4 Surprisingly Fun Ways to Dabble in Vintage Knitting

Four fun, free vintage knitting patterns that prove the best things in life aren’t always the newest!

When I was in high school, my least favorite subject was always history. To me it seemed boring and irrelevant. Occasionally my ears perked up during the wars, but every other time the subject seemed dreadfully monotonous.

Fast forward a few years *cough* and I’m kicking myself for being so oblivious during my history classes. Today I realize that history has “story” in the word for a reason. History is all about the true stories of the past. These days I find those stories so rich and alive.

To think of all the years I had tons of free time in which to learn and absorb history.. . and all I cared about then was memorizing facts and figures so I could regurgitate them for tests!

Believe me, I don’t make that mistake these days! I gobble up history documentaries and TV shows, eager to hear the true stories of the past. I try to find history books to read periodically.

And as a knitter, I also love to find vintage knitting patterns!

If you’ve never experimented with vintage knitting, it can be a real treat. Not only do you feel a connection to knitters past, you wind up with a truly unique product — one no one will ever be able to buy at The Gap!

These days you’ll find a surprising number of free vintage knitting patterns available online. The following is just a small sample.

Four Surprisingly Fun Vintage Knitting Patterns

1. Five o’clock hat This is such a silly looking hat — and yet there’s something so darn cool about it, too. You can tweak the pattern to fit a more modern style, or make it just how it is and wear it with flair. Either way, people will know you’re the go-to girl when it comes to high fashion.

2. Teapot cozy Nothing says vintage knitting like a teapot cozy! This is the perfect craft to make for a gift for an elderly relative. You could also whip one up and use it at your own tea parties, or as decoration in a country style home or cabin. Remember, tea cosies serve a useful purpose as well as a creative one: they’ll keep that pot of tea warm much longer.

3. Spiral bed socks Sure, wear them to bed if you want to — but these socks are so much fun you’ll probably find yourself wearing them around the house, to work, and just about everywhere else. These socks really are a never ending spiral, too, which makes them a whole lot of fun to knit. (To access pattern, scroll about halfway down the page, look for the title “Spiral bedsocks” and click the link under the picture.)

4. Poncho & Cap For a vintage pattern set, these are surprisingly timeless. Alternating wide and narrow stripes make these pieces look as fashionable now as they would at any other time in history. It’s a classic look, warm and cozy and oh-so-stylish.

Of course we’ll always get excited over new and modern patterns, but you should never be afraid to indulge in the classics. By connecting with knitting designs of the past, we can join past and present-day knitting with the future. Why not be a bridge to our knitting heritage with vintage knitting patterns?