03 October 2013

Coats and Clark Quick Fashions booklet from 1968

Gloria asked about this the other post in the comments, so here it is!  This is Coats & Clark's book #185, Quick Fashions.
back and front scan of #185, Quick Fashions
 The beauty of this booklet is that it uses sport and worsted weight yarns, and also uses knitting and crochet.  Most of the sport-weight patterns call for three skeins (six ounces, no yardage given) while there is a good number of two skein patterns for worsted weight yarn (8 ounces, no yardage given).

This makes life a bit interesting, as a lot of yarns are now sold in three to three-and-half ounce (100 grams) size.  At least, most of the yarns I use.  So it was with an extra skein of the Bernat Denimstyle yarn (found on Hobby Lobby's clearance shelf) that I did up this cute pattern the past week or so:

two skein lacy shell, knitted
three skein cabled cardigan
I've actually cast on and tried working the cable pattern of the back of this three skein cardigan, but Bamboo Ewe is not a good yarn for a first attempt at cabling.  Instead,  it is now making the pretty red hearts scarf I blogged earlier this week.  I'll probably try it out in some Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool for myself, as it needs a nice stretchy yarn as it looks like you're suppose to block it rather aggressively.

I have also cast on one of the sport weight patterns, but bamboo yarn on plastic needles just is not easy to knit.  I think it will hook up nicely, though ... that is on the to-do list.

So this is the old book I am gushing about currently.  I do have some more, which aren't yet in Ravelry's database (to be fixed as I get to them!).  Enjoy the scans, Gloria!

1 comment:

glorm said...

I definitely do not have this booklet, but that pattern still looks familiar, but it could be that that was a popular pattern at the time. Coats and Clark put out a ton of booklets (and still print many).

I liked it better when U.S. skeins were 4 oz. It is so much easier to calculate the number of ounces if you need 7. Seven times 3 1/2 ounces takes a bit of time to figure out. I felt cheated the first time I bought one at 3 1/2 oz. I think this change was in the 80s, and they probably did it because yarn is figured by the yards/meters per 100 grams (3 1/2 oz).

I really like your latest projects. :)