Welcome back to a new episode of the Taixtile Podcast! In Episode 10, we dive once again into the world of vintage knitting, share updates on our finished projects, current works in progress, and talk about some exciting future plans.
Enjoy!
Done & Delighted
Clara introduces her finished striped jumper, based on a pattern from the Sunbeam Knitting Book, an Australian knitting magazine from the late 1920s to early 1930s.
The jumper was knitted using Holst Garn Coast, a fine cotton and wool blend. Working with the yarn presented some challenges, particularly with the white colorway, which proved to be more fragile than the red.
Instead of following the original instructions exactly, Clara adapted the design to fit her own measurements and created custom calculations. The jumper features a distinctive braided collar made from two separate knitted strips. Overall, it is a lightweight and comfortable piece, well suited for mild weather.
Clara has also developed a new knitting pattern: the Charming Chevron Scarf.
The scarf features a simple construction based on central decreases and side increases, resulting in a subtle chevron pattern. Clara created two versions: one from leftover yarns and a second, softer version knitted with Filcolana Alva alpaca yarn held double.
The pattern will be made available for free and will be published on Ravelry alongside the podcast release.
Work in Progress
Nany shares her progress on the Plaid Jumper, a two-color project from the Munrospun Knitting Book No. 4. After some adjustments, she is now working with finer needles (2.0 mm) to achieve a firmer fabric structure.
The main body is knitted in horizontal stripes, and vertical lines will later be added using the duplicate stitch technique. Despite the slow progress due to the fine yarn and small needles, Nany is optimistic about completing the project by autumn.
Clara is also working on a second version of the Chevron Jumper, that she presented in the previous podcast episode.
For this version, she used Holst Garn Supersoft in the colourways “Bleached White”, “Calypso” and “Pea Green” and made several technical improvements, including neater decreases and adjustments to prevent shoulder panels from stretching too wide.
Although the main body and sleeves are completed, the sleeve caps require some reworking to ensure a proper fit.
From the Archives
From her knitting archive, Clara presents the Suntan Holiday Top, a 1930s summer top pattern originally published in Stitchcraft Magazine.
The top is knitted in the yarn Alva by Filcolana, made from 100% alpaca, making it soft but slightly warm for summer wear. The project is nearly finished, but finding a practical solution for wearing it—especially considering its open back design—has delayed completing it.
Future Projects
Looking ahead, Nany and Clara are starting a group project inspired by the 1940s British Women’s Land Army.
They plan to sew corduroy trousers and knit vests based on vintage patterns, aiming to recreate historically appropriate outfits for an upcoming historical festival. Clara is drafting a vest pattern for the group, while Nany created a sewing pattern for the pants.
Given the timeline, they have chosen to knit vests instead of full sweaters, using half-brioche stitch patterns for added texture and the Holst Supersoft Yarns in the colourways “Cossack” and “Clover Leaf”.