VITAGE BRA/SUN BRA CHALLENGE

The vintage bra/sun bra challenge is gaining momentum and I feel it is going to be great fun.

Member Barb Mewburn has suggested an alternative pattern to the one already provided and has supplied full details.

This is what Barb writes:

"Way back in 1970, I wore a crochet bikini ( lined) to the speedway races at Ballarat, not see thru, but I was Slim in those days.

I’m playing around with crocheting to a drawn up pattern and will post later about how it’s going.  Meanwhile, for anyone who is interested,  It's easy to draw up a pattern.

1) measure from centre of your armpit to the centre of your chest, Over your breast.  2) measure from under your breast, over your nipple to your centre back neck (CBN) & draw a line across the top at a right angle, marking 1cm on each side.t 3 now draw that on a piece of paper, with the lines crossing in the centre ( graph paper helps) 4) draw a circle, with centre of the cross as the radius.  5) draw a line from the circle at the armpit to the CBN outside CBN mark  6 draw a line from the circle at centre of chest ( CT) to the inside CBN mark.  This will give you an inverted icecream in a cone with a truncated end. LOL Using appropriate size hook & natural yarn, it will be easy enough to make, starting with the circle, then crocheting in straight rows, using short row technique. It’s a good idea to use a smaller hook & DC for the centre 5-6 cm diameter and a larger hook with HT for the rest. Make two A row of eyelets right around the edge, with some fine, soft elastic threaded through after the two halves have been joined, will keep your lovely boobs in comfort & dignity. 

There is a Ravelry pattern for $US 2.75 which is crocheted differently, but I didn’t get it. I decided to design my own, being contrary LOL"

Many thanks to Barb for her input. Please send in your alternative pattern ideas if you have any. In the meantime here's the pattern (for those who have not received it via e-mail) of the bra shown in the introduction and which we discussed at our last zoom meeting.

Pattern for knitted Brassiere

Using 2.75 mm needles and 3 ply wool

Cast on 13 sts

Row 1: *K.1, P.1, K into front and back of next stitch, P.1: rep from * to last st, K.1

Row 2: P.1, *K.1, P.2 tog, K.1, P.1 ; rep from * to end of row

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until work measures 5cm.

Continue in this rib pattern , increasing one stitch at each end of next and following 4th rows until 53 stitches are on the needle.

Continue without shaping until work measures 53 cm from beginning.

Dec 1 st at each end of next and following 4th rows until 13 sts remain.

Work 5 cm without shaping.

Cast off.

Using a 3 mm crochet hook, work a row of holes along both edges.

1 dc.,* 2 ch miss about .5 cm of foundation, 1 dc into next st. repeat from * to end

To make up

Press carefully on wrong side with a damp cloth and hot iron.

Thread fine cord through the holes along the bottom of the brassiere, leaving enough length at each end to tie.

Thread another cord along the to edge to within 12cm of centre, leave a loop to create halter and resume threading on the other side of the top edge to match.

Thread a short piece of cord through the ribbing, about 1cm each side of the centre of the brassiere, so that the two ends face downward. Gather the ribbing up and tie cord in a bow.