Most of my free patterns are knitted but here's a spectacular one for crochet from 1952. This pattern includes sequin covered lounge slippers, evening handkerchief, earrings, necklace, hair combs, comb case and and compact case.  The slippers are knitted with lastex yarn. If you've never crocheted with sequins before, the pattern includes instructions for that as well.

You can find similar modern yarns made with nylon and polyamide for socks from sites like loveknitting.com. You can still find slipper soles for crochet also or if you're handy with a leather punch, you can make your own with real or faux leather.

Check out my free patterns page for my past patterns and follow along on Instagram for updates on new freebies.
















vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty

Get ready for winter weather with these spectacular gloves with a puffy striped gauntlet from 1952. Imagine the color combination possibilities: classic black and white, black a chartreuse (a favorite of mine!) or alternate the colors of the stripes!

Check the bottom of this post for vintage pattern resources and if you would like more free vintage knitting and crochet patterns, follow along on Instagram and check my free Patterns page.








vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty

Here's a winter issue of the 1940s teen magazine, Calling All Girls. This issue advertises the Calling All Girls branded head scarf with different ways to wear it but I really love the rodeo scarf in the smaller ad below. This magazine, like many beauty magazines includes an article about best beauty buys for young ladies and a funny article about the "It" girl on campus.

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other vintage beauty and fashion magazines

This morning, my new friend Erin picked me up and we went to Vintage Market Days of St Louis at Chesterfield Mall. I've never been to Vintage Market Days even though it's been popping up in St Louis for years so I was really excited to be able to go this year.

Vintage Market days is happening all weekend, til 6pm on Friday,  10am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 3pm on Sunday. Admission for Saturday and Sunday is $5. Most of the market is indoors so even if your autumn plans get rained out this weekend, there's still fun to be had in Chesterfield!

If you're not in the area, check out the Vintage Market Days website for upcoming events across the country. 



Before the doors opened they had several vendors set up outside along with live music and food/ trucks. There was a huge turn out of people this year so the various lines for the door and trucks snaked all throughout the outdoor market area. We only waited a few minutes before the doors opened and the line moved very quickly. Once inside, Erin and I realized how many people were shopping at the booths around the entrance so we headed straight for the back of the market, which was much less crowded and there was a lot of space to look around at everything.  I love these beautiful textured glasses. They look like jewels, don't they?



The vendors at Vintage Market Days were a good mix of handmades and vintage. There was a beautiful plant booth, which caught our eye right away because we're both plant ladies. The far back booth had clothes, jewelry and vintage oddities like antique doll parts and small vintage medical items. I love these strange pieces of the past.





Since Christmas is just around the corner, there was a good sprinkling of vintage shiny brite ornaments and Christmas tree including a very well priced aluminum tree that I wanted but I already have one and I don't know how I would fit a 3rd tree in my tiny house! I'm surprised at my self control in not buying any of the adorable 1950s elf figures and ceramic trees for sale.





We didn't find much in the way of vintage clothes but one of my finds was this beautiful dance compact purse. It has damaged fabric and a broken mirror but you know me, I love a fixer upper project so I can't wait to take this compact apart and replace the broken pieces so I can use it! It has a place for powder, blush, a tiny lipstick touch-up, change slots, a spot for cash and even a business card/calling card holder behind the mirror. A lady would have been able to carry everything she needed for a night out in this little compact. I saw a post about these on Facebook a few weeks ago so I was really excited to find one in person. The vendor was equally excited that I opened it and knew exactly what it was!



My dining room is decorated in a retro outer space theme so I had to pick up this repro celestial chart to frame on the wall. They had many other beautiful reproduction charts like this with themes covering plants, insects, anatomy, maps, animals, etc. I wish I had enough wall space for more of them!



Outfit:
thrifted head to toe today, except for my beret, which is from Five Below

vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty

Perfect for winter through late spring, this loose fitting blouse has pockets, a funnel collar and ties at the waist. I love the casual look of the rolled cuffs. The model wears it over a turtle neck for skiing, making this a wonderfully versatile knit.

This vintage blouse is in a blocked size 40-46 inch bust for a very loose fit. If you need help resizing this pattern, check the vintage knitting resources at the bottom of this post.

For more free patterns, check my Free Patterns page and follow along on Instagram for updates on new patterns.











vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty

I see a lot of ladies with very short hair wondering how they can achieve vintage hairstyles. Here's a 1953 pin curl set with a playful and casual look in the front and beautifully shaped waves in the back.  Also for shorter hair or just a quick updo without a lot of fuss, check out the ad for styled hair pieces at the bottom!

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other vintage magazine scans for more beauty and fashion magazine inspiration.