While I’m back in the blogging habit, I’m going to try and catch up on reviewing my library of craft books, which has been expanding rapidly!
My most recent purchase was Knitting It Old School by Stitchy McYarnpants and Caro Sheridan.
The book contains 43 patterns inspired by fashion from the 1940s through to the 1970s. Although the majority of the patterns are knitting patterns, there are several crochet patterns as well. The patterns include jumpers, skirts, dresses, hats, socks, toys and accessories with some of the jumpers having matching gents’ and ladies’ versions.
The fun, colourful photography and graphic design of the book make it a great book to just pick up and flick through even if you’re not knitting from it. The writing (and many of the patterns) reflect the authors’ quirky senses of humour. I end up smiling and giggling every time I look through it.
The “He’s not an Extra” pattern is a great example of the humour. I offered to knit this for Steven but he didn’t seem terribly keen on the idea. I will be knitting the ladies’ version for me, but in a short-sleeved, single colour version since I love the v-neck, stand-up collar tunic style.
And just to show that there are some great patterns that don’t require an unhealthy love of Star Trek or a quirky sense of humour to enjoy here is “Pump Jockey“, which Steven was somewhat more keen for me to knit.
You can see the rest of the patterns on the book’s Ravelry page.
The number and range of sizes varies from pattern to pattern but the ladies’ patterns seem to start at about 32-34″ chest size and go up to about 48-50″, the gents’ from about 38-40″ up to about 50-54″.
I highly recommend this book. Given how much I enjoy flicking through it and the fact that I’m already lining up three or four of the patterns to knit, it’s already one of my favourites.