Vintage explorations

At the weekend a post on my local knitting group's Ravelry forum reminded me about the Southampton University Vintage Knitting Pattern library.  I then spent several happy hours reading the patterns, including entire books of knitting talk, all on free access.  Then I had a little light bulb moment -  that to truly appreciate the patterns I should knit one up.

I have made a mitten (just one for now but the second is on its way)

I have a large collection of 3 and 4ply pure wool yarn in loads of colours, I chose shades which are closest to the ones suggested in the pattern, which states black, white and magenta (I have black, beige and scarlet)

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My yarn is about 50 years old and although the pattern book was published in 1876 it is broadly similar to the yarn a lady would have bought at her local shop to make herself a pair of warm mittens.  Note these were made for wearing indoors, houses were very chilly in those days!

The patterns of this era are written without the standard terminology we are used today.  The style is more narrative, in this pattern increases are called 'raises' and purl 'seam'. But by reading the pattern straight through and, where instructed, referring back to details in other patterns it is easy to follow and my first mitten, cast on on Sunday afternoon was cast off this morning

stripes in K2P2 rib

a neat thumb gusset worked exactly according to the pattern

TA-DAA!

Now, all this - lovely pattern resource, a yarn stash of 1950s 3 ply and breaking vintage knitting code led to an idea.... A knit-a-long! (with a difference)

Here is what I suggest

1. Choose any of the patterns on the Southampton website (including the mittens here)

2. Knit in your own yarn (anything suitable) post as a project on ravelry with the tag chopkinsvintageKAL  or upload to my flickr group

And that's all there is to it!  Except...  with the permission of those who join in and post photographs I would like to let the department at the university know about the project.  I may also have the opportunity to display some of the knitted articles (or photographs) at a local knitting event later in the year.  I can't say any more about this at the moment so you will just have to keep an eye on the blog for more information on that.  But if you join in and live in the UK perhaps you might consider whether you might lend me your FOs to put on show.

Although I have only made one mitten so far, I fully intend to knit the other and other items from the pattern library, some stockings perhaps, or a hat.  I have plenty of fine yarn in other colours - see here!

I look forward to hearing from you!

xx

c

PS (following Sally's comment)  There is no time limit if you just want to join in the fun, knit up one of the patterns and tag it on Ravelry or upload to flickr.  But if you would like to lend your knitting to me (or have some photographs of your work included in)  the display I am hoping to set up as part of the Big Knit project in our town's Summer festival I will need to know by mid May.  More details about the display once I have liaised with both the Art school and our festival committee.   

All Right (as Rainbow) Now (KAL 4)

This swatching lark can be tricky.  Between us Kathleen and I have come up with all possible permutations of the tension square using needles sized from 3.75 - 5mm.  On Sunday I received one of those sort of 'Help' e mails.  K was down to 3.75 needles and she still couldn't get to gauge.

Previously of course I was trying to get some cheap DK to come up to gauge but I needed to begin all over again once I had decided to use the gorgeous Spud & Chloe Sweater.  And with a big sigh of relief I have made it.

It began a little loosely but that was the garter border I worked to try and make my swatch lie flat, once I got going my 22 stitch swatch was a fraction of a stitch wider than 4 inches.  I also get 28 rows to 4 inches too but that is far less critical as the pattern gives length in inches not rows.

I did try the 5mm needles too, this square was 5 inches wide, but it was nice to see how the colours will work together on the yoke

When we first began to talk about the KAL and I decided I would make the cardigan for The Little Model, some may have thought I was a little deluded.  How was I going to make a size 18mo fit a 4 year old?  Well she is very tall (no problem I can knit the sweater longer in body and sleeves) but very slim and I have checked the measurements.  The chest measurement given for the largest size still gives TLM some wriggle room.  Don't believe me?  Well here is proof, TLM in her new school uniform ready for 'big school' in a week's time

Look at that school cardi!   And it's the smallest size!!

This might be the moment to mention the beautiful rosewood needles I have treated myself to (well August is my birthday month)  They are absolutely perfect for little projects, in particular swatches.  They may even encourage me to swatch more... I have them in 3.5, 4, 4.5 & 5mm  (Have I mentioned this before?  I may have...)

I have also wound of three mini skeins that will be winging their way to Kathleen as my part in our colour swap.

So I am now all ready, together with Kathleen, to talk you through the KAL, step by step in our blogs and   in the thread on the Ravelry, friends of Spud & Chloe forum.

The Ravelry forum is for all participants - if you are joining in, please post your comments.  Tell us just what you are thinking, how are your swatches turning out?  Do you need a colour swap partner?  Are you knitting the sleeves on DPNs or are you using magic loop?  AND most importantly of all are you having fun?

Don't forget lift off (or is it D-Day or even K-Day) will be 4 September.  We will continue to promote the KAL on Facebook, Twitter, Ravelry and blogs but we would be so happy if you could spread the word.  We are up to six knitters but it would be great to have more.

Oh! and I have a beautiful new knitting bag, made by my clever cousin the textile artist Sharon Verry.

I have already mentioned that August is my birthday month and this was Sharon's present to me for my 60th (Earlier this year for her 60th I made Sharon a shawl in the Metalouse pattern).  Perhaps a non knitter might think that a dolly bag is not suitable as a knitting bag, surely one needs a long thin bag to contain the needles.  But not of course if you use circulars and DPNs.  Not only is my bag a thing of beauty in my favourite colours but it is just right to hold all I need for the KAL

Sharon makes all sorts of things with her silk fabrics, scarves, bags even jewelery.  There are lots more photographs on her website and you can buy her work at The Guild of Ten  in Truro Cornwall.

xx

C

Yay!! A Knit-A-Long

This morning my friend Kathleen who writes the wonderfully named blog Knit-Like-You-Mean-It. posted this suggestion on her face book page

Anyone for a KAL?

OK so the pattern only goes up to 24 months and The Little Model is four now but she's slim and I am up to a bit of modification in the pattern dept not to mention always up for a KAL.

So later in the morning I swung by one of our three yarn shops, chose seven fab colours and handed over my debit card. As I chatted with the shop lady about how lovely the colours were, how I should get the extra ball in case I run out AND showed her the pattern on my phone, I tapped in my PIN (I'm able to multi task like that)

Uh Oh, this is where things went horribly wrong, PIN refused, three goes then the card was locked. As I blithely handed over another card (it belonged to JTH, why should he mind buying yarn for our grand daughter?) I decided to march into the bank and demand why the PIN I had used for many years had spontaneously become the wrong number.

At the bank I went through the same process, PIN LOCKED AGAIN.  Then as I was ordering a new PIN, it dawned on the bank assistant, the card I was using was not my current account card (don't ask).  Cue huge embarrassment, I had effectively accused the bank of having a wonky computer system, when actually it was me, I had lost my card.  Oh we'll it's sorted now and I have some pretty coloured yarn and have begun swatching.

Xx

C 

When is a knit-along not a knit-along?

Answer:- when a novice tries to start one.  I'm afraid its all gone wrong already.  I think it should begin with a group of friends who decide to make something, buy the yarn at the same time, cast on in unison and keep pace as they reach the triumphal finishing line in a dead heat. And that is what is called a knit-along, a KAL in knit-speak (It was a while before I cottoned on to that one)

It began well when  Kathleen whom I met at P3 2011 posted a picture of this missoni-look-alike cowl on twitter

Liquid Amber (it's a free Ravelry download)

there followed a certain amount of tweeted oohs and aahs from the knitterati.  I tweeted that the pattern would be perfect for one of my unravel purchases and  Kathleen suggested a KAL.  She and I did agree we would link blog posts.  But that is when I let knitting temptation lead me astray and went off on what legally speaking is sometimes called 'a frolic of my own'  (once said by a high court judge, honest)

This is the yarn, beautiful fine sheeny 50/50 silk/merino hand dyed by the Skein Queen.  First problem, JTH was out and I wanted to begin AT ONCE (there's no satisfaction in delayed gratification knitwise).  I need a swift and yarn winder so much, but this day I looked around the house and my eyes alighted on this old tray

It might look a bit messy but the handles work perfectly well to keep the hank falling off.

wound and ready to...

cast on

It hasn't turned out as stripey as the original.  A more experienced knitter could have told me that from just looking at the skein, but I love the colours and I can always knit another, asking next time for yarn with long colour repeats.  .  The lace stitch is very easy to learn.  There is a chart and text instructions in the pattern. I added two more repeats (30 more stitches) to make my cowl a little longer. I found I could knit up one complete pattern per night so it's...

I realise that I should have waited, it is not a KAL, but more like a race and that is not polite.  But Kathleen is a very busy woman.  She is not only a PhD student she is also making more that a stripey cowl at the moment (see her blog for more detail!)  I think she has the yarn picked out, however, so keep an eye on her blog.

I have more on the Titanic project to blog next week but if all goes to plan there will be a big PS with a picture of the finished cowl as well

xx

c 

PS

All done now

Lessons learned 

• use yarn with long repeats if you want the stripey look
• check the size as well as the tension.  I knew I wanted my cowl to be a little longer to drape more, so I added 2 more repeats.  But I should have measured.  After blocking it turns out 4 cm greater in circumference than the pattern - as expected - but that is still not long enough to get the look I like.  I have plenty of yarn left so no excuse!
• photograph cowls in full light with a white background if you don't want your neck to feature (success there)

I still like it and it will make a pretty collar to a plain dress but if I make another I shall make it longer, probably  in 4 ply and get the colours right!