I have found a treasure!

I have found a treasure from 1847. It is a copy of Mrs. Gaugain's Open Knit D'Oyleys No. 1. The scans are completed and I have a PDF copy for sale on ETSY. It surprised me that the doilies are so intricate and lacy.

The directions include Mrs Gaugain's translation for her unusual knitting abbreviations as you can see in the example below. 

Happy knitting, Debby

New vintage pattern-dainty crochet baby bonnet

I got the first two patterns completed from the vintage magazines that my sisters found for me.

Dainty Crochet Baby Bonnet pattern from 1928

It is a pretty style with a medallion on the crown and flower medallions across the brim.

Dainty Crochet Baby Bonnet in Irish Crochet from 1928

This bonnet has a center crown of a rose surrounded by six leaves, one attached to each petal.

I will next work on a few done in luscious tatting!

Enjoy, Debby

Magazines from 1920's....and some upcoming patterns

My sisters found some great magazines from the 1920's for me. They each are full of great articles, advertisements and patterns.

I will be working on some new patterns from them this week. I love baby bonnets so I will start with them.

There are some in lovely irish crochet work and others in tatting.

Enjoy,
Debby

Back from England...

Well, I returned from England at the end of last week but it has taken quite a few days for the jet lag brain fog to clear. Am I getting older? No, no, no!

The weather in Kent was beautiful and sunny; almost 60 F every day. Today in Virginia we have freezing rain and snow. Hey, it is March. No more snow.

In the mean time, I have been unpacking and going through my goodies that I brought back. Over the next couple of days I will be posting patterns and antique/vintage items on EBAY and ETSY.

Here is one to get you started:

I love this simple to knit pattern from Weldon's. You can purchase it now on ETSY and download it immediately. Send over any photos from your projects.

All the best, Debby

Round knitted doily interpretation

I love this doily pattern knitted in thread but...

I REALLY love Amanda's interpretation of this pattern.

Here is the pattern on Yarnover.net

Enjoy!

Historic knitting pattern: baby booties

Many historic knitting patterns are not for the faint of heart. The directions can be vague and filled with errors. It is always nice if a previous knitter has "translated" the pattern so we can proceed with the actual knitting.

Here is a blog post from Heather on her blog-Doodles. She has posted the directions to knit a pair of baby booties.

Thanks Heather!

Vintage patterns and sizes

Another challenge with vintage patterns is sizing. You may see a pattern that states that the instructions are for a size 12 but the chest measurement appears to only be 30 inches! 

Well, 50 years ago, that was correct! 

PurpleKitty.com has a helpful size chart that shows measurements from approximately 50 years ago and one with currently used standards. You will have a good laugh when you see how small the sizes were then. 

Using gauge information, you can size your work up (or down!) according to the desired finished size.

Enjoy, Debby

Vintage patterns and discontinued yarns.

Vintage patterns have challenges all their own. One of which is figuring out what to use if a yarn is discontinued.

Sometimes a pattern gives you a gauge to work with so you may be able to work out a substitute....

Sometimes you are working blind. That is where the fun begins in being creative and breathing new life into vintage patterns.

This chart of discontinued yarns at PurpleKitty.com can be a great resource. Have a look and book mark it for later use.

Enjoy, Debby