Vintage knitting pattern for cold knees

Once again, a pattern from a 50's Modes&Travaux. A knee-warmer ! (wonder why this trend didn't take...)

If you need a quick and strange christmas present, or if you go ice-skating, this might be a perfect stash buster.



Cold knee ... ingenious remedy.

Do not fear to admit your sensitivity to cold. Kneepads are not only for elderly ladies, but they're also a prudence pledge to misses and gentlemen.

You'll need : 100g of cabled wool, and needles #2 and #2 1/2. (metric)
The explanations are given for women. The framed numbers are for men.

Stitches used : Ribbing : knit, purl ; Stockinette : knit 1 row, purl 1 row.
Gauge : 20 st. = 5cm8 ; 20 rows = 4cm8.

Begin at top, cast on 110 st. [116] on #2 needles, and knit ribs for 3cm [4].
Take #2 1/2 needles, and knit in stockinette stitch.
X
Knit 86 [92] st., turn ;
Slip the first st., knit 61 [67], turn ;
Slip the first st., knit 73 [79], turn ;
Slip the first st., knit 85 [91], turn ;
Slip the first st., knit 97 [103], turn ;
Slip the first st. (it's the selvedge stitch), knit all, and take back to X.
Do this 11 [13] times in all.
Take your #2 needles back, and knit the ribs, make 8 decreases on the 62 st. in the middle. Knit the ribs for 4cm [5], and cast off without tightening.

Children Circus Tent vintage sewing tutorial

Here's a tutorial from a 50's Mode&Travaux Magazine from my grandmother's collection (she had a subscription in the 50's).

"The circus tent...

... will enchant children and parents alike, because it will permit to tidy up all the little toys lying around.
It's made of oilcloth in two or three colors (total meterage 1m20 x 1m50). Red and white, red and blue, green, red and white are cheerful combinations.

It's made of four parts :
- The bottom - A - is a circle
- The body - B - is a rectangle
- The marquee - C - is made of 8 triangles (in two colors)
- The canopy - D - is made of 8 scallops (in two colors)

The tent is reinforced by a disk of wood nailed to the bottom, and a sturdy pole screwed on this disk. This mount is simple to tinker, provided to give the disk to the carpenter to make it.
The assembly of the tent frame is made with a circle of wire (from the carcass of a lampshade for example), or wicker.
The tent opens with a 59cm zipper.

Trace the pattern with a chalk on the wrong side of the oilcholth, and cut, adding seams allowances.
On the "body" of the tent, "B", sew "posters", "E", from a contrasting color, and paint clowns or write fabulous programs. Let dry.

With a sewing machine, wrong side on wrong side, sew :
1- Bottom and body ; do not close ;
2- The 8 parts of the marquee, following the marking, let open ;
3- The canopy, put it on the "body" ;
4- Sew together marquee and body ;
5- Screw the pole on the wood disk, put in place, nail the bottom on this "carcass".

Overlock the wire inside the tent, where the body and the marquee are joined, "F". Close the "body", put the zipper on to close the tent. Set the top of the marquee around the pole with a few nails.
Sew a cone of oilcloth at the top to hide the finishings, "G". Make a banner in oilcloth (two-faced), and stick it at the top of the pole.

I tried to stay faithful to the original text, because I really love all those charming obsolete details (the carpenter !).
The tent is really small, but it can be made larger and become a real tent. (at first I thought it was, and was a bit disappointed when I read the measurements).