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

Pansy hand knits - I love pansies

 I love pansies and have used them as inspiration in the past for intarsia hand knits.

Pansy patterned hand knitted cotton bolero

I am not growing any of my own pansies at the moment, so have taken the following photograph from the internet.

The following photographs show various pansy designs on vintage hand knitted cardigans and sweaters from around the early 2000's.

Pansy and cable patchwork squares on hand knitted cardigan

Pansy and rose intarsia hand knit sweater

Cream Pansy hand knitted wool sweater

Pansy and Cable hand knitted wool cardigan

Pansy cashmere hand knitted long gloves

I still love pansies and have designed a knitting pattern for a pair of fingerless gloves with pansies on the fronts.  The PDF pattern is available from TwistedClassics shop on Ravelry.

Pansy fingerless mitts

There is also a pattern available for a matching scarf that is covered with pansies.  This is also available from the TwistedClassics shop on Ravelry.

Hand knit black cashmere scarf covered with pansies

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/twisted-classics

Dog roses - inspiration for cardigan and gloves

I love the delicate nature of dog roses and how pretty they look all over this hand knitted cotton bolero.

Hand knit cotton Dog Rose bolero

Below is a photograph of a 4ply wool hand knitted cardigan with the body in a patchwork pattern of squares, each containing a dog rose or textured lacy leaf pattern.  The roses and lace panels are vertical along the sleeves.

Madder Rose and lace patchwork hand knit wool cardigan

I have not got any photos of my own of real dog roses, but have added a public photograph taken from the internet.

Dog Roses

The design is now on a pair of hand knitted fingerless mitts.  The knitting pattern is available from my Ravelry shop - TwistedClassics.  The gloves, hand knitted in bluey-grey with rose and pink intarsia Dog Roses, are available from TwistedClassics shop on Etsy.

Dog Rose mitts - right hand

Hand knitted Dog Rose fingerless mitts

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/twisted-classics

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

Puffin on Staffa, Puffin hand knit mitts and Puffin carousel ride

During a holiday to Oban in Scotland, I went on a long day trip, via several ferries and over several hours, to Staffa in the Inner Hebrides.  There, after clambering along soggy uneven ground on the top of the cliffs, I fulfilled a dream - seeing a real puffin.  Mind you - only one was obliging enough to put in an appearance.  It had just popped out from its nest in a hole a long way down the side of the cliff and, to this day, I don't know how I managed to get it to appear in my photograph!  I only had a small digital camera with me and the viewfinder was so tiny that I couldn't see anything in it.  All I could do was point and hope for the best - and, miracle of miracles - it worked!!!  So, in my eyes, the long, long journey was very worth while.

Puffin on the cliffs in Staffa

And, inspired, by this cute comical bird, I designed a pair of fingerless mitts with puffins on the front.   You can see them at TwistedClassics - on Ravelry  - where the knitting pattern is for sale.  The knitted gloves are available from TwistedClassics Etsy shop

Puffin fingerless mitts

Puffin mitts - left hand glove

 

On another trip to North Berwick, which is on the coast not far from Edinburgh, I came across this great brightly coloured Puffin carousel.  I did not have time to ride in a puffin tea cup though.

Puffin children's tea cup carousel fairground ride

Owls and Barn Owl fingerless mitts - inspired by nature

Last year I was in staying in the Lake District and went to Haverthwaite station for a journey on a steam train.  I was surprised to find 3 owls on show there.

Scopes, Eagle and Barn Owl on show at the station

One was a beautiful Barn Owl.

Beautiful Barn Owl

The second was a Scopes Owl - a female who had been rescued from a lady who became allergic to the feathers and could no longer look after her.

Scopes Owl

The third owl was an Eagle Owl

Eagle Owl

Sad to see that they were chained up and not free to fly whenever they wanted - but at least they were being well looked after.

I love the Barn Owl's fluffy face feathers - and you can see I was there in the Spring from the daffodils in the window box.

Barn Owl on handler's wrist

And there were steam trains at the station too!

Steam locomotive at Haverthwaite station in the Lake District

I love owls and have designed some fingerless gloves with owls on the front.  They can be made in any 4ply wool, cotton or cashmere and the knitting pattern is available to buy from TwistedClassics site on Ravelry.com.

Barn Owl fingerless mitts

Barn Owl mitts - left glove

Barn Owl mitt - right glove

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/twisted-classics