More longies, or shorties, more or less.

Thank you for all the comments on yesterday's post.  There were a lot of great suggestions, and words of encouragement, both here and over at Flickr.  Mulling over the possibilities now.  I was reluctant to even post about those for fear you'd all now KNOW how insane I can be...miles and miles of k1, p1 ribbing. 

(Someday) I'm going to knit a version of these longies, too, in the softest of  natural off-white alpaca.   They won't be machine washable but will be so cozy that it'll be worth it.  I was given an obscene amount of approximately fingering weight alpaca yarn last summer, so much so that I've been too stunned by the quantities to post about it yet.  My mom is knitting a sweater with some of it right now and I'm so curious to see how it turns out.

These patterns come, possibly, from those vintage Golden Hands booklets.  They're torn out so I can't be sure.  Check out the great knitting schematics and charts they published with their patterns.

Appropriately cheesy pictures, of course, too.

Fast forward to the Spring of 1990, Knitter's Magazine.  This issue I bought new off the rack at the time.  I'm pretty sure this was the same issue that also contained the pattern for the first pair of socks that I ever knit (itchy ragg socks that inevitably ended up felted in the wash) in grey Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair.

Again, cheesy pictures with good schematics, this time for both knitting in the round and knitting flat either by hand or by knitting machine.  I might be wrong here, and probably ought to take a closer look at the current issues before saying this, but I'm thinking that Knitter's magazine was a bit more "meaty" and informative back then.

Nothing much in the way of finished knitting quite yet, only a string of unsuccessful sewing, so I'm thinking it's time for the next handful of posts to be scans from the random pile of some of my favorite vintage and not-so-vintage books and magazines that have been stacked by the computer now for ages, OK?

 

Comments

[Anna]

Wonderful outfits! No, seriously, with other kinds of colouring (and hair and acessoirs) those would make winternights a tropical experience.

[Krista M]

I love it when you scan your vintage finds. I wish I could find half the stuff you get your hands on!

[carocoknits]

These patterns are actually from the Make It Yourself series. Creative Hands is the books made from the Golden Hands magazines in the sixties, and there are 22 books in the series. The ones that I have used to be my grandmothers. Make It Yourself is the series of books from the seventies, and there are 20 books in that series. Stitch By Stitch is from the eighties and there are also 20 books. I found Make It Yourself at a used bookstore, and Stitch by Stitch on Ebay. I absolutely love these books - they have sewing, crochet, knitting, everything. A lot of the time, all you need to do is change the yarn and the color. I call these my picture books and spend hours looking through them. If anyone has the opportunity to get these book sets, I highly recommend it. I envy you having the yarn to make these outfits, I have been eyeing these for a little while. I am waiting until I find that much wool at the acceptable price!

[Jasmine]

I love love love the second pattern from knitters but then it is a well known fact that I have the fashion sensabilities of a 4 year old.

[Elizabeth]

Love love love the top patterns. And you've just reminded me I have some fingering weight alpaca left overs..hmm....

[Carrie]

Sigh. I love that blue plaid skirt. (And thanks for the shoe thing yesterday - I ordered some from Zappos yesterday and they're going to be delivered today! Those were the shoes I'd wanted all my life and didn't know it.)

[Jennifer]

I can't even guess at the year by looking at the pictures. It would be a good contest... "Guess When This Pattern Was Published". So you're not alone. I'm just in awe that you'd knit tights since I shy away from knee-highs since they look interminable. Great retro finds.