First of all, please check out the finished project and edited post with the pink bikini from June 1968! We took the most amazing photos and it is a one-of-a-kind vintage knit.

My project from the July 1968 issue of Stitchcraft was less spectacular: the jumper from this “Paris inspired” set (jumper and skirt, I didn’t knit the skirt) in pink, white and navy blue stripes. Guess I’m in a pink phase?

The original pattern calls for Patons Cameo Crepe, a smooth, tightly twisted fine 100% wool. I wanted to make it in cotton for summer, but ran into the usual problem: it is really, really difficult to find fine, soft cotton yarn for knitting. I can buy heavy dishcloth cotton, or thread-thin crochet cotton, or shiny-hard mercerised cotton, or various mixes of cotton with wool, linen, synthetic, etc. I chose the last option and took a chance on Tynn Line from Sandnes Garn, a mix of 53% cotton, 33% viscose, and 14% linen. I realised after getting home from the wool festival where I bought it, that I had forgotten to buy the light pink colour! For that, I dipped into my stash of vintage Rot-Tulpe cotton, the only fine cotton yarn I have ever found.

The yarn is wonderfully lightweight and soft, with a silky drape thanks to the viscose, and doesn’t seem to stretch as much horizontally as I feared. Still, I made the top two sizes smaller and added a few stitches of 1×1 rib at each side “seam” (knitted in the round for speed and ease).

It was and is a long and boring knit with fine, splitty yarn on 3 mm needles in endless stocking-stitch and the striped band is miles away. Not surprisingly, as of the end of July, I have only completed the bottom ribbing and a few inches of the body. I promise to work on it, though! I an interested to see how the yarn works out and how different it will be to the pattern.