VINTAGE-INSPIRED KNITTING PATTERNS - THE DRAW OF A BYGONE ERA (an excerpt)
Why modern knitwear designers are looking backwards in time...
If you've been travelling in knitting pattern circles recently, you may have noticed a rising trend which is a lot of knitters have been using patterns that were published in the 1950's or earlier, or, if they are like me and prefer to create their own patterns, they are making "vintage-inspired" pieces using techniques and silhouettes from the 1940's or earlier. There may be several reasons for this new trend sweeping the knitting community, and I have a few theories I think are worth exploring. However, before we can delve into our knitting past, we need to take a look at our knitting present.
Modern knitting patterns have become very stagnant. If you check out the top 20 knitting patterns on Ravelry, you'll see a lot of the same patterns or similar-looking ones that were there last month or even last year! A lot of the construction methods and stitch patterns for these designs are disappointing and mundane as well—top-down, in the round, stockinette stitch, 1 x 1 or 2 x 2 ribbing... I think you get the point. Honestly, how many crewneck, stockinette stitch, raglan sleeve sweaters can one person make? It just seems that everything looks the same. Thousands upon thousands of minimalistic, pastel coloured, dare I say, boring, knitting patterns all priced at $10.00 or higher, and in my opinion, as a seasoned knitter, not worth the money. Not to say that someone wouldn't buy them and enjoy them, but for me personally, I would like something a little more suited to my skill level.
I am at a point in my knitting career where I am well past my dishcloth-making days (although I do have a host of patterns for beginner-friendly dishcloths that I will be releasing later this winter), but not quite ready to tackle my great-grandmother's favourite doily pattern, which is truly a wonder to behold if you can get the stitches just right. Still, I don't feel I have the proper skills under my belt for the intricacies of lace knitting just yet. So, for a middle-of-the-row knitter like me, modern knitting patterns are not presenting enough of a challenge, and the few that do catch my eye are... You guessed it... vintage-inspired!
So, why are modern knitters scouring local thrift shops and filling their Etsy carts with scanned digital copies of vintage patterns? To find the answer to that question, we need to compare and contrast vintage and modern fashion trends. For posterity's sake, I would like to say that these next conclusions have been drawn from my own personal experiences and observations of recent fashion and are in no way based on fact other than my own opinion. So, with that said, let's look at modern fashion and why I think it has lost its appeal.
If this post captured your attention and you would like to read the whole piece, please visit my website blog at: www.timeslostart.com/blog?p=vintage-inspired-knitting-patterns-the-draw-of-a-bygone-era
Gabrielle Vansteelandt - Times Lost Art
