Well, I’m back to blogging – although I haven’t yet had a chance to update my online shop. I’ve just been incredibly busy with work, entertaining the cat, cutting my fringe with nail scissors and watching reruns of the Simpsons. You know, all the important stuff.
Today I’m going to share with you one of my vintage books from the 1980s – Traditional Knitting With Wool.
I love this book – it’s got a lot of very good information in it as well as some nice patterns (and some shockers). If you can find a copy you really should buy it. I come across copies in op shops every now and then so there are a few out there.
There are articles on different knitting traditions around the world – covering the British Isles, Scandinavia and South America.
There are some really nice patterns – modeled by children with unfortunate haircuts (I’m sure I had a fringe like that from 1978 through to 1982).
There are even patterns for not-too-scary-but-quite-dated jumpers, featuring models with even worse haircuts. (And I probably had the overgrown, poufy bob around 1989).
Despite the dodgy haircuts, it really is a good book full of interesting information about knitting traditions.
I was lucky enough to find a second copy of this in slightly better condition than the first one I bought. So I’ve decided have a giveaway for the first one. It’s a little bit scuffed on the corners, but the pages are all intact and secure and nobody has drawn mustaches on the models.
Here’s how it will work.
Anyone who leaves a comment on the blog between now and midnight on 30 September (Australian Eastern Standard Time), will go in the draw to win a copy of the book and a completely unrelated ball of Noro sock yarn in a blue/green/grey mix. (I just know I’ll never knit it so I might as well be re-homed).
The winner will be drawn using whatever random number generator I happen to find in a Google search on the day. Best of luck.
(Please note that I do not own the copyright to any patterns featured in Retro Monday. Unfortunately this means I make or send out copies).
Hi!
A few posts back, I saw your little yellow cat wrapped in Noro – I have a tatty grey cat who would be rapt to be wrapped in Noro …. You talked earlier about Herdwick – about 20 years ago I knitted a jumper for my husband in navy Herdwick and he absolutely loved it, for the simple reason that it has little white hairs on it, so he could cuddle his fat grey and white cat to his heart’s content, be covered in cat hair, and nobody noticed!!
Love your blog
Doreen
Seriously – no comments yet! I love fossicking through old knitting books – I expect our children and grandchildren will chuckle as much at some of our patterns. There is often a lot of fascinating and useful information in a lot of them as well.
And yes, I do enjoy knitting socks!