This "block for a slumber robe" is the earliest-known appearance of what later became known as the granny square. It is from Butterick's The Art of Crocheting (1891).
Thanks to Hannah at HanJan Crochet for her post on the history of the granny square!
This pattern, in two variations, is presented in what was then a rather modern way, with photographs showing what the finished garment looks like when laid flat and when worn, as well as having (basic) instructions for making it larger or smaller than the single size given. The only different between the two versions is the generosity of the upper part of the leg-of-mutton sleeves.
The Met in New York has in their collection a wool sweater that looks remarkably like the Delineator one in its shape --
The Met sweater, though, is worked in a brioche stitch on the body and upper sleeves, with probably a single rib at the waist and lower sleeves, with accents in an interesting zigzag stitch.
This 1897 pattern for a lacy yoke for a corset cover is from the American magazine "The Delineator" (v.49, pp.590-591), available free from the Hathi Trust, via Google and the University of Iowa. The yoke would be sewn to a fabric bodice, buttoned in the front.
A corset cover was a garment worn over a corset to smooth the lines under one's dress, and also to protect the inside of the dress from the hardware of the corset. Corset covers began to be worn in the 1860s, when smoothness of the close-fitting bodices became the ideal, and they continued to be worn through the Edwardian period, presumably as long as corsets themselves were worn. See the post at Historical Sewing for examples.
Ann Budd has adapted the basketweave baby sock pattern from the 1893 (?) volume 9 of "Weldon’s Practical Needlework" to modern fingering-weight yarn. It can be found free on the "Piecework" magazine blog.
See Barbara's post at Knitting Now and Then for a tentative dating of the various Weldon's issues.
