Show us your vintage knitting and crochet!

[Babydoll]

They look fantastic! Don't you love making baby things?

 

[Marla]

Another year, another knitting project.

Bestway Sleeveless Pullover

Here's a link to the Ravelry page, in case you're interested in the technical aspect. The pattern is available for free online.

 

[kamikat]

It's beautiful! I'm sure it will come in handy once the cold weather comes back around. Did you have to do much fiddling with the stitch pattern for the change in size? I love the diamond shapes but so far, I've only sized up patterns that were mostly satin stitch or satin with fair isle.

 

[Marla]

It's beautiful! I'm sure it will come in handy once the cold weather comes back around. Did you have to do much fiddling with the stitch pattern for the change in size? I love the diamond shapes but so far, I've only sized up patterns that were mostly satin stitch or satin with fair isle.

Not really. I just figured out how many inches across I wanted it to be and did some math to produce the number of stitches that were to be cast on. The number had to be a multiple of eight to correspond with the stitch repeat so that I could still follow the written pattern.

 

[kamikat]

This is my first attempt at fair isle. It's the star cardigan from vintagepurls.com
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5240/5915508553_ac0ea10780.jpg
(having trouble posting pictures today)

 

[C-dot]

This is my first attempt at fair isle. It's the star cardigan from vintagepurls.com
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5240/5915508553_ac0ea10780.jpg
(having trouble posting pictures today)

That's very good! My mother is a Fair Isle designer, and can knit the most complicated patterns - I'm hopeless. I knit with 2 colours and am proud of myself lol

 

[Land-O-LakesGal]

I finally learned to knit I have been trying to crochet for the last couple of years but I tend to work too tight and get very frustrated with anything beyond granny squares but I am finding knitting surprisingly much easier for me. OK I have only learned to knit so far today I my aunt is going to show me how to purl. How long till I get make a sweater? lol

 

[Babydoll]

I finally learned to knit I have been trying to crochet for the last couple of years but I tend to work too tight and get very frustrated with anything beyond granny squares but I am finding knitting surprisingly much easier for me. OK I have only learned to knit so far today I my aunt is going to show me how to purl. How long till I get make a sweater? lol

How are you holding the yarn? It makes a difference in your tension/how "tight" you are crocheting.

 

[Kate O Potato]

Is anyone else excited about the release of this book?

 

[Miss Sis]

To be honest, I personally was a bit disappointed in the first one when a friend showed it to me, so I certainly wouldn't buy it without being able to have a good look inside first!

But I am a picky madam and have more than enough patterns to keep me going till Doomsday!

 

[kamikat]

I agree, at least somewhat, with Miss Sis. While I'm glad I bought the first one, I'm glad it was with birthday money and not my hard earned cash. Since learning to rewrite patterns to suit my size, I don't really need the book. Many of the patterns are poorly sized and they all use too heavy of yarns. I won't be buying the second one until after I read some reviews.

 

[Clabbergirl]

Is anyone else excited about the release of this book?

This looks wonderful! Kind of shocked at the price though, at least in American dollars. Maybe Santa will bring it to me. Thanks for sharing this!

 

[Kate O Potato]

They drop in price eventually! I got the first volume and absolutely love it. Some of the pictures are misleading, as the jumpers were knitted in a range of sizes, so occasionally you get a very baggy jumper on one of the slim models and it looks completely wrong - but on the whole they stay very true to the original patterns. I've knitted two of hers so far and love them both!

 

[wahine]

Thanks to you forum ladies, I started knitting. I was having a hard time at the very beginning, but I'm getting into the flow more and more...

A question about crocheting:
I'd like to try one of those free patterns on http://www.freevintagecrochet.com/hat-pattern/star117/blue-bandeau
They require e.g. "Steel crochet hook No.7" or "Aluminum crochet hook size G".
Before I get going, I want to make sure that I got the hook size right; I found this chart:
http://www.coatsandclark.com/Products/Accessories/Crochet/Coats+and+Clark+Hook+Conversion+Chart.htm
If I don't read it in a wrong way, size G equals No.6 equals 4 mm, and No.7 equals 4,5 mm, a.s.o.
Can any of you tell me if that is correct?
Or have hook sizes changed over the years (like garment sizes)?

btw what does the hook material matter? I never thought about it, only cared for the size.

 

[Babydoll]

Just grabbed my pouch of hooks. I have a G-6-4.0mm, and an H-8-5.0mm. They are both steel and Susan Bates brand. I prefer steel hooks. They feel more sturdy. They yarn glides more easily on them than on a plastic hook.

I think that you are correct. A 7 should be 4.5mm. Not sure why they said it is a G. Do you know if you crochet loose or tight? If you crochet loose, you could get away with using a smaller hook. If you crochet tight, a bigger hook might be appropriate. You should use whatever size will get you the gauge they give in the pattern.

 

[wahine]

Thanks a lot for your answer, Babydoll!
Last night, I started a piece that requires a "no. 7". Since I didn't have a 4,5 mm, I tried it with a 4 mm (steel) hook. It seemed to work out pretty well, but of course I won't really know until I finish a piece. If I manage, I'll try to post a pic

 

[wahine]

I made my first vintage crochet piece: this beanie


I think it didn't come out so bad, considering that I never made a cap, didn't have the required yarn or hook size and therefore had to experiment a bit (Let's say I'm much better now... at unraveling )


Although I think it's kinda cute, I'm not so sure if it's cute on me. I never had such a cap, so I'm not sure if it really goes with my shape of face, age and the hairstyle I have at the moment (that I'm not really happy with btw).



What do you think, can I wear it? If so, I'd like to make matching cuffs (don't have enough yarn left for anything bigger). If not, I'd unravel it and make something else.
ps. how do you "attach" such a cap to your head/hair? I imagine if I'd walk around a bit, moving my head, it would come off in no time. Simply stick bobby pins through it?

 

[wahine]

Now I wonder: does it look that bad that nobody dares to comment :eeek:
or is it just that nobody noticed my question?

 

[Clabbergirl]

No, no, no, it looks very cute! I haven't been able to view the boards like I want in the last couple of days. Give it time and the knitters will start crawling out of the woodwork anyway with colder weather. You can rock it. I would have to pin it to my hair, caps never stay, they eventually work their way off.

 

[sheeplady]

Now I wonder: does it look that bad that nobody dares to comment :eeek:
or is it just that nobody noticed my question?

I like it! I think it looks cute on you. Sometimes I find that things I think are not very nice on me look better to me when my hair is styled differently or I am wearing different things with it. Especially accessories, like hats or jewelry. The outfit I'm wearing really seems to matter, as does my hair.

I like the idea of cuffs! I never would have thought of cuffs- you just gave me a great idea for scrap yarn.

With a hat like that, I'd have to use a barette on it, I'd get one to match the cap or my hair color. Bobby pins don't keep those kinds of things on my head, but that's probably just me.

Oh, and on your question about hooks: I like steel hooks when I am working with thread crochet. Thread doesn't have the stretch that regular yarn has, so your tension has to be more even and (I think) a lot tighter. Steel hooks are stronger than aluminum, which is why they only make the really small hooks (size 14 for instance) in steel. In the US, all the modern hooks I have encountered that are steel are size 00-14, all the aluminum hooks I have are A-N. There is some overlap between these sizes, and I think that is for crocheting thread versus yarn at that size. I do think that a aluminum hook slides easier for yarn than steel, but steel is stronger for cotton thread.