Old(Ish) Magazine Knitting Paterns

[lyall]

Good Evening

I am hoping to do some knitting using some old(ish) knitting patterns but am having trouble deciding what ply wool to use on some of the patterns I would like to do. The patterns are in a pullout from Woman magazine from September 1964. I am uncertain whether to use 3 ply, 4 ply or double knit or I suppose chunky/Aran. Ive tried to work backwards from the tension suggestion but my brain refuses to work anything out!! Does anyone know a way of finding out which ply to use without having to try knitting the garments in the 3 different ply’s to see which one is correct?

The yarns I’m having problems with are:

Marriner Halyard: (four to six 2 ounce balls for 6-12 month coat. Tension:12 stitches and 17 rows to 4 inches using old number 1 now 7.5mm needles)

Pennine Airvel: (one 3 ounce ball to fit an 18 inch chest vest. Tension: 6 stitches to 1 inch. Using old 8 and 10 now 4mm and 3.25mm needles)

Jaeger Sunlin-Spun: (13 ounces to fit a 34 inch chest sleeveless lace stitch top. Tension: 5 stitches and 6 rows to an inch. Using old 8 and 12 now 4mm and 2.75mm needles)

Also does anyone have any old magazine patterns for baby/toddler toys? I am looking for a toy I used to call a gonk, but better describe as a mini humpty dumpty (about 8-10 inches sat down) wearing a kind of gnomes hat. It would probably have been published in the 1970’s (at a push it could be the very early 80’s) and be out of a Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Own or Woman (those are the 3 magazines my Grandma used to get). I have misplaced the copy I got from my Grandma, I hope to find it but I’m hedging my bets! Do these types of women’s magazines keep archives of their publications? Would it be worth contacting them to see if I can get a copy of the pattern?

Thank you in advance for any help or advice.

[nungate]

Though not a knitter myself. Most baby coats etc from older patterns would probably have been in some of the finer wools maybe three ply. Ones for older babies or toddlers I think might have been in double knitting.
My mum knitted a lot of baby things for my daughter in the '80s and she used quite fine ply wools if I remember rightly.
Now for the Gonk.
I don't have a pattern but if you can lay your hands on a pattern for a felt ball or some such you might find that helpful. I used to make a toy using a pattern which made up into a ball, but I added a couple of smaller shapes for ears - if only it were possible to draw on AB - Anyway, could you draw a "leaf" shape
and cut it out as a template? Then join six pieces together to form the ball, add some "eyes and facial features" - stuff and stitch up you might have some kind of a Gonk. Failing that leave a message for me here and I'll see if we could get in touch using a throwaway email which I could use to illustrate what I mean.

[atalanta]

Is there not some experienced knitter in your local woolshop who can help ?
I once had a problem converting a recipe from US ingredients and measures to UK ingredients and measures, so I wrote to the editors of my favourite recipe book, and they replied most helpfully with exactly the information I needed. Perhaps you could borrow a recently-published knitting book from your public library and write to the author/s. Or you might find, again via your public library, that there is a knitting circle which meets not far from you.

[TheWinner]

There are some for sale on ebay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GONK-FAMILY-SOFT-TOY-KNITTING-PATTERN-FROM-THE-1960s-/261246046184?pt=UK_Crafts_Knitting_Crochet_EH&hash=item3cd37a4fe8

[ferlew]

Pennine Airvel .. the needle sizes suggest this is a double knitting yarn.

Marriner Halyard .. was a chunky yarn

Marriner Halyard .. was also a double knit, sort of knubbly yarn.

[ferlew]

Your best bet would be to join Ravelry, and search though their patterns.
It's free :)

[ferlew]

Any good?

http://www.theretroknittingcompany.co.uk/toypatterns2.html

[lyall]

ferlew, apologies for dely in answering, (family troubles put paid to any hobbies till now) the pattern i want isnt on this site but i loved looking through the old patterns some were a blast from the past.