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july 16, 2009
vintage baby knits Welcome to the latest stop on the Vintage Baby Knits
I am pleased to present to you Kristen Rengren's beautiful book chock full of classy baby knits with the signature look and stylish details of knits from the first half of the twentieth century.
Rather than construct new patterns with a vintage feel, Kristen has collected and studied hundreds of genuine vintage patterns, selected 40 of these and updated them for knitting in modern yarns with modern techniques. If you've ever examined a vintage knitting pattern, you know that it's not as easy as simply taking said pattern to your lys, picking out yarn and needles and starting to knit. Needle sizes were different, yarn types had all sorts of strange designations and most patterns included no schematics whatsoever. Kristen has done all the hard work for us, translating a bevy of delightful patterns for modern knitters. There are dozens of darling sweaters and cardigans, several constructed in one piece (like the blue cardigan above) or from the top down (like the sweater on the cover). And all of them, including those with more traditional or complicated construction, have excellent and thorough diagrams.
This adorable shrug - the first pattern in the book and a stunning example of the quality of all of these patterns - has such a unique construction, I was overcome with the desire to make it just after looking at the schematics! (Seriously, I really want to make one of these! Since my little one is too big for these patterns - most go to 12 or 24 months - I guess I'll have to make one to give away. If you'd like me to knit one for a little baby girl in your life, leave a comment and let me know. I'll pick one name and make the Pearl Shrug just for you! UPDATE: The contest is closed and a winner has already been chosen.) The smaller and simpler patterns are just as compelling, including soakers, blankets, hats and three perfectly vintage stuffed animals.
Kristen has masterfully given these old patterns new life, making them appealing to a modern audience by presenting them in contemporary yarns (the Pixie Hat above, for example, was knit in Blue Moon Fiber Arts' Socks that Rock!) and in contemporary knitting parlance, but always keeping the true vintage style. She has resisted the urge to change the gauge or details too much. The patterns are still knit a fine gauge with traditional motifs and pattern stitches and therefore, still convey all the delicacy, elegance and charm of vintage style.
Wanna win a free copy of Vintage Baby Knits?! Click here for info on how to enter the contest being run by STC Craft. You can also peek at a gallery of many more of these gorgeous projects and even download a free pattern from the book! And be sure to check out the whole blog tour for some funny interviews, insider info on knitting for the book and much more still to come! (Next stop: Handmade News tomorrow!) You can also visit Kristen's blog for a whole series of articles on knitting vintage. (A question to the brilliant folks at STC Craft who followed up Melanie Falick's lovely Weekend Knitting UPDATE: Congratulations to Robin, who left the lucky 14th comment and is the winner of a handknit Pearl Shrug. If you see this, Robin, send me an email and we'll talk yarns! Thanks to everyone who played along! posted by alison at 10:00 am | in
blogging about reading about knitting
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vintage baby knits
Comments
I love that little shrug! I find out the genders of my twins on Monday.... I'm hoping for at least one girl in thee. I need to get this book anyway - I love so many of the patterns! Throw me in the pot for the kitting of the shrug - I'll let you know on Monday what I've got cookin'! I need as much help as I can get on the handknitting - my son is going to be turning one year old the week AFTER the twins are due. Posted by: Cece at July 16, 2009 10:46 AMHello Allison, I love that shrug too, and since I never get past socks, my lovely little niece is just never going to see one. So if the offer holds, count me in. Thanks, Dawn Posted by: Dawn in NL at July 16, 2009 10:48 AMPlease add me to the drawing for the handknit shrug. My little one would look SO cute in it! Posted by: Minneapolismama at July 16, 2009 11:22 AMOh, my sweet little Pigeon would look so cute in that shrug! She'd be in the 24 month size. :) Posted by: Emily at July 16, 2009 11:34 AMSuch a cute little top. Of course, all of the babies I know are either too big for it or are boys. Posted by: Seanna Lea at July 16, 2009 11:49 AMI'm about to be a gramma and I know my grandbaby would love a shrug to grow in to! :D Neat book - I'll have to check it out when our library gets it. Posted by: Jenny at July 16, 2009 11:53 AMOh! That shrug is adorable!!! I would love to get one for my dear friend and her one month old baby DARLING! She is a knitter too (taught by me) but with 2 other boys not like she has time to knit that much these days!!!! THANKS! P.S. I think I might have to buy that book anyway! Posted by: Lauren at July 16, 2009 12:01 PMToo cute! I would love that for my baby girl that's due in October. :) Posted by: Michelle at July 16, 2009 12:08 PMI just finished a soaker pattern from this book. There are so many cute things there. I'd love to be in the drawing. My two oldest are boys (almost 12 and 8). and youngest a girl whose 2 months old. Posted by: Isabella at July 16, 2009 12:31 PMOh, that shrug is so cute - count me in for my Rosie! Posted by: Heather M. at July 16, 2009 12:33 PMThe more I look at that shrug, the more I love it. I think it would be lovely in a deep purple. I'd better get on the ball, baby Ruby is due anytime now! Posted by: Mandy at July 16, 2009 12:38 PMGreat items! I have probably about a dozen books that were my grandmother's of baby patterns. They range from the 1930s to the 1960s and I love to knit from them.
Love that hat! I may have to buy that book (even though I vowed not to buy any more books of baby patterns since the odds of there being any more babies in my lineage are close to 0 & Baby M will be 3 in Nov.) The author is married to a good high school friend of my older daughter's. I like to support Chicago area authors anyway (fortunately they include Sara Paretsky & Barbara D'Amato - 2 fine mystery writers.) And there's another great niece on the way. Posted by: Donna at July 16, 2009 12:54 PMAfter two wonderful and crazy boys, I'm excited to be knitting and sewing for a girl, due in Sept! I would love to be entered in the contest. I have been focusing mostly on a handsewn quilt lately and I'm way behind on my knitting. I really enjoy your blog. It's the main reason I've started sewing again and you have introduced me to lots of pattern and fabric resources that are costing me way too much money and time. But I'm having fun, so thank you! Posted by: Robin at July 16, 2009 12:58 PMYou can make one for my little Nova, born June 28th! Keeping track of my toddler has kept me busy enough, I haven't had a chance to knit for the baby girl yet. Hopefully soon, and I will definitely be getting a copy of this fantastic book! Posted by: Laura at July 16, 2009 1:12 PMSo cute! Too bad my babies are nearly 5 and up. One of my friends needs to have a baby! Posted by: Carmen at July 16, 2009 2:04 PMOh How Sweet! I love the stripey one as well as the shrug. My little grandbaby lilli would love to have one, especially when knit by a famous knitter! It's very kind of you to offer such a wonderful gift. The baby that wins is in for a real treat : ] Posted by: lisap at July 16, 2009 2:17 PMOooh, I heard the author interviewed on a podcast and was intrigued. Thanks for this fun post. Posted by: Leslie at July 16, 2009 2:37 PMI need to get that book! And a whole lot more time. Anyways, I just had a little girl who of course would look adorable in that sweater. Being a knitter myself, I never receive any knitted gifts and would love it. So count me in! Posted by: Melissa at July 16, 2009 2:54 PMI would love to have a sweater made by you for my little peanut! Posted by: paula at July 16, 2009 3:42 PMI would love to have a sweater made by you for my little peanut! Posted by: paula at July 16, 2009 3:42 PMOoh, that shrug is just so cute! My little one is just the right size (18 m) for it. I'm headed over to print out the free pattern -- that too cute hat! Posted by: kelli at July 16, 2009 5:31 PMLove the shrug and my little girl will be one next month. Perfect timing, perhaps! If not, I'll have to knit it myself. Thanks for the giveaway! Posted by: Kathleen at July 16, 2009 5:52 PMThe first of my high school friends to have a baby is going to have a girl in October - that looks like just the thing J would put her daughter in. :) Posted by: Rycrafty at July 16, 2009 10:58 PMI'm due in November with my first, a little girl. I think the shrug would be precious over her little outfits come springtime. Count me in too! Posted by: Shannon at July 17, 2009 3:33 AMOh, please make my baby that adorable shrug! She's 18 months old and would look so cute in it! :) :) :) Posted by: Rina at July 17, 2009 9:25 AMI'm going to break the rule that says, "If you can't say something good, don't say anything" and admit that I can't warm up to the patterns in this book. I know that many, many knit bloggers (kloggers? knoggers?) are reviewing it enthusiastically. But even so.... Maybe it's a generational thing. I mean, since I'm already "vintage" myself, these patterns remind me of the stuff my grandmother knit and I had to wear to be polite. She must have used some of those original patterns. Eg., the little hat; the edge isn't snug and lets in the cold although it looked pretty cute in the photo of me on my first tricycle in the 40's! The only pattern I've seen that I like at all is the argyle sweater, and that's because it's Molly's, the American Girl, sweater, and she's supposed to be from the 40's. The actual babies in the book are, admittedly, very cute. Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport at July 17, 2009 12:57 PMHi Alison! I live up in northern VT on a Christmas tree farm...I have two boys, ages 8 and 10 so everything in my life to this point has been blue, red, brown, black....you can relate, I'm sure. However, my sister had a baby girl (first and last in the family!) this past April and I've begun to envision things pink, purple, and pastel:) I would love to be in the running for a shrug just for her, Brynn, and her mother is an appreciative receiver of things knitted...her sister being an obsessive knitter and all! Posted by: Sharon at July 17, 2009 5:15 PMIt's actually hard to find cute patterns that use a fine gauge--and I so much prefer it for babies! Posted by: Karen at July 17, 2009 8:51 PMI am NINE DAYS overdue with a little girl (who is apparently taking after her father...always late!). That shrug is adorable. I'm sure my tardy baby would love it! Posted by: pegerella at July 18, 2009 8:15 AMOh please enter me....I would love to win this for my friend who is going to have a little girl. And I'll tell you this... I will end up buying the book too because I have another friend that I need to make it for. I am VERY eager to make several of the patterns from this book. Lots of babies on the way in my neck of the woods. :) Posted by: Toni at July 18, 2009 4:50 PMMy darling wee one would look so adorable in this shrug. She would wear the 12m size. :) Posted by: Jill at July 19, 2009 9:59 AMI have been longing for this book! I love every single pattern. This is so generous of you to offer! Please enter me to win the shrug -- Phoebe would look beautiful in it! She's 12 months next week, so I suppose an 18 month size would work best. Posted by: Astoria at July 19, 2009 9:25 PMNot trying to double enter or anything, but I saw this book at Barnes and Nobles this past weekend, and it is full of the cutest clothes ever! I never would have looked at it if I hadn't seen it here first. Thanks for calling my attention to it Posted by: Lisap at July 20, 2009 2:12 PMI love these sweet things. Ooh! If I win, maybe we can try one more time for a girl?? I also have a friend who will be having a girl in few weeks. Thanks so much for this. Posted by: K at July 21, 2009 2:02 PMOkey doke, time to pick a winner of a handknit Pearl Shrug..... stay tuned! Posted by: ALISON at July 21, 2009 2:34 PMRobin, who left the lucky 14th comment, is the winner (chosen by random number generator)! Congratulations, Robin! And best wishes to all you mamas and grandmamas and aunts and friends of precious babies out there! :) Posted by: ALISON at July 21, 2009 2:48 PMThe hat and toys are fab. Posted by: Orli at July 26, 2009 8:13 AMThank you so much Alison, I'm really excited! Posted by: Robin at July 27, 2009 9:06 AMThese are just too cute!! There are so many wonderful things that you can make for a baby. I am glad my sister in law is expecting so I can do a few. Posted by: addi knitting at July 29, 2009 2:36 PM |
whistlestop blog tour! (with two giveaways, so keep reading...)
with Heather Ross' fabulous 
: can we hope for a Vintage Baby Sewing book sometime in the future? Pretty please?)