Blog Tour: Vintage Baby Knits, by Kristen Rengren

A few weeks ago, I reviewed the lovely book, Vintage Baby Knits: More Than 40 Heirloom Patterns from the 1920s to the 1950s, by Kristen Rengren, brought to you by the creative geniuses at Stewart Tabori & Chang. If you missed the book review, you can find it here). Today I'm pleased to be a stop on the Vintage Baby Knits blog tour. Kristen Rengren -- fresh off her gropefest interview with Dolores at The Panopticon, stops by to talk about yarn.



Welcome to Go Knit In Your Hat, Kristen! Let's get right down to the yarn talk, okay? First question: How did you decide what yarns to use? Were you trying to replicate the yarns the patterns were originally knit in?

Thanks, Carol! I didn’t take a total purist stance on yarns, but I did want to preserve as much of the original look of the patterns, so that played an element in yarn choices. There were a few decisions along those lines that turned out to be important:

Knitters did have a few choices in terms of material, but for the most part, they chose wool. Starting in the 1920s, cotton fell out of fashion for garments and was really only used to knit household items like slippers or doilies. During the late 1940s and 50s, some nylon and some early forms of acrylic started to appear, and in the late 50s cotton started to make a comeback for baby garments. Patterns were also occasionally published featuring silk and angora, despite the fact that these fibers were very expensive for the average knitter. But most knitters depended on the dizzying array of wool yarns on the market – hence the decision to make most of the projects in the book out of wool as well. (I did make a few exceptions – for instance the Jasper Diamond Hoodie is knitted out of a bamboo blend – but my logic was that if our predecessors could have gotten their mitts on something as lovely as bamboo, they surely would have.)

One of the most important factors was choosing yarns that could achieve the fine gauge that so many vintage patterns depended upon. Before the 1960s, most knitters were accustomed to knitting whole garments with sock yarn and size 2 or 3 needles, for babies and adults alike. Most yarns were manufactured in fingering or sport weight. While there were many projects out there that called for DK-weight yarn (which used to, confusingly, be called Knitting Worsted), they tended to be reserved for either outdoor sportswear or for beginner projects where the knitter’s attention span was assumed to be low. Anything using a size 5 or larger needle was usually called a Jiffy Knit or a Quick Knit project. While I was writing the book, I didn’t want to have a book of projects knit exclusively in fingering weight, so I tried to find patterns with which a diverse range of yarns could be used. But most of the projects did end up being made from fingering and sport weight yarns. I tell people that knitting a baby sweater is like knitting a pair and a half to two pairs of socks - relatively painless once you get over any fear of small needles.




What about color choices?

Handpainted yarn as we know it basically didn’t exist yet. Machine-dyed variegated yarns were out there, but they were rarely used in comparison to solid color, tweed, or heathered wool. Where patterns were published for machine-dyed or “space dyed” yarns, they tended to be extremely simple garments in stockinette stitch in order to show off the novelty of the yarn, which is why none of them made it into this book – such patterns just wouldn’t have held the interest of the modern knitter.

I get asked a lot of questions about the palette I used. Most of the projects, of course, were photographed in black and white in the original pattern books, and very little information was given about color choices in the patterns. I did do some research into the colors that might have been popular for babies in that era – but while there was some information available on color trends in women’s fashion, I found precious little data on the subject of baby clothes. And in some cases (such as the trend of pink for boys and blue for girls in the first part of the century) tastes had changed enough so that I didn’t think I could get away with some of the color choices originally chosen by the designer. So I based my color choices in part on that research , but mostly picked colors that pleased me and that went together reasonably well.

One thing that a lot of people don’t realize is that in the first half of the 20^th century, there were tremendous advances in the dyes that were available, and color palettes were far less limited than we might think. Another interesting note about color has to do with wartime knitting. During World War II, when yarn was rationed and chemical plants that made dyes were retooled to make munitions instead, knitters found themselves unable to get the dazzling array of colors that they had become accustomed to in the 1920s and 1930s. Knitters had to make do with brightly colored scraps of leftover yarn and even old yarn from unpicked old sweaters, combined with the more drab military colors typically available with ration cards. Turning necessity into opportunity, resourceful knitters embraced stripes, fair isle, and other colorwork. Unexpected color combinations became a bold fashion statement, and their popularity lasted right up through the end of wool rationing.

What else was different about yarns used in the originals vs. today’s yarns?

I’ve gotten to look at a lot of vintage yarn, and a few vintage projects – and while some of the yarns used from the 1920s to the 1950s were comparatively soft, knitters in the 1920s – 1950s just didn’t have the kind of soft, short-stapled fibers to which we have become so accustomed. While 19-micron-count merino is commonplace today, it would have been an inexplicable wonder to yesterday’s knitter. Also, I still can’t figure out how, but yarn seems to have been lighter. The average baby sweater pattern from, say, the 1940s called for half as much vintage wool as it generally took for me to knit the same pattern using modern wool. Given that most yarn is spun using the same antiquated milling equipment that was used in the 1930s and 40s, I am not really sure what the difference is. Actually if your readers have any speculation on this, I’d love to hear it.

What were your favorite yarns you knit with?

There isn’t really a yarn in the book that I didn’t enjoy working with. If you look through the book, you’ll see that many of the designs are knit with sock yarn. It’s soft, it’s springy, and it tends to have a smooth surface and a tight twist that was similar to that of many vintage yarns. And it has the advantage of being very hard-wearing. That said, some of the loftier, softer yarns were especially pleasurable to knit with. The tiny flecks of color and the beautiful muted palette are just perfect for vintage knits. Pear Tree Merino is one of my favorites. The Jackie Cabled Set and the Louise cardigan are made out of Pear Tree. I also really enjoyed working with Sheep Shop Sheep Three. While it wasn’t a traditional choice – it’s a silk/wool blend, and a sport/DK weight at that – it was really lovely to work with, and the finished Bunny Blanket has such a nice hand. I’m sure I’ll be doing projects in both those yarns again.




Okay, normally, this is the place where I'd abuse you for not using any Black Bunny Fibers yarns in your lovely book, but since you are such a sweetheart, I will skip over that part, as long as you promise to use some in your next book.

It's a deal.

Here's fun news: if you go here, you can enter a drawing to win a free copy of the book, courtesy of the lovely folks at Stewart Tabori & Chang. For a list of the upcoming blog tour stops, go here. (Wednesday's stop is Sheep in the City.) Last, but not least, you can visit Kristen at her blog here. Thanks, Kristen!

A newly-minted knitter

Yesterday, Elvis learned to knit. He has been asking me for a while, and we've tried it a few times before that never seemed to take, but yesterday afternoon, worn down by all the sick people in my house (Elvis has strep, Tom has ... something icky and nasty but we're hoping it's not N.'s pneumonia), I pulled out a ball of chunky crap yarn and some child-friendly needles. Ably assisted by Kids Knitting, he was soon fascinated and produced this:


His first garter-stitch swatch. That's one for the scrapbook...

Just a few hours later, he had graduated to this:


Hah! Only kidding. His later squares still look like the first one, but he's enjoying it and getting better. And what nicer way could there be to spend a Sunday afternoon?

I lerve Kaffe.

Lookit how cute this sock is:

No-Bull Book Review Twofer: Easy Baby Knits & Easy Knits for Little Kids

Okay, I apologize for my brief panic attack the other day. I've blocked sweaters in the round before -- but never for a Book. And I truly appreciate all the excellent suggestions, both in the comments and in private emails. I'm concerned that a wooly board (sp?) won't be as helpful for sweaters that are knit, say, yoke style or with raglan seams, and also that it'll be harder to take into account waist shaping, as much as I love the idea of a beautiful wooden object that has a long history in the Shetland Isles. But enough about me.

Before I do today's review, be sure to check out the kewl article about my favorite cro-shay maven, the silver-tongued Kathy Merrick.

Now on to the main event.

So many books to review! Not nearly enough time! Today I present a No-Bull Book Review Twofer, featuring two books with children's knitting patterns. These two books seemed to naturally go together: they are written by British knitwear designers, they are focused on young children's garments, and they feature the word "Easy" in the title. A match made in heaven.

I should warn you that when it comes to books devoted to knitting for kids, I have a slightly different set of standards. Kids grow fast and unlike an adult sweater, which can be worn indefinitely (barring, say, moths, or a dramatic change in your physique, as the newly-buff Coco Schiaparelli von Furstenburg can attest to), kids' garments tend to last only one, maybe two, seasons. So quick-knitting and easy patterns make sense for kids in ways that don't necessarily apply to adults.




Keeping this in mind, today we take a look at Easy Baby Knits, by Claire Montgomerie (Ryland Peters & Small 2007), and Easy Knits for Little Kids: 20 Great Hand-Knit Designs for Children Aged 3-6, by Catherine Tough (C&T Publishing 2007).



As you might expect, the former contains patterns in sizes for babies from newborn to about 2-3 years, while the latter contains patterns for preschool-aged children.

Easy Baby Knits is written by Claire Montgomerie, a textile designer and teacher in Britain. Montgomerie began knitting and crocheting in earnest at age 18, although she'd learned as a child; she is a weaver as well as a designer for knitwear companies. She has her own line of kids' accessories and toys called "Monty," sold in Great Britain. You may recognize Catherine Tough's name if you are a Rowan fan: she has designed for them in recent years. She is a graduate of the Royal College of Art, has written one previous book and has her own knitwear design company.

The books have a similar feel: they are paperback, about 128 pages, with lots of pictures of fresh-faced tots. Both books feature good photography, including multiple shots of garments, some close-up and some full frontal (if you'll pardon the expression), with backgrounds that aren't busy or distracting. And both are full of simple designs that rely on the use of color changes, a few basic stitch patterns (mainly garter stitch and stockinette, with some moss stitch and a few others), contrasting trim, and uncomplicated lines.

Easy Baby Knits contains patterns for newborns through about two to three years, with finished sweater sizes ranging from 17.5 inches to 28.5 inches, depending on the pattern. (Some are written with younger babies in mind, while others size up all the way to 24 months). A number of the accessories and non-clothing items are written for one size, like the booties. The designs have gauges that range from 5 to 7 stitches per inch, and the items are shown knitted in lovely yarns, Debbie Bliss and Rowan/RYC, mostly.




The book is divided into three sections; first comes a sizeable how-to-knit refresher course, with lots of technical photos. I'm not usually a fan of how-to-knit sections in pattern books, thinking that a newbie is better off buying a more comprehensive reference and instead, letting pattern books contain as many garment designs as possible. Still, this book is definitely made for the beginner knitter (I suppose some folks take up knitting when someone in the family is expecting a baby) or for the person who used to knit a long time ago but is rusty (read: Grandparents). In either case, how-to-knit instructions make more sense.




The book's orientation toward inexperienced knitters is reflected in the patterns as well. There are two pattern sections, one devoted to clothing; the other to toys and accessories. You'll find about eighteen or so designs:

• a baby scarf (aren't they a strangulation hazard?)
• a "papoose"
• 5 sweaters and/or jackets
• a dress
• 2 hats
  
• 1 set of overalls (very similar to the dress)
  
• 2 bootie patterns (one with thumbless "scratch" mittens)
• 2 blankets
• soft building blocks
• a bib and
  
• a stuffed rabbit.

Have I mentioned that the patterns are very easy and very simple? For example, the scarf is simply a garter-stitch rectangle done in stripes of two colors. The "papoose" (I'll leave a discussion of the political correctness of the name to the Native American Anti-Defamation League) is a garter-stitch rectangle with the corner sewn down to form a sort of hood. The first sweater in the book consists of two T-shaped pieces knit in -- you guessed it -- garter stitch, while one hat pattern is a simple circular stockinette-stitch cap with alternating colored stripes, knit flat and seamed up the back. Get the idea?

The patterns I liked the most were these Mary Jane-styled booties




and this double-breasted knit coat/sweater.





Perfectly nice and attractive garments, suitable for new or rusty knitters, though nothing particularly creative or eye-catching. An advanced knitter, particularly one who can easily design his/her own patterns, is unlikely to need or want patterns as basic as most of these, so let the buyer beware.

Easy Knits for Little Kids is directed at a slightly older population of kids, those from around three to six years of age. The sweaters, along with a dress and skirt, basically come in small, medium and large sizes, which correspond to ages 3-4 yrs, 4-5 yrs and 5-6 yrs respectively. The actual finished chest measurement of the garments varies from 23.5 inches to a whopping 32 inches in the case of one sweater. Even taking into account extra ease for a comfortable kid fit, the sizing is pretty generous.




There are just over twenty patterns in the book, many of which are single-size items like hats or pillows. Here's the breakdown:

• 3 sweaters
• 1 dress
• 1 skirt
• 2 hats
• 1 pr of socks (in his and hers variants)
  
• 3 scarves
• 1 wristwarmers and 1 mittens
• 2 pillows
• 1 robe
• 1 each of miscellaneous non-clothing items, including a large doll (named Fred), a roll-up mat, animal slippers, a patchwork throw, pen and toy holders, a chair pad and bag (in his and hers variants).

Gauges tend to be DK weight and thicker, and all the patterns are shown in lovely Rowan and Jaeger (sniffle) yarns. They would be easy to substitute, however.



The book features color everywhere -- lots of color photos, color on the pages -- giving it a fun and whimsical look. (In contrast, Easy Baby Knits takes a more muted pastel approach.) Sadly, there are no schematics (although I suppose since these are relatively basic patterns, that's less unfortunate than it would otherwise be).



Overall, I found the patterns to be colorful, charming, and cute but not excessively cutesy-poo. I'd love to make the Swing Jacket, the jumper and the skirt for G., for starters, and the His/Hers Frog/Bunny sweaters are cute, too, although my twins may be getting a teeny bit old for the animal motifs. (We'll have to see how jaded they get in kindergarten this fall.) The patterns do look to be basic and fairly quick-knitting. There's nothing exceptionally fancy about the styling -- no fair isle or intricate cabling, although one sweater features big cables -- and so these would be well within the province of a less experienced knitter.



In light of the discussion earlier in the week about the bona fides of knitting-book authors, I feel constrained to point out that the author of Easy Knits for Little Kids identifies herself in the introduction as not being terribly skilled at handknitting. No need for us to rehash that discussion here; you can decide whether that matters to you, and only time -- and the experience of knitters -- will tell us how accurate and user-friendly these patterns are.

To sum up, these are two books with simple, easy items designed for children. They each have a certain charm, the Catherine Tough book appealing more to me than the Claire Montgomerie book, and the patterns are lovingly photographed in high-quality yarns. If you've got a book of kid's knitting patterns by Debbie Bliss or RYC or Louisa Harding, you'll want to think twice about purchasing either book sight unseen. The patterns are cute and sweet -- and did I mention they were easy and simple? -- but you may not find too much that is drastically different from other kid's knitting patterns. On the other hand, if you're looking for fairly mindless patterns that'll knit up quick for a young child you love, or you're an inexperienced knitter without an extensive pattern library, then take a look.