Mohair, No Problem

I have completed my little puffy cloud of mohair! It's as light as air and surprisingly warm, despite being a fairly loose gauge. Gotta let that fiber halo bloom.

As a refresher, this is my 1960s project from the 1962 Mohair Hand Knits booklet published by Bear Brand/Fleisher Yarns.

This is the first time I've knit an entire project solely out of mohair and it was rather delightful. The particular mohair I used was a bit of a mystery. It came as a bag of three balls from GreaterGood.com (a gift from a coworker) with minimal label information, but it turned out to be rather magical as the entire sweater took 1.15 balls. I just kept pulling and pulling and the ball seemed to take forever to get smaller.

The knitting itself was extremely straightforward as this is knit from the lower back edge up over the shoulders, with built-in increases for the sleeves. The sleeve cuffs are picked up, knit on, and folded over and then the collar is knit separately and sewn in place. The only other seaming is along the sides, so it's pretty quick to finish. Because mohair can be so sticky and fluffy, I definitely recommend using a smooth yarn for seaming. I had some neutral sock yarn that worked beautifully. 

I stuck close to the original pattern measurements and achieved the very cropped jacket look shown on the model. I probably wouldn't wear this with pants, but it's ideal over a dress (as it's styled in the pattern booklet) and makes for a very cozy layer. We took these pictures on a warm September day and I quickly got too hot in the sun! It would be perfect for an evening outside or as a way to winterize a summery dress.

Before I committed to this yarn, I knit a swatch (of course) and tried it out against my skin to make sure it wouldn't feel too itchy. It's not the softest mohair I've encountered, but it felt fine in the swatch and, now, as a complete sweater.

All in all, this was a great summer knit: lightweight, easy, and fairly quick. Plus, I had perfect buttons in my stash!

Specs

Yarn: GreaterGood.com Mohair Wool Yarn

Amounts: 1.15 balls (115 grams/660 yards)

Needles: size 4 and 5

Started: 8 June 2019

Finished: 15 September 2019

IT IS DONE.

At long last, my 1959 Vogue Knitting dress is finished!! There haven't been many other projects whose completion has brought me so much relief and joy. I honestly thought this one might be the straw that broke the camel's back and derailed me from my century project and languished forever as an unfinished object, but I made it. It was definitely a slog. At the end, though, I have to say that I am pretty pleased with how it all turned out. It was such fun to put it all together today and try it on.

I started this dress back on 25 August 2017. It was finished on 27 January 2019. Let's see if I can remember enough to recap some of my process!

I chose the pattern from the Fall/Winter 1959 issue of Vogue Knitting magazine with the idea of challenging myself to a bigger knit. I located some black wool crepe yarn from Made in America Yarns and ordered 4 cones, figuring that I would need to work with a double strand to get gauge. I experimented with different needle sizes and eventually settled on a size 4, which gave me a suitable gauge: 13 sts is about 2" wide and one full 6-row pattern repeat is about .75" high.

I chose the lacy black dress on the left!

I made the pattern's size 14, casting on 243 sts for each half of the skirt. I opted for 150 rows to get to about 20" in length so that the dress would be about knee-length on me. That's a little shorter than the recommended 27", which I think would have been a bit too long for me. This part of the process was very slow going. The pattern was easy to memorize once established, but, boy did it ever take forever. The skirt is knitted in front and back sections and then seamed together. Once I sewed the first seam, it became really clear that I had A LOT of knitted fabric to deal with. Here's the skirt laid out on our futon!

The top was a little easier to tackle. I again selected the size 14 specifications, but added a few inches to the body length (10" total). I found it very hard to manage increasing and decreasing within the pattern on the back, so I decided not to add any shaping to the lower front. I also opted to lengthen the the armholes slightly. For the sleeves, I went for the largest size so that they would fit into my slightly expanded armholes. Weirdly, there are no conventional shoulders on this top. It's really just a wide, straight neckline that connects directly to the sleeves. It was a little fiddly to put together, but the fit was just right when I finished.

The black lace was super hard to photograph!

I made a few modifications on the finishing. I did two rows of single crochet around the neckline, which was just enough to pull it together and finish the raw edges. The pattern recommends adding single crochet to the sleeves as well, but I really liked the pretty scalloped edge, so I decided not to straighten them out with the crochet border. I did add several rows of crochet to the waist on the skirt to help bring it in closer to my waist size. Since it was still so voluminous, though, I decided not to attach it to the top. I know that means it's technically not a dress, but I do think the two pieces will be more versatile as separates. Going back to the skirt, I thought I'd go with a gathered waist instead of the elastic-and-zipper waist in the pattern. Honestly, after I did a fair bit of crochet on the waistband, I just ran a sturdy cotton tape through the holes in the crochet and made it a drawstring waist. I knew this would all be hidden under the belt. It works just fine.

With photographer Sam's apologies for my cropped head!

I put it all together this morning, along with a wide black belt from my closet. At first, I wasn't sure about the skirt. It just seemed a bit...bulky. And then I realized what it needed. A PETTICOAT. And that was it! That gave the skirt some body and structure and made it so much more fun to wear. And what a great '50s silhouette! I did my best to recreate the model's pose from the original magazine, too. Arthur the Dog joined in on the fun!

I'm really pleased with the way this turned out. And that's a major relief considering just how much knitting went into it. I'm looking forward to wearing this out and about sometime soon. Stay tuned for my foray into '60s knitting next. It's probably not going to be a dress.

Specs

Yarn: Made in America Yarns' Wool Crepe in black

Amounts: about 3 cones total (I held two strands together)

Needles: size 3

Hook: size E

Started: 25 August 2017

Finished: 27 January 2019

1940s: Done and Dusted

Here it is! My 1942 "Name, Please" is complete. I'm loving the puffed sleeves (as always), the gold zipper, and the fine gauge of this sweater.

 

You'll notice immediately that I opted for a single set of initials in my version, rather than the all-over pattern in the original. This was simply a matter of taste. I thought I might go for the all-over effect, but once the first set was done, I decided that I liked the look of it. Plus, I used a metallic embroidery thread and I was worried that repeating the letters over and over again would be too much. I think it'll be more wearable for me this way, too. (And also, the one set I did took a long time and was really fiddly and I didn't relish the thought of doing it a dozen more times, so...)

 

On the whole, this was a bit of a long haul, knitting-wise. Those wide bands of moss stitch on size 2 needles are not for the faint of heart and, more than once, I had to grit my teeth and muster up my resolve to keep going. Once I moved on to the stockinette portion, progress became much more evident and the sweater moved more quickly. Shaping and construction were fairly straightforward. I fiddled around with the stitch count for the back, but then ended up making the front to the pattern specifications. I'm happy with the fit.

 

Despite their time-consuming nature, I do love the look of the moss stitch borders and the construction of the front is really great. The partial zipper is a pretty cool feature. I had initially planned to go for a standard all-purpose zipper in a matching brown, but then my husband suggested this gold metallic one and it just seemed perfect. Of course, an original 1940s zipper would have been metal, so it is certainly a more authentic choice as well. I was very careful when installing it to ensure that the knit edges were a safe distance away from the teeth of the zipper. Metal zippers and fine gauge sweaters can be a scary combination without some degree of care and planning. It works smoothly, but I think I'll always feel a little nervous when zipping or unzipping.

 

A closeup of a few details. The dark color of the yarn makes this a very tough sweater to photograph! Please excuse any washed-out areas or blurriness.

The yarn (Jagger Spun Super Lamb 4/14 sock yarn), as I mentioned in this post, is spectacular. I loved working with it, the color is gorgeous, and the finished fabric is fine, even, and soft enough to wear next to the skin. It felt really luxurious to knit and the sweater took a little less than three skeins, so it was quite affordable.

 

 

All in all, my "Name, Please" was a satisfying project. I can absolutely foresee wearing this sweater to work this fall. I'll be back with some 1950s choices soon (my pattern collection really starts to expand when it hits the '50s, so there are lots of options). Dare I attempt a knitted dress?!

 

 

Specs

Yarn: Jagger Spun Super Lamb 4/14 sock yarn in Raw Umber

Amounts: about 2.75 skeins

Needles: size 2

Hardware: 9" sparkly gold metal zipper

Started: 25 February 2017

Finished: 9 July 2017

1930s: Complete

Well, I didn't get the pose just right and I didn't have the appropriate statement necklace, but my 1930s metallic cocktail jacket is complete! I'm thrilled. Not only is it a great feeling to have finished what has been a painfully slow project, it's also a welcome break for my hands and fingers. The metallic yarn was harsh on my skin and the matte gray yarn was splitty and annoying, but it was all worth it. I love the result. The puffed sleeves, the metallic smocking, the solid yoke...a great 1930s look.

And I'm pleased with the fit, too. It's close-fitting and tailored without being too tight, the sleeves are well-engineered, and the buttons work without too much gapping.

The pattern was solid, too: clear, detailed, well-written, and mistake free. I made just a few modifications, including adding 2" to the overall length and reducing the number of cast-on stitches for each front from 63 to 50. My gauge was just a little larger than recommended and, after knitting and measuring the back, it was clear that I'd need a few fewer stitches to do the job. I'm glad I did. Sticking with the original instructions would have led to a sweater that was a bit too big. Other than those two points, I changed nothing!

Construction-wise, this was a pretty standard knit. One back, two fronts, and two sleeves, all knit from the bottom up. The seams were easy to sew and the busy surface design means that the seams are virtually invisible despite mismatched patterns on the different pieces. Just like my first two decade sweaters, there is a lot of crochet finishing in this. The sleeves, neck, fronts, and lower hem are all finished in a few rows of single crochet. In fact, the buttonband and buttonholes are done in crochet. So, that took a long time, but it does provide nice stability to the edges and a polished finish. I chose simple black hemispherical plastic buttons and I think they're just right and in keeping with the original pattern recommendations.

The next step for this sweater is to find somewhere to wear it! I'll be delving into my 1940s pattern books next to see what I can find. After this one, though, I have a few personal goals for my next project:

1. Must be made of a natural fiber.
2. Maybe no buttons for a change?
3. No crochet edging!

Specs

Yarn: Massive mystery skein of dark gray cotton (?) and cone of silver metallic synthetic

Amounts: I still have a lot of each left

Needles: size 2

Crochet hook: necessary, but I don't remember the size

Started: 2 October 2016

Finished: 19 February 2017

So close...

The 1919 Goldie Golf Sweater is finished! Unfortunately, as it's gray, foggy, and damp today, I don't have any pictures of the complete sweater just yet. I'm hopeful that the weather later in the week will be more conducive to knitwear-modeling and picture-taking, though I don't expect to wear this sweater for real until much later in the fall. It is super warm. In the meantime, I'd like to share my modifications and notes about the project in case anyone out there is interested in making their own version. Or in case anyone out there just really enjoys the nitty-gritty details of someone else's project (I know I do)!

Overall, the sweater was an enjoyable knit. I appreciated the ease and abundance of garter stitch in this project; it really does make the finished product cozy and well-fitting. The one-piece back-to-front construction of the sweater is something that isn't often seen in today's adult sweaters (though I've certainly seen it in contemporary baby garments), but I think maybe it's due for a comeback. I liked building in the sleeves to the body of the sweater and knowing that there wouldn't be quite so much seaming at the end.

I made a few modifications to the sizing, adding 4 garter stitch ridges (8 rows) to the back, 6 ridges to the sleeves and shoulders, and 4 ridges to each front. Although the pattern didn't specifically call for it, I shaped the fronts just like the back, decreasing 1 stitch every fourth ridge towards the waist. I knit the buttonholes on the left front, making the top hole 3 ridges from the neck and subsequent holes every 7th ridge. I made the skirt, collar, and sash as directed with no changes.

Just like the 1900s sweater, this one called for a fair amount of crochet edging. I worked 2 chain stitches and a slip stitch around the edges of the skirt and collar and did a few rows of single crochet along the buttonbands and lower edge of the body. The chain/slip stitch combo made a sort of picot edging on the skirt and collar and helped define the scalloped edges with a really pretty effect. The single crochet on the other sections stabilized the edges and made sewing up really smooth and easy. This was especially welcome as the skirt really needs to be gathered in to fit against the body. I used a size G/6/4.25mm crochet hook.

Here's a quick snap of the sweater mid-finishing, as I'm gathering the skirt to fit. I sewed the seam from the center out to each edge to ensure an even fit.

The sleeves came out a little short and the cuff instructions were a bit unclear, so I had to improvise on those. I picked up 43 stitches around each sleeve and knit 20 more garter ridges in brown. Then, I switched to teal for 10 ridges and bound off. I folded the cuffs back and, per the pattern, sewed a decorative button to the center of each cuff. The pattern describes making a "ruffle" in folding back the cuff and tacking it back under itself, but I'm not convinced that ruffling is really possible (or desirable) with garter stitch at this gauge. In any event, my cuffs seem to be similar to the photo in the pattern and I like the way they look and fit, so I'm calling it good. I have no doubt that a knitter in 1919 would have approached this iffy part of the pattern in her own way and figured out an acceptable solution as well!

I decided to skip the pocket. As you'll see in the finished pictures, it would have been a very awkwardly placed pocket.

And that's it for modifications. As I mentioned, it was a fairly smooth project, even if it did take about three months to complete. There's a lot of knitting in it! More pictures soon.

First Decade Down

 

One decade down, 9 more to go! My 1907 Ladies' Outing Coat is finished, just in time for a cooler-than-normal early spring day, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. It is perhaps a shade too big and doesn't have quite the same hourglass shape* as the picture, but, overall, this sweater is warm, comfortable, and looks just fine with jeans while retaining its early-20th-century charm. 

* I know that the hourglass shape in the picture is enhanced by a corset and that this sweater was undoubtedly intended to be worn with one. I do not intend to do this. 

 

 Since my last progress post on this sweater, I've knitted and attached the second sleeve, knitted and attached the two pockets and the collar, crocheted about a mile of edging and buttonholes, and attached 14 buttons. A warning to all who might be contemplating adding this sweater to the queue: it is not for the crochet-averse knitter. There is a lot of crochet edging in this project. I'm certainly not the world's most confident crocheter (that would be my sister-in-law Melanie), but I feel pretty good about adding crochet borders to knit projects and I sort of love that this pattern just assumed I could do both needlecrafts with equal competence. Plus, since this was a fairly straightforward single crochet edging, I knew I could handle it, even if it did take quite a lot of time. The buttonholes are built into this crochet edge and, since you're working at a fairly tight gauge with the yarn held double, they are quite sturdy and stable. Overall, I think the crochet border adds a nice finish to the sweater and really stabilizes the sleeve cuffs, collar edging, and lower hem. A ribbed garment like this will naturally have a tendency to stretch and the crochet works well to counteract that tendency.

There was almost no detail in the pattern about attaching the buttons, so I went with my instincts and placed 4 buttons on each side of the front. In order to achieve the fit I wanted, I had to place the buttons somewhat further apart than they appear in the pattern picture. I also had to come up with a plan for the hidden inner buttons. I used black buttons for exterior surfaces and white buttons for interiors.

I ran into some trouble with the "revers" (the folded-back lapels). When I placed the buttons where I wanted them, I found that I couldn't really fold back the top edges and keep them even and centered like the pattern photo showed. So, I decided to skip those top buttons and leave the outer lapel loose as you see below. I think it still captures the look of the original.

I found some vintage-style buttons at Jo-Ann that I used for the pocket buttons. These were labelled as 1890-1910, perfect for my project! The pockets themselves are knit separately and sewn onto the fronts.

 

I'm already looking forward to delving into my 1910s patterns!

Specs

Yarn: Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes sport weight, about 14.5 balls

Needles: size 4 

Crochet hook: Crochet hook sizing confuses me. The one I used said "4 or E"

Started: 16 January 2016

Finished: 19 March 2016

Hubris

Last weekend, I finished Sleeve 1 and started seaming up the sweater. The pattern calls for a very specific and, to me, unusual progression of seams: sew the side seam, sew the sleeve seam, sew the sleeve into the armhole. I don't think I've ever finished a sweater in this manner, so, believing that I, the 21st-Century Knitter, knew better, I tried to fit the un-sewn sleeve into the sweater and then sew up the side seams. This went wrong fairly quickly as I realized that the offset side seam meant that the sleeve seam and the side seam did not line up. I had forgotten about this fact and pinned the pieces together wrong at the start. Ah, the hubris of the present day knitter. 

So, I ripped out my seams and went back to follow the pattern's original instructions. Anna Schumacker, the 1907 pattern writer, clearly knew what she was doing. Overall, it worked well. Setting the sleeve into the armhole as a tube proved to be a little fiddly, but it allowed me to center the sleeve more easily and ensure that there was some excess fabric at the shoulder for the puff. Incidentally, when the sweater is finished, I think the sleeve puffs will need a little extra support to keep their shape.

The sleeve seam from the outside. I promise that the sleeve really does puff when worn.

The sleeve seam from the inside. I wove in a multitude of ends for this photo.

I spent a lot of time working on the seams, all the while hoping that things would also fit well. So far, so good. The sleeves are the right length, the shoulders fit well, and the double-breasted front should work. I'll share pictures soon. In the meantime, Sleeve 2 awaits and then there's the small matter of the crocheted edging and buttonholes.