Vintage knitwear - summer/winter looks - hand knits

The hand knitted cream 4ply-weight mercerised cotton tunic below was featured in a woman's magazine in around the late 1980's or early 1990's together with a free knitting pattern.  It features several textured panels, with the centre wide cable panel containing bobbles.  The lacy leaf pattern panel at the sides also features bobbles and the bottom of the tunic is trimmed with a lacy horizontal leaf-patterned pointed hem.  This is a really pretty summer look and, on a trip to Hong Kong a year or so after the pattern was published, I came across a lady wearing a white tunic that she had knitted from the very same pattern - what a coincidence!  

Twin Leaf Cable hand knitted cotton tunic

This pale blue DK-weight mercerised cotton sweater with patchwork textured patterns in triangular shapes includes cables, bobbles, blackberry stitch and bell-shapes.  The photograph appeared in a knitting book, Cotton Knits, that was published around the same time.

Triangular patchwork DK cotton hand knit sweater

One year during the 1990's there was a catwalk show at the Country Living Fair in Islington and two hand knit tunics were worn by models in the show.  The tunic on the left has a lacy scalloped hem and is covered with intarsia-knit vases of flowers.  The tunic on the right also has a scalloped hem and features panels of different cable and bobble patterns.  Both were hand knitted in 4ply-weight mercerised cotton.

Hand knitted cotton floral and textured tunics

The autumn/winter look below was in a catalogue produced by a clothing company in the early 1990's.  The cardigan is hand knitted and the sunflowers, clematis and lupins are all decorated with bobbles.

Hand knit DK cardigan with bobble-covered flowers

I think that all of these styles are timeless and could still be worn today.

Oystercatchers and Oystercatcher fingerless mitts

Last year, in September, I went on holiday to Penrhyn Bay in North Wales.  The self-catering holiday home directly over-looked the beach, which was not suitable for swimming but was suitable for wading birds such as these two Oystercatchers.  This photograph was taken from the outdoor terrace in front of the house.  Unfortunately the Oystercatchers were too far away to get good photographs and, if you tried to creep near them, they flew away!

2 Oystercatchers on the beach at Penrhyn Bay

One day, I went for a walk on the beach and managed to get a bit nearer, so got some slightly clearer photographs.

Oystercatcher on the beach in North Wales

Oystercatcher looking for food on the beach

On the last morning of the holiday, I had time to kill while waiting for the train in Colwyn Bay so I went to investigate what was happening on the beach.  It was fairly early in the morning and I came across a group of sleepy Oystercatchers.  When I got too near, they woke up and flew off.

Sleepy Oystercatchers on the beach in Colywn Bay, North Wales

 I love Oystercatchers and, after I got home, I decided to design some fingerless mitts with an Oystercatcher on the front.  They were hand knitted in mid blue Drops 4ply Alpaca.

Oystercatcher hand knit fingerless gloves - left mitt

Oystercatcher fingerless mitts - background blue 4ply alpaca

Christmas roses and roses on designer hand knits

Model wearing Rose waistcoat and running along the Long Border

I love using floral images on my knitwear designs.  I am very fond of roses, but can’t grow my own as I don’t have a garden.  I do have a small roof terrace, which is over-populated with plants in containers, and now have a lovely collection of delicate-looking Hellebores (Christmas Roses).  Though not in such vibrant colours as garden roses, they do a great job of brightening my life and, when they first started flowering, reminded me that Spring was just around the corner - probably wishful thinking!

Christmas rose - mottled hellebore with double centre

Rose designs have been used on several hand knits in the past such as these vintage cardigans and waistcoat in 4ply weight mercerised cotton or wool.

Rose design white cotton hand knit cardigan with leaf-shaped pointed hem

Rose and lacy floral pattern panelled cardigan - navy cotton background

Cream rose pattern wool waistcoat

I have added roses to a pair of fingerless mitts, which can be knitted by anybody who can do intarsia.  

Rose hand knit fingerless mitts

Rose fingerless mitt - left hand

The PDF pattern is available from Twisted Classics shop on Ravelry - rose mitts