Folk Knitting in Estonia: Aino's Gloves • Anu's Christmas Gloves • Anu's Mittens • Anu's Stockings • Avo's Mittens • Ellen's Stockings • Helgi's Mittens • Hilja's Mittens • Ilmar's Socks • Juta's Stockings • Kalev's Mittens • Kristi's Mittens • Laila's Socks • Landra's Gloves • Liidia's Gloves • Liivi's Stockings • Maarja's Socks • Maimu's Mittens • Marko's Mittens • Meida's Mittens • Merike's Gloves • Rita's Stockings • Sander's Mittens • Tiit's Socks • Ulla's Gloves • Virve's StockingsKnitting Vintage Socks: Gentleman's Shooting Stockings with Fluted Pattern (1887) • Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch (1889) • Gentleman's Socks with Lozenge Pattern (1895) • Bed Sock in Lemon Pattern Fancy Knit Stripe (1896) • Cycling or Golf Stockings with Fancy Cuff in Trellis Pattern (1897) • Heelless Sleeping Socks (1897) • Child's French Sock in Citron Pattern and Diaper Knitting (1898) • Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern (1899) • Gentleman's Half Hose in Ringwood Pattern (1899) • Gentleman's Sock for Evening Wear (1900) • Evening Stockings for a Young Lady (1900) • Fancy Silk Sock for a Child of 5 or 6 Years (1900) • Gentleman's Fancy Sock (1901) • Gentleman's Plain Winter Sock with Dutch Heel (1901) • Child's Sock in Miranda Pattern (1904) • Baby's Bootikin (1905) • Little Child's Sock (1907) • Ladies Useful Stockings (1913) • Ladies Silk Stockings with Clocks (1914)
This afternoon I finally had a chance to cast on my second Ringwood sock. As you can see I'm just a handful of rounds into the ribbed cuff. It's been a busy week and the next few weeks look like they'll be just as busy. Honestly, sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day, are there? Still I'll have some transit time back and forth to work for knitting, so I hope to finish these by the end of the week. Now that I have the first one on my foot, I'm hankering for the second. So comfy!
Last week Sandy commented about the pattern names ... "Child Socks ... ". In fact only a few of the sock patterns in the book are child sized. Designer Nancy Bush has taken vintage sock patterns from the turn of the century and adapted them to mostly adult sizes using modern yarn weights and needles. Many of the original patterns called for needle sizes 000 or 0000 (1.5 mm or 1.25mm) however few modern knitters are prepared to knit with needles that small. The naming comes from the original pattern upon which her modern pattern is based. In brackets in my pattern list at the top is the year that each pattern was published in Weldon Practical Knitting leaflets.
This Ringwood sock pattern was originally published in Weldon's Volume 14, 42nd Series in 1899. The pattern is named for the English town Ringwood in Hampshire which was known for the manufacture of stockings and then gloves until the knitwear companies were put out of business by cheaper imports in the 1950s. A pattern for Ringwood Gloves was published in Weldon's Practical Needlework in 1905. It'd be interesting to see the pattern in its original form. Nancy Bush reports that pattern writing then was "chatty and conversational". Few if any specifics were given about yarn weight, yardage or gauge. Standard abbreviations had not yet been created so instructions were entirely spelled out. A lot different than what we've come to expect today!
Last week Sandy commented about the pattern names ... "Child Socks ... ". In fact only a few of the sock patterns in the book are child sized. Designer Nancy Bush has taken vintage sock patterns from the turn of the century and adapted them to mostly adult sizes using modern yarn weights and needles. Many of the original patterns called for needle sizes 000 or 0000 (1.5 mm or 1.25mm) however few modern knitters are prepared to knit with needles that small. The naming comes from the original pattern upon which her modern pattern is based. In brackets in my pattern list at the top is the year that each pattern was published in Weldon Practical Knitting leaflets.
This Ringwood sock pattern was originally published in Weldon's Volume 14, 42nd Series in 1899. The pattern is named for the English town Ringwood in Hampshire which was known for the manufacture of stockings and then gloves until the knitwear companies were put out of business by cheaper imports in the 1950s. A pattern for Ringwood Gloves was published in Weldon's Practical Needlework in 1905. It'd be interesting to see the pattern in its original form. Nancy Bush reports that pattern writing then was "chatty and conversational". Few if any specifics were given about yarn weight, yardage or gauge. Standard abbreviations had not yet been created so instructions were entirely spelled out. A lot different than what we've come to expect today!
15 comments:
I admire that list of socks!!!!! And the Ringwood socks are looking great!
The Ringwood socks look like they are pretty sturdy. I bet they'll be nice and warm.
I love how the sock turned out, I have this book and when I see all your lovely socks it makes me want to haul mine out and try some, I'm still not sure if I'm that good a sock knitter but I'll get there. Why is it some weeks are so busy you could do with an extra day or two ! Hope you get the second sock finished with the commute.
I always wondered about all those child socks, too.
I love those historic patterns, but even modernized, they seem to be fairly complex to knit.
There are some which like wordy patterns, but I doubt the lack of pertinent info would be to their liking. I prefer short and concise patterns. Mostly because I hate to print out wordy ones over several pages! Cheap, I am. Love the colors in that sock. I am a green girl.
Awesome, another cool pair of socks, you must not sleep. Thanks for the info on the name of the socks, I was curious.
I just love the colours in that yarn ! I'm sure you'll be able rock that second sock in no time .
You are my sock knitting hero!
*smiles*
I love vintage patterns. I am sure we would be all lost trying to follow the original pattern!
Great backstory. It's amazing how evolution of technology affects everything. Love that smart, vibrant color of this sock.
Definitely much different than what we've come to expect. These are looking lovely - as usual, your eye for color is amazing!
Great sock...love the blues and greens, I guess they are my favourite colours, although I don't wear them so much now....not sure why....but now I'm rambling!
Interesting that patterns were chatty, guess they didn't have ravelry Forums in those days, so chatting was done there.
As you were asking, I live in Pembrokeshire which is S.W.Wales, I live in National Park area, with a famous Coastal walking path. There are a few surfers beaches in the area, my hubby was a surfer when he was younger, but he grew up on the beaches of S.Africa where I should imagine it was a little warmer!
Just commented....where'd it go?
Those socks are working up perfectly, such a pretty yarn! I used to live near the New Forest, it's a beautiful part of the UK. Lovely to read about it in your blog :) And yes, you are my sock hero too!
I love the socks, they're beautiful! And I'd love to see those old patterns, and maybe try to follow them,it would be so interesting to see how they turned out!
Post a Comment