It’s been a while since I posted. I bought a new computer but I had to transfer my old pst files  and I had to learn how to use some new image editing software. These things took a while because it turns out I’m an old lady with very average computer skills.

But here we are with another Retro Monday, and I’m visiting the 70’s again.

The 70’s were a grim time for knitwear as you can see here, here and here. But I think I may have found a book of 1970’s knitting patterns that are almost… nice.

This Monday’s book is “Body Shapers in Totem”, and being true to the spirit of 1970’s knitting patterns, each design can be made in nice timeless wool Totem or nasty 70’s Bri-Nylon.

While the colours are a bit alarming, it’s interesting to note that they look more like they’re from an 80’s palette. Even without burnt orange, mission brown or dark purple, you need to look past the colours to see the potential. So lets start our review.

The good ones.

I genuinely think that each of the patterns below could look good made up in a less shrill palette.

I’d do the colour-work jumper on the front cover in two colours – maybe navy for the sleeves and body and a mid-blue for the hearts and for the bands with the reverse quatrefoil thingy. The hearts and bands are a bit too big and blocky for my liking. I’d soften them with tints of the same colour that are different enough to give a pleasing contrast.

The little cardigan on the front cover just needs toning down. It’s not really my favourite style, but it’s a good example of its type. It might even look fine in lime green without the pussy-bow blouse and Smurf-blue pants.

Colour substitutions are all that the other four designs really need. But I wouldn’t put the little cloud and sun on the stripy jumper or the button in the middle of the cowl of the pink jumper.

Now I’ve accepted that good 1970’s knitting patterns exist, lets look at the ones that pass the censors.

The bad ones.

There is no colour change that can save the bib-vest in the first picture. The only nice thing I can think to say about it is that it would be fairly easy to knit. It’s just two rectangles joined by bands of ribbing.

The jumper in the middle has so much going on and none of it is good!

Two-in-one garments have never been my favourites, and the short sleeved jumper and stripy skivvy combo has not changed my mind. Even if the “over” jumper was one colour and the false “under” jumper was another, plain colour without stripes, I don’t think it would work.

And what is happening with that button?

The last pattern almost made it to the first group but even after ignoring the colour choices, the shape just isn’t quite right.

The low, u-shaped neckline is poorly proportioned and it makes the shoulders look narrow. I also think the ribbing on the bottom is weird. Its width doesn’t seem to work with the width of the ribbing around the neckline. On such a short vest, the waist ribbing needs to extend to the natural waist.

The vest might look odd because it’s worn over a huge shirt and the model has a tie as big as Africa tucked into it. But I’m not prepared to knit it and find out if it’s really bad design or just a styling error.

I think I’ll leave the 70’s for a while. I’ve seen so much burnt orange acrylic yarn in my pattern search that I fee queasy. Maybe a beaded 50’s evening top in 3ply silk will make me feel better.

(Please note that I do not own the copyright to any patterns featured in Retro Monday. Unfortunately this means I can not make or send out copies).