Netting in Magazines - Peterson's Ladies' National Magazine (1842-1849)

Charles Peterson started publishing his Ladies' National Magazine in 1842 as a competitor to Godey's Lady's Book.  It was merged into another magazine in 1898.  There is more on the history of this magazine here and here.

I was pleasantly surprised to find most of the volumes of the magazine available online.  The missing volumes were 1-2 (1842), 3-4 (1843), 9-10 (1846), 97-98 (1890), and 102-114 (1892-1898).

Not all of the magazines contained information on netting.  Between 1842 and 1849 there were three years I could not find on-line; however, of the remaining five years, only two years contained netting instructions.

1845 (Vol. 7-8)

1. page 34 Plain Netted Gentleman's Purse
2. page 34 A Lady's Purse
3. page 34 Seam Purse with Beads
4. page 106 Plain Netting

1849 (Vol. 15-16)

1. page 108 Cover for Sofa
2. page 183 Net for the Hair
3. page 148 Netting -- Lady's Nightcap
4. page 148 Cover for Tassel or Window Blind

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This week I remade one of my grandmother's smaller doilies. It was the first one she gave me to duplicate. The only instructions I had was the doily.  All the other times I've made it, I've neglected to note how much thread it used. This time I checked.  It used 32 yards of DMC 12 crochet thread.  

It measures about 9.75 inches in diameter.

Netmaking by P. W. Blandford

In 1941 the first edition of Percy W. Blandford's book, Netmaking, was published.  It includes netting instructions for heavier cord.  There are many illustrations throughout the book.  According to the preface to the fourth edition, "the first edition of this book was written during uncomfortable evenings in an air-raid shelter in 1940."

The digitized version is located at http://pachamamatrust.org/.  Once you arrive at the website, click on the portion of the side menu labeled CORE and a new side menu will appear.  Click on Net & Rope (which is under Craft & Trade, which is under Employment).  The text and photos will appear on the right of the screen.

A special thanks to Anthony Emery for the link to this book.

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The Eastern States Exposition (Big E) is held in September in West Springfield, Massachusetts.  This year I decided to go demonstrate netting.  During the 17 days it is open, I have been there netting for 7 days (about 4 hours each day).  It has been fun and exciting to introduce netting to those who stopped by while I was there.  Today was my last day, so I decided to take some photos of the lace demonstration area.





This case contains all the lace entries for this year, with the exception of the Best in Division.  There are examples of tatting, netting, and various types of bobbin lace.


















The picket fence was decorated with net sun catchers I made during the last two weeks.  Some of them were made at the Big E while I was demonstrating, and others were made elsewhere.  I will try to post them on my website with the other sun catchers as soon as possible.

On the table are net bags, net scarves, a net shawl, and stitch samples, as well as two small pieces of tatting.   I included the tatting because people tend to ask me if I am tatting, and I wanted to show them the difference between the two.













This is also the first year I have submitted something to the Big E.  I submitted two doilies, Pineapple and Crystalline, and Lantern, a small net covered ornament ball.  The large white doily on the left of the lace case is one of the two doilies.  The red ornament ball is in the lower right corner.

With all the beautiful lace displayed in the lace case, I was surprised to learn that Crystalline had been selected as Best in Division for Lace.  It was displayed with the other Best in Division Winners.











I'm already wondering what I will enter next year.

Aunt Ellen's How-To Book on Needlework

In 1954, Workbasket published Aunt Ellen's How-To Book on Needlework.  The netting portion of that book, with the exception of the Pineapple Handkerchief Edging, can be found on-line.  While many of the same stitches found in the 1800's are found here, this booklet is one of the few places that show both methods of netting.

1. How to Net (page 34)
2. Method I (page 35)
3. Method II (page 36)
4. Helpful Information (page 37)
5. Terms (page 37)
6. Knot Stitch (page 37)
7. Rose Stitch (page 37)
8. Crisscross Stitch (page 37)
9. Spider Stitch (page 37)
10. Fan Stitch (page 38)
11. Cluster Stitch (page 38)
12. Circular Netting (page 38)
13. Pineapple Handkerchief Edging (page 39)

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The first two days I demonstrated netting at the Big E, I worked on a doily that needed to be redone so I could check the instructions and also get a digitized photograph.  Here is the photograph of Jasmine.

The rest of the time I demonstrated netting this week, I worked on sun catchers.  I'll post photos of them next week.  So far I have been able to get 3 done in 4 hours.  I might just finish all I want to get made by the time the Big E ends - I have about 16 hours and 13 sun catchers left.

Netting by Primrose Cumming

Dryad Press, in England, published many small booklets dealing with handcrafts.  In 1956 they published Netting by Primrose Cumming.  There are illustrations throughout the book.

1. Netting (page 2)
2. Plain Diamond Mesh (page 3)
3. A Hammock (page 5)
4. A Ping-pong or Table Tennis Net in Square Mesh (page 6)
5. A Ping-pong or Table Tennis Net in Diamond Mesh (page 8)
6. Shopping Bag in Green and White Macrame String (page 9)
7. Rabbit or Purse Net (page 12)
8. Scarf in Diamond Mesh (page 13)

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This week I finally got around to photographing some of the netting I have finished recently - a scarf and two bowl covers.  These items can be found on Knots Indeed with more information about each item.

Variety, Italian Cut Work and Filet Lace, Book No. 1

According to Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions, Carmela Testa & Company was a small company that published 7 Variety books.  Italian Cut Work and Filet Lace is the first book in that series.  This book, published in 1921, deals with Italian Cut Work and Filet Lace.  It has a couple of pages concerning how to net and how to make square-mesh netting and several pages of patterns that can be embroidered onto the netting.  There are two sites where the digitized copies can be found:  here and here.

1. Filet Designs - illustrations (pages 8-24)
2. Netting - with illustrations (page 25)
3. Filet Lace (page 27)

The other books in the series can be found at Amazon or Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions.  As far as I can tell, Italian Cut Work and Filet Lace is the only one available to download.

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Several years ago I wanted to try some new stitches, but I didn't want to add them to a doily and deal with increases and decreases in addition to learning a new stitch.  That was when I decided to make some scarves.  I was introduced to net scarves by David Keller back in 2004.  He even gave me the instructions for his Blizzard Busters and allowed me to put the instructions online.

This week my son has added posts and I added photos of those scarves.  Some of the scarves are very short - I only wanted to use a single skein of yarn; some are more than six feet.  Some are wide and some are narrow.  All of them keep necks warm.  Yes, even with all the holes, net scarves keep necks warm!

The Priscilla Netting Book

In 1914 The Priscilla Publishing Company added The Priscilla Netting Book to their list of craft publications.  It was edited by Belle Robinson.  There are several locations where this book may be found on-line;  The Hathi Trust Digital Library, The Open Library, On-Line Digital Archive of Documents on Weaving and Related Topics, and Internet Archive, to name four.  While much of the information is related to lacis or net embroidery, both on square-mesh as well as diamond-mesh, some patterns and stitches are not.  Most of the patterns and stitches include illustrations.

1. Netting (page 3)
2. Equipment - with illustration (page 3)
3. To Work Netting - with illustration (page 4)
4. Figures 6 and 9 - To make circular netting - with illustration (page 5)
5. Figure 10 - To make a circular netting by increases - with illustration (page 6)
6. Lace - with illustration on page 10, 37 - fig 85 (page 10, item 601)
7. Centerpiece - with illustration (page 11, item 602)
8. Doily - with illustration (page 11, item 603)
9. Doily - with illustration (page 12, item 604)
10. Netted Cape Collar - with illustration (page 14, item 608)
11. Netted Round Yoke - with illustration (page 15, item 609)
12. Centerpiece of Square and Circular Netting - with illustration (page 19, item 613)
13. Centerpiece - with illustration (page 20, item 615)
14. Netted Centerpiece - with illustration (page 25, item 620)
15. Netted and Embroidered Doily - with illustration (page 26, item 621)
16. Netted and Embroidered Doily - with illustration (page 26, item 622)
17. Wide Netted Edging - with illustration (page 27)
18. Netted Edging - with illustration (page 27)
19. Doily - with illustration (page 28, item 623)
20. Doily - with illustration (page 30, item 624)
21. Doily - with illustration (page 30, item 625)
22. Doily - with illustration (page 30, item 627)
23. Netted Bow - with illustration (page 32, item 626)
24. Centrepiece in Gros Filet - with illustrations (page 32, item 628)
25. Doily - with illustration (page 33, item 629)
26. Doily - with illustration (page 34, item 630)
27. Netted Scallop - with illustration on page 32 (page 37, item 631)
28. Insertion - figure 64 - with illustration on page 32 (page 48)
29. Insertion - figure 65 - with illustration on page 32 (page 48)
30. Insertion - figure 66 - with illustration on page 32 (page 48)
31. Insertion - figure 67  - with illustration on page 32 (page 48)
32. Edging - figure 68 - with illustration on page 33 (page 48)
33. Netted Scallop - with illustration on page 33 (page 48, item 632)

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Last week I mentioned that I had five more ornament ball covers to photograph.  By the time the week was over and I had finished the netting and photography, there were a few more than five.  My son made quick work of posting them online, and there are now 31 unique net ornament ball covers for you to look at.

A Text-book of Needlework, Knitting and Cutting Out: with Methods of Teaching by Elizabeth Rosevear

A Text-book of Needlework, Knitting and Cutting Out: with Methods of Teaching by Elizabeth Rosevear was published in 1893.    She includes a brief history of netting, the tools used to make netting, how to tie the knot, and how to make square-mesh, diamond-mesh, round netting (what I call spiral netting), and the twisted stitch.  With only four pages devoted to netting, there is no room for patterns.

1. Netting (page 439)
2. Implements (page 440)
3. Method (page 440)
4. Square Netting (page 441)
5. Oblong Netting for Window Curtains (page 442)
6. Round Netting (page 442)
7. Twisted Stitch in Netting (page 442)

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Several months ago my oldest daughter asked me to make three handkerchiefs edged in netting, one each for herself and her two daughters.

It took me a while, but I finally found some gorgeous white handkerchief linen.  I traveled to a fabric-filled shop, Delectable Mountain Cloth, in Brattleboro, Vermont.  

I didn't realize I might want my camera, so I left it home.  However, I found a wonderful blog post about the shop that included many photos.








I cut out several of the handkerchiefs that very day, put them in a bag, and there they sat.

I knew I wanted to hemstitch the edges, but I was scared to try.














This week I took one of the scraps from that lovely linen and jumped in.


There were only three of us at the library knitting group this week.  I almost finished hemstitching the sample while there.

It's a good thing I started with a sample and that I have several more samples.  It's going to take some time to learn how to make the corners look neat.

The Young Ladies' Journal Complete Guide (2nd edition) by E. Harrison

There are two sections on netting in The Young Ladies' Journal Complete Guide (2nd edition) by E. Harrison.  The first section is about how to net; the second section has netting stitches and patterns.  There is also a section on Guipure netting, also known as net embroidery, net darning, or lacis.  The illustrations of this book, which was published in 1885, are very clear and detailed.

1. Implements Required - with illustration (page 19)
2. To Fill a Netting-Needle - with illustration (page 19)
3. Netting Mesh - with illustration (page 19)
4. Stirrup (page 19)
5. Knot for Joining - with illustration (page 20)
6. Directions for Netting - with illustration (page 20)
7. Square Netting - with illustration (page 20)
8. Square Foundation of Two Sizes - with illustration (page 20)
9. Oblong Netting - with illustration (page 20)
10. Slanting Netting - with illustration (page 20)
11. Wire Frame for Guipure Netting (page 20)
12. Introduction (page 123)
13. Common Netting  - with illustration (page 123)
14. Mode of working a Netted Foundation with Holes for Embroidering Trefoils in - with illustration (page 123)
15. Round Netting - with illustration (page 123)
16. Loop Netting - with illustration (page 123)
17. Diamond Pattern in Round Netting - with illustration (page 123)
18. Square Pattern - with illustration (page 126)
19. Cross-Netting - with illustration (page 126)
20. Rose-Netting in Plain and Striped Varieties - with illustration (page 126)
21. Star-Netting - with illustration (page 126)
22. Stripe Netting - with illustration (page 126)
23. Honeycomb-Netting - with illustration (page 126)
24. Diagonal-Netting  - with illustration (page 126)
25. Border: Plain, Honeycomb, and Rose Netting - with illustration (page 126)
26. Insertion: Rose and Plain Netting edged with Crochet  - with illustration (page 126)
27. Netting Foundation Interlaced with a Needle and Thread - with illustration (page 127)
28. Trimmings - with illustration (page 127)
29. Trimming: Netting - with illustration (page 127)
30. Doily: Netting (with illlustrations) (page 127)
31. Mode of Beginning a Circle - with illustration (page 127)
32. Foundation with Needlework Pattern - with illustration (page 127)
33. Open-Work and Darned Stripe - with illustration (page 127)
34. Trimming, with Thick Loops and Fan Edge - with illustration (page 127)
35. Loose Loop Pattern - with illustration (page 127)
36. Lappet for Caps - with illustration (page 130)
37. Scallop - with illustration (page 131)
38. Border with Double Loose Loops - with illustration (page 131)
39. Fan Netting - with illustration (page 131)
40. Border with Bunches of Loops (page 131)
41. Edging: Double Fan or Sheaf (page 131)
42. Border with Round-Loop Heading (page 134)
43. Diamond Pattern  - with illustration (page 134)
44. Design with Twisted Loops  - with illustration (page 134)
45. Stripe for Shawls - with illustration (page 134)
46. Border: Rose and Sheaf Pattern - with illustration (page 134)
47. Border with Tufts and Scalloped Edge - with illustration (page 134)
48. Design: Long and Crossed Loops - with illustration (page 134)
49. Border: Cross Netting and Twisted Loops - with illustration (page 135)
50. Neckerchief - with illustration (page 135)
51. Fringe - with illustration (page 135)
52. Design for Antimacassars, Fichus, &c.: Darned Netting - with illustration (page 135)
53. Tassel Fringe - with illustration (page 135)
54. Netted Mitten - with illustration (page 135)
55. Netted Night-net - with illustration (page 135)
56. Netted Curtains - with illustration (page 136)

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This week my son helped me add photos to my website.  They included net belts, bookmarks, dishcloths, and suncatchers.

The Art of Netting by S. F. Every

This is not The Art of Netting by Jules and Kaethe Kliot but one written much earlier.  The Art of Netting; with the Method of Making and Mending Fishing Nets by Simon Frederick Every  Esq. deals with making nets of all types.  It was published in 1845.  Additional digitized copies can be located here.

Since I do not fish or trap, I was going to ignore this book.  Then I started looking at the introduction.  The  illustrations of netting tools caught my eye, there were some I had not seen before, and I began to read.  In chapter 2 he describes a method of netting that seems to be a cross between the two other methods I have tried.  He claims to have reached speeds of 1,300 to 1,750 knots per hour.  That is much faster than I can go.

Most of this book is devoted to different types of nets that can be made.

1. Introduction (page 5)
2. Holding the mesh and making the knot (page 11)
3. The Drag-net (page 15)
4. Trammel-net (page 23)
5. Cast-net (page 32)
6. Drop-net (page 34)
7. Cleach-net (page 35)
8. The Flew (page 36)
9. Hand-nets (page 37)
10. The Hoop, or Drum-net (page 38)
11. Eel-net (page 40)
12. Mending Nets (page 46)
13. Sea Nets (page 50)

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I have been going back through the patterns I have designed over the years.  Most of them are computerized, but I did not always list how much yarn or thread I used for a pattern.  With that in mind, I decided that I needed to make some of the patterns again.  

I chose to make a small bag I can use as a gift bag. It's made from the top down, handle first.

The bottom of the bag has a pentagon-shaped decrease, which ends in a tiny grommet.

Differences in Netting Methods

There are several methods used to tie the netting knot.  Lately I've been referring to two of them as the lace-maker's method and the net-maker's method.

Most of the time when I think of the differences between the two methods, I think of how they are tied.  There are also differences in how the knots look after they are tied.  This week I learned another way they are different.






I received an e-mail asking me if there was a way to create the Carrots Increase Stitch using the net-maker's method so that it looked like it does in the photo.









I was not sure, so I made a sample of this stitch using each method and I discovered a difference.  Can you see the difference?  The red sample was made using the lace-maker's method and the blue one made using the net-maker's method.

 Look closely where the increases are made.  In the red sample the 3 knots net into the loop follow the curve of the loop, while in the blue sample the 3 knots climb up the loop.  The knots in the red sample are tied around the single strand of cord forming the loop.  The knots in the blue sample are tied over both strands that form the loop.  Since the knots in the blue sample are tied around the loop, the loop actually gets smaller.

So, when it comes to the question in the email, my answer is that it is not possible to get the same look to the Carrots Increase Stitch using the net-maker's method as you would get if you used the lace-maker's method.  If you want the same look as the first photo in this post, you would have to tie the knots using the lace-maker's method.

Now I'll be the first to acknowledge that I don't know everything about netting, especially when it comes to the net-maker's method.  I received personalized, one-on-one teaching from my grandmother when I learned the lace-maker's method, but I learned the net-maker's method from a book.

So my question, to those of you who are more proficient and experienced in netting using the net-maker's method, is:  "Do you agree with me?"   If you do not, please tell or show us how to get the same look.