Forty-five Years Later...

(As always, click on any photo to enlarge it for a closer look.)


While visiting my folks on Thursday my mom had some items to show me. These are items that have survived 3 moves and have lived in a bedroom dresser drawer - possibly since before I was born.

My mother used to be a knitter and had given me her main tool of the trade. She used to do custom knitting as a way to supplement their income and was able to knit while breastfeeding - quite a feat in my humble estimation. She hasn't knit in over 30 years. She still sews and has taken up quilting in the last 10 years.

This is the only booklet (published in 1952) that survived the culling-of-items-before-moving process - probably because she still has a half completed saddle shoulder sweater still on the needles which I'm encouraging her to finish. It will be interesting to see if her gauge has changed.

I love the illustrations - very Leave It To Beaver. A pattern is available for each sweater/vest/pullover/tshirt that is pictured. Quite a lot of patterns are packed into this booklet.



A bargain at any price. It makes me wonder how many booklets were produced by this company. This booklet is volume 344 and the first pattern in the booklet is entitled Pullover No. 2297.















Notice the Mr. and Mrs. Ski Sweaters.


Yes, that's the actual name of the pattern...


which comes in 2 sizes.








I'd never realized how integral pipe smoking was to the manly activities of inspecting fishing gear, relaxing at your hunting lodge, spraying your garden with DDT, golfing, inspecting the hunting hounds, hitting on the Mrs. at the ski lodge, delivering milk, grilling hotdogs, and loading up the luggage for a golfing weekend. When did pipe smoking lose its vogue?

There are also patterns for those manly accessories - socks, wristlets, dickeys, and golf club covers.







What I don't understand are the names given to various vest patterns - in this booklet, they're called Pullover, Sleeveless Pullover (actually there are 3 different patterns named Sleeveless Pullover), Vest, Sleeveless Cardigan, and Sleeveless Sweater.

My mom knit a sweater for my dad out of this stuff.







I've now inherited seven and a half skeins...


and a 40+ year old gauge swatch.




This booklet also has the key to a successful relationship: "Whether he's 16 or 60, give that favorite man of your a hand-knit sweater and watch him glow with pride. He'll wear it and love it (and you too!) for years and years."