Planning a 1960s sweater

It feels like all I've been doing is planning my next projects without doing actual work on any of said projects. Maybe I should make a promise that the next thing I post will be a finished project... Hahahahaha! But honestly, sometimes I think the funnest thing about knitting or sewing is the planning rather than the actually sewing or knitting. Call me crazy.

I've been wanting to knit a sweater from a vintage pattern for awhile. I even made a post awhile back of my top 5 vintage patterns to knit. Of course the pattern I'm going to knit didn't make that list.

The pattern I plan to use is called 'Rosalie' from the Patons Knitting Book No. 665. My plan is to eliminate the color work and knit it in a dark purple using Knit Picks Stroll. I know, I know, me opting to not do color work? Crazy, right? The color pattern just doesn't really impress me. What drew me to it was the ribbing at the yoke and neckline. I'm not sure how it will look in a single color. But we'll see.

Over half a year ago, my sister and I scored a few vintage dresses at WildWoman's Vintage Clothing, a cute little vintage shop in Sparta, WI. One of the dresses I absolutely fell in love with is a cute little, sleeveless, wool, tweed, purple dress. For months now, I've been talking about knitting some kind of sweater to go under it. My first thoughts were to follow the series on Fitting a 40s pullover that Tasha at By Gum By Golly put together a few years back. But I decided that a mock turtle neck would be the best way to go. To be honest, I'll probably still be referring to those posts quite a bit while planning this.

I know a couple weeks ago I mentioned a sweater I was working on that I hoped would be done by now. Well, surprise, surprise I'm still working on. But I hope to be able to show it off next week or the week after that... Or some week at some point in time, because lets be honest, with this project under way, I might not have the desire to knit on anything else.

If you want to see my progress on my vintage sweater or even possibly my other WIP sweater follow me on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for latest updates.

Old Hollywood eye candy

A goal that I've had for awhile is to have an entire outfit consisting of things I've made myself. And if you follow me on Instagram you'll know I'm currently working on making a pair of 1970s pants, that are turning out to have more of a 1930s/1940s look to them. So, naturally I've been on the look out for some 1930s, 40s and 50s vintage style sweater patterns. But, typical me has gotten side tracked in this search and have come across many pictures of Old Hollywood celebrities wearing some pretty awesome knitwear.

Below are some of my favorites, none of which are anything I have in mind to go with my pants, but they're pretty none the less. Is this more procrasti-knitting?

Everyone knows I'm a sucker for a good ole fashioned stranded sweater. So, it was only natural that it was love at first sight when I saw these two sweaters on Peter Lawford. From looking at vintage knitting patterns, these style sweaters seemed to be all the rage for both men and women in the 40s and 50s. 

I've been in love with Marilyn Monroe's Cowichan style sweater for a very, very long time. The Cowichan style was originated by the Cowichan people of the Vancouver Islands in British Colombia, Canada. It has been popular among both locals and tourists of the area. It's a lovely sweater, with the large gauge and drop shoulder construction it would be a it a super warm addition to my closet for this bitterly cold winter we're already having.

I've briefly talked about the sweater Sandra Dee wore in the early 1960s that I fell so deeply in love with. It looks so fluffy and warm and I know the stitch makes it even thicker and warmer, so, it's doubly wonderful. It was only natural that I immediately knew this was something I needed in my closet as soon as possible. And as you already know I plan on recreating the sweater using a vintage pattern I have in a booklet. Plan on seeing a lot more of this sweater over the next few months. Unfortunately, the pink and white stripes won't go with my red and gold plaid pants.

There's really nothing like a classic cardigan worn by some classically handsome men. It seemed to be all the rage for the teen heartthrobs of the 1950s, maybe in hopes of making them look a little more wholesome than they actually were. These sweaters are the closest thing on this list that would go with my pants. But I'm completely sold on a cardigan. If I do decide I'd like one it's super easy to find a pattern. 

I'm sure in about 2.5 seconds I'll be derailed from my pattern search and I'll find another handful of my favorite classic celebrities wearing some awesome knitwear. Which is why you should follow me on instagram, twitter, and tumblr where I regularly post my knitting inspirations.