Fair [Isle] Delights

You may well remember that about 2 years ago I went on a course to learn Fair Isle knitting, a skill that I was dying to learn but never had the confidence to try it. Luckily for me, my previously derisive 'cack-hand' way of knitting, a technique I had been encouraged to abandon when I was 16, came to the fore, and proved to be a valuable way to knit in 2 strands of yarn at the same time.   Since then I have enthusiastically practised this skill, and am loving some of the knits you can make. 

This lovely jumper was taken from a Bestway pattern dated from 1946. I know this because the pattern was part of a twin set, and it was featured in the January 1946 edition of Woman's Weekly. The cardigan was printed in the next edition, and whilst I was lucky enough to acquire both magazines, I also managed to get hold of the actual Bestway patterns too. I have never knitted the cardigan, but would love to do so, if I ever get the time. You can see I have knitted it in a couple of colour combinations both which I think go very well.

This is an interesting story for this slipover. It is from a 1950's pattern and I have knitted it both with a grey base and with a light beige, with brown, red and green pattern colours. I was very proud of my colour choice for the light beige, and considered it unique - until I was watching the Australian Murder Mystery series 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' set in the 1920s. Lo and behold a scruffy kid was wearing MY slipover in exactly the SAME colours. Now how coincidental is that!

This waistcoat is actually an amalgamation of a 50's waistcoat and a 30's Fair Isle pattern. My customer wanted a waist coat but had already picked out the pattern, so daringly as it was one of my first Fair Isle attempts, I added the 2 together. My husband models the result very well I think. Another customer wanted a red combination. I knitted this in double knit and I understand it is very warm to wear!

Another commission and I feel that my Fair Isle skills are advancing with this one, although it looks complicated but was in fact very easy to knit up, and very quick too. This time I used 4ply yarn as the customer wanted a small fit. I'm looking forward to seeing photos of the recipient in it!

Of course there is a Fair Isle on the needles, so watch this space for an update later in the year.

If anything on this page has taken your fancy please let me know!

"Summertime and the Living is Easy"

It seems that summer has arrived to the gorgeous Isle of Wight, my home island, and with the sun comes thoughts of dainty little lacy knits. Not for me, as my large frame is too big to carry off a delicate lacy knit, but that doesn't stop me hankering to knit one. And for inspiration I turn to the 1940s and 50s knitting patterns.

 The austere years of the Second World War meant that wool was in very short supply with more and more factories being used for war work, and the majority of British and imported wool being used to make service uniforms, so women were encouraged to knit small delicate tops most often with short sleeves, which not only saved wool but also looked divine. Indeed it was seen as part of the war effort in maintaining the services morale to ensure that, as a woman, you always looked your best. It seems strange to us that so much emphasis went into looking good, but the Government held the belief that menfolk returning on leave wanted to see their ladies well dressed - it gave them something to fight for.

But I think it was the early 1950s which were the real inspirational years when it came to summer knitting patterns. During this time rationing was eased and many of the materials previously rationed became more available. Also colour came into its own, as people made a conscious decision to stay away from the drab colours of utility clothing. In this pattern from Stitchcraft magazine August 1950, the model wears a brightly coloured top, knitted in 3ply. This pattern is available from my Etsy Shop in PDF form if you would like to try it for yourself (SJB Vintage Hand Knits). 

Here is another pattern from Stitchcraft magazine May 1951, with a delicate spray of knitted flowers in the cleavage it beautifully shows off the model's waspish waist, exentuated by the pillar box shaping of the sleeve tops. This is knitted in 1950's 2ply for a very delicate finish. 

Fashion remained influenced by the tiny waists, well defined busts and broad hips of the New Look, which Christian Dior launched at the end of the Second World War well in to the late 50s.

For further inspiration please take a look at the patterns I have available on my Etsy shop.

Deramores Craft Blog Competition - All You Need is a Little Blog (The Patchwork Heart)

This post is my submission to the Deramores Craft Blog Competition 2015. Deramores is the UK’s number one online retailer of knitting and crochet supplies. Visit www.deramores.com for more details.

It is said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I have issues with that statement. A previous boss once called me a dog. Not outright "you're a dog" you understand, it was more along the lines of "you're like a dog with a bone". Anyway it really upset me, and I actually cried. I'm not a dog, with a bone or without. And less of the old, please. I may have reached 50 years last month (don't remind me), and I may feel like I need a winch to get myself out of bed in the mornings, but inside this withering coating is a 30 year old wondering where the years have gone. But even if the description fitted you CAN teach an old dog knew tricks.

I am a prolific knitter, and until a head injury 5 years ago I was also a not too bad cross stitcher. 

 Knitting and cross stitching were my stress busters, and I enjoyed spending many an hour stitching away. This picture of my Uncle and my children was from a photo I took myself. It took me 6 months of stitching in every spare hour to achieve this sampler, and I was cursing having them all in Hawaiian shirts because every little bit of the pattern is just one tiny square of colour. I wish I had preplanned!



Anyway, on to the old dog and new tricks bit. Well, as I said I was already a knit, so one would've thought that crocheting would have come easy, but no, I just could not get the hang of it. The positioning of the hands holding the yarn was just so unnatural. But one day I bit the bullet and asked my mother-in-law to teach me. What a laugh! I only wanted to know how to knit a cushion cover, straight rows backwards and forwards, not difficult. But it didn't matter how hard I tried my 100 chains ended up being about 10 inches shorter than hers. We could not figure out what I was doing wrong. End of crochet lessons!

It wasn't until I saw an advert in a local village community hall, advertising crochet lessons that I wondered if I could learn. So I phoned up and booked myself lessons with a lovely group, all mixed abilities and started 6 weeks of lessons. And wow! I flew, with wings!

In no time at all I had mastered the art of granny squares. Beautiful, colourful, artful granny squares, and so my love of crocheting began.

Cushions, throws, hot water bottle covers, you name them, if they can be made from granny squares then I make them!

Yes, mastering the hands was a bit of a bugbear. It is so unnatural after knitting, but soon my fingers didn't ache so much and I was well away. One of the advantages of crocheting is that it grows so quickly. And you can add as many colours as you like. My only problem is that I have only been able to master granny squares at the moment. Although I did once make a parrot for my son which he promptly gave to his girlfriend as a love token and Polly now resides in Budapest. But that doesn't matter because the other week I taught my bestie mate to crochet granny squares and she has been filling Facebook with her colourful, and quite skilful creations, and receiving a lot of praise. I am not jealous, not in the least. After all, I taught her. She learnt from the best, haha! And I've been invited to teach some WI-ers at the end of this month.

So whether I'm a dog or not (the jury is out), and I wouldn't say I was that old, it is still possible to learn new tricks.

Revival of the Tea Cosy

Someone recently asked me "Do you actually sell any tea cosies?" and was very surprised that my response was "Yes, loads". They are one of my biggest, and most surprising, sellers and I am forever requesting more tea cosies to be made, as it is my Mum-in-law's friend who is the master tea cosy knitter.

Tea cosies (American: Tea cozy) or pot warmers were probably around when tea was introduced into the UK in the 1600s but the first documented use of a tea cosy is in 1867, although the Duchess of Bedford may also have used them in the 1840s when she popularised the activity of 'taking tea' in the afternoons. These were times when gentle women folk got together to gossip and was important for networking. 

The use of tea cosies was very popular during Victorian times, as tea drinking in the UK soared. It was about this time that the tea cosy was introduced to the USA. Many of the patterns I have are from the 1940s and 50s, and feature matching egg cosies and coffee pot cosies, as featured in the above picture.

Tea cosies are very versatile and can be made from a variety of materials, anything really as long as it has an insulating effect.  Today there are as many designs as there are materials, and some people like to add whole scenes to the tops of their cosies. These two above are ones I did recently for a friend, one with red flowers and the other with rose buds.  I elaborated on the rose bud idea and made another version with daffodils.

My most popular sellers are the little ones knitted for 2-cup tea pots (although for me it is actually one-cup as I like big mugs of tea!), ideal for novel gifts. I like to use traditional patterns with loopy stitch or double rib but knit up in modern funky colours. All the tea cosies are washable at 40 degrees in the washing machine, so are practical, although I would take a bit of care with the fancy ones above!

If you like these tea cosies and would like one for yourself please have a look at my Etsy shop (link on the right of this blog). I can custom made in your chosen colours, and I can also supply a complimenting tea pot.

1940s An Experience

So here I am at my first 1940s Experience at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, at Havenstreet. Unusually for me I am dressed in the 1940s dress I picked up at Dores Hill Farm Emporium for half price in January, and I have my hair in an authentic 1940s crochet net (also picked up from Dores Hill Farm). I am feeling good, this is the test event for launching SJB Vintage Knits as a real life retro style knitting business, and what do I spy next to my stall? Only another custom made clothing stall holder, who also does hand made retro knits. And she looks far more professional than me. She even has clothes rails, hell she even has clothes on them! I take myself into the back of my gazebo and give myself a talking to: You look good girl in your 40s garb, you have some lovely stuff and this is YOUR TERRITORY! I start hanging up my retro knits with pride.

And then, something happens that makes me feel great - one of the local re-enactors comes over and gives me a big hug and kiss in front of everyone, and says in a very loud voice, clearly ensuring that certain people in the next gazebo can hear me, "I LOVE my new 40's tank top you knitted me. It's brilliant, and I have had loads of lovely comments on it. I have given everyone your card. Thank you so much". It is hard to wipe the smile from my face. This event is going to be brilliant!

And it was a really lovely weekend. I had loads of positive feedback on my knits, and even picked up 4 orders for retro jumpers, forces slipovers and a snazzy waistcoat in Fair Isle. The people were lovely, and my only down side was I never got the time to take a photo of a train steaming out of the station!

Clearly the weekend was too much for one person! 

Fair Isle from a 'Fair Isle'

I have been knitting since I was very young. Firstly taught by my mother I actually was a left handed knitter, or more accurately a mirror image knitter when I started, as I would sit opposite my mum and copy her exactly. As I progressed on to purl stitch, more difficult in the mirror image, I developed my own style which my mum described as "cack handed". Thanks Mum, it was your fault you know. It wasn't until much later, in my late teens, that my new mother-in-law finally taught me how to knit the English way. But even then my repertoire was limited. A nasty bang on the head 4 years ago, giving difficulties in concentrating and memory, has been helped by knitting, and since I then decided to make it my living my knitting skills have greatly increased. But I still had not gained the confidence to try Fair Isle knitting.

Fair Isle knitting was made popular by the Prince of Wales, the famous one who fell in love with that American woman and abdicated in 1936 before he was crowned. He took to wearing the beautifully patterned jumpers and tank tops in the 1920s and started a fashion which was to last over 20 years. Nowadays Fair Isle is more often used to describe intricate knitting patterns which feature a number of colours expertly woven to produce a design, but true Fair Isle patterns only feature a maximum of 6 colours, with only 2 colours per row and are knitted in the round. Fair Isle knitting originated in the Shetland Isles of Scotland and were knitted by fishermen's wives as the weaving produces warm but light weight clothing.

In the 1940s Fair Isle knitting really came into its own, although by this time it is fair to say that the garments weren't strictly speaking Fair Isle, but its now common usage. Garments like the one shown in this 1946 Woman's Weekly were very popular because they used up odd bits of wool, which was scarce during the war years. So not only were they great looking, you were actually helping the war effort at the same time.

So I decided, if I was to branch into 1940s knitting patterns I would have to bite the bullet and learn to knit the Fair Isle way.

 So last month I enrolled in a Saturday workshop at my local knitting shop, Strictly Knitting in Shanklin, taught by Chris during the 2 hours, with tea and biscuits provided, although we didn't have much time to eat biscuits!
She taught us the traditional way, in the round with 5 pins. I don't know about you but I can't cope with 5 pins and always end up with the knitting on 3 with one spare.
Chris also taught the concept of colour choosing, apparently you should photocopy your yarn in black and white and compare it to a chart to see if the colours are of the right hues! She also taught us good weaving practice, keeping the main yarn over the other colours at the back. It does make a difference to the design, although in the pictures she showed us I couldn't see any!
We were also supposed to follow a pattern she had designed for us, but since the bang on the head following charts has not been my strong point, I decided to go free style. However I am pretty proud of my first ever attempt at Fair Isle knitting.

 I then chose to have a go at knitting an original 1940s jumper. This particular one was designed by Greenock and I reckon from the design of the pattern was published just before the war really started, round about 1939/1940.  I have chosen the original colours as stated in the pattern, fawn, brown and yellow, and lovely they look too. I confess I haven't photocopied them and compared their hues to the chart. I just have faith in the 1940s experts!

 Here is a close up of the design. I am very proud of this first real attempt at a whole pattern. It is going to be on sale on my Etsy shop soon, if it hasn't been sold at the 1940s weekend event at Isle of Wight Steam Railway, Havenstreet, next weekend. It will be priced at £39.70 + P&P. Please have a look at the other jumpers I've got in my Etsy shop.


I found this particular pattern quite easy. Firstly there is no chart to follow, it is written out in the pattern, and secondly I can get on really well with a second colour if I hold it in my left hand on the knit row, thus I thank my mum and my "cack handed" way as it means I can now knit Fair Isle with ease.

Fireside Reading from the 1930s and 40s

Don't you just love these magazines from the 1930s and 1940s. I love looking back and wondering who ordered these copies and what their life was like back then. The Jan 1936 edition of Good Needlework & Knitting has the name "Miss Williams" pencilled on the front cover. Did Miss Williams order this monthly, and was she a young Miss Williams preparing for her up and coming nuptials, or an old Miss Williams, a school ma'am or Governess who had lost her beloved in the First World War? So many questions that the magazine can't answer. This particular edition has some lovely crafting things to do. The jumper modelled wonderfully with a belt would look well today with a tweed skirt, a very retro look and the embroidered satin nightdress case and hot water bottle cover remind me of the same things that my nan used to have.

I also love knowing what happened in the year these magazines were published. In January 1936 King George V died and left a kingdom in crisis. During this year the scandal involving Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson unfolded, with his eventual abdication in December 1936. I bet Miss Williams was looking forward to the new monarchy as she sat down to read her new copy of Good Needlework without thinking of the scandal which was to follow.

By the 1940s women had another war to worry about and this Woman's Weekly, published on 12 January 1946 , still has the hallmarks of rationing, even though the war had been over for 6 months or so. I note that the Fair Isle fashion, first worn by Edward VIII when he was Prince of Wales, is still going strong. It was popular because wool was difficult to come by, with so many factories given over to producing armaments and imports severely limited to essentials, so unpicking old woollens and using the wool again was the rage. Interestingly I had the original pattern for the matching cardigan. It was produced by Bestway originally. Lucky because the cardigan pattern was published in the next issue, which I don't have!

Moving on to 1952 and this time to Stitchcraft magazine published in Nov 1952. Paper rationing was lifted during this year but this particular edition is still smaller than usual.  Thumbing through this copy, my attention was caught by this very handsome and debonair young gentleman modelling a turtle-neck jumper.  I remember thinking it would be worth knitting it for my husband if it would make him look that good! Closer inspection reveals a very young Roger Moore, legendary Bond actor (and The Saint & The Persuaders). Roger started his career with modelling for knitting pattern publishers, mostly P&B (Patons & Baldwin) and was so popular that it is alleged his friend, Michael Caine called him "The Big Knit". I have had other knitting patterns featuring Roger, and very dapper he looks in all of them!

All of these publications are available on my Etsy shop SJB Hand Vintage Knits, so please have a look https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SJBHandVintageKnits
I'll also be popping up at Vintage Fairs across the Isle of Wight, more details can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SjbVintageKnits?ref=hl