Vintage Craft Book Feature: Spinnerin Vol. 181 (1967)

Another of my many needlework hobbies is the collection of vintage craft books. Found in dusty corners of second hand shops, in pride of place in used book stores, these old tomes often contain beautiful nuggets of crafting wisdom, and a heaping helping of vintage charm. Reviving the techniques, tips and retro projects is just one more way for us to bring back the wonders of the handmade.

Spinnerin Vol. 181 - 1967

As you can see from the tag, I got this quality knitting magazine at a good bargain. You can also probably guess what styles will be inside just from those first two models and the phrase "poncho parade"

Spinnerin doesn't disappoint with a bevy of retro

styled sweaters and dresses. They also manage to make the whole magazine look like a guide for how a well to do man can score himself a threesome.

I get that the intent was to show two sweater models on each page, but trying to set up the domestic and romantic looking scenes just makes each image kinda creepy.

There are no men's sweaters in this book, so the male model is clearly just for decoration. Far from making me focus on the sweaters, the scenes in the photos just have me writing soap opera-like drama plots in my head as I flip through the magazine.

Also, in quite a few of the pictures the women look oddly bundled up in heavy sweaters for what is clearly an indoor setting with an attendant man in a suit.

Those argyle socks are very distracting too.

That's not to say this magazine is all bad. Quite a few of the sweaters and dresses are neat, or at least have elements and patterns that could be easily reused elsewhere. These sequined sweaters are officially at the top of my knitting goals list. I really want to make the one with the sailor collar.

And as promised, here is the Poncho Parade :)