#historic knitting

[maudeboggins]

Pair of stockings of knitted green silk, with pink clocks, Spanish, ca.1780

[maudeboggins]

Pair of stockings for a man or woman, 1730-1769, Spanish; frame-knit blue silk, embroidered silk clocks

[maudeboggins]

Man's boot hose, 1640-60, English; knitted wool white and blue wool, with additional embroidery

From V&A:

Boot hose were worn over silk hose to protect them from the rough interior of leather boots, during the seventeenth century. The large tops of this pair extended over the full breeches.

The shape and decoration of these knitted hose imitates that of the cut cloth hose which gentlemen wore at this time. For example, the back of the leg and the clock decorating the ankle are embroidered in blue wool. Once introduced, people preferred woollen hose, which were better fitting and more comfortable.

These hose were knitted in stocking stitch in the round with fine two-ply wool. To make each one, the knitter cast on approximately 375 stitches. These were only slightly reduced, by decreasing down the imitation back seam, before they were gathered by knitting two together into the last blue stripe.

The knitter controlled the remaining 140 stitches by a band of ribbing before continuing the legs in stocking stitch. The legs were shaped by two lines of decreasing, eight stitches in, on either side of the imitation seam. The heels were turned by a variation of the 'Dutch' heel, with gussets. Three lines of decreasing were used to round the toes.

[maudeboggins]

Carpet of knitted wool, Strasbourg, 1781

To gain full membership of the Hand-Knitters' Guild of Strasbourg, journeymen knitters had to produce masterpieces including a cap, a woollen jacket, a pair of gloves with fingers, and a wallhanging patterned with flowers, like this one.

[maudeboggins]

I finished my stockings using a pattern from 1870! The Stockings Knitters Manual is really great and easy to understand. I have some extra notes on my ravelry if you want to knit them too :)

[maudeboggins]

Dismantled knitted silk jacket, Italian, early 17th century

Interesting to see how pieces would’ve been shaped

[maudeboggins]

Jacket for a man or woman, hand-knit of coral pink and silver-gilt silk, 1630-1700, Italian

[knittingcountess]

A “Sock Story” for February 12

One day after his election, while a group of distinguished politicians from a distance were sitting in the Governor's room at Springfield, Ill., chatting with Lincoln, the door opened and an old lady in a big sunbonnet and the garb of a farmer's wife came in.

"I wanted to give you something to take to Washington, Mr. Lincoln," she said, "and these are all I had. I spun the yarn and knit them socks myself." And with an air of pride she handed him a pair of blue woolen stock­ings.

Lincoln thanked her cordially for her thought­fulness, inquired after the folks at home, and escorted her to the door as politely as if she had been the Queen of England. Then, when he returned to the room, he picked up the stockings, held them by the toes, one in each hand, and with a queer smile upon his face remarked to the statesmen around him:

"The old lady got my latitude and longitude about right, didn't she?"

Other stories about Abraham Lincoln can be found here: x.