Patterns for Net Hammocks and a New Book of Net Doilies

Hammocks are one item made of netting that everyone seems to recognize.  Listed below are patterns I found on-line.

Here are the ones I found in books:

1. The Young Englishwoman by Isabella May Beeton, published in 1875
1. Swinging Hammock - with illustration (page 646 item # 651) 
2. Tatting and Netting by Butterick Publishing Company, published in 1895
1. Method of Making a Hammock or a Tennis-net - with illustrations (page 77)  
3. Handicrafts For The Handicapped by Herbert J. Hall and Mertice M. C. Buck, published in 1916
1. Hammock (page Chapter III parts 1 & 2)  
4. Netting by Primrose Cumming, published in 1956
1. A Hammock (page 5)  

Here are the ones I found in magazines:

1. Godey's Lady's Book (Vol. 92) published in 1876
1. Swing Hammock (Netting) (page 557) 
2. Godey's Lady's Book (Vol. 101) published in 1880 
1. Hammock (page 385) 

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Early this week I learned about a new book on netting - Il Filet In Tondo by Enza Termine and Carmela Tralli. 

My copy arrived on Friday. It is written in Italian, and I read only English, but I plan to use the drawings and photos to help me make some of the gorgeous patterns.  These doily patterns are so different from the patterns my grandmother used.  I wonder if it is a difference between Sweden and Italy or a difference in preference between two different netters.  I am excited to be able to explore a new style of net doily.

Besides a brief history of netting including photographs of early netting and lacis and some instructions on how to net, there are several patterns in each of the three degrees of difficulty.  You can learn more about this book at Enza's web-site located at http://www.filetintondo.net/ or find her on Facebook.

Patterns for Netted Caps

Caps are similar to hairnets in that they both hold hair. Here is a list of patterns for netted baby's caps, mourning caps, nightcaps, and opera caps that can be found online.  They were published from 1838 to 1916.

Here are the ones I found in books:

1. The Ladies' Knitting and Netting Book (2nd edition) published in 1838
1. Netted Baby's Cap (page 98) 
2. The ladies' knitting and netting book – second series (2nd ed) by Miss Watts, published in 1840
1. A Cool Night-cap (page 107) 
2. Cephaline (page 84) 
3. The ladies' knitting and netting book – first series  (5th ed) by Miss Watts, published in 1840
1. Netted Baby's Cap (page 110) 
4. The Ladies' Work-table Book (2nd ed) published in 1844 
1. Netted Opera Cap  (page 173) 
5. The Practical Companion to the Work-Table containing directions for Knitting, Netting & Crochet Work by Elizabeth Jackson, published in 1845
1. Netted Border for a Cap (page 139, item 91) 
6. Mee's Companion to the Worktable by Cornelia Mee, published in 1845
1. Pretty simple Netted Cap for wearing under a Bonnet (page 112) 
7. The Ladies' Work-table Book published in 1845
1. Netted Opera Cap  (page 138) 
8. Mee's Companion to the Worktable by Cornelia Mee, published in 1845
1. Pretty and Simple Netted Opera Cap (page 56) 
9. Knitter's Friend by Mrs. Hope, published in 1847
1. Circassian Cap (page 86) 
10. The Drawing Room Magazine or Ladies Book of Fancy Needlework and Choice Literature, Vol 1, published in 1848
1. Knitted Opera Cap with Netted Border - designed by Mrs. Warren (page 34) 
11. Treasures in Needlework by Mrs. Warren and Mrs Pullan, published in 1855 --  
1. Lady's Netted Cap - illustration on  page 131 (page 132)
2. Nepaul Smoking Cap - with illustration (page 295) 
12. Beeton's Book of Needlework by Isabella Beeton, published in 1870
1. Netted Nightcap - with illustration (page 361, item 343)
2. Netted Nightcap - with illustration (page 363, item 344) 
13. Tatting and Netting by Butterick Publishing Company, published in 1895
1. Infant's Netted Cap - with illustrations (page 144) 
14. Handicrafts For The Handicapped by Herbert J. Hall and Mertice M. C. Buck, published in 1916
1.  Baby's Cap (Chapter III, part 2) 

Here are those I found in magazines:

1. Godey's Lady's Book (Vol. 36-37)  published in 1848
1. Knitted Opera Cap with Netted Border (page 53) 
2. Godey's Lady's Book  (Vol. 38) published in Jan-Jun 1849
1. Netting the Helen Cap (page 361) 
3. Godey's Lady's Book  (Vol. 47)  published in 1853
1. Netting - Sortie Du Bal, or Opera Cap (page 551) 
2. Opera Cap - Netting - illustration (page 484) 
4. Godey's Lady's Book  (Vol. 48)  published in 1854
1. Netted Cap, for Morning Wear (page 360) 
5. Godey's Lady's Book  (Vol. 52-53)  published in 1856
1. Cap for the Concert Room or Theatre (page 260) 
6. Godey's Lady's Book  (Vol. 56) published in Jan-Jun 1858
1. A Lady's Netted Cap for Mourning [illustration] (page 4)
2. A Lady's Netted Cap for Mourning (page 66) 
7. Godey's Lady's Book  (Vol. 68-69)  published in 1864
1. A Netted Opera or Useful Cap (page 481) 
8. Godey's Lady's Book  (Vol. 70-71)  published in 1865
1. Lady's Netted Nightcap (page 177) 

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

This week, due to the weather and a cold that won't go away, I found enough time to finish two more of the rectangular net bags I need to complete.  

The bag on the left is a large bag with a short handle.  The bag on the right is a medium bag with a handle long enough to place on your shoulder.

I have three more bags to finish, and if I leave right now and go watch the Olympics, I may finish one of those tonight.

Patterns for Net Hairnets

Over a year ago I decided to see what old netting patterns I could find online.  I focused first on books and then branched out to magazines.  It's been interesting to see what was out there.  I was surprised at how many books and magazines from the 1800s had been digitized.

Starting today I'm going back into my database and organizing it by the type of pattern or information that I found.  This week I'm focusing on hairnets, snoods or whatever you want to call the net bag that holds you hair.

Here are the books:

1. The Lady's Album of Fancy Work published in 1849
1. Net for the Hair (page 15, item 16) 
2. Treasures in Needlework by Mrs. Warren and Mrs Pullan, published in 1855
1. Net for the Hair - with illustration (page 42)
3. The Ladies’ Hand Book of Fancy and Ornamental Work by Florence Hartley, published in 1859
1. Net for the Hair - with illustration (page 182)
4. The Illustrated Girl's Own Treasury published in 1861
1. Silk Net for the Hair (page 144)
5. The Young Ladies' Journal Complete Guide (2nd edition) by E. Harrison, published in 1885
1. Netted Night-net - with illustration (page 135)

Here are the magazines:

1. Peterson's Magazine (Vol. 15-16) published in 1849
1. Net for the Hair (page 183)
2. Netting -- Lady's Nightcap (page 148)
2. Godey's Lady's Book (Vol. 43, July-December) published in 1851
1. Netting - Net for All the Hair (page 370)
3. Godey's Lady's Book (Vol. 46) published in 1853
1. Net for The Hair (page 459)
4. Peterson's Magazine (Vol. 25-26) published in 1854 
1. Net for the Hair (page 126)
5. Godey's Lady's Book (Vol. 59) published in 1859 
1. Silk Net for the Hair (page 451)
6. Peterson's Magazine (Vol. 35-36) published in 1859 
1. Silk Net for the Hair (page 363)
7. Peterson's Magazine (Vol. 37-38) published in 1860 
1. Netted Net for the Hair - with an illustration (page 161)
8. Godey's Lady's Book (Vol. 62-63) published in 1861  
1. Invisible Hair-nets (page 544)
9. The Illustrated Magazine published on the Ladies' Page in 1864 
1. Simple Sleeping Net (page 57)
2. Invisible Net (page 57)
10. Godey's Lady's Book (Vol. 68-69) published in 1864 
1. Hair Net with Ribbon Coronet (page 75)
2. Invisible Net (page 83)
3. Marie Louise Hair Net (page 82)
4. Simple Sleeping Net (page 83)
11. Peterson's Magazine (Vol. 45-46) published in 1864 
1. Hair-net with illustration (page 156)
12. Godey's Lady's Book (Vol. 98-99) published in 1879
1. Round Hairnets  (page 86)

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

I have needed to finish a few more bag samples for my beginning netting book.  Here is the one I finished just today.  

The bag is large enough to hold a few things like a wallet or keys or lunch.  The strap is long enough to go over you head and fit under your arm.

Netting in Magazines - Peterson's Magazine (1880-1898)

Even though I found all the issues between 1880 and 1889 available on-line, there were several issues of Peterson's Magazine that did not have any netting patterns or projects.  Those were:

• 1882 (Vol. 81-82)
• 1883 (Vol. 83-84)
• 1884 (Vol. 85-86)
• 1885 (Vol. 87-88)
• 1889 (Vol. 95-96)

I decided to also include 1890-1898, when the magazine was no longer published, since there were only two issues I was able to find online for that time period.  I could not find following years and volumes:

• 1890 (Vol. 97-98)
• 1892 (Vol. 102)
• 1893 (Vol. 103-104)
• 1894 (Vol. 105-106)
• 1895 (Vol. 107-108)
• 1896 (Vol. 109-110)
• 1897 (Vol. 111-112)
• 1898 (Vol. 113-114) 

The issues that had netting between 1880 and 1898 are:

1880 (Vol. 77-78)

1. page 76 For the Little Folk [a watch pocket for a boy] 
2. page 466 Squares in Guipure d'Art 

1881 (Vol. 79-80)

1. page 243 Ladies' Night-cap: In Netting  
2. page 230 Tunbridge Design  
3. page 471 Squares in Guipure d'Art  
4. page 470 Stripe for Darning or Beading  

1886 (Vol. 89-90)

1. page 107 Tidy in Crochet and Bead-work  
2. page 170 Pattern in Cross-stitch  

1887 (Vol. 91-92)

1. page 28 Wallet-shaped Work Bag - illustration 
2. page 97 Wallet-shaped Work Bag 

1888 (Vol. 93-94)

1. page 183 Stripe for Crochet, Netting, Cross-stitch  

1891 (Vol. 99-100)

1. page 363 Netted Design for Valance Border  

1892 (Vol. 101)

1. page 360 Border or Insertion in Darned Netting or Crochet  

This is the last of the magazines I know of that contain netting and are available on-line.  I am very grateful to those libraries and organizations that have made these older books and magazines accessible to the public.  

I was recently reminded that KnitHeaven has several vintage netting patterns listed.

If you know of a source for other books or magazines that are available on-line, please let me know in the comments below.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

I finally found time to do some netting this week and was able to finish the doily I started several weeks ago.  I called it Swan and made the original back in 1987 for one of my brothers-in-law and his wife when they got married.  Back then I did not have a digital camera and so was only able to get a photocopy of part of the doily.

Now I have a view of the entire doily.  It is about 16 inches in diameter.

Netting in Magazines - Peterson's Magazine (1870-1879)

Most of the netting patterns included in this ten-year span deal with darned netting, sometimes called net embroidery or lacis.  There are a few patterns which include directions for net borders or give directions as to how to make a circle, octagon, or square-mesh netting.  The only one that contained no darning or embroidery was "Cloud Netting" from the year 1876.  From the instructions I would guess that a cloud is some type of shawl or scarf.

I found no netting in the 1879 volumes.

1870 (Vol. 57-58 )

1. page 409 Tidy in Square Crochet or Darned Netting

1871 (Vol. 59-60 )

1. page 237 Counterpane in Crochet, Netting, etc. - illustration
2. page 292 Counterpane in Crochet, Netting, etc.

1872 (Vol. 61-62 )

1. page 248 Design for Darning Netted Tidy - illustration
2. page 296 Tidies in Darning or Crochet    
3. page 74 Netted Curtains - with illustration    
4. page 75 Netted Curtains - continued    
5. page 89 Bed Quilt in Crochet or Darned Netting    
6. page 146 Round Netted Tidy    
7. page 216 Octagon Antimacassar    

1873 (Vol. 63-64 )

1. page 369 Tidy in Darned Netting    

1874 (Vol. 65-66 )

1. page 79 Insertion in Darned Netting    
2. page 360 Designs for Darned Netting    

1875 (Vol. 67-68 )

1. page 161 Darned Netting - illustration    
2. page 215 Antimacassar Netting    

1876 (Vol. 69-70 )

1. page 77   Cloud Netting   
2. page 449 Square Net Antimacassar    

1877 (Vol. 71-72 ) 

1. page 245 Pattern in Darned Netting - illustration    
2. page 308 Border in Darned Netting    
3. page 309 Curtain in Darned Netting    

1878 (Vol. 73-74 )

1. page 107 Guipure Darning on Square Netting    
2. page 113 Guipure Darning on Square Netting    
3. page 227 Design for Darning on Netting    
4. page 225 Guipure Netting    

1879 (Vol. 75-76 )

Netting in Magazines - Peterson's Magazine (1860-1869)

I was able to find all the years from 1860 to 1869 of Peterson's Magazine on-line.  I am grateful that so many libraries and schools have scanned in many of their public domain holdings.

There are some terms used that are not commonly used today.

1. ruche: A ruffle or pleat of lace, muslin, or other fine fabric used for trimming women's garments.
2. doyley, d'oyley, mat: any small, ornamental mat, esp. one of embroidery or lace.
3. resilla: Resilla usually refers to a head ornament with a fishnet-like design. Fine wires or cords were inter-spaced with pearls, coral, jet and sometimes gemstone beads and secured on the hair with a jeweled comb or other hair ornament. The term comes from the French résille which translates net, network or netting.
4. tidy: A decorative protective covering for the arms or headrest of a chair.
5. escallop: Variant of scallop.

1860 (Vol. 37-38)

1. page 85 Netted Undersleeve 
2. page 161 Netted Net for the Hair - with an illustration 
3. page 247 Anti-macassar in Netting and Darning 
4. page 230 The Resilla - with front view illustration 
5. page 231 The Resilla - with back view illustration 
6. page 309 Netted Tidy 
7. page 478 Netted Window Curtain 

1861 (Vol. 39-40)

1. page 77 Baby's Knitted Shoe and Sock [with net trim] 
2. page 259 Netted Curtains 
3. page 287 To be Darned on Netting 
4. page 345 Lady's Netted Work-bag 
5. page 347 Netted Bed Fringe 
6. page 424 Netted D'Oyley for Tartlet 
7. page 306 Antimacassar 

1862 (Vol. 41-42)

1. page 147 Netted Escallop Borders 
2. page 148 Netted Escallop Borders - illustration 
3. page 149 Opera Hood 
4. page 150 Netted Tidy                                                   

1863 (Vol. 43-44)

1. page 223 Netted Pin-cushion 
2. page 468 Anti-macassar in Netting and Darning 

1864 (Vol. 45-46)

1. page 15 Border in Netting and Darning - illustration 
2. page 76 Border in Netting and Darning 
3. page 156 Hair-Net with illustration 

1865 (Vol. 47-48)

1. page 161 Sleeping Cushion for Back of Chair 
2. page 322 Opera Hood - illustration 
3. page 378 Opera Hood 

1866 (Vol. 49-50)

1. page 274 Netted Night-Cap 

1867 (Vol. 51-52)

1. page 69 Netted Opera Hood 
2. page 304 Hood in Knitting and Crochet [with Ruche of Netting ]

1868 (Vol. 53-54)

1. page 74 Cravat of Knitting and Netting 

1869 (Vol. 55-56)

1. page 337 Darned Tidy 

I would love to see the Netted Under-Sleeve in use.  I wonder how it was fastened to the outer sleeve.  Did it show at all or was it completely covered.

I wonder how many people made the Sleeping Cushion for Back of Chair and how comfortable it was.  

Netting in Magazines - Peterson's Ladies' National Magazine (1850-1859)

I was able to find most of the volumes to Peterson's Ladies'National Magazine between 1850 and 1859 on-line.  The only year I could not locate was 1850 (Vol. 17-18).  There were two years that did not have any netting patterns in them:  1851 (Vol. 19-20), 1853 (Vol. 23-24)

1852 (Vol. 21-22)

1. page 56 Netted Handkerchief

1854 (Vol. 25-26)

1. page 406 Gentleman's Long Purse in Netting
2. page 219 Pincushion for Toilet Table
3. page 281 Netted Music Stool Cover
4. page 126 Net for the Hair

1855 (Vol. 27-28)

1. page 375 Octagon Antimacassar
2. page 314 Jewel Box
3. page 166 Darned Netted Window Curtains

1856 (Vol. 29-30)

1. page 392 Netted Scarf for Evening Wear
2. page 335 Design for a Music Stool Cover
3. page 277 Design for a Music Stool Cover - illustration
4. page 413 Netted Anti-Macassar
5. page 166 Darned Netted Window Curtains

1857 (Vol. 31-32)

1. page 132 Short Purse in Netting
2. page 85 Short Purse in Netting - illustration
3. page 78 Darned Netted Window Curtains
4. page 314 Gentleman's Netted Neck-Tie

1858 (Vol. 33-34)

1. page 79 Netted Window Curtain
2. page 80 Netted Window Curtain - continued
3. page 81 Netting [stitches]
4. page 81 Plain Stitch
5. page 81 Square Stitch
6. page 81 Oblong Stitch
7. page 81 Round Stitch
8. page 82 Honeycomb Stitch
9. page 82 Long, Twisted Stitch
10. page 82 Grecian Stitch
11. page 82 Ground Stitch
12. page 82 Spotted Stitch
13. page 82 Diamond Stitch
14. page 82 Large Diamond Stitch
15. page 82 Spotted Diamond Stitch
16. page 82 Leaf Netting
17. page 82 Netting terms and definitions
18. page 82 Pendant Fly Cage
19. page 238 Netted Mat
20. page 239 Netted Mat [illustration]
21. page 239 Netted Mittens
22. page 239 Netted Mittens - [illustration]
23. page 365 Anti-macassar

1859 (Vol. 35-36)

1. page 364 Knitting Bag [top portion]
2. page 458 Netted Hood with Daisy Fringe
3. page 459 Netted Hood with Daisy Fringe - illustration
4. page 363 Silk Net for the Hair
5. page 165 Gentleman's Neck Tie
6. page 166 Gentleman's Neck Tie - illustration

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Last week I needed to make a simple net project.  It needed to use thread rather than yarn, consist of only the plain netting stitch, be fairly quick to make (not to many knots), and I also wanted it to be something that could be used.  My husband gave me the perfect answer: a bookmark.  I know I'm not the only one that still likes to hold a paper book in my hand.  

Since it was so plain and basic I decided to use some variegated size 10 crochet thread and a 3/8" mesh stick.

Would you use a bookmark?  Which one would you prefer - the narrow or the wide one?