Kinra Handspun Yarns

The pattern is noted in the replies as coming from here

and it's intended to look like this

Those illustrations--and the 1940s/50s time frame of when the pattern was published--say to me that these were meant to be made from woven cotton calico

My own pertinent experience is in the other direction:

I used this pattern

to make this plush, using fake fur--which is on a knit base--as the pattern directs

Then I made it again using a woven fabric

and that's when I realized that the original pattern depended on the stretch of the knit to help round out the shape

So! While the vintage kitten pattern probably still won't look quite like the illustration when made from calico, it might look less like a creeper. Maybe.

First, lots of people are saying that sawdust would have been the most likely filling, and they're probably right. Loosely packed sawdust, though, but the idea of packing one of these with enough sawdust to make a pincushion is oddly tempting...

I don't think the shape shown in the illustrations can be achieved from this pattern, though. There need to be more seams and or darts for this to be round where it's supposed to be round.

However, I did try a few easy little changes to try to make it stop being quite so much...that

here it is compared to the first one I made

I'll put what I did under a cut, because I have already managed to make this a very long post

Able to resist the temptation to edit the pattern myself now that you did it, but not resisting the temptation to study other vintage patterns and how they shaped heads. I do like the big ol forehead gusset style.

(update 2, added instructions & it's also on my Kofi!)

Finished my Hetta hood! Nice and toasty :) it only took a day, as I’ve been snowed in.

My second go at this pattern (the first one failed dramatically) and second piece of honiton lace! Learned a lot working on this piece and know lots of places to improve on the next one!!!

@diamondot speaking for myself, i just decided to learn it one day a few years ago (i had a viking phase ok) and simply started with it. It's surprisingly easy since all the info is available on the net. Honestly, i don't remember where i started since it has been so long ago and now i just browse pinterest for patterns alone. Google tablet weaving or card weaving (same thing, different names) patterns and some basic explanations and yt vids for how to turn and weave the stuff. Things like

S and Z threading are there for a reason, so mind your card orientation. Start with some easy pattern like simple wave or diamonds above, 6 - 10 cards are good for your first project. Don't lose hope in initial stage. Streching and threading all that yarn can take anything between 20 minutes and 3 hours depending on how big is the pattern and how skilled you are. Since you need some lenghts to secure ends and to turn cards, use about 40 cm more than wished lenght of your final product. Secure lose ends after threading through cards so you won't end with a bundled mess. Streching/knotting them to something is one way. Taping each card threads together or using weights (check pictures below) is another way (good only for shorter stuff though). Cards could be made out of anything as long as they have smooth edges and rounded corners. Cardboard, thicker plastic sheet, literal cards cut into squares with holes punched through them, whatever. These are mine 2 decks, minus cards i am using atm.

When you start weaving and pattern looks like a total mess, try turning cards in opposite directions. It usualy solves the problem (all that forward/backward can be a bit tricky and mirroring motions/patterns/card orientation can be confusing at first seemingly messing all your work even though you are doing everything right technicaly, just in opposite order/direction). Don't lose your hope. I still manage to mess up like first 5cm of every other work i start. It's not an issue as that start usualy gets cut off anyway (the tension is not right for at least first 4 rows, aka 1 full card rotation, until all threads go up and down at least once no matter what you do. Don't sweat it). You don't need any fancy startup either. Historicaly, people used to weave like this and this and this:

I just strech the thing between 2 chairs myself. Door knobs work as well and so does staircase railing. Wherever you have some space. Long hair clips are your friend, especialy when you are done with weaving for the day and you don't want stuff to tangle

This website is where I learned, twenty years ago while u was intending on Sturtevant Wi.

These books are both great, Collingwood is more comprehensive, but harder to just pick up and weave from.

The thing is that the technique looks complicated due to the fact that there is 100 something and that number alone is scary. But. Actually several buts.

But number 1 - the technique is OLD. Meaning - while being somewhat tedious just like any other textile craft, it has been used and learned for a long long time and there's plenty of resources (check out links above or any youtube video explaining the process) of varying difficulty from complicated af to easy peasy lemon squeezy with closed eyes

But number 2 - there is only one core principle/step you need to understand and that is when some threads go from up to down or from down to up (aka when they cross), you need another thread going in between so they won't simply snap back again. That's it. That's the basic principle behind every weaving ever. What card weaving does compared to standard weave is that instead of a single thread going up and down in the single row, you get 2 or 3 or 4 or 6 or whatever number of threads your pattern calls for in the same row

But number 3 - the number of rows = number of cards. Simple as that. Cards turn around to make a cord like when you are twisting 2 or 4 or whatever numbers of threads to make a rope. If some of those threads have different colours, you get a repeating pattern.

But number 4 - card orientation or S/Z orientation or whatever other fancy name for the twisting direction simply means that if you turn all your card in the same way at the same time, which one of them will make the twisted rope in this / angle and which one will do that in this \ angle. That's it. That's the whole mystery between S/Z threading.

But number 5 - you can start with as little as 4 cards to make a custom set of shoe laces or a key strap or whatever and call yourself a weaver. Because you did that. And it was nice. And it was easy. You just turn and thread and turn and thread and then you keep repeating this while watching a movie or something. There's no need for the math finals level of concentration here.

But number 5 - no one, literally NO ONE starts with a pattern like this

No. Everybody starts with something like this

Keep it simple, keep it easy, make 10cm and be done if you want to. It's perfectly fine.

But number 6 - you don't need any fancy items for starting. No hooks, no needles, no loom, no anything. If you have 2 balls of yarn in different color or some remains of your old cross stitch project or whatever and some card-like stuff you won't be sad for making holes in it, you are all set. Back side of the sketch pad is good. Poker cards cut to squares are good. A sturdy enough sheet of plastic is also good. You remember that old pexeso pairs stack you didn't touch since you were 9? Guess what!

Catching floats in two-handed knitting: how to catch the right hand yarn (i.e. the non-dominant yarn) on the purl side.

This is another very nerdy post. You’ll only ever need it, if you knit stranded colourwork on two needles and have long floats on a purl row.

But a few of you did ask for it, when I posted a video showing how to catch floats on the knit side.

Personally, I usually knit with both yarns in the left hand, (you’ll notice how bad I am at throwing in this video 🫣😅) but I hope you’ll find it useful nonetheless…