Vintage Modern Knits Read online

  Contemporary designs using classic techniques

  COURTNEY KELLEY & KATE GAGNON OSBORN

  EDITOR Ann Budd

  TECHNICAL EDITOR Karen Frisa

  ART DIRECTOR Liz Quan

  COVER AND INTERIOR DESIGN Karla Baker

  MODEL PHOTOGRAPHER Joe Hancock

  LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER Lynn Osborn

  PHOTO STYLIST Carol Beaver

  HAIR AND MAKEUP Kathy MacKay

  PRODUCTION Katherine Jackson

  © 2011 Kate Gagnon Osborn and Courtney Kelley Photography © 2011 Interweave Press LLC except as noted.

  All rights reserved.

  Interweave Press LLC

  201 East Fourth Street

  Loveland, CO 80537-5655 USA

  Interweave.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Kelley, Courtney.

  Vintage modern knits : contemporary designs using classic techniques / Courtney Kelley and Kate Gagnon Osborn.

  p. cm.

  Includes index.

  ISBN 978-1-59668-240-5 (pbk.)

  ISBN 978-1-59668-492-8 (PDF)

  ISBN 978-1-62033-174-3 (ePub)

  1. Knitting--Patterns. 2. Women’s clothing. I. Osborn, Kate Gagnon. II. Title.

  TT825.K445 2010

  746.43’2--dc22

  2010025828

  This book is dedicated with much love to Julia Ann, Lucy, Yvette, and Verna, our very patient grandmothers, who taught us a love of needle arts at a young age.

  Acknowledgments

  We would like to extend our deepest thanks to all of the wonderful people at Interweave for making our vision a reality. We couldn’t have done it without Tricia Waddell, who put the bee in our bonnets to write a book, and Ann Budd, our patient and phenomenal editor, who guided us through every step of the process.

  All of our love and thanks go to our dear and supportive families who made our dinners, went on countless dog walks, clocked many hours of childcare, and put up with watching endless movies during the long winter as we frantically knit and wrote the patterns for this book at every possible spare moment.

  A very special thanks goes to Iain and Daphne, for creating an amazing yarn company and putting the trust of its continuation in our hands. We will always be in awe of your creativity, forward thinking, artistic vision, and organization and forever grateful for the opportunity to work with Fibre Company yarns every day.

  And to those with the most thankless job of all, the test and sample knitters: Jennifer May, Abby Wheeler, Lisa R. Myers, Daphane Marinpoulos, and Jenna Wilbur. Your patience and hard work—usually demanded at the last minute and with little reward—are what made much of this book possible.

  Contents

  Introduction

  Rustic Weekend

  Brigid Jacket

  Madeleine Shawl

  Bramble Beret

  Maple Bay Cardigan

  Whitby Stockings

  Cady Twisted-Stitch Mittens

  Margarethe Lace Shawl

  Vintage Feminine

  Ginger Lace Cardigan

  Yvette Roositud Hat

  Adelaide Yoke Pullover

  Abigail Hand Warmers

  Yangtze Cardigan

  Baltic Mittens and Beret

  Innsbruck Mittens and Leg Warmers

  Winter Harbor

  Rhodes Point Gansey

  Telemark Leg Warmers

  Erin Cardigan

  Tilghman Island Pullover

  Vorderrhein Hat

  Ajiro Scarf

  Glossary

  Sources for Yarn

  Introduction

  The advent of electronic technology and the speed of the Internet have educated and joined the regions of our world together in ways heretofore unheard of. This hyperconnectivity has made it possible for individuals to access information that would have previously required years of research and apprenticeship. With this in mind, we wanted to provide a book that enabled the knitter to take some time to delve into the craftsmanship behind the vast history of our shared pastime. While this book, the projects, our inspiration, and our research was aided by the ability to access hard-to-find information online, it also pays direct homage to a time when life moved a little slower, and things were made to last.

  High-quality items produced in small batches and meant to last well beyond a season or fashion trend (through generations, even) and attention to detail seemingly no longer hold value in our fast-paced consumer-driven society that values disposable goods and trendy fashion. However, the handmade has prevailed with its ability to tap into world traditions and continues to engage us in a celebration of knitting archives. The charme and beauty of the handmade sweater has stood the test of time, moving from necessity to practicality to simple hobby. While machines and manufacturing have brought all the comforts of our modern world, knitters find satisfaction in delving into the past and discovering that what was once a necessary means to keep the masses warm has become something that inspires, motivates, and moves us to be better in all that we do.

  At the core, our individual aesthetics differ. Kate tends to hold firmly—if not with a bit of irony—to her New England roots, where practicality is paramount and multiple layers are a must (especially if there is a stripe or two in there). Courtney, instead, is inspired by the romance of history’s necessity for handcrafts—always scouring flea markets for the handmade, much worn, and often repaired item, regardless of its usefulness. However, we always agree when we find ourselves at the intersection between tradition and modern styling. Our appreciation for vintage cuts, shapes, and techniques in knitting—fine-gauge Fair Isle patterning, intricate lace shawls, and allover cabling—transcends our disparate personal aesthetics. When daydreaming about knitwear designs and bouncing ideas off one another, we pull inspiration from similar sources and eventually find a balance between vintage and contemporary, practicality and sentiment. Whether choosing a slightly larger yarn gauge, including waist shaping, adding a twist to a style, or modifying construction, we love to update vintage-inspired knitwear to create a look of timelessness.

  This book is the culmination of our shared love of tradition and the desire to make it contemporary. Each original project has its roots in a particular style or technique that has been updated for a modern application and aesthetic. As a whole, you’ll find a collection that embodies our personal tastes, styles, and appreciation for the handmade. We hope that these projects inspire you to try something different, learn a new technique, and create timeless pieces of your own.

  Rustic Weekend

  AS SUMMER FADES, the breeze turns from soft and warm to cool and sharp with the weight of departure. Autumn evokes memory—the lingering scents of warmth. It weaves images of the changing landscape; the tapestry of leaves along the mountainside changes from green to gold, crimson, and finally brown.

  Imagine a patchwork of valley farms busy with the last days of summer harvest; walk through the woods as the leaves fall and acorns crunch underfoot. The shortening days, crisp dry leaves, and the damp earth speak to the need for soft sweaters, unwrapped from tissue-paper cocoons after their summer hibernation.

  The transition from warm days to chilly nights requires a versatile wardrobe with many layers. The projects in this collection focus on ways to keep warm while celebrating the history of knitting as the perfect marriage of function and form: a Faroese shawl to wrap around your shoulders while sitting by the fire on a fall’s evening; warm Fair Isle kneesocks paired with summer’s favorite jean skirt; a short-sleeved sweater to wear over a lightweight long-sleeved tee; and more. All of the garments and accessories in this section pay tribute to the useful industry of handknitting in its purest form.

  Brig
id Jacket

  DESIGNED BY COURTNEY KELLEY

  Inspired by the grassy plains, curving rivers, and rugged mountains of the Irish landscape, Aran sweaters have a long history. Many believe they harken from the days of family clans and sailors washed ashore—you can purchase a “historical” Aran sweater named for a particular family or clan. However, all of these designs were most likely created by a single knitter for the tourist trade. The Brigid Jacket pays homage to those traditional Aran cardigans as well as the duffle coats of the 1970s and 1980s (themselves a new interpretation of their time). This cropped version features an updated color, large cables up the fronts, a wide-rib buttonband, and three bold buttons, complementing the organic and rustic look.

  Materials

  yarn

  Worsted weight (#4 Medium).

  shown here: The Fibre Company Terra (40% baby alpaca, 40% merino wool, 20% silk; 98 yd [91 m]/50 g): olive leaf, 8 (9, 10, 12, 13) skeins.

  needles

  Size U.S. 8 (5 mm).

  Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

  notions

  Cable needle (cn); markers (m); stitch holder; tapestry needle; three 1½" (3.8 cm) buttons.

  gauge

  16 stitches and 24 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette stitch.

  20-stitch cable panel = 3" (7.5 cm).

  finished size

  About 36 (40, 44, 48, 52)" (91.5 [101.5, 112, 122, 132] cm) bust circumference. Jacket shown measures 40" (101.5 cm).

  Note

  •When shaping the front neck, if there are not enough stitches to work a cable cross, work these stitches in reverse stockinette stitch.

  Sloped Bind-Off

  To work a sloped bind-off when shaping the shoulder or neck (or any other shaping for that matter!), slip the first stitch of the bind-off as follows: Slip 1 stitch, work 1 stitch, pass the slipped stitch over the worked stitch—1 stitch has been bound off. The slipped stitch is one row shorter than if it had been worked, which causes the fabric to angle slightly and creates a sleeker bind-off edge. For the Brigid Jacket in particular, the single decreases in the neck shaping are worked by binding off 1 stitch instead of working a k2tog or ssk. Working single-stitch bind-offs while slipping the first bound-off stitch creates a smoother transition between rows, which makes it easier to pick up stitches for the collar.

  Back

  CO 72 (80, 88, 96, 104) sts. Work in k1, p1 rib for 1 (WS) row.

  NEXT ROW: (RS) *K4, p4; rep from *.

  Cont in k4, p4 rib as established until piece measures 2" (5 cm) from CO, ending with a WS row. Change to St st and work even until piece measures 9¼ (11¼, 10¾, 13½, 12¾)" (23.5 [28.5, 27.5, 34.5, 32.5] cm) from CO, ending with a WS row.

  Shape Armholes

  BO 4 (4, 4, 6, 6) sts at beg of next 2 rows—64 (72, 80, 84, 92) sts rem.

  DEC ROW: (RS) K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—2 sts dec’d.

  Purl 1 (WS) row. Dec 1 st each end of needle in this manner every RS row 2 more times, then every 4th row 1 (2, 2, 2, 3) more time(s)—56 (62, 70, 74, 80) sts rem. Work even until armholes measure 6 (6½, 7, 7, 7½)" (15 [16.5, 18, 18, 19] cm), ending with a WS row.

  Shape Shoulders and Neck

  With RS facing, k17 (20, 22, 24, 26) for right shoulder, place next 22 (22, 26, 26, 28) sts on holder to work later for back neck, leave rem 17 (20, 22, 24, 26) sts on needle to work later for left shoulder.

  Right Shoulder and Neck

  ROW 1: (WS) Sl 1, purl to end.

  ROW 2: K14 (17, 19, 21, 23), k2tog, k1—16 (19, 21, 23, 25) sts rem.

  ROWS 3 AND 5: Sl 1, purl to end.

  ROW 4: BO 6 (6, 6, 7, 9) sts, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—9 (12, 14, 15, 15) sts rem.

  ROW 6: BO 4 (6, 6, 7, 7) sts, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—4 (5, 7, 7, 7) sts rem.

  ROW 7: Sl 1, purl to end.

  BO all sts.

  Cable

  Left Shoulder and Neck

  Rejoin yarn to left shoulder sts at armhole edge.

  ROW 1: (WS) P17 (20, 22, 24, 26).

  ROWS 2, 4, AND 6: Sl 1, knit to end.

  ROW 3: P14 (17, 19, 21, 23), ssp (see Glossary), p1—16 (19, 21, 23, 25) sts rem.

  ROW 5: BO 6 (6, 6, 7, 9) sts, purl to last 3 sts, ssp, p1—9 (12, 14, 15, 15) sts rem.

  ROW 7: BO 4 (6, 6, 7, 7) sts, purl to last 3 sts, ssp, p1—4 (5, 7, 7, 7) sts rem.

  ROW 8: Sl 1, knit to end.

  BO all sts.

  Right Front

  CO 40 (44, 48, 52, 56) sts.

  ROW 1: (WS) *P1, k1; rep from *.

  ROW 2: (RS) *K4, p4; rep from * to last 0 (4, 0, 4, 0) sts, k0 (4, 0, 4, 0).

  ROW 3: P0 (4, 0, 4, 0), *k4, p4; rep from *.

  Rep Rows 2 and 3 until piece measures 2" (5 cm) from CO, ending with a WS row.

  SET-UP ROW: (RS) K4 (4, 4, 4, 8), work Row 1 of Cable chart over next 20 sts, k16 (20, 24, 28, 28).

  Cont as established, working Cable chart over 20 sts and rem sts in St st, until chart Rows 1–16 have been worked 2 (3, 3, 4, 4) times total, then work Row(s) 1–11 (1–7, 1–5, 1–5, 1 only) once more—piece measures about 9¼ (11¼, 10¾, 13½, 12¾)" (23.5 [28.5, 27.5, 34.5, 32.5] cm) from CO.

  Shape Armhole

  With WS facing, BO 4 (4, 4, 6, 6) sts, work to end—36 (40, 44, 46, 50) sts rem. Work 1 RS row even.

  DEC ROW: (WS) P1, p2tog, work in patt to end of row—1 st dec’d.

  Rep the last 2 rows 2 more times—33 (37, 41, 43, 47) sts rem. Rep dec row every 4th row 1 (2, 2, 2, 3) time(s)—32 (35, 39, 41, 44) sts rem. Work even through Row 12 (12, 12, 12, 10) of chart.

  Shape Neck

  Size 52" (132 cm) only

  (Row 11 of chart) BO 4 sts, work to end of row—40 sts rem. Work Row 12 of chart.

  All Sizes

  Keeping in patt (see Notes), at neck edge (beg of RS rows), BO 4 sts once, then BO 2 sts 2 times—24 (27, 31, 33, 32) sts rem. BO 1 st at neck edge once—23 (26, 30, 32, 31) sts rem. Work 3 rows even in patt, ending with chart Row 6. BO 1 st at neck edge on next row, then every 4th row 3 more times—19

  (22, 26, 28, 27) sts rem.

  Shape Shoulder

  ROW 1: (WS) BO 6 (6, 6, 7, 9) sts, work to end—13 (16, 20, 21, 18) sts rem.

  ROWS 2 AND 4: Sl 1, work to end of row.

  ROW 3: BO 6 (8, 8, 9, 9) sts, work to end of row—7 (8, 12, 12, 9) sts rem.

  With WS facing, BO rem sts.

  Left Front

  CO 40 (44, 48, 52, 56) sts.

  ROW 1: (WS) *K1, p1; rep from *.

  ROW 2: (RS) K0 (4, 0, 4, 0), *p4, k4; rep from *.

  ROW 3: *P4, k4; rep from * to last 0 (4, 0, 4, 0) sts, p0 (4, 0, 4, 0).

  Rep Rows 2 and 3 until piece measures 2" (5 cm) from CO, ending with a WS row.

  SET-UP ROW: (RS) K16 (20, 24, 28, 28), work Row 1 of Cable chart over next 20 sts, k4 (4, 4, 4, 8).

  Cont as established, working Cable chart over 20 sts and rem sts in St st, until chart Rows 1–16 have been worked 2 (3, 3, 4, 3) times total, then work Rows 1–10 (1–6, 1–4, 1–4, 1–16) once more.

  Shape Armhole

  With RS facing, BO 4 (4, 4, 6, 6) sts, work to end—36 (40, 44, 46, 50) sts rem. Work 1 WS row even.

  DEC ROW: (RS) K1, ssk, work in patt to end of row—1 st dec’d.

  Rep the last 2 rows 2 more times—33 (37, 41, 43, 47) sts rem. Rep dec row every 4th row 1 (2, 2, 2, 3) time(s)—32 (35, 39, 41, 44) sts rem. Work even through Row 13 (13, 13, 13, 11) of chart.

  Shape Neck

  Size 52" (132 cm) only

  (Row 12 of chart) BO 4 sts, work to end of row—40 sts rem. Work Row 13 of chart.

  All Sizes

  Keeping in patt (see Notes), at neck edge (beg of WS rows), BO 4 sts once, then BO 2 sts 2 times—24 (27, 31, 33, 32) sts rem. BO 1 st at neck edge once—23 (26, 30, 32, 31) sts rem. Work 3 rows even in patt, ending with chart Row 7. BO 1 st at neck edge on next row, then every 4th row 3 more times—19 (22, 26, 28, 27) sts rem.

  Shape Shoulder

  ROW 1: (RS) BO
6 (6, 6, 7, 9) sts, work to end of row—13 (16, 20, 21, 18) sts rem.

  ROWS 2 AND 4: (WS) Sl 1, work to end of row.

  ROW 3: BO 6 (8, 8, 9, 9) sts, work to end of row—7 (8, 12, 12, 9) sts rem.

  With RS facing, BO rem sts.

  Sleeves

  CO 52 (52, 52, 56, 56) sts. Work in k2, p2 rib until piece measures 2" (5 cm) from CO, ending with a WS row. Change to St st and work 4 rows even.

  INC ROW: (RS) K1f&b (see Glossary), knit to last 2 sts, k1f&b, k1—2 sts inc’d.

  Work 5 rows even. Rep the last 6 rows 5 (5, 7, 7, 7) more times—64 (64, 68, 72, 72) sts; piece measures about 8¾ (8¾, 10¾, 10¾, 10¾)" (22 [22, 27.5, 27.5, 27.5] cm) from CO.

  Shape Cap

  BO 4 (4, 4, 6, 6) sts at beg of next 2 rows—56 (56, 60, 60, 60) sts rem.

  DEC ROW: (RS) K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—2 sts dec’d.

  Purl 1 WS row. Dec 1 st each end of needle in this manner every RS row 5 (7, 7, 7, 9) more times, then dec every row 6 (6, 8, 8, 4) times, working WS dec rows as p1, p2tog, purl to last 3 sts, ssp, p1—32 (28, 28, 28, 32) sts rem after all dec’s have been worked.

  NEXT ROW: (WS) BO 2 sts (see Sloped Bind-Off), purl to last 3 sts, ssp, p1—3 sts dec’d.