It's such a shame that people don't knit much these days. The reasons for this include cheap textiles being available in the shops, but also that women don't have time to knit, and they don't have time to hand wash woollies. Let's face it, most women work outside the home and don't have the time or the inclination for such domestic chores. Also, wool is so expensive. At about $7.00 per ball for good quality wool, a garment is expensive in both time and money. So why learn to knit these days?

This is why I knit.

1. It's relaxing. There's something about the rhythm of it that's soothing. I also like to have a pattern to keep me from getting bored. I like to knit with fine wools of good quality. I have to have the TV on.
2. Garments are individual and unique. Nobody will have one like the one you make these days.
3. It stops me biting my nails.
4. It stops me raiding the fridge.
5. It provides me with lovely gifts for friends who've had babies.
6. I love the vintage patterns, and you just can't buy garments in the shops like them.
7. People are impressed that I've made things myself.
8. My daughter has taken up knitting .
9. My daughter's friend took up knitting after receiving a hand knitted baby jumper from her.

I have recently taken up knitting again after many years of being too busy.

Valley Heights - 1940s

Anyone can knit. Even men !

Vintage Knit Patterns at Etsy

Well, I have cleared out about a dozen op shops this week looking for old knitting patterns. I have found quite a few, but not so many really old ones. I suspect most of the really old ones are in antique shops, but I will keep scrounging.
About 80% of the patterns I am finding are Patons patterns, which form the bulk of my collection. However, these are still covered by copyright, as are the old Paragon books in Australia. So, I can collect these, but I can't sell copies of the patterns. The good news is, that I have duplicates of quite a few of these lovely old books, and am selling the spare copies on Etsy. Patons have, however, given me permission to use their images online, so I am planning to share quite a few on this blog.

Op shops have an enormous supply of knitting needles, by the way, if you ever need any.
Op shops? Do you have these in other countries? Maybe you call them charity stores, or thrift stores.  We call them Opportunity Shops, or Op Shops, in Australia. They have a pervading odour of moth balls.