Today I thought I'd share with you some of the resources I have found on vintage knitting and crochet, in my quest for patterns to try out myself.
As with cooking from vintage recipes, making items from old patterns is not an exact science and often requires some guesswork. But if you like experimenting, it can be great fun!
One of the most useful collections I have found is the Victoria and Albert Museum's 1940s Patterns to Knit. There is a nice mix of patterns - from ones that provide an insight into the wartime effort such as 'The Balaclava Helmet' and the 'Fatigue Cap' (which converts to a scarf) and patterns which would still be very wearable today, like the 'Victory Jumper' and 'Fair Isle Gloves'. I've found the patterns are easy to download and follow. I'm going to try my hand at the Victory Jumper as I just love the combination of blue and red.
The Open Library has several books on knitting and crochet that you can read online. The Art of Knitting has a particularly good section on knitting stitches, patterns and borders that could be incorporated into all sorts of projects.
The Knitting Reference Library at the University of Southampton has digitised the Richard Rutt collection of Victorian knitting manuals. Though perhaps the patterns are mainly of interest for historical and reenactment use, there are some rather nice patterns for lace shawls and baby boots which might be worth trying out. Many of the books are lovely just to look at, and interesting to read for their historical significance - I rather took a fancy to 'Ladies Work for Sailors' which contains patterns such as Sea Boot Stockings, Steering Gloves and Comforters.
Vintage Purls, a New Zealand yarn supplier has a good section of out of copyright patterns, including some great 50s examples and super cute baby dresses.
Subversive Femme shares free vintage knitting patterns on her blog, as well as selling copies in her Etsy shop. She is a self confessed vintage obsessive and has a very enviable wardrobe of vintage originals and handmade garments.
The National Library of Australia has digitised issues of the Australian Women's Weekly from 1933 to 1982 and searches for knitting and crochet return over 3000 results each. There are some real gems to be found in this collection and I think this 50s cardigan is rather stunning.
As you can see there is a wealth of places to find free knitting and crochet patterns online, but if you fancy an original paper copy then I would recommend keeping your eye out in the local charity shops and having a search on Etsy.
I'm halfway through knitting a 1940s lace pattern snood myself. Are you currently making something from a vintage pattern? If not, I hope I have inspired you to try!
As with cooking from vintage recipes, making items from old patterns is not an exact science and often requires some guesswork. But if you like experimenting, it can be great fun!
One of the most useful collections I have found is the Victoria and Albert Museum's 1940s Patterns to Knit. There is a nice mix of patterns - from ones that provide an insight into the wartime effort such as 'The Balaclava Helmet' and the 'Fatigue Cap' (which converts to a scarf) and patterns which would still be very wearable today, like the 'Victory Jumper' and 'Fair Isle Gloves'. I've found the patterns are easy to download and follow. I'm going to try my hand at the Victory Jumper as I just love the combination of blue and red.
The Open Library has several books on knitting and crochet that you can read online. The Art of Knitting has a particularly good section on knitting stitches, patterns and borders that could be incorporated into all sorts of projects.
The Knitting Reference Library at the University of Southampton has digitised the Richard Rutt collection of Victorian knitting manuals. Though perhaps the patterns are mainly of interest for historical and reenactment use, there are some rather nice patterns for lace shawls and baby boots which might be worth trying out. Many of the books are lovely just to look at, and interesting to read for their historical significance - I rather took a fancy to 'Ladies Work for Sailors' which contains patterns such as Sea Boot Stockings, Steering Gloves and Comforters.
Vintage Purls, a New Zealand yarn supplier has a good section of out of copyright patterns, including some great 50s examples and super cute baby dresses.
Subversive Femme shares free vintage knitting patterns on her blog, as well as selling copies in her Etsy shop. She is a self confessed vintage obsessive and has a very enviable wardrobe of vintage originals and handmade garments.
The National Library of Australia has digitised issues of the Australian Women's Weekly from 1933 to 1982 and searches for knitting and crochet return over 3000 results each. There are some real gems to be found in this collection and I think this 50s cardigan is rather stunning.
As you can see there is a wealth of places to find free knitting and crochet patterns online, but if you fancy an original paper copy then I would recommend keeping your eye out in the local charity shops and having a search on Etsy.
I'm halfway through knitting a 1940s lace pattern snood myself. Are you currently making something from a vintage pattern? If not, I hope I have inspired you to try!
RSS Feed
