Turning to the Teens

With my first sweater behind me, I turn now to the 1910s and start contemplating the options for my next project. My personal collection of vintage patterns is sadly lacking in 1910s publications, much as it was for the 1900s. In fact, I have just one, this Collingbourne's Encyclopedia of Technologic Art Needle Work Instruction written by Virginia Snow and published in 1916 in Elgin, Illinois. Here's the back cover of this booklet, complete with an illustration of the factory and a cautionary tale about using inferior materials in one's needlework.

It is full of dainty crochet edgings, elegant hats, and fancy items for the home, like lamp shades, face cloths, and plant pot covers. Lovely to look at, but nothing really great for my purposes. So, I turn again to the internet and to my friend-in-wool Anna Schumacker, designer of my Ladies' Outing Coat, for 1910s inspiration. In her Columbia Book of Yarns of 1916, there is a fabulous introduction that explains the new and exciting developments in the field of knitwear:

 

Flipping (digitally) through the succeeding pages leads us to some lovely sweater designs. It's easy to spot the changes in silhouette that the years between 1907 and 1916 have brought: sweaters are longer and less structured, with wide belts and big buttons. You can see the more familiar trends of the '20s starting here, as the corseted look of the first decade starts to give way to looser, straighter lines and some very interesting colorwork:

From The Columbia Book of Yarns, 1916, page 150. If only I were a better crocheter...

The Ladies' Knitted Sweater from The Columbia Book of Yarns, 1916, page 163

 I like the clean lines and simple stripes in the lower images; this could be a contender.

I checked out the 1918 edition of the Columbia book as well and found another couple of possibilities. Many of these designs use simple garter stitch to great effect.

The Ladies' Knitted Sweater from The Columbia Book of Yarns, 1918, page 152.

The Ladies' Knitted Sweater from The Columbia Book of Yarns, 1918, page 164.

 

 

I love the soft angora collar in the upper design; the belt is very typical of many patterns in this era. Likewise, the strong military influence in the lower picture is a clear trend in these years during WWI.

In the Utopia Yarn Book of 1919, I found this fabulous cross-over coat, which looks so avant-garde and modern:

Surplice Sweater from Utopia Yarn Book, 1919, page 48

And I think the striped collar, wide sash, and faux-pleated skirt on this sweater are really great:

The "Goldie" Golf Sweater from Utopia Yarn Book, 1919, page 58

In reading through some of these patterns, I noticed that many of them employ a semi-seamless construction, linking back to fronts to sleeves and leaving only side seams to sew up at then end. This photograph illustrates the massive single piece of knitting that makes up the bulk of the work:

Fascinating. You just don't see sweaters built like this much anymore at all. I'm looking forward to getting started on one of these designs, but which one? Any suggestions?