Hat on Top, Coat Below

« previous archives home notify list e-mail next »

Mid-60s Knits

December 13, 2025

As I’ve been decluttering so we can list our condo for sale, I’ve come across plenty of things I’d forgotten about. Case in point, the Bernat Opalette pattern book from 1966 that had ended up in my bedroom closet in a bag next to the backpack where I’d shoved all the paperwork related to my mom’s estate (no, that’s not where things should be filed, but that’s not the point for today’s entry). There are no photographs of any of the projects (though a few do have pictures of swatches to show the stitch detail). Instead, there’s art. Done by hand, by humans. I love it.

Cover of knitting booklet with a drawing of a woman with chin length hair holding a flower wearing a knit suit.

Most of the looks in this book have a skirt (either a separate piece or as part of a dress), which I don’t think is a popular thing to knit these days, much less knitted skirts with zippers, as the ones in this booklet are. (I searched Ravelry for skirt patterns, and the most popular one as of now has a mere 276 projects—and no zipper— compared to the 41 thousand plus for the hat I wrote about the other day.) I certainly don’t want to knit a skirt. I do like looking at them in these drawings, though.

Drawing of two women wearing knitted outfits. On the left, a shell, belt, and long slim plaid skirt. On the right, a sleeevless shell, slim skirt, and long jacket with ¾ length sleeves.

Drawing of three women wearing knitted outfits. On the left, a ribbed dress with a self-belt and elbow length sleeves. In the middle, a boatneck with elbow length sleeves and a full skirt. On the right, a plaid with shawl collar with mid-length sleeves, self belt, and slim skirt.

Drawing of two women wearing knitted outfits. On the left, a ribbed long sleeve sweater topped with a dress length vest with buttons down the center. On the right, a Chanel-style suit.

There are a few looks for men, too, like this dude in a cardigan next to the lady in another suit:

Page from a knitting booklet. A drawing of a man in a deep v-neck cardigan in the upper left. A photograph of a swatch of knitting in the lower left. A drawing of a woman in a suit with a high necked long sleeved jacket and a slim skirt on the right.

And this guy in a v-neck that I’d wear today:

Drawing of man holding a pipe and wearing a ribbed v-neck knit pullover sweater over a shirt and tie.

A classic man’s pullover sweater here, along with a cardigan (with front pockets) and a diamond patterned pullover for her:

Drawing of three people wearing knitted sweaters. On the top, a woman wearing a boat neck with long sleeves and a bold design of diamonds. On the lower left, a woman in a long sleeved v-neck cardigan with front pockets. On the lower right, a man in a round neck pullover.

And finally, a sweater vest for him, and two cardigans for her:

Drawing of three people wearing knitted sweaters. On the top, a man in a vest with two cables along the sides, worn over a dress shirt and tie. On bottom left, a woman in a cardigan with a cabled yoke and ¾ length sleeves. On bottom right, a woman in a cardigan with mid-length sleeves and a textured design.

If I ever get back to knitting big projects, I might make one of the cardigans. I’d have to size the pattern up myself. The largest size is an 18, which is about the equivalent of a size 10 today, so smaller than the average woman in the U.S., and I’m above average.

*****
On this date in 2024: No journal entry
2023: Win Some, Lose Some
2022: Getting a Bit Festive
2021: Disney Dishing
2020: So Many Words
2019: Huckleberry Crisp
2018: Fortunate
2017: Government Overreach is in the Eye of the Beholder
2016: Pizzas I Have Known and Loved
2015: End of the Road
2014: Social Butterfly I Am Not and Irrevocable
2013: No entry
2012: Cranky
2011: Emerging from Dormancy
2010: Without Mountains, What’s the Point?
2009: An Apology to My Government
2008: S.O.G. with P.I.P.
2007: WDW Episode IV: A New Hope
2006: What a Difference a Day Makes
2005: 10 Things
2004: Will My Skis Fit in the Overhead Bin?
2003: No entry
2002: Weight Wait

« previous archives home notify list e-mail next »

One Comment

Miriam Nadel Says:
December 13th, 2025 at 5:17 pm
I gave away several knitting pattern booklets I’d gotten from my mother’s collection. I think some of those went back to the late 1940’s. I still have some Mon Tricot magazines from the 1970’s.

Leave a Comment