Taking up Knitting!
I've always loved knits, especially sweaters, vests and dresses, and have lots of ready-to-wear knits in my closet. However, I never really had the interest to knit anything myself even though I did knit and crochet as a little girl. But when I saw this lovely jumper from Flossy and Dossy (below) passing by at the Vintage Pattern Files I gasped and was immediately heartbroken that I didn't know how to knit. My mother does knit, so I proposed to translate the pattern to Dutch so that she could make it for me. But that didn't work out because I did not understand the instructions at all. But I didn't feel like learning how to knit just so that I could make this one sweater. I always ignored knitting patterns but now my eyes where opened and I started to see lovely knitting patterns for 1940s and 1930s jumpers and dresses everywhere. So a few days ago the decision was made; I had to learn how to knit. So I have been knitting away, practicing, watching YouTube videos to understand the knitting terms every day for the last 5 or 6 days. Just as with sewing, I am learning how to knit in English because there is so much more information available.
After gathering a lot of lovely knitting patterns on my Pinterest board and taking a glance at their instructions I finally found a simple 1930s pattern for a sweater that was easy enough for me to make; The 3-Hour Sweater. I started by making a mini version of the front, mainly to practice the neckline. Then I made a full sized mock up of the sleeve to see how that would turn out. And now I'm ready to knit! I only need the right size needles and yarn and, well, it won't be a 3 hour sweater for me, but I think I can do it in a week.
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| The 3-Hour Sweater |
The sewing is on hold for now, it just takes too much energy at the moment. The whole move to England is so stressful (we still don't have a place to live) and I was actually working on a 1940s blouse but I just couldn't focus, made a lot of mistakes, and the whole project went awry. I actually really wanted to join the Fall For Cotton sew along but I only have one fabric in my stash that I know is 100% cotton, which is meant for a specific pattern, which I have to adjust to my size, which is too much effort for me at the moment. I feel so much more zen when I'm knitting. It's much easier to just knit one or two rows in between doing other things, or sit on the couch in the evening, knitting while watching a movie. I never expected to fall in love with knitting! I still like sewing more though, and am bummed that I can't work on anything right now.
Without further ado, here are some lovely knitting patterns I have been drooling over:
Leuk dat je leert breien! Ik brei nu zo'n 2,5 jaar en ik ben helemaal verslaafd! Voor het naaien heb ik vaak iets meer concentratie nodig, dus dit is ideaal voor dagen dat ik minder energie heb of inderdaad voor tussendoor. En als ik in de auto zit brei ik ook. Mijn vriend rijdt altijd, want dat vindt hij leuker. Dan kan ik lekker breien.
ReplyDeleteIk zou ooit nog wel eens een jurk willen breien, maar ik kijk nogal tegen de hoeveelheid werk op.
Ja die jurken zijn zo prachtig, maar ik durf er niet aan te denken hoe lang ik daar wel niet over zou doen!
ReplyDeleteI sstarted to knit 2 years ago for the very same reason: I simply adore the beautiful designs of the 30ies and 40ies. I am knitting a lot in the evenings, when I have no energy to do any sewing. Knitting and watching period dramas on DVD is a perfect combination ;-)
ReplyDeleteDo you speak or read German? I have digitized lots of knitting and sewing magazines on my blog, you're welcome to visit me :-)
http://couturette.de/category/fashion-friday/
Greetings from Germany,
Ingrid
Yes I can read a bit of German and I am already following your blog! I think it will take a while before I am able to read German knitting patterns, at the moment I can hardly read them in English or Dutch haha. And yes I have discovered that knitting while watching a movie or tv show is a great combination!
DeleteLiebe Grüße!
Feel free to ask, if you have any question.
DeleteI always thought that I would never have the patience to finish a sweater on a small needle size, but I make faster progress than anticipated. But beware : knitting is highly addictive :-D
Liebe Grüsse
Ingrid
I can't wait to see what you come up with. I really admire those ladies that knit these older patterns. It is funny that you should write a post about this as I asked my mother to make me a sweater from a vintage pattern and she is mailing it to me as we speak. I was able to try it on as a test in the summer when I visited her but it ended up being a little too big. It is interesting how finding just the right yarn can also make a difference in the style. The selections you are showing are all so beautiful! I especially love the one with the yoke and buttons, I could quite imagine myself in this one:) I can't wait to see your sweater maybe it might inspire me to knit too. I am also like you I really wanted to join the Fall For Cotton challenge too. Congratulations on your move to the UK! You are going to have all those great festivals at your fingertips!
ReplyDeleteAren't mothers great like that? I'll have to find some old Dutch magazines with knitting patterns for my mother to make, because she can't understand the English instructions. Even when I would get to the point where I am able to knit everything myself, I still like the idea of my mom knitting something for me! I had to put the knitting on the back burner for now because yarn is pretty expensive!
Delete