A Stitch in Time Volume 1

by Jane Waller, Susan Crawford

Vintage Knitting and Crochet Patterns 1920-1949 Vol 1

Genres: Knitting, Nonfiction, Crafts, Crochet

354 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history is fun. I love the inclusion of the original patterns as written as well as the currently recognizable pattern.
However this is primarily knit with a touch of crochet.

[Rebekka Steg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous pictures, fascinating history and background for the pieces. More inclusive sizing than I expected / feared. Out of 44 clothing items (sweaters, swimsuits, combinations, dress), 21 have sizes above 42 inches (bust) (some only to 48 inches , but others up to 56 inches). A further 16 go up to 42 inches, but there are still 13 at 40 and below, and a few of these only go up to 32, 34 or 38 inches.

My one big pet peeve with this book is that all of the swimsuits are knit in cotton. The authors might know something I don't (I tried to Google the original yarns used, but couldn't find any information on their fibre content), but according to all of my research wool were the primary material for swimsuits until manmade fibres were available. Cotton was never used until it could be mixed with elastic. Cotton will grow baggy because it has no natural elasticity, and when wet gets very heavy and takes forever to dry. Wool on the other hand is naturally very elastic, can absorb up to 30% of its weight in water without feeling wet and will dry much faster.

Aside from that, lovely book that isn't just inspired by vintage styles, but actually takes vintage patterns and rewrites it for the modern knitter in multiple sizes (historically patterns were usually only given in one size and it was up to the knitter to work out how to knit their own size).

[Starfish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is beautifully presented, and although I enjoyed the greater range of patterns compared to Waller's 'Knitting Fashions of the 1940s', the context was much briefer, and the inclusion of the original patterns, although interesting, did not add as much as Waller's greater examination of the social context in which knitting took place. Interestingly, Waller's chapter on the 1940s in this book seems to entirely contradict what she says in Knitting Fashions of the 1940s.

And yes, Kym, I am still very jealous.

[Helene Magnusson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE reference when it comes to vintage knitting. I want to knit everything from this book and the photography is absolutely gorgeous.

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Book, Great photos and easy to follow patterns.