Tabla de contenidos para July - August 2017 en PieceWork

Pack your bags! This issue of PieceWork embarks on an international voyage to explore needlework traditions from around the globe. Here’s our itinerary: ✥ England We get a glimpse into Charlotte Brontë’s brief stint working as the nursery governess for Mathilda (age six) and John Benson (age four) Sidgwick at the family home—Stone Gappe in Yorkshire in northern England. ✥ The Philippines Learn all about the centuries-old tradition of making breathtaking piña cloth from the wild pineapple plant. ✥ Estonia Although the tradition of knitting in Estonia is well known, not so well known is a technique specific to the southern region of the country. Called roosimine (to decorate with roses), this inlay technique produces a “blooming garden” on gloves and stockings. ✥ Canada The company began in Canada, but…

I have wanted to knit a Mary Maxim vintage intarsia sweater for years, and PieceWork editor Jeane Hutchins gave me the chance with this issue. I chose a men’s jacket from the 1950s that felt relevant to me. That is the point of these picture sweaters, after all—the motif is supposed to represent one’s hobbies or passions or nationality in some way. Not only is this moose and forest scene just plain cool, but last year, while hiking in the Rockies, I ran into two moose in the woods, and it was one of those magical nature experiences for me. So I chose No. 552 “MOOSE” from the Mary Maxim archives and got to work. I modernized the palette a bit; see my colorway in the chart below. I used…

When I was a university student in Canada, I came across some of the scars from the Great War, not just the obvious statues and plaques commemorating great sacrifices, but there was more. I saw it in the stories of the popular Anne of Green Gables series; in the eighth book, three of Anne’s sons serve in the war. John McCrae, a Canadian doctor who graduated from my alma mater, wrote “In Flanders Fields” about the trench battlefield just days after a dear friend’s death. All my classmates could recite it. The poem begins: In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place. . . . These Flanders fields, the green, quiet graveyards in western Belgium, are an iconic image of World War…

One of the five tribes of northern Albania collectively known as the Maltsia e madhe, the Gruda tribespeople occupied territory—eponymously named Gruda—in the mountainous area that forms the current border between Albania and Montenegro. The name Gruda is likely based on the Albanian word grudë, which means “soil.” The origin of the tribal name is ironic, given that the Gruda territory was not particularly amenable to farming: the soil was relatively infertile and the area was plagued by droughts. The Gruda tribespeople were primarily herders of sheep and goats. Edith first visited Gruda in May 1908. In High Albania, Edith recounted that in order to reach Gruda, she had to make her way down one steeply inclined mountain, cross a raging river, and then climb a second, even steeper mountain,…

The pattern for Sport Mittens from Norway leapt off the pages of the January 1933 issue of Needlecraft: The Home Arts Magazine at an antiques shop in Moscow, Idaho. I recognized traditional Norwegian designs knitted in two-color patterns, particularly the Northern Star and Dancing Couple. Why would a Norwegian mitten pattern appear in Needlecraft in 1933? Aha, a research question! More research questions soon emerged. When and how did traditional Norwegian knitting designs cross cultural and national boundaries to enter American fashion and become an icon for American skiing? Why are such designs associated so closely with Norway when they appear in textiles from many different nations and cultures? Searching for answers led me to study the knitting, history, culture, language, and politics of Norway—and segue into the development of…

beg—begin(s); beginning BO—bind off CC—contrasting color ch—chain cir—circular cn—cable needle CO—cast on cont—continue(s); continuing dc—double crochet dc3tog—double crochet 3 stitches together dec(s) (’d)—decrease(s); decreased; decreasing dpn—double-pointed needle(s) fsc—foundation single crochet foll—follow(s); following hdc—half double crochet inc(s) (’d)—increase(s); increased; increasing k—knit k1b—knit 1 in back of stitch k 1f&b—knit into the front and back of the same stitch—1 stitch increased k 2b—knit 2 in back of next 2 stitches kwise—knitwise; as if to knit k2tog—knit 2 stitches together k3tog—knit 3 stitches together k5tog—knit 5 stitches together LLI—insert left needle into back of the stitch below stitch just knitted, knit this stitch lp(s)—loop(s) m(s)—marker(s) MC—main color M1—make one (increase) M1k—increase 1 by knitting into the front and then the back of the same stitch before slipping it off the left-hand needle M1p—increase…

Inspired by the preceding article These gloves were inspired by the many pairs of roositud (rose-patterned) gloves (kindad in Estonian) I have seen in the Estonian National Museum in Tartu. I have enjoyed visiting the villages where some of these special items of traditional knitwear originated and learning how they were made. I love making gloves. I love the architecture and the added interest of the inlay for decoration that makes knitting these gloves even more satisfying. I chose the name Aire’s Gloves to honor and thank my dear friend, Aire Salmre, who has supported my interest and given me invaluable aid over the years as I researched the special traditions of her beloved homeland. My thanks to Michelle Poulin-Alfeld, Maret Tamjärv, and Aire Salmre for help with this project…

Inspired by the preceding article Australian crochet designer Mary Card’s filet-crochet motifs are both distinctive and beautiful: the designs she created at the height of her popularity often feature art nouveau flowers, birds, and butterflies. This poppy design was originally intended to decorate a hand towel when crocheted in size 80 or 100 thread. Mary encouraged readers to alter designs for their own purposes. In that spirit, I have merged the background stitches of one design with the shape and motif of the poppy design. I crocheted this café curtain with the coarser size 20 thread. Concentration: 3 GETTING STARTED Finished size About 38" wide and 14½ " tall, excluding lace edging and hanging loops. Yarn DMC Cebelia size 20 (100% cotton thread; 416 yd [380 m]/1¾ oz [50 g];…

Inspired by the preceding article Edith Durham (1863–1944) donated the embellished Albanian slipper socks that inspired this project to the British Museum in 1914. In connection with her donation, Edith completed a label that reads: “Socks of mountain tribesmen in North Albania. Gruda tribe. Given me in 1912 in return for aid to burnt out villages.” Author and ethnographer Elizabeth Gowing devotes an entire chapter of her book Edith and I: On the Trail of an Edwardian Traveller in Kosovo (see Further Resources in the companion article) to these “Purple Socks.” Examining the slipper socks almost 100 years after Edith’s donation, Elizabeth remarked: “They were exquisite. . . . I was awestruck by the careful handiwork, but also by the odds of their survival. Edith had done the slippers, their…

Inspired by the preceding article Husflid designs from Norway inspired the shape of this knitted cap (en lue) for a child (et barn). The dancing couple plus the stripes and tiny geometric patterns are similar to those of the Sport Mittens from Norway pattern in the January 1933 issue of Needlecraft: The Home Arts Magazine. Needlecraft author Lalla Frolich Miller specified contrasting colors for the mittens—“always black and white in Norway.” However, she allowed “red and white, blue and white or other combinations may be chosen.” She also specified knitting with lightweight yarn for “street wear or automobile-driving” but recommended a coarser yarn for mittens worn for outdoor sports. DifficultyLevel YarnWeight 1 Finished Size 16½ " circumference and 8¾ " tall. Yarn Dale Baby Ull (100% superwash merino wool; 180…

Roos is the Estonian word for rose. Roositud is an inlay technique that allows color to be worked in specific places without carrying the contrasting color(s) all around the circumference of a piece. To me, this type of colorwork appears like a garden of flowers. This technique is worked following a charted pattern. You may find it helpful to arrange the stitches so that all the stitches involved in a motif are on the same needle. Use single, double, or (my preference) thicker yarn for the inlay pattern. Use a strand of short (about 12" to 18") yarn for the inlay work. If your strand isn’t long enough to complete the part you are working on, simply add in another strand, or you can splice the new end onto the…

Mary Card (1861–1940) was a skilled and prolific crochet designer from the previous century who overcame personal obstacles to become a household name. She addressed challenges, both personal and public, including her own hearing loss and the needs she could help meet during World War I (1914–1918). Throughout her life, she steadily pursued her goals. In 1917 and again in the 1920s, she moved her developing crochet business between continents. Mary Card grew up near Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. The eldest of ten children, she received a good education for a girl of her time, including one year at the National Gallery Design School. She demonstrated an interest in education and entrepreneurship early, opening her own school in 1889. Employing three of her siblings, she was principal as well as…

Notes: Once the knitting is completed, a crocheted border is added to the top of each sock. Embroidery, braid, and rattail-cord embellishments are added to wool fabric pieces that are seamed to lining fabric and sewn to the tops of the instep and heel. Braid embellishments are sewn to grosgrain ribbon that is sewn on top of the crocheted border. Trim all middy and gimp braids1/8 inch (3 mm) beyond the seam allowances. MATERIALS Fabric, wool, ½ yard (0.5 m), Black Lining fabric, ¼ yard (0.2 m), Black DMC Metallic Pearl, polyester and viscose thread, Size 5, 27 yards (24.7 m)/skein, #5282 Brilliant Gold, 1 skein Middy braid, ¼ inch (6 mm) wide, Metallic Gold, 2½ yards (2.3 m) Gimp braids, 5/8 inch (1.6 cm) wide, Metallic Gold-and-Black, 1¾ yards…