Vintage Craft Book Feature: BH&G Treasures From Throwaways (USA 1976)

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.

Better Homes and Gardens:  Treasures from Throwaways - USA, 1976

As per usual (and rather appropriately given it's theme) I found this book in a second hand shop.  The clutter on the cover doesn't really give a clear picture of what treasures (or throwaways) lie within, but that becomes apparent very quickly upon opening it.

I actually feel a little disappointed with myself for never before thinking to make wall cubbies out of old cans.  In fact, a lot of the projects in this book are like that.  They feel so obvious once I see a picture of them, but are actually nothing I would really have thought of.  For that reason alone I think this book is worth the 1$ I paid for it.  It gives me all kinds of ideas and new ways to look at everyday objects.

This is first and foremost a project book.  Each is laid out with a list of materials and detailed instructions on how to make it.  Some are fairly simple, others take more time and effort.  The techniques used vary from basic carpentry to upholstery, sewing, paper making and more. The instructions are usually pretty good, and this would be a handy reference for several techniques.  The only downside is if you are looking for a how to on a specific technique, you have to find the project that uses it.  The book is separated into chapters based on the materials used.

I especially like the advice to invite
some friends over for a party if you're
too impatient to gather the needed
 number of empty cans slowly.

"No, I totally cleaned my room, it's just the
quilt you see on the floor, I swear!"

This beer can end table is listed in the same chapter as the can cubby above.  In the fabric section you can find such gems as this crazy quilt made from a child's worn out clothes.  There are a lot of projects, it was hard to pick just these to show.  All in all this is a fun book to look through at the very least.  It's great for ideas if you're the DIY sort, and has some great instructions, though the organization may be lacking.  If you come across it in a thrift store, I recommend giving it a try.

My personal favorite:  The chess set made from old CRT tv tubes.

Monday Vintage Craft Book Feature: The Sweater Book (Great Britain, 1982)

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.

The Sweater Book - Great Britain, 1982

I almost left this book behind, just based on the cover image.  I couldn't imagine finding anything I wanted to knit in it.  Fortunately I took a closer look, since this book does hide a few treasures behind the cringe-worthy retro designs.

Unless you really want to go authentic for an 80's themed party, the sweater designs are not very appealing.  It was actually difficult to pick which pages to show in this post, since they were all so humorously bad, but here are the best (worst?) of the bunch:

           

So if the sweater designs aren't good for more than just a laugh, why was this book worth getting?  Well, while the sweaters themselves are pretty terrible, some of the color and stitch patterns are actually quite neat.  Re-imagined into different shapes and styles of garments, many of the patterns would be very stylish.  That alone is what tempted me to keep the book, but the sheer volume of instructional information in the book is what sealed the deal.

This book is nearly 150 pages long, and most of that is dedicated to the 50 sweaters.  But fully 50 pages are given to instructional information.  It is a veritable how to manual for knitting.  It is restricted to techniques used in the sweater patterns, but that is still quite an extensive list.  Each technique has clear descriptions and multiple helpful illustrations.  On top of this is added sections on yarn types and styles, caring for knitted garments, multiple conversion charts and even a bit on how to alter the patterns to your fit.

For anyone who doesn't already have a dedicated how-to reference for knitting, scan the vintage knitting books at the local thrift store.  You may just find a treasure like this with all the info you need to tackle that new challenge.  And the sweater pictures are always good for a laugh.

Monday Vintage Craft Book Feature: Macrame Magic (USA 1975)

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.

Macrame Magic - (c) Craft Course Publishers, Inc.  Rosemead, California, 1975

The cover page.  I personally really like the hanging shelf

 This was another thrift store find (if you couldn't tell by the price tag) and it is pretty self explanatory.  At 23 pages it is a thin book, but it is filled to the brim with cool macrame projects.  I am sure we are all familiar with the basic macrame plant hangers, but this book takes things a bit outside that box.

 The thought of little brass bells hanging around the plants and chiming in the breeze is appealing to me.  Though the designs are definitely from 1975, I like the idea and may well use it as inspiration to make my own more modern plant hanger.  Also, I really like the image of a surround sound system hanging from the ceiling in my living room.  I am know also picturing a little macrame hammock in a window for my cat to sleep in.  As an idea book, this is a good one.  Many of the knot patterns are interesting and could be easily adapted to jewelry or other smaller projects.





If you did want to make any of the projects in the book, the instructions are also quite good.  Everything is thoroughly laid out and each step is explicit.  On each project there is a scale to let you know if your work is the same size as the model pictured.  Also included is an actual size picture of the cord used.  The introduction even tells you to take the book with you when material shopping so you can compare the cord to the pictures and make sure you're getting the right size for the project.  I find this a very handy feature when looking for materials which may not be easily found by the same names or brands as they were in 1975.  The back page has instructions for the specific knots used throughout the book, which is also a handy reference.


I imagine the huge outdoor hanger would also make a wonderful place to put a jack-o-lantern.

Free Pattern Friday! - 12-29-2017

Free Pattern Friday!
This lovely was traced from a cheery print on a scarf.  It was but one of many cute designs, but it sang to me the loudest.  From my heart to yours, best wishes for the new year!

Free Pattern Friday! 12-15-2017

Surprise, surprise!  This week's free pattern isn't a tracing, it's a translation!  Take a gander below for my Google assisted translation of the cover project from the Dutch knitting book Bee Bee Toppers.  Also pictured is a scan of the original instructions and abbreviations in Dutch.  Any Dutch readers, please let me know if I got anything wrong!

Probably obvious, but it took me a bit to realize the
numbers in the diagrams are cm and not number
of stitches/rows.  Also, the top picture, the right side
is the back piece, and the left side is the front.  The three
stars indicate this pattern is more advanced and not for
beginning knitters.  Granted, I am not a beginner, but
now that I can read the pattern, it does not seem all
that difficult.

Sizes: Small, Medium, and Large: 82-86, 90-94, 98-102cm in width.

Materials: 1200-1400 grams of medium weight wool yarn, size 6 needles (see My Notes below)

Gauge: With two strands of wool on size 6 needles: 9 stitches = 10cm wide.

Woolmeter: Letter E  (see My Notes below)

Used Stitches: 

    Garter Stitch: knit all rows

    Pattern Stitch (worked over an even number of stitches):

         1^st Row: Purl

         2^nd Row: Knit

         3^rd Row: Knit

         4^th Row: Purl

         5^th Row: K1 *K1, with the right needle, pick up the purl bump directly below the next stitch (3 rows below) and place it on the left needle. Slip the right needle through the back of that loop and the next stitch and knit together* repeat to last stitch in the row, K1.

        6^th Row: Knit

        7^th Row: Knit

        8^th Row: Purl

        9^th Row: K1 *with the right needle, pick up the purl bump directly below the next stitch (3 rows below) and place it on the left needle. Slip the right needle through the back of that loop and the next stitch and knit together. K1* repeat to last stitch in the row, K1.

        Repeat 2^nd to 9^th row for pattern.

The numbers for the three sizes are given in succession. Where only one number is given, that number is for all three sizes. Jacket is worked with two strands of yarn.

Back: Cast on 47-51-55 stitches and work 6 rows in garter stitch. Then work * 14cm of pattern stitch, 8 rows of garter stitch. Repeat from * until after 3^rd pattern stitch section. Work 8 rows in garter stitch. For the armholes: cast off 6 stitches from each side. Continue in patttern stitch until the garment measures 20-21-22 cm from the start of the armholes. Cast off remaining stitches.

Front Pockets: Cast on 14 stitches. Work 14cm of pattern stitch.  Break yarn and place all stitches on a spare needle. Repeat for second pocket.

Front: Cast on 26-28-30 stitches. For each front piece, work as on the back until the first garter stitch section. Work 4-5-6 stitches from the side seam, slip the next 14 stitches onto a stitch holder or spare yarn. Next row, work across, knitting from the pocket piece instead of the 14 stitches on the holder or spare yarn. Continue front until after 3^rd pattern stitch section. Work 8 rows in garter stitch. Shape armholes as for the back. Work in pattern stitch until the garment measures 17-18-19 cm from the start of the armholes. For the neck shaping, cast off 4 stitches from the front edge. Work one row, then cast off two stitches from the front edge. Cast off 1 stitch from the front edge three times. Cast off the remaining 11-13-15 stitches. Work the 2^nd front in mirror image.

Sleeves: Cast on 32-34-36 stitches. Work 20 rows in garter stitch. Continue as on back, ie. 14cm pattern stitch, 8 rows garter stitch. After the second garter stitch section (excluding cuff) cast off 1 stitch on each side on each row until the sleeve is 12-13-14 cm from the start of the armhole. Cast off remaining stitches. Work second sleeve the same.

Hood: Cast on 52 stitches and work 28cm in garter stitch. Cast off the center 6 stitches and work each remaining half (23 stitches) separately. For each side, cast off 6 stitches at the center edge three times. Cast off the remaining stitches.

Finishing: Sew the shoulder seams, sew the sleeves to the shoulders, sew side and sleeve seams. Close the top of the hood, sew the hood in the neck. Slip each set of pocket stitches from the holders/spare yarn to a needle and work 7 rows in garter stitch. Cast off. Sew pockets and edges to front pieces. Pick up stitches along front and hood (about 8 ½ stitches per 10cm) and work 5 rows in garter stitch. Cast off. Crochet or twist a cord and weave through the hood.

--

My Notes On This Pattern:
As far as yarn and needles for this pattern: I measured Red Heart Super Saver worsted on the Woolmeter, and it is one size too small. Bernat Sheep(ish) is a closer fit, but still a bit small. Knitting a test patch with the Sheep(ish) I got about 7cm wide over 9 stitches on U.S. size 6 needles. I didn't see any indication in the pattern for what system of needle measurement is used, so I am not 100% certain which size they really mean: a U.K./European size 6 needle is a U.S. size 8 needle, A 6mm diameter needle is a U.S. size 10 needle. I recommend finding a yarn you like, and knitting test swatches with various sized needles until you get the correct gauge.

Google Translate did most of the work, but some of it I did need to try and knit to figure out. Many of the Dutch knitting terms and abbreviations are different than English ones, and so some of it is not a literal translation of the text. I separated out the pocket pieces from the section on the front pieces, because it just seemed to make more sense to make the pockets first rather than stop in the middle of the front piece to do it.  I have not yet knit this project, so if you do, please let me know if there are any glaring errors in the pattern. 

The pattern stitch was especially tricky to figure out. In the end, I just took some spare yarn and knitted up what I thought the text was telling me to do. It is actually a lot easier than it sounds. Similarly with the pockets. The process is hard to describe in words. There are a lot of great knitting instruction videos available, you can find a few on this pocket technique here.

Monday Vintage Craft Book Feature: Bee Bee Toppers (Netherlands ~1970's)

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.

This is the first of a new series of posts, sharing my fabulous book finds with you, so you too can keep an eye out for these gems on your crafting journey.

Bee Bee Toppers Breiboek - published between 1971 and 1980

The cover page featuring actress Joanna Lumley

I found this book in a local thrift shop, among a stack of other knitting books.  It is relatively small, 31 pages of color photos and about the same number of instructional pages in the back.  I could find no copyright date, but several of the sweater models are actors from the BBC TV series "The Onedin Line" which ran from 1971 to 1980.  The actors names are also nearly the only English words in the book.

Published in the Netherlands, and almost entirely written in Dutch, this book is nonetheless a trove of goodies even for someone who doesn't read the language.

In addition of British actors, this book also featured
racing driver James Hunt, Dutch footballer Rudi Krol,
 and pictures of Gali Atari with the singing group
Milk and Honey (which may date this book to 1979
when that pairing won the Eurovision song contest)

Despite, or perhaps because of, it's age, many of the sweaters are stylish and interesting without being cringe-inducingly retro.  I particularly like the jacket on the cover, and will likely be using a translator app liberally to try to figure out how to make it. 

The really neat thing about this book though, is it's 'Woolmeter'.  Illustrated on the front cover, the actual meter is included on the back, with both metric units and inches.  Instead of recommending a certain brand or style of yarn, each of the patterns gives a number on the meter for the size of the yarn used.  The knitter then takes the Woolmeter to the store and finds a yarn they like that matches the number.  Even with a modern pattern, you could take this Woolmeter and measure the recommended yarn, and then find an alternative that matched it's size and weight.

Not being a Dutch speaker, and not having used a translater app yet, I can't speak to the quality of the instructions, but they seem pretty thorough and include several diagrams.

As a bonus, there are a few pages that are worth the 1$ I paid for the book just for sheer giggle factor alone:

        

In all seriousness, if you happen to come across a Dutch knitting book like this, think about picking it up just for the Woolmeter.  If you aren't a Dutch speaker, translating the patterns may be more trouble than it's worth for some vintage knitting designs, but the Woolmeter made this book worth the space on my shelf.  I found it for cheap at a thrift store, and even just looking through the pictures of celebrities and old designs was worth the cost.  Having included a tool to easily measure yarn size and weight makes it far more valuable than just as a novelty.

Besides, who doesn't like diamond check stirrup pants?

Before and After: Decor to Fashion

The former lives of three of the newest additions to my Etsy shop:



This elegant lacy shrug began it's life as a table topper.  I rescued it from a thrift store.  It was presumably discarded because it had a few snags and loops pulled.  They didn't mar the pattern, however, and the extra loops gave me enough yarn to sew up the sleeve seams.  It must have been fate.







This snazzy skirt started life as a window valance.  It looks OK there on the window, but not near as good as it looks wrapped around a waist.  Those crystal bead grapes especially, swing much more prettily on a set of hips than on a curtain rod.

This charming skirt began as a charming tablecloth.  Unlike the other two above, I didn't know immediately what to do with this one when I bought it.  Then I picked it up by the center and saw how it flowed, and just like the valance, knew it would look much better on a moving person than a static table.