 This month I’m using one of the issues I just bought at the Textile Center’s Annual Garage Sale. It’s May 1973. Nixon is president and the Watergate hearings were televised. Skylab is launched. The Sears tower is completed in Chicago. Top 40 music is full of catchy tunes:
I’ve only read one of the books on the bestselling fiction list - Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. Once is Not Enough by Jacqueline Susann was the bestselling fiction book in May The non-Fiction bestseller was Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution by Dr. Robert Atkins (I read this about 20 years ago). I’m O.K. – You’re O.K. by Thomas A Harris MD and All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot were also on the list. I don’t think I’ve read either of those. The May 1973 issue of Workbasket Magazine has six crochet patterns and the model on this cover is amazing. Gorgeous frosted hair and a lovely vest/shell. I’m not sure what she’s doing with the knight from the chessboard though. Patterns in this month’s issue include the women’s shell shown on the cover, an infant’s afghan, a bag with fringe, a long skirt in shell stitch, a girl’s cape and a man’s vest.  This month you’ll choose between the the Bag with Fringe and the Shell from the Cover:  Which one should I make?
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This is one of the bigger things I’ve made from these magazines and I think it turned out well. I was concerned about the size being off but after blocking the sizing was fine. About the pattern: This pattern uses a crossed double crochet stitch that I really like the look of. It makes the pieces in a way that reminds me of cutting fabric for a top. You make these separate pieces; the back, the left front, the right front and the two sleeves as a flat piece. The finishing instructions are: “Sew shoulder seams. Set in sleeves. Sew underarm and sleeve seams.” This pattern assumes you have some garment construction experience. How it went: I didn’t have a lot of problems with this pattern but I did change a few things. It starts each piece with a chain row and that felt a little flimsy when I worked the crossed double crochet stitch into it. I took that out and did a single crochet foundation row instead and I think that made it a little easier to work into. After I sewed in the sleeves and tried it on I realized that the sleeves were way too long so I took a chance and make a small cut on each of them and unraveled that row to take out 3 inches on each of them. Then I made a row of single crochets into the open loops to finish the sleeves. It worked pretty well but after blocking they’re still too long. I could have taken out another 3 inches on each side. If I made this again I’d measure my arm from the shoulder to just below my elbow and make them ¾ length sleeves.  One sleeve has been cut. Here's their photo and mine:
Next week I'll have the May choices ready! I’m almost done with the cardigan and definitely doesn’t fit me. The last weekend in April I’ll be visiting some family so maybe I’ll be able to talk one of them into modeling it. I did make this little bunny from the April 1981 issue:
It was very easy. It’s just a circle with some ears and a face embroidered on. I also went to the Textile Center Garage sale on Saturday and was kind of disappointed that there wasn’t much yarn left. Then my friend who was shopping with me found an entire box of Workbasket Magazines. I bought the whole box and it turned out that about half were duplicates of each other or duplicates of issues I already had. I still filled out some missing 1970s though and there were a few older issues too. This week I’m giving away the placemat. Post on any of my Instagram posts this week or this blog to win!  The cardigan is about a third done and I’ve already made one change. I know that Bree is having just as much fun trying to decipher the “simplified” hippo pattern. Many issues of Workbasket Magazine have a section called Aunt Ellen’s Craft Corner. The April project from Aunt Ellen was one both my husband and I recognized. They called it Walking Willie; Joel’s family called a gooney bird. I don’t remember what we called it. It’s a basically a puppet made from foam balls, fishing line and other materials. Here's their version:  This was the one I had in 1976. I think mine came as a kit that we all put together. Plus you get a bonus photo of my adorable sister with a crocheted bunny she got that Easter.  I remember it being a bit of a process to put together and keep the fishing line from getting tangled up. This week I’m going to give away the pillbox hat. To enter you just need to comment on my blog, Instagram or Facebook post this week and I'll draw a name on Saturday, April 13th. You get one entry for each location so up to three entries per item. Good luck!  |
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