Meet Kate-Em: British vintage blogger, lover of museums, and one seriously skilled knitter

Though you wouldn't know it from the continued rainy weather (see this recent post) around these parts, summer has emerged once more and most of the world is enjoying far drier and balmier days than we are. With the return of the glorious season, it's time for our latest edition of the fun and exciting reoccurring post series, Meet a Fellow Vintage Blogger.

For June's delightful conversation, I'm elated and honoured alike to say that today's interviewee is none other than Kate-Em (pictured below), who many of you may know from her fantastic blog, What Kate-Em Did Next, which has been online for a few years now.




Kate-Em resides in good, old Blighty and has been very dear friend of mine for ages. In addition to having a heart of gold and an immense talent for knitting, she loves vintage something fierce and is an avid member of the online vintage world, often taking the time to comment and show her support to others in our midst (which, as you know, is something I hold in the highest esteem).

Sweet, creative, and lovely as the day is long, Kate-Em and her blog both deserve a spot of your time and I hope that you'll join me in bestowing such their way on this lovely last Monday in June.



{The beautiful header from Kate-Em's blog, which stars photos of both of her grandmas and a great-aunt.}


For those who are just meeting your wonderful blog, What Kate-Em Did Next, for the first time today, could you please share a bit about your site with us, including when it launched and what inspired you to start a vintage related blog?


Hello, I’m Kate-Em. I started my blog in May 2012 as I really had an urge to write about all the things that were buzzing about in my head. I had been doing lots of knitting, researching vintage fashion and reading lots of history books and I wanted a place to chat about all of this, to share my thoughts and show the things that I found. I had been reading a few blogs and it seemed like a blog of my own might be the kind of thing that I was looking for. And it was!


I tend to write about my knitting and craft projects, historical places I visit, exhibitions I go to, fashion history and vintage fashion, share vintage photos and patterns and share the odd outfit. I really don't like having my photo taken but I want to share more outfits so I am going to have to get over it!


How would you say that the blogging world (vintage and/or otherwise) has changed since then? Has your blog adapted in any way in response to these changes?

I know that many people who have been blogging for a long time have seen a bit of a decline in blogging with the rise of things like Instagram. I can’t really say that I have noticed those changes from my blog’s point of view. I really enjoy following other blogs and chatting with their writers via the comments.

I have met some fascinating, wonderful people that way. I also enjoy seeing snapshots of blogger’s lives on Instagram, things that wouldn't necessarily make up a post but are interesting in their own right. I enjoy sharing pictures like this on Instagram and they may or may not make it onto my blog.




You’re extremely passionate about knitting – when did that love start and how has it factored into your life and blog alike?

I am lucky to come from a family full of crafty women, knitters, sewers and embroiderers so I have been around it all my life. My Mum used to knit and sew my clothes and my Granny and Grandma knitted for me. My Auntie knitted me a rag doll, Jeanie (pictured above), when I was very young who was a constant companion. She regularly had to be ‘taken to hospital’ by my Auntie as I wore her out from cuddling her.

I think that my Grandma taught me to knit when I was about 7 and I used to knit clothes for my toys and then the toys themselves, progressing to proper garments as a teenager. I didn't knit so much when I was at university or in the few years that followed and then I got back into it properly about 12 years ago.

I had a breakdown 6 years ago and ended up having to resign from my job through ill health. It was an incredibly difficult time with far reaching consequences and it is something that I am still dealing with today. Knitting has really helped me during this time, giving me something to focus on, to calm my brain and help keep myself steady and manage my anxiety. Knitting has well documented positive effects on mental health and I definitely found that to be true.

When I was able to, I made myself attend a local knitting group. It was a huge step, it took lots of working up to and my husband dropped me off and then sat in the car for 30 minutes waiting to see if I managed to stay or if I would run out crying and need to go home. I managed to stay, mostly by knitting furiously and not speaking to anyone for ages until I felt that I could squeak out the odd reply. Luckily, I landed in a group full of the most brilliant, amazing, talented, generous and supportive women that I could have hoped to find.


When I decided that I would like to start blogging it seemed obvious to me to be the place to combine my love of knitting and vintage and it has all gone on from there.


What are some of your favourite types of things to knit?

I like to knit 1940’s and 1950’s jumpers and cardigans for myself as I love the shapes and the interesting stitch patterns that were commonly used. I like knitting hats from that period too. I also like to knit vintage children’s patterns for friend’s with new babies and for my niece. I knitted early 50’s double breasted jumper for her for Christmas.

She has just put in a request for a scarf, pink with yellow spots, and I think I have just found a 1930’s pattern with matching mittens that should do it! I also enjoy knitting commission knits as often they are glorious patterns but not ones that I might make myself either due to style or size so that way I still get the fun of seeing what they knit up like!


You have a fabulous collection of vintage knitting patterns, some of which you’ve generously shared images from with on your blog. How did that collection get its start?

I have always been a collector of stuff and I think that I always will be. At a knitting show a good number of years ago I came across a stall selling vintage haberdashery, books and patterns. I came away with a 1940’s knitting book and a 1950’s knitting magazine and that was it.

They just hooked me, I loved all the garments, the fashion history, the style and I thought ‘this is what I need to knit’! So then I started looking out for vintage patterns wherever I went and the collection was born!





Are there any types of vintage patterns in particular that you find yourself drawn to?

Apart from patterns for items that I would like to make for myself there are certain types of patterns that I look out for. I love the cozy glamour (that sounds like opposite states but I totally think it is a thing) of bed jackets so I always pick up patterns for those if I find them. I love patterns featuring Fair Isle so they would always be winners as would picture/motif knits.

Patterns featuring people smoking are a favourite as they are from the period when smoking was not seen as harmful. I’m not a smoker but find the history of the tobacco industry fascinating and frightening and the knitting patterns accurately reflect people’s behaviour at the time. They are a real social history snapshot. I also have a special section of ‘so bad it’s good’ patterns where comedy poses, props, backgrounds, horrific hats and monstrous jumpers have a special place.


Where are some of your favourite places to source vintage knitting patterns from (online or off)?

I most enjoy sourcing vintage knitting patterns from charity shops, junk shops and junk markets as I like the excitement of rummaging through a big pile and not knowing what treasures I may unearth. I also buy at vintage events and some knitting shows have dealers that stock vintage patterns. Online, Ebay can be a good source, especially if you get a bargain. Etsy is a great source, especially if you are not bothered about owning the original pattern as many sellers sell PDF’s of patterns in their own collection.

My two favourite are 1940’s Style For You and Pretty Old Patterns. The Victoria and Albert Museum have some free vintage patterns on their websites. The Vintage Pattern Files is a great resource and bloggers such as Subversive Femme, Va Voom Vintage, and myself all put free patterns on their blogs.




And how about yarn and other supplies?

I like to source yarn from a shop or knitting show as I like to support small businesses and see and feel the yarn myself. I really struggle to wear wool as it itches me like mad so it is important for me to be able to put the yarn against my skin and see what it feels like.

I also like to play with colour with the balls of yarn themselves, to see how they work against each other and with my skin tone. I get most of my supplies from local shops, charity shops and markets too. I appreciate that not everyone has access to good, local shops but that is what I prefer.


Do you find that you have a lot of WIPs on the go, or do you prefer to start a project and see it through to completion in quite a linear fashion?

I laughed out loud when I read this question, Jessica! In my head, I am the kind of person who starts a project and sees it through but, from surveying the evidence in many knitting bags and various piles, I have to conclude that this really isn't the case.

From a quick look I am going to confess to the following WIP:

-A 1950’s cardigan that needs one front lace panel knitting

-One half sewn up 1950’s cardigan

-A colourwork partial headband

-The beginnings of a sock -One 1960’s bag to sew up

-Four 1950’s hats knitted but not sewn together

-A 1950’s feather and fan jumper, back complete, front recently started -A 1940’s jumper that needs some rows of crochet to finish the neckline

In my defense, projects get picked up and put down around other activities such as commissions, or social knitting occasions when I need something easy so I can talk lots too, or when it needs to be easily portable. I am going to crack on with them though!




And what would be your absolutely dream knitting project (that you haven’t tackled yet, that is)?

One day I want to knit a really colourful and complicated 1940’s Fair Isle cardigan for myself but I want to improve my colour work skills first as I want it to be fabulous! I have two amazing jumper patterns, one that is 1940’s with seahorses on and on that is 1950’s with a parrot on that I would like to make. I also want to knit some 1940’s underwear and a 1940’s or 50’s swimsuit from an historical interest point of view.


What advice would you give to those who want to get into knitting, but have never done so before?

Choose the nicest yarn that you can afford, one that speaks to you and makes you excited about creating something. You are more likely to stick at learning to knit if you like what you are knitting. Likewise, you don't have to start with a scarf or a square. If you think you would find that boring then choose something else, a simple hat or shawl or a pair of wrist warmers for example. Most patterns are graded in difficulty or you can ask your local yarn shop for advice.

Don’t feel like you should start with chunky wool just because it grows quickly. If the needles feel like broom handles in your hands or you fall in love with a gorgeous ball of 4-ply, knit with that instead.

It is perfectly possible to teach yourself to knit from a book or from online tutorials but I think that you can't beat someone showing you and sitting with you for those first few rows. If you don't have a friend or family member who can show you I would advise going to a class, but are sure it is a small group so you get plenty of attention. Or, turn up in a yarn shop and say “help, I need to learn to knit. Show me now”!

Remember that it takes practise, you will most likely feel weird and uncoordinated at first and then it will click. Mistakes can easily be ripped back or can be counted as part of the garment’s individual charm, depending on your approach!


Do you think there are points that were, objectively, better about knitting in the past and/or nowadays?

In the past, many people were taught to knit (and sew, mend etc) whilst they were children and it was an activity just as much for boys as girls. Obviously it still is, but it isn't always portrayed as or seen as such which is a huge shame.

Starting young gives you longer to become skilled and it must have helped that it was a very commonplace activity. Vintage patterns can be short on explanation as they assume the knitter already has a certain level of knowledge, gained by experience. I wouldn't mind a time machine to allow me to go back in time and buy all the patterns and knitting magazines that I could get hold of!

Now is an incredibly exciting time for knitters, especially with the help of the internet as a wealth of patterns, tutorials, yarns, gadgets and like minded souls are there at your fingertips. Although I tend not to knit from modern patterns I like to see what is out there and what is popular. There is greater yarn choice from interesting fibre mixes to specialized independent dyers. There is a very vibrant knitting scene with crafternoons in shops and plenty of fibre festivals.


What are some other crafts, aside from knitting, that really speak to you?

I enjoy crochet too though I am still quite a beginner at it. I have some great vintage crochet patterns so I really want to master it. I also enjoy sewing and I am really keen to do that more. I went to classes for a while and made a couple of bags, a dress and a cape. I

want to get better at garment making so that I can use vintage patterns and increase my wardrobe! I like embroidery and cross stitch too and I am slowly working on some patchwork using the paper piecing method. I also like the odd bit of paper crafting. I really love to make things so the more crafting the better for me!




How long have you been wearing vintage styles for, and what era(s) do you find yourself most frequently drawn in terms of your own wardrobe?

I have been wearing vintage styles on and off since I was a teenager. Back then I used to go to lots of jumble sales and find great 1960’s dresses to wear with vintage velvet jackets that I bought from a market. I wore a great, full length embellished 1960’s dress of my great aunts to a university ball, if only I could still fit it! I most frequently find that items in my wardrobe are 1940’s or 50’s in style but I love fashions from the 1930’s and the early 60’s too.


Do you incorporate vintage elements into your home as well?

I do but not as much as I want to and hope to do some day. I am always on the look out for things for my home. I have quite a collection of vintage china which I use or have out on display. I have a 1930’s clock on my mantelpiece and a 1950’s Singer sewing machine on an old cabinet.

I have my grandparent’s bureau which holds china in 2 display cupboards and my embroidered tablecloths and crochet doilies in another cupboard. Our spare room houses all my craft supplies so that has plenty of vintage sewing baskets, haberdashery and books in it, for use and for decoration.


You have such a cool job – working at a haberdashery – can you please tell us a bit about what is that like?

I absolutely love it!! It is just the best job for me. I like to be interacting with people so I love having a chat to the customers and helping them out with their haberdashery emergencies! I’m also very nosy so I like seeing what yarn or fabric people buy and then finding out what projects they have planned for it. I love it when customers come in and show me their finished projects.

I like helping people if they get stuck on their pattern or if they need advice on styles or colours or coming up with ideas for creating 1920’s headbands for dogs or hammocks for growing pumpkins (true). Being surrounded by gorgeous yarns is great, though bad for the bank balance! I like seeing all the new stock as it comes in and ordering it on the shelves, working out which colours sing together. It is such a cheerful place to be!





Living in the UK, have you had a chance to attend many vintage related events before?

I get to a reasonable number of vintage fairs which I always really enjoy. There is quite a big 1940’s event that happens near me which I have never managed to get to as it always clashes with something I already have planned. Maybe next year I will be better organised. I probably don't get to as many events as I would really like to so that is something for me to work on.


We share a mutual passion for museums in person. What are some of your favourite ones (and/or exhibits) that you’ve been to? Is there a museum, anywhere in the world, that you’d love to visit, but haven’t yet?

Tricky question! Many of the big London museums are favourites of mine. My Uncle used to take my sister and my two cousins to the National Maritime Museum regularly when we were very young so that has happy memories. We were particularly fascinated by a paddle steamer you could explore and Lord Nelson’s blood stained stockings! I love the Natural History Museum, both the collections and the building itself. I also love the Victoria and Albert Museum as it is so diverse and has so much to see.

I recently saw the 100 Years of Vogue exhibition which was just fabulous and visited the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms which was really interesting. I’m excited as an exhibition that I couldn't get to London to see, Fashion on the Ration, has moved to the Imperial War Museum North which is much nearer for me so I will be able to get to see it after all.

I would one day like to visit the Anne Frank museum.

My favourite museum is Beamish, an open air living history museum near Durham. It has a 1900's town with a bank, printers, bakery, pub, dentist etc and you can go inside each one and explore. Members of staff are dressed in period clothing and talk about how life would have been.There is also a 1940's farm, a Georgian farm and a pit village and mine. You travel around the site on trams and buses. It is the best day out!




In addition to vintage, museums/history, and knitting, what are some of your biggest passions/interests?

Reading! Definitely one of my biggest passions. I always have a book on the go and have an overflowing bookcase full of books waiting to be read. I am no good at all at not buying a book that catches my eye, even if I have plenty to read already. I give most genres a go but not surprisingly I really enjoy historical fiction. I also read a lot of social history books, particularly about the role and experiences of women during the second world war, but anything from the 1920’s-1960’s I would find interesting.

I like going walking in the countryside and exploring beautiful places. One interest that I haven't been able to pursue for a good few months is boxing! I used to go to boxercise and boxing training regularly and loved it. I am waiting for a neck/shoulder problem to be resolved and then I hope to start again as I miss it!


Circling back to fashion, what are some of your “must have” vintage accessories for the sunny summer months that we’re launching into again now?

A lovely big straw hat to keep me cool and shady and a large, light scarf as a cover up as my skin really doesn't like the sun. I’m still looking for my perfect straw bag as they just shout summer to me. I’m after two, a smaller handbag type and a larger one that fits a book and my knitting in it! I want to knit a short little summer bolero to go over dresses. I like hair flowers for summer up do’s and a good pair of sunglasses of course!





Any cool summertime plans that you’d like to share with us?

I’m hoping to get out and about lots this summer, exploring, walking and visiting. I’m excited to be going on holiday to the Isle of Wight. I have always wanted to visit and see it’s beautiful beaches and scenery and visit it’s historic attractions so I’m over the moon to be finally going.



And last, but certainly not least, what’s on your needles right now?

On my needles right now is the final sleeve of a modern knit! Shock horror! It is a loose jacket with one button at the neck and it reminds me of a 1950’s jacket or swing coat. We have some fabulous super chunky wool in the shop where I work which I was desperate to knit, but, it is a yarn type that there are no vintage patterns for as it didn't exist then. So a modern pattern that is vintage in style fitted the bill!

I think it will be perfect as a summer evening cover up and also for those periods in spring and autumn where you are too cold in just a cardigan and too warm in a coat.

Connect with Kate-Em on the following sites:

Her Blog

Her Easy shop

Facebook

Instagram

Meet the past interviewees who have taken part in this delightful ongoing post series:

February 2015: Emileigh | March 2015: CiCi | April 2015: Helen Mae | May 2015: Esther | June 2015: Ms. Falcon | July 2015: Jessie, and Laurence & Sylvain | August 2015: Holly | September 2015: Rhia | October 2015: Franny | November 2015: Emily | December 2015: Porcelina | January 2016: Nora | February 2016: Kate | March 2016: Carla | April 2016: Jessica E.| May 2016: Skye

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Thank you very much for this stellar interview, dear Kate-Em. I sincerely appreciate your time and how candidly you spoke about your life and treasured interests here with Chronically Vintage's audience. I feel blessed to have you as a friend and to share so many passions in common.

If you're not already following Kate-Em's blog, I highly encourage you to do so. She posts marvelous vintage related entries there - many of which are chalk-a-block full of awesome mid-century images, and is one of those beautiful souls that the blogsphere is genuinely better for having in its midst.

Next up, we'll be slipping on a pair of vintage sunnies and a cute sundress or playsuit and hightailing back to the Pacific coast of North America, where I'll chat with another truly treasured friend of mine, whose many interests, incredible vintage fashion sense, love of themed attire, and exciting travels throughout the area will leave you spellbound (and wishing there was a magic button that would allow you to instantly copy her gorgeous wardrobe into your own closet).

Until then, my sweet dears, enjoy this first leg of summer and all the fun, excitement and - hopefully - beautiful weather it holds in store!

A knitted timeline of vintage hats

For our first post in October (my favourite month of the year, bar none), I'm nothing short of elated to bring you an excellent, engaging, photo filled look at the history of knitted hats, with scores of handmade examples, as presented by my dear friend, and fellow vintage blogger, Kate-Em, who is one seriously talented knitter! Kate-Em and I become fast friends online and share much in common, though she's the sole knitter in the relationship, which is all the more reason why I adore and appreciate that you opted to write on this wonderful topic. Thank you very much for doing so, sweet Kate-Em, and for sharing some of your (and your mom's) marvelous, super cozy looking vintage knitting projects with us while I'm on holiday.

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Hello! I am Kate-Em from the blog What Kate-Em Did Next and I am super excited to be guest posting on Chronically Vintage today. When Jessica asked me if I would like to do a guest post, my first thoughts were ‘yes’ followed by ‘it must be on hats’. This came to mind as I know how much Jessica loves hats and I always admire her vintage chapeau collection.

I love the way she tends to accessorize each outfit with one and is passionate about the way that a hat can really make an outfit. I also knew that I wanted to write about knitting as that is one of my major loves, especially knitting from vintage patterns to recreate vintage garments and accessories. I also love discovering pieces of fashion history in this way and like feeling a connection to knitters of the past, which may have previously used that pattern to create something beautiful too. So, as luck would have it, I found that I could combine knitting and hats by creating this knitted timeline.




We are starting in the 1930’s with The Sunday Pictorial Beret from Susan Crawford’s book A Stitch in Time Volume Two. I am sure that we can wear it on other days of the week than Sunday! I love the ribbon detail at the back; it makes it that bit special, whilst still being a practical daytime hat. It is possible to style the beret in a number of different ways depending on where you position it on your head and how much you poof it up. I think I needed more poof, I actually find berets quite difficult to wear which is a shame as I like them a lot. Berets replaced the cloche hats of the 1920’s but were not the only styles that were worn in the 1930’s. Tilt hats, pill boxes and wide sunhats were also popular.




This cute and cozy early 1940’s cap is featured on a pattern that also has a lacy knit headscarf and a tilt cap with a tassel in honeycomb stitch. This interests me as it is a little snapshot of the huge variety of hats that were worn throughout the 1940’s. If you look carefully you can see that the pompoms are multi-coloured and are tied around the top of the hat by a braid made from the three colours used in the pompoms. The original hat was knitted in a mid-grey with scarlet, white and grey pompoms. When I made mine I was stash busting so I used different colours. I imagine that if I was knitting one in the 1940’s I would have made it in complimentary colours to my coat.




I am pretty certain that this turban comes from a wartime pattern as the pattern is very small, consistent with paper rationing. This turban is knitted in moss stitch which gives a lovely texture. It has a cap that fits over the head and an attached long band which the wearer twists and pulls over the cap to achieve the knot at the front. With practise, different shaped knots can be made. Turbans were popular as they were a practical hat for women who went out to work, especially in factories. They were also a good way to hide hair that had not seen a hairdresser as regularly as it used to! The woman on the pattern is wearing it with a very smart checked suit.




Firstly, a big thank you to my mum as she knitted this fabulous hat. We saw it in a Stitchcraft magazine from 1945 and she fancied having a go at it. These are as near to the original colours as we could find, it is so colourful and cheerful. It would brighten up your utility suit and your day no end. It has a wired brim so it can be slightly shaped and on me is best worn at what might be termed a jaunty angle! The model wears it more like a top hat. I think the pompoms are such a fun decoration and it is interesting to note that they were present on lots of knitted items in the 1940s.




This snood and the cap to follow are particularly fitting for this post as they come from a ‘bags, hats and accessories’ book published by a Canadian company. It would have cost fifteen cents to buy! Again, my mum takes credit for these two as they are crocheted and my crochet skills are in no way up to this. Plain snoods, as in coloured but not decorated except maybe by ribbon, are often seen in old photographs etc. but you don’t find beaded ones as often. This snood has little pearl beads scattered over the headband and across one row of the netting. I think it adds interest to have the headband, then a gap and then the bag of the snood. It feels very glamorous to wear; perhaps it is an evening snood! It was originally knitted in Hunter’s Green according to the pattern.




This crocheted cap has these amazing circular earflaps. The cap sits quite far back on your head so from the front you can barely see that you have a cap on and then from the side you get the drama of the earflaps. This is made in as close to the original colours as possible, ecru, black and Hunter’s Green. Both my mum and I are not quite sure about that combination but it is accurate and therefore interesting. It looks really sweet on and I can see that it would work for both day and evening wear. Other popular styles of hat in the 1940’s were pixie caps, trilby types, a fez, toques and skull caps.




I made this purely because the pattern made me giggle and I wanted to know what it would turn out like. I have made it again since and made each petal slightly smaller which gives a neater and better fit. It is like the cap that a pixie or a flower fairy would wear which I think is what helps make it fun and appealing. It is definitely whimsical which was common for hats in the 1950’s. A smart woman of the time would always wear a hat and gloves and many styles of hat were popular including pill boxes, picture hats, Juliet caps, berets, headbands, saddle caps, bucket hats and lampshade styles.




This hat is definitely for your outdoors man and woman as it is a no nonsense pull on designed for practicality and warmth rather than glamour and appeal. That said it does have a pretty design on it which adds interest. I can vouch for its warmth as I wore it last winter and I made my husband one too so that we could have his n hers hats (in a tongue in cheek way) as the pattern suggests. The pattern also features matching socks but I haven’t made them for us. Yet! I wanted to include this hat as it or something similar must have been a daily feature in people’s winter wardrobes yet it won’t be seen in many magazines as it is not the height of fashion.





This is named the Lady's Snuggle Hood and is modeled on the pattern by a woman with a fabulous blunt cut fringe and checked geometric dress which sadly you can only see the shoulders of. When I started knitting it at my knitting group everyone laughed at it and several told me it would look silly on.

Well, maybe it does but I can tell you that it lives up to its name and is gorgeous and snuggly and cozy. If it is cold this winter you will find me wearing it. I also rather like the fact that it makes me feel like a knight going on a crusade, though I suspect I am meant to feel more like a spaceman given the obsession with and interest in space in the 1960’s. Space inspired helmets were popular after the moon landing. Also popular in the 1960’s were berets, pill boxes, baker boy caps, wide brimmed hats and headscarves.

Hooray for hats then. They can make an outfit, make a statement, anchor your outfit in the correct period, provide a distraction, become a talking point, cheer you up and keep you warm. What an amazing amount of variation is encompassed by that little word!

I am always on the look-out for hat patterns. On my needles I currently have a 1940’s cap which has more pompoms as decoration. I have a 1930’s cap pattern lined up and a 1950’s Alice band bonnet to finish which needs a crochet edging and some elastic sewing in. I hope you enjoyed this woolly tour through time and found a vintage knitted hat that would suit your style.

♥ Kate-Em

Knitting trends of the 1940s

Like a lot of folks, I am a passionate crafter, however, I am neither a sewer nor a knitter, two timeless arts that many in our vintage loving midst are both crazy about and very skilled at. I have a ton of respect for those who practise these crafts and always enjoy learning more about either subject. Thus, when I asked my new, but already very dear friend, Cherry, if she'd like to guest post while I was on holiday and she enthusiastically said that she would, I was thrilled when she shared that the topic of her post would be none other than a fantastic, image filled look back at some of the knitting trends of the 1940s.

Whether you're a seasoned knitting pro, a beginner, or like me, have never clicked one needle against the next, I'm sure you'll adore this post and find yourself appreciating the beautiful knitwear that filled the action packed decade that was the 1940s all the more thanks to it. And speaking of thanks, that is precisely what I'm extending to the seriously wonderful Ms. Cherry for her engaging, delightfully lovely look at this great subject.

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Thank you so much to Jessica for asking me to do a guest post on her blog while she is enjoying a much needed vacation. It is such an honor to be here. My name is Cherry, I'm a knitter and a blogger over at She Knits in Pearls. I am also a vintage lover, so when Jessica asked me if I’d like to do a guest post, it felt only natural to write about vintage knitting. I am happy to share a bit of my knowledge with you.

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During the 1940s you would be hard pressed to find a woman who didn't know how to knit. Many women learned how during World War One in order to knit for our soldiers and that practice continued on into World War Two. Sidar Wool Company strongly urged women with their slogan “If you can knit-you can do your bit”. Specific patterns were made and circulated for each branch of the military. There was even a wool control board that insured the distribution of the right yarns to knitting guilds all over Europe where there were rations on yarns.

Here in the U.S., many women gathered in weekly knitting circles to knit and organize there knitting efforts. They would have a list of the soldiers from their respective town and knit socks for each of them. However, not all knitting was for the soldiers. There was plenty of knitting for themselves; it was a great way to stay warm and glamorous during a time when our resources were limited. These limitations greatly influenced the trends of the time, but they sure didn’t hold us knitters back.

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Women were determined to stay fashion forward. As resources became limit, we had to make do with what we had. Shapes and overall silhouette became more tailored and less extravagant. Jackets and skirts became shorter and slimmer. When it came to knitting that meant shorter sleeves and slimmer, shorter waist lines.

Lace and airy stitch patterns were a great way to make a little yarn go a long way. Many vintage knitting patterns were often made with simple yet ornate design elements. Not only was this a way to get the most out of what they had, it was a way to make garments interesting and feminine. It wasn’t just yarn and wool that was in limited supply. Dyes were scarce too. This meant that colors of yarn where limited as well. To compensate, textures such as bobbles, cables, and ribbing were used to keep things new and interesting.

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Fair Isle knitting became very popular. Small balls of yarn could be knit into cheerful and patriotic designs. Each scrap of yarn could be used. In a time of “Make-do and Mend” women would even unravel old sweaters to create new stylish pieces. If the leftovers of a certain project were small they would be used for darning or mending a garment to make it last longer. When larger quantities were available, they could be used as stripes or color blocks on other garments.

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If you’d like to try your hand at recreating the lovely knitwear from our past there are many on-line sites that offer wonderful vintage patterns for free. Wendy at The Vintage Pattern Files has done a fantastic job of collecting and sharing vintage patterns with her readers. You can find many great patterns on Subversive Femme as well. Bex shares a ton of vintage patterns and she knits them up as well.

I will say, vintage patterns can be very difficult to work with, especially for a new knitter. They tend to be written in very basic terms, often times not informing you what weight yarn to use or even what needle size. They may just give you a stitch gauge and a multiple of stitches you need for the pattern, ie. CO multiple of 8 stitches. This leaves it up to you to know how many stitches you will need for, say, the back of a sweater. Vintage patterns are not impossible to work with: they just take a good base knowledge and a bit of courage.

If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, designers are working to take vintage patterns and recreate them with modern directions, yarn suggestions and construction techniques. Check out designer Susan Crawford. Or designer and blogger Andi Satterlund, her patterns are modern with a vintage inspiration (and I happen to be completely addicted to knitting them).

Whether you are a knitter or not, you have to admire the creativity and ingenuity that went into the knitted garments of the past. What you may have thought were just the fashion of the times, were very deliberate. In the time of clothes rationing, women were able to take what they had, use a great deal of imagination, and create a whole new style.

As sweater weather is creeping up on us vintage lovers, we can look to these design elements for inspiration. Whether we are vintage shopping, thrifts store hunting, or getting out the yarn and needles, these and other 1940’s designs would be a great addition to our fall wardrobes. Happy hunting and knitting!

♥ Cherry

Enter to win a $50.00 store credit from St. Augustine Vintage

Last month I had the great pleasure of receiving a beautiful vintage floral needlework handbag to review from etsy seller St. Augustine Vintage, which was featured in this outfit post. Today I'm thoroughly delighted to give one lucky winner the chance to bring home something of their own from this wonderful etsy shop.

One of the things that I love about working with a diverse range of sponsors from around the world is that I nearly always learn at least one new thing from each of them, and in this case, it just happens to be the fact that St. Augustine Florida, the town for which this vintage shop is named, is the oldest in America to have been settled (and continually inhabited by) Europeans, with roots stretching all the way back to 1565. If that isn't worth naming a vintage shop after, I don't know what is!

In this hand curated, charming fun etsy shop, one encounters a broad range of inviting items from various decades past. How broad a selection you may be asking? Well, at the time of writing, a very respectable 481, to be exact. In that wide mix one finds everything from delightful home decor pieces (many of which instantly gave me flashbacks, in the best kind of way, to my grandparents' house when I was growing up) to yesteryear craft supplies, classic jewelry (and watches) to oodles of vintage clothing, accessories (including sunglasses), and shoes.



{A quartet of fabulous old school offerings from St. Augustine Vintage featuring one of the holiday season's most beloved colours: red! From top left to bottom right: Coats & Clark's vintage 1950s bulky knits pattern book, Beaded vintage cherry coin purse, 1950s Decca record album with 15, 45 rmp records; Set of four vintage tiki napkins}



Spend a few minutes browsing St. Augustine's listings and you'll quickly find yourself feeling like you've popped into one of your favourite, well stocked, reasonably priced thrift stores (with the added convenience of being able to do so in your comfy flannel pajamas at 11pm on a chilly winter's eve, if your heart desires).

The very lovely Kara, a professional writer by trade with a passion for selling vintage as well, who runs St. Augustine Vintage is generously giving one Chronically Vintage reader the chance to win a $50.00 US store credit to her shop, which you are welcome use towards the cost of anything there that your heart desires.

♥ ♥ ♥

How to enter

There are seven possible ways for you to enter this giveaway, the more of them that you do, the greater your odds of winning will be.


1. Swing on by St. Augustine Vintage and let me know what your favourite item is from their current listings.


2. Add St. Augustine Vintage to your etsy favourites.


3. Like St. Augustine Vintage on Facebook.


4. Like Chronically Vintage on Facebook.


5. Post about this giveaway on Facebook.


6. Follow Chronically Vintage on Twitter.


7. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.


Please make sure to leave a separate comment specifying each of the ways in which you entered this giveaway, so as to increase your odds of winning.



Giveaway details

This giveaway will run from today's date until Friday December 13, 2013 at 11:59 PST, and is open to readers from around the world. The winning comment will be drawn using a random number generator, with the winner being contacted via email shortly thereafter.

The winner will receive one $50.00 US store credit, which the seller will provide them with, to be used towards the total cost of anything you'd like from St. Augustine Vintage. If your total (including shipping) exceeds $50.00, then the winner will pay the difference out of pocket. Please email me if you have any questions about this giveaway.

♥ ♥ ♥

Coupon code fabulousness!

Spot an item (or ten!) from St. Augustine's offerings that you can't live without? Want to get some great secondhand items to give to those on your holiday wishlist? In the mood to spoil yourself this week? Then you're in luck, because you can take 15% off of any order of $10 or more (before shipping), when you use the coupon code VINTAGE15 upon checkout between now and January 16, 2014.

Thank you very much, Kara, for patterning St. Augustine Vintage with Chronically Vintage for this awesome giveaway, and may thanks in advance to all those who enter. Best of luck, everyone!!!

Matching 1950s mom and daughter knit shrugs are perfect for Mother's Day!

✯ Day 127 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

You know something, my dears? Mother's Day snuck up me this year more stealthily than when my darling cat, Stella, waits silently in a dark to lunge out playfully at your ankles while you casually walk by.

It's uncharacteristic of me  really, given that this beautiful day to honour moms (and those who take on the invaluable role of a mother figure) occurs on the second Sunday of every May here in Canada.

I suppose I can chalk my near forgetfulness of this holiday (ok, to be fair I didn't forget about it entirely, it's just that for whatever unknown reason, I thought it was May 15th, not the 8th - silly me!) up to the plethora of weighty things that have been on my mind lately.

No matter why my head was off the calendar mark (perhaps it's still trapped in the rather daunting month that was April!), the important thing is that - just barely in time - I listened to the inner voice that was saying "you should double check when Mother's Day is" and did not let this immensely important day slide by unobserved - or unblogged.

In the spirit celebrating moms, mamas, mothers, mas, and mommies the world over tomorrow, I thought the splendidly lovely mother and daughter vintage knitting pattern below - which produces a darling pair of timelessly chic shrugs that are spot-on perfect for the still somewhat unpredictable weather of May - would be a terrific way to help get in the spirit of this maternally themed weekend.

{Click here for a larger version of this charmingly pretty vintage shrug pattern, which comes via clotho98 on Flickr.}

 

I'm not a knitter myself (nothing against it - heavens to Betsy, no - I've just never had the opportunity to learn...perhaps one day!), if I was, I'd be whipping up this wonderfully stylish 1954 shrug pattern for myself (and perhaps a petite version as well for any future daughters or nieces I happen to have) quicker than you could say "purl".

I love the fact that these great knit shrugs manage to look both comfortably warm and yet also lightweight at the same time. They feature a very flattering cut, roomy (but not baggy) sleeves, and two playful buttons to keep them drawn round the wearer.

Matching mom and daughter fashions were once relatively popular (and examples - such as this elegant pair of stripped dresses - abounded in vintage magazines and catalogs), though these days I'd say they're considerably less common.

If you ask me, there are few more heartwarmingly lovely sights though than a little girl and her mom sporting matching outfits (after all, what child doesn't adore dressing up like her mommy?), and it's high time matching parent and child ensembles made a come back.

If you're eager to see that happen, too, and are a knitter (or know someone who is that would be happy to make this wonderful 1950s pair of shrugs for you), why not bust out the knitting needles and set to work to create a marvellous duet of sweaters that would be sublime for Mother's Day - or any day of the year!