In 1920, the spinners J & J Baldwin and Partners and John Paton, Son & Co merged, creating Patons & Baldwins. The separate companies had been publishing knitting patterns, using their own knitting wools, since around 1912, and carried on doing so after the merger. The Patons brand continues to this day, using the Baldwins ‘Beehive’ symbol. The company is now part of The DMC Group. We were delighted to accept the Patons pattern archive into the Guild’s collection in 2014.

The DMC Group has generously given the Guild permission to copy publications that are still in copyright (but no longer current). On this page, you will find catalogues of pattern leaflets published by P&B. There are also catalogues compiled from scans of leaflets in the Guild collection. Guild members can have a copy of any leaflet, for personal use. email Barbara with the details of any that you want.

Cover of Patons & Baldwin Helps to Knitters No 51. Lady wearing openwork scarf and hat.

1930s – P&B Hats, Caps and Scarves

A selection of Patons & Baldwins leaflets from the archive ...
Cover of Patons and Baldwins catalogue. Lady wearing open lattice short sleeve sweater with flower motifs attached.

1930s-1940s – Jumpers & jackets in crochet

Except for caps and scarves, patterns for crocheted woollies were not common in the 1930s and 40s. Here are about 20, mostly Patons & Baldwins, with a few others ...
Cover of Patons & Baldwins Helps to Knitters No332 - Ladys jJumper. Lady wearing sweater with ribbed cuffs nearly to the elbow and overall lace motif.

1932-34 – P&B Helps to Knitters

Around 85 patterns for women's jumpers, mostly knitted but a few crocheted ...
Lay wearing short sleev sweater with cable-like pattern and a neck tie.

1934-35 – P&B Helps to Knitters

Shows Patons & Baldwin patterns for women's garments, compiled from leaflets in the Patons archive ...
Cover of Patons & Baldwin Red Book. Cartoon of three simply drawn figures each carrying a placard above their heads, one word each. Knitting, Crochet, Rugmaking.

1935 – Patons & Baldwins Red Book

1935 Patons & Baldwin brochure "Red Book" ...
Front cover of the P&B Family Album. Simplified line drawing of three adults, one child and a baby.

1936 – The P&B Family Album

The P&B Family Album was a free booklet from Patons & Baldwins in 1936, designed to sell pattern leaflets by showing them in the context of a fictional family ...
Cover of 8th edition of Patons & Baldwin catalogue Make it in Wool. Photo of hands making a knit stitch using the Throw method.

1937 – P&B Make it in Wool, 8th edition

Brochure published in 1937. 10 pages, including two of rug designs ...
Front cover of Knitting made easy by "P&B". Black with gold writing.

1938 – P&B Knitting Made Easy

'Knitting Made Easy' was a series of free booklets issued by Patons & Baldwins. The 1938 edition has basic instructions for knitters, five knitting patterns, and illustrations of many of the pattern leaflets available to buy at that time ...
Cover of 14th edition of Patons & Baldwin Make it in Wool. Title is hand written

1939 – P&B Make it In Wool, 14th edition

The 1939 edition of the brochure Make it in Wool ...
Cover of 1940 edition of P & B Knitting made easy. Words in a font of the time. A wavy line running from bottomleft to top right separates a lower dark background from the upper light one.

1940 – Knitting Made Easy by P&B

A catalogue of Patons & Baldwin leaflets current in 1940. 8 pages. Where leaflets are not in the Guild's archive, they are marked "Not available" ...
Cover of Patons & Badwin Catalogue of Knitting Booklets spring 1945. Drawing of doves carrying a ribbon and a pansy.

1945 – P&B Spring Catalogue

Published by Patons & Baldwins to show all the patterns then available. (20 pages) ...
P&B Catalogue of knitting booklets, autumn 1946. Maroon background with drawing of porceleing figure holding a basket of flowers.

1946 – P&B Autumn Catalogue

A catalogue issued by Patons & Baldwins showing 135 pattern leaflets available in 1946, along with several Stitchcraft pattern booklets ...
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