Vintage Knitwear for Modern Knitters (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Twenty-one patterns presenting authentic period designs for women, cleverly updated for the modern knitter.

Today, a new generation of knitters has discovered the pleasure of creating wonderful things by hand. At many colleges it seems as if the whole campus is knitting, and knitting classes and forums are mushrooming: there are even knitting events held at theaters and nightclubs.

The knitters of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s needed no reminding that knitting is hugely rewarding. They knew it could be glamorous too, and wore with pride the elegant garments they had crafted.

Vintage designs for women are wonderfully feminine and flattering, and they have become highly collectible. But the frustrating truth is that old patterns rarely produce satisfactory results for today's knitters: they are often frighteningly intricate, the yarns used then produced different gauges from today's yarns, and the sizes are too small in relation to our modern physiques.

In Vintage Knitwear, the designs have been carefully adapted for contemporary knitters: they use modern yarns, the patterns have been subtly simplified, and instructions are given for six different sizes. There are options for the novice, intermediate, and experienced knitter, with each pattern graded with one, two, or three balls of wool according to level of difficulty. The new garments are pictured alongside reproductions from the vintage patterns that inspired them.

This charming book is sure to inspire knitters and would-be knitters to take up their needles in pursuit of the authentic elegance of a bygone era. 101 illustrations, 67 in color.

About the Author

Lise-Lotte Lystrup's company, Knitted Purls, specializes in re-creating authentic, hand-knitted garments for period dramas in film and on television.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (September 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500287562
• ISBN-13: 978-0500287569
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #570,310 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars made of awesome, January 3, 2009

By	Dagny Taggert "Dagny" (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This book is very well written & the patterns are easy to understand. They have plenty of photos & diagrams to help you along the way. I am a lover of all things vintage & this book is right up my alley! Good work!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic knitting for today's yarn lover, September 13, 2009

By	S. M. Gray (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The garments in this book are a real treat. I've only knit one item and so far have found no mistakes (which occur so often in knitting pattern books). I love the nostalgic feel of the book which gives you both the picture from the original vintage pattern and the new re-worked version.

The layout and text don't seem user friendly but just try reading a vintage pattern. The author has not only re-written gorgeous patterns for our knitting technique, but has also made the garments mostly with widely available yarns. The yarns she uses are more affordable than many fibers I've tried to use in my failed efforts to re-produce my Grandma's angora sweater, and my Mom's henley styles, from photographs and comparisons of the actual garment.

I would give it a higher rating but I really dislike patterns being placed in books that won't lie open while you're trying to work them. Breaking the spine ruins the value and life span of the book, but that inevitably happens to most knitting and craft books because publishers seem to insist on the odd size, weight and make of these books.

Overall, I'm impressed and grateful that so many gorgeous (while modest but sexy) patterns are now available to the general knitting public.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Knitwear, April 16, 2009

By	A. Cortright "Mandy" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love vintage designs. Vintage Knitwear for Modern Knitters takes some of the best designs from the past, and makes them easy to make today. Great book!