There are a lot of older (vintage or antique if you prefer) patterns free online. Some of them are simply lovely and give us all kinds of inspiration. It’s great to run across a site full of these older masterpieces. However, the terminology or simple lack of instructions can be frustrating. Below, I’ve listed some sites that might interest you. Please check them out and let the rest of us know how you feel about the sites, if you make anything from them, and how you adapted the directions.

NOTE: As far as I am aware, the links below are all to free patterns. However, many of the websites also offer patterns to purchase. Don’t overlook those, especially if you’re looking for something that will become a family heirloom. An artist’s design is worth the few dollars we might have to pay for it.

I’ve pulled out a few pix to give you an idea of some of the offerings on these sites. Browse each site carefully for all the goodies on each one. There are lots of freebies hiding out there for all of us. The last link is to an antiquated book, likely the first rendering of crochet in print, by Mrs. Beeton. The pictures alone will inspire you to try all kinds of things. Unfortunately, these older books assume a large body of knowledge on the part of the reader. The pictures are an invaluable asset in figuring out how a pattern should be executed. Please enjoy your tour through the yesteryears of crochet.

http://www.angelfire.com/folk/celtwich/

Wouldn’t this make a great scarf for a man – with or without the fringe? I’m not a huge fringe fan and I hate to make it, so I usually just omit it. This scarf could work up beautifully for a man, woman, or child, depending on the yarn you choose for it. I would love to see it in a tone on tone.

It seems someone is always looking for a pretty, lacy dress for a child or grandchild. This one would be stunning in a pretty pastel yarn.
http://www.knitting-crochet.com/crochet/antiquecrochet.html

Since shrugs have retained their popularity in recent years, why not borrow one from an earlier era. This beauty can be modified in a number of ways to update it. Omitting the tassels comes to mind immediately. Ripples are always popular and this is basically a rippled shrug.

Other sites of interest: (There are plenty of pictures on these sites too.)
http://www.crochettreasures.com/freepatterns/archives.htm

http://www.albany.edu/~ef8043/crochet.htm

http://www.antiquecrochetpatterns.com/crochet-baby-patterns.html

http://www.softmemories.com/AntiqueCrochet/free/index.htm

This last one is the Mrs. Beeton book. These old books are available for purchase on a CD from the Gutenberg Press website for a very reasonable price.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20776/20776-h/chapter_9.html

So, now that you’ve browsed a bunch of sites, what are you gonna’ make??