Oversized and Over-Patterned: a Selection of Knitting Patterns from 1980-1989

This is the ninth post in my series of selected twentieth century knitting patterns (you can see the other posts in the series here), and it offers a sampling of knitting patterns dating from 1980 to 1989. I've been rather dreading this post, because I think the design aesthetic of the eighties was the most hideous of any decade of the twentieth century. Eighties design followed a curve similar to that of the sixties, in that the look of the first half of the decade was generally prim and conservative, and then got very loud, shapeless, and tacky once past the midpoint of the decade. I know this because I was there. I was around for much of the seventies too, but I was only six when 1980 dawned and all I really remember about seventies style was the appliquéd dresses my mother made me, my older brothers' hand-me-down sweaters, and my Cindy Brady bangs and ringlets hairstyle. (Yes, there are pictures, and no I will not post them.) I remember the trappings of my eighties all too clearly: the dayglo and pastel colours, the cropped pants, the batwing sweaters, the teased bangs, the frosted pink lipstick, the acid wash jeans. And unlike my Cindy Brady ringlets, I can't blame these things on my mother, because I chose all these things myself.

But after looking at a lot of eighties knitwear design while researching this post, I have to say that the eighties really were a good time for knitting. Vogue Knitting went back into production in 1982 (their original incarnation having closed its doors in 1969), and there was also Simplicity Knitting, though it didn't last long, McCall's Needlework & Craft Magazine continued the good work it had been doing for decades, and a number of women's housekeeping-type magazines offered a very decent pattern in each issue. Another change was that with the growing importance of "name brands", and thanks in no small part to Vogue Knitting, knitting designers became "names" in a way they had never really been before. Kaffe Fassett, Alice Starmore, Susan Duckworth, Jean Moss, and Nicky Epstein all became star designers during the eighties.

Of course a lot of eighties knitwear design looks unqualifiedly terrible now. The pastels and primary colour combinations and crude geometric patterns that are so typical of eighties style aren't at all appealing by contemporary standards. And then there was the shaping of eighties garments, or more accurately, the lack thereof. Oversized sweaters and tops were inexplicably in (I remember seeing other girls in our school change rooms helping each other stretch out their sweaters and t-shirts to make them even larger than they already were), and big baggy sweaters don't do anything for any figure. However, the best knitwear designs of the eighties had a gorgeously rich complexity (if you look back over the designers I mentioned in the last paragraph, you'll see they're almost all known for the sheer intricacy of their patterns) and those graphs and charts can be used to make beautiful standard-fitting sweaters that will be very wearable today.

However, despite my knowing that there are loads of beautiful eighties patterns in existence because I have many of them in my own knitting pattern library, I did have a hard time finding enough for this post. Eighties patterns aren't old enough to be public domain, yet very few are available for sale online. I finally had to relax my rule about selecting readily available patterns. A number of the patterns I have chosen were originally printed in books or magazines that are now out of print and are not available for downloading, but some have been reprinted into more recent books that should be easily purchased, and if you really wish to find a particular design that hasn't been reprinted, I think you will be able to find them in your local library or buy a used copy of the original book or magazine online.

The Season's Smartest Blazer is not what I'd call the season's smartest blazer, but instead a classic. Though I'd definitely make it in some other colour, and lose The Dress for Success styling. This pattern originally appeared in The Australian Women's Weekly in June 1980, and is a free pattern.

This child's White Rabbit sweater, by Nicky Epstein, is a cute nod to Alice in Wonderland. It originally appeared in Vogue Knitting's Fall/Winter 1985 issue and is available for $4.95(USD).

This felted shawl collared jacket, by Deborah Newton, was originally published in Vogue Knitting's Fall/Winter 1985 issue and is available as a download for $6(USD). I'd nix the third colour used for the front edges and collar and just knit it all in one colour with contrast piping trim.

This is one of Kaffe Fassett's inimitable designs, Spanish Combs, which appeared in the still-in-print Kaffe's Classics: 25 Favorite Knitting Patterns for Sweaters, Jackets, Vests and More in January 1986. You will probably want to reshape this sweater as it's quite boxy.

I may have criticized eighties colourways above, but I've got nothing but admiration for the palette used in this Bellmanear Sweater by Jean Moss. Though again, this sweater needs some reshaping. The dropped shoulder really took hold in the eighties. This pattern appeared in Rowan's Designer Collection Summer & Winter Knitting, which was published in 1987.

This Argyll Sweater, designed by Sarah Dallas, is a nice twist on the traditional argyle sweater. I'd want to change the colours to something a little more typically menswear to bring it a little more in line with the kind of thing men can feel comfortable wearing. This pattern appeared in Rowan's Designer Collection Summer & Winter Knitting, which was published in 1987, though this individual sweater pattern is not on Ravelry.

This is the Blackwork design, from Susan Duckworth's Knitting, published in 1988. I don't know why the security tag wasn't removed from this item before the photo shoot.

This is the Plum Blossom design, from Susan Duckworth's Knitting, published in 1988. I've limited myself to two designs from Susan Duckworth's book, but much against my will, as the whole book is a visual feast that has me just as excited about the patterns in it as I was when I first bought it, even though most of the sweaters need some serious reshaping and updating of colour schemes to look right for 2013.

Kaffe Fassett's Persian Poppy Waistcoat, which was originally published in Glorious Color: Sources of Inspiration for Knitting and Needlepoint in 1988. I have to admit, the few times I have made a Kaffe Fassett design, I cheated by whittling the colour palette from ten or twelve colours down to four or five.

I quite like this floral cardigan from Vogue Knitting's Spring/Summer 1989 issue, though the colourway needs a total overhaul. As awful as eighties geometric patterns often were, eighties designers usually seemed to do florals very well.

This is Alice Starmore's Thoroughbred vest, originally published in Vogue Knitting's Fall 1989 issue, and it's not only been reprinted but is available as a kit from Virtual Yarns. And it's a unisex pattern.

Knitting Makes Strange Cellmates

In the 2010 movie Cop Out, knitting provides a moment of connection between two inmates. Please be warned that this video contains coarse language.

Knitting is a Piece of Cake

I've never cared for knitted representations of food. Clever and skilfully made as they may be (and some are absolute marvels of design), they're just so useless. Edible representations of knitting are another matter, however. There are in especial loads of beautiful birthday knitting-themed cakes on the net, and today being my birthday I've decided to offer a selection of knitting-themed birthday cakes in today's post.

Love the basket of yarn cake above. Although just looking at all that sugar has made all my teeth fall out.

Cute. I'd want to be represented as having a bit more style, though. Knitters are not all matronly or elderly ladies.

Love this one. Simple and effective.

A cake like this would be a great way to gift a knitter with a new pair of knitting needles.

I marvel at the sheer skill and artistry of all these cakes. I'm a pretty good cook, but have never had much success with icing. I usually have to fall back on doing what I call a "Jackson Pollock icing", which means that I drizzle the icing on in a random yet hopefully artistic way.

This cake maker had some good design notions.

This cake is more about the knitter than the tools of her trade.

The perfect cake for the knitter who's into swatching.

A cake for the knitter on the go. I totes relate.

These cupcakes are less impressive than the cakes above, but they're cute and look more to be at my icing skill level.

Painting with Wool

If you've ever wanted other ways to use wool than to spin and knit with it (and I know you probably haven't, but humour me), you can always check out the work of Scottish artist Jill Harrison for inspiration. Harrison makes art with sheep's wool.






Harrison, who lives on a small farm near Fraserburgh in north east Scotland, uses the wool from her flock of 14 sheep for her artwork. You can see something of her process in the video above and view galleries of her portraits of humans and animals and the rest of her work on her website.

Knit the Bridge

The largest and most ambitious yarn bomb in U.S. history was installed over the last two days. You're looking at the Andy Warhol Seventh Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the final completion of "Knit the Bridge", a project that has been months in the making and that has involved the efforts of over a thousand volunteers from all over Pennsylvania and even some from other states and abroad. The towers and entire railing of the bridge have been covered in tens of thousands of knitted and crocheted acrylic afghans. Some of the afghans were donated as a whole, while others were assembled from squares and panels that had been donated separately.




The Andy Warhol Bridge will remain covered in these blankets until September 7, at which time the afghans will be removed, cleaned and given to the homeless. For more details, see the video above or visit the Knit the Bridge project website.

Tiddly Tiddly Pom Pom

If you'd like to learn to make these floral pom poms, the blogger at Mr. Printables can tell you how. The technique can also be used to create pom poms with other visual themes. Mr. Printable writes that he's going to try "animal faces, polka dots, stripes, [and] little globes" next.

Vogue Knitting Fall 2013: A Review

Vogue Knitting's Fall 2013 issue is out. Let's have a look at the patterns in it, shall we?

I like this hooded vest pretty well in general, though I am not sure how I feel about the short sleeves. This item is meant to be worn as a top layer, and while sleeveless vests are routinely worn layered, long sleeves layered under short ones aren't a great look.

Here we have a houndstooth poncho. It reminds me of those houndstooth caped greatcoats Sherlock Holmes has so often been depicted as wearing. As a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories, I'm much more disposed to give this poncho a good review even though I'm not a poncho fan because they tend to look sloppy and unflattering. This one, however, is well and cleverly constructed enough to be worn to the office. I don't care for the colourway used here, but think this piece could look quite smart in a sharp colour combination.

An open-front cardigan with garter edgings. I actually rather like this one. It's a very useful piece that a woman could wear a great deal and would be a good project for a beginner knitter's first sweater.

This piece is trying to be edgy and contemporary with its open sides, and just looks like a beautiful turtleneck with unfinished side seams. Write the words "Design choices should always look deliberate" one hundred times on the blackboard and then get back to your drawing board, Vogue Knitting.

I actually quite like this plaid jacket, but I do find myself staring at those dolman sleeves and trying to figure out if they really look as awkward and unflattering as I think they do, or if I'm just hopelessly bigoted when it comes to cropped, overly wide sleeves. Frankly, I'm inclined to the former view. At any rate if I were making this sweater, I'd fix the dropped shoulders and make the sleeves full-length and standard fitting. The plaid pattern of this jacket is quite eye-catching enough without any more flourishes.

I actually quite like this jacket, which is fun and playful in an adult and sophisticated way and has good lines. If the colourway is too much for you, try picturing in other colour schemes. I'm imagining it in red, browns, and creams — the poppy motif suggested the red to me.

If you're a regular reader of my knitting magazine reviews, you know how I feel about the mini or spencer sweater and that I'm probably about to make a "shrunk in the wash joke". And I hate to be so predictable... but yes that's totally what I'm about to do. I like the enlarged houndstooth pattern and cowl neck of this sweater, but the mini-length makes me want to tell the model that laundry accidents happen and she needs to hand this sweater over to the nearest child.

This reversible wrap is really a beautiful piece of work.





This asymmetrical sweater has a very modern shape and a beautifully constructed traditional texture. It's a combination that makes it very wearable.

I thought this was going to be a modern minidress, something with a bit of edge but that was wearable enough, but then I saw the back. A cut-out back and.. a peplum? Butt ruffle? Fishtail? Whatever that thing is, it turns the dress into Ariel the Little Mermaid's idea of business attire. Filling in the back with that interesting mesh texture would have made this dress different enough, and much more wearable.





This dress is one of those pieces that seem as though they should be considered more in the light of a technical accomplishment rather than as a piece of actual apparel. The dress is so openwork that a woman would have to wear some sort of underlayer with it, and yet it's so fitted it would be difficult to do so without any fabric ripples or folds ruining the lines of the dress. I'm thinking... a custom-made, low-backed spandex slip in a coordinating colour rather than skin tone so you won't have everyone covertly staring at her and trying to figure out if she really is naked underneath the dress? When you also consider that this isn't going to be a flattering item for many women and many won't have a suitable place to wear it, it's clear this is one nearly unwearable dress. That isn't even especially attractive.

This sweater is nearly exactly like the cardigans women wore circa 1915, and that haven't really been out of date since. It is therefore a safe bet for a sweater you want to wear for years.

Not crazy about this. It just looks too cobbled together and unfinished.

I rather like this vest, which is striking and contemporary and yet wearable, but you'd almost not know it because the styling swamps it in unnecessary visual noise.

This is one of those designs that didn't quite get there. I'd seam in side pieces to achieve that hourglass effect rather than doing intarsia, which just looks too choppy. And I'd use two colours: one for the side pieces and sleeves, and another for the neck and the centre section of the body. As it is this design looks too conflicted, with the intarsia effect fighting the sleeves seams and the colours all at war with each other.

I've never seen this concept before, and I don't know what to call it. A rectangular peplum? Waist bunting? Mud flaps? Despite the fact that the only terms that come to mind sound like insults, I actually find myself rather liking those hanging panels. As long as the waist isn't too narrow, it could even be a pretty wearable piece for a lot of women, a sort of contemporary spin on the tunic. Though I don't know why Vogue Knitting chose to pair such a modern-looking piece with a Little House on the Prairie-style skirt. I see this sweater working over a simple, well-tailored skirt or pair of trousers.

I don't know what this piece is. It might be a wrap, and it might be a vest. So I'll give it two qualified verdicts: I like it if it's a wrap, but don't like it if it's a vest, because it's just too shapeless.

I like this vest. Though again at first glance I thought I didn't, because for some reason this model has been made to wear this vest with an outfit that bears absolutely no relation to it and does nothing to set it off.

Very much like this one, though I might choose to go higher contrast with the second colour, or use a beautiful variegated yarn for that panel. Not that it isn't fine as it is, but there are different effects that could be achieved here depending on the colours chosen.

This one isn't quite working. The texture's good, the shape is good, and the piece looks ever so warm and cosy. The colours could use some work, though. Those two narrow stripes across the chest just aren't working though — the cables are too textured for an effect like that, and the stripes look rumpled instead of crisp as they do on the sleeves. The colours are also rather muddy. I'd nix the stripes entirely and go with different colours, ones that are either higher contrast or that have a better gradient effect, such as four shades of gray, arranged in progression from dark charcoal at the bottom to pearl gray at the top.

Not a fan of this one. It's not terrible, but again the colours aren't terribly effective. It looks more like something that someone whipped up to use up some of her yarn rather than a professional design. Replacing that medium blue with a variegated blue that incorporated navy, white, and other shades of blue would really pull this design together.





I like this one. The neckline and the lacing effect give an otherwise basic cabled pullover a contemporary twist. Though I do find myself wishing the shape were a little neater. It would be more flattering and practical. But then maybe you're the type who can wear a flared sleeve without it winding up in your soup.





I wish I could see the shape of this sweater better. It might be a perfectly good design (I do very much like the texture), but it looks as though it might be rather dowdy from what I can see here, with those loose elbow-length sleeves and the bagginess at the chest.





I do like this, but I'd like it a lot more if the fit were neater. But then that's one of the great things about being a knitter; you can make these changes. Making this item narrower and shorter will make it more flattering for most women.





Oh man. This is one seriously bulky and unattractive sweater. Unless you're stationed at the South Pole and you've lost all concern for your appearance because all you care about is saving some of your favourite body parts from frostbite... I'd pass on this one.

I like this turtleneck, with its standard fit and simple yet effective texture.

And we end well. This sweater is really wearable and flattering and yet sharp because of its detailing.