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Row counter

Row counter

  • Place of origin:

    Great Britain (made)

  • Date:

    1900-1950 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Brass with paper

  • Credit Line:

    Given by Mrs Joan Green

  • Museum number:

    T.34-1999

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

This row counter carries the inscription 'The M.P. handy guide for knitting & crochet'. Dedicated knitters used the device to keep track of the pattern they were following. They could record the number of increases or decreases required by sliding the brass knobs to mark specific numbers.

As the name suggests, increasing allows the gradual enlargement of a piece of knitting. Decreasing is the opposite process. The counter incorporates a ruler along the bottom edge as well as a knitting needle gauge. The largest needle size is 6 and 12 is the smallest.

Physical description

A rectangular metal sheet with openings in the front revealing instructions written on paper underneath for 'rows', 'increase', 'times' and 'decrease'. There are five rectangular, vertical openings revealing ranges of numbers, with a movable metal glider beside each. On the right hand side are seven round perforations of increasing size with which to measure needle sizes. On the bottom, a inches ruler has been imprinted. Paper instructions were once glued to the back, but now almost all worn away.

Metal is possibly brass and folded over on four sides at the back over a backing sheet of metal and sandwiched between is a sheet of paper.

Place of Origin

Great Britain (made)

Date

1900-1950 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown

Materials and Techniques

Brass with paper

Marks and inscriptions

THE "MP" HANDY GUIDE FOR KNITTING & CROCHET
Textual information; English; Across upper edge of counter; stamped

BRITISH MADE / REG'N No 813814
Registration number; English; Upper edge centre of counter; stamped

NEEDLE GAUGE / 12 / 11/ 10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6
Textual information; English; Right edge of row counter, running top to bottom

ROWS / INCREASES / TIMES
Textual information; English; On paper under openings in metal plate at upper edge; printed

DECREASE
Textual information; English; On paper under opening in metal at lower edge centre; printed

Dimensions

Height: 9.3 cm, Width: 11.7 cm, Depth: 2.5 cm

Historical context note

A knitting and crochet tool allowing shaping (increasing and decreasing of stitches) or the repetition of a pattern over many rows to be marked and counted. Also includes ruler at one edge to measure progress of knitting or crochet and a gauge for measuring the size of knitting needles.

Materials

Paper; Brass; Metal

Techniques

Stamped

Categories

Tools & Equipment

Production Type

Mass produced

Collection

Textiles and Fashion Collection

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