Glorious, Glorious Stitchcraft

I love Patons Stitchcraft magazines.  I have a lot.  My favourites are from the late 60s - the 300s and 400s are pretty much all brilliant.  The earlier ones may be cute and vintage and collectable, but the knitwear doesn't inspire me at all. 

Things get a bit weird in Stitchcraftland around 1970 - less inspiring but always entertaining. 

To be fair the Wild Things family don't come from Stitchcraft. They wandered off the set of a Dr Who episode. Nah, they're from a Golden Hands Family Knitting book.  I do have a small collection embarrasingly large amount of old pattern books.

Thank God for Faye Dunaway.  Bonnie & Clyde is just about my favourite movie ever.  You'll never go wrong with a beret and a long cardi.

With the exception of Hostess Gowns (for "home entertaining"), knickerbockers, blokes in dodgy vests, whole families in fake fur, knitted hot pants, crochet bikinis, crochet weddings, scratchy turtle necks and some seriously freaky fair isle, knitwear was pretty groovy in the '70s.  I even like those little disco numbers.  Then the '80s happened and I will not even go there. It was so bad I gave up knitting for 20 years.

Just before I go - isn't this just the most darling teenager you've ever seen?  I'm a little concered at her reading matter though - "The Mod".  Watch out mum and dad, she'll be out the window and on the back of a moped before you can say "perfect for TV knitting".

One more:  Forget the chap with his tweedy cap and golf club, a real man likes a sword and a Prussian helmet.

I could go on all day......