A Bluestocking Knits

“Historical Knit Challenge””, Historical Knitting, Mittens, Gloves, and Hats

Thoughts on the “Mittens Knitted on Two Needles”

Published by

Bluestocking

on

11th May 2018

Poring over the March/April issue of "Piecework", I was reading the article by Lesley O'Connell Edwards about two Midlands sisters who were writers of knitting "receipts" in the 1860s and 70s, and one of the photos was of a "mitten knitted on two needles" (mentioned in passing in the text) from one of the sisters' books. It was an interesting little thing that piqued my curiosity, and it wasn't difficult to track down the book, scanned and available on the internet thanks to the wonderful folks in charge of the Richard Rutt Collection at the University of Southampton. There was apparently an earlier edition of this particular book around 1866, but there doesn't seem to be a copy online, and my mittens are knitted from the 1876 ed. instructions.

Edwards notes the "radical construction" of this mitten, wondering what prompted the change from the usual welt-up versions. It certainly crossed my mind while knitting, too — the thumb gusset is a rather ingenious use of short rows, but what's wrong with working them in the round? Maybe Miss Harriet was one of those who find four needles a bother, or — like Elizabeth Zimmermann a few generations later — exceedingly fond of garter stitch, much easier-worked flat?

But never mind! The pattern is quite easy to follow, with no unfamiliar abbreviations and only a few things like "put your needle at liberty through the last stitch" which is very euphonious but just a little bit puzzling nowadays (I'm pretty sure I know what she means, but I don't know why the needle is "at liberty" — is it not at other times? &c. &c. &c.)

I had no idea what this new-fangled "Laine de Vienne" wool is, but some leftover Regia 4-ply came up to gauge for me quite nicely. The Kroy Sock is a bit heavier, but turned out all right as a border.

I used the lace cast-on (like the usual cable cast-on but instead of putting the needle between the last and next-to last stitches before making a new one, you put it into the last stitch) — I figured this would make the later seam a bit softer. I also decided to interpret the injunction to "observe the 1st stitch in each row must be slipped" more specifically as "slip 1st st purl-wise with yarn in front, and K every last st" as we often do now, so as to get the "chain" selvage (you must be sure on Row 5, though, to K the last st, not P as you have been merrily doing, or you will have a little "bump" in your handsome chain).

The original pattern has you work a "colored border" in K2, P2 ribbing before sewing up the mitten. For once in my life, though, I decided that something I'm going to wear myself looked a little too plain, and that just a touch of pretty at the top would be quite appealing. I didn't feel any qualms about not sticking to the source, as I think this would be quite in keeping with a period knitter if these were being made for a lady or girl, instead of the more sober 2×2 ribbing.

I did have to juggle the gauge and number of stitches more than a bit, but fair enough, and ended up working this picot crochet edging from the wrong side, as the picots tended to lean towards me, which would be outwards if on the RS. I have found also that I quite like that little rope-like line that comes from working single-crochets through the front loop only, and liked the look of that here, so my edging turned out to be this:

Rnd 1 (RS): SC to end, turn.
Rnd 2 (WS): Ch 1, SC into front loop to end.
Rnd 3 (WS): Pico 1 (SC1, ch3, Sl into same SC), SC1, rep to end.

I wrote down what I did on the first mitten so that I could repeat it easily on the second one, but as you can clearly see in the above photo, I apparently did not use a US5 hook, as the second border turned out much bigger! and I had to rip it out and do it again, after I'd already washed and blocked them.

There is no method specified for sewing up, but since these are done horizontally, I used the duplicate-stitch method, stockinette for the rib section and garter for the hand. This turned out pretty well, and much of my wobbliness — it was difficult to get the tension just right — is happily disguised by the welt pulling in at just that spot!

I also sewed up each mitten before working the crochet border, as it seemed simpler to accomplish the latter that way.

Note that I did not have to make the last section on my mitt a little shorter than the pattern's as I usually do — I like mitts to end just about at my knuckles — so you could certainly add some stitches to the top end (slipping them with the pattern's "first 7" onto a stitch holder before making the thumb gusset) if you want the top longer. You could also easily make the welt at the wrist a bit longer if desired.

(The fabric in the background is, by the way, a rather neo-William-Morris-y print I have bought for my Edwardian-apron-to-be …)

Year or Period: 1876, though possibly earlier as the first ed. is ca.1866
Materials: Regia 4-fädig in color 1991 (grey heather) on US0 needles, and Paton's Kroy in "Muslin" with US3 hook
Hours to complete: Less than a week, including numerous false starts with the crochet edging
How historically accurate is it? Aside from the non-period wool, the body of the mitten is worked entirely to pattern, and the crochet edging is I feel a typical mid-Victorian modification
Sources/Documentation: The pattern is found in Miss H.P. Ryder's Winter Comforts and How to Knit Them (1876), available through the University of Southampton's "Victorian Knitting Manuals" page
“ABChallenge”, Miniatures, Miniatures – Hardy House, Quilting

Q for Quilt

Published by

Bluestocking

on

10th May 2018

For my first 1:12 scale quilt, I decided on an Amish-style one instead of the jewel-box, as the pieces are bigger (!) and thus I felt on more solid ground. I'm drawn to Amish quilts anyway, the richness of colors and the simplicity — they have a kind of peacefulness to them. There are a lot of patterns I like but I chose Diamond in a Square, for its relative simplicity yet with the subtle liveliness of the diamond's angles. Interestingly, the Diamond in a Square pattern (sometimes called Center Diamond) originated in the 1930s, among the Lancaster County Amish. It seems so timeless that I assumed it had been around forever. There are some variations that can be made — the corner squares on the narrow borders can be omitted, one or both, or the narrow border around the center diamond — but of course the basic elements are the same.

I found an image on Pinterest which I then couldn't track down —

which seemed to me quite unusual with the tan/beige, but was very appealing, so I started with that and just played around with different colors in Kona Cotton, which I really like for its quality and the richness and wide variety of its colors. I ended up getting these —

which are from the bottom, Parchment, Laurel, Hibiscus, Teal Blue, and Garnet.

For the assembly I was going to just wing it (she said blithely), but when I was looking around for old quilts for color ideas, I also came across the Diamond in a Square mini-quilt tutorial at Purl Soho, which turned out to be a very helpful starting point. Not having much quilting experience myself, it was a bit of a revelation that I didn't need to cut all of the pieces beforehand, which turned out to make it much easier and less stressful to adjust the next piece here or there if it needed it.

I decided to press all of the seams open, figuring that that would distribute the thickness more evenly, which I suspect at this small scale might be obvious. I didn't use any batting at all, thinking it might make the quilt too stiff to drape properly — I've heard that some miniaturists use fabric cut from an old T-shirt, though, so I'll keep that in mind. The binding is just folded over from the back and stitched down by hand on the front, mitering the corners.

Yes, the last corner is really wobbly! I didn't notice until after I'd finished — so that's the end that gets tucked in!

I was really grateful for both the quality of the Kona Cotton, which took a bit of a beating getting sewn and resewn more than a couple of times on some of the pieces but still looks great, and also for the Purl Soho tutorial and the advice I read somewhere (last summer when I was making the sling bag) that people will never know how long it took you to sew something but they will see how much care you took sewing it, which on occasion must be translated as "yes, pick out the wonky seams, you will be glad you did," which is entirely correct, for just look at the results —

Any quilter reading this will no doubt notice that I haven't actually quilted this yet, and I think I will leave that for the time being. Obviously it won't get much wear-and-tear in the dollhouse, so there shouldn't be a problem with things shifting around, or the seam allowances bunching up. My hand-stitching is still a bit rough, so I think it prudent to wait until I've had a bit more experience in keeping the stitches both small and even!

Well, after this success, of course I had to hurry up and make the rest of the bedlinens, so I stitched up a set of sheets …

… four pillows, and cases. The pillows themselves are sewn from plain bleached muslin stuffed with one fluffed-up cotton ball each, and the sheets and cases are from a partly-worn-out sheet, the rest of which has that lovely old-sheet softness. The fabric proved to be awfully ravelly, but the cases do look good.

Next time I will try and get the scale a bit better — this house isn't particularly "realistic" as dollhouses go, but I'd like to have things not too "dolly" here — but really I'm quite pleased with the quilt, and very happy with the colors and the way they play together. Plus "quilt" starts with Q, so there's my ABChallenge!
“ABChallenge”, Family, Gardening, Photography

O and P, and a Birthday Tea

Published by

Bluestocking

on

23rd April 2018

I have been stuck on "O" for the ABChallenge for an inordinate amount of time — I could only think of subjective things, it seemed, like "optimism" and "ornerieness" — but as David was leaving for work he said, "Look at the huge flowers!" and I smacked my forehead (mentally, of course). These are Mexican evening primrose, Oenothera speciosa. Many gardeners think of this as a weed, but I love the blooms' delicate pinkness and the plant's cheerful lack of temperament. I got these from my mom about six weeks ago — she begged me to take all of them. I suppose it is that in more-cultivated gardens it tends to insinuate itself everywhere, but here in my inhospitable driveway bed, I think it will be less rampant.

I got "two for one" this morning, as I had planted the oenothera in an empty spot next to this penstemon, which is the California native "Margarita BOP". Yes, BOP in full caps, as it is short for "Back of the Porch" since it was discovered in that location at someone's house by the folks at Las Pilitas Nursery in central California! My plant was pretty last summer, its first in my garden, but this year it is covered with buds and flowers, fairly exploding just this week. The plant itself is rather small, but as you can see, well worth it for the mass of bluish-purple flowers.

As for the "tea" part of this post, Julia turned sixteen a few weeks ago — a big milestone for all of us. I asked her if she wanted a party — she hasn't for quite some time — and she said promptly, "Afternoon tea!" I think she had sort of written off afternoon tea as one of Mom's Anglophile quirks — until I took the family to Brown's Hotel in Mayfair one memorable day last summer, and she got to experience first-hand what a real, if exceptionally luxurious, afternoon tea can be.

I was quite willing to cater an afternoon tea, less formal than Brown's of course, with my higgledy-piggledy blue-and-white china, but heartfelt nevertheless — cozily lavish, if you will! There were egg-and-cress and cucumber sandwiches and chicken salad in puff-pastry shells, then my trusty Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea scones recipe with strawberry jam and Devonshire clotted cream (the sine qua non for Julia), and a selection of cakes, including rosewater shortbread (a variation of one from River Cottage) and a modified version of Nigel Slater's seed cake recipe (with a bit more caraway seeds, despite his caveat, and some cinnamon and clove, and a rather amazing crust of demerara sugar inspired by Oakden's version — I do like seed cake).

I was inordinately pleased with the flowers, which for once in my gardening life are all home-grown. There are three newly-opened "Gertrude Jekyll" roses (with a truly wonderful scent), some gangly stems of yellow bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), sprigs of purple de la Mina lilac verbena (Verbena lilacina "De la Mina") and "Margarita BOP" penstemon, a single big bunch of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), some long white fortnight lilies (Dietes iridioides), and sprigs of dark salmon-pink coral bells (Heuchera something-or-other).

Chocolate and raspberry cupcakes, with raspberry and white chocolate cream icing — inspired by ones from Martha Stewart but adapted from a recipe at Serious Eats. (Instead of having a jam center, I just put the — seeded — jam in the batter; I also used 1/3 cup of cocoa as it was a bit dry with 1/2 cup, and doubled the amount of white chocolate and jam in the icing for more flavor. Quite a hit.) You will have to take my word for it that I am not a fussy baker nor especially handy with a piping bag, because I thought these turned out amazingly pretty.

Fresh blueberries and lemon curd in ready-made tart shells, improvised. Also a success, and easy-peasy!

And we are still basking in the glow of a very enjoyable afternoon!
Knitting, Sewing

Knitting Project Bag

Published by

Bluestocking

on

30th March 2018

Here is the first of my Make Nine projects done! This is Very Shannon's Reversible Sock Knitting Project Bag, which sews up very quickly and makes quite a nice little bag!

When I make this again — not "if", mind! — I will shorten the interfacing by about an inch or so from the top, as it makes the gathering a bit stiff, but other than that, the pattern is pretty much ideal. I must point out that I interpreted, "Mark 1" down from the top edge of your bag. Sew a line 1" down from this edge" as that the sewing line is two inches from the top edge, but this is not the case. I suppose that the instructions for 2" down would have been "Sew a line 1" down from this line" — but be that as it may, you definitely want to sew the cord channel 1" from the top edge.

The bag is actually a little bigger than I'd pictured in my head from the original photos, so that's great! It's definitely small enough to be portable, but big enough for a sock project plus glasses, ruler, pattern (folded), etc. It would also make a great reusable gift bag.

I found this fabric in a drawer recently — I bought it to make Laura some rompers, so that says how long it's been in the drawer, since she hasn't wanted rompers for sixteen or seventeen years. It is still extraordinarily pretty and cheerful, though! It looked really good with the yard of denim that I'd bought at the same time (sigh …), but I thought now that denim would be a little too heavy for this bag, and got a short length of blue Kona Cotton instead. I'm afraid I was very unimaginative and just flipped the two fabrics for the other side, but the yellow pleases me so much that I don't mind at all.

And what is the project? The beginning of Henslowe, in Seven Sisters Arts Meridian fingering-weight in "Havran" —
Mittens, Gloves, and Hats

Consolations

Published by

Bluestocking

on

20th March 2018

Ghislaine in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, and Twining's Darjeeling.
Shawls and Scarves, Vests and Slipovers

Thoughts on the Pivot Cowl, and an Unsuccessful Foxglove Vest

Published by

Bluestocking

on

19th March 2018

I've had quite a lot of this RYC Cashsoft DK for a long time — this color is 505 "Mist" — and so far have attempted at least two other projects with it that turned out in the end not to be suited for each other at all. As I was knitting away on the Foxglove Vest, it was clear that there would be a lot of yarn left over, and that it would look really lovely in the Pivot Cowl, also from Purl Soho. When I finished knitting the Foxglove, I told myself I'd just have a quick start on the cowl before I worked in all of the ends (since there were a lot of ends, both from my having inherited a half-finished project, and my having inadvertently divided up most of what was left into partial balls!) — and the next thing I knew, the cowl was finished!

So, yes, the Cashsoft makes a very pleasing Pivot Cowl, which works up in just a few days and breaks up the dull garter stitch with this interesting multi-directional geometrical shaping —

I used the selvage I learned from the Doctor Who scarf, slipping the last stitch of each row knit-wise, and reversed the first section so that the long-tail cast-on is WS-forward, because I like the way it looks with garter stitch better that way — but those are the only things I did differently from the pattern.

It's a very cozy cowl, and I really like the way it sits around the neck — being narrower at the top than at the bottom, it's a bit closer at the neck, and lies very handsomely across one's bust at the lower edge. Hurray!

The Foxglove, however, has proven to be a sad failure. I wasn't really sure about which size to make, since my own measurements are more-or-less between the given sizes, so I measured, and thought about it, and measured, and thought about it, and finally got going on the larger of the two choices — I put just a little bit of shaping at the waist as it's very straight and I am not, and I thought that shaping would compensate a bit for the ease.

The collar is very handsome and flattering, and not at all difficult to work. I checked the size before sewing it all up, then blocked it, and it is huge. Huge. Far too big. I'm crushed, really — I love this color, and perhaps more importantly I'd love to wear this color. And I have knitted and ripped out and knitted and ripped out this yarn and — bravely — it still looks pretty good, but I just don't know if I can face ripping it out yet again.

Sigh.
Crochet, Knitting for the Home

Mother Knows the Best Crocheted Potholders

Published by

Bluestocking

on

18th March 2018

Since I have a cone of eternity of that Lily Sugar 'n Cream in "Autumn Leaves", I made some more potholders for my mother-in-law, also hoping to get my crocheting smooth enough to eventually scale down to dollhouse size. I discovered this crochet stitch recently and was intrigued by the fact that it is extra-thick — hence the name thermal stitch. You basically grab not only the usual bit of chain but part of the chain from a preceding row at the same time, which compresses the rows together, making the finished fabric thicker than it would ordinarily be.

On the left in the top photo, is the Best Crocheted Potholder from Mama's Stitchery Projects, and on the right is the Favorite Crocheted Hot Pad (aka "Grandma Leona's Hotpad") from Kathleen at Miss Abigail's Hope Chest. Clearly, they are fraternal twins, even to the same number of chain stitches cast on — the difference lies in the very beginning, where the Best has the hanging loop worked as part of the initial chain, and in the very end, where the (twice-worked) hanging loop of the Favorite is worked, and the fact that the Favorite has a finishing row where the Best does not.

I'm sure it isn't a coincidence that both of these potholder patterns are from mothers, either! Both of the patterns have very clear photos of how to work the thermal stitch, so I can recommend either as your fancy takes you.

My potholders used 36g and 37g of the cotton respectively, but I used a size F hook because that is in fact the only middling size I have. The fabric is a bit stiff as a result, I'm sure, but that's not so bad when it will be used just as often as a trivet!

And yes, anyone searching this blog through the categories will come across crocheted potholders in the "Knitting for the Home" category….
“ABChallenge”, Photography, Sewing

“Make Nine,” and J-N

Published by

Bluestocking

on

12th March 2018

I'm kind of torn about internet challenges, which for me are a lot like New Year's resolutions — wonderful and admirable in theory, but often simply just more than one can manage in the allotted time. Possibly I am either too ambitious, or too easily distracted (ooh, a new "44 Scotland Street" novel …), and frankly, I suspect the latter. Be that as it may, I do have a list of things I want to sew this year, and when I came across the 2018 Make Nine project the other day — I shan't call it a challenge, then — I thought, "well, I like the 'gentle' part!" and so I hope that seeing my to-do list in this rather fetching nine-patch will keep me focused.

At the top, from left, is Purl Soho's Quilted Vest, because I'm finding those really comfortable in our not-quite-winter, since they are warm but not a coat, and this particular one because I love that collar!; the Circle Tech Pouch, a free pattern from Coats, which will be stocking-stuffers come Christmas; and the Hawthorn dress from Colette, because I've been wanting a really good shirt-dress pattern and hope this is it!

In the middle, Very Shannon's Reversible Sock Knitting Bag, because we all need a pretty bag to carry our current sock knitting in, right?!; and Simplicity 8050, a retro reprint from a year or so ago, because the 1940s patterns seem to suit my figure pretty well (I can't decide which I like better, though, Miss Bias Tape, though probably in a less air-raid-siren color than that, or Miss Many Buttons); and a jewel-box quilt in 1:12 scale. This particular one is from someone on the Petitpointers list, whose pictures are also on Flickr — I really like the jewel tones against the white — though I might practice on something a little simpler.

And at bottom, the Ladies' Edwardian Apron from Sense & Sensibility, because I've had a hankering for this pattern for quite a long time, and other things keep jumping the queue; a new pair of Walking Shorts from So Sew Easy, because my favorite pair has now been mended with a darned hole where I must have splashed some bleach on it at some point in the distant past, and narrow bias tape around the fraying hems, and my other pair, despite being marked as my size is at least four inches too big around the waist, which impresses people who notice it into thinking that I've lost a lot of weight, but really is only annoying because I keep having to hike them up, and the pockets are far too small. Now that I walk pretty much every weekday, having more than one pair of shorts is pretty important. I found this free pattern online, and think it will suit my needs — i.e., comfort and pockets. And lastly, another Very Shannon freebie, the Reversible Box Tote — because we all need more project bags, right?!

I think it goes without saying that there will be knitting chez Bluestocking this year — I just don't have any firm plans yet!

I've had a number of ideas for the ABChallenge, and even some photos, but (ironically) was stuck on J. Then we went to some friends' house for a "soup exchange" and game night, which was a lot of fun. We brought Bowl of the Wife of Kit Carson for the soup, and for the game a 1970s-era Mille Bornes. Both are excellent in their respective ways, and it was a cold, rather damp evening, also eminently suitable for both soup and board games, as well as good company. I had never heard of this game until we played it one night at David's parents' house some years ago, and found that not only is it an amusing family game but it has these wonderful 1950s graphics, very chic, so we have glommed on to the game and played it a number of times since, and David chose it to take with us this time. When I remembered that the French for "board game" is jeu de société, the evening was complete!

An alligator lizard, very common here in Southern California. This one was hiding near the garden hose, so I couldn't quite include its tail, which was easily twice again the length of its body!

An old and I'm afraid rather dusty brass engine of my dad's, the 0-4-0 "Mudhen" in HO scale from Ken Kidder. These particular model engines are not very popular with train enthusiasts as they are rather plain and slow, but I have a great affection for this little Mudhen as when I inherited my dad's collection this was the only one of his dozen or so treasured brass engines that started right up — after some thirty years! — and chugged off down the track, merrily as could be asked for.

And a sunrise the other morning —
Letter-writing

See You Later, Month of Letters!

Published by

Bluestocking

on

3rd March 2018

Gosh, this has been fun! The Month of Letters goal of writing a letter or postcard every day in February, and responding by mail to anyone who writes to you, requires a bit more concentrated effort, of course, than simply establishing or keeping up a correspondence, but it has been not only worth it but as I say, lots of fun. Of course it feels a little "old-fashioned," writing by hand in this day and age — I couldn't even find my fountain pen for a few days, and the Post Office was dismayingly short on stamps to hand — but I think this is "old-fashioned" in a good way. I really enjoyed choosing cards or paper to suit the recipient, and the head/hands connection of writing by hand, not to mention simply the more leisurely aspect of paper mail.

I sent bags of letters — though maybe it only seemed like it in comparison with my current output, which is pretty much just cards at Christmas and a weekly Postcrossing card — I almost managed to write a letter every day of the month, and though sometimes Sundays got skimped, I made sure to compensate by sending more than one a number of the other days, so certainly came out ahead.

I did send out many more than I received, but that is to be expected, as I don't have a particularly large circle of folks who already write, but my thanks again certainly go to those who did. It has been a real delight, too, to find something in my own mailbox as well — six letters already! — and what a pleasing assortment of stamps —
“ABChallenge”, Photography

I

Published by

Bluestocking

on

2nd March 2018

This was edited by playing around with the Creative Filters on my Rebel T5. On our old PowerShots, you get these effects by setting the camera to the effect you want and taking the photo, but with the T5, you take the picture first, then edit it in the camera. A little confusing, but the plus side is that you can not only try out the different filters — grainy black-and-white, soft focus, fish-eye, toy camera, and miniature-effect — but also some different degrees or contrasts of the effect you choose. The highest degree of fish-eye was also pretty close to the sensation I was trying to convey, but I liked the miniature-effect best, of not so much disorientation (my head is surprisingly clear at two o'clock in the morning) but just that hyper-awareness of the hour.