A Compendium of Historical Knitting: Knitting samplers

Showing posts with label Knitting samplers. Show all posts

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Stocking (1880-1920)

Knitted woman's stocking, cotton (1880-1920). Source: ModeMuseum Antwerpen, via Wikimedia Commons.

This lovely stocking has only the briefest of descriptions at the MoMu, noting only the initials JvL knitted in -- there are, however, more photos at the website, making it well worth a visit.

We can certainly assume that it is not meant to be worn, but is both knitting and darning practice!

A by-this-period popular hemming method, using a row of eyelets to making a turning line, thereby creating a "scallop" effect.

Note the three different methods of creating initials -- with reverse stockinette at the top, and with eyelets, some plain and some emphasized by purl stitches.

Friday, January 28, 2022

Darning sampler (1880-1920)

Darning sampler (1880-1920), Source: ModeMuseum Antwerpen, via Wikimedia Commons.

Quite a variety of shapings and stitches here! There are more photos at the MoMu website --

Sunday, January 23, 2022

Knitting sampler (18th century)

Detail of an 18th-century knitting sampler, probably German, in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection, no.43.1022.

In the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is a knitting sampler of lace patterns. Unusually, this particular sampler is all of circular pieces knitted in fine cotton yarn, each joined to the next by some kind of small ligature, presumably also knitted, and then the whole chain is bound with a length of silk ribbon, the piece at each end also decorated with fluffy bows of the same red ribbon. Each piece is a little under 14cm (not quite 6 in.); there appear to be thirty-one pieces altogether. The Museum's description also notes that the sampler is backed with paper, though whether this is original or a conservation backing is not stated.

Presumably this is a selection by the maker of doily patterns?

The MFA is quite strict about usage of their photographs of objects in their collection, and so I have included only a small cropped part in order to give an idea of the general shape, but it is well worth a virtual visit to see this fascinating piece and the maker's selection of patterns!

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Knitting sampler (1880-1920)

Knitting sampler, cotton (1880-1920). Source: ModeMuseum Antwerpen, via Wikimedia Commons.

About this project

This page is a compendium, not the compendium, and makes no claims to be definitive. That said, we will attempt to provide a broad spectrum of examples of knitting patterns, techniques, and stitches across the years.

The label "Pattern links" indicates that a link to an outside webpage is given in the post, directing the reader to the pattern (sometimes for purchase from the designer or adapter, but often free), and the label "Patterns" indicates that the pattern is given here in the post. Both categories are subdivided into historical periods.

The label "Historical patterns in modern terminology" gives either patterns themselves or (more usually) links to historical patterns rewritten for the knitter of today. (It can be very illuminating and educational to compare the original with an updated version!)

Note that although ordinarily we far prefer to refer to authors as they wished and presented themselves to the world on their books' title pages, in the case of knitting authors who were known -- sometimes known only -- by their husband's name, we have decided to here use their married names, e.g. Mrs. G.J. Baynes is here listed as Anne Baynes.

Weights of the more common historical yarns

Andalusian falls between modern fingering weight and sport weight; Jamieson & Smith's 2-ply "jumper weight" Shetland can also be used.

Crewel is the same as modern crewel wools.

Double Berlin is equivalent to a modern DK or a three-ply worsted.

Fleecy could come in a range of weights, probably from fingering weight to a soft bulky weight, but was most commonly from DK to soft bulky; the modern knitter will have to experiment to achieve the desired result.

Germantown is equivalent to a modern worsted (18-20 sts per 4"/10cm).

Knitting floss is probably a modern lace-weight.

Lamb's wool or worsted equivalent to modern sport weight; it is not a modern worsted, but refers to the way the wool was spun.

Pyrenees is a lace-weight wool with a slightly tighter twist than Shetland.

Saxony is equivalent to modern fingering or baby yarns (about 32 sts per 4"/10cm).

Shetland can still be found today; a two-ply lace-weight can also be used.

Single Berlin, like its relative double Berlin, was traditionally of merino wool; single is a needlepoint or fingering weight.

Worsted or lamb's wool is equivalent to modern sport weight; it is not a modern worsted, but refers to the way the wool was spun.

Zephyr is probably a light fingering weight wool.

A detailed table of discontinued vintage yarns (i.e. mostly 20th-century) and their respective weights can be found here, and a very helpful table of specific modern equivalents to historical yarns can be found here.