In Praise of "Golden Hands"

Moth Heaven Julia asked about the "Golden Hands" books that I mentioned in a comment on her post of January 2nd, when she wrote about the Time-Life Art of Sewing books she was given for Christmas.  I don't think I could do this series justice without at least a few pictures, so I thought I'd write a post about it.

"Golden Hands" was a serial published by Marshall Cavendish in the early 1970s, not technically a book but a series of magazines, essentially, that you would buy as they came out.  (My mom got hers at the grocery store.  You could send away for binders to keep the issues in order -- "$1.75 plus 25¢ shipping and handling" -- and the index.)  It was kind of like a home-study thing, a little "chapter" of two to four pages per issue on knitting, crochet, embroidery, needlepoint, dressmaking, beading, patchwork, tatting, and so on, and finishing and care techniques for the resulting projects.  If you were a complete beginner, you could start at the "Knitting Know-How 1" chapter, for instance, which gives basics on yarn types, gauge, and abbreviations, then goes on to casting on and off, the knit stitch and the purl, with increasingly advanced techniques throughout the 74 chapters.  I more-or-less taught myself to knit from here, studying the pictures and going for help to my mom when things didn't go right.  If you already knew the basics, you could start at a later chapter for new techniques, or jump straight into a more difficult project.  Rae Compton was the knitting consultant for the series, and while I don't recognize any of the names in other areas, I expect they were all equally competent and qualified, judging by the thoroughness of the instructions.

Many of the projects are more than a bit dated now, of course -- macramé vests, ponchos the first time around -- but the lace doilies, Shetland shawls, floral needlepoint handbags (with a chapter on mounting the needlepoint piece on a metal bag frame), ganseys, and such, are as timeless as they were in the 1970s.  Some of the knitting techniques are a bit dated, too -- psso instead of the now more usual ssk, for instance -- but nothing that would really hold you back.

After the series was completed, they did one that went into more unusual crafts, like candle-making, millinery, costume-making, batik, some really interesting stuff, and then a monthly that as far as I know only went to two issues.  They also did a few paperback pattern collections, with new patterns, "All You Can Knit and Crochet For Women/Babies and Children/the Home," and so on. 

I started with the garter stitch scarf, and not much later (in my early teens, perhaps) made a lovely doll dress and coat, and eventually at least three different baby blankets.  There was also a stunning bridal coat that I considered years later, and would have been high on my list if I'd been married in cooler weather than a California June.  In fact, I'm seeing quite a lot of things here that intrigue me now!....

Comments

[sarina ochoa]

my mom also had that series, probably still does... she recently sent me all of her old knitters magazines and some of the old handmade series, it is quite a walk down memory lane to look at a 30 year old magazine and remember, wow, i made that!

i saw your blog on the knit blog awards and have been looking in the past few weeks, because i like it.

we have the same boyfriend, earl grey...

sarina

[Mlle. Defarge]

Oh my gosh! I received this series in hardcover book form from my aunt when I was in high school, and they have been a valuable source of knowledge and inspiration. I am so excited to see that someone else has enjoyed them as well!

[Anita Hedley]

Hi
I am hoping you can help, I am looking for the pattern of a circular shawl which in in the Golden Hand all you can knit and crochet for babies, the one you mention and show on your site. I am hoping you could send me this pattern as I have lost the page with the beginning of the shawl.
Thank You
Anita Hedley

[Judith]

I'm just about to start knitting the bridal coat for my youngest daughter aged 23! Googling around I found your blog post. I first saw the pattern back in 1972/73 here in the UK and have longed to knit it and though I had some of the magazines I seemed to lose a lot but I have now found the pattern in an old book - The Encyclopedia of knitting and crochet Cavendish House 1972 -1974.
It is pretty standard UK 4ply and I have charted the lace now as my eyes are older!
So I hope it works out. I will put pictures on Ravelry. I'm Judithknits there.

[RoseMarie]

Good afternoon' is there any chance that you might have a pattern for a crochet baby bunting called vertical striped baby bunting with a hood. Several years ago I loaned the book to a friend, and never got it back. the colors of the bunting are white dark blue apple green and red. As of yesterday I have 2 great grandbabies on the way, and would like to make the bunting for them both using other colors. If you haven;t seen this pattern do you know someone who does? Thanks so much. RoseMarie

[Jan Norman]

do you have the pattern for the shetland babies shawl, it was a ring shawl which you should be able to pull through a wedding ring when complete.

[Gail Sullivan]

I knit the circular christening shawl shown on the picture above from the baby book back in 1973 then another 5 times over the last 40 years for friends and family and wanted to now pass it to a friend but it is very worn and difficult to read. I wondered it it would be possible for you to copy the pattern and picture and email them to me?? I would really appreciate it if you could do this.

[Judy Seymour]

I have knit the two-colour jacket from part 69 vol 5 and I need to have Knitting Know-how chapter 6 to finish it with invisible cast-off. I wonder if you have this. Could you send it to me? Thank you.

[Betty Hofer]

I m also trying to find acopy of the pattern for the circular christening shawl........had to leave all myGolden Hands Magazines behind in move. Or if I could get the magazine issue number thst the pattern is in to watch auctions.....

[Daria P.]

DId Golden Hands ever issue a little sewing kit? A friend has one that has a green plastic(?) cylindrical case with a gold-colored metal(?) thimble on top. The cylinder is inscribed "FOR GOLDEN HANDS." There are 2 spools of thread inside and a place to store needles. If so, do you know when and how they were made available? Thank you so much.

[Jeanne]

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Daria, I dont know! I dont remember ever getting anything except the magazines and the (separate) binders. If the sewing kit has Golden Hands in the same typeface as the title of the magazine (which you can see in the top photo in my post), then yes, it probably is! If I remember correctly, the logo stayed the same throughout the magazines life.The kit might have been available to subscribers, or to those who ordered the pattern packs or other items available by mail my mother I think always bought her copies at the grocery store.

[linda]

I knitted a full length christening gown for my first child in 1971. I wanted to keep the dress as a heirloom but it was 'lost' in a divorce and I never saw it again. I would love to know if you have that same pattern in one of your magazines