Resize Vintage Knitting Patterns With Me

[@sandraobrien8705]

Very helpful, thank you.

[@TaraDeighton]

Really fabulous video and so helpful! Thank you!

[@vintageknittingparty]

Thank you Tara! I’m such a big fan of yours 🤍

[@lillyg4869]

Just a tip if you are about a 36 inch bust. Alot of vintage patterns are designed for a 4 ply yarn to fit a 32/34 inch bust. I find knitting these in a 5 ply produces a 36/38 inch bust garment. I always check the finished width by deviding the stitch count for the body by the stitches per inch of the yarn I am using.

[@vintageknittingparty]

Oh I absolutely love this tip, thank you so much!!

[@agnetamilton7507]

My heart jumps when I notice a new video from you. I love them all!❤

[@vintageknittingparty]

Oh thank you so much! This made my day 🥰

[@AnneD3]

Just as I was searching for your channel, this video popped up! Perfect timing! Thanks so much for the encouragement, Lauren. Listening to you gives me great motivation. I love your sweet, cheerful style and your passion for knitting really comes through. Keep it up!

[@vintageknittingparty]

Oh thank you so much for all your sweet comments! I’m so glad you liked it :)

[@charlottemeyseman7834]

Thank you!!🎉

[@maradevincenzi8388]

Just found your channel and absolutely love it! This video is so helpful and as someone who never makes gauge swatches… you have inspired me to the point that I am actually excited about making them now!😂❤

[@vintageknittingparty]

Oh that makes me so happy!! Thank you for your lovely comment Mara 🥹

[@marilys3549]

Thanks for the wonderful video, I'm in the process of knitting my first vintage style jumper. It looks good so far and I did do a swatch, and I made gauge. I will also have to resize the upper arm and add more circumference and length to cover my arm clear down to the elbow. I just made a couple of large purchases of Bendigo yarn and have had them shipped to my house in the states. I was really thrilled with my first order, so I made a second order. Can wait to make more jumpers, vest and a cardigan in the future. Looking forward to your next video to see how your project are going.

[@vintageknittingparty]

Wow it sounds like you’ve done so much preparation, your first vintage jumper is going to be so beautiful!! I can’t wait to see what you make 🥰 Thank you so much for your lovely comment!!

[@irisdown9758]

One problem with resizing…if you add considerably more stitches and follow the decreases for the armholes the shoulder seam will be too wide. So you need to work out the size required and decrease accordingly.

[@vintageknittingparty]

This is a very good point, every pattern, body and size adjustment is different!

[@myrtleknits3353]

Really helpful video. Thank you 😊

[@vintageknittingparty]

Awh thank you! ❤️

[@petramanos]

Hi Lauren, it's usually the height that trips me up, not the width. I assume a woman with a 32" bust is not usually 5'8 like me. It's very easy to knit a vintage garment too short because when measuring the height it doesn't take into account the fact that negative ease will simultaneously stretch the garment horizontally and shrink it vertically at the same time. So depending on the negative ease it's not always possible to just go by the height of another top. I ran into another gotcha recently too, I added quite a bit more height after previous vintage garments were too short, but it turns out that because different eras have different fits, sometimes a vintage sweater can sometimes be quite tall as well and you can overdo the extra height.

[@vintageknittingparty]

So true!! I didn’t cover height much in this because most patterns published in Australia from the 1940s that I have access to use measurements (like knit ribbing for 3 inches) rather than row counts, and it can be easier to customise this as you go. And so true with the different eras that change how they fit! I run into that all the time with sewing patterns too. Is there anything you do to manage the length? I’m fairly tall too but my torso is still not very long.

[@NYKnitter]

Popped over from a link left in "Simply in Stitches"

[@vintageknittingparty]

Oh how wonderful, thank you for letting me know!

[@michelerees1555]

Hello Lauren. Thank you for this fabulous video. I was wondering what wool you used for the first basket embroidered sweater. I know you mention it but I can't understand what is said and I would like to look into that particular yarn. Thank you so much. PS. You made this video on my Birthday and it is just this year that I am going to attempt to resize a vintage sweater pattern that I found and fell in love with. Thank you for your patterns also... I plan to get some now that I have found you and your amazing site!

[@vintageknittingparty]

Hi Michele :) Thank you so much! It's the Luxury 4 ply from Bendigo Woollen Mills, sorry about not being more clear in the video! Oh happy birthday, I hope you had the most amazing day!

[@michelerees1555]

@@vintageknittingparty Thank you!

[@tiffanyramsey1857]

Loved the video, Lauren! What is a good resource for finding vintage patterns?

[@vintageknittingparty]

Thank you Tiffany! I have some available for download in my online shop, and Etsy or Ebay are convenient places to look although they can be a bit more pricey. Currently most of my vintage patterns come from antique stores, Facebook marketplace and scouring thrift stores :)

[@hannahv1930]

I love the Bendigo Woollen Mills, we did a 4.5hr round trip there yesterday and it's so worth it. I love the front of the shop but the back is like an Aladdin's Cave of yarn. They sell by the kg usually (or part there of), there's all the ply's 2, 3, 4, 5, 8,10 up to 16 and roving in the most amazing different shades. I think some are trial yarns, overs for other companies etc. I bought enough for 4 projects and ordered yarn for my neighbours too. I even bought some yarns on left over cones which is so beautiful for $7.20. I would love to know do you knit flat pieces when doing your vintage knits or do you adapt the pattern for circulars? And thankyou so much Lauren for another wonderful video.

[@vintageknittingparty]

Oh I would love to visit their store! I’ve only bought online :) I’m using one of their multicoloured sock yarns at the moment and it’s so pretty! I like knitting lace flat because it’s just so much easier than adapting the pattern, but I have recently knit a stockinette pattern in the round instead and it was so much faster than doing all those purl rows flat :)