This lovely pattern can be made either long or short sleeved. From the forties I’m thinking from the style, but by the size of the pages maybe it is just after the war or before in 1938 or 1939, as there was strict paper rationing during World War Two in Britain and a lot of the patterns I have from that area are around a quarter of the size. The puff sleeves are adorable, I’m such a sucker for that style. The bust size is 33-34 inches. No idea about the ply of the yarn as it only lists it Copley’s Cryscelle, but as a rough guess, it is knitted on Size 10 and 12 needles, which are UK Size 3.25 and 2.75mm, US 3 and 1, so a 2 or 3ply yard as those are some super slim needles.

In case this isn’t your bust size, I recomend this book – Knit Back in Time: Includes Techniques for Updating Vintage Patterns and Retro-styling Modern Patterns , which will teach you how to resize. The book though not having a full knitting pattern in it, has patterns for different types of collar, neckline, sleeves, pockets, cuffs, pleats, stitch pattern charts for vintage lacy stitches and fair isle. I have been meaning to get more into resizing patterns to fit, as I have a particular problem of having tiny size 6 shoulders and a not so tiny size 16 waist. Being lazy I’ve switched to mainly raglan styles, but will resolve to devote a bit of time to studying this book.

Returning to this pattern from Copley’s – The text from the top of the page is a nice addition:

As an adjunct to the most active member of your wardrobe – your suit- this slim fitting jumper is just perfect with little scattered flowerettes for romance, each in different shades. For a grey suit choose dark shades, Guardsman Red 228, Navy 85, Royal Blue 99; or Tulip Pink 1117, Turquoise 206, Daffodil 90 got with navy or black.

How much do you want something with flowerettes for romance now you’ve read that?

I sometimes have a complete mental block on remembering words for things. Same with names, but this forgetfulness seems to afflict me with the same person’s names or a website’s name. My knit and natter buddy Amy had to suffer nearly a year of repeatedly being asked her name. This is totally relevent, as the website I want to share with you is one of those things. I remember it exists and that I want to use it, but can’t remember the name. Having now mentioned it once on the blog, I’ve been reduced to reading my own old blog posts trying to find that one mention. So this post is really for me, to make it easier to find!

Also it’s had a beautiful make over as Abby the code queen and knitter who made it has been joined by designer Lauren. The website is for knitters to make their own colourwork charts, but for those vintage magazine hoarders like me, it will make a chart from your picture. You begin with creating an account – don’t worry it’s all free – and can you can sign in with your Ravelry account if you have one.

So have a look at Chart Minder here at http://chart-minder.com/

This post was from a request. A couple of months ago I asked if any readers had a specific pattern they’d like hunted down and this was one of them, and one which I’d really like to knit! It’s the sweater above on the right. I would have scanned both, but I was in the Rare Books room at the British Library and they scrutinise how much you copy from each source (and as no one else scans knitting patterns, they look at me sceptically when I correctly inform them that it comes under industrial design copyright, which makes it copyright free now). Next time I’ll order for a different room, where the scrutinty is lax (shhh, not saying where in case the staff get into trouble).

This sweater is 37 inches around the bust, but this young lady appears in many, many patterns and usually they are for a smaller bust size than this, which confuses me.

She appears so in so many patterns (I’ve seen her in Weldon’s patterns, as well as in Stich In Time Volumes 1 and 2), that I’m going to name her, so I can tag all the patterns – say hello to Jumper Jill.

Ok, I promised to scan some of my own patterns and even made a nice pile and put it in an in-tray. Then I just did two and got really bored and didn’t post anything. It’s far, far more exciting to use the giant scanner at the British Library and actually in minutes per scan it’s quicker. Here are two quick knits, a Juliet Cap (do you think this name is from Romeo and Juliet?) and a Beret is garter stitch, which I think make it a good one for beginners.

The Golden Age of Mystery Fiction (approx. 1920 – 1945)

This is slightly off topic, but as you see from my imaginary Venn diagram of vintage knitters, wearers, sewists and Agatha Christie and other Golden Age author fans, there is a big overlap. I was lucky enough to meet the editor of the British Library Crime Classics imprint previously mentioned here, and introduce him to this demographic of readers he was previously ignorant of, at Bodies In The Library, a one day conference of writers, academics and über fans of the Golden Age of Crime.

Now if it had been a Gothic literature conference, there would have been a lot of people in black with lace and corsets, or a Sci-fi book convention there would be a smattering dressed in character. Alas I was the only person dressed ready to solve a 1930s country house crime, in my handmade 1930’s original pattern skirt (which I keep meaning to blog about) and hand knit sweater with a tweed jacket and sensible brogues for pursuing miscreants. One lady commented on my shoes, but apart from that I think people thought I was bonkers and had come in fancy dress – lucky I hadn’t gone the whole hog and worn a vintage hat (this was only omitted as I had to leave the house in a hurry). I wanted to point out that I really do just dress like that quite often (and on a side note, abhor the wearing of jeans as everyone from a toddler to a Grandpa seems to dress the same, which is so dull, or simply sickmaking as Evelyn Waugh would put it).

The day started with an amazing goodie bag which was worth the price of admission alone as it had three books in it, including the lovely facsimile edition above! It hasn’t been released yet, but expect to pay £9.99 when it arrives in mid-August 2015. There was also a list of all the books forthcoming from the British Library Classic Crimes and a programme for the day, which was packed with talks and discussion panels and included only one rather dull (in delivery rather than content) talk. The rest was amusing and I learnt quite a lot too. I’m now lusting after this book, which was on sale at the event, but being a huge hardback I realised I couldn’t manage it in addition to the goodie bag. – EDIT I was given the book for my birthday and it is indeed very good.

The author Martin Edwards was at the event and was very entertaining and really proved he knows his onions. No-one in the country has read as many crime novels as him! The first panel he was on was about the Detection Club, formed in thirties by famous names such as Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayer, EC Bentley, Freeman Wills Crofts and prime mover, but slightly forgotten author Anthony Berkeley (aka Frances Iles and a variety of other pseudonyms) I’ve listened to part of this as an audiobook today very much expecting it to be dry and academic, but it’s pretty exciting. “To conceal no vital rules from the reader” is part of the oath of the secret society which also involves a skull with glowing eyes and the tale of Ngiao Marsh’s first experiences can be listened to here on the publisher’s website.

There was also a book stall, so I did buy another book, not out till July, but specially released to the conference. How could I resist having it first (OK apart from all the readers who had it the first time it was printed). Lucky for you, it’s  now out – here it is on their website. Is it sad to say that the little row of matching book spines on my shelf is really satisfying?

There was also some post lunch entertainment in a crime radio play involving an unlikely coincidence of a doppelgänger and mysterious disappearances and a finale in a cave only accessible by sea.

Fun fact of the day – in the three weeks before Christmas 2014, A Mystery In White (above) was the number one bestselling fiction book on the Waterstones chart –  a legitimate best seller! And other publishers have taken note. A Harper Collins person in charge of estates (ie. books with a deceased author) who is therefore in charge of Agatha Christie’s publishing, was also at the conference. And a big hooray for him, as he’s the person responsible for the facsimile editions of Agatha Christie books, which I love and collect. Isn’t this flapper illustration below marvellous? And it’s a great book too.

There are going to be more fascimile editions of other crime authors (such as the goodie bag book at the top) and for those of you living in the twenty-first century, there are ebooks available for all the books I’ve mentioned. I would much prefer to have a real book and then have something nice to keep on my bookcases.

This is wonderfully progressive, or from the perspective of 2015 looking back to 1934 rather surprising. Taken from Weldon’s transfer Series No. 92. The text says 23042 “This is an ideal overall for an artist.” 30723 is even better – “Ideal for the modern girl who does her own motor repairs…” and suggests making it in gingham.

Weldon’s Transfer Series was a magazine which had one or two pages devoted to the embroidery transfer instructions, sometimes a surprise knitting pattern and the rest is entirely a Weldon’s patterns catalogue, with adverts for all sorts of Weldon’s products.

Other publications I’ve looked at from “Weldon’s” that are actually pattern catalogues include Weldon’s 6D series (aka Weldon’s Sixpenny Series), Weldon’s Outsize and Weldon’s Bazaar of Children’s Fashions, all of which would have a free tissue pattern, often for more than one item of clothing. The instructions covered two pages and the rest was pattern catalogue, adverts for other Weldon’s publications and conventional adverts aimed at women.

They did sell advertising space to other companies, but here are some Weldon’s ads in Weldon’s magazines, which will make you want to search out every flea markey and vintage fair till you find a copy! :

From Weldon’s Sixpenny Series issue 103 Styles for All with Larger Hips (this is mainly a pattern catalogue, as I said) has this advert for other Weldon’s things:

1934 Weldon’s Sixpenny (6D) Series – No.87  All Day Frocks has this advert:

Weldon’s Outsize Series which began in 1932 and the free sewing pattern had a bust of 42 inches. Here is a beautiful dress in an advert.

Finally from Issue 1 of Weldon’s Outsize, the four magazines you must not miss:

Intriguing new knitted for the sporty girl! This scan seems a bit out of focus, ever so sorry. I’m trying to read what the measurements are, but it’s in the wonky bit. A British Library Scan from Weldon’s Transer Series, from Issue No. 95 Jul 1934. The beret instructions on page two are much clearer and it’s July, so in the UK we were expecting dummer, up it’s pretty cold and we could do with some jaunty caps.

For those not of a geeky persuasion, you might not know that Agatha Christie has appeared in Doctor Who fighting giant alien wasps with David Tennant (clip here). I’ve learnt recently of a second fictional Christie appearance, appropriately solving a murder at a vicarage. At the Bodies From the Library conference (see my previous post), the panel were asked what works were keeping alive the Golden Age in the 21st Century and this was mentioned. It’s gone straight on to my too read list. It can’t be rubbish or the panel member wouldn’t have advocated for it and I wouldn’t have scribbled it in my little notebook. I failed to scribble down who exactly said it though.

Also mentioned more briefly were the Daisy Dalrymple series by Carola Dunn, which my Mum and I have been reading and posting to each other. Not up to Golden Age standards by someway, and falling into the cosy crime category, but on the whole good. I think one was really dreary. Begin with the first one and read in order, unlike Miss Marple books which can go in any order, and the dreary one is has a rather good one before and after. First one is Winter Garden Mystery (Daisy Dalrymple). They are set in the 1920s. Journalist the Honourable Miss Dalrymple keeps stumbling on bodies, hanging around , then listening to people unburden themselves till she solves the crime. Not above leading the police astray to protect the people she believes are innocent, she works so frequently with one detective that by about book 8 they are married in spite of the class difference. She carries on with her career, being a modern woman. The mental scars of WW1 occasionaly feature in different characters psyches (also the case with Golden Age detective Lord Peter Whimsy from the novels of Dorothy L. Sayers), but on the whole they are rather light in a nice relaxing way. Both my Mum and I prefer to read them when we feel ill or tired as they aren’t too taxing. Isn’t the cover awful though?! The rest don’t get much better. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover!

I’ve recently read the first in another series of mystery/detective books written now, which was less light, but also set in the 1920s –Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs Mystery 1).  I don’t think anyone at the conference mentioned it in the panel, but I think it’s good enough to recommend. The whole book revolves around First World War events affecting the lives of characters in the 1920s. It is sensitive and informative in dealing with soldiers who are horrificly disfigured and I felt I understood the period more after reading it. The back story of how Maisie became a detective is told in a long flash back, told aside from the detection plot. The skills of a pyschologist and detective are taught to her by a mentor, in a not too unlikely way and she really wants to help people, rather than accidentally being somewhere where a death has occurred, then suddenly discovering an aptitude for solving crime! I enjoyed it and would recommend. Can the rest of the series could be as good, as this novel gives so many pages over to Maisie’s life story – without that the author will have to plot a lot more around the crime I imagine. However there are ten Maisie Dobbs novels so far, so I must be wrong, and my Mum enjoyed book 2. Again they read in publishing order as the character’s lives make up much more of the book than a Miss Marple. Much better graphic design.

If you’d like to support my website, you can click through to Amazon to buy the novels via pictures like above or links and I get some money, probably a tiny amount like 0.005p (and in I’ve altered some of my previous posts which mention books so they are linked to Amazon too.) The money will go on cat food, copying fees at the library and yarn, so you know it will be well spent anyway.

I

This indispensable advice comes from “The Teaching of Needlework” (second edition) by Dorothy M. Howlett, which I’ve photographed at the British Library. This manual was used widely in state schools where the majority of girls were educated and needlework was guaranteed to be on the syllabus. The 1934 first edition was revamped and republished in the environment of rationing clothes and a national drive towards make do and mend as part of the war effort.

I’m fascinated to see which pattern companies are considered of good quality!

Reliable patterns: Reliable patterns which may be used are Vogue, McCall and Butterick.

These are all American companies which had been operating in Britain for some time, all having been founded in the previous century. Vogue had launched the British version of its magazine (which offered a place to promote it’s patterns) in 1916. In the 1920’s all the American companies had offices in London and Paris (including Pictorial Review, Butterrick, Vogue, McCall, Excella, Standard and Home). Butterick was by the 1930s manufacturing in Britain, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

Less expensive patterns include: Simplicity, Pictorial, Weldon’s, Dubarry, Best Way, Leach’s and Maudella.

Dubarry was the pattern company owned by Woolworths, begun in 1933. This reference confirms that they were sold in Great Britain, which I wasn’t aware of. Simplicity and Pictorial again were American. British companies Weldon’s, Best Way and Leach’s all offered their own magazines (in Weldon’s case a plethora of different magazines) with free patterns, to advertise their mail order sewing pattern businesses and had been established before 1919. Maudella was a company based in Yorkshire, begun in the twenties (which now trades as New Look).

Coupon or free patterns given away in fashion books are as a rule not quite so dependable. They are cut in large quantities by machines, and a slip in the cutting may cause misfits of the garments.

Surely Butterick et al. also cut patterns by machine? The patterns she refers to can be called House Name Patterns. Magazines such as Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Realm and Woman’s Patterns offered patterns free or by return of a coupon. Odham’s press was responsible for the above three titles and I believe didn’t offer any patterns under their own name. They were just one of several companies making house name patterns. I expect they were considered cheaper being not from the more exclusive Vogue (always the most expensive patterns in the UK and US in the 20th century) for example. I’d love to compare the tissue quality, the instructions and fit of the different companies’ patterns.

(Sources: “”A History of the Paper Pattern Industry: The Home Dressmaking Fashion Revolution

and The Culture of Sewing: Gender, Consumption and Home Dressmaking (Dress, Body, Culture)).

As an experiment this pattern is all from phone photos and I’m typing this at the British library straight to WordPress. Let me know if they aren’t clear enough and I’ll go back to using the scanner and uploading via my laptop. This is from the Needlewoman.

Here is Jumper Jill again. Since I named this thirties knitting pattern model, Theodora has shared some more pictures of her. I’m not the only person who is wildly curious about this model, who is my most favourite. My latest idea is that she was a) possibly a photographers wife or b) a debutant. Read Theodora’s blog at Theodora Goes Wild – She’s also been sharing some lovely vintage knitting patterns.

The pattern I’m sharing today is for the two sweaters on the left from Good Needlework, April 1936. I’m slighlty bonkers for knits with collars. Also I’d like to say sorry for the wonky scans – all my British Library Scans are more wonky than my home collection, due to the restrictions on how you can handle the pages – no placing them face down!

Finished measurements 35 inches around bust. The pattern describes the front detail as “vestee inset” which makes me smile for some reason.

From Issue 2 of Sitchcraft,November 1932 (pages 5 and 28). This pattern is for size 34 inch bust. Instead of scanning this is photographed. I have tried to do a full page picture and then lots of close ups. I’m undecided whether to continue with this method. It’s quicker than scanning, but perhaps makes it confusing when trying to knit.

Original was in scarlett and white “a gay colour scheme for November days.” Full on apologies for the N word appearing to descibe black wool. I’ve seen this appearing a lot in this context.

Well look at this with an unusual stitch and puff sleeves. Where is it from? I have no idea. I’m looking at my jpgs and wondering. Somehow when I converted them from pdfs and edited them, all the data on what date it was disappeared and my notes on what I scanned make no sense. Will try harder in future. In the mean time, enjoy the vintage pattern anyway! it’s a bust size from 32 inch to 35 inches, due to the stretchy nature of knitting.

Jumper Jill saves the day! In my previous post I confessed that my files are all of a muddle and I couldn’t say which publication I scanned it from. Well, this one has yealded to a spot of detection work, as it features my favourite model, who I’ve dubbed Jumper Jill. My notebook suggests this is most likely to be from Bestway Knitting 1938 issue 43 “Charming Summer Jumpers” which I scanned at the British Library way back in July.

Bust 34 to 38 inches in one size, depending on how closely fitted you’d like. Needs 2 ply yarn.

I haven’t featured any fair isle for a while, though I have a stack of patterns in my stash at home that I really ought to scan. Here is a pattern from Bestway Knitting. This magazine ceased publication during the years 1941 to 1945. Here is a pattern from 1946. The pages of WW2 patterns are usually quite small, and though this is post-war, there were still restrictions and shortages around. Here we are instructed to use up all our left over little bits of yarn.

I’ve previously dubbed a reappearing model Jumper Jill, who was all over Woman’s Weekly, Good Needlework and Stitchcraft in the 1930s. This lady below is her wartime counter part, Sweater Susan (sweater being an Americanism for jumper and quite a lot of American’s came over to Britian during the war).

3 ply and for a 32 to 34 inch bust.

Britannia and Eve was a monthly ladies magazine (which combined two previous magazines). It’s big and has glossy, which has 114 pages and covered fashions, fashionable homes, stories and out of an entire year I looked at, only around 4 knitting patterns. This is from 1934. No sign of either a bust size or ply of yarn. But isn’t the front cover of the magazine gorgeous!

I’ve had a pleasant day at the British Library looking at the very first years of Stitchcraft magazine. It began in October 1932. Normally I would be looking for patterns to scan for this website, but I have a dual mission now to spot a model I’m calling Jumper Jill (and spot jumpers with giant bows like Miss Lemon’s). Jill was absent from the first 3 issues, but appears in four issues in 1933, which I’ll add to the website along with my favourite patterns from all these issues.

Under the helm of “Editress” Norah Hadley (whose name doesn’t get mentioned until at least six issues in), Stitchcraft appears to be a Conde Nast publication, however if you look at the really, really small print it seems to be a Patons and Baldwins, Conde Nast co-production. The offices of the editor were in Halifax, home of Paton and Baldwin, who are still in business today as a wool manufacturer. Maybe this is where Jumper Jill was from? The back page of issue 1 says

Printed for the proprietors, Messers Paton & Baldwin Ltd Halifax, Messers Percy Lund, Humphries and Co Bradford. Published for the proprietors by Conde Nast Publications Ltd.

Instead of the entirely knitting and craft based Stitchcraft magazines of the 1940s and 1950s, these early issues have a wider scope – “Stitchcraft for the modern woman and her home” – with a free gift of an embroidery transfer, a cookery page, a two page spread in every issue on Paris fashions from their correspondent in France, Anne Talbot; plus the more usual knitting, rug making and so on. From April 1933 there were film reviews too. From May 1933, Stitchcraft sewing patterns for lingerie were featured over two pages. Readers could send off for the pattern (for a fee). A feature I really like, is that items similar to those from the Paris fashion report turn up as a knitting patterns a few issues later. I’ll be sharing two of these – a swagger coat with Raglan sleeves and a short jacket, later on.

Here is the first Jumper Jill appearance, from Issue 4. I wouldn’t describe these as “next to nothings” which is the caption under the picture, but then I live in a flat with central heating so haven’t really needed knitted underwear (I didn’t alway live here and my last place was so cold, I did knit myself a vest)

If you want to download this pattern here it is as a pdf – Underwear set knitted 1933

This knitting pattern is from Stitchcraft Issue 4, January 1933 – a coat, jumper and rather odd little hat – perhaps it could be a torque or side sitting cap and the weird crown could just be left off? The finished bust of the coat and top is 36 inches.This is described as “tailored knitting” which is just so chic. Ah, I remember early on just posting amusing knitting patterns, with cute kids or funny men leaning on trees. Now I’ve gone down a rabbit hole into serious fashion history stuff and consquently this blog is less amusing and more “I want this, and this,and this!” and “why can’t I be that chic and well tailored”. And also “sigh, another one not in my bust size.” Addressing the last one, I did look at thirties patterns in larger sizes, but they were all designed for 1930s old ladies and looked a bit frumpy. Coming up tomorrow I have a not frumpy one, described as being “for the slightly larger than average.”

I can’t decide if this is Jumper Jill or not from the side profile. Hmm. She was in the same issue in an underwear set. 

This has become quite a famous scarf, which was published many times in the twentieth century. It’s probably known now as Miss Marple’s scarf after it appeared in the TV series.

This knitting pattern version has larger flaps/ ends (well, what would you call them?) rather like leaves. It’s from Bestway Knitting Issue 116 from 1948, which was a right bugger to scan, as the pages were pretty tiny and the whole thing was tricky to hold open without damaging it. In the end I took a mixture of scan and phone photos. Here is a scan of the front cover showing the cravat in yellow.

The pattern begins in the left hand column below and the continues in right column of the next photo, then ends in first photo right side column.