Sports vest

As much as I may lack talent for any sports - and sadly I do  - this slight inadvertence doesn't stop me from coveting the amazing sportswear of the 20's and 30's. Can't even legitimate my love for this gear through attending sports events as a spectator, I'm that disinterested.

Luckily, the modern ways of wearing sports clothing as casual wear are for once in favour of my inclinations. It is still tough to push through an equestrian outfit when missing the horse, but I reckon this cricket looking little number won't have to face the same challenges.

As you can see it was inspired by the beautiful fair isle example above. Unfortunately mother doesn't do fair isle, but what I wanted was to replicate the shape, which went pretty well. 

It's also done in a coarser Shetland type wool, which means the overall effect is somewhat bulkier and rougher. I love very textured yarns that cry out loud their provenance. 

I've been wearing this the other day when it started raining, and the wool immediately gave that typical sheep whiff. I was instantly transported back into my childhood to those moments when I was helping my grandmother wash the sheared wool at the river. In fact, the natural, undyed wool in this vest still comes from that village. And that feels pretty good..

Junior vest

Well, not too much time could pass without a knit post on this blog. Children's wear though is not sometimes that gets featured here at all, in spite of scoring very high on my list of very admired garments. And how could it? I haven't got children of my own, and I myself slide every day further from the blessed age of innocence, with the terrible risk of looking like a mutton dressed in lamb should I indulge my passion...Still, today is no such day.

 

This is due to to the fact that vintage children fashions of the 20's and 30's largely copied adult ones, to the extent that may times children looked like miniature adults. So, I thought, this could work the other way around too :). 

Then, discovering the same neckline in adult patterns from the 20's and early 30's, I realized that I was more than legitimate in my wishes, and nothing else stopped this one become a reality.

Here it is, pictured without the belt, I took this pic as in the ones where the vest is worn the texture is very hard to make out. 

The vest was knitted in Rowan Felted Tweed DK, a shade called Rage (?!), and the yarn itself is a mixture of wool, alpaca and viscose. 3 balls (150g) were enough for this. 

Mother reports an easy knit, she really enjoyed the yarn. Which is good, since I'm going to want the skirt next :)

Sports tie

I've never in my life been on a horse, but equestrian outfits and generally sports related outfits, whether active or just spectator wear, score at the very high on my coveting list.
Here are a few variations of one my absolute favourite looks, all incorporating a tie -  that has to be just the cherry on the cake!

 

 Margaret Morris, via valentinovamp tumblr

 

 Gertrude Olmstead, via valentinovamp tumblr

 

 Marion Davies, via  missclarabow tumblr

 

 

 Lady's Journal

 Anna May Wong, via vintagegal tumblr

via adeline's attic tumblr

Helen Twelvetrees, 1936 via valentino vamp tumblr

 Cassie's Tale Vintage, etsy

 

 etsy photograph, now sold

 

etsy photograph, now sold

via omgthatdress tomblr

...And me, sporting a cute little number last November. A Ralph Lauren ski themed tie, this is one of 2 modern ties that I posses, alongside the blackbird one shown here. 

I have since acquired a sweet original 1920's tie which  I'lll be sure to blog about sooner or later...

The cardigan that changes all - falling for Fair Isle

As you can see, it's versatility that preoccupies me at the moment, the chameleon-ing of one outfit into something else with the add of a piece or two. In this case, what I wore in my last post to channel a Katherine Hepburn look, steps now further back in time for a whiff of late 20s /early 30s sportswear.

I don't know how you like my take on Fair Isle, but I'm telling you, this little thing does take me places. 

It certainly took me to work 3 days in a row as pictured above...and little thing it isn't, in fact it seems more like three sizes bigger than I normally wear. So big in fact that I've been wearing it on top of a small fitted jacket too, as an outer layer! Yeah, baby, this is looove... Can't take the damn thing off! 

In fact, it sparked an interest with Fair Isle that I had not yet experienced, in spite of this thing being very fashionable lately (outside the vintage circles) from what I can gather.
I suppose it  all spurred naturally - if rather slowly - for me out the growing obsession with 20s and 30s casual and sportswear that I've been entertaining for the last year or two.

So there you have it: I'm officially a Fair Isle convert!

Photo from Barbara's blog Re Knitting

The 3 images above are part of the Textiles Collection in the Shetland Museum and Archives

Photo via the wonderful A Polar Bear's Tale blog, see article here

Pattern available at The Vintage Knitting Lady

Olive is coral and I'm crazy about vintage sportswear

 My husband calls me Olive. You can see why.

Knitted polo t-shirt in coral & cream mohair

Ah! aspirations..."far cry" comes to mind. None of the panache, none of the grace of the original model reflects on me in the slightest. 

So what if my keds actually match my sport top? My joy of owning both comes across, surely, if only rather disjointed...:)

How do you like my tie?

Hullo, I thought I'd pop in to say I'm still here and show off my latest purchase, this dashing tie! I love it to bits, but I was rushing so badly to get dressed and be out of the house while there was still some light, that I made a right pig's tail of that knot! It can only be better next time, I guess. But I couldn't wait until next time to show it to you, so that's that.

Coming with it there are 2 knits just sent over by my mother, the red cardigan is made in a lovely Debbie Bliss Donegal tweed, and the vest in some rough dark green Shetland with lime flecks. I am very chuffed with these too, and I'll probably show them over and over again in many posts, as I hope to get a lot of wear out of them. 

If you like them, stay posted, I've got more knits to show, some already made, others in the making as mother and I have project after project lined up, you'll get bored stiff... I, for one, never seem to.

Snowless skiing, 30's style

One of the things that I wanted very badly this winter and which has eluded me so far is a vintage ski outfit. Some of you are lucky enough to posses such a thing, but the gods haven't smiled upon me yet. In fact I believe they pretty much spite me and refuse me the very things I want most. But they can't stop a girl from dreaming, and they certainly haven't stopped me putting together bizarre outfits to exhibit in the middle of the forest. I am sure many would agree it's the very place for them, too :). 

My silver hat pin was as close to authenticity as I was going to get. Well, since I decided it looked far more interesting to the side of the collar,  perhaps not. The rest is all modern with the exception of the messenger bag (to be listed in my etsy shop), the sunglasses (probably belonged to a die hard fan of Ozzy if not to the man himself) and the green jumper that was my mother's in the 70's or so and it's far too short for me in the sleeves so I tell everyone it really is a 3 quarter. 

It's a winner, isn't it?