Wednesday, September 30, 2009

My Perfect Cardigan


Why is it perfect? Top-Down for custom fitting, bracelet length sleeves, just enough ribbing. Double button bands with nice pert ribbed edges. Fused Glass millefiori buttons by Vivero Glass.
This project is all about purl stitches, this cardigan is all about what you wear under it.


My main inspiration was necessity. I wanted something close fitting-really, a little bit shrunken. I wanted it to be a little English school girly, but not fetishy so. I needed it to be something I could throw on over puffy skirts or slightly costumey dresses, to lend an air of sanity and also to show that I have a body under all that fluff. It has interesting 45degree angles at the collar which make it stand up like it were starched or had toughened up like a hellish childhood sweater. This gives it all of that sentimental charm but no stiffness or scratchnyess at all.



Living up to it's 'perfect' title, I had two accidents finishing this cardigan. I had been adding colourwork with duplicate stitch. The back bands of cream stockinette were filled in with flowers from DMC's Point de Croix Nouveaux Dessins VIme Série but I changed my mind about them and cut them out. I snipped too far and lost a stitch in the very centre of the back.


Then the grey bled into the cream during blocking. I rescued it and stopped the bleeding before it reached the purl ridge of the button band so these shine out as white by comparison. I kind of like that though. It makes them seem "at attention" and I like things to be attentive.


The moral, I suppose is not to put heavy labels like 'perfect' on things as temperamental as cardigans.


Glass buttons by Vivero Glass, Merriment on Ravelry.


Purl bumps are the star of the show. Other inspiration follows at the bottom of the post.




Inspiration:
Petrova Hammond's "Lady"
Warm up Wear (Maria Kochetkova pictured)
Carrie's War (BBC 2004)
Grey Pearls
White Purl Bumps
Gothic Lolita Bible





Saturday, September 19, 2009

Patons and Baldwins has something to say about your Relationship

Had I been reading Stitchcraft Magazine in the mid 1960s, I would have been a sucker for these ads. The last one is my favorite. As always, click to enlarge.




Thursday, September 17, 2009

Tyrolorama 1

Tyrolean-style jumpers through the ages...

1940s

1950's

1960's



1970's

1980's

I haven't been able to knit, crochet or spin for some months now because of a problem with my hands, but I think that when I am able, a Tyrolean Jacket will be my first project.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Granny Squares can also do these things.

This is the first crocheted garment I ever made (from a pattern). I still can't find it but will start wearing it again when I do. The colours, the turtleneck, her hair, the concerts I imagined she had been to...it was everything I was keen on when I was on the edge of seventeen.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Vintage Crochet for Dolls

Doll's clothes are always better crocheted, I think. I've started off with a really fantastic selection of fairytale dolls, all from a mid1950s pattern book. Here are Little Red, Jack and Jill, and Alice too. Enjoy!






Tuesday, September 01, 2009

A Question for you Sock Knitters...



These cardigans from a 1940s pattern book use the heel of a standard sock pattern to shape the top of their sleeves.
What a modern idea! It seems to achieve one of vintage knitting's most enigmatic hallmarks in a fairly straight forward manner.
The peaked puff of 30s-40s jumpers is something I have trouble with. That peak, or angle is what makes the generous sleeve head different than the girly puff ball puff sleeves of the 1950s.
I struggled with the setting of a ribbed 40s sleeve when I finished my 'Deco Sweater' some months ago (I haven't taken a nice enough photo to post it yet.) It was hard to make uniform pleats in the sleeve head and to make the puff architectural looking. Then to do it again on the other sleeve?

I'm not a sock knitter, but it's not out of a fear of turning the heel, so I think I could manage this technique. (Truly, I don't knit socks because I don't like wearing socks. Stockings are a different matter...)
My question for sock enthusiasts is if there is a particular heel that would make a pronounced peak? One that would really protrude out from the shoulder (or ankle).
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...