Victorian Crochet, Knit, and Lace Making Patterns

Here are some scans showing mostly lace making patterns and crochet designs from the early 1890s for various things, including how to knit and crochet childrens booties and baby clothes!

This series of scans from the 1892 Delineator Fashion Magazine start with patterns for a crochet fascinator and infant’s blanket. The crochet and knit section also includes designs and patterns for yoke collars, baby girls skirts, underskirt (in fancy crochet), children’s knitted sack (which looks like a sweater)…then a pattern and instructions on how to make Normandy lace, knitted pointed edging, and infant’s long bootee.

I didn’t have time to read the article “Housekeeping, Good and Bad. Emergency Dinners” (except to note that it looks like the menus included beef tongue or codfish soufflé– yuck!).

Finally, back to lace making. There is an engraving of Marie Antoinette Lace, which is used for curtains, counterpanes, portieres, pillow shams, and mantel draperies, and is made of heavy white or ecru net with white, ecru, or shaded brown braid. The article briefly describes how Marie Antoinette Lace was discovered and that it’s pretty fun to make! The next kind of lace making covered is Modern Lace, which is dainty edging in a leaf pattern – and covered in a previous 1891 issue. It’s used on housegowns, underwear, and garments for children. This series ends with a Battenburg Lace pattern for a tea cosy cover.

I hope that these scans are useful, I can imagine that they might be helpful for identifying different kinds of lace… maybe!