About Weldon's Practical Needlework

From Interweave Press:

About 1885, Weldon’s began publishing a series of fourteen-page monthly newsletters, available by subscription, each title featuring patterns and instructions for projects using a single technique.

About 1888, the company began to publish Weldon’s Practical Needlework, each volume of which consisted of twelve issues (one year) of several newsletters bound together with a cloth cover.

Each volume contains hundreds of projects, illustrations, information on little-known techniques, glimpses of fashion as it was at the turn of the twentieth century, and brief histories of needlework. Other techniques treated include making objects from crinkled paper, tatting, netting, beading, patchwork, crewelwork, appliqué, cross-stitch, canvaswork, ivory embroidery, torchon lace, and much more.

From 1999 through 2005, Interweave published facsimiles of the first twelve volumes of Weldon’s Practical Needlework.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Project 18: Pincushion, Knitted Like a Lemon

This cute little pincushion was published in Weldon's Practical Knitter Twenty-Eighth Series (1895), and republished in Volume 10 of Piecework's Series.


"A Lemon Pincushion is a novel ornament for a drawing-room table; it is also suitable and pretty to hang on a Christmas tree, and a plate full of these useful trifles will form an attractive addition to a stall at a bazaar and realize a fair percentage of profit."

The original pattern requires 1/2 oz of lemon-coloured and 1/4 oz of shaded green single Berlin wool, a pair of No. 12 and a pair of No. 16 steel knitting needles.

I have yellow and green sock yarns, so that's what I'll use.  I think I'll go with US #1 and 2 needles.  That may make the lemon a bit larger than the original.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Project 16: A Cosy Scarf is finished!

Whew, this one seemed to take forever!  But The Cosy Scarf is done, and is blocking.  It's really pretty, and I'll have photos and a pattern for you all shortly.

Next project?  I've fallen WAY off my original "project a week" goal.  But 6 months in, I've got 16 projects (with 1 fail) completed, so I'm pretty happy with that.  I have a commissioned sweater to knit this week, so I'm probably going to choose something quick for Project 18.  Perhaps A Ball In the Shape of a Lemon...

Thursday, June 21, 2012

My first project in Piecework is set for publication in the July/August issue!  I'm so excited!  Here's a link to the Knitting Daily Blog with the details

Monday, June 11, 2012

Project 16: A Cosy Scarf Half Way There!

Half way done (at last!) I pinned out the scarf so the lace pattern shows up better (it's not blocked yet)  I ended up knitting 26" on the first half of the scarf, which didn't quite use up half my yarn but I think it will be plenty long enough.

I think this is going to be lovely when I finally get it finished.  Scarves do have a way of taking forever though.  Next project is going to be something OTHER than a lace scarf!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Plugging Along on the Lace Scarf

Not much to report. I've been knitting away on it, along with a couple of detours (a paid project, which is always nice, and a shawl KAL that I couldn't resist starting) As with all scarves, this one seems to be growing very very slowly.  I'm going to take it on my trip next week (heading to DC, then road-tripping to Austin with the soon to be Texans), and I'll have many hours of drive time to work on this. 

One bit of news (don't remember if I've already mentioned this): I've been asked to be a "guest blogger" for Piecework's "Traditions Today" newsletter.  I believe I'll be in a July issue.  They need a head shot, and the only one I have is me posing in the Barrister's Wig.  Probably appropriate for the subject matter I'll be discussing, but maybe I need something a wee bit more flattering.  Will have to get a haircut and slap on some makeup :-)