Friday 1 January 2021

 When Ladies knitted lace to display a 'pretty hand'.

The Intricate Knitted Lace made by Gentlewomen in the early years of the Nineteenth Century.

And as a further diversion and a project for your brain, take a look at this beautiful 1848 pattern found in  "The Knitting Book" by Eleonore Riego de la Branchardiere. The book was digitalised by The Gutenbourg Project in 2018.

You need size 19 needles (1mm) and a single thread such as linen or cotton.

Incidentally, current wisdom from "The Piecework Magazine" states:

"Knitting pattern books began appearing in the late 1830s. Lace designs were written out—never charted—and errors were fairly common. Knitting terms and abbreviations were inconsistent from author to author, so knitters had to have rather well-developed skills to work successfully from published patterns. Victorian knitters also used lace samplers as a source for designs.

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"As with almost every aspect of knitting, we don’t know where, when, or by whom lace knitting began. Although we tend to think of Shetland lace knitting as a centuries-old tradition, there are no examples of it earlier than the 1830s."

This pattern shows just how much the art of lace knitting had developed in less than 20 years.

NOTE by myself: The ‘O, O, refers to wrapping the yarn twice to create two stitches. On the next row, one ‘over’ will be knitted and the next purled, except on Row 24 where it is involved in a k3tog. I have translated the 'recipe' into modern knitting language for ease of understanding. Charts had not yet been developed.

Only servants and 'ordinary' people knitted functional garments such as socks and baby wear. This lace would have been knitting for a lady to work.

CHANTILLY LACE EDGING

This may be used for a variety of purposes. Pins and thread, cast on 21 stitches.


1st row: K2tog, O, O, k3tog., O, k2tog, k2, k2tog, O, k3, O, k3tog., O, k4.

2nd Row: O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k1, O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k3, k2tog, O, k2, p1, k1.

3rd Row: K2tog, O, O, k2tog, O, k1, O, k2tog, k3, O, k3tog., O, k3, O, k2tog, k2.

4th Row: O, k2tog, k1, O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k4, k2tog, O, k3, O, k2, p1, k1.

5th Row: K2tog, O, O, k2tog, O, k5, O, k2tog, k4, O, k3tog., O, k4.

6th Row: O, k2tog, k8, k2tog, O, k7, O, k2, p1, k1.

7th Row: K2tog, O, O, k2tog, O, k2, k2tog, O, k1, O, k2tog, k2, O, k2tog, k9.

8th Row: O, k2tog, k6, k2tog, O, k2, k2tog, O, k3, O, k2tog, k2, O, k2, p1, k1.

9th Row: K2tog, O, O, k2tog, O, k1, O, k2tog, k1, O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k1, k2tog, O, k1, O, k2tog, k7.

10th Row: O, k2tog, k4, k2tog, O, k3, O, k2tog, k1, O, k3tog., O, k1, k2tog, O, k3, O, k2, p1, k1.

11th Row: K2tog, O, O, k2tog, O, k5, O, k2tog, k, 3, k2tog, O, k5, O, k2tog, k5.

12th Row: O, k2tog, k2, k2tog, O, k7, O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k7, O, k2, p1, k1.

13th Row: K2tog, O, O, k2tog, O, k2, k2tog, O, k1, O, k2tog, k2, O, k3tog., O, k2, k2tog, O, k1, O, k2tog, k2, O, k2tog, k3.

14th Row: O, (k2tog, twice), O, k2, k2tog, O, k3, O, k2tog, k2, O, k1, O, k2, k2tog, O, k3, O, k2tog, k2, O, k2, p1, k1.

15th Row: K2tog, O, O, k3tog., * O, k2tog, k1, O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k1, k2tog, O, k3; repeat from * once more, and end with k1.

16th Row: O, k2tog, k3, O, k2tog, k1, O, k3tog., O, k1, k2tog, O, k5, O, k2tog, k1, O, k3tog., O, k1, k2tog, O, k2tog, k1, p1, k1.

17th Row: K2tog, O, O, k3tog., O, k2tog, k3, k2tog, O, k7, O, k2tog, k3, k2tog, O, k6.

18th Row: O, k2tog, k5, O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k2, k2tog, O, k1, O, k2tog, k2, O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k3tog., p1, k1.

19th Row: K2tog, O, O, k2tog, O, k3tog., O, k2, k2tog, O, k3, O, k2tog, k2, O, k3tog., O, k8.

20th Row: O, k2tog, k1, O, k2tog, k6, O, k2 18together, k1, O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k1, k2tog, O, k3tog., k2tog, p1, k1.

21st Row: K2tog, O, O, k3tog., O, k2tog, k1, O, k3tog., O, k1, k2tog, O, k6, k2tog, O, k4.

22nd Row: O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k1, O, k2tog, k5, O, k2tog, k3, k2tog, O, k2tog, k1, p1, k1.

23rd Row: K2tog, O, O, k3tog., O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k5, k2tog, O, k3, O, k2tog, k2.

24th Row: O, k2tog, k1, O, k2tog, k1, k2tog, O, k1, O, k2tog, k4, (O, and k3tog. twice), p1, k1; commence again at the first row.

 

ORIGINAL WORDING

1st row.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, make 1, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 4.

2nd.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 2, pearl 1, knit 1.

3rd.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 3, make 1, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 3, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2.

4th.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 4, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, make 1, knit 2, pearl 1, knit 1.

5th.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 5, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 4, make 1, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 4.

6th.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 8, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 7, make 1, knit 2, pearl 1, knit 1.

7th.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 9.

8th.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 6, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2, make 1, knit 2, pearl 1, knit 1.

9th.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 7.

10th.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, make 1, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, make 1, knit 2, pearl 1, knit 1.

11th.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 5, make 1, knit 2 together, knit, 3, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 5, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 5.

12th.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 7, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 7, make 1, knit 2, pearl 1, knit 1.

13th.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2, make 1, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 3.

14th.—Make 1, (knit 2 together twice), make 1, knit 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2, make 1, knit 2, pearl 1, knit 1.

15th.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 3 together, * make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3; repeat from * once more, and end with knit 1.

16th.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 3, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, make 1, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 5, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, make 1, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, pearl 1, knit 1.

17th.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 3, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 7, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 3, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 6.

18th.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 5, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3 together, pearl 1, knit 1.

19th.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 2, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2, make 1, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 8.

20th.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 6, make 1, knit 2 18together, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3 together, knit 2 together, pearl 1, knit 1.

21st.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, make 1, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 6, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 4.

22nd.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 5, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 3, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, pearl 1, knit 1.

23rd.—Knit 2 together, make 2, knit 3 together, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 5, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 2.

24th.—Make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, knit 4, (make 1, and knit 3 together twice), pearl 1, knit 1; commence again at the first row.

 

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