Stitches

to all you great knitters!knitting yarn advice please?

hi there! i am a 1940s re enactor and have just been given some beautiful 1940s knitting patterns. i would particuarly like to knit the baby patterns,but the wool stated is called baby "quickerknit" i have never heard of this and i definitely cannot buy it anywhere. has anyone ever heard of this? would anyone have any idea what yarn i could use in place of this please? many thanks in advance for all answers xxx

Public Comments

1. I've never heard of that either, but you can figure it out pretty easily if it gives a gauge. If it doesn't, it may take a little work, but you can still figure it out. I'd personally recommend a wool-look acrylic for baby's comfort and mom's convenience -- unless it's to be worn by a doll, then real wool is fine. If a gauge is given (10 stitches to the inch, or 18 stitches and 22 rows makes 4" or 15cm) simply find a yarn that has a similar gauge. If a gauge is not given, check a measurement on the pattern and the stitches required to make it. Figure out the gauge from there. If you're a reenactor, do you have access to any 1940s or WWII museums or any such thing anywhere nearby? If so, check out their baby stuff and see what type of yarn or wool it looks like they used. Yarn isn't so much sold by ply anymore, but it used to be -- at least here in the US. I have no idea of any other countries' yarn guidelines. Most baby yarn nowadays is a bit finer than regular yarn, and is also called sportweight or 3. (Some baby yarn fits in the 2 grouping, but most is 3.) At least in the US, these markings are on most skeins now. Worsted is 4, bulky is 5, DK is 2 (I think.) Baby and sportweight yarn is 3. Hope this helps. Please feel free to email me (click on my avatar for an email link) to help figure this out when you have more info. This kind of thing is fun.
2. According to www.vintageknits.com, a listing of discontinued yarns, there are a couple of yarns from Columbia Minerva called Baby Quick Knits and they are sport/DK weight yarns knit on US size 5, 6, or 7 needles. If you want wool there are a couple of Dale of Norway superwash yarns that would do well, or for an acryllic you could look at Astra. However, for authenticity you would probably look at wool first, since acryllics did not come into mainstream use until rationing started in WW II and wool was used almost solely for uniform production for the troops. The early acryllics were nylon types, and one of those two yarns indicates it was 50/50 wool nylon and the other was 100% orlon. Keep in mind that the colors available then (and there is a Fleischer color chart on those pages) are similar to, but not the same as, colors available today.
3. Simply answer... just use double knitting wool
4. They were still making quickerknit in the late 70's and 80's, I know that much because my son was born in 79 and I knitted with it! You might try baby DK or just ask at your local wool shop. I know the ladies at mine would definitely remember - if I remember (I'll call in and ask them for you - my memory's not that hot though! Lol) are you in UK or US? (UK) Edit: It was Patons quickerknit - no idea why but that just came to me! definitely DK but baby DKs are softer