Correction on Lady's Mittens: Fancy Wave Stitch

Geez, you can look at directions until your eyes cross, and something STILL gets by you! Sorry everyone, there are errors in the directions.

Round 1 for the left hand mitten should read: K10, work Wave St Pattern Row 1 across next 25 sts, k to end.

The set-up rounds for the pattern stitch on the right hand mitten should all start with K18.

I've uploaded a corrected pattern -- make sure you have the 3/8/13 revision!

A Cosy Scarf Correction

There's a slight error on the directions for A Cosy Scarf:

The instructions for Lace Chart One should read:

"Knit Rows 1-34 once, and Rows 3-34 twice for lace border."

I've uploaded a revised version here.

Gentlemen's Monogrammed Socks

Piecework's January/February "Historical Knitting Issue" (you can purchase a digital copy here) has my final Weldon's project: "Gentlemen's Monogrammed Socks.  Those are my son's initials, so when Piecework returns the project, I'll have to knit the second sock for him.  No more mismatched socks for him!

The Barrister's Wig in Action!

As promised, here I am posing in front of Buckingham Palace and the Queen Victoria monument, wearing the Barrister's Wig.  The girls said I just looked like a weird tourist wearing a head scarf.  No one gave me a second glance :-)

Our trip was so fabulous!  I wrote up a "super blog post" over on A Fluther of Knitting if you want to read all the deets.  Sadly, we didn't find ANY vintage patterns to bring home.  But I did do some major damage at Loop in London.  Adorable yarn store!

Wrapping Up My Year of Weldon's

It's time to "shut that whole thing down"...I'm preparing to head to England for the holidays, so the Lady's Silk Mitts pattern is my last project in My Year of Weldon's.  I will be blogging about my trip, hopefully with good photos (my daughter the photographer is coming, so you won't have to rely on my horrible picture-taking skills)

It's been a fun year, and I come away with tremendous respect for the unjustly anonymous Weldon's pattern writers.  Their patterns are so well-written, with very few errors and clear enough that they can be used today, over 100 years after they were written.  While we may not want to knit all the fussy items in the Weldon's catalog of patterns, lots of them are surprisingly up to date in current yarns.  Some knitting fashions really don't go out of style (the fingerless mitts are a great example of a style that looks as good today as it did in 1895)

I'm hoping to donate my year of Weldon's projects to our local museum, which includes a home maintained with the furnishings and fashions of the 1890s.  Perfect for my box of Victorian projects.

Project 29: Lady's Silk Mitts Done

As usual, my picture is lame, but I will try for a better photo when my photographer daughter gets home tonight.

I'm very happy with these mitts, I already have one daughter who wants them in her Christmas stocking.  I will be adding the updated pattern to the list of downloadable patterns.  This one did require some mods in order to not be hugely long.  If you wanted to exactly recreate them, it would require using silk thread and size 0000 needles, not in my time constraints at this time of year!

Project 29: lady's Silk Mittens Update

One mitten finished. I switched to size zero needles. I had to make a few revisions in order to have a mitt that wasn't too long, even at 10 rows to the inch.

I shortened the length by starting the thumb gusset on round 4 of the hand section, rather than knitting 12 rounds first. I also increased for the thumb every other round, rather than every third round. I shortened the thumb considerably.

I like the pattern a lot even with the mods.

Project 29: Lady's Silk Mittens

"Lady's Silk Mittens" published in Weldon's Practical Knitter, Thirty-fifth Series (1897) and republished in Weldon's Practical Needlework Volume 12.

“This pretty and comfortable mitten requires one ounce of knitting silk and four steel needles No. 18”

I really like the little pattern in the ribbing on this pair of mitts.  I'm going to try using some sock yarn from the stash and size 1 needles for this project.  No silk in my stash :-(  and I'm not keen to knit these using 0000 needles, too many Christmas projects are waiting for me.

We'll see if I can get away with the larger needles/yarn and still have a wearable pair of mittens.

Project 28: Chest Protector Finished

I opted not to add the 2nd round of crocheted edging as I couldn't get it to make the "rickrack" look of the engraving.  And Weldon's gave me permission not to add the edging if desired :-)

I see I made a mistake about halfway through, working the p1, k1 "rough side" pattern on the wrong side.  Oops.

I can see where this would have been a lovely warm addition to the invalid's sick room equipment.  Definitely soft and cozy on an inflamed chest.  My daughter has a cold, I'm going to have her try it out tomorrow when she takes a sick day.  Now if I can also convince her to try a mustard plaster...

Project 28: Chest Protector

I finally finished the Heelless Sleeping Socks in extra-large -- pictures later today.

Project 28 is a "Chest Protector" from Weldon's Practical Knitter, Thirty-Fifth Series (1897) and republished in Weldon's Practical Needlework Volume 12.

"An extra wrap to cover the chest is very necessary for those who have constitutionally delicate lungs, or who are recovering from an attack of pleurisy or penumonia.  The protector illustrated here is quite a pretty little garment, but it is fully as easy to make as are the more simple kinds.  The stitch is a particularly effective one, and, while rough and 'ribby' on the right side, the surface that lies next to the body is as smooth and soft as can be desired.

"The model is made with white Double Berlin wool, 2 ounces and a half being required, with less than half an ounce of finer wool of some bright color for the scalloped edging.  Pale pink or blue Andalusian wool is the best for this ornamental addition to the protector.  If a less expensive piece of work is desired, petticoat fleecy may be used, or coarse undyed yarn.  but it will be found that for such a purpose the second quality of wool is quite as suitable as the first, and, indeed, being less compact in its twist than the better quality, is often softer, and consequently more comfortable in wear.  Two pairs of bone needles, Nos. 8 and 12, are required, as the knitting should be executed rather closely.  For the border, a bone crochet hook of medium size should be selected."

I'll be trying this using DK weight yarn and fingering for the scalloped edge, on US size 2 and 6 needles.

A Good Sale at Interweave!

Interweave is having a good sale on books this weekend!  The Weldon's series of e-books are 20% off, and you can get another 15% off by using the coupon code EXTRA15.

And my own store, Vintage Knits, has an even better deal -- 50% off the entire store!

Heelless Sleeping Sock V.2

Here's version 2 of the sock, with 76 stitches rather than the 48 in the original pattern.  Fits fine, though perhaps a bit baggy at the ankle.  But if you have chubby legs, you make do :-)

This is a very simple sock pattern, here are the pithy instructions:

Cast on 48 stitches (I used sock yarn and #3 US needles).  Work 20 rounds in k2, p2 ribbing.  Switch to the pattern stitch and work 35 repeats (easily counted by counting up the diagonal "line" in each repeat).  Toe: *k6, k2tog, rep. to end.  K 6 rounds.  *k5, k2tog, rep. to end.  K 5 rounds. *k4, k2tog, rep. to end.  K 4 rounds.  *k3, k2tog, rep. to end.  K 3 rounds.  *k2, k2tog, rep. to end.  K 2 rounds.  *k1, k2tog, rep. to end.  K 1 round.  *k2tog around, cut yarn and weave through remaining sts, drawing hole closed (you could also Kitchener the end together if preferred)

Pattern chart:

R-I-I-P

Cara tried on the Heelless Sock, and it's too tight.  So I'm reknitting it, just for her :-)

The Weldon's pattern has a cast on of 48 stitches, and the sock is supposed to be somewhat loose-fitting for comfort.  On our tree-trunk legs, not so much.  So I'll be casting on 76 stitches.  And making it an inch longer.

One sock done. These are knee high length, a teeny bit snug for my chubby legs. But the pattern is easy and makes for a nearly mindless project, good for knitting while tv watching.

I would probably do fewer repeats of the pattern if I were making these again.  The toe is easy-peasy, you do a series of decreases until you have 6 stitches left, then run your yarn through the six stitches and pull closed.  This is the "classic" toe that would have been used for socks during this time period.  The "Kitchener Stitch" wasn't used until the 20th century.  I've also seen the 3-needle bind off used for socks toes in Weldon's patterns.

Project 27: Heelless Sleeping Socks

"Heelless Sleeping Socks" from Weldon's Practical Knitter, Thirty-fifth Series (1897), and republished in Weldon's Practical Needlework Volume 12.  Nancy Bush included this pattern in her "Knitting Vintage Socks" book, but I'll be working from the original instructions.

The Practical Knitter says, "These socks are very easy to make, as the foot makes a fresh place for itself every time the socks are used, therefore they are particularly durable.  They should be made with rather thicker pins than are generally employed, so that greater elasticity is gained; also it is necessary to make them larger so that ample play is obtained for the foot."

The original instructions call for Paton's petticoat fleecy, white or scarlet, using about three ounce of it, No. 10 needles.  My daughter chose this Plymouth Happy Feet DK in color 60, a taupe/cream/grey variegated yarn, and I'll be knitting with US size 3 needles.

Here's The Emigrant's Vest

Modeled by one of my daughter's adorable students.  See how cute the vest is when worn by a cute high schooler!

A Fantastic Magazine for HIstoric Needleworkers!

"Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly is the premiere magazine for those who look at the handwork from centuries past with a sense of awe, wonder, and inquisitiveness. Each issue is a wealth of information that will delight, educate, and instruct: articles that shed light on the world in which the hand-wrought wonders of the past were produced; needlework projects that challenge and build the skills of the contemporary needleworker; lavish photographs of antique needlework and sewing tools. "

I just obtained nearly the entire run of this magazine and have added them to my store.  Historic samplers and other needlework pieces are showcased with gorgeous photographs, and there are fascinating articles about needlework tools, including a few forays into knitting tools.  

Project 26: Emigrant's Vest Finished

Finished it last night, pictures later today. It’s very cute, but too small for “stout” me. Getting a slender model today. 

At left is the vest after I sewed the 2 seams but before adding the pretty crocheted edging.  You sew the bound-off edge to the cast-on edge (creating a tube basically, or as Weldon's says, "like a roller towel"), then sew a second seam across the top, leaving 5" on each end for armholes.  It looks like a kite shape when the sewing is done and it's laid out flat.  I was completely doubtful that those 2 seams were going to create any sort of garment, but voila!  Weldon's strikes again with correct instructions and it is indeed a little bolero type shrug.

The Vest took exactly 3 skeins (550 yards) of Brown Sheep Nature Spun sport weight yarn.  

I think I’m going to knit it again, maybe in worsted weight yarn, and see how it turns out size wise. The garter stitch strip was 46” which created a snug vest on me, so I’m going to try knitting a longer strip.

Project 26: Emigrant's Vest is Underway

I found 5 skeins of Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport Weight in the stash, color is "Pepper".  Seems to be the right weight for this, but there's no real way of knowing until I finish the 46" ("for a stout person", that's me lol) garter stitch strip and sew it together.

I hope I don't go blind knitting acres of black garter stitch.

Project 26: Emigrant's Vest

From Weldon's Practical Knitter Nineteenth Series (1892) and republished in Weldon's Practical Needlework Volume 7.

"This vest is fashioned from a long strip of plain knitting, which when properly joined, with sufficient space left for armholes, will assume on the figure the shape of a Zouave, as shown in the engraving, and may be comfortably worn as a house-jacket or as an extra bodice under a cloak"

The original pattern calls for 5 ozs. of best fingering wool, or Berlin fingering, a pair of No. 9 needles, and one or two black bone buttons.

I will be trying this pattern using US #5 needles and probably sport or DK weight yarn.  You work a long strip of garter stitch ("for a stout person, about 46 inches") and do some tricky sewing to create the shape.  the Scalloped Edge is crocheted.