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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

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!

30 Knitting Projects for 1 Ball of Yarn

I have been knitting and crocheting for over 30 years, and in that time I have accumulated hundreds of single balls of yarn.  At first they were leftovers from larger knitting projects; the afghans and sweaters I knitted seemed always seemed to use less wool or yarn than the instructions called for.  I just can’t bring myself to throw out leftover yarn or wool, and am always looking for ways to repurpose yarn into unique crafts and projects.  As my collection of single skeins and balls of yarn grew, I began to look for creative ways to use up my wool ends and leftover yarn bits.  Here is a list of 30 ways to use up your leftover yarn for knitting projects.  Check back often as I will be adding links to patterns for these projects, and adding to the list as well!

  1. Knit a hat for an adult woman or man.
  2. Knit scarf, hat and mitt set for a toddler.
  3. A knit cowl or neckwarmer for an adult.
  4. Knit five hairbands.
  5. Knit three headbands to keep ears warm.
  6. Knit a glasses case.
  7. Knit a case for snowboard goggles.
  8. Knit a pair of mittens for a child or teenager.
  9. A pair of knitted fingerless mitts – perfect for texting!
  10. Make twenty pompoms to use on the top of knitted hats or the ends of hat strings.
  11. A Knitted purse with strap.
  12. Knit a Kindle Book Cover.
  13. Knit a Bible Cover.
  14. Knit a pair of wristlets to keep arms and wrists warm in the winter – perfect for kids.
  15. Knit a pair of socks.
  16. Knitted slippers with pompoms – one skein of yarn can make a pair for an adult.
  17. Knitted baby sweater.
  18. Knitted baby vest.
  19. Knitted baby hat and booties set.
  20. Knit three dishcloths – cotton yarn works best for this.
  21. Knit two placemats.
  22. Knitted soft bear -and stuff it with clean used pantyhose or nylons.
  23. Knitted soft doll.
  24. Knitted soft monkey.
  25. Knitted one-of-a-kind throw cushion cover.
  26. Knit a twelve inch square to use as part of a patchwork afghan.
  27. Knit a soft cushion cover for a rocking chair.
  28. Knit a sweater for a small dog.
  29. Knit doll clothes – one ball of yarn can make several sweaters for Barbie.
  30. Knit a skirt for a toddler.

 

What do you do with your leftover yarn? Drop us a line and let us know!