Good morning … it’s a tad chilly here (9 degrees at 0830) but at least it’s sunny and clear so hopefully the ice that has glazed our driveway and streets will at least melt a bit. Dh and the high schoolers are home for another snow day … so life will be relaxed and slow.

I thought I’d review a book that is a couple of years old but one that I’ve really just finally looked at. Sweater Girls: 20 Patterns for Starlet Sweaters, Retro Wraps & Glamour Knits is co-authored by UK designers Madeline Weston and Rita Taylor. It is a gorgeous book filled with very feminine, yet wearable, designs reminiscent of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, a time period known as the “glamour girl” age.

It’s funny … I am most certainly NOT an uber-feminine, girly-girl. It wasn’t until I turned 50 that pink started to slowly creep into my wardrobe; even then it was not a pale, girly pink but a vibrant fuschia. When I was little, I much preferred playing three-flys-up or street basketball to playing Barbies or “house”. With five brothers and only a couple of other girls in the neighborhood, I was the proverbial “tom boy”.

And still am to a large extent.

That said, I do like to look feminine when I can. I like the look and sense of style from the mid-20th Century … the close-fitting (but not skin-tight) sweater blouses, the full skirts, the slim leggings … the style that is modest yet feminine; that exudes sensuality of the feminine form rather than pushing the sexuality of the woman.

This book is perfect for what I like … and will encourage me to lose weight to show these designs to their best advantage. The styles include knitting techniques of fair isle, lace, and textured patterning. Some are pullovers, some are cardigans and some are sets. There is a lace top and matching skirt set that is absolutely gorgeous. The angora bolero (we’d call it a shrug) has beads along the border … WOW! The three-quarter sleeved cardi with it’s colorful embroidery is such fun … and would look adorable on my Kit!

There are also a couple of accessories included: a lacy-stole (that could be made narrower and warn as a scarf), a fabulous fair-isle beret (the colors are amazing … I love the brights used), lace stockings and lace mitts.

This is a beautiful book with vintage patterns updated to today’s yarns, colors and fashion sense. These are not simply the old pattern re-done .. these designs have been recreated to reflect the 21st century woman’s body. Love, love, love this book!