Ursula's Alcove
Catalog : Books : Knitting
Knitting Fashions of the 1940s
Styles, Patterns and History
by Jane Waller
Hardcover, $39.95
ISBN 1-86126-862-9
Crowood Press, Ltd, 2006.
160 pages.
Publisher: "In the first half of the 1940s, the wartime scarcity of wools and
dyes produced innovative, figure-hugging lacy designs and creative
stitch techinques of bobbles, cables and ribs. In the post-war period,
there was even a more acute shortage of materials, which meant that
imaginative Fair Isle designs and embroidery techniques became the
only solution. As the 1950s approached, however, a greater availability
of materials led to the voluptuous batwing look and looser garments.
This lavish book celebrates the patterns and designs of 1940s knitwear.
Drawings and photographs from the original pattern mgazines accompany
modern colour photographs of the garments knitted up for today's wear.
In addition, it provides a history of wartime Britain and America
often using the actual words of the knitters and designers used by
the fashion magazines.
Patterns appear chronologically, reflecting what was happinening
at the time, and progress from the very simple (snood, balaklava or
WAAF doll) to the more intricare blackberry stitch and lacy designs
as the knitter becomes more fluent with the needles. May of the
designs are unusual, and there are sequins, beads knittedinto the
fabric, and knitted buttons. American, British and continental needle
sizes are included as is American terminology; and measurements are
given in both imperial and metiric. The material comes from a
collection of over 2,000 historic knitting patterns.
JANE WALLER was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and raised in
Oxfordshire before moving to London. She has recently reuturned to the
Chilterns where she now lives with her husband, Micheael Vaughan-Rees.
Jane has written three books on the social history of the Second World War
and five books on knitwear design, all of which have been inspirational
for fashion designers and for film and television wardrobe research.
Knitwear from her earlier books can be seen in numerous period films
and TV series.