On the bookshelf this week: Vintage Design Workshop
NaKniSweMo – National Knit a Sweater Month is in full swing and it’s not too late to get started.
Geraldine Warner has put together a wonderful book that allows you to adapt vintage patterns into the perfect fit for modern-day style!
Vintage Design Workshop is divided into two sections, the first half teaches you how to update any vintage pattern to accommodate modern sizes and gives advice on choosing substitutes for yarns that are out of production. The second section demonstrates how to adapt modern patterns to create a vintage silhouette, teaching how to mix and match sleeves, necklines, or collars to the pattern of your choice to achieve a vintage look.
Leave a comment below and tell us if you’ve held onto a vintage pattern that you’d like to update and you could win a copy! All comments must be posted by 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Please make sure to leave us a way to contact you if you win! The winner will be drawn randomly and posted here the following day.
Edited, Wednesday November 6, 2013:
And our Winner is – Michelle who said, “I’ve updated an already “updated” pattern from the 30’s with good results, but I’d love to have even more ideas. This book looks great.”
Congratulations Michelle! Keep an eye on your inbox, we’ll be contacting you soon.
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Tags: how to, knitting, knitting books, knitting patterns, knitting tips, vintage
November 1st, 2013 at 10:34 am
My daughter is only 14 so she doesn’t have a vintage pattern she’d like to update but she was very much intrigued by the look of this book and she’s love to hold onto her own copy!
November 1st, 2013 at 10:34 am
*she’d love to
November 1st, 2013 at 4:14 pm
I don’t have any vintage patterns, but I love the look and would love to try adapting a modern pattern to a more vintage look.
November 2nd, 2013 at 5:12 am
I’ve got a booklet of vintage patterns from my Nana; would love to update them.
November 2nd, 2013 at 7:56 am
I’ve been collecting vintage patterns, but haven’t tried one yet because of the conversion needed. This book is a dream come true!
November 4th, 2013 at 3:33 pm
I’ve bought several vintage patterns, and the size ranges are good for a hearty chuckle. I’d love to know how to update them.
November 4th, 2013 at 3:33 pm
Oh, fun. I want to make a sweater for my daughter who volunteers in the vintage clothes department at her local museum.
November 4th, 2013 at 3:34 pm
I do not own any vintage patterns, but I love the look of vintage-styled clothing.
November 4th, 2013 at 3:39 pm
I collect vintage patterns and would love to be able to update them and even create new vintage designs.
November 4th, 2013 at 3:39 pm
I have loads of vintage patterns and I have updated a couple of them, would love to do more!
November 4th, 2013 at 3:41 pm
I don’t have a vintage pattern to adapt, but I do like the puffy sleeves and have been wondering how to make them. I like the idea of adding vintage patterns to a modern design, that would be lovely. My Ravelry id is zmz945.
November 4th, 2013 at 3:42 pm
This looks awesome! I would love to try it.
November 4th, 2013 at 3:42 pm
I ve a few copies of Anna burda back from the 70’s and I d love to update them
November 4th, 2013 at 3:43 pm
I have a bunch of patterns from the 40’s that belonged to my mom that I would love to convert.
November 4th, 2013 at 3:44 pm
I would love this book as I have many of my Mother-in-law’s vintage pattern books. I would love to use them as the styles are coming back.
November 4th, 2013 at 3:46 pm
I have vintage pattern books that I have saved from favorite people in my life who have since passed away. Would really enjoy a new project updating some of the sweater patterns with this Vintage Design Workshop book.
November 4th, 2013 at 3:56 pm
I would love to use the vintage patterns from the 40s/50s – what a great resource!
November 4th, 2013 at 3:59 pm
I have all of my mom’s old patterns.
November 4th, 2013 at 4:02 pm
I have all the old ski sweater books. i also have the one for children, with the dancers around the bottom. Anyone remember that one? I think they are from the 40s-50s.
November 4th, 2013 at 4:05 pm
yes I have a vintage Vogue Knitting Mag with some patterns that really are beautiful but need to be updated. Thanks so much for a chance of winning.
Cheryl
PS. I subscribe to your blog via RSS with feeddeamon
November 4th, 2013 at 4:06 pm
I wish I had those old pattern books from my aunt and grandmother–I love those looks! Beautiful.
November 4th, 2013 at 4:14 pm
I love vintage anything. I have lots of vintage sewing patterns sadly no knitting patterns. I have a few crochet books from the 60’s 🙂 lovely book , I love the sweater on the front cover
November 4th, 2013 at 4:14 pm
I have two hardbound books from WWII era that I would love to update. They have a lot of wonderful patterns in them.
November 4th, 2013 at 4:15 pm
I have several vintage things i’d love to update. I created an entire historic yarn craft database for a master’s class I took two years ago. I would LOVE this book!
November 4th, 2013 at 4:21 pm
I have several vintage patterns that ai have purchased off og eBay. It would be exciting to win this book.
November 4th, 2013 at 4:22 pm
I have a hand-me-down old crochet book, but I’d love to knit something vintage looking, since I knit much more than I crochet.
November 4th, 2013 at 4:31 pm
I love that sweater in the picture.
November 4th, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Only started knitting a few years ago, but would love to try tackling one of these/
November 4th, 2013 at 4:35 pm
Well if you count 1970s as “vintage,” sure I have some. I would much
rather knit something from the 40s or 50s. There are many great
patterns on-line from those eras, but they are meant for teeny tiny
people.
November 4th, 2013 at 4:44 pm
I love the sweater in this picture. I have some patterns from the 80’s but I’m not sure that is old enough to be considered vintage.
November 4th, 2013 at 5:17 pm
Sadly, I do not have any vintage patterns, but I wish I did! Having that tie to my previous generations would be nice.
November 4th, 2013 at 5:18 pm
Love it. Like they say, everything old is new again!
November 4th, 2013 at 5:21 pm
I have a Columbia Minerva pattern for a men’s belted sweater from the early 70s. I think that it would make a great sweater for a woman . . . Me!
AmyWake on ravelry
November 4th, 2013 at 5:23 pm
I have a bunch of vintage patterns from baby to adult. Would love to update some of the “ski” sweater patterns for a modern fit!
November 4th, 2013 at 5:25 pm
Just inherited a box of stitchery magazines from 50’s and earlier…fragile, small print, but a joy to browse. Love items resembling Downton Abbey apparel.
(rav: ginabina)
November 4th, 2013 at 5:26 pm
I’ve updated an already “updated” pattern from the 30’s with good results, but I’d love to have even more ideas. This book looks great.
November 4th, 2013 at 6:19 pm
I have a vintage sweater book I inherited from my grandmother and I would LOVE to know how to update some of the patterns.
November 4th, 2013 at 6:46 pm
I haven’t got one I’d like to update (too new a serious knitter myself), but I want to get that poodle wine bottle sweater because it’s legendary!
November 4th, 2013 at 7:02 pm
I have some old patterns, but haven’t visited them in a long while. I’ll have to look through them again.
November 4th, 2013 at 7:05 pm
Have so many from my grandmother that I would love to finally be able to find something to do with! This book will have to make my Christmas wish list 🙂
November 4th, 2013 at 7:27 pm
i collect old knitting pattern booklets from flea markets etc. A book like this sounds great.
November 4th, 2013 at 7:34 pm
Time to dig out all the old patterns of my grandmother and mother. They never threw out anything that they might need — sometime.
November 4th, 2013 at 8:41 pm
I have a bunch of old patterns that I need to update!
November 4th, 2013 at 9:25 pm
I have some treasured patterns I saved from my grandmother, plus some great British knitting patterns from when I started knitting. I would love to know how to modify them, as the sizes – both clothes and yarn – since they were written!
November 5th, 2013 at 12:57 pm
I am always looking for ways to make my projects a bit different from the others. And ‘vintage’ is what best describes both myself and my style.
November 5th, 2013 at 1:39 pm
I, too, have some old pattern books with patterns I’d love to make look a little more up to date. This would be a wonderful resource to have. I can see my daughter and d-i-l in some of them now.
November 5th, 2013 at 5:01 pm
I have tons of old patterns from my Mother and Grandmother, mainly sweaters and jackets that I would love to have updated.
November 5th, 2013 at 9:54 pm
I have so many old pattern books (20+ years), a lot from Alice Starmore, classic elite etc. It would be great to change the shaping or add some accent details that would make them wearable in modern day.
mimifan on rav