Hooray! The Postie Came

Look what was in my mailbox today!

When I first saw A Stitch In Time: Vintage Knitting and Crochet Patterns 1920-1949  I knew I just had to have it.  I have a real weakness for vintage designs.  They really inspire me.

It's a re-publication of the 1972 classic "A Stitch In Time" by Jane Waller, a collection of original knitting and crochet patterns from the 1920s through the 1940s.  Sixty of the original patterns and illustrations (sorry, I didn't take photo's of the original patterns) are included in the book along with stunning colour photo's of each design and new adaptations using contemporary yarns.

 

I waited with anticipation for this to arrive and I certainly wasn't disappointed.   Aren't these knitting designs gorgeous!   There are so many beautiful things to make I don't know where to start.  Possibly the pale green frilly jumper, but then again......

The book includes the usual information at the start like tension, crochet terminology etc.  but there are a few techniques I don't know how to do so will have to research them first.  They are explained but I don't understand.  Call me dumb... but I think I need pictures or to be shown how.

It's a great book saving the practical pattern instructions for posterity while providing a social history as seen through the magazines and leaflets of the times.

Do you knit?  What are you knitting?

PS  Sorry about the light glare in the photo's.  I got a new SLR camera a few days, still learning how to use it.

What are you reading...

As you may or may not know, 'I love to read!'  I read on many topics and  recently in my quest to gain knowledge of how life was in the past I came across a book in my local library.  Now, this is not a book review but, I guess, a small account of some of the things I found interesting.

The book contains excerpts from the Good Housekeeping Magazine which was allowed to continue publishing despite the rationing of paper during the war years.  These were hard times.  Times that I would not like to live in but also times where we can learn to appreciate the small things.  It contained much useful information for women trying to manage the household giving ideas on meal planning with quantities to buy for two people.  How to plan for and use leftovers.  It gave recipes for dinner, soups, preserves and even some for managing without milk.  Things I think many people could put to good use today without being wasteful.  Ooops....there's the thrifty side of me showing.  hehe!

1940

1943

There were articles on how to launder a shirt with instructions on the ironing procedure for a conventional iron and also a rotary ironer as seen in the right hand page below.  This is something I have never heard of, have you?  It certainly seems to be an interesting concept. Right down to how you should fold the shirt.

1940

To keep fit we should give "Dry Swimming" a try.  I felt this one was quite amusing as you actually put your face into the basin of water in step 1. Other steps are done either standing or laying on a bench.  Step 7 finishes with "Mr. Lawson's method of Dry Swimming the American Back Crawl was adopted by  Fifth Avenue beauty salon as a means of developing that good posture so sought after as an essential to beauty, poise and confidence.  Vary your strokes from day to day.  Allow five minutes for each stroke."

Now I think I might have to try this!  ; )  hehehe!

1944

We are also given advice for our clothing choices.  'Good "Buys" for the holidays and later' asks us "Will it be practical?" "Will it last?" "Is it the best possible value for the money?"  Then goes on to describe the outfits on the two pages including the cost.  These in my opinion are very good questions to ask even in today's throw away society.  Why should we waste our hard earned money. Don't you agree?

1940

There are many other articles in the book including short stories, question and answer, adoption, beauty tips and furnishing the home.  To me, it seems that things have not changed much; that much of the advice given in these articles is sound and still relevant today.  It's been a great insight for how harsh life was during the war years and that we perhaps should implement many of these ideas into our current lifestyles.

So, this is just one of the books I have been reading lately.  What are you currently reading?

That Feeling!!!

You know that feeling you get when you can't sew.  Well, I'm feeling it right now!  My sewing machine has been taken in for a service over the Easter break.  I thought it would be the best time, as we will be away over Easter and I wouldn't have been sewing anyway but the withdrawal symptoms I'm feeling are much stronger than I imagined. 

Soooo... what does one do when sewing is not on the agenda!  Well, I had a couple of errands to do on my way home and found these magazines in the bookstore.  I decided to purchase out of interest to see if there are any better choices than our Aussie ones.

We don't have much choice, here in Australia, for sewing magazines.  Plenty if you want to do patchwork or some other type of craft but not for dressmaking.  I have read Threads before and was always impressed but the other two are new to me.  I thought I would give them all a try even though they were quite costly, to see if I would want to regularly purchase or even subscribe.

So far I have just had a quick look and like the ones here in Oz there are a lot of adds, but I guess all magazines need advertisers.  The articles seem to be good.  I will know better when I've had time to read them.  Also the seasons are wrong for us here, but at least we can see what's coming up which allows for forward planning.

I will be taking them away with me and I will let you know my thoughts after I read them thoroughly.