November 1968: Overview

Stitchcraft’s November 1968 “Fall-Into-Winter” issue gives us autumn fashions, Christmas-gift preparations and a new trend: the “Cardigan Suit” featuring mini-skirt, long-sleeved “polo top” jumper, longline waistcoat, and a belt that can be worn either over the jumper alone or over the cardigan. The concept really takes off in the early 1970s, with the “Total Look” of mix-and-match separates.

Here, the jumper is made in Shetland-mix “Fiona” wool in brown, with the skirt and waistcoat made with “Fiona” in gold colour, held together with marled and textured “Four Seasons” wool in a brownish shade of “Witchhazel”. The jumper and waistcoat are sleek and long-lined and the skirt is unapologetically short, with not even an alternative length given — Stitchcraft was late to the miniskirt party. And the outfit is pictured, in different variations, on both the front and back covers in colour! My only complaint: what is wrong with the model’s legs in the back cover photo? I get that the 1960s “corkscrew” photos were still in style, but if that were a modern photo, I would suspect AI and/or be concerned for the health of the model’s joints.

The same concept, and preview of 1970s silhouette, can be seen in the practical machine-knit waistcoat and “slacks” to wear on Christmas morning to “set you at ease in all the hustle and bustle round the family tree.” I get that! Plus, I am sure the outfit is quite comfortable for over-eating, as one tends to do on big food holidays. As a contrast to the staid brown tones of the cardigan suit, this outfit is knit in festive colours of fuchsia and “Beryl”.

There are fewer other women’s fashions in this issue, what with the push to get Christmas gifts prepared and knit something warm for the children, but there is a magnificent cape in bulky “Doublet” wool, with more photos featuring interesting leg positions. I find the idea of a cape extremely impractical (note that the model has to hold her purse in her hands, not having a shoulder or even arm free to hang it on), but it does make a dramatic look. There’s also a fine-knit twin-set (I assume the model is a human being and not a plastic store mannequin, but it’s honestly hard to tell), and a classic 4-ply sweater with “V” cables.

Pictured together with the 4-ply jumper is a rugged, oversized men’s sweater in “Doublet” wool. There’s a similarly oversized sweater for men in regular double knitting weight and an interesting drop-stitch pattern that creates rows of decorative “chains” on the fabric. All the fall fashions are made in traditional autumn-leaf shades of gold, brown, and orange. The pattern for the women’s sweater pictured together with the “chain”-pattern men’s sweater “will be featured next month.”

There are some nice items for children of varying ages, starting with a unisex “brother and sister” design for a cabled sweater in Doublet wool, in six sizes to fit a 26-36 inch chest/bust and surely warm enough to wear outside in November without an extra coat. Alas, the idea of girls and boys not having to wear sex-segregated clothing was but a fleeting thought, as a few pages later we are given another nice outdoor sweater intended specifically for boys to play ball in or whatever thing the model is holding in his left hand (slingshot?), whereas the little sister can enjoy cold legs and not ever bending or sitting down to play while wearing a very short tunic dress in very 1960s colours of orange, white and brown. Honestly, I think the dress is cool and I would wear an adult-size version of it myself, but can’t a little girl wear something on her legs?

Getting into the holiday season, there’s a whole colour page of fun little items to knit or sew for Christmas presents: a knitted doll named “Amanda”, whose clothes are an integral part of her body; a set of clothes for a store-bought doll, “Selina”; and some amazing items in felt: a “night-case” in the shape of an elephant, a wall chart to measure kid’s growth with cute little appliqué pictures, a fish-adorned potholder, a fish-shaped pincushion, and my personal favourite, a little hand-sewing hold-all shaped like an owl, where your embroidery scissors make “glasses” for the owl’s exes! Genius!

In the embroidery and rug-making departments, there’s another beautiful “peasant” design (not my choice of word, sorry) for a workbag or cushion and a cross-stitched rug and cushion set in glorious fall/1960s colours of red, orange, white and brown.

The “Readers Pages” give us a couple of last-minute gift ideas (little “boudoir slippers” and a simple cross-stitched nightcase) as well as the latest installment of the children’s comic, “A Ball of Wool.” Siblings Abigail and Anthony have followed a magic thread to a crabby crab, from whom they rescue the wool before the crab can cut it and then follow it to visit two fish playing jump-rope with a starfish, while the starfish’s mother (also a starfish, logically enough, though you never know with these comics) watches and knits. I do love the idea of a starfish knitting… very… slowly…, I guess? She’s pictured on a graph, so that you can copy her onto larger paper to colour, or cut out on felt to appliqué. Cute.

That’s it for this issue! I don’t know what to make, and as always, I have a huge backlog of unfinished projects. I love the workbag/cushion embroidered design and will probably set it aside for later. The little boudoir slippers are nice but possibly impractical. I guess it will be the felt owl sewing kit, then! May your autumn be colourful and bright.