PieceWork’s assistant editor Katrina King and I have been knitting up several Weldon’s patterns recently (we’ll share our work soon), which is amusing and maddening all at once. It’s put me in mind of Carol Huebscher Rhoades’s terrific PieceWork article from way back in November/December 2002 “Victorian Life and Knitting.” That was when Interweave Press first began publishing volumes of the legendary Weldon’s Practical Needlework—available now as eBooks in the PieceWork Library. Carol has worked with a lot of nineteenth-century patterns over the years, and is a pro at decoding the unfamiliar phrasing and terminology and knowing how to choose the right yarn and needles for the project. Enjoy her tips. —Karen Elting Brock
Weldon’s Practical Knitter
Each volume of Weldon’s Practical Needlework offers glimpses of Victorian life and a wealth of design ideas for many forms of needlework, including knitting, crochet, macramé, netting, smocking, and embroidery. The advertisements scattered throughout the volumes provide insights into late-nineteenth-century social concerns and attitudes, and the patterns offer some surprises about yarn design and properties—a number of today’s hottest yarns had nineteenth-century precedents.
Yarns
The yarns suggested by many of the patterns expand one’s ideas about the era. Pattern-in-the-yarn, novelty, and space-dyed yarns were as trendy then as now: “Pearl’’ wool alternated white and a color every quarter of an inch; “Shaded’’ wool went from lightest to darkest and back in one color; “Ombré’’ wools were shaded in several colors; “Arrasene’’ was a chenille-like yarn of silk or wool; “Orné’’ had sequences of color tied so that the knots ended a row and the colors formed elegant floral patterns. Color choices ranged from pastels to brights. Some patterns called for “unshrinkable vest wool’’ (a combination of wool and silk).
Carol adapted this pattern for "1896 Beaded Cuffs to Knit" from Weldon's Practical Needlework, Volume 11 for PieceWork July/August 2013. Photo by Joe Coca
Gauge and Needles
The amount of information given in nineteenth-century knitting patterns varies. Gauge is rarely mentioned and sometimes patterns do not recommend specific materials. The patterns in the Weldon’s series, however, usually suggest a yarn and needle size, sometimes offering a choice. For example, “A Pretty Small Diamond Pattern’’ (for a shawl in “Weldon’s Practical Knitter, 14th Series" in Volume 5) begins: “Procure the finest Fife Lace Yarn and a pair of No.14 steel knitting needles; or Shetland wool and No. 12 needles; or Andalusian wool and No. 10 needles. . . .’’ Since this is an openwork lace pattern, a modern knitter would want to choose a yarn that is fine in relation to needle size. Keep in mind that the needle sizes are British sizes, in which the higher the number, the finer the needle. Approximate equivalencies are: British size 14 is equivalent to a US 00; British 13 to a US size 0; and British 12 to a US 1.
Sizing
While the Victorian patterns sometimes specify a size, such as lady’s small or infant, the average person was shorter and babies were smaller then. For shawls and scarves, knit until the piece is the size you prefer. For socks, mittens, gloves, and sweaters, work a gauge swatch and adjust the pattern to fit.
Another Carol Rhoades’s reproduction—the Lady’s Claret Polka from an 1849 design by Mrs. Warren, originally published in PieceWork, January/February 2013, now available to subscribers in the PieceWork Library. Photo by Joe Coca
Translation
It may be helpful to “translate" the pattern into contemporary terms and/or charts. Writing out the pattern line-by-line and/or enlarging the page will make following it easier. A few of the more common terms and abbreviations are: work plain = knit; plain knitting = stockinette stitch; narrow = decrease (usually knit two together); sl and b (slip and bind) = slip one stitch, knit one, pass the slipped stitch over; th o (throw thread over) or over = yarnover. Make one is an increase, usually a yarnover but sometimes a more invisible increase. The best way to learn how to read, adjust, and correct Victorian patterns is to work through several similar patterns. You’ll soon notice common sequences and variations.
Visit the PieceWork Library to discover the treasure of Weldon's eBooks AND individual patterns for scarves, shawls, edgings, and socks adapted from various series of "Weldon's Practical Knitter."
Originally published January 29, 2020; updated August 27, 2026.