Vintage Knitting Sweater Pattern Wheels - A Question

Any of my knitting friends remember those cardboard sweater wheels for knitting from 1969? 

On one 12” square, with a spinning center, it gave patterns for sizes 6 mos to 48 (both men and women), for cardigan, round and v-neck styles, all long sleeve, and for yarn weights of fingering, sport and worsted, and in choices of set-in sleeves or raglan sleeves - 360 patterns in all, on just a square foot of cardboard, easy to stash in a project bag. And each one comes in its own plastic slip-bag for protection.

Back in the day, they only cost a couple of dollars. Now they are 1-year shy of 50 years old.

Well, I found the two Jane and I had back in the day. And I planned on putting them out there for sale before I closed my Etsy shop. Now I hope to maybe list them on Facebook.

The Question:

How much should I charge for them? I have seen these, believe it or not, just last week on eBay, etc., for between $35 and $75! Yes, I realize they are “vintage” and when you tack that onto a description, anything goes, price-wise. But as much as I need funds, there’s no way I can justify that.

So, my knitting friends, even though you wouldn’t need either of these nowadays, what do you think I could/should ask? The shipping will be tricky - they weigh nothing, but I’d want them in something sturdy so they wouldn’t bend. I’ll be pricing that this coming week.

I stopped using them when I stopped knitting, but Jane used them a few times. They look just about new and not faded and still easy to read.

Oh, folks should know that everything is made in pieces - you’d have to love the challenge of  “piecing together” a sweater to use one of these!

Can’t wait to hear what you think.

Crochet (and Knitting) Fun & Games

If you have crocheted for a while (and this probably fits knitters, too), you have easily run into lots of fun and games while getting your hooks into the projects.

Friday mornings with the charity crafting group is relaxed and comfy and we’ve all been crocheting (and/or knitting) for a very long time. Along the way, we’ve all laughed (after we’ve cried, sometimes, in frustration) over the things we run into when working on our patterns.

We’ve kidded each other many times about these things.

Three come to mind quickly because we’ve just talked about them in the past week or two.

1 - Yarn skeins - Is there even one person who crochets (or knits) who has not cried silently while trying to find the end of the pull skein? You reach inside, feeling carefully, like a surgeon in somebody’s innards. Over and over, you try to find that sneaky end to pull. Finally, you yank a clump from inside the skein, praying that it’s a small clump, quick and easy to use up in this session. Often, it is. But just as often, you pull out a clump that’s almost the whole skein, and you still do not see that end to pull. What do we do? I think we’ve all done the same thing. We push that clump of yarn back inside (no small feat) and then start working off the skein the hard way - from the outside. Fun and games.

2 - Hook size differences - One of our gals was working a pattern and mentioned that it was the first time she’d ever seen a pattern calling for a G hook with two different measurements: 4.0 and 4.25 mm. You’d think a G hook would be the same - always - right? That made me look at the G hook in my own hand. This one was a 4.5 mm. Go figure. It can drive a crafter nuts. Imagine using one G in one location, and perhaps picking up a different G at another location to continue working the same project. That can be a real mess. Add to that, not all hooks have both: the letter and the measurement. Fun and games.

3 - Yarn differences - This same gal was on a roll with our favorite baby jacket pattern. We’ve both used this pattern a zillion times. This particular morning, she was finishing one and showed me the yarn label. It was a skein of Vanna. And it said “Baby.” Now most crocheters (and knitters) are used to yarn for babies saying either “baby fingering,” “baby sport,” or “baby worsted.” This just said “Baby” and suggested a J hook, which is a big hook for baby projects. When she was finished, the jacket was far bigger than the other two she had just completed. This was apparently a worsted weight but slightly thicker than normal and not yet a chunky. We’ve all been through the drill when trying to pick out yarn for a project, knowing that, even though they might all say worsted, Simply Soft and Pound of Love and Red Heart are all different. Unless you check the gauge before moving along, it can be a real mess (just as with the hook differences). Fun and games.

Anyhow, we just had fun thinking about the things we’ve all been through in our crafting efforts. 

We do it, of course, because we are addicted to it. 

We love it. 

And yes, even with the frustrations, we enjoy the fun and games that come with it.

Crochet or Knit Projects On The Go

Crocheters and knitters are blessed with the opportunity to choose little projects to take with them no matter where they go. I suppose quilters can do the same thing.

Toss a small skein of yarn and a hook or pair of needles into a small bag and you are all set for idle moments.

Today I had a lot of those moments. I happened to have my "project bag" in the back seat of the car today when I needed to spend time at the ER with a household member. My "project bag" is just a zippered "travel" bag - the type you toss shampoo, deodorant, dental stuff and other toiletries into when you travel.

Currently, I have some mint green fingering yarn in there and a G hook. One of my fave preemie blankie patterns is deeply engraved into my brain, so I don't even carry the pattern any longer.

For this type of activity, I make sure what I work on will not be too long and hang down to the floor, or too bulky.

I finished the preemie blankie today and re-loaded my project bag to toss back into the car tomorrow.

I automatically grab that bag when I go anywhere that might require my being idle for more than 15 minutes at a time.

Yep, we sure are blessed, we crocheters and knitters. Now, go through your patterns and your yarn or thread, and figure out what to toss into your own project bag - dishcloths, caps, potholders, trims, or even squares to join later. Be ready to have fun no matter where you are.

Knitting Needle Nabber

Back in June, I wrote about the possible existence of a G-or-H Crochet Hook Gobbler. At that time, I wondered if it happened to knitters, too. I decided it did not because knitting needles are longer, come in pairs, and would be harder to lose.

Well, today, I found out from one of our neighborhood charity crafters that she has, many times, been the victim of a Knitting Needle Nabber. She often takes her knitting with her when she leaves home, to work on at odd moments when she must wait. She says she has no explanation for how and why they disappear, but it is always just one needle of a set. Go figure.

At that point, she must then find or buy another needle to make the pair. She says she probably has the biggest collection around of mismatched-color knitting needle pairs around.

Also, knitting needles present a more difficult challenge. While a G or H Hook Gobbler could easily stash some hooks in a pocket, or if the Gobbler had a big, big mouth, in their cheeks, like a squirrel. A Knitting Needle Nabber could not do that easily. A Knitting Needle Nabber would probably have to wear something like an Archer's Quiver, the thing that they shove their arrows into. Knitting Needles would easily fit in one of those.

As sorry as I was to hear about my neighbor's misfortunes, I felt better that we crocheters were not alone in our loss.