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.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Project 9.1: Gent's Knickerbocker Hose, Blantyre Plaid

I am abandoning lace shawls for a bit.  But still looking...

I am in love with these knee socks!  " Gent's Knickerbocker Hose, Blantyre Plaid" was published in Weldon's Practical Knitter, Twenty-Eighth Series (1895)

"Our engraving shows a strong and comfortable stocking worked in Blantyre Plaid with wool of two colors; this plaid is bold and effective, and the colors used in the model (dark brown and light fawn) harmonize nicely together.  The stocking comprises a minimum of work, as it is one of a new and popular kind, knitted with thick wool and coarse needles, and so the work is brought rapidly to completion.  The stocking has a ribbed top, which is intended to fold below the knee to cling closely round the leg and hold the stocking in place.  Depth of the ribbing is 6 inches; entire length of leg, including ribbing, is 21 inches.  Length of foot, 10 inches".

"Coarse needles and thick wool" translate to US 2 and fingering weight yarn to today's knitters.  I'm using a gorgeous skein of Wollmeise sock yarn in the color way "Indisch Rot" (reds) for my main color and ecru yarn for the light color.  I'm knitting my socks using my beloved 12" Addi circular needles, which make color knitting a breeze.  I've charted the leg section using my new (and fantastic) Stitchmastery Knitting Chart Editor software.  This one looks like a ton of work to chart and write up "modern" instructions, so it may end up being a pattern you can purchase for a (small) fee.
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