wife. This irritates him even more – he’s out earning a dollar while they sit at home chatting and knitting. But wait, what’s this? Darn them all, they’re wearing HIS SWEATERS!
He threatens them with a right hook – they laugh coquettishly, they’ve seen it all before, he’ll never carry out his threat. But maybe he will this time, maybe this is just enough to push him over the edge …
Well, whatever the outcome, I figure the formidable lady on the far left would give as good as she gets so he’d better watch out.
April 19, 2009
Toy Car Launcher
Yes that’s right, it launches cars. Go on, the weekend’s not over yet, this would really make you feel like you’d done something cool with your time instead of wasting it spending time outdoors having fun with your family and friends, building happy memories. All that stuff’s over-rated.
You know you want to … instructions to make one here.
April 16, 2009
Robson & Mason's basket of needles
Browsing through the wonderful Made in England site on a recommendation from Mr W (being geeky and admiring the animated icon) and came across a link to a great haberdashery site I’d forgotten about – Robson & Mason. Great site, easy to use, lovely trimmings missus.
Check out the vintage basket needles & threader.
April 10, 2009
How to Knit
Okay, it wasn’t a figment of my imagination, my ridiculous imaginary project I’d dreamed up to keep me company instead of doing any real work … here it is! No really, it’s a book about How To Knit (did you guess from the title?). And you can download it from this site, lucky you. It includes a cool 1940s dress trimming pattern as an easy first project, hopefully to tempt you further down the road into those wonderful vintage suits and blouses.
Tell your friends and watch out for the next one, coming soon … well … this year sometime, hopefully, erm … did I mention it’s the first in a series?
April 8, 2009
L'Aquila
The news from L’Aquila this week continues to get worse as the death toll rises and hope fades for any more survivors. The heart-wrenching scenes of horror and grief were lent a quantum of relief yesterday when a 98-year-old Maria D’Antuono was pulled from the rubble after 30 hours of interment. How did she pass the time? She got busy with her hook and wool and did a bit of crocheting. Not only is this testament to the amazing lady’s strength, but also to the way craft can see us through some bad times. Through every personal crisis in my life I’ve always had some knitting on the go, a way to switch off and produce something positive in a bad time. In fact my craft output often intensifies during dark days – go figure. Don’t need to preach to the converted – anyone reading this probably feels the same and I don’t want to be flippant about a tragedy, so enough said.
Meantime, Red Cross are running an appeal for the victims.
March 28, 2009
Listening to a nice bit of soulful June Tabor from a little folky compilation I’ve put together while I’m finishing off my booket.
Wind and Rain is a cheery little gothic piece about sororicide (I had to look that one up) which would sit quite nicely alongside Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads, and yet has this cheery toe-tapping quality. 
Her voice sounds like the wind itself so it does.
I think the folk revival is ensuring that her unique voice is getting the overdue recognition she deserves … June Tabor, we salute you.
March 28, 2009
How to Knit
I haven’t blogged for a week or so – not just being lazy, I’ve been trying to finish off a small booklet I’ve been working on about knitting basics. Should be finished in the next few days so I’ll post it when I’m done in a .pdf format. It’s the first of 3 or 4 instalments and covers the very basics – casting on, knit & purl, casting off … I’ve been working on it for the last few months and it’ll be good to finally get it out there – check out the free 1940s dress trim pattern!
