Early 1955 Knitting Beauty

Some more knitting beauties from the past....enjoy!

I love sharing these gorgeous scans with you every week but will probably phase the Thursdays Knitting thing out. I know it's not long since I started it and I did have other plans for it, including interviews, other featured knitting bloggers, etc. However with Suzy Patterns and all my regular sewing it's very difficult to keep the Thursdays post as good and interesting as I would wish. I will still share these beauties with you and I will still talk about knitting. But not every Thursday! Hope you don't mind.

I'll be back at the weekend to share some sneak previews of what I am working on at the moment and to give you an update on Suzy Patterns. Thank you for being here with me!

What's next and life goes on

Let me start by saying thank you so much to everyone for the outpour of support I received, following my announcement last Saturday. I was close to tears when I realised my announcement post held as many views in two days as some of my most popular posts. Your comments and emails really brighten up my day and gave my plans a different and awesome perspective. Thank you, thank you so much everyone!
I am now just finalising the last details on the pattern so I can finally make it available for testers. Every time I come to the conclusion it's ready to go, I find something else that needs adding/doing/improving. It will be ready at the weekend, so for those of you who have offered to test, an email with information will be sent out early next week. Once the email goes out with all the info, you can then make a decision, whether you want to test or not. Do remember that once I am more certain size charts and grading were done correctly, this pattern will be made available for free. I'm aiming for a official launch with a new website at beginning of April.

In the meantime, life goes on. I am still sewing and knitting here and there. I'm currently working on the Minoru Jacket  and about to start Susan Khalje The Couture Dress from Craftsy. I'm hoping that techniques learned here will help me construct my wedding dress. Gertie has also announced a new class which I strongly suspect I will buy in the very imminent future. Not sure when I'll be taking it though.

What are you working on at the moment? And have you fell for any of Craftsy fantastic classes?

And not forgetting today is knitting day, I'll leave you with a couple of scans from Vogue Knitting from late 1955.

Another thursday...

...another knitting day! This time, 33 fashion wise knitting designs from early 1956!

Especially in love with the fan yoke blouse above. Gorgeous!!

And thank you so much to everyone regarding your lovely comments on my knitted cardigan. I am very happy and pleased with it, especially as I never thought I would ever have patience to finish a whole piece. I am very inpatient and sewing is so much more quick and rewarding (even if it takes long to get a perfect garment).

And those of you who follow me on twitter might have caught glimpse of an announcement I'm due to make soon but for those who don't, that announcement will be on my blog this Saturday (no issues arising). I'm a bit nervous and anxious but also excited!

Knitted Navy Beauty

Here it is, my first ever hand knitted garment (excluding scarves) completed and being modelled! Mind you, it's too cold to wear this now but I couldn't wait for Spring to take some photos and share with you! Isn't it a beauty? It's not perfect but I love it. According to my Ravelry project page, it took me less than a year which is a surprise for me. I am a slow knitter! This project benefited from a week off sick in December where all I could do was lie in sofa and knit.

This cardigan is from the gorgeous book "A Stitch in Time Vol 1" and it's called To Set Off your Summer Frocks" It was chosen as it was the easiest for a beginner. It's all stockinette stitch, so quite straight forward. This book is full of gorgeous designs and I blogged about it here. In fact, my blog post sparked the knitting bug in a certain fantastic person so strongly that she took up knitting straight away (in addition to being a fantastic sewist) and has already finished many more gorgeous knitted garments than me. You know who you are ;)

As I said, knitting this was straight forward! Blocking and finding the right gauge was a bit of a nightmare though. I tend to knit loosely so had to go down and down in needle size to get there. But I did get there! Once finished I blocked all the pieces and found out that it had grew, which worried me as I like a snug fit. It's not too bad though! Seaming was a bit tricky. Sewing with fabric and thread is way different from sewing with yarn and knitwear.

 

I have already started my next project, this time an also easy, for beginners sweater from Kim Hargreaves. I'll let you know how I get on.
And you, are you on the knitting bandwagon?

Knitting fashions continue

Knitwear fashions continues this week with Vogue Knitting Book 49 (number 50 is missing). Presumably from late 1956, we are getting closer and closer to when fashions change. Don't forget I'm going backwards with these scans so we'll soon be in the darling 1940s.

I absolutely LOVE the dress below! Yes, another knitted dress but look at those stitches! They are big and chunky, yet she still looks beautifully and very fitting for the 50s. Now one day I might have to try this dress.

But what about my cardigan, you might be thinking!! I did say I had finished it so where's the proof? Well it is finished. I stitched the last seam yesterday. I should be able to take some good photos at the weekend so for sure you'll see it here next Thursday!

Knitwear of 1957

The more astute in you might have noticed there was no Thursday's Knitting last week. I do apologise but I found out rather late that I hadn't scanned anything else from my Vogue Knitting Book pile. Alas, I have now scanned a bunch.
For those of you that might get a bit fed up with scans I can proudly say that I finished my first knitted garment. I have to now follow the blocking and sewing process (which is making me rather nervous) but should be able to share within the next couple of weeks.

There are two things that jump out when looking at late 50s/ early 60s Vogue Knitting magazines. Lots and lots of dogs (which I do not oppose as they are cute) and lots and lots of smoking (not so keen on that but it was seen as very good and fashionable back then).

Love this cardigan, the print is a bit crazy. Would love to knit it but not sure I would love to wear it. If you are a knitter tell me: do you only knit functional pieces that you know you'll wear or are you attracted by crazy patterns and itchy yarns that looks nice but you now you won't wear?

A Knitted Summer

I never use to associate knitwear with Summer, but that is probably my Southern Portugal person talking. With temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius you really don't want it on you. Here in UK, however, I can totally see myself using knits in Summer. And according to Vogue Knitting Book n.52 from 1958 (presumed) why not have a knitted Summer!
Despite this being a late 50s issue the designs are gorgeous and it was difficult to select my favourites!
Just take this gorgeous lace dress. It looks so beautiful with the jewellery and accessories. The magazine calls it The late-day dress and I think it would look smashing for afternoon tea.

I'm not a fan of pink but the cardigan below is so pretty. It would look wicked in navy blue or even black with purple roses.

My favourite of this issue has to be the cardigan below. How stunning would that look with a full circle skirted dress. And it doesn't look too complicated to knit (even though I have super limited experience knitting). They call it The cardigan- blouse (understandably so) and suggest a blend of wool and rayon in a pastel colour. Apparently "pastels are knitting headlines on the Continent."

Knitting Thursdays continues...

...with some more lovely scans, this time we have Vogue Knitting book Number 53. Guessing from late 1958.

 I absolutely love this one!

Have a fabulous rest of Thursday! I'm not doing much tonight (I even missed my knitting pub night) as I feel very tired.

Knitting Progress and Scans

I have a confession to make. I haven't done any work on my winter wool dress muslin. However I have a good reason. I came down with some type of bug and been unable to do anything else other than lie in sofa all day watching mindless and carefree TV. The positive side of this is that I have managed to do a lot of knitting. The cardigan I'm working on has a simple stockinette stitch which is very good when you feel crap and can't concentrate. I had finished the back piece some days ago and in a unseen record for me I finished one sleeve in two days. Wow! Even I'm impressed with myself. As I'm writing this I'm starting to feel tired so will probably have another day in sofa knitting and watching TV.

Continuing our journey back with Vogue Knitting Book the number is 54 and the year is assumed 1959. Why assumed? Because from now on, these knitting books are not dated. I think they were released twice a year so looking at issue 55, which is 1959 too and issue 56 which is 1960 guessing this is for the early part of 1959. Things ought to start getting more exciting as we move on; don't forget, we are going back in time.

Knitting Blog Love

Untangling Knots is probably my favourite knitting blog. The gorgeous girl behind the blog is Andi who is amazingly talented and has awesome style. One of the amazing features in the blog is the mini series. It guides you through different techniques to cast on or how to do buttonholes with fantastic photos. Andi also has patterns available for sale and some are free, like the one below. A simple but gorgeous knitted belt which will look smashing with a 50s full circe dress.

And what about this gorgeous cardigan. Available on Ravelry here.

The blog is full of information very well written and with gorgeous photos so I highly recommend it if you're into knitting or crocheting. And if you're not you might want to check it anyway, as Andi also does some sewing, refashioning and other craftiness.

On a total different note, I'll also leave you with some more scans. Not very exciting this time I'm afraid. Vogue Knitting Book no. 55 from 1959.

Flurries...a gorgeous knitting pattern!

Today on Thursdays Knitting I bring you a very special knitting pattern. Very special because it's the first knitting pattern from a gorgeous talented girl I have the pleasure to call my friend.
Just look at these gorgeous set of a cowl and fingerless gloves:

Aren't they super cute? And their name is fantastic...flurries! I will be supporting Julie and her brand new first pattern by knitting these on maybe a red/ turquoise combination or a red/ black one. Not sure exactly when, as we know by now I am the slowest knitter around but I'll come to it.

So who is Julie? She's a very talented knitter (embroiderer and general crafter too) who blogs at Button, Button. I truly believe Flurries is the first of many gorgeous knitting patterns she'll design. You can purchase the pattern from Ravelry here and also see how other people are knitting flurries.

I would finally just like to say I have in no way gained by posting this on my blog. I truly love this pattern and gorgeous things created by independent designers should be shouted about.