Sunday, 13 November 2011

I recently found a bag of knitting patterns at the car boot and realising they were all pre decimal bought them. I've had great fun going through them all (I know - I should get out more) and having had a good laugh thought about those who had modelled for these patterns. These folk, ladies, are probably still amongst us. So I thought it was time to out all those models of yesteryear and ask



Is this you?



Did you marry either of these men?



Did your mother knit you a natty cowboy cardigan?



Did your brother own these knobbly knees and have to go through the indignity of knitted knickers?



Why the pointy hat?



Is this your bemused looking grandfather?



Scary eyes



Did you knit your child this?



Clearly all the rage there were several patterns for these two piece horrors...



I know vintage patterns are loved by many and I can see the appeal although can't see myself picking up my pins to recreate any of these.



I love the balloon heads here with paper curls. Were these used because no self respecting child would model them? No, probably not the reason - in those days we were encouraged to be seen and not heard and definitely not to venture an opinion on sartorial excellence...I remember being required to wear a similar beret.



More balloon heads!



This lady is smiling though gritted teeth - somebody has knitted her hats from old candlewick bedspreads.



And I love these black and white patterns for hats...



I can feel the envy coming through now - you want to knit these don't you?



What - all of them?



Shouldn't those children be sharing that nougat?



And last but not least - the prototype for the teletubby costume - gorgeous!



Anyone owning up?

Love Wend
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16 comments:

  1. MelMel13 November 2011 at 18:41

    Fab patterns! Love the pointed hats!x

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  2. Annie Cholewa13 November 2011 at 19:51

    I wonder if knitters of the future will look at today's patterns with as much amusement/horror!

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  3. menopausalmusing13 November 2011 at 20:18

    The one underneath "scary eyes" looks like my mum had a hand in cutting his/her fringe!

    Those bars of nougat look like they could become lethal weapons if thrown at each other.......

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  4. Lalabibaby @ Dreaming of The Simple Life13 November 2011 at 20:42

    Oh lordy I've seen some funny patterns in my time but a knitted tracksuit is a new one on me! Hilarious Wend ... thanks for sharing x

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  5. two bones and a bagle13 November 2011 at 20:46

    They are fabulous - I have loads of patterns and I love having a good old look through - i love the old items like pilch and knee warmers and body belt and knitted knickers - oh my so funny. Louise keeps asking me to knit her a pixie hat - perhaps one day. Hope you enjoyed Cosy Night I was so busy running around the table with my hook I really didn't have time to speak much. Bye for now. Debs X

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  6. Lyn13 November 2011 at 21:59

    I do have a photo of my dad in a swimmng costume on the beach his mum knit him....I wonder what happened when he went in the sea! The scary eyes ad the tellytubby are well....lets say....different!
    xxx

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  7. Annie13 November 2011 at 23:05

    These are hilarious Wend, I can't believe anyone actually wore some of these horrors ! I do remember some fairly hideous wooly hats my grandma knitted me along with mittens on a string threaded through the sleeves of my coat.
    Ann x

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  8. LAC EMP 202014 November 2011 at 04:16

    Oh Wend, what a laugh! You buy these for the same reason as me. I love looking at them with a leaning towards sarcasm. You have outdone yourself here and made my day. I suspect that if I asked my husband he'd want a cardi with that cowboy pattern on...... priceless!

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  9. Mise14 November 2011 at 11:47

    Oh very funny. My mother had that second balloon head pattern, the ones sadly lacking paper curls. I only recall the pattern, not any actual hats being made. I'm sure they would have suited me, though. I was an exceptionally fetching child.

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  10. Unknown14 November 2011 at 16:50

    Ha ha ha ha you have to smile at those...knitted knickers that is to much bless any child that had to wear those. And as for that yellow all in one outfit a walking banana poor poor poor children ;-)) dee xx

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  11. VintageWantsNotNeeds15 November 2011 at 09:09

    You are so right Wendy the patterns were worth buying just for the laugh factor. I remember the all in one knitted outfits when my girls were small, they never had one but I have a feeling that Danny my nephew had one in a fetching green colour that his granny had knitted for him. I will have to check back through the family photo archive, that would be a great one to put up on Facebook.

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  12. Pennyblossoms15 November 2011 at 14:50

    Laugh? I nearly peed my pants!!
    Do you think this could be the reason why the world is such a mess? The powermongers are the generation that lived thru' wearing knitted pants! Explains a lot!
    Z xx
    PS Are you doing Market Harborough? Hope so!

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  13. Unknown16 November 2011 at 00:41

    This gave me such a good laugh! There were much nicer patterns 2 decades earlier - Mother knitted my sister and me gorgeous Tyrolean style cardigans with lots of bobbles and embroidered flowers. We loved them.

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  14. Kestrel18 November 2011 at 16:29

    Hee! Some great examples here. Weren't those all-in-one suits popular? I've just started a new vintage pattern feature on my own blog. Would you mind if I used some of your images? You would be credited of course.

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  15. The Vintage Knitter19 November 2011 at 10:11

    Thanks for the patterns, Wend - I blogged about them yesterday. Don't forget to email me your address so that I can send you a little something as a 'thank you'.
    xxx

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  16. CATHY DANIEL20 November 2011 at 18:35

    No, that's not me .... I couldn't smile like that whilst wearing any of these 'creations'! Why the pointy hat? Maybe cos it was cool to look like a pixie! Who knows what they were thinking!

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