The Knitters' Friend by Mrs. Gaugain

When I saw the title of Mrs. Gaugain's book, The Knitters' Friend,in a list of books that were available online, I almost passed it by.  After all, it was a knitting book and I was looking for netting patterns.

Then I happened to glance at the sub-title: being a selection of receipts for the most useful and saleable articles in knitting, netting and crochet work.  I decided to look at it.  When I clicked on the link, the cover read, "The People's Book" and I wondered if I was in the correct location.  I decided to scroll down a bit, and the title page let me know that I was looking at the correct book.

This is the last of Mrs. Jane Gaugain's books that I have been able to find online.  It was published in 1846.

Here are the netting patterns found in this book.

1. Pretty Netted Flower Mat (page 15)
2. Netted Mat for a Hyacinth Glass, or Round D'Oyley (page 17)
3. Maltese Long Net Mitten (page 157)
4. Very Pretty Grecian Net Long Purse for a Lady (page 168)
5. Maltese Spotting, six stitches apart (stitch on page 170)

This week I also had a chance to record my son using the mesh poi I made.  I wanted him to demonstrate how to use them.

I've been working on the Circular Netting class.  I was able to finish a couple of transcripts and I only have one video left to make.  I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mrs Gaugain's Miniature Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Book

Listed below are the netting patterns that are contained in Mrs Gaugain's Miniature Knitting, Netting, and Ckrochet Book.  This book was published around 1843.  The netting patterns appear similar to those in The Lady's Assistant for Executing Useful and Fancy Designs in Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Work which was also by Mrs Gaugain.

1. Long Net Purse for a Lady (page 55)
2. Long Net Purse for a Lady (page 56)
3. Round Netting for a Gentleman's Long Purse (page 57)
4. Honeycomb Netting for Veil (page 58)
5. Very Pretty Long Grecian Net Purse for a Lady (page 60)
6. Grecian Net for a Veil (page 62)
7. Single Diamond Netting (page 63)
8. Diamond of Five Stitches for a Long Purse (page 64)
9. Leaf Netting (page 66)
10. Dotted Net (page 67)
11. French Ground Net (page 68)
12. Scollop for Borders of Veils, Collars, Caps, &c (page 69)
13. Another Scollop for Border (page 70)
14. Scollop (page 71)

Today my 3rd son is getting married.  I let them choose the center, stitches and edge for a doily I created for them.  Here is a photo of the doily I made.  We named it Sun Kissed.

The Accompaniment To Second Volume of Mrs Gaugain's Work on Knitting, Netting, and Crochet

This week we will look at another of Mrs Gaugain's books in our listing of  public domain books containing netting patterns.   The Accompaniment To Second Volume of Mrs Gaugain's Work on Knitting, Netting, and Crochet was published in 1845.  It has several knitting and crochet patterns but only two netting patterns.

1. Pretty Netted Flower Mat (page 15)
2. Netted Mat for a Hyacinth Glass, or Round D'Oyley (page 17)

Since I had no idea what a Hyacinth Glass was, I decided to see what information I could find.  I located a link or two explaining what it is. These sites make using a Hyacinth Glass to grow Hyacinths indoors sound so easy.  I wonder if my "black thumb" could get some of these to grow.  If I try it, I will have to make the Netted Mat for a Hyacinth Glass to go under it.



Between now and the end of November there are three women I know who are expecting.   Over the past few years I have made three tea-towel baby bibs with ribbing around the neck edge and placed them in a small net gift bag to give to each mother-to-be.  The bag can be re-used later to hold whatever the mother wants.








Yesterday I attended a potluck dinner for one of the women.  Since her baby is supposed to be a boy, I made the bag and one of the bibs blue.












Making this bag did not hinder my progress on the Circular Netting class.  I video taped myself starting the bag and making the handles.  The videos will become part of three different videos for the class.  If you look at the syllabus this week, you will notice that there are only three videos left to create.

I wish I could say that next week I will finish making the videos for the class, but one of my sons is getting married on Saturday, and I have a few other things I need to get finished for that.

The Lady's Assistant in Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Work

In hunting for netting books online, I found several by Mrs. Gaugain.  The Lady's Assistant in Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Work, second volume, is a sequel to the one I mentioned last week.  It was originally published in 1842.  Apparently in 1842 she published both books.

Besides knitting and crochet patterns, it contains the following netting patterns:

• Long Net Purse, called Double Netting (item 121, page 252)
• Small Net Neckkerchief (item 122, page 253)
• Very Beautiful Long Net Purse, with Gold Beads (item 136, page 290)
• Another Very Beautiful Long Net Purse (item 137, page 292)
• Diced Net Purse, in Twist and Beads (item 142, page 295)
• Net Cuffs, in Berlin Wool and Silk (item 194, page 307)
• Very Light and Elegant Square Net Dress Shawl (item 166, page 365)
• Simple and Pretty Black Net Scarf (item 170, page 371)

This book also contains:

• Directions for guiding the proper sizes of Silks and Meshes used for Purses in Net Work (page 415)
• Remarks on Netting (page 416) 
• [comments on the direction (lengthwise or widthwise) to make curtains for the best result when they are hung and how to block finished netting]
• Make a Stitch in Netting
• To Take-in or Diminish
• Bead Stitch [how to add beads to netting]
• Netting with Shade Silk

In the process of creating the videos for my Circular Netting Class, I needed to make more hot pads.  This one was a revision of a pattern I had already made for this class.

Flower - Hot Pad

This was a new one.  I realized that I had not made any simple hot pads that demonstrated how to decrease.  So this one fills that need. 

Tops - Hot Pad

I finished the taping done for several of the videos.  Now I just need to pull the pieces together to make coherent videos that teach the skills needed in circular netting.  At least progress is finally being made on the videos.

Old Netting Patterns and Books Now Online

I've looked for books containing netting patterns ever since my mother gave me a copy of Nelson Netting Patterns, Beautiful New Advanced Doilies (supplement #3) for Christmas in the 1960s.   I was sorely disappointed when I found no books and very few patterns dealing with netting in the library of the college I attended.

I was elated when I discovered old netting books on-line in a digitized format.  I downloaded all I could find but never had took the time to look through the files very thoroughly.  It was one of those projects I was always going to do.  A few months ago, I don't remember why, I started looking through one such file.  The book was published in 1847.  I discovered, to my amazement, that there were drawings of nine netting stitches.  Stitches I knew!  Some of these stitches like Plain Net, Grecian Net, Leaf Netting, Dotted Net, and Honeycomb Net I had learned from my grandmother.  Others like Round Net, Open Plain Net, Single Diamond Net, Diamond of Five Stitches, and French Ground Net I had learned from more modern books.

As I continued browsing through the file, I saw patterns for items I had wanted to make but had not had the time to design. Looking through other files I had downloaded to my computer, I realized that I needed to create a listing of which patterns were found in which books.

I decided to enter them in this blog so others could also find the netting patterns they wanted.  Besides a list of netting patterns found in each book, I will include the title, author, publication date, and link where I found the book.

Here's the first book.  It had to be first.  It was the one that captured my attention and made me decide to make this list.

The Lady's Assistant for Executing Useful and Fancy Designs in Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Work by Mrs Gaugain, 1847.  It was also published in 1840, 1842, and 1845.  The patterns for netting were the same, regardless of when the book was published.

Netting patterns and stitches found in this book:

Long Net Purse for a Lady
Long Net Purse for a Lady (different pattern)
Round Netting for a Gentleman's Long Purse
Honeycomb Netting for Veil
Honeycomb Netting for a Veil, Purse, &c
Grecian Net for a Veil
Very Pretty Long Grecian Net Purse for a Lady
Single Diamond Netting
Diamond of Five Stitches for a Long Purse
Leaf Netting
Raised Net
Dotted Net
French Ground Net
Scollop for Borders of Veils, Collars, &c
Scollop
Another Scollop for Border
A Netted Garter
Netted Mitten of Purse Silk
A Pretty Fringe for the above Mitten
Cravat of White and Blue Wool
Net Scarf
Flat Net Scarf
A Long Net Purse of Two Colours, united in Points
Very Handsome Long Net Purse

In case you think I have forgotten about my Circular Netting class, I have not.  I finally made the first two videos and checked to see if all the pattern instructions were ready.  They were.  If you want to see what videos and patterns will be included in the class, you can look at the class syllabus.