PieceWork magazine
is pleased to present this exact reproduction (neither alterations nor
corrections were made to the original published in the 1800s) from Weldon’s Practical Needlework, Volume 4.
It is a fitting example of needlework and history, hand in hand.
This electronic pattern book opens a window on another time and another
place. The time is the turn of the twentieth century and the place is
London, England. Needleworkers of that era would be amazed to see their
favorite knitting patterns in a virtual format of which they could never
have dreamed.
In an effort to bring needlework to the emerging middle class, Weldon’s, a paper pattern company of the Victorian era, began to publish monthly newsletters devoted to various crafts (beading, knitting, crochet, patchwork, and the like). These newsletters were typically 14 pages and cost 2 pence. Later, they were collected into book form, titled Weldon’s Practical Needlework.
We have reproduced for you here the knitting material from the Eleventh Series into a convenient eBook. The 23 knitting patterns range from simple to ornate and include an a sweet vest for an infant in worked in a textured, checkered stitch; a stylish woman's vest worked in simple garter stich; men's long drawers; a German Trellis lace pattern; Batternberg Boots for an infant;
and many more. The instructions might perplex a contemporary knitter
accustomed to detailed charts and succinct directions, but the patterns
are often ingenious, and many of the objects transcend the century-plus
span of years since they were devised.
This
electronic book serves as a curiosity, an inspiration, a resource, and a
link to a time beyond our memories. In using and enjoying it, you keep
the craft alive.
