Handknits for Youngsters

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It’s been a while since I featured pictures from any of my old pattern books, hasn’t it? Let me introduce you to Handknits for Youngsters, circa 1952, which has the ominous message “There’s a Spinnerin handknit for every youngster!” on the back.

I’m sure the poor tyke below never recovered from the experience of wearing this little suit… especially since I’m interpreting this as being a catsuit!

“No, no, I think you’re right, Spanky, this thing isn’t connected. Of all the nerve!”

I can come up with captions for this next one… but maybe it’s best to leave that up to all of you… (Don’t forget to take the title at the bottom into consideration!) Yikes.

Here’s another one that wouldn’t be half as amusing/scary without the title…

Is this amount of smug superiority even legal?

Swimming trunks and a sunsuit and some very fancy hair! I wonder if knitted swimming suits stay on toddlers any better than they stay on adults?! So, Mama Tulip – which style would best suit Oliver, eh? 😉

“I’m going to have nightmares for years! The horror!”

I think Mayhem might, too.

“Is it over? Can I look yet?” -M

34 thoughts on “Handknits for Youngsters”

  1. Ha! I put up pics from Spinnerin’s “Handknits for Men” a while back. I think from 1965 or so. They must’ve learned about the picture captions, because there weren’t any. But of course I had to add them!

  2. I think, if I put Oliver in one of those snazzy getups, he’d have the thing unraveled in about forty seconds. Kinda like that Weezer song… “If you want to destroy my sweater, pull this thread as I walk away…” Oliver would just start pulling and the next thing you know, his outfit would be a pile of yarn on the floor and he’d be naked.

  3. Wow. I can’t believe people actually made that stuff! Or maybe it’s like some of those really scary patterns in the Vogue Knitting issues, where no one really ever makes them, they just marvel at the poor models being forced to wear them.

  4. That’s too cute! I picked up some copies of Spinnerin recently. I should blog them. *Smacks forehead* Here I’ve been hurrying to finish projects so that I would have blogging material.

  5. OK, those are scary. Um, as for a caption for “Your Move” everything that comes to mind is dirty. So I just won’t go there. Psychotherapists made lots of money years after these photo shoots. I’m sure of it. I wonder what makes me squirm more, the thought of all of them being knit in wool or acrylic.

  6. i love looking at old knitting patterns…they’re either super cute and vintagey looking, or hilariously horrid. the latter is more fun. 🙂

    hope you and your kitties have a good v-day!

  7. What cracks me up is these children are now in their 60’s most likely, maybe even 70’s. Wouldn’t you love to know where they are so you could give it to their relatives as blackmail.

    hee hee. Okay I’m not that evil, although maybe I am. I know I’d torture my dad if it was him.

  8. I LOVE it when you post those. My favorite this time around is “Teacher’s Pet” and the self-captioned one “The horror!” Do you think they’ll look at our magazines some day with the same amusement?

  9. “Rachel had two ambitions: 1. Join the Future Checker Players of America and 2. Get Rodney to notice her by wearing the exact same kind of sweater his mom had knitted for him the previous year.”

  10. “Teachers Pet” and the girl who starred in “The Bad Seed” – have you ever seen them together?? Bet not – I think they are the same person!

  11. Pingback: Twisted Knitter

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