Found a box of old knitting patterns? What to do with them

Maybe it was in a parent's sewing box, a grandparent's attic, or a carton from an estate sale. However they reached you, a bundle of old knitting patterns is a small piece of someone's life. Pencil ticks on the sizes they knitted. A tea ring on the cover. A note in the margin.

If they belonged to someone you've lost, there's no hurry. Sorting them can be a lovely way to spend time with that person's memory, and it can also hit harder than you expect. Do a little at a time if that's what you need. Nothing here has a deadline.

Look for their marks before you tidy

Before you sort anything, have a slow look for personal marks: ticked sizes, crossed-out counts, a note about who a sweater was for. These are often the most precious part of the whole box. Keep each one with the pattern it belongs to.

Sorting

Clear a table and make rough piles. Something like this works:

Later you can sort the keepers by type (women's, men's, children's, accessories, toys), or by decade once you've dated them. Check every pile for loose pages. Booklets and magazine patterns often fall apart, and the missing page is usually the one with the sleeves or the making up.

How old is it?

Very few patterns carry a date, but they're full of clues. Use several together rather than trusting any one.

The price. UK prices before decimalisation look like 6d (sixpence), 9d, 1/- (one shilling) or 1/6 (one shilling and sixpence). Decimal Day was 15 February 1971. Before it there were 12 pence to a shilling and 20 shillings to a pound. So a printed price in shillings and pence means the pattern was printed before 1971, and a price in new pence (such as "15p") means 1971 or later. Some printed around the changeover show both.

Needle sizes.

• Old UK numbers only (such as "No. 10 and No. 12 needles"): likely before the mid-1970s. The numbers run backwards, so a No. 12 is thinner than a No. 10.
• Both numbers and mm (such as "3¼ mm (No. 10)"): typically the changeover years of the 1970s, when needles began to be sold in metric sizes.
• Metric only: usually late 1970s onwards.

Our old needle sizes guide and converter tool will translate any number for you.

Measurements and yarn amounts.

• Inches only, with yarn in ounces (oz): usually earlier.
• Inches and centimetres side by side, with yarn in grams: often 1970s onwards.
• Yarn described by ply ("3-ply", "4-ply") turns up across the whole period, so on its own it won't date a pattern. A very fine 2-ply or 3-ply sweater, though, often points to the 1930s to 1950s. See what 3-ply means today.

Sizing. Women's patterns usually say "to fit bust 34 in" or give a small range of sizes, often only two or three. Many earlier patterns came in a single size. Vintage sizes also ran close-fitting, so don't trust the label alone. See how vintage knitwear should fit.

Wartime clues. British clothes rationing began in June 1941 and lasted until 1949. Knitting wool needed coupons, so patterns from those years often stress economy: short sleeves, small amounts of yarn, stripes for using up oddments, notes about unravelling old garments. Patterns for service "comforts" (balaclavas, mittens, socks for the forces) are another strong wartime sign.

The photograph. The model's hair, make-up and styling make a rough check:

• 1940s: rolled and pinned hair, strong shoulders, fitted waists, short close-fitting sweaters.
• 1950s: short curled hair, neat twinsets, a very fitted look.
• 1960s: backcombed or long straight hair, simpler shapes, bolder colour.
• 1970s: long hair or shaggy cuts, wide collars, long cardigans, earthy colours.
• 1980s: big hair, big shoulders, batwing and boxy shapes, bright colour.

Treat fashion as a supporting clue, not proof. Photos were sometimes reused, and styles overlap.

Keeping them safe

Paper patterns are fragile, and many were printed on cheap, acidic paper. Archivists recommend a few simple habits:

• Remove metal paper clips, staples and rubber bands where you can do it without tearing. They rust, perish and leave marks.
• Don't mend tears with sticky tape. It yellows and stains.
• Store them flat in acid-free folders or a box, not in a damp attic, garage or cellar. Steady temperature and humidity matter more than anything.
• Keep them out of light, especially direct sun, which fades and yellows paper.
• Be careful with old plastic wallets. Some plastics break down and can lift print off the page. Archive-quality sleeves or acid-free paper folders are safer.
• Keep newspaper and magazine cuttings separate. They're very acidic and can stain whatever they touch.

Then scan them. A good scan protects the original and gives you a copy to knit from. Scan every page at a decent resolution, including the cover and any blank-looking backs (charts and making-up notes hide there). Name the files clearly, for example "1950s-cardigan-bust34-p1". Knit from a printout or your tablet and keep the original somewhere safe.

Could you knit one?

Usually, yes, with a bit of translating:

1. Needles. Convert old sizes to mm with the needle size tool.
2. Yarn. Most yarns named in old patterns are long gone. Match the weight using the pattern's gauge (tension), not the brand. The gauge to yarn weight tool helps.
3. Amounts. Old patterns give yarn in ounces of a yarn that may have had a different length per ball. Use the vintage yarn calculator and buy a little extra.
4. Gauge. Swatch. It's the single most important step. See how to measure gauge.
5. Size. If the pattern is for a 34 in bust and you're not, you'll need to regrade. Our resizing guide explains how, and Will it fit? gives a quick check.
6. Abbreviations. Older terms such as "wl.fwd" or "m.1" are explained in our abbreviations guide.

Knitting something of theirs

Making a piece from a pattern someone you loved once knitted is one of the nicest things you can do with an old collection. A few ideas:

• Knit it exactly as they did, following their pencil notes and size ticks.
• Knit it for the next generation: a cardigan from great-gran's pattern for a new baby or a grandchild.
• Frame the cover beside a photo of them wearing the finished piece, if you have one.
• Make a memory book: scan their favourite patterns, with notes about who they knitted for.

Finding good homes for the rest

If you're not keeping everything, old patterns can go somewhere they'll be wanted:

• Family and friends who knit. Ask before you donate. Someone may treasure them.
• Knitting groups and guilds. Local groups often have swaps or libraries.
• Specialist collections. In the UK, the Knitting & Crochet Guild (a volunteer-run charity) keeps a large historic collection of patterns. It is selective: it asks you to get in touch first and is mainly looking for items that fill gaps, especially material from before 1950.
• Local museums and record offices. Patterns with a clear local or family story (a wartime knitting party, a local wool shop's stamp) can interest a local collection. Contact them first rather than turning up with a box.
• Thrift stores (charity shops). Fine for the general bulk, but check for personal notes first.

A word on copyright. It varies by country and by publication, and "old" doesn't necessarily mean "free to use". If you plan to copy, sell or share patterns, especially online, check the position first. Keeping, knitting from and passing on your own original copies is a different matter from reproducing them.

One last thing

Your family's own patterns are best enjoyed just as they are, and the guides above will help you knit them. But if you come across a design you love in the wrong size, or for a yarn you can't buy, that's the gap we fill. Our patterns are rebuilt from the original written instructions for your size (US 4–24 / UK 8–28, 32–52 in bust), your yarn and your gauge, and a knitter chose and checked every one. If you'd like a hand with anything, email support@vintagetomodernknits.com. A real person will reply.

You might also like:

• Where to find vintage knitting patterns
• Old knitting needle sizes chart
• Resizing vintage knitting patterns
• Vintage yarn calculator

Last updated 2026-10-11.