Vintage-style gloves

Yes, I've been knitting again. (I had thought the black background to the picture would make things look clearer, but it just makes them look horrible. Sorry about that!) This pattern is 'Gloves for a Spring Wedding' from Susan Crawford's book Vintage Gifts to Knit. I made the larger size, and I have modified the design slightly, altering the position of the lace pattern as it fell very close to my thumb originally and changing the fingers slightly. There's a vent and two buttonholes on the other side of the wrist for each glove to fit snugly, but I don't have buttons yet. Loop have some really dinky 1940s ones in stock, and I may get four of those if they fit, although my buttonholes are tight and I may end up using tiny craft buttons.

The patterns in the book are vintage-inspired rather than reproductions of vintage patterns (I hope I got that right), but Susan really knows her vintage knitwear. Vintage-inspired is always a tricky subject, because for every person who understands what they're doing there are probably five others who'll make something and slap faded roses all over it and call it vintage, even if it's something like a baseball cap or those bum-toning trainers. You're safe with this book, though, unless you are a thorough purist who only accepts things made within a particular time frame.

If you want to make items from vintage patterns but don't have the time/ room/ money for a sewing machine, do try knitting. I didn't learn to knit until I was 30, and even then one of the things that was driving me was being able to make things from vintage patterns. I was lucky enough to be at the launch party for Vintage Gifts to Knit at Jelly in Reading, and both the event and the designs re-enthused me for vintage knitting. Start with a bag or hat and you may get the bug too.