This blog post is a little different. It's not about anything I made, or even anything thrifted. Instead, I had to style a new sweater handmade by my sister, using a 1940s pattern.

Ever since seeing some of the lovely knits on Instagram, handmade from stunning vintage patterns, I've toyed with the idea of learning to knit so I can make some for myself. 

Well, quilting arrived and took over my new-hobby-learning-spare-time, so knitting will definitely have to wait, at least for now! But I happen to have a talented sister who knits (among other things) and actually likes to interpret old patterns (my personal dread), so I suggested she try some of the lovely vintage sweater patterns out there.

This was her first sweater, and it turned out lovely! 

She wanted to wet her feet with a quick and easy knit, and this pattern fit the bill – as well as having some interest in the shoulder detail to stretch her skills a bit.

I chose a bulky wool yarn in a lovely cornflower blue color, but I only had 3 skeins of it, so she made the sweater short sleeved instead of long sleeved. I like wearing short sleeves in the winter because I like something heavier, yet get too hot while working in long sleeves most of the time.

It has a crocheted finish and button band, and I found the perfect vintage buttons from my stash to finish it out.

The bulky weight made it a very quick knit – she made the whole thing in just a few days – and also is very size accommodating. The original pattern was quite a bit smaller size than I am, but since it has so much stretch, after adding a half inch or so onto the button band, it fits well enough. 

She enjoyed making it so much that she's intending to make more, in vintage-appropriate yarns and colors, to sell. You can currently find her on Instagram as @patternsofexcellence, if you want to see what she's up to. 

The shoulder detail is my favorite part!

I paired it for these photos with the skirt of my 2 piece summer suit from a few years ago – mix and match outfits for the win! Also my navy and white Peggy spectator pumps from Royal Vintage, which were a favorite purchase this past fall. It looks a bit more nautical-summery, but the sweater keeps it suitable for cooler weather like the early spring we are now enjoying.

I love how knits add texture to a vintage wardrobe – really ideal for dressing up in colder weather. It's completely accurate and period correct, yet we can enjoy the wider range of colors, fibers, and washability (not so fragile!) than actual vintage pieces.

There are so many lovely patterns out there, with amazing details and design elements, especially from the 1930s and 1940s when make-it-yourself creativity was at its height. I might have to take advantage of my sister's skills and order a few more in different styles, one of these days!