Crewnecks Books

As a collector of vintage knitting patterns, I was excited to see what a talented designer would do with classic designs. Quite a lot, is the answer. That said, I do have to agree with some of the criticisms offered in other reviews. This seems to me to be a book for the adventurous knitter who is both willing and able to adapt and individualize patterns to "fine-tune" fit and appearance. I am 5'9" with a 40" bust, and am an experienced knitter. I typically have to adjust size, and usually substitute yarn, color and stitch pattern to meet my size, style and stash reduction needs. This probably is not a book for newer, or less confident knitters who may struggle with these skills. It is a book for knitters who love intricate, polished style, body concious fit and fine technique. I do feel that schematics and charts should have been included to help those knitting the patterns as written and those of us who need to make modifications. Interesting that the Great Britain edition got them and we didn't. I have made 2 sweaters from the book (short-sleeved cardigan with neck tie and Missoni-like wave pattern pullover) and was very pleased with the results. My next project? -a "blouse" from a 1930's era Beeehive yarns manual-written for a size 32" bust with a 32 stitch lace pattern repeat. (Sarah Dallas, I wish that you had gotten to this one first!)

I know that this book has been out for a while. But, I'm just waking up to it. There are a few things about this book that really pull it out from the others for me. First, they take old photos from magazines and ads - all the patterns are based off these old photos. So, you get a great feeling for where they are coming from. Second, they have a bit of a modern flair to them. This is wonderful. Lastly, I want to make every single item in this book. It isn't often that I open a book and desire EVERYTHING. But, this is one of them. The patterns range in difficulty and I promise that you will find something in this book to love.

The patterns in this book are really lovely, and it's so interesting to see pictures (albeit tiny ones) of the original inspirations from the 1940s and 50s. There are several patterns I would love to knit once I feel comfortable with my knitting skills. This is a book I would probably buy down the road, once I am a more advanced knitter.

I didn't really like how the pictures were all in the front of the book, and the patterns in the back. I'd rather have them side-by-side. Just a small complaint.

When I opened this book my first thought was, why did they soft-focus the photography? Pictures should be clear so we know what the garment will look like when we knit it. Next, I was sorry to see that there were no schematics for the patterns. In order to see how fitted a garment is, it is necessary to read the pattern closely, whereas with a schematic you can see at a glance. This is especially needed because the modern photographs show much looser fitting garments than the original photos.

It was not clear to me if the patterns have been modified to make them easier for modern knitters, although I'm guessing they have. Too bad they did not give us the original year of each pattern, because as knitters of vintage patterns we like to know what era we are wearing!

All that aside, I'm looking forward to knitting some of these patterns because they are attractive and look fun to knit.

I just recieved this book from Amazon (two days before the earliest estimated delivery!) and I pored through it with the passion of a 1950's child with the Sears Wishbook.

Things I like about this book:
The patterns are all reasonably authentic in terms of vintage syle, especially if you compare them with the (unfortunately small) inspiration piece photos at the top of each pattern page.
The pieces look from the patterns (I've not yet knit any of them up) to be largely simple enough to tackle for an advanced/adventurous beginner, although the Tyrolean Cardigan and the Fair Isle patterns seem directed at someone with a more intermediate to advanced skill level. (Then again, a whole Fair Isle piece never seemed like a beginner project to me) The good news is, this means that the book can grow with your skills, instead of some others that wind up on the bottom shelf because of the tediously simple patterns.
Vintage knits is a book that a twenty three year old rockabilly lady (me) and a 40+ Respiratory Therapist (my mom) can both enjoy. It seems like a lot of the pattern books I find on my Recommendations list can come off as immodest, outlandish, or dowdy. There are markets for each of those categories, but this book has a good combination of fashionability, class, and just plain prettiness that can take the wearer from afternoon business meeting (dress slacks and flats) to evening out (pencil skirt and kitten heels), as well as from college dress up into job market friendly.

Why this book didn't get 5 stars:
The size range. Perhaps some of the styles are, shall we say, ill suited to the more voluptuous wearers, but in the same breath I am going to have to adapt some of the patterns to fit my appropriately voluptuous mother. (Just because you have two children shouldn't preclude you from having a fantastic wardrobe) Also, as was mentioned by another reviewer, it is more common for the modern woman to take on more Amazonian proportions in height and bust size. If my grandmothers can be any indication, the ladies the original patterns were designed for were TEENY.
As other reviewers have noted, the suggested yarns are not the least expensive out there, and I can accept that for the "higher end" feeling designs. However, the detail information for the yarns, such as weight, yardage, and fiber content is completely absent, making it very difficult to substitute yarns, or to find a replacement for yarn that may be discontinued in the future. For me, this is a nearly must have feature. I will be making handwritten notes in the margins about the yarn details so that I have the information later on.

All said and done, I look forward to making almost all of the patterns in this book, some of them (like the twin set) in several colors! I consider Vintage Knits, in spite of its flaws, to be a good recommendation for "advanced beginner" level and up knitters who are rather slender and enjoy feminine, vintage style.