Musings from Marilyn

Posts Tagged ‘sweater’

Going through my vintage knitting pattern stash, I found this sweet 1960s pattern!  Knit in fluffy mohair, it is a button-up cardigan style.  The scallop edge detail is so fabulous.  This would look so pretty in white or pastels.

Again, this is vintage sizing, so a size 12 would fit a 32″ bust / size 14 – 34″ bust / size 16 – 36″ bust.

More vintage knitting and crochet patterns to come!  Happy knitting!

“Knitting is very conducive to thought.  It is nice to knit a while, put down the needles, write a while, then take up the sock again.” ~Dorothy Day

~Marilyn Huttunen

Download: Here

While going through my vintage knitting patterns, looking for a shawl pattern similar to the green frilled shrug Kate Middleton wore grocery shopping, I ran across this beauty.  I guess I could say that it’s a 1950s version of Kate’s shawl.  I love how the model is depicted wearing this over her bathing suit at the beach!  Yup, just the place I would want to wear a warm stole.   Anyway, who knows?  Maybe Kate is wearing a shawl at the beach on her honeymoon?

This pattern calls for all-purpose yarn, and is 28″ wide by 72″ long.  The knitting directions look relatively easy, and it gives detailed instructions for making the attached fringe.  It also gives instructions for those who are tall and wish to make the stole a little longer.

So happy vintage knitting, readers!  Let me know how it turns out if you decide to make it.  And pictures, please.

~Marilyn Huttunen

Download: Knit a Fringed Stole

Okay, I found one more 50s knitting pattern for a short bolero jacket!  This one is really cute, with a stand-up shawl collar and cuff sleeves.  It is more fitted than the 60s bolero I posted.  This would look adorable knitted in angora, or some fluffy yarn.

This jacket is for sizes 12, 14, and 16.  These are vintage 1955 sizes which would be a 32″ bust for 12, 34″ bust for 14, and 36″ bust for 16.

I love these styles so much!  Happy knitting, and don’t forget to send me pics of the finished product!

~Marilyn Huttunen

Here is the pattern: Knit Jacket

I found another fab vintage knitting pattern for a bolero jacket similar to Kate Middleton’s!  This one is from the 60s and calls for sequin trim – ooh la la.   I do find the most amazing things in my stash o’ stuff.  I’ll be posting more vintage sweater and shawl knitting patterns in the weeks to come because they are just too wonderful to keep to myself!

Vintage sizing is quite different, so please note that Size 12 is a 34″ bust.  Size 14 is 35.5″, Size 16 is 37″, and Size 18 is 39″.

I’ve heard from several savvy knitters who are going to attempt to make the 50s bolero I posted a few days ago.  This is very cool!  I am hoping that those who actually make these sweaters will send me a pic of the finished product.  Modeling it would be fab too!  So get out those knitting needles and goooooooo.

Here is the knitting pattern: Download

~Marilyn Huttunen

It’s been just over a week since the lovely royal wedding of Kate and William.  I thoroughly enjoyed the wedding; thought it was sheer perfection, not over the top with that fairy tale imagination that makes me want to barf.  You see, I think that Kate is secretly a practical fashionista.  But I think that her down-to-earth, decidedly un-fairy princesslike practicality is revealing itself pretty quickly.

They only had a quick weekend honeymoon, and then it was back to the military for William, and back to being a military housewife for Kate.  This was quite impressive to me.  I actually think honeymoons are highly overrated, especially after a royal wedding.  I’m sure with all the pomp, circumstance, and intense media attention for months on end, going back to their small home on the island of Anglesey must have felt incredibly freeing.  I feel that just getting back to some semblance of normal (or as normal as royals can get) is a great start to a marriage.

Then we see the pictures of Kate grocery shopping!  How ‘normal’ can you get?  Yup, pretty much all of us grab that shopping cart (or trolley) every week and do the mundane task of shopping for groceries.  Of course, she looks fabulous, even while doing a decidedly housewifely task.  Dressed in French Sole ballet flats, Hudson skinny jeans, long-line white cashmere sweater (jumper) and a green frilled shrug shawl – she looks incredibly chic.

It will be a delight to follow Kate’s escapades in the years to come.  If they are more of the commonplace variety, all the better.  We need more practical levelheadedness in this world.  And if she looks stylish while doing so, it will give us all a kick in the pants to make an effort to look good while running around doing errands.

Even though you are a royal princess, Kate, I admire your willingness to jump into the daily flow of everyday life with a smile on your face.  And from one Practical Fashionista to another, I say: Good on you! 

~Marilyn Huttunen

Since I was so enamored of Kate Middleton’s fluffy white angora bolero that topped the gown she wore to her wedding reception at Buckingham Palace (see my previous blog post of April 30th), I thought to look through my vintage knitting patterns to see if I could find a similar design.

I collect vintage sewing and knitting patterns and have quite a stash. I was fortunate that this snazzy little knit bolero sweater pattern was right up on top of said stash!  Super cute, ‘Knit Bolero with Cable Trim’ knitting pattern from the 1950s.  Boleros are classic, timeless and never go out of style.  This one has short sleeves, which would be perfect for spring and summer, and a cable trim for a bit of texture.

The pattern is for sizes 12-14.  Please bear in mind that vintage 50s sizes are radically different from modern sizes!  A size 12 would be a 32″ bust, and a size 14 would be a 34″ bust.

The materials call for all purpose yarn, but it would be absolutely smashing if  a fluffy yarn such as angora or mohair were substituted.  I’m pretty much a novice knitter, so I wouldn’t be much help in knitting assistance.  I trust you expert knitters out there will know what to do.  Happy knitting!

~Marilyn Huttunen

You can download pattern here:
Knit Bolero with Cable Trim Pattern