Wednesday Workbasket: Bag for Clothes

In keeping with my article just published in the July/August edition of Piecework magazine, an item using macrame lace, as it was called in the nineteenth century. The directions for making the bag are fairly vague, in recognition of its simplicity, and adaptable to the materials at hand. Like many macrame designs of the day, a picture is presumed to be worth a thousand words. The macrame pattern is a simple combination of (it appears) loose square knots using alternating ends, with bars made of repeated square knots.—K.

Another new article, which would find ready sale at fairs, is a bag for soiled clothes, illustrated in Fig. 39. The materials are Macrame lace, lined with silk, satin, or wool goods. The lace extends only two-thirds of the length of the bag, and is finished with a ruche of satin ribbon. The bottom is completed by a handsome bow of ribbon and tassel made of the thread used for the macrame lace. Draw up the bag at the top with silk cord and tassels the shade of the lining. Fig. 40 shows the pattern of the Macrame lace.

Originally published in Potter's American Monthly, May 1881.

Wednesday Workbasket: Pattern for Edging

A departure from complete projects; this pattern for a leafy edging was so perfectly suited to the first day of summer that I couldn't resist choosing it today.—K.

Cast on 17 stitches.

1st Row.—Slip 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together 4 times, make 1, knit 1, then made 1 and knit 2 together twice, make 1, knit 2.

2d Row.—Make 1, knit 2 together, purl all but the last 3 stitches, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together. All the back rows will be the same.

3d Row.—Slip 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together 4 times, make 1, knit 3, then make 1 and knit 2 together twice, make 1, knit 2.

5th Row.—Slip 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together 3 times, slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slip stitch over, make 1, slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slip stitch over, make 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together twice, make 1, knit 2.

7th Row.—Slip 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together twice, make 1, slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slip-stitch over, make 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, then make 1 and knit 2 together twice, make 1, knit 2.

9th Row.—Slip 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together 3 times, slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slip-stitch over, make 1, slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slip-stitch over, make 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together twice, make 1, knit 2.

11th Row.—Slip 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together twice, make 1, slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slip-stitch over, make 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 3, then make 1 and knit 2 together twice, make 1, knit 2.

13th Row.—Slip 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together 3 times, then make 1, slip 1, knit 2 together, and pass the slip-stitch over 3 times in succession, make 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 2.

15th Row.—Slip 1, knit 1, then make 1, and knit 2 together 3 times, slip 1, knit 3 together, pass the slip-stitch over, knit 1, then make 1, and knit 2 together twice, make 1, knit 2.

17th Row.—Slip 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together twice, make 1, slip 1, knit 3 together, pass the slip-stitch over, make 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 2.

19th Row.—Slip 1, knit 1, then make 1 and knit 2 together twice, make 1, slip 1, knit 3 together, pass the slip-stitch over, make 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 1, make 1, knit 2 together, make 1, knit 2.

20th Row.—The same as the 2d. Repeat from first row for length required.


Originally published in Arthur's Home Magazine, July 1855.