Sunday, January 20, 2008

A "new" old book and knitting.

I was able to go back to my favourite market stall again yesterday. I found a rather fascinating little book. It is 14cm (5and a half inches) tall, 9cm (3 and a half inches) wide and 4.5cm (1 and three quarter inches) thick.
As you can see the end papers have this DMC logo. The stall holder told me that the books probably came from the 1920s. There is no publishing date.
It is packed full of instructions for all the kinds of needlework you could imagine - "plain sewing", mending. "sewing upon white stuff" (whitework), crochet, knitting, tatting, embroidered laces, needle laces, and so on.
I shall really enjoy exploring this book. An unexpected find.
Well, the knitting has carried on this week. I have almost completed my Ice Queen. Hopefully, the last of the bead picot bind off will be finished this evening.
My workroom is currently being graced by the presence of three Amaryllis on the window sill. The first of these flowered for the first time this morning. A double white, it is absolutely gorgeous.

3 comments:

Toni said...

What a fabulous find! Over Christmas my mother-in-law gave me some old family needlework pieces & old crochet hooks, and I need to identify what a couple of the techniques are. I'll have to take some pictures and post them on my blog--maybe they'll be in your book.

Jane said...

I've been getting rid of lots of my no longer usded embroidery books, but my copy of this is one I just can't bear to part with. I think it's fab. Well done on the find.

I've nominated your blog for a 'make my day' award.
jane

Mandy said...

How kind of you Jane. I agree, its a remarkable little book, quite fascinating.
I lookm forward to seeing the techniques Toni.