More French knitting larks

Always after more ideas about what to do with French knitting - a bag, and a stick for Lucius Malfoy have been two recent discoveries. I like this project from Blue Jeans, May 1981, which is "a super-easy way to brighten up an old, fluffy jumper" - make a length of French knitting using random coloured wool and then stitch loosely into place for a custom jumper. They've also used a length of French knitting braid as a hair band for the model.

Custom gloves

Now taking orders for custom-made knitted gloves and wrist-warmers - all sizes, your choice of colours. Go on, wrap your hands in merino wool, cashmere and silk this winter. Lovely gloves in my Etsy shop!

Leaf silhouettes

Use real leaves to create dramatic silhouettes for notebook covers, storage tins etc. Press leaves on to sticky-backed plastic (the sort you use to cover books). Spray paint on the sticky side of the plastic, leave to dry then remove the leaves. You can use wrapping paper or old wallpaper as a backing - simply glue the sticky-backed plastic onto this backing. Dramatic effects ahoy!

From The Family Circle Book of Crafts, 1980.

Slytherin House Knitting Club

You've probably noticed that nestled among all the vintage knitting larks that I post on my blog, there's been a fair amount of Harry Potter-related knitting nonsense. Well, I've decided to move all of the Harry Potter postings to a magical blog of their own, the Slytherin House Knitting Club. This is where you can keep up with all of my Harry Potter hand-knitted dolls and maybe pick up a few knitting lessons from Severus Snape if he's in the mood.

Just finished this Lucius Malfoy doll, hope you like him, and hope you bookmark both Knit For Victory and the Slytherin House Knitting Club!

Recycled plastic bag envelope

This masterpiece of engineering is a mailing envelope which transforms into a tote bag - instructions on how to make it are here on the Etsy blog.

You can make it out of plastic fabric, or why not try making your own fabric out of plastic bags for a complete recycled craft experience. Making plastic bag fabric is easy, the final result is strong and really useful for bags, baby bibs, purses. I made a wonderful bag this way, about 5 years ago and as soon as I find it, I'll post a picture: it's gone into that cupboard upstairs that leads to Narnia...

Kids in the pub

I initially thought that these two schoolkids were standing behind the bar in a pub, showing off their 4 ply acrylic round-necked school pullovers. But no, at second glance they appear to be in the middle of some sort of chemistry lesson.

I suppose the irony is that they are actually trying to alchemically create the secret recipe for WKD Blue Alcopops, which they are then going to bottle and flog behind the bike sheds at break time. It's all terribly Grange Hill.

More cushions

More cushions from the Family Circle Book of Crafts - patchwork ones, this time. If you've never patchworked before, a cushion is a good place to start. The cushion on the bottom row, second from the left, is made out of four simple striped squares - make a plain backing for your cushion and you'll be done in no time. Or you'll be done in about three years, if your sewing is anything like mine.

Family Circle cushions

Here's an inspiring spread of cushion ideas from the Family Circle Book of Crafts (1980). I particularly like the fruity cushions, made from zingy canvas fabric with applique shapes. Imagine a whole row of orange slices on a brown 1970s sofa...

The busy paisley-style cushions could be made from up-cycled chair cover fabric or other vintage fabric finds. Not too convinced by that tie-dye beanbag though; it looks like someone's had an accident with a mocha coffee or three.

Is knitting good for you?

Is knitting good for you? Probably, but it's not good for your teeth if you chew your Aero needle like that. Maybe she's trying to give up smoking.

From Weldons Double Knitting for the Family, early 1950s:

"Is knitting good for you? Why do you knit? You want a new jersey? It's economical? Yes, but most of us knitters like knitting, too. The easy, regular movement is soothing and restful - provided we have the right materials. That's why so many prize-winners use Aero - the smooth grey needles, with long rounded points that won't split or soil even the lightest wool. Try Aero knitting needles yourself, and see what smooth professional results you get."

1960s knitted hat

Here's two chic knitted hats from the 1960s. The hat that the girl is wearing would make a great first project if you've never knitted in the round on four needles before. Knitting with four needles is the best way to make socks and gloves because you don't end up with an uncomfortable seam, but it can take some getting used to, especially if you only have two hands.

This hat is a good way to ease yourself into a four-needles state of mind as it is mostly built up on 2 needles before finishing off with just 10 rounds of four-needle excitement to shape the top.

Those were the days when a woolly hat was considered adequate head protection...

Friendly ghost

Love this little crochet amigurumi ghost from Lion Brand - the pattern is free if you sign up to their website.

1970s flower crochet hat

Here's the pattern for a hat to match this 1970s crochet scarf. It's so simple and pretty. You could even make the flower motif and attach it to an existing hat in your collection or use it to jazz up a shop-bought woolly hat.

You will need: 4 ply yarn for hat and contrast yarn for flower. 3mm and 3.5mm crochet hooks.

Tension: 6 tr = 1 inch in width measured over pattern on 3.5mm hook.

Hat: Using 3.5mm hook and main colour yarn, make 4 ch and join into a ring with a sl st.

1st round: Work 8 dc into ring, sl st to top of first dc to join. Do not turn.
2nd round: 2 ch ( = 1 tr), work 1 tr into first st, work 2 tr into each dc to end, sl st to 2nd of 2 ch.
3rd round: *Work 1 dc into first st, 2 dc into next st; work from * to end, sl st to 2nd of 2 ch.
4th round: 2 ch, work 1 tr into 1st st, *1 tr into each of next 2 dc, 2 tr into next dc; rep from * to last 2 dc, 1 tr into each of last 2 dc, sl st to 2nd of 2 ch. 32 tr.
5th round: Work 1 dc into each of next 2 tr, *work 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each of next 3 sts; rep from * to last 2 sts, 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into last st, sl st to top of first dc. 40 dc.
6th round: 2 ch, work 1 tr into first st, *1 tr into each of the next 4 sts, 2 tr into next st; rep from * to last 4 sts, 1 tr into each st to end. 48 tr.
7th round: Work 1 dc into each of next 2 tr, *work 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each of next 5 sts; rep from * to last 4 sts, 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each st to end. 56 dc.
8th round: 2 ch, work 1 tr into each of next 4 sts, *2 tr into next st, 1 tr into each of next 6 sts; rep from * to last 2 sts, 2 tr into next st, 1 tr into last st. 64 tr.
9th round: Work 1 dc into first st, *2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each of next sts; rep from * to last 7 sts, 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each st to end. 72 dc.
10th round: 2 ch, work 1 tr into each of next 5 sts, *2 tr into next st, 1 tr into each of next 8 sts; rep from * to lat 3 sts, 2 tr into next st, 1 tr into each of last 2 sts. 80 tr.
11th round: Work 1 dc into each of next 4 sts, *2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each of next 9 sts; rep from * to last 6 sts, 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each st to end. 88 dc.
12th round: 2 ch, work 1 tr into first st, *1 tr into each of next 10 sts, 2 tr into next st; rep from * to last 10 sts, 1 tr into each st to end. 96 tr.
13th round: Work 1 dc into each of next 3 sts. *2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each of next 11 sts; rep from * to last 9 sts, 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each st to end. 104 dc.
14th round: 2 ch, work 1 tr into each of next 2 sts, *2 tr into next st, 1 tr into each of next 12 sts; rep from * to last 10 sts, 2 tr into next st, 1 tr into each st to end. 112 tr.

Work straight in alternate rounds of dc and tr until hat measures 6 inches from last increase ending with a round of dc. Fasten off.

Make a flower centre and 6 petals as detailed in the pattern for the floral scarf.

To finish: Sew centre of flower to centre top of hat. Sew on 6 petals evenly spaced around centre of flower.

Paper doily wedding dress

A paper doily wedding dress from Reveille, 1963. The dress is made from three hundred paper doilies - "It took its pretty wearer, Patricia Ann, forty hours to make it from two pounds' worth of doilies. The cost of a similar dress in lace would have been about forty pounds."

You can get a better idea of how the dress was built up in frothy paper layers from the photo below.


Reveille warns - "Prospective brides: if you are planning to wear a paper gown, do PLEASE pick a fine day for the wedding, otherwise your wonder creation may become a damp embarrassment."

Egg cosies

There aren't enough egg cosies in this world. I'm sure that the decline of the egg cosy is linked in a parallel manner to the decline of people saying "thank you" when you hold a door open for them and giving up their seat on buses without being asked. Let's make more egg cosies and maybe all the politeness will come back into the world as well. It's worth a try.

To knit an egg cosy you will need oddments of DK yarn and two No 8 knitting needles.

Cast on 29 sts.

1st and 2nd rows: K to end.
3rd row: * P1, K3; repeat from * 6 times more; P1.
4th row: P to end.
5th row: same as 3rd row.
6th row: K to end.
7th to 22nd row: Repeat from the beginning of the 3rd row to the end of the 6th row 4 times.

Break off the wool. Thread the end through the 29 sts on the needle and fasten off securely.

The loop: cast on 14 sts. Do not knit any rows but cast the sts off straight away.

To make up: Using a flat seam, join the side seam. Stitch the loop into place at the top of the cosy.

From P and B Wool's Second Stage Simple Knitting from the late 1950s.

Sally Muir on the joy of knitting

Loved this quote from knitwear designer Sally Muir in the latest National Trust magazine:

"Wool is a perfect material, it's organic, renewable, and it embodies those planet-saving good things that we care about. It is the complete antithesis of artificial fleece, which is made from petrochemicals. I very much hope that when our oil supplies dry up, so will the supplies of that work of the devil, the zip-up fleece.

Once great advantage of an evening spent knitting is that you can't easily smoke, play video games, buy things from Amazon or inject drugs at the same time. You can, however, indulge in some bad television, salving your conscience with the thought that you are doing something constructive at the same time."

Taken from the book Simple Pleasures, published by Random House.

1980s new wave doll's clothes

Ooh, last time I looked in the teen department at H&M, these 1980s New Wave disco clothes were bang back in fashion. Stripey jumpers and tube dresses everywhere!

If you'd like to knit some 1980s clothes for your Barbie, here's a treasure trove of disco trash for you to whip up. Doll's clothes are brilliant fun to knit as they take no time at all and can be made out of odds and ends of yarn that need to be used up. The tube dress is a great first project for a young knitter - it's just a small square of garter stitch, no increasing or decreasing.

Tube dress: You'll need DK yarn and No 9 needles.
Tension: 22 sts = 10cm in width measured over garter stitch.
Cast on 20 sts and work 11 cm in garter st (every row knit). Cast off loosely.
To finish: join back seam.

Leggings: You'll need 4 ply yarn and No 11 and No 13 needles.
Tension: 30 sts and 38 rows - 10cm square measured over st st using 3mm needles.
Legs: make 2. Using No 11 needles cast on 13 sts and work 10 rows in st st, starting with a K row. Inc 1 st at each end of next and every following 10th row until there are 21 sts. Work straight until leg measures 12 cms ending with a P row.
Shape crotch: Cast off 2 sts at beg of next 2 rows. Dec 1 st at each end of next row. 15 sts remain. Work straight until piece measures 3cm from start of srotch shaping ending with a P row. Change to No 13 needles.
Next row: K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end.
Next row: P1, *K1, P1; rep from * to end.
Rep last to 2 rows once more. Cast off loosely in rib.
To finish, join inside leg and crotch seams.

Top: You'll need 4 ply yarn and No 11 and No 13 needles, velcro or press studs, yarn for embroidering decoration.
Tension: 30 sts and 38 rows - 10cm square measured over st st using 3mm needles.
Front: Using No 13 needles cast on 22 sts and knit 1 row. Change to No 11 needles and work in st st starting with a K row, until work measures 7cm, ending with a P row.
Shape sleeves: Cast on 8 sts at beg of next 2 rows. 38 sts.
* Next row: K
Next row: K2, P to last 2 sts, K2.
Rep the last 2 rows until work measures 10 cms from beg. Cast off.

Left back: Using No 13 needles cast on 12 sts and knit 1 row. Change to No 11 needles.
Next row: K.
Next row: P to last 2 sts, K2.
Rep the last 2 rows until work measures 7cm ending with a K row.
Shape sleeve: cast on 8 sts at beg on next row. 20 sts. Complete as given for front from * to end.

Right back: Using No 13 needles cast on 12 sts and knit 1 row. Change to No 11 needles.
Next row: K
Next row: K2, P to end.
Rep the last 2 rows until work measures 7cm ending with a wrong side row.
Shape sleeve: cast on 8 sts at beg on next row. 20 sts.
Next row: K2, P to last 2 sts, K2. Complete as given for front from * to end.

To finish: Join top sleeve and shoulder sleeves, leaving 3 cms open at centre. Join underarm and side seams. Sew press studs or velcro to back opening. Embroider in French knots, steam stitch and running stitch as illustrated.

Stripey jumper: You'll need DK yarn oddments in 2 colours (A and B), No 9 and No 11 needles and 2 press studs.
Tension: 24 sts and 32 rows = 10 cm square measured over st st using No 9 needles.
Back and front alike: (note: carry colour not in use loosely up side of work). Using No 11 needles and A cast on 17 sts.
1st row: (right side) K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end.
2nd row: P1, *K1, P1; rep from * to end.
Rep the last 2 rows 5 times more. Change to No 9 needles and working in st st, starting with a K row, work 2 rows in B and 4 rows in A. Rep the last 6 rows 3 times more. Using B knit 1 row. Using B cast off loosely knitwise.

Sleeves: using No 11 needles and A cast on 11 sts.
1st row: K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end.
2nd row: P1, (K into front and back of next st, P1) 4 times, K1, P1. 15 sts.
Change to No 9 needles and working in st st, starting with a K row, work 2 rows in B, 4 rows in A, 2 rows in B, 4 rows in A and 2 rows in B. Cast off loosely.

To finish: catch shoulder seams together at side edge. Sew cast off edge of sleeve to side edge of body placing centre at shoulder seam. Join side and sleeve seams. Sew a press stud to inside of neck edge 3cms froom each armhole.

Sew a 1960s hat

From Reveille newspaper, 1964:

"This is the hat of the year. We saw it in the South of France, the Italian Riviera. In Spain and Portugal, too.

Bikini girls were wearing them in cotton as sun hats or bathing caps. Now girls are wearing them in velvet, or taffeta for parties... This is a wonderful little hat. It suits every face. Already girls who dislike wearing hats are changing their minds. You can see them around. You will be seeing plenty more. So practical if your hair looks untidy. Tuck it under the hat. It hides all those straggly ends."

Would you like to make this quintessentially 1960s hat? You'll need half a yard of 36 inch wide velvet, or material of your choice; half a yard of 36 inche wide net; 5 inches of elastic; five-eighths of a yard of beaded trimming.

Make a paper pattern from the diagram below. Each side of a square = 2 inches. Allow for turnings. Line D - E on diagram marks the grain of material.


On single material and net cut out shape A. Also cut and join a strip to measure 34 inches long and 3 inches side when complete - this will be the hat band.

1. Place net on wrong side of velvet. Make 9 pleats at outer edge, as marked with arrows on diagram.

2. Make a casing at back, between X - Y marked on diagram. Thread through elastic as marked on diagram. Make up headband in double thickness and stitch to pleated edges of hat, leaving 6 inches ends to tie at back.

3. Top trim head band with beaded trimming as pictured. To wear hat simply knot tie ends at back.

1970s crochet flower motif scarf

Here's an autumn crochet project from Woolworths Magazine from the early 1970s. It's a simple fringed crochet scarf which is given a little zip with a super-cute crocheted vintage flower motif. The flower is worked separately, so you could always just make the flower and add it to a scarf, hat or bag of your choice.

To go back to the 1970s, you will need 4 ply wool in main and contrast colours. 3mm and 3.5mm crochet hooks.

Tension: 6 tr = 1 inch in width measured over pattern on 3.5mm hook.

4 ply wool is harder to find these days, so try substituting DK yarn and use a smaller hook.

Using 3.5mm hook and main colour make 51 loose ch.

1st row: Work 1 dc into 2nd ch from hook, 1 dc into each ch to end. 50 dc.
2nd row: 2 ch, work 1 tr into each dc to end.
3rd row: Work 1 dc into each tr to end, working last dc into top of 2 ch at beg of previous row.

Repeat the last 2 rows until scarf measures 80 inches from beginning (or indeed, the length you want - let's go crazy here). Fasten off.

Fringing and edging: Using a 3.5mm hook and main colour, work 1 dc into each dc row and 2 dc into each tr row, work along both long edges of scarf. Using main, cut strands of yarn approx 18 inches in length, fold in half and draw bundle of 3 strands through 1st st at one end of scarf. Draw ends through loop and tighten, forming one tassel. Repeat through every alt st of shorter ends of scarf.

Flower motif: centre of flower: using 3mm hook and main, make 4 ch and join into a ring with a sl st.

1st round: Work 8 dc into ring, sl st to top of 1st dc to join. Do not turn.
2nd round: Work 2 dc into each dc to end, sl st to join.
3rd round: *Work 1 dc into 1st st, 2 dc into next st; rep from * to end, sl st to top of first dc.
4th round: Work 2 dc into first st, *1 dc into each of next 2 dc, 2 dc into next dc; re from * to last 2 dc, 1 dc into each of last 2 dc, sl st to join. 32 dc.
5th round: Work 1 dc into each of next 2 dc, *work 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each of next 3 sts; rep from * to last 4 sts, 1 dc into each st to end, sl st to join. 40 dc.
6th round: Using contrast yarn work 2 dc into first st, *1 dc into each of next 4 sts, 2 dc into next st; rep from * to last 4 sts, 1 dc into each st to end, sl st to join. 48 dc.
7th round: Using contrast work 1 dc into each of next 2 dc, *work 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each of next 5 sts; rep from * to last 4 sts, 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each st to end. 56 dc. Fasten off.

Make another centre the same.

Petals: Using 3mm hook and contrast make 9 ch.

1st round: Work 1 dc into 2nd ch from hook, 1 dc into each of next 6 ch, 3 dc into next ch, continue along other side of ch working 1 dc into each of 6 ch, the 2 dc into last ch.
2nd round: 1 ch, work 2 dc into first st, 1 dc into each of next 7 dc, 3 dc into next st, work 7 dc, 2 dc into next st, work 1 dc.
3rd round: 1 ch, 2 dc into next st, work 9 dc, 3 dc into next st, work 9 dc, 2 dc into next st, work 1 dc.

Continue increasing 4 sts in this way by working 2 more dc between incs, at the same time working in the following colour sequence: 1 round contrast, 2 rounds main, 2 rounds contrast. Fasten off.

Make a total of 12 petals.

To finish: Sew centre of flower to each end of scarf approximately 4 inches up from fringed edges. Sew on 6 petals evenly spaced around centre of flower.

Mr September

Mr September is sporting a mustard yellow "he/she raglan cable jumper" knitted in Patons Totem.

He has every right to look puzzled. How is his female companion hovering three feet in the air while playing that drum? Has she mastered the art of yogic flying? Or is this the result of some top secret government project involving suppressed anti-gravity technology taken from a crashed UFO?

Mr September does not know. The US government probably does.

Rainy day fun from the 1950s

This Patons and Beehive pattern for raglan sweaters from the 1950s neatly sums up the entire range of rainy day activities available for boys at the time.

One: Stand over your sister in an intimidating manner while she thinks about touching your train set.

Two: Build a house of cards after being sent to your room for belting your sister after she derailed your Hornby 00 locomotive and got toffee on your coal wagon. It's not fair.

How to make a trampoline out of inner tubes

Co-evolution magazine socks it to the man in their Autumn 1977 issue with this spectacular Poor Man's Trampoline made from cunningly cut strips of old tractor or truck inner tubes. The strips are knotted together using square knots - it's like giant macrame.

All you need are inner tubes, heavy shears, clothes line, parachute cord, a big hook, and a healthy disregard for health and safety as you watch up to four children propel themselves up towards the ceiling at great speed on the end of a springy rubber cord.

"Preventing cracked heads becomes an exercise in high-speed, well-coordinated cooperation," warns the author. Quite.

Scooter mitts 1960s knitting pattern

One to add to the autumn knit list - a fabulous pair of 1960s mod-style scooter mitts. This groovy hybrid of glove and mitten allows you more finger flexibility than the tradtional mitten, meaning that you can, say, pick up your front door key, or use your scooter brake, without losing the warmth of traditional mittens.

This is also a great project for knitters who have made mittens but are still a little nervous of knitting fiddly gloves. The original pattern is made in black and red stripes.

From Stitchcraft magazine, 1964.

Mr August

Two lovely waistcoated gentlemen, sadly co-joined at the red gentleman's pipe and the yellow gentleman's head. They were later successfully separated in a ground-breaking 16 hour operation and both went on to open tea shops in Dorset.

The waistcoats are worked in 3 ply yarn, and are lined with a contrast yarn, so they are completely reversible.

French knitting bag

Anyone who has ever dabbled in the art of French knitting will tell you that the problem is not learning how to do the knitting itself - it's fun and easy, and a great introduction to yarn crafts for young children. No, the big problem is knowing what to do with it afterwards.

French knitting creates a long, long knitted tube. You can curl it round and sew it up to make a place mat or coaster, but that's hardly inspiring stuff for a young French knitter. I used to make worm cosies, which were just colourful lengths of tube. Sadly, I could never pursuade a real worm to use one.

A 1979 edition of Penny comic comes up with this inspired idea of making a French Knitting purse - a really keen French knitter could make a momentously long tube and create a shoulder bag. Now that's something a bit more exciting than a coaster, especially if you decorated it with beads and sequins, or buttons, or...

If you've never tried French Knitting, Penny also provides easy to follow instructions, below:


Traditionally, French Knitting "dollies" or "knitting nancies" were made out of old wooden cotton reels with four nails hammered into them. These days, cotton reels are made out of plastic, so this little bit of fun has been taken away from us by our society's obsession with petrochemicals. Great. There's no need to go out and buy an expensive ready made French Knitting dolly, though.

There are wonderful ways to make a knitting dolly out of Smartie tubes, toilet rolls, or an old table leg. Visit www.waynesthisandthat.com, www.allfreecrafts.com and www.how-to-knit-guide.com for instructions and inspiration. You may be able to find a second-hand wooden cotton reel, or try drilling a hole through the middle of a small length of thick wooden dowelling from a hardwear shop. Make your own recycled knitting nancy and let me know how you get on...

More Roger Moore

Missed this delightful photo of Roger Moore from my last post - it was tucked away at the back of Stitchcraft magazine so I didn't see it. He's modelling a "workman-like" brioche rib jumper, "for odd jobs in the garage and garden".

How times have changed. If I'd taken the time and effort to make a man a brioche rib jumper, and he then went and wore it while changing the oil on his car, I wouldn't let him back into the house. Even if he was Roger Moore. But here's this lovely pattern in Stitchcraft, just for men to use for messy jobs in the garage or garden.

To make brioche rib:

1st row: K1, * wool forward, slip 1 purlways, K1, repeat from * to last st, K1.
2nd row: K1, * wool forward, slip 1 purlways, K2 tog; repeat from * to last st, K1.

Second row forms brioche rib and is repeated throughout the jumper.

Roger Moore, licensed to model knitwear

Before making it big as The Saint and James Bond, a fresh-faced Roger Moore used to earn a crust by modelling knitwear. He was rather good at it, actually. Check out The Man with the Golden Cardigan pose on this Mens Book by Stitchcraft cover from the 1950s.

Same double-knit, button-up cardie, only in moody black and white. He's laughing because the creative team have made him stand in Teddington Lock and a fish has just gone up his trouser-leg.


Probably my favourite, a "country cardigan in a manly cable and rib pattern" with obligatory 1950s nonchalant pipe-smoking pose. That's Canterbury Cathedral in the background, ecclesiastical architecture fans.

More Roger Moore here.

Retro 1960s Siamese cat model bag

Just finished this one-off Siamese cat shopping bag - now on sale for £9.00 including UK postage (add on £2.00 for airmail shipping). It's a 100% unbleached cotton tote bag measuring approx 37cm by 41cm, with long handles so you can wear it over your shoulder.

Siamese kitties are hand-painted and finished with a shiny transfer. Gentle hand-wash only (as is the case with all kitties). Drop me an email to reserve and I'll send you payment details, or if you're an Etsy fan, the bag is listed here.

Machine-wash at your own risk

Here is Britain's most unhygienic family, proudly boasting about how many times they have had a bath in the last year. Father leads the dirty stakes - he's "washed twice". Mother isn't far off with a paltry "washed 4 times". Only the dog lets the side down, he's "lost count".

Wait. Hang on - I've read the small print now: they're talking about how many times they have washed their Patons Flair jumpers. It all makes sense now. "Now you can knit and know that the good-looking things you will make will stand up marvellously to the rough and tumble of family life".

In a brilliantly confusing manner, the advert ends, "These handknits were machine-washed and spin-dried. Machine-wash your own handknits if you must, but hand-knitting does deserve hand-washing". In other words, don't do what we did, kids.

From Stitchcraft magazine, 1964.

Knitted Siamese kitten

Just finished this cuddly knitted Siamese kitten, based on our wee feline terrorist, Ping. I designed the pattern myself, basing it on one of those lovely stylised Siamese china figurines from the 1960s.


When you are taking photographs of anything with Siamese cats around, it is inevitable that one, or more, will pop up un-announced as you are about to press the shutter and photobomb your carefully arranged photo opportunity. Here is Ping checking that I have got the settings right. Yes, it all seems OK. You may continue, human.

How to make a pom pom

Lovely little animation showing the best way to make a pom pom from Eclectech. That really is how they are made.

1950s kettle holder and oven glove

Here's a simple knitting project from a 1950s booklet by P andB wools called Second Stage Simple Knitting. Make a thick, decorative "fancy rib" square and add a loop to turn it in to a kettle or pot holder. Make seven identical squares and sew them together to create knitted oven gloves.

Kettle holder: you will need oddments of double knitting yarn, and a pair of No 3 needles.

Using the wool double all the time, cast on 20 sts.
1st row: K2, P2 to end.
2nd row: Same as the first row.
3rd row: K every stitch.
4th row: Same as the third row.

Repeat these 4 rows 6 times more, then from the beginning of the 1st row to the end of the 3rd row once more. Cast off.

The loop: Using the wool single, cast on 18 sts. Do not knit any rows but cast off the sts straight away. Stitch the loop to one corner of the holder.

Oven glove: Make 7 pieces exactly the same as the kettle holder square above. Stitch the 7 pieces together so that they make a long strip. Fold back the two end pieces and stitch them down at the edges to make the gloves.

Rude cross stitch bookmark

Cross stitch doesn't have to be all pretty violets and home-sweet-homes. Here's a cross stitch bookmark which doesn't want to sit quietly in the front room playing the harpsichord, no thank you. It was made for me as a present by my outsider artist friend Sian Pattenden, many years ago.

I do like the way that this bookmark instantly flags up whatever you're reading as unbelievable. "The life of Charlemagne? Old arse, I'm afraid".

Mr July

His name is Wendy. He lives in the 1980s. He has a lovely pink tank top knitted in Extra DK. He would like to meet Nik Kershaw. We love you, Mr July.

Knitted school uniform

Knitted school uniform - both tops and pinafore skirts. Doesn't really bear thinking about in this hot weather, really.

Were kids really sent to school in skirts this short in the 1960s? I think you'd be sent straight home if you tried this today.

The pattern is stamped by Bellmans Wools, 21 Station Road, Portslade - which is now a Help The Aged charity shop. I wish that I could say that I'd bought this pattern there, in a cosmic moment of vintage knitting pattern kismet. But I didn't. Sorry.

1970s puzzle rug

Tarquin: "Mummy, look, the dog lent me his craft knife and we cut this square out of the rug!"
Mummy: "How creative, darling! I knew it was worth sending you to that Montessori school."

Actually, no. This is a 1970s latch hook Puzzle Rug made out of identical motif squares, which you can arrange and re-arrange to your heart's content before committing to sewing them together to make one big eye-spinning geometric floor-covering.

Home Handicrafts by Mary Harding offers plenty of different pattern ideas to get you started:


The book suggests that you can unpick the squares and sew up again into a different pattern, or a different shape entirely - you could make a runner for a hall, two squares wide and eight squares long, or a smaller hearth rug of three by five squares. Groovy.

Dropped stitch knitted throw

Here's a black knitted throw I've just finished, using the drop stitch technique from this 1940s knitting pattern. I used big, big needles and some chunky black, fluffy wool that has been lurking around for ages. It knitted up really quickly in garter stitch and then Lola and I had loads of fun dropping every fourth stitch and running ladders down to the end of the throw to create the lacy effect.

Final result? Brilliant. Thoroughly recommend this technique for impatient newbie knitters wanting to create something big and impressive in very little time.

Here' the problem with knitting in the summer: it's the hottest day of the year today, and I can't properly appreciate this throw until the autumn chill sets in. Luckily, cats are always an appreciative audience of knitwear, even when the mercury is pushing to the top of the thermometer.

Joining knitted squares with crochet

Crochet is a great way to join together knitted strips or squares, as in this rainbow bedspread. It's less stretchy than knitting, which means that it will give your blanket more structure and less sag.

To join knitted garter stitch squares or strips together, insert crochet hook into a stitch at edge of each strip, pass yarn over hook and draw it through the first two loops on hook, pass yarn over and draw it through the other two loops. Repeat along the edge of the strips. You'll have a created a strong crochet seam - the perfect finishing touch for your knitting.

1970s rainbow bedspread

Here's a gorgeously simple idea from Home Handicrafts (Mary Harding, Octopus Books, 1977). It's a rainbow bedspread, knitted in simple garter stitch - "Easy enough to knit without looking - although of course you can knit while watching television! Actually, the more exciting the story is, the faster your needles will click".

The bedspread is worked in strips and then joined together with a row of crochet. The bedspread in the book is worked in rainbow stripes and then joined with a black crochet border as a contrast. There's also this sophisticated version worked in shades of red:


What a brilliant stash-busting project!

The rainbow bedspread in the book is made of out 22 strips, each 16 stitches wide, and 140 cm long. You can work each strip to the length that you want, but make sure that each strip has the same number of rows, to make it easier to crochet together row by row.

Once you have worked the required number of strips, and crocheted them all together, work 3 rows of crochet round the edge of the bedspread, working 2 or 3 stitches in each corner stitch so that the corners will lie flat.