Woolly Woodlanders

I have been reading Samuel Pepys Diaries and enjoying the detailed descriptions of the clothing which he was expected to purchase in order to maintain his status at the Court of King Charles II. I began to look at the fashion of the following years as the styles progressed and then in the 18th Century I discovered the elaborate headwear that ladies wore to cover and protect their hairstyles from dust and the wind; because of course it was rare to wash your hair and expensive to have it dressed and ladies wanted to keep their hairstyles neat as long as possible. There were even tales of insects and other creepy livestock taking up habitation in the hair in the meantime! These large bonnets, designed to cover high hair will also cover Sylvanian Families ears, I decided. So I designed my Going to Market pattern, a dress, shawl, hat and underpants.

and here is a view of the outfit without the hat or shawl, showing the back of the dress.

The pattern needs a laceweight yarn, perhaps a 2ply, with 2mm needles and a couple of buttons. A length of thin ribbon would enhance the bonnet, although twisted yarn would suffice. To complete the outfit, I have included a market basket, knitted with a double strand of yarn, or some double knitting wool, and a little bigger needles (size not critical) of about 3mm or 3.25mm. The pattern is now on my new website, recently re-written by myself. I spent around 2 months writing the website in my spare time, adding purchasing facility and a 'comment' page, as well as a catalogue of patterns and ready-knitted items. Please do have a look and tell me what you think!