What is a balaclava?

A balaclava is a knitted (or sometimes crocheted) head covering that is essentially a close-fitting cap combined with a tube-shaped neck, with an opening at the front for the face. It can be worn exposing only the eyes, or with the lower part of the opening at various points to cover or reveal the nose and mouth. The cap section may be pushed back off of the head in warmer conditions or as necessary. It is said to have originated sometime after the Battle of Balaclava in 1864, during which British troops wore handmade garments against the bitter cold because their own supplies had not arrived. The style of the cap is said to have been based on similar caps, the Uhlan worn by Polish and Prussian soldiers and the Templar cap worn by outdoor-sportsmen, earlier in the century. The earliest-known use of the term balaclava, though, was apparently in 1881; it was first called a helmet, and in pattern books of the early 20th century is often clarified as a "helmet (or balaclava)". Nevertheless, it is clearly a very practical garment for cold-weather wear, especially because it can be worn under larger hoods or protective helmets, and it is no surprise that it became a popular item to knit for soldiers and sailors during wartime.

(Franklin Habit writes about his search for a pattern, or even a logical description, of either the Uhlan or the Templar cap, and gives an updated pattern for Weldon's 1881 "Gent's Balaclava Cap" --

in his "Uh-la-la" post at Knitty. There is an "Uhlan Cap" as part of the instructions for "A Seaman's Outfit" in the Columbia Book of Yarns by Anna Schumacker, but this is dated 1915, long after the origin of the term, and clearly used there as simply a synonym for balaclava.)

Soldiers of the London Rifle Brigade with troops of the 104th and 106th Saxon Regiments during the so-called Christmas Truce, 1914. The soldier second from left at the front is wearing a balaclava; the soldier to his right is probably also. Non-commercial use permitted courtesy the Imperial War Museum, cat.Q 70075.

 

Knitted Comforts for Men on Land and Sea (Baldwin, 191?) provides two "helmet (or balaclava)" patterns, one with a split lower section that provides extra warmth to the front and back of the wearer's neck --

 and one with a plain ribbed neck --

(See also the post at "Knitting Now and Then" for some background information on this booklet and its pattern writer, Marjory Tillotson.)

The article "Knitting Comforts for the Troops" by Susan Strawn at PieceWork Magazine has another helmet pattern, with garter stitch flaps and a stockinette cap, from the Columbia Yarn company ca.1917.

This image, from the Jaeger Handknit series no.44, is courtesy the V&A's page on 1940s knitting, and a PDF of the pattern in modern terminology is available here. Interestingly, the Baldwin "helmet with flaps" pattern of a generation earlier says that "War Office Experts do not recommend apertures for the ears" which are especially vulnerable to the cold; presumably the development of radio technology in the ensuing twenty years made the additional openings necessary, one hopes not at the expense of the serviceman's ears.

Holly Shaltz has posted images from an American Red Cross booklet of three balaclava patterns for servicemen, and provided both transcriptions of the original "receipts" and updated instructions.

The Chelsea Bridge balaclava is undated but is most likely a 1940s pattern, as is the balaclava pattern from the "Guide to Knitting for Active Service" by the Australian Comforts Fund; the pattern in this link shows only the instructions rewritten in modern knitting terminology.

An American booklet of the 1940s that had at least one further edition post-war was Bucilla's "Warm Hand Knits for Servicemen".

See also the blog and online shop "Handmade WWI and WWII Reproduction Knits" for some interesting photos and background (though no patterns) on knitting for servicemen during those two wars.

Ladies' travelling cap (1847)

This pattern for a ladies' cap appeared on pages 25-30 of Miss Lambert's My Knitting Book, Second Series (1847). The transcription below is from the Gutenberg.org edition.

For those knitters with less time on their hands in which to work from early knitting instructions (!), Franklin Habit gives an updated version of this pretty cap in the Deep Fall 2010 issue of Knitty, as part of his "Stitches in Time" series.

A Travelling Cap.

This cap may be knitted with double German wool, in five shades of any light colour, and white.—Needles, No. 8.

Cast on one hundred and two stitches, with the darkest shade of colour.—Knit one plain row to form an edge. Then, commence the pattern (formed of four rows) as follows.

N.B. The first stitch of each row is always to be knitted.

First row—knit two together.

Second row—make one between each stitch, by taking up the wool between the stitches of the preceding row;—except between the two last stitches.

Third row—plain knitting.

Fourth row—pearl knitting.—The change of shade is always to be made in this row.

Repeat the above, four times, taking a lighter shade of wool for each pattern. Then work one pattern in white,—and repeat the five coloured patterns, reversing the shades, by commencing with the lightest. The fourth row of the eleventh pattern is to be omitted, in place of which one row must be pearled in white,—in order to bring the knitting on the outer side of the cap.

The front, or roll part, is now completed, which, when the cap is finished, should be turned over from the centre pattern of white.

Knit one pattern in white, leaving twenty stitches unknit, at the end of the fourth row.—Knit a second pattern, the same, leaving twenty stitches unknit, at the end of the first row; and, in the succeeding rows, making a stitch between the last two stitches; also, at the end of the second row, leaving twenty-two stitches unknit; and, at the ends of the third, and fourth, rows, leaving twenty-six stitches unknit.

Knit a third pattern in white, leaving twenty-six stitches unknit at the end of the first three rows; but, in the fourth row, pearl all the stitches to the end of the needle.

Knit a fourth pattern in white;—in the first row of this, knit all the stitches to the other end of the needle; but, at the end of the third row, leave twenty stitches unknit. Pearl the fourth row, with the third shade of the coloured wool, leaving twenty stitches unknit, at the end.

Knit three more patterns in colours,—(the centre being darker than the other two) leaving one stitch more unknit, at the end of each row. The fourth row of the third pattern is to be pearled in white.

Knit seven patterns in white, leaving one stitch unknit at the end of each row; and also, omitting to make a stitch between the first two, and last two, stitches of the second row.

When the seventh pattern is completed, there should be only eight stitches on the needle: with these eight, knit one pattern; and, at the end of the pearled row, pass the last stitch, before knitting, on to the other needle; then knit it, together with two of those before left unknit,—three in one.

Proceed in the like manner, at the end of the next, or double stitch row, and continue the same, until seven patterns are finished, from the above eight stitches.

Before commencing the last pearled row, fasten on the third shade of coloured wool, and pearl to the end of the row. Then, knit the last stitch, together with three of the unknit stitches,—four in one. Repeat the same, at the end of the next row.

In the next pearled row, knit again four together, as above, and three single stitches beyond, at the end of the double stitch row: also, knit four together, and one single, and two double beyond.

When two patterns, in the third shade, are completed, fasten on the white wool, and pearl a row;—at the end of this, knit three single stitches of the unknit beyond. In the next row,—knit, alternately, a double and a single stitch, throughout the row;—knitting the last stitch, together with one row of the unknit, and two single ones beyond.

In the next row, make a stitch between each, as usual; and, at the end of the next pearled row, knit three single stitches beyond. Work the three next rows as follows:

First—three double, and one single stitch, alternately:—the last must be a double stitch, and a single stitch beyond.

Second—a stitch between each, and three single stitches beyond.

Third—plain knitting, and three single stitches beyond.

Before commencing the next pearled row, fasten on the darkest coloured wool; knit a pattern quite to the end of each needle, and fasten off,—omitting the pearled row.

The cord for tieing this cap may be made by plaiting one light-coloured, and two dark-coloured, threads of wool together; each thread consisting of four plies of German wool. One cord passes across the front of the cap, under the chin, and another round the caul, with a bow at the side: the ends finishing with a tassel of white wool.—Ribands, which are prettier, may be substituted.

"What Katy Did" (1872)

Two of the Workwoman's Guide muffatees (1840), patterns available in an earlier post here.

In the children's story What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge (1872), set in the 1860s, twelve-year-old Katy, at this point in the story an invalid after a bad fall, has knitted a pair of muffatees for her father and a pair of leading reins for her four-year-old brother at Christmas-time.

"I wish I had something pretty to put into everybody's stocking," she went on, wistfully; "but I've only got the muffatees for Papa, and these reins for Phil." She took them from under her pillow as she spoke – gay worsted affairs, with bells sewed on here and there. She had knit them herself, a very little bit at a time.

The two Workwoman's Guide muffatees in the illustration above are rather plain, certainly compared to the more elaborate ones in the book, which would make them likely candidates for Katy's pair, and why she doesn't think them very "pretty"! 

Miss Loch's The book of "hows" or what may be done with wools in every home (Baldwin & Walker, 1900) has a pattern for leading reins -- yes, with bells! -- which parental necessity has obviously been around for quite a long time.

Franklin Habit has adapted a different pattern for leading reins from Weldon's.