Vintage patterns can be a great resource for all sorts of knits and because many are out of copyright they are free to access.
I have two websites I go to for free vintage patterns. They are freevintageknitting.com and freevintagecrochet.com. These are my first stop for newer vintage patterns because it collects old out of print pamphlets and makes them easy to read. The sites also have information on discontinued yarn, hook and needle conversion and more. They are a great start to historical (or vintage) knitting.
For older books you can head to archive.org/details/knittingreferencelibrary. Books in this collection are simply photocopies so you would need to translate the patterns yourself. But it does contain Victorian to WW 2 books.
Blogs and sites like Ravelry are also a good place to start looking for patterns. There are many free versions of vintage patterns and paid for ones can be helpful because the authors will do the work of updating the needles, yarn and pattern wordage.
When working with vintage or antique patterns there are a few things to keep in mind. One is stitch definitions — always check what the pattern book describes as each stitch you’re making (this is very important for crochet!) Another one is to convert the needle size and find a good yarn substitution.
Before you start transcribing or picking a new yarn, make sure it can fit you and if you’ll want to try grading. Vintage sizes are different than modern ones and it is best to use a guide to get an estimate.
Here’s a quick chart with some measurements for vintage sizes https://purplekittyyarns.com/vintage-body-measurements-size-chart.
The next step is to start transcribing and depends on how old the pattern is. The older the pattern the more likely you'll want to read it through and decide if you need to transcribe it.
This can include typing up the pattern in a way which makes sense for you or to map it out on a chart. This can take a few tries and I like to start with smaller and less complicated patterns. Occasionally you might not even need to transcribe it.
Next you’ll need to find the yarn substitution which will give you needles as well. If the pattern includes a gauge use that as a guideline to find a substitution. For a more in depth read visit https://knitpal.com/blogs/knitpal/how-to-substitute-yarn-for-vintage-knitting-patterns.
And once you've found the size you'll need, made the pattern readable and found your replacement you're ready to start knitting. Happy cast on!
I used my crochet cat bag to carry my exam supplies to a VERY important math exam the other day (affected my entire degree path 😅) hoping it would bring me good luck or at least some positivity. I got many compliments and someone even asked if I took commissions which really brightened my day!!
(Also if anyone cares, the exam went really well!)
Sorry for the messy room. You can peep my Douglas cardigan in the back on my bed haha
For 2023 I’ve also decided to start a knitting journal, or more broadly a craft journal.
I did bullet journaling in college and loved the flexibility and adaptability of it so I decided to adapt it for my knitting.
I personally, like to use a paper and have some journals leftover which fit into the faux leather travelers notebook. I want this to be a journal I can edit and change around to fit my crafting so I set it up like I did my journals in college.
To keep it simple so I am more likely to use it I stuck to doing an outline in pencil and might decorate the pages later. Don’t feel pressured to make it look instagram ready, this journal is supposed to be used and doesn’t need to be perfect. I tried doing the pretty spreads I saw on instagram and pinterest and while they look nice, I found myself not wanting to fill them out and it made my journal feel useless.
There are two main sections, the first is my “static” pages, — so trackers and lists will be kept there.
The second is my pattern notes and a journal section.
My project pages include the pattern name, needle size, yarn, start date, who or what it’s for and then general notes. The notes I want to leave open for me to be able to add any alterations I might do.
For my printed patterns I dug out an old three ring binder from college and plan to keep them all in there. In the future, I’ll add some dividers for categories like: sweaters, shawls and accessories.
Heya! this is the official HearthnMyrrh tumblr page. Im using this to advertise and expand my audience. I make custom deity boxes, candles and i crochet plushies that a re consecrated for a specific use! all of my items are pricy because of the fact that they are handmade and take me hours to create, and I’m the only one operating this entire business. that being said i hope you can support me and my craft!