Women's hockey, knitwear, and the 1920s

We've made it to the Roaring '20s! I've been looking forward to exploring the knitwear of the 1920s for a while now: longer, leaner silhouettes with modern, graphic sensibilities. Faux fur trims, luxurious fibers, matching hats and parasols, sporting ensembles, swim suits: the '20s have it all.

Again, my personal collection is somewhat lacking in 1920s patterns, with just a few designs that very much recall the 1910s. I really wanted to pick a pattern that made a distinct change from the first few sweaters I've made, so I browsed around online for a while. There are quite a few '20s pattern books available as reproductions. The Antique Pattern Library offers the 1922 Corticelli Yarn Book by Mrs. L. Addie Crandall Smith, which features some lovely, colorful designs with bright stripes and geometric patterns. I highly recommend a browse! There is also a nice selection of 1922 patterns on "A Good Yarn." You'll see tuxedo jackets, accessory sets, and activewear there. And then there's the Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions, which has loads of '20s pattern books available as reproductions, including this Columbia Yarns booklet from 1921. If you scroll down to the fifth picture, you'll see a pattern that particularly struck me. It's a trim crocheted suit with a matching hat, but the model appears to be carrying a hockey stick! This is very different from the usual golf club or tennis racket. I was intrigued.

As a lifelong hockey player myself (I started playing goalie for my local girls' team at age 13 and am still playing 23 years later), this image immediately sent me down the delightful rabbit hole that exists at the intersection of women's hockey and knitwear. Of course, I knew that today's hockey jerseys started life as sweaters and that if you're playing hockey outside on a frozen pond good knitwear is essential. But I did not really know the early history of organized women's ice hockey, which dates back to the 1890s in Canada and rose in popularity through the '20s and '30s. In the US, we see it taking hold in the 1910's and '20s. I love photos of these early-twentieth-century teams, like the one below of the Gore Bay, Ontario team in 1921. Their boldly striped sweaters, toques, and socks are fabulous and I love seeing pictures of these female athletes with their teammates. The camaraderie that I know from my teams over the years is so palpable here, in this group of women, standing elbow to elbow with their sticks and skates nearly 100 years ago.

Credit: Library and Archives Canada/PA-074583

There are so many more pictures like this. A Google image search will provide plenty of pictures of knit-clad women on the ice through the years.

But, I digress. I did eventually find my chosen sweater pattern for the 1920s, with my husband's kind assistance. There's an album of photos and patterns from the 1921 Columbia Book of Yarns, 22nd edition, volume 2 freely available on the Vintage Knitting Crochet Needlework Patterns Dazespast Facebook page. I picked this one:

Visit the Facebook album for more pictures from this volume!

I'm off to buy yarn! More soon.