A Vintage Baby’s Bonnet to Knit

One of the joys of being a part of PieceWork is getting to dig into vintage materials. These older patterns almost speak a different language and leave many things open to the judgement or interpretation of the knitter. This offering from Miss Watts’s elusive book on knitting, netting and crochet is for a baby’s bonnet that includes a unique way to knit a feather trim. Even though the title states the book is illustrated, there are only three photos in it! Luckily, the bonnet is labeled as P.1 in the following image. The bonnet, we believe, is made up of the crown, the curtain, and the feather.

The illustration on the frontispiece of the New Illustrated Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Book by Miss Watts published in London in 1845. Clockwise, from upper left: Knitted baby bonnet, knitted “Cardinal Cape for a Little Girl,” and crocheted “Fish Napkin.”

A Knitted Baby’s Bonnet

These instructions might take a bit of experimenting as they are worded exactly as they appeared in the 1845 publication.

Honey-comb in two colors. One ounce of white and pale blue Berlin wool in half-ounce skeins, as joins spoil the appearance of the work; two needles, pointed at both ends, No. 13, and a bonnet shape to cover with the work are required.

[PAYWALL]

For the crown cast on 22 stitches with the white wool.

1st row—(A back row). Fasten on the blue wool and knit the row with it as follows: bring the wool forward, slip a stitch, knit 1, repeat throughout the row. This row is not repeated.
2nd row—(A back row with the white wool) beginning at the same end of the pin as the last row. Bring the white wool forward, slip the loops and purl the stitches.
3rd row—(A front row with the white wool). Knit all the stitches and slip the loops.
4th row—(A front row with the blue wool). Bring the wool forward, slip a stitch, pass the wool round the needle and purl the loop and stitch together.
5th row—(A back row with the white wool). Purl the stitches and slip the loops.
6th row—(A front row with the while wool). Knit the stitches and slip the loops.
7th row—(A back row with the blue wool). Bring the wool forward, slip a stitch, knit the loop and stitch together throughout the row.

Repeat from the 2nd row; when you have knitted the pattern two or three times over, increase one stitch at each end of the pin in the 3rd and 6th rows, by knitting twice in the same stitch, until you have 38 stitches, then decrease until you have your original number. Throughout the bonnet you must increase in these two rows.

For the front cast on 118 stitches, continue the pattern as for the crown; when your work is 1½ inch deep, cast off 9 stitches at each end for the back; continue for 4 patterns without increase, then increase as in the crown until you have 120 stitches. Knit 2 patterns without increase; then decrease for 3 patterns, take up the stitches, about 38 at each side, knit 10 rows with the white wool and cast-off.

Curtain

Cast on 86 stitches with the blue wool, increase at the beginning and end of every other row; when 47 rows deep, knit an edge to match the front with white wool and cast off.

Feather

Cast on 11 stitches with double wool (one white and one blue), knit plain knitting until the piece is nearly ¾ yard long, cast off 2 stitches and pull out the needle; put this piece into a cool oven for a few hours; unravel the nine stitches and sew the edge of 2 stitches on a piece of stiff ribbon wire.

Finishing

Trim the bonnet with cord and tassels and satin ribbon strings. The bonnet represented in the picture is 14 inches round the top of the crown and 16½ round the head.

Did you know that the knitting portion of Miss Watts’s book is available in the PieceWork library? Check out the ebook here. We would love to see how your bonnets turn out. Please share photos of your work with us here.