Back in days gone by they were a classy bunch. Graceful, debonair and chic; the dress of the 40s and 50s took a fair amount of putting together but was worth it for the finished look. Inspired by her grandmother's photos and vintage fashion photographs of the period, My Vintage Dresser was created.
Katie dreamed up the vintage pattern shop when her job became a bit unstable and has gone onto create a place where you can find a treasure trove of vintage fabulousness.
You can dig up retro goodness to your heart's content with a classic selection of sewing and knitting patterns. From 1960s pleated skirts from Vogue to P&B Wools patterns for fine tailored jackets, every pattern will have you itching to get your retro on.
Katie also teams them up with the opportunity to attend workshops covering everything from vintage hairstyling and makeup to where to source vintage and how to put it all together.
You'll be crafting yourself vintagey before you can say "Make do and mend".
Recently I have been mesmerised by the new studio Ghibli film Ponyo, the work of anime genius Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki's films are pieces of animated magic and well worth casting your eyeballs at. As Ponyo is a bit too new for a wave of crafty creatures to appear from its underwater depths I thought I would share this pattern for Totoro mittens I found while we wait.
My Neighbour Totoro is the tale of two tiny girls and a giant rabbit/cat creature that lives in the woods nearby their new house. It has inspired these amazingly cute Norweigan Totoro mittens by Ravelry's Brella.
The pattern is free to member of mighty knitting social network site Ravelry, so you'll need to sign in to get your claws on it. Signing up is free and the site is amazing so quite frankly if you're a knitter and not on Ravelry already you certainly should be.
There are also tons of other Ghibli goodies on there too. So go wild with your Mayazaki makings.
Apparently fur is back in fashion. In my mind it's never been ok to swan into a fancy party decked in the embalmed remains of one of the forest's furry friends and thankfully most agree. That doesn't stop those of us who admire the animal kingdom longing for a creature companion at such events, which is where Knitty's Vegan Fox comes in.
With a little bit of novelty yarn (how most of us run for the hills at the mere thought of knitting with it) and your basic inc and K2tog you could soon wow the party people with a knitted fibre-based fox draped across your shoulders.
The free pattern comes from Knitty.com which, if you knit but have been living in yarn-stuffed cave for the past few years, is possibly the most fabulous free pattern site out there next to Ravelry.
Get your fur-wearing funk on without death to small creatures. Go on.
You've got to give a little love to get a little love of your own according to indie folk band Noah and the Whale, and as all fibre-flingers know knitted love is the best kind to get. Especially if it's quick to stitch up. At Stitch and Bitch London, my not-so-little knitting group, we pass on the knitting love weekly and our Stitched Heart on Your Sleeve Brooch allows you to give love with minimal stitching effort.
Whipped up by the button-obsessed Fastener the simple free knitting pattern is a combination of knits, purls, increases, decreases and a little fanciness with a bit of vintage lace and some cute as a button buttons.
In a shameless bit of self-promotion I thought I'd let you Crafty Crafty folks know that all sorts on woolly wonders appear in the S&B London newsletter every fortnight. So whether you're a Londoner or not it's well worth joining us. It's free too.
Knit someone you love a bit of vintage-style heart-shaped adoration. Go on. It's less messy than giving someone a real heart too.
There have been plenty of knitted boob patterns over the last few years from knitted norks to help new mums to busty bits for Breast Cancer Care. All good causes and now there's another way to help by knitting some knockers.
The Knitting Experience Café, in Brunswick, Maine, are asking for knitted prosthetic breasts for mastectomy patients.
The fibre-based funbags are apparently lighter and more comfortable than silicone prosthetic breasts (which can cost up to $500). The fabric also breathes and prevents evil heat rash that some women wearing the silicone ones suffer.
You'll find all the info and patterns on the Knitted Knockers here. Both knit and crochet chi-chis are accepted.
I've almost run out of breast puns now so get stitching a pair of handmade hooters for a good cause.
It'll make for excellent conversation when someone on the bus/in your office/wherever asks what you're knitting.
Winter may feel like it's going on forever but at least it's an excuse to make yourself something cosy to combat the cold. Warm yourself up woolwise with Whit's Knits: Swan's Island Organic Merino Long Striped Hand Warmers.
The pattern comes from the ever so lovely Purl Bee. So far I haven't seen a pattern on there I don't love so it comes from good stock. Knit in grey and 'spring green' the hand warmers pictured also give us a little hope that spring is on the way at last.
See the full pattern here and stitch yourself a pair before the frostbite sets in.
Some of us are far too busy for bandying about town searching for something shiny to say I love you. There's crafting to be done and no time to do it in. Which is why this super-quick how to for a felted heart necklace is perfect for a quick but cute valentine's crafting.
The free Heart-Felt Necklace pattern is simple: a quickly knit square of pure wool which is felted, cut and strung on a necklace with a heart-shaped charm. There's a free PDF with a heart-shaped template for your cut out and a handy link to some rather lovely MODA DEA "Bamboo Wool" in a kicky chilli pepper red to make things even easier.
A cute little pendant in less time than it takes you to fight the crowds in the bustling shops to buy something half as nice.
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