Woolcraft A Practical Guide to Knitting & Crochet
Pattern Booklet
1920-1935 (published)
1920-1935 (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
As a general principle, woollen garments were warm, as Gustav Jaeger and his followers so passionately argued in the 1880s and 90s. If a child in a poorer family needed a warm garment, the knitted jumper and cardigan were a godsend to any parent who could use knitting needles and either afford new yarn or unravel an old garment to re-use; patterns were published free in popular periodicals, and copiable if a neighbour had one.
School photographs of groups of children from Board schools provide some of the best evidence of the increased use of knitting in clothing children: before the 1890s, many of the children are wearing garments, particularly jackets, which are too large or too small, and doubtless in some cases so worn out that they provided little warmth. By the 1910s, many of the children, and certainly the majority of the boys, are wearing knitted garments instead. Knitted clothing also had the advantage of a certain amount of elasticity to accommodate a child's growth, and was thrifty. If need be a jumper could be unravelled and knitted up again in a larger size, with a contrasting welt and cuffs of some other yarn, or in stripes using up several old garments.
School photographs of groups of children from Board schools provide some of the best evidence of the increased use of knitting in clothing children: before the 1890s, many of the children are wearing garments, particularly jackets, which are too large or too small, and doubtless in some cases so worn out that they provided little warmth. By the 1910s, many of the children, and certainly the majority of the boys, are wearing knitted garments instead. Knitted clothing also had the advantage of a certain amount of elasticity to accommodate a child's growth, and was thrifty. If need be a jumper could be unravelled and knitted up again in a larger size, with a contrasting welt and cuffs of some other yarn, or in stripes using up several old garments.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Woolcraft A Practical Guide to Knitting & Crochet (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Printed paper |
| Brief description | 'Woolcraft' knitting/ crochet instruction booklet (93 garments); published in the UK by Patons & Baldwins Ltd, 1920-35 |
| Physical description | Garments to make: 1. Child's jersey 2. Baby's coat 3. Leggings with closed feet 4. Child's coat 5. Leggings with closed feet 6. Boy's double-breasted coat 7. Child's side-fastening coat 8. Girl's side-fastening coat 9-18. Baby's bonnets and caps 19, 20. Adult garments 21. Baby's shawl 22-29. Adult garments 30. Child's cardigan 31. Child's cardigan 32. Child's cardigan 33. Adult garment 34. Boy's cardigan 35. Adult garment 36. Child's petticoat 37. Baby's all-in-one suit 38. Baby's petticoat 39. Child's leggings with closed feet 40. Baby's wrapover vest 41. Child's leggings with closed feet 42. Baby's side-fastening vest 43. Baby's body belt 44. Baby's pilch knickers 45. Child's vest 46. Child's romper suit 47. Baby's vest 48. Child's frock 49. Baby's frock 50. Boy's suit 51. Baby's matinee coat 52. Boy's suit 53. Baby's matinee coat 54-65. Adult garments 66. Child's gloves 67-70. Adult garments 71. Baby's bootees 72. Baby's slippers 73. Baby's slippers 74. Baby's gaiters 75. Girl's gloves 76. Baby's bootees 77. Baby's mittens (with thumbs) 78. Child's ribbed socks 79. Child's socks with turn-over tops 80. Child's openwork socks 81. Child's ribbed socks 82. Child's striped (hooped) socks 83. Child's openwork socks 84. Child's socks 85-93. Adult garments |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Credit line | Given by L Booth |
| Object history | Gift of L Booth (RF:92/1774) |
| Production | Woolcraft was originally a publication of Baldwins, and continued to be produced after the merger with Patons in 1920. Attribution note: Original price 6d (2.5p) |
| Summary | As a general principle, woollen garments were warm, as Gustav Jaeger and his followers so passionately argued in the 1880s and 90s. If a child in a poorer family needed a warm garment, the knitted jumper and cardigan were a godsend to any parent who could use knitting needles and either afford new yarn or unravel an old garment to re-use; patterns were published free in popular periodicals, and copiable if a neighbour had one. School photographs of groups of children from Board schools provide some of the best evidence of the increased use of knitting in clothing children: before the 1890s, many of the children are wearing garments, particularly jackets, which are too large or too small, and doubtless in some cases so worn out that they provided little warmth. By the 1910s, many of the children, and certainly the majority of the boys, are wearing knitted garments instead. Knitted clothing also had the advantage of a certain amount of elasticity to accommodate a child's growth, and was thrifty. If need be a jumper could be unravelled and knitted up again in a larger size, with a contrasting welt and cuffs of some other yarn, or in stripes using up several old garments. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | MISC.1039-1992 |
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| Record created | July 1, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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