The Home Book of Pleasure and Instruction

Published in 1867, The Home Book of Pleasure and Instruction was edited by Mrs. R. Valentine.  The title page then goes on to list 17 contributors:  Mrs. Aylmer, Edward Dalziel, Miss Dyson, Mrs. English, Miss Hartshorne, Rev. C. Hartshorne, Miss Johnson, Mrs. Maule, Captain McCoy, Mrs. Mee and Miss Austin, Mrs. Ogilvy, Miss Peard, Miss Stephens, Albert Warren, Henry Warren, Elizabeth Watts, and Miss Yonge.  The Contents page often lists which of the contributors the instructions came from.

The book includes the following netting information:

1. Very Pretty Antimacassar on Net by Mrs. Mee and Miss Austin - with illustration (page 307)
2. Edges in Netting by M. J. (page 307
3. Another and Wider Edging by M. J. (page 308)
4. Mignotte Netting by M. J. (page 308)
5. A Pretty Edging or Frill in Netting by M. J. (page 308)

The antimacassar appears to be attributed to Mrs. Mee and Miss Austin.  If you follow the "By do." (which I took to mean "By ditto" or by the same person listed as the contributor for the previous item), you eventually back up to a pattern which says "By Mrs. Mee and Miss Austin."  The design on this antimacassar is fastened onto the diamond-mesh netting using a crochet hook rather then the usual embroidery methods.

The section on Netting, which includes the other four patterns, is listed as "By M. J."  My guess would be Miss Johnson.  I don't know why only initials were used in the Contents for this contributor when all the other contributors' names were spelled out.

The size of the mesh sticks in these patterns is indicated by a circle or a line meant to portray the correct size.  While this method of sizing worked fine if you had the original book, since I am looking at a digitized version of the original, I'm not sure what size mesh stick to use because I don't know if the digitized version of the book prints the same size as the original book.

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Several years ago I made a top-down net bag to hold the baby bibs I give as presents to new babies and their mothers.  This was one of those bags, and I made it only once.  When I make a bag the first time, I assume that I will make mistakes, so, while I write down the instructions, I do not usually keep track of how much yarn I am using.  That comes later when I make the bag a second time as I am following the directions I wrote down.

I did make two changes to this bag.  I made this one out of cotton yarn, and I made it a moebius bag by twisting the handles.  I have such fun using them - a single surface with a single edge - to carry things.  

The Work-Table Magazine or Church and Decorative Needlework (vol 1) by Mrs. Mee and Miss Austin

Last week I entered a list of net items contained in Mee's Companion to the Worktable.  Because of that, I thought this week I should look into what was in The Work-Table Magazine or Church and Decorative Needlework (vol 1).  This book is by Mrs. Mee and Miss Austin.  The copy that is online was published in 1847.

1. Doily (page 19)
2. Diamond Netting (page 24)
3. Grecian stitch open (page 33)
4. Curtains, in stripes of small and large diamonds (page 39)
5. Purse - simple and elegant pattern (page 46)
6. Purse, with beads (page 57)
7. Mat (page 64)
8. Shawl - novel and exquisite pattern (page 73)
9. Chair cover (page 123)
10. Necktie (page 133)

This week I finished the last three bookmarks for my circular netting class.  I used tatting thread for these samples, but I could have also used size 30 crochet thread.

When I showed my bookmarks to some friends, I was surprised to learn that they would not use them for bookmarks.  I was told they were too fancy.  Do you agree?

This bookmark has the small tier circle at the top.  The length is done in English Netting or Honeycomb Stitch.

I could have ended in a point, but I decided to use up the last of the thread with a tassel instead.

I love the cubes that are formed.

This bookmark uses the small circle Web at the top.

The length of the bookmark is the same one used earlier for the bookmark Magic.  It combines the Plain Stitch and the Beet Stitch and ends in a point.

I could have put a tassel on this bookmark, but chose not to do so (I had enough thread left to make another one).

This bookmark uses the small circle Well at the top.  It combines the Plain Stitch and the Shield Stitch to create the length.

Here also I could have ended with a point, but again I chose to use up the thread with a tassel.

Manual of Knitting by Mrs. Mee and Miss Austin

I find it strange that a book devoted to knitting would contain a single netting pattern but Manual of Knitting by Mrs. Mee and Miss Austin does just that.  I wonder which woman designed the netting pattern.  This book was published around 1860.

This book contains a pattern (page 10, item 7) for making a Netted Jupon.

Since I had no idea what a jupon is and there is no picture of the finished product, I decided to use a dictionary.

Most of the definitions were similar: "a short close-fitting sleeveless padded garment, used in the late 14th and early 15th centuries with armour"

I liked this one because it included how to pronounce the word.

But somehow I could not see this definition matching something made with netting.  Then I found a dictionary which included a second definition: "A petticoat."  That made more sense.


This week I also took the time to double check netting instructions for making small circles.  The directions will be included in my circular netting class.

I wanted to have something that was small enough that it could be made quickly.  This way the students could practice several times, instead on only once or twice, the techniques that start a piece of circular netting.  I also wanted to include a variety of stitches so the different techniques for starting rounds could be practiced.

These patterns can be used in making hot pads, bookmarks, or inserts into acrylic coasters.  It just depends on the size of the thread and mesh sticks used.