Crafting the Past

Just searching around on Ravelry and I noticed a couple of historic hat patterns from very different periods that people might be interested in.

One is a World War II hat derived from Beanie No. 212, Bucilla Yarn Booklet, Volume 318, dated 1940. According to the person posting the pattern, "This hat pattern was probably knit at least a million times during World War II, and remains one of the most enduring hat designs. Watch a movie or television program which takes place during the winter months, and somewhere in each outdoor frame will be someone wearing this hat."

Another pattern is based on the Monmouth Cap, which is described in Richard Rutt's History of Hand Knitting.

"The Welsh border town of Monmouth* was a centre for cap-making from about the 1520s to 1585. Monmouth caps were of peculiar design and were sold far and wide, becoming well known throughout England....Shakespeare mentions the Monmouth cap in Henry V [in 1599] when at Agincourt the Welsh officer Fluellen describes the Welsh soldiers wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps."

Unfortunately, "Little has been recorded of their appearance except that they were round, brown, and topped with a button." There was one hat that may have been a Monmouth cap found in 1969. (Rutt describes more about how it was made in his book.)

I find it interesting, then, how people are trying to retro-pattern different hats despite a lack of available patterns. After all, one hat is not necessarily representative of the Monmouth cap, particularly if we're not even sure that it is the Monmouth cap referred to in history. (The cap pattern linked, by the way, does seem to be close to the hat found in Monmouth.)

It got me thinking: Why do we knit historical patterns? Is it a conversation piece? An attempt to reclaim part of the past? Because it's "cool"? If so, why do we find it "cool"? I suppose we could follow this up with why people hold Renn Fests, but that could be a whole different story. I should mention, by the way, that I find Renn fests and historical patterns very appealing, too.

*Note: Monmouth caps were also made in Worcestershire.

Excerpt from Knitting, Crochet, and Netting, with Twelve Illustrations by Éléonore Riego de la Branchardière, originally published in 1846 and available for free on Project Gutenberg:

"The Authoress, having had much experience in teaching, and always writing her own directions, has been induced to publish this little Volume for the use of her pupils; and as all the receipts have been tried, she can with confidence answer for their accuracy. Should any further instructions be required, she will wait upon any Lady, who will apply at S. KNIGHTS, 6, 'Change Alley, Cornhill; HOWELL and JAMES, Regent Street; and at all the principal Berlin shops."

Patterns include those for a Turkish Pattern Muff, Driving Mitts, Travelling Cap, Bead Purse, and more doilies (aka D'Oyleys) than you can shake a knitting needle at.

So much fun to just read the historical descriptions, and there are more vintage/historical knitting/crochet/needlework books available on Project Gutenberg.

crossposted to knitting