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How to Find Vintage Knitting Patterns

I love vintage knitting patterns. My grandmother began knitting over 80 years ago, and I’m lucky enough to have some of her original patterns.  She learned from her mother as a girl in Scotland,and knit hundreds of jumpers (or sweaters as we call them in North America,) socks, and mittens for family and friends over the years. One of my favourite stories takes place in the 1940s during the second world war. Grandma needed a new jumper, but couldn’t get enough wool of one colour to complete the project.  Instead, she used two different shades of wool, and knit a reversible top – one side was green and the other brown!

Many knitters today learned to knit  from a grandmother or other relative, and along with acquiring the skill to cast on and cast off, knit and purl, cable, and master the fine art of Fair Isle designs,  we hear stories of past knitting projects, unusual yarns or wools, and of course, special knitting patterns. Some of the most cherished baby shawls, christening gowns, matinee coats and children’s sweaters are created from vintage knitting patterns.  One of my most treasured knitting items is a 1940s vintage UK knitting patterns book with a small piece of one page torn out.  This was my grandmother’s pattern book, and much to her chagrin the missing piece held the pattern of a baby shawl knitted for my father over 65 years ago.  She lent the book to a friend, but tore out the baby shawl knitting pattern to keep for herself, and misplaced the pattern though her friend returned the book!

Where Can I Find Vintage Knitting Patterns?

If you are a knitting fanatic here are a few tips on where to get vintage knitting patterns.

  1. Older family and friends.  This is the best source for finding vintage patterns – though knitting is enjoying a resurgence of interestover the past twenty years,  serious knitters are still few and far between.  As the only knitter in the “younger” generation of my husband’s family, I have been the lucky recipient of old sewing, knitting and crochet patterns dating back to the early 1940s.
  2. Local auctions.  I attended my first farm auction over 25 years ago. The elderly farmer’s wife had passed away and her kids were auctioning off the household and farm contents. As I wandered between various boxes of tools, farm implements and kitchen items, I was astonished to find a box of  knitting patterns, many with notes and size adjustments penciled in – “George has long arms. Add 1 inch to sleeve length.” How cool is that?
  3. Second-hand stores and flea markets.  Salvation Army stores, Goodwill, Value Village -these can be a treasure trove of unexpected gems for hardcore knitting fanatics – not only vintage patterns, but odds and ends of yarn and needles can be picked up for a fraction of their retail cost.
  4. If you are are interested in finding a vintage knitting pattern for a project  and don’t mind not having the actual paper pattern, visit www.freevintageknitting.com for a wide range of free patterns and other useful information for knitters.
  5. EBay! As of February, 2012, a search for “vintage knitting magazines” on eBay yields a whopping 302 results.  What fun!

Vintage knitting patterns are a source of delight to knitters and history buffs alike. Over the years I have managed to acquire a small collection of these treasured patterns, and used several patterns to knit baby receiving blankets, bootees and sweaters in various sizes.  Hunting for vintage knitting patterns is a wonderful hobby, and a great way to learn about local and family history.

Do you have a special story about a treasured knitting pattern? We’d love to hear about it – please use the comment form below to share your knitting story.

Looking for great gifts for knitters? Here is a list of 15 unique presents for those who love to knit.

Welcome Home Wednesdays

Calendula Cream Recipe To Make at Home

Are you looking for an all-natural, thick and creamy body butter? Make Calendula cream or body butter at home – it is easy and affordable.

Commonly known as Pot Marigold, Calendula Officinalis comes in as many as twenty varieties of shrubs, perennials, and annuals. A native flower of Egypt and the Mediterranean parts of Europe, it arrived in North America with the pioneers and is now a common ornamental flower in gardens and flower pots across this continent.

Calendula Body Butter Recipe

Calendula cream is a topical skin cream whose main ingredient is the flower of the genus Calendula (species Calendula officinalis ). As more and more people choose to use natural and herbal remedies over chemical and synthetic skin care products, lotions, ointments, and creams, Calendula cream is a popular option as a skin therapy cream.

This dry skin cream is effective at combating excema due to the anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties of the Calendula flowers. It is becoming increasingly popular with mothers of newborns dealing with babies and dry skin, and now baby calendula cream and baby calendula ointment is often available at drug stores and pharmacies.

Due to its healing properties, calendula cream is also gaining notice as an alternative to aloe vera gel. Note: Calendula is a daisy-like flower, and is NOT of the same family as the native American Marigold. Calendula should NOT be ingested if you are pregnant.

Calendula Officinalis Through the Ages

The name Calendula comes from the Latin word kalendae, meaning first day of the month. The flowers were so named as they often appear to bloom at the beginning of the month in the Roman calendar. Used as far back as the time of the Saxons, they referred to Calendula as ymbglidegold, meaning “turns with the sun”, also referring to the regular blooming. The common name of Pot Marigold is thought to be derived from this Saxon word, but is also explained as a reference to the Virgin Mary, as the early follower’s of Christ referred to it as Mary’s Gold. References to Calendula appear in Roman, Egyptian, and Greek ancient works. Pot marigold petals were used by doctors during the American Civil War and World War I as a topical applicant to help slow the bleeding of the wounded. Introduced to India by the Portuguese, the orange and yellow petals of Calendula decorate Hindu shrines and holy temples and are a common ornament at Hindu weddings.

Uses of Calendula Cream and Calendula Oil

Calendula can be used for the following:

  • diaper rash
  • dry skin
  • chapped lips
  • eczemacalendula cream
  • burns
  • sunburn
  • scars
  • scrapes
  • chafed skin
  • scalds
  • athlete’s foot
  • stretch marks
  • face cream
  • bee stings
  • rashes
  • chicken pox
  • acne
  • pimples and boils
  • sore nipples from breast-feeding
  • minor abrasions
  • skin dermatitis

Recipe for Calendula Cream or Calendula Body Butter

Calendula cream can be made at home using this simple recipe – only 3 ingredients!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 ounces (60 grams) of dried calendula flowers

18 ounces (500 grams) of organic vegetable shortening*

1 1/2 teaspoons of organic beeswax (available from your local health food store)

*Note: you can make Calendula Cream with clear or creamy petroleum jelly instead of the organic vegetable shortening if you wish. I have also heard of recipes that use a block of Crisco! The idea is to use something creamy as a base.

Combine dried flowers, beeswax, and shortening in a large, non-metallic bowl. Heat over boiling water for approximately 2 hours, but don’t allow the mixture to boil, just warm slowly and gently, and keep stirring to mix the flowers and beeswax in well – you don’t want any waxy lumps. Pour (while still warm) into clean, dark glass jars. Allow to cool, uncovered. Store in a cool location.

Recipe for Calendula Essential Oil

Calendula Oil can be used as for treating acne, eczema, diaper rash, and extremely dry skin. Here are two options for making Calendula Essential Oil at home:

Calendula Oil Recipe

9 ounces (250 grams) of dried Calendula Flowers OR 27 ounces (750 grams) of fresh Calendula Flowers

17 ounces (500 mls) of organic grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil

Heat these ingredients together in a double boiler or a bowl over boiling water for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly, then pour into dark glass jar.

How to Make Calendula Oil Using the Immersion Method

This is the preferred method as there is no heating involved! Using the same ingredients as above, fill a large glass jar (the big pickle jars are great) with flowers. Cover with oil, and add a few drops of your favourite essential oils if you like. Cover and place on a sunny window ledge for 2-3 weeks. Your oil will now be ready to use. If you prefer a more concentrated oil, replace the flowers with fresh ones and leave for another 2-3 weeks.

Growing Calendula in Your Home or Garden

Calendula or Pot Marigold is hardy, easy to grow, and useful to have in your home garden, or even in a container on your patio or front porch. Buy a package of seeds, plant them in the pot or ground, water them, and watch them grow. Calendula grows best in a sunny location,and can be planted outdoors from early spring onwards (note: I am in Canada and this works well here). The seeds are large, easy to see, and your seedlings will generally start to flower about one-and-a-half months after you plant them.

Organic Grapeseed Oil

 

Grapeseed oil comes from byproducts of winemaking, and is used today in cooking, baking, and healthy and beauty treatments. Once the grapes are crushed and juice extracted for wine, the fleshy fruit and seeds that are left is called pomace. Instead of being used for compost or simply thrown out, organic grape seed oil is produced.

Organic Grapeseed Oil Good For Cooking at High Temperatures

Lighter in flavor than olive oil, grapeseed oil is popular with cooks and chefs because of its very high smoking point of about 216 degrees Celsius, which makes it a good choice for deep frying and sauteing. As it has a mild, somewhat nutty flavor it also lends itself well as a base for herb salad dressing recipes.

Use this oil for cooking, baking, and in cosmetics  for hair and skin. Recently, grapeseed oil has been attracting increased interest for its health benefits.

Rich in Anti-oxidants

Rich in anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids, studies show health benefits of grapeseed oil include a reduced risk of heart disease as well as naturally rejuvenating aging skin. It can help slow the signs of aging by minimizing wrinkles and fine lines naturally. Containing oleic, linolec, palmitric and stearic acids, it is becoming more and more popular with women over forty who are looking for all natural anti-aging products.

Remember, when applying anything to your skin you want it to be easily absorbed rather than sitting on your face and possibly clogging your pores, causing pimples,and/or blemishes. And if something is going to be absorbed into your skin it should be all-natural and free of chemicals. Here are some of the cosmetics containing grapeseed oil, many of which can be made at home.

    • Massage oil
    • Bath oil
    • Sunscreen
    • Lip Balms
    • Body Lotion
    • Facial Lotion – locks in moisture
    • Acne treatment – it is mildly astringent and has anti-inflammatory properties
    • Eye Creams – helps slow the signs of aging skin

Organic Grapeseed Oil Moisturizer Recipe

Try this at home – be sure to store it in the fridge in a dark glass jar, and use it within the week.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon Cold Pressed Organic Grapeseed Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Organic Honey – preferably a medium to dark honey
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Mix all together, and apply as needed. Try lime juice if you prefer. If you use buckwheat honey, you may find the smell a little strong.

Storing Grapeseed Oil

Buy cold pressed grapeseed oil only, especially for cooking. As chemicals can be used to extract the grapeseeds from the pomace on the winepress, ensure you are buying cooking grade grapeseed oil as opposed to the oil that is sold for cosmetic purposes.

Store your organic oils in a dark, glass bottle in a cool dark place such as a cold cellar or a refrigerator.

Baking With Organic Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil is a healthy alternative to vegetable oils in baking.  As it has a very mild, nutty flavour, it’s great in cakes, muffins, and pies.

Grapeseed oil is now widely available in your local large-chain grocery stores, as well as specialty cooking stores and health food markets.  If you live in a rural area, you may prefer to buy your organic grapeseed oil online.  Beware of buying in bulk though; remember that cold pressed oils can turn rancid if not properly stored, and you may not be able to use all of yours prior to it going bad.

 

 

Charity Knitting Organizations

Knitting for charity is a wonderful way to give back to your local, national or international community.   All over the world, people are in need of warm clothing and blankets.   Charity knitting organizations exist in every country, often in association with churches, yarn and wool stores, and women’s groups.  Thousands of knitters knit squares for charity, delivering them to the requesting agency where they are arranged into blankets or afghans.   Others are busy knitting hats for charity,  to be worn by homeless adults or needy

Even the littlest knitters can knit a square for charity!

children.  Many hospitals request and accept tiny hand knits for preemies, the tiniest members of our communities who often can’t be clothed in healthy baby outfits – premature babies are just too small. Contributing knitted baby blankets, knitted toys and knit squares a wonderful way to use up one ball of leftover yarn.

While knitting for charity has been popular with the knitting community for years,  the method of finding a charity to knit for has changed.  Fifty or seventy-five years ago knitting ministries in church groups and ladies service groups were important sources of charity knitting items and often accepted yarn donations.  In today’s world, looking online for charity knitting organizations is the route many knitters take when they are looking to donate hand knitted items.

As non-profit organizations come and go due to lack of funding, lack of interest, or lack of volunteers, it can be difficult to find an up-to-date list of groups requiring charity knitters and yarn donations.  Here is a list of 6 Canadian charity knitting organizations and 5 American knitting organizations who are actively seeking donations and knitting as of February 2012.

 

Canadian Charity Knitting Organizations

  1. Blankets For Canada Society – Established in Lethbridge, Alberta, this organization makes blankets (knitted, crocheted, and quilted) for distribution across Canada. Please see the site for the dimensions required. This is the link to their website, but the Yahoo Group is where most of the updates appear.  There are chapters across the country.
  2. Project Linus Canada  Project Linus is an American-based International charity knitting organization with over 400 active chapters.  Established in 1995, they have donated over 300,000 blankets to children in hospitals.
  3. GTA Warming Families  There are chapters of Warming Families in Canada and the United States, and this Canadian charity knitting organization is unique in that it began as an online initiative over 11 years ago. The GTA chapter distributes knitted items to shelters and groups in the Greater Toronto Area.  Please see the About page of their site for a month-by-month schedule of knitting items needed.
  4. Casting Off The Cold Online  -based in Markham, Ontario, but has a thriving online community that knits for charity.
  5. First Steps Canada  A Canadian charity accepting hand-knitted hats, mittens, scarves and toques for children in North Korea.
  6. The Warm Hands Network This organization accepts donations of knitted items for distribution to various communities in need.  Donations are photographed and put on their website (if desired) with the knitter getting credit.  There are many drop-off locations for knitted contributions in Toronto and Ottawa; knitters in other parts of Canada please see the Contact Us page for info on mailing your contributions in.

 

American Charity Knitting Organizations

  1. Project Linus  Named for the Peanuts character Linus who always carried a blanket, Project Linus collects and distributes  blankets of all sizes to children in hospitals.
  2. Bob’s Blankie Brigade   2012 Challenge is to provide 500 blankets and quilts and 500 chemo and preemie caps
  3. The Humble Stitch 2012 Goal is to provide 750 knitted items to the homeless – accepting handknit and crocheted hats, mitts and scarves.
  4. Relief Share Based in Idaho, Relief Share specializes in providing handknitted preemie and tiny baby layettes and clothing.  Visit their site for details on contributing baby cocoons and other much needed knitted items as well as yarn, fabric, and sewing and knitting supplies.
  5. Ravelry Charity Knitting  Links Page – For registered members of Ravelry. (Note: it is free to join Ravelry and I strongly recommend it for all knitters!)  This is a wonderful page with information on local, national and international charity knitting organizations.

If you know of any groups or projects that Canadian and American charity knitters can contribute too, please add them to the Comments section below. Knitting for a charity organization is a wonderful way to serve in your local, national and global community.

Happy Knitting!