Happy Friday! For you vintage knit-alongers, just a little note to say I’m going to let the preliminary post simmer for a few more days to get more opinions, and then next week will reveal the winning pattern so we can start thinking about yarn and supplies. 🙂
Today is cold. This is old news for Chicago in January. But I thought I’d share one of my favorite winter items: my Topnotcher bonnet. You’ll have to pardon the fact that it was a super sunny day when these photos were taken so I’m all squinty.
I knit this for myself last winter and it’s one of my favorite cold-weather items. It’s pretty friendly to vintage hairdos, it’s cute and it’s warm. I love hats that cover my ears and pretty much couldn’t make it through the dead of winter without them!
I mentioned it was sunny, right?
The coat I’m wearing is not vintage (though my brooch is). I bought it on Grafton Street in Dublin. Along with an Irish sweater bought on Inishmor, the largest of the Aran Islands, this coat is the other big-ticket purchase I made on our trip to Ireland last Fall. I wasn’t in the market for a new coat, but I loved the red red color, the pleated peter pan collar, the slightly puffed sleeves and the two closures at the top. The rest of the closures are large hidden snaps and it’s impeccably tailored on the inside. I definitely think it has a vintage feel. I love it, and when I wear it I think of our great trip.
Back to the bonnet. Literally, the back of the bonnet.
The most amazing thing about this pattern is that it was part of an entire set! A bonnet, mittens and a sweater. Can you believe it?
Who wouldn’t want to go ice skating in this lovely ensemble, like the girl from the pattern? With a little wool skating skirt, warm tights and ice skates.
I’ve gotten a lot of requests for this pattern from Ravelry over the last year, so I thought I’d finally post it. It’s knit in DK weight (I used two strands of fingering weight held together).Â
For all the other cold climate vintage lovers out there, this one’s for you!
OH! I LOVE that knit hat! So lovely—beautiful with your glasses and coat!!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Love the hat and LOVE that jacket too! What a great find. I have several vintage coats that I love, but always feel bad making them threadbare with daily wear. Sometimes it feels like I’m letting my dogs use the Mona Lisa as a wee pad.
That whole knitted set is pretty amazing. I like how the mittens almost look like the are attached to the sweater. Straight jacket chic!
You are so lovely! I love looking at your blog, it really reminds me of everthing vintage. Love the cafe you are standing in front of too! Very cute.
Thanks guys! ♥
@Moe Btw I’m still giggling about the wee pad coat thing. That’s one of the reasons in the dead of winter I just wear a yucky modern puffy coat, because it just gets beat up on my commute. I would hate to put a lovely vintage coat through that!
That bonnet is adorable and your coat is to!!
For The Vintage Fashionista
Hi there! Just found your blog and so happy to see another crafty vintage girl. I adore your hat! Awesome job. I too have a blog, but really need to make more of a commitment to blog consistently, ha. Anyway, I look forward to reading your posts!
Oh, and thanks a bunch for sharing the pattern! Now if only I can figure out how to knit more than 1 color at a time…ha!
Where do you get your vintage glasses? I worked for an optical company and they wouldn’t put lenses into the vintage ones. I’d like to find a place that would!
@Crafty Doll Thanks so much! Always love to ‘meet’ another crafty vintage lovin’ girl. 🙂
@Zootsuitmama I got that pair of frames at a vintage clothing expo. In the past I’ve actually taken vintage frames to LensCrafters and they’ve been willing to put lenses in them. However I’m lucky, there’s an optician in Chicago who specializes in working with vintage frames. If you can’t find someone local maybe you can contact the guy at Allyn Scura. They have an awesome selection of frames but their site says they can help finding an optician if you can’t find one locally.
omg!! u look 2 cute!!!! love it!!!
That bonnet is fantastic. Loving your blog-it’s giving me a ton of crafty ideas.
So lovely ! I love !
I love this set! The red and white is stunning. The download link isn’t working for me, can you assist please?