"That's okay; that's not why I knit it." I wanted to cheer! Thank you for sharing where your curiosity leads you. I'm delighted to come along on the journey.
I've never knit a bikini. However, I do wear knitted pants, almost every day in the winter. I wear them under my dress pants or jeans. They are not itchy at all, but are very warm. They are one strand of wool/nylon blend and one strand of 4-ply alpaca wool. The pattern is from Drops, which also has other patterns for pants, shorts and bathing suits. I think that the old bikini patterns were intended to be worn beside the pool or beach, but not in the water.
You so inspire me, Roxanne!! I love the way you are knitting to learn. And I bet you have eased the hearts of so many people by encouraging them to Finish It February. I have just finished frogging an otherwise completed sweater because of fit issues, and I think I will pick a specific day of the week for reknitting it, like your other viewer. That will help me not feel so frustrated. Thanks for the inspiration!
I can totally see you wearing this sweater, WITH the belt, and a pair of flowing black slacks at a late spring garden party. Don't listen to the ney-sayers.You really do rock!
You made be remember my mother made me crochet bikinis around 1974 I think. They were white and yellow and so cute. They were made of wool and I went swimming and yes when they got wet they grew, trying to get out of the water with some modesty in tacked was difficult and it was embarrassing for my teenage self, my mum was mortified when I got home and showed her. So funny to look back on it now. Thanks for bringing the memory back.
I had a knitted swimsuit in 1946. Still remember it! It was knitted in what we might call sock weight yarn, very tightly worsted spun and knitted on small size needles in stockinet. I never really thought anything about wearing it. We didn’t belong to a ‘class’ that did much frolicking on the beach in swimsuits, in fact, I don’t think anyone else in the family had one! If we went to the beach, my sisters and I usually wore cotton summer dresses.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video! I totally get why you wanted to knit that sweater! Best to you and yours. Grandma from ~ 1/2" to the right of the western MN "bump" as it meets N and S Dakota.
Roxanne, I am wondering if you know about Susan Crawford and her vintage pattern books. 1st book is 1920-1940, 2nd one is 1930 - 1950 etc. She was interviewed by Steve Malcom from It takes Ball to Knit (Canadian designer who loves cables) and it starts around minute 36. She also developed yarn to mimic what was available in the 1920s etc. She was also interviewed by Andrew and Andrea of Fruity Knitting fame where she talks about her Shetland Knitting project and book. I think you would enjoy both.
I am not worried about you wearing the sweater, I understand why you knitted it and it will look cool on you if you do wear it! Thank you for another great video!
I really enjoyed this video. Soooo much information. Loved it. I have some vintage pattern books that I will look at again with different eyes. Thank you.
My grandmother was a child in the 1930s, by the seaside. She wore woolen swimsuits. She used to tell me how, when the kids came out of the sea, their sodden swimsuits would hang down past their knees with the weight of water!
I thought you'd find it interesting to know how I taught myself to knit nine years ago when I retired. I used a little booklet called "Learn How Book", printed by Coats & Clarks copyright 1959. I bought it from Woolworths in the early sixty's to teach myself to crochet. It was 35 cents. It has four subjects in it--knitting, crocheting, tatting and embroidery. In the 20 pages devoted to knitting it has five patterns, one for mittens, a pair of anklets, a ribbed hat, a childrens cable sweater, and a twin set. The last page in the knitting section explains "weaving" which today we call kitcheners stitch. The twin set is a classic pullover and cardigan which could be worn today. Your sweater is turning out very well! It doesn't look heavy and has a nice drape to it. I was afraid as long as it is it would be very heavy and tend to pull out of shape.
I'm curious about the patterns starting with the front rather than the back. As it was the 1940s, I have Make Do and Mend in mind. People often unravelled one jumper to make another. Do you think perhaps the front was knitted first because that was the important part, which would be on show. If you ran out of wool, you could improvise at the back or on the sleeves with a stripe of another colour or some other 'fix' like that. Just a thought. I hope you find the answer because it's intriguing!
Starting at the front was a convention long before the 1940s. The people participating in the Roaring '20s KAL were the ones who said all of the vintage patterns they had knit started this way (regardless of era, and in particular, some of the ones knitting 1920s patterns are knitting sweaters like this). These books from the 1940s happen to be the only vintage British pattern books I have, so that's why I checked them. All my other vintage books are American.
Finishing a square poncho that I am designing as I go, lol. Must put other UFOs on the shelf as I must start on a massive sewing project by July. Thank you for your lovely, instructional and inspirational videos, Roxy.
I love your curiosity and detective skills about how things were made! That is so interesting about the Octavia Hill note and history, what fun! thank you for your very interesting podcasts, I enjoy watching them so much and always learn something or get a new idea!
I figure you're a grown woman, why would anyone need to worry about your intentions for wearing or not wearing this sweater. Your process is what's interesting. More power to you! Great episode. Thank you.
I have a book that has a different title but think it’s from the same series.... The Pictorial Guide to Modern Home Knitting, which has the same red end pages. It is edited by Catherine Franks and printed by Oldhams Press and copyright mark F440. The content is in a similar vain to all the books you’ve shown, but different patterns and it has a small section on designing your own knits.
I wonder if, after gaining this understanding of vintage patterns and design, how much it will inspire or aide you in the future. It certainly has been intriguing for me. Thanks from Australia 🐨🐨🦘🦘
"The day you stop learning is the day you die". I am seriously disturbed by the number of people who think it is acceptable to constantly spew their opinions on the internet directed toward someone they only know online. I also wondered why that sweater because I have watched you for sometime now and I thought I had gotten a sense of your taste. We are also near the same age and have a midwestern background (Michigander here). I love the explanation of learning something new.
I had a wool swimsuit when I was a girl, but it was lined. I thought it would be hot but my mother assured me wool would be comfortable even when wet and she was right. It was a favorite bathing suit and I was sorry to outgrow it.
A lining would make a world of difference. I didn't read through these patterns to see if there was a lining. I only looked to see what the yarn was made of. I will definitely look more closely!
I wore a wool swimsuit in the 1940’s. It was green/gray. It didn’t sag much when wet. It did itch a bit as it dried. It was not hand knit; don’t remember a lining.
My mother told me she wore a woolen knitted bathing suit but that was in the early thirties. Yes it was uncomfortable if you went in the water and it stretched when wet! It seems everyone wore them and somewhere I have pictures of both my parents wearing them.
Franklin Habit used to write a knitting vintage article for Knitty. He also had a blog. He knit and wore vintage swim trunks, here is the link the-panopticon.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-package.html
I remember when I was a child my gran amused us with a story about homemade swimwear. Her brother begged her to make him swimming trunks so she crocheted a pair. He enjoyed strutting around in them. However, they turned into a huge net and didn't stay on as soon as he went in the water. I don't suppose she used a pattern or elastic. Anything I see crocheted now brings this story to mind
My mom crocheted a bikini for me when I was a little girl to wear in warm weather in the garden and at the beach. It was in cotton and got heavy when it was wet, but being a little girl in the seventies, it didn't matter. When it fell to the sand because it was so heavy my mom let me be named at the beach, which was not unusual in Denmark.
Rox: scandalized by wool bathing suits in vintage knitting books. Also Rox: shows photo of her grandmother most definitely wearing a wool bathing suit at her competitive swim team in the 20’s. 😂
Perhaps country/folk music is just not your taste. I found it pleasant. But, my husband plays the banjo, so my tolerance may be different from yours. 😊
"That's okay; that's not why I knit it." I wanted to cheer! Thank you for sharing where your curiosity leads you. I'm delighted to come along on the journey.
I've never knit a bikini. However, I do wear knitted pants, almost every day in the winter. I wear them under my dress pants or jeans. They are not itchy at all, but are very warm. They are one strand of wool/nylon blend and one strand of 4-ply alpaca wool. The pattern is from Drops, which also has other patterns for pants, shorts and bathing suits. I think that the old bikini patterns were intended to be worn beside the pool or beach, but not in the water.
I love the heart in knitting for knowledge and not just for a cool garment. Keep being awesome!
You so inspire me, Roxanne!! I love the way you are knitting to learn. And I bet you have eased the hearts of so many people by encouraging them to Finish It February. I have just finished frogging an otherwise completed sweater because of fit issues, and I think I will pick a specific day of the week for reknitting it, like your other viewer. That will help me not feel so frustrated. Thanks for the inspiration!
I can totally see you wearing this sweater, WITH the belt, and a pair of flowing black slacks at a late spring garden party. Don't listen to the ney-sayers.You really do rock!
This beautiful sweater may become one of your go to sweaters. I certainly would wear it with pride.
You made be remember my mother made me crochet bikinis around 1974 I think. They were white and yellow and so cute. They were made of wool and I went swimming and yes when they got wet they grew, trying to get out of the water with some modesty in tacked was difficult and it was embarrassing for my teenage self, my mum was mortified when I got home and showed her. So funny to look back on it now. Thanks for bringing the memory back.
I had a knitted swimsuit in 1946. Still remember it! It was knitted in what we might call sock weight yarn, very tightly worsted spun and knitted on small size needles in stockinet. I never really thought anything about wearing it. We didn’t belong to a ‘class’ that did much frolicking on the beach in swimsuits, in fact, I don’t think anyone else in the family had one! If we went to the beach, my sisters and I usually wore cotton summer dresses.
Thank you for the link to the Octavia Hill video on Vimeo! The sweater is amazing. Looking forward to seeing the finished garment.
Your 20's sweater is absolutely gorgeous. I hope you wear it. I am 72 and I would totally wear it!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video! I totally get why you wanted to knit that sweater! Best to you and yours. Grandma from ~ 1/2" to the right of the western MN "bump" as it meets N and S Dakota.
Roxanne, I am wondering if you know about Susan Crawford and her vintage pattern books. 1st book is 1920-1940, 2nd one is 1930 - 1950 etc. She was interviewed by Steve Malcom from It takes Ball to Knit (Canadian designer who loves cables) and it starts around minute 36. She also developed yarn to mimic what was available in the 1920s etc. She was also interviewed by Andrew and Andrea of Fruity Knitting fame where she talks about her Shetland Knitting project and book. I think you would enjoy both.
I am not worried about you wearing the sweater, I understand why you knitted it and it will look cool on you if you do wear it! Thank you for another great video!
I really enjoyed this video. Soooo much information. Loved it. I have some vintage pattern books that I will look at again with different eyes. Thank you.
My grandmother was a child in the 1930s, by the seaside. She wore woolen swimsuits. She used to tell me how, when the kids came out of the sea, their sodden swimsuits would hang down past their knees with the weight of water!
I thought you'd find it interesting to know how I taught myself to knit nine years ago when I retired. I used a little booklet called "Learn How Book", printed by Coats & Clarks copyright 1959. I bought it from Woolworths in the early sixty's to teach myself to crochet. It was 35 cents. It has four subjects in it--knitting, crocheting, tatting and embroidery. In the 20 pages devoted to knitting it has five patterns, one for mittens, a pair of anklets, a ribbed hat, a childrens cable sweater, and a twin set. The last page in the knitting section explains "weaving" which today we call kitcheners stitch. The twin set is a classic pullover and cardigan which could be worn today. Your sweater is turning out very well! It doesn't look heavy and has a nice drape to it. I was afraid as long as it is it would be very heavy and tend to pull out of shape.
I'm curious about the patterns starting with the front rather than the back. As it was the 1940s, I have Make Do and Mend in mind. People often unravelled one jumper to make another. Do you think perhaps the front was knitted first because that was the important part, which would be on show. If you ran out of wool, you could improvise at the back or on the sleeves with a stripe of another colour or some other 'fix' like that. Just a thought. I hope you find the answer because it's intriguing!
Starting at the front was a convention long before the 1940s. The people participating in the Roaring '20s KAL were the ones who said all of the vintage patterns they had knit started this way (regardless of era, and in particular, some of the ones knitting 1920s patterns are knitting sweaters like this). These books from the 1940s happen to be the only vintage British pattern books I have, so that's why I checked them. All my other vintage books are American.
Finishing a square poncho that I am designing as I go, lol. Must put other UFOs on the shelf as I must start on a massive sewing project by July. Thank you for your lovely, instructional and inspirational videos, Roxy.
I love your curiosity and detective skills about how things were made! That is so interesting about the Octavia Hill note and history, what fun! thank you for your very interesting podcasts, I enjoy watching them so much and always learn something or get a new idea!
I figure you're a grown woman, why would anyone need to worry about your intentions for wearing or not wearing this sweater. Your process is what's interesting. More power to you! Great episode. Thank you.
I love it. You are tall, with black slacks........you will look great! And what fun?
I have a book that has a different title but think it’s from the same series.... The Pictorial Guide to Modern Home Knitting, which has the same red end pages. It is edited by Catherine Franks and printed by Oldhams Press and copyright mark F440. The content is in a similar vain to all the books you’ve shown, but different patterns and it has a small section on designing your own knits.
I wonder if, after gaining this understanding of vintage patterns and design, how much it will inspire or aide you in the future. It certainly has been intriguing for me. Thanks from Australia 🐨🐨🦘🦘
The items I just let go of made me feel great. I sent 1 to a thrift store as is 1/2 complete sweater!
Gosh people have a lot of opinions. Enjoy your journey of discovery. I've learned tons from all you've shared of your process, so thanks!
"The day you stop learning is the day you die". I am seriously disturbed by the number of people who think it is acceptable to constantly spew their opinions on the internet directed toward someone they only know online. I also wondered why that sweater because I have watched you for sometime now and I thought I had gotten a sense of your taste. We are also near the same age and have a midwestern background (Michigander here). I love the explanation of learning something new.
Congratulations to all the finishers. I am close to finishing something. Oh, well.
Nothing says summer like a pair of itchy wool bathing bloomers 😳
I had a wool swimsuit when I was a girl, but it was lined. I thought it would be hot but my mother assured me wool would be comfortable even when wet and she was right. It was a favorite bathing suit and I was sorry to outgrow it.
A lining would make a world of difference. I didn't read through these patterns to see if there was a lining. I only looked to see what the yarn was made of. I will definitely look more closely!
I wore a wool swimsuit in the 1940’s. It was green/gray. It didn’t sag much when wet. It did itch a bit as it dried. It was not hand knit; don’t remember a lining.
My mother told me she wore a woolen knitted bathing suit but that was in the early thirties. Yes it was uncomfortable if you went in the water and it stretched when wet! It seems everyone wore them and somewhere I have pictures of both my parents wearing them.
I knit that hat for my granddaughter, with the Jameison's Smith wool!
Franklin Habit used to write a knitting vintage article for Knitty. He also had a blog. He knit and wore vintage swim trunks, here is the link
the-panopticon.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-package.html
I remember when I was a child my gran amused us with a story about homemade swimwear. Her brother begged her to make him swimming trunks so she crocheted a pair. He enjoyed strutting around in them. However, they turned into a huge net and didn't stay on as soon as he went in the water. I don't suppose she used a pattern or elastic. Anything I see crocheted now brings this story to mind
Knit for knitting’s sake. Knit because you like it, not for other people’s opinion.
My mom crocheted a bikini for me when I was a little girl to wear in warm weather in the garden and at the beach. It was in cotton and got heavy when it was wet, but being a little girl in the seventies, it didn't matter. When it fell to the sand because it was so heavy my mom let me be named at the beach, which was not unusual in Denmark.
Re: 1920 sweater belt. Firemountaingems.com has bone/horn rings dyed black or golden -- on my screen a sort of orange tan color.
Rox: scandalized by wool bathing suits in vintage knitting books. Also Rox: shows photo of her grandmother most definitely wearing a wool bathing suit at her competitive swim team in the 20’s. 😂
Grandma wore silk swimsuits and slathered herself in bear grease for her ocean swims!
Wear The Sweater 😂
Dreadful music👺.
Seriously?
Well, I liked it. Variety is good.
Perhaps country/folk music is just not your taste. I found it pleasant. But, my husband plays the banjo, so my tolerance may be different from yours. 😊
why? just why? if you don't like it, turn off the sound, use the time stamps so kindly provided, change FREE content, in short, trot on.
I would definitely wear that sweater it is fab. Perfect for a yarn show or just out to dinner.