Weldon's Practical Crochet, Volume 1, First Series eBook

PieceWork magazine is pleased to present this limited edition, exact reproduction (neither alterations nor corrections were made to the original published in the 1800s) of Weldon's Practical Crochet, Volume 1, First Series. It is a fitting example of crochet and history, hand in hand.

This electronic pattern book opens a window on another time and another place. The time is the turn of the twentieth century and the place is London, England. Crocheters of that era would be amazed to see their favorite crochet patterns in a virtual format of which they could never have dreamed.

In an effort to bring needlework to the emerging middle class, Weldon's, a paper pattern producer of the Victorian era, began to publish monthly newsletters devoted to various crafts (knitting, patchwork, crochet, and the like). These newsletters were typically 14 pages and cost 2 pence. By about 1915, Weldon's had published 159 issues of Practical Crochet and 100 issues of Practical Knitting. Later, they were collected into book form, titled Weldon's Practical Needlework.

We have reproduced for you here the crochet content from the earliest of these pamphlets. The 36 projects range from charming to simply strange. The instructions might perplex a contemporary crocheter accustomed to much hand-holding, but the stitch patterns and shapings are often ingenious, and many of the objects transcend the century-plus span of years since they were devised.

This pamphlet serves as a curiosity, an inspiration, a resource, and a link to a time beyond our memories. In using and enjoying it, you keep the craft alive.