I am in knitting Heaven! I'm pretty sure that I have just hit on the gold mine of vintage patterns for knitting, crochet, and embroidery. It's like the Project Gutenberg of vintage patterns. It's amazing and I am downloading every vintage knitting pattern and book that they have! The site is called the Antique Pattern Library and I am in love! Some of the patterns are written in British terminology, some in Italian, some in German, and I think there are a few Scandinavian patterns, too.
Here you will find patterns from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. I am especially in love with the 1910s right now. Apparently, knitting was very low-class for this time period, as most of the patterns are for crochet--how far knitting has come in 100 years! I am reminded of my great grandmother's crocheted lace doilies, as there are a gazillion patterns for crocheted lace and doilies. She was a pro at crocheting intricate lace doilies. I remember learning to crochet when I was in elementary school (3rd or 4th grade) because I wanted my mother to teach me to crochet doilies like my great-grandmother. I also recall that my mother made a giant table-top doily, a pineapple design, and I am sure that I am going to inherit it one day (right, mom?). Perhaps I will one day detour from knitting to go back and re-learn how to crochet lace now that I have this monumental resource at my fingertips.
I've downloaded vintage magazines and pattern books--mostly hats, socks, and purses but there are a few sweater patterns. The Corticelli Yarn Book offers me the opportunity to learn to knit a dress.
What am I going to do with these? Well, mostly just squirrel them away I am sure; however, some of them have unique stitch patterns in them that I have never seen before, and wouldn't it be fun to use some of them to design something swell!?
Here you will find patterns from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. I am especially in love with the 1910s right now. Apparently, knitting was very low-class for this time period, as most of the patterns are for crochet--how far knitting has come in 100 years! I am reminded of my great grandmother's crocheted lace doilies, as there are a gazillion patterns for crocheted lace and doilies. She was a pro at crocheting intricate lace doilies. I remember learning to crochet when I was in elementary school (3rd or 4th grade) because I wanted my mother to teach me to crochet doilies like my great-grandmother. I also recall that my mother made a giant table-top doily, a pineapple design, and I am sure that I am going to inherit it one day (right, mom?). Perhaps I will one day detour from knitting to go back and re-learn how to crochet lace now that I have this monumental resource at my fingertips.
I've downloaded vintage magazines and pattern books--mostly hats, socks, and purses but there are a few sweater patterns. The Corticelli Yarn Book offers me the opportunity to learn to knit a dress.
What am I going to do with these? Well, mostly just squirrel them away I am sure; however, some of them have unique stitch patterns in them that I have never seen before, and wouldn't it be fun to use some of them to design something swell!?
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