There are few things that I like more than sitting on my couch and watching old movies while I knit.  The sonorous tones of 1930's and 40's fellas, that high-falutin' mid-Atlantic accent, and the sweet sound of my cat gently snoring on the cushion next to me are a comfort and joy that makes me smile every time I think of it.


Since I find vintage movies so inspiring, perhaps you will, too!  And most of these are available via Netflix, so you should check them out if you get the chance.



First up, my most recent view:

 Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon [1942]
Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce and Lionel Atwill

For the initiated Holmes-ian, this tale is chock full of the old standbys: secret codes, cutting edge sleuthing technology, Holmes captured (!), Holmes escaping (!!), and that evil academic: Professor Moriarty.  And it's all wrapped up in a lovely little wartime theme:


Watson: Things are looking up, Holmes, this little island's still on the map.
Holmes [with feeling]: Yes ... this fortress built by Nature for herself ... this blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England."
[Cue patriotic wartime band, fleet of fighter pilots, and credits]

I was convinced that Holmes's final line should be, "... this blessed plot, this [insert other historic empire [Perth? arg!]], this Rome, this England [cue SGK's treatise on colonial imperialism]" but IMDB swears to me that the words are "earth" and "realm."


Pish, that's far less interesting!


But what is interesting is, of course, the movie's wartime politics.  Filmed before the detonation of the atomic bomb, it examines the trouble with the technology of mass destruction: it might be aimed at you.  A fearless Allied scientist has made a breakthrough, but that wicked Moriarty is willing to sell it to the Germans!  The movie's final lines are nothing but confident: we are still standing, and not going anywhere.  Ordained by Nature herself, this fortress is still in control of its own destiny.


But Holmes's words, backed by the sound of war ships and war planes, sound more like a nation gritting its teeth and digging in its heels than a sovereign nation confident upon their throne.  Throughout, the film's tone belies its final confidence.  In shadows, gestures, expressions, a slow but steady question steadily ticks: What if?  What for?  What then?


This isn't one of dear Sherlock's more glamorous adventures, and I find the film's fashion to be run-of-the-mill.  But in its subtleties, and in its dialogue, I think it may just be one of the best of the Rathbone years.


Cheerio, chaps.

Today (or, tonight ... what time is it, exactly?) I began knitting a super secret project.  Since I am chronically unable to get to sleep before 3:00 AM, I've been making myself useful in the wee morning hours.


In my searchings, I stumbled upon The Design Studio and their beautiful website.  It's given me the inspiration to look again for new website design templates.  I do this occasionally, and always come back to the classic white.  And I can't quite decide if I like the thought of the blog being different from the rest of the website.


Either way, the site is sure worth a look, so check it out!

Catastrophe has struck.

Front, back, and sleeves knitted and blocked?  Check.

Shoulder seams?  Check.

Set in sleeve?  Ch- ... UnCheck.

You can see it, can't you.  Right there, where the left side of the sleeve should be fitting nicely into the back, it just plain doesn't match.  I stare.  I scramble.  I sigh.  Somehow, someway, I have managed to knit a front and back that do not match. 

I used a row counter. 
I followed the pattern. 
I screwed up anyway.

What happened, you ask?  I have no idea.  Do I have the mental fortitude to investigate and resolve the problem right now?  Not even close!  I'm blue, horribly blue, because this was the first sweater I've knit that had a real life pattern stitch involved.  No more geometric ribbing, this was a zig-zag pattern stitch, and I managed to make it through two fronts without screwing up the pattern at all, only to be bested by the back!  The back, I say!  It's the easiest piece!

But wait, it gets worse:
To console myself I decide to begin a top-down raglan in a beautiful, buttery merino I have been saving, to make myself feel better.  No finishing, no chance I'm going to make it all the way to the end only to find out I screwed up the first piece I knit.

I go to my addi-clicks, looking for the little cord, and a set of No. 9's, only to find that all but the long cord are not in their place.  And I have no idea where they could have gone since none of my current projects are on my addi-clicks. 

Are they here somewhere?  Of course.  Can I find them this instant when I want them most?  Of course not.

Oh, life, you pesky pickle!

Are you in the Lexington, KY area?  If so, you have three options to take a class with yours truly!


The MadMen Look: Knitting a Vintage Sweater
The Stitch Niche, off Nicholasville Rd.
Fall 2010

This several weeks long course will take you through this project from beginning to end.  Every few weeks we will meet to check progress, discuss upcoming steps, answer questions and provide inspiration.  If you have ever wanted to knit a vintage sweater, but were frightened off by the weird sizes and a miniscule gauge, this is the place to start!  This sweater is knit in Sport Weight yarn (not fingering!), and is simple but results in a distinctive style.  Contact The Stitch Niche for further information.

Knitting Basics
Lexington Public Library, E. Main St.
October 9th, 2010 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Basic knitting instruction for beginners.  Whether you've never seen a knitting needle, let alone picked one up, or you've forgotten all that your grandmother taught you, this class will teach students all they need to get knitting.  Students will learn the proper technique for the foundations of all knitting projects: casting on, binding off, knitting, purling, stockinette and garter stitches, plus some additional skills such as ribbing and shaping, if time allows. 


Crochet Basics
Lexington Public Library, E. Main St.
October 23rd, 2010 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Basic instruction for those new to crochet.  Students will learn the foundations of all crochet projects: chains, single- and double-crochet, plus basic joining.  Students will learn these foundational techniques while learning to make one of the classic crochet staples, the Granny Square, which can be used for a variety of projects.

Yesterday was a stellar day.  I got moved into the new place, finally updated the blog, and received word from Yarn Forward Magazine that Sweater Girl Knits would be receiving a mention in their next issue!  What type of mention, you ask?  Your guess is as good as mine, but you can bet I'll be updating you on just what they have to say as soon as I know.  Here's hoping we haven't been named in a feature such as "Websites to Avoid," or "How Not to Keep a Blog."

I do not have the privilege of a subscription to any knit/crochet/craft magazine, so I am excited to have the opportunity to check this one out.  From their website this magazine looks like it's filled with beautiful patterns every month, and to be worth a look, so check them out!

Surely I haven't lost more than two months to goodness-knows-what, right after a post about my newfound freedom and all the awesomeness that was going to be added to the site?  That would be preposterous!


Preposterous indeed, and yet ... too true.  Unable to find anyone who would hire me for the summer and give me about five weeks vacation for wedding and honeymoon, I have been living the truly vintage life:  I have been a housewife.  The first two weeks were impossibly boring.  I spent the majority of my time sitting and ... you know, thinking about stuff that maybe I could do.  But then I finally got off my tuckus and started doing some of them.  


I planted a fall weather vegetable garden, and learned to hate those cute little bunnies hopping around my yard, in addition to numerous insects.  I discovered my local indoor flea market and lost numerous hours taking notes upon all the furniture my new husband and I could use, only to have him inform me that he doesn't like huge categories of furniture like "wavy edges" (a.k.a. "scalloping") and "that color" (a.k.a. "oak").  But we did finally agree that we both sincerely enjoy either classic, chic country, or early 20th-century, and managed to find several things that we could agree upon, whence commenced the great wood cleaning project of 2010.


With a visit from my mother I dove into the world of chemical varnish strippers and will hopefully soon report that I've saved a beautiful coffee table from a serious attack of shiny plastic finish.


And today we finally have all of our possessions in the new place, and I feel like I might just be able to uphold my obligations to this here website once again.  I've promised new patterns, new yarns, and new updates, and I intend to deliver!


Here's to summer!

Oh my goodness, has it been so long?  Here I was doing so well, then swoop! there went the last two weeks, right out from under me.  I blame many things, but particularly the end of the semester.  Grading and writing for myself - it never seems to end!  So, instead of blogging I've been stressing, and scrambling, but the end is finally in sight!  Only .. oh wait, I haven't mentioned wedding planning!  That's right, yours truly is getting hitched, and soon!

So I've also been running around town in ridiculous outfits, being good-naturedly picked on by drag queens (long story - don't ask). 

But I have at least gotten back in the knitting groove.  I am one side away from a completed cardigan, and have the itch to start something new.  But no, no, I say to myself ... finish the one before you start the other or you'll end up with pieces sitting in a bag for months.  What, me?  I would never do something so stupid.  I have big plans for the summer, but I would hate to share them with you in the event that they fall through.  This way, every thing that I accomplish will seem like I'm going above and beyond, because you all can't see how very far from the imagined horizon I have truly fallen.  Classic.

I got a neat request today from Amanda over at Vintage Savoir Faire asking me for some words on why I love knitting from vintage patterns, and for any recommendations when it came to needle sizes and yarns.  Little did she know the wealth of words she would get, but once I get going I just find it hard to stop!  She is writing an article for a British knitting magazine, so keep your eyes peeled!

So what did I have to say?

I love to knit from vintage patterns because, in my opinion, they're more stylish than contemporary knitting patterns.  Many current mass market knitting patterns are either Plain Jane, frumpy, or more "Old Lady" than "old style."  Sites like Ravelry have done wonders to help current designers promote more fashionable knit-wear patterns, but even these designs can't compete with a vintage Vogue Knitting when it comes to clothes that you are just dying to wear.  Part of this, I think, is that vintage designs are knit at a smaller gauge, and aren't afraid of more complex constructions.  Sure, knitting at 7 or 8 stitches an inch is time consuming, but the garment that you wind up with is often much more flattering and chic, which in turn motivates you to keep going.  It seems to me that they weren't as interested in short cuts, and that this shows in the cultured look of their designs.  So sites like mine are trying to show people that the old way is sometimes the better way, and not nearly as frightening as it seems.

I think it is also significant that the photography in these magazines is often captivating.  Not only is the model often wearing a fabulous knit top or suit, but she's often wearing a to-die-for pair of gloves, shoes and hat, and carrying some amazing handbag.  She always looks glamorous and sophisticated, like someone you would want to be, and this mystique plays into at least my passion for these old designs.

On another register, knitting from and collecting vintage patterns is just one piece of my love for the past.  I have always loved old movies, music and TV shows, (and I've always been envious of their clothes), so my collection of vintage knitting magazines fits right alongside my collection of old books, old records, and old movies.  In addition, it makes me feel connected to the generations of women in my family who spent their nights knitting, stitching, and crocheting.  When you buy an old knitting magazine you don't just get the pattern - you get the ads, the letters from the editor, the pictures - and all of it feels like a little slice of the past has just been reclaimed, and become yours.

I could wax existential philosophic about nostalgia, but I think you get the point. 

In regards to Needles and Yarn, I've found that there are many online yarn charts explaining what vintage yarns would correspond to in today's weights.  You can pretty easily find if the suggested vintage yarn was lace weight, for example, then substitute a modern lace weight yarn.  Or, you can always reason backward from the gauge - any yarn that gets you to your gauge is going to work!  There are similar charts for needles, but any pattern's suggested needle size is always approximate - you have to do that gauge swatch, and play around until you get it right.  The trickiest thing about vintage patterns is actually vintage sizing.  Their sizes don't correspond to modern sizes, but there are, again, numerous charts online to help you make the conversion, plus most vintage pattern books come with a bust/hip measurement chart.  The problem I've found, however, is that even once I establish my proper bust/hip size, something else will be too tight, like the arms, or the neck.  This, unfortunately, just takes practice, and a little patience!

I have finally had a chance to scan some new stuff!  I have added two new eBooks and a few new Women's patterns.  Check out some of them below!

There are many, many more to be shared, but it is a time consuming process!  Please let me know if there is something that you would like to see more of, and I can prioritize my scanning and formatting.  I have men's patterns just waiting in the wings, but, perhaps its my own commitment to selfish knitting that makes me less-than-concerned about hurrying those along!

I've mentioned before my love of the cross stitch that is stamped (aka, stamped cross stitch), and here's the proof.  Behold, my vintage quilt squares.  I am still deciding upon the colors, but I think I'm going to go with the lilac you see in three of the small flowers, green for the stems, and a lighter lilac for the large flower in the middle.

Now, I know it's hard to see, but it's a very traditional pattern: big flower in the middle.  Four stems, four little flowers in the corners.  I inherited these squares after my Grandmother passed away.  She had purchased them I don't know when, and had never taken them from their package.  When we found them, I knew that I would love to complete them for her.

I've always imagined that I would love stamped cross stitch.  After all, I love stamped embroidery, like the kind I'd done on felt Christmas stockings.  This project proves it: I am in love.

Here's how it works: I sit down, I thread a needle, and I stitch.

No paper. No book.  No neck strain (well, almost no neck strain).  No fuss. Beautiful results.  What more could a crafter ask for?  My project is coming along remarkably quickly.  I feel that each square really only takes one dedicated day of stitching.  And not the kind of dedicated day where you never put the thing down, but the kind of dedicated day where you stitch whenever you're not required to do something else.  Like eat.  Or speak to someone.  Or play with your cat who is just casually mentioning that she has found a toy mouse inside her favorite box, and that you might want to investigate.  Just to be sure.

Will my tune change once it's time to actually piece together and quilt this thing?  Let's say ... no.  It's good to keep our spirits up, right?