A Bevy of Bed Jackets

In winter my standard sleepwear outfit consists of a pair of tartan flannel pajama bottoms that I sew myself, and a thrift shop long-sleeved t-shirt in a coordinating colour. It costs me under $25 and just a few hours of work to make myself a new pajama set, and I usually have three sets on hand, each of which will last for years. The pajama bottoms always wear out first, and if my replacement pair of bottoms isn't the right colour to go with the shirt that went with the last pair, I can put the shirt in the dresser drawer that holds my daytime wear long-sleeved t-shirts. Sometimes, if I have one a long-sleeved t-shirt in the right colour in my shirt drawer, I'll pair it with the new pajama bottoms I've just sewn. In other words, my pajama bottom and t-shirt combination is a cost, material, and work-efficient sleepwear choice. The one drawback is that it isn't is quite warm enough for a 1912-built house in Toronto winter weather.

I spend most of my evenings sitting up in bed knitting or working on some other needlework while I watch movies or TV shows on my laptop, and during the winter months I find myself becoming uncomfortably chilly at the above-blanket level, and sometimes have trouble staying warm enough when sleeping too. I've tried wrapping an afghan around my shoulders but it won't stay in place owing to the kind of arm movements my needlework efforts entailed. I've resorted to wearing my bathrobe, which works better, but given its length it is awkward to sit up in bed and sleep in it. I can wear a hoodie or sweatshirt, of course, but their hoods, strings, and/or zippers irritate me when I'm trying to sleep, and the ill-assorted look of them bugs me whenever I catch sight of myself in a mirror. I want a warm, comfortable layering piece to put on that coordinates with my pajamas and my one tartan flannel nightgown.   

Identifying this gap in my sleepwear wardrobe led me to think about bed jackets. These days most people just wear a hoodie, sweatshirt, sweater, or their bathrobe over their pajamas if they want an extra layer. Bed jackets are one of those quaintly charming articles of dress and appointment that have all but fallen by the wayside (see also: dress clips, hat pins, pocket watches, muffs, cloaks, parasols, fans, and train cases). 

In Marjorie Hillis's classic manual for the single woman, Live Alone and Like It, originally published in 1936, she prescribes in detail what nightwear a woman should own:

 

We would also like to say a few words about your bedroom wardrobe. This is no place to be grim and practical. Don't worry about whether your nightgowns will wear if you are sure that they will flatter. We can think of nothing more depressing than going to bed in a washed-out four-year-old nightgown, nothing more bolstering to the morale than going to bed all fragrant with toilet-water and wearing a luscious pink satin nightgown, well-cut and trailing.

Next, of course, you'll need negligees -- at least two, one warm and one thin, and as many more as you can afford. Have them tailored or chi-chi according to your type, but have them becoming. And don't think that four bed-jackets are too many if you belong to the breakfast-in-bed school. A warm comfortable one for every-day use and a warm grand one for special occasions. A sheer cool one for summer mornings, and a lacy affair to dress up in. You can make the last two yourself out of remnants in practically no time at all. For the others, have one of quilted silk or Shetland wool, and another of padded satin or velvet in the shade that makes you most beautiful. 

 

I prize my copies of Hillis's two books Live Alone and Like It and Orchids on Your Budget, and often re-read them, mostly for their bracing tone, which has an excellent effect on me. Her practical tips on living a happy single life and living in style on a tight budget offer food for thought, but usually take some adapting to make them usable for life in 2026. In this instance, I wholeheartedly concur with Hillis's dictum that attractive and comfortable bedroom attire is important, even if it's only seen by its wearer. Worn out, ugly, and/or unflattering lingerie is demoralizing, and who needs that? However, I do differ with her on what my nighttime wardrobe should look like. While Hillis mightn't approve of my pajamas, they're standard sleepwear these days. I do agree with her stance on negligees, or what we more commonly call bathrobes. It's a sound idea for a woman who lives in a four-season climate to have at least one long, warm, plush bathrobe and one short, light, silky one. As for her prescription for bed jackets, I don't want any summer bed jackets, as my house does not have air conditioning and my short cotton nightgowns are all I can bear to have on me in hot weather, but I agree that I could definitely use at least one nice warm bed jacket for winter wear.

I wondered if there could be a modern equivalent to the bed jacket, and I did some googling, and fell down something of a rabbit hole. Amazon does offer a reasonable selection of bed jackets, ponchos, and capes in fleece, velour, and flannel, but while I'll do some comparison shopping research on Amazon, I'm trying to avoid actually buying anything from Amazon, given Jeff Bezos' treatment of his workers and his support of Donald Trump. I looked on Pinterest, and after realizing that bed jackets could be knitted, on Ravelry.

 

 

I found some exquisite examples of the bed jacket, such as the one above, which dates from the 1930s and would definitely meet with Marjorie Hillis's approval, but one like that wouldn't work with my pajamas, or even one of my cotton nightgowns. However, by the time I'd climbed out of the bed jacket research rabbit hole, I at least knew what I wanted in a bed jacket: it needed to be warm, it needed to be comfortable for both sitting up in bed and for sleeping in, it needed to go with my pajamas, and ideally it would also elevate the look of my pajamas a little. 

I decided I would have to sew my own modern version of a bed jacket. I researched available sewing pattern options, and sewed myself a pair of fleece pullovers using a Simplicity pattern. But then it turned out that I didn't really like them that much. They were warm, they were reasonably comfortable, they went with my pajamas and my one flannel nightgown, but they felt too bulky and weren't terribly flattering. They're now in a bag that I have mentally labelled as "remnant fabric to be used in future sewing projects" and packed away in the attic blanket box.

Though I'm back to wearing my bathrobe or a sweatshirt when I need a layering piece, I haven't given up on the idea of making a satisfactory bed jacket for myself, and I've found some nice knitted options on Ravelry which I'd like to share with you all. Let's take a look at them now, shall we?

 

 

 

 

This is the Bed Jacket pattern, designed by Joan McGowan-Michael. McGowan-Michael is known for her fantastic lingerie-inspired knits, and she ran true to form with this piece. It's romantic and beautiful without being too frou-fou to look well over pajamas or a nightgown. It's my favourite of all the bed jacket knitting patterns I looked at, and would be my pick for the bed jacket I intend to make myself, but I'm afraid it isn't the best choice for my particular figure. This isn't a style that will look well over a well-endowed chest, especially when said chest is not supported by a bra, and alas, the Boob Fairy was far too generous with me. DAMN YOU TO HELL, BOOB FAIRY.

 

 

 

 

The Indulgence Bed Jacket, designed by Amanda M. Williams, is another romantic and beautiful bed jacket. But this bed jacket doesn't just stop at bringing beauty and romance into your life, because it also brings the drama. This is a bed jacket one can wear while swanning around one's living room with a drink in hand as in the sample photo, and/or while receiving late night callers and proposals of various kinds (marriage, indecent, etc.). It also looks light and soft and cosy.

 

 

 

 

This is the Breakfast Coat No. 488, by Bernhard Ulmann Co., and it's another bed jacket that's romantic in style and yet simple enough to wear over ordinary nightgowns or a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. Can you guess when this pattern might have been published? Do you have a year or decade in mind? If so, was it October 1945? Yes, this pattern is 81 years old as of this writing, and it looks completely current and wearable by today's standards.

 

 

 

  

This is the Helen Dressing Jacket, published by Patons & Baldwins. There's no publication date listed for this one, but judging from the rest of the patterns in the booklet this pattern was published in, I would say it's probably a 1930s-era pattern. It's pretty and femme in fairly restrained, wearable way and should work on any type of figure.

This is the Bed Jacket #G-100, which was published by The Spool Cotton Company in January 1949. It's quite fetching in its way if you would like to make or wear something a little flirty and girly. 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

The Beautiful Bed-Jacket, published by Australian Women's Weekly in April 1965. Very pretty and wearable. I also note that it's the ribbon ties and the colour that make it seem like a bed jacket rather than a fairly standard summer cardigan, so there's no reason why you can't adapt any ordinary cardigan pattern that you like to make a bed jacket, or for that matter to make any of the bed jacket designs in this post for daily wear. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This design is Pink as a Rosebud, by Susan Crawford. At the simpler end of the spectrum, we have another vintage-style bed jacket that looks totally up to date. It's another one I wish I could wear, but cropped-length tops or sweaters don't work on me. I can't be too thankful I wasn't born in the Regency period, with all its spencers and empire-waisted dresses. 

 

 

 

 

The Lace-Edged Bed Jacket, by Teva Durham. Here's a contemporary-style bed jacket that I can imagine working on any woman's figure, with most nightgowns, and over a t-shirt style pajama top. I say contemporary though this was published in August 2008, which technically makes it two years shy of being vintage, but I stand by (and cling fervently to) my belief that 2008 just wasn't that long ago when one thinks on a grand scale, and fashion hasn't changed much since then. 

 

 

 

 

The Lacy Bed Jacket, by Susan Crawford, was derived from a knitting pattern from 1940. You can kind of tell from the squarish shoulders. It's another bed jacket that's pretty but still practical and unfussy in style. 

 

 

 

 

This is Bed Jacket #193, designed by Hilde Fuchs, and published in 1947. It has a simple, smart look to it that I like, and it will be much better about not catching on things than all the lacy numbers in this post. 

 

 

 

 

This is 218 Bed Jacket, designed by Elizabeth L. Mathieson, which was published in January 1947. It's another neat, tailored-looking number with its flat collar and pearl buttons, and would add a little style and polish to any plain nightgown or t-shirt and pajama bottoms. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the Ladies Bed Jacket set, published by Robin Wools. I don't know when this pamphlet was published, but my best guess is that it's a 1960s pattern, as the beehive hairdo was not invented until 1960. And I think this is the bed jacket pattern I want to use for making my bed jacket, though having just revisited the other designs I selected for this post, I'm not entirely sure. But I do like this design a lot. It sits very well, it has a certain classic style, and it will definitely suit me. I'll stop short of knitting the matching bed socks (they would wear out too quickly to be worth it), knitting a matching hot water bottle (I don't have one), or of adopting the beehive (my hair would utterly refuse to cooperate).

I won't get to the bed jacket project this year, or maybe even in 2027, but I will eventually, and then I shall have winter sleepwear that is, if not quite Marjorie Hillis-approved, certainly Marjorie Hillis-informed.

Making the Gradient: A Selection of Gradient Knitting Designs

Today on The Knitting Needle and the Damage Done, we're going to have a look at a selection of gradient knits. I've been finding as I write my knitting design reviews that I'm always especially drawn to a successful gradient effect. There's something so pleasing about the effect of a beautifully blended colour progression. It's a look largely dependent on its palette, as any striped or colour-block design could be used to achieve a gradient effect so long as the yarns work well together on that level. If you decide you want to try a gradient knit, be prepared for a challenge, as achieving a flow of colour in yarn can be harder than you might expect. It's a prospect that reminds me of the exercises I once had to do when I was taking a colour theory course as part of a certificate program in Visual Arts that I did at George Brown College here in Toronto in the early 2000s. We had to paint colour charts in evenly progressive gradients from white to black, or from the palest shade of a colour to its darkest shade, and any disproportionately large "jump" between any two shades stood out like a sore thumb and was ruthlessly marked down by the course instructor. But then you'll be mixing and matching yarns at your local yarn store rather than sweating over the possibility that a infinitesimal drop of added white or black paint might prove too much, and you won't be marked on your effort, so do go ahead and have fun picking out your gradient colourways. And there are also knitting design techniques that can help you integrate your selected palette of yarn, which I'll be pointing out throughout this post of selected gradient designs.

The above design is the Humphry shawl, by maylin Tri'Coterie Designs. I love the psychedelic rainbow effect, which the designer has made work by selecting an array of uniformly vivid shades and using black to offset them.

Changing Light, by Jennifer Weissman. In this gradient knit, the designer has used alternating stripes to blend adjacent shades together. Solid colour blocks with no softening transitions can look a little crude, even when one has selected a good colour range.

Gradient Dip, by Suvi Simola. Here again we have the alternating colour stripes, and the designer has restricted the gradient effect to the sleeves for a look that really pops.

Pixelated Pullover, by Jennifer Beaumont. Another technique for transitioning between two shades is this "pixelated" effect of artfully arranged random stitches of the second colour.

Metamorphic, by Lisa K. Ross. This design uses alternating stitches to "morph" from one shade to another. I've had my eye on this sweater pattern for some time and intend to make it in 2019 for my grandnephew Bug's sixth birthday.

Colorshift, by Carina Spencer. In this cowl, the designer has bridged the difference between her two yarns by knitting with two strands. This is a great technique for turning two colours of yarn into a gradient colourway, because you're creating the connecting colours.

All About Green, by Natalie V. In this design, repeating thin bands of colour are used to unite the palette of four shades of green.

Degreenify, by Josh Ryks-Robinsky. In this pattern, the designer has used the classic ripple afghan pattern (which is traditionally used to integrate numerous different colours) and added alternating stripes to ease the shade changes.

Reflected Lines, by Suvi Simola. I wouldn't have thought of putting these three colours together, but they look amazing.

The Umbra & Penumbra sweater, by Jennifer Thompson, published by Knit Picks in Burnished: 2014 Fall Collection. That's an impressive array of shades, but this would be an expensive pattern to knit, as one would need so many skeins of yarn and have so much left over.

Polar Prism Cardigan, by Jennifer Beaumont. In this cardigan, the designer has united the colours by using a neutral background colour.

Colorslide, by Nicole Nehrig. This pattern uses alternating stitches of colour to transition. These individual colours are beautiful, but I would have kept working on this palette a little more. The top three colours are warm tones and the bottom two are on the cool side, which makes for a bit of a disconnect in the midsection.

Three Greys Aurora Turtleneck, by Berta Karapetyan. I am quite sure my colour theory art instructor would have approved this grayscale.

Ombre Sweater, by Debbie Bliss. This ombre effect was created by combining strands of the different shades, and by using a mohair silk yarn, which has a halo that helps with the blending effect. The resulting effect is soft and muted and lovely. (I reviewed this design previously, as it appeared in Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine's Fall/Winter 2014 issue, and it seems I really liked it then too.)

Posh Petals, by Rose Beck. The three gradient bands of colour interspersed with dark lines give this otherwise traditional cowl such a striking and contemporary look.

Primus, by Dawn Prickett. Here we have a shawl that's contemporary in both its colourway and its style. The designer has managed to give the pattern such interest and movement using only three shades and an arrangement of stripes.

Curio Cowl, by Kelly McClure. Linen stitch does a particularly good job of blending colours together, and I love the colours used here.

Packful of Backpacks

In today's post, I offer a selection of backpack patterns. This is the fifth and final post in my series of posts on knitted bag designs, over the course of which I've done posts on selected clutch/wristbag, handbag, tote bag, and messenger bag patterns.

The backpack depicted above is the Verbena Rucksack, by Katie Carlson. I think I'd go with a commercially made straps and toggle for it. The commercially made straps will be much stronger than the knitted ones and, as I've observed in my previous bag posts, using commercially made straps, handles, fasteners, and other fittings upgrades the look of a handmade bag. It can be difficult to find the right fittings for a bag (there isn't a lot of selection on the market), so I recommend buying them before buying the other materials and supplies for the bag you want to make, and then matching and adapting your bag project plan to suit them as necessary.

Macduff tartan bag, by Judy Furlong. This is probably my favourite design of the sixteen I've selected for this post, and indeed, I've singled it out before, for my post on selected plaid-like knitting designs.

Black Plaid Felted Mini Backpack, by Sherrie Kibler. Here's another, simpler, tartan backpack, and it's ever so smart.

Rainbow Back Pack, by Phoenix Bess. This one is so fun I think that, if I had one, it would cheer me up every time I used it. I'd also really enjoy picking out a pretty colourway for it.

Felted Shoulder Sling Bag, by Katie Nagorney and Ann Swanson. Here's a simple and serviceable one. As with the Verbena Rucksack above, I'd go with commercially made straps.

Felted Flannel Backpack, by Patons. Cute and rather stylish bag.

Felted Knapsack, by Megan Lacey. Basic but attractive backpack, and this one's of a more practical size than some of the other bags in this post. But then of course an experienced knitter and felter can always enlarge any of these patterns.

Now that I've done the adult-appropriate, serviceable backpack designs, we're going to move on to the fun part of this post: backpacks for kids. This one is the Orla Owl Felted Backpack, by The Yarn Genie. So cute! But I would use shank buttons for eyes for this design rather than the kind with holes.

Sheep Backpack, by Tatyana Fedorova. There is something about a knitted sheep -- it's so meta. And this one is especially well-rendered.

Kitty Backpack, by Dale Hwang. I know a couple of cat-obsessed little girls who would love to get something like this.

Birdie Backpack, by Alison Stewart-Guinee. Here's another, more cartoonish-style, owl backpack. This was a pattern from the now defunct Petite Purls, but it's still available online for free.

Berry Cute Backpack, by Amanda Saladin. The strawberry is perennial favourite motif in children's design, and it's easy to understand why given the appealing shape and colours of real strawberries. This is such a cute bag, and the side pockets and zippered pocket are such practical touches.

Ulyana Unicorn Felted Backpack, by The Yarn Genie. Fun little bag for the unicorn-obsessed child (or adult?) in your life.

Robot Backpacks, by Brenda K. B. Anderson. Here's a nice bag to make when artificial intelligence takes over the planet and you want to show our robot overlords that you're being a good and properly subservient person.

Punk Rock Backpack, by Heather Barnes, as published in Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook. Backpacks can be surprisingly easy to make. Heather Barnes writes on this pattern page for this one that, except for the intarsia, "all you’re doing is stitching together knitted squares, then throwing in a zipper and some straps". This would be a good basic backpack pattern to customize any way you care to by replacing the monkey with any motif you like.

Nemesis Knapsack vs Hero's Half-Shell, by Rachel Sanchez. I'm not a gamer, but I'm going to tentatively suggest that this backpack might be meant to represent a Koopa from Nintendo's Mario franchise. (I am sure one or more of my readers will correct me if I've gotten the reference wrong.) The level of detail here is amazing, and the spikes are also removable so that the backpack can be used as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume -- there are accessory horns, wristbands, and masks included with the pattern.

Creepy Knits: A Selection of Patterns for Halloween

Happy Halloween, knitters! I have in previous years done posts of selected Halloween patterns on fun Halloween accessories, costumes, wigs, home decor, kids' knitwear, and toys. This year, since I'm out of categories for Halloween knits, I've put together a post of assorted Halloween patterns that I haven't featured before and that I thought looked cool.

The first pattern is the Eye See You Halloween Cushion, by Jane Burns. It would be like giving someone a hairy eyeball, except that it would be a woolly eyeball.

Halloween wreath, by Nicola Valiji. Cute and kid-friendly Halloween wreath. This is the wreath you put on your front door if you don't want to scare away all the little trick or treaters so you can keep all the candy for yourself.

Deathflake mittens, by Sissel KB. I love the intricate chartwork in these. And it's a free pattern!

Night Creatures Mittens, by Adrian Bizilia. These are pretty spooky, though that mouse is alarmingly large in proportion to the owl. But perhaps that's a feature not a bug.

Fangtastic, by Wendy Gaal. For the vampire aficionado, or perhaps the especially enthusiastic dental hygienist.

Flying Witch Lazy Cloth, by Wineta. I hate using these little knitted dishcloths -- just give me a j-cloth -- but I wish I liked them because there are so many super cute designs out there for them like this one that I would enjoy making.

Let's Play Murder, by Professor Fonz. This sweater pattern is based on The Wallpaper Had It Coming Again pattern designed to resemble the iconic wallpaper in the BBC's show Sherlock. They're both really great designs that I will avoid letting my Sherlock-obsessed but non-knitting sister ever see, because every knitter reading this knows how that is likely to end.

Skull Stockings, by Disorder Knits. Love these, which are both cool and warm.

Halloween Skulls, by Devorgilla's Knitting. This one could be a nice statement piece for those days when you have to deal with difficult colleagues at work.

Halloween Kitty baby hat, by Sandra Jäger. Love the glaring yellow eyes at the top.

Hairy Monster Halloween Mitts, by Black Sheep Wools. The perfect finishing touch for your monster Halloween costume... or for the person who has always secretly dreamed of being a Muppet.

Spooky Spider Earwarmer Headband for Halloween, by Sylvia Leake. The perfect gift for the budding arachnologist in your life -- or for someone who's trying to get over their arachnophobia the hard way.

Witching Hour, by Ruth Hawkin. I quite like the neat little motifs used here.

Macabre Halloween Cowl, by Bobbin Hobnobbin. The glowing orange against the stark black used here is particularly effective.

Halloween Skull Socks, by Fir Tree Knitwear. This one incorporates several Halloween motfis for a bold look.

Not just for Halloween Skully Socks, by Jane Burns. For the Halloween sock lover who prefers a more subtle look than the previous sock design.

Spüli Halloween-Katze, by Mamafri. A well-drawn silhouette of a very angry cat.

Halloween Cushion and Throw, by Sandra Rowland. Very cute, with just a little freakiness in the jack o' lantern's expression.

Skeleton Black Cat, by Tatyana Korobkova. For the macabre child. Who has probably been asking for a My Little Step Children doll for Christmas.